Chapter 27: Lu Hao Keeps the Appointment

Lu Hao put down his phone and pondered for a long time, yet he could not fathom why Li Haotian would take the initiative to invite him to dinner.

However, Li Haotian was one of Li Zhen’s men. As long as Li Zhen wanted to deal with him, Li Haotian would certainly continue to make things difficult for him. Thus, this dinner was, in all likelihood, a trap. But since the invitation had been extended, Lu Hao could not refuse. After all, the man was the Township Mayor, the second-in-command, and his superior; he had to show the necessary respect.

After work, just as Lu Hao stepped out of the office into the courtyard, he saw Li Haotian’s car waiting there.

"Director Lu, please, get in. Mayor Li is already waiting for you at the Qiushui Restaurant," Li Haotian’s driver said to Lu Hao.

Lu Hao was truly surprised that Li Haotian was treating him with such high regard today. He knew of the Qiushui Restaurant; it was not far from the township government office and was known for serving the most authentic farmhouse cuisine in Fangshui Township. The distance was only a short walk, yet Li Haotian had actually sent a driver to pick him up. It was quite unexpected.

"Alright, thank you!" Lu Hao had no way to refuse. To refuse would be to slap the Township Mayor in the face, so he simply got into the car.

This scene happened to be spotted by Hong Haifeng, who was just coming down from the building. His expression darkened instantly.

The owner of the Qiushui Restaurant was a woman in her early thirties, a local of Fangshui Township. It was said that she had been widowed young and lived with her daughter. She had hired two local chefs to run the place. Though the scale was small, the food was pure farmhouse style, very authentic, and attracted many patrons from the surrounding areas.

After Lu Hao entered the restaurant, the driver led him to the innermost private room. The décor was modest, but for an impoverished place like Fangshui Township, it was considered quite decent. The driver pushed open the door, and Lu Hao followed him inside.

Apart from Li Haotian, there were two other people in the room. Lu Hao was stunned when he saw them; he had not expected Wang Shaojie to be there, and even more surprisingly, Liu Ruyan, the socialite of the officialdom, was present as well.

"Lu Hao, I didn't expect us to meet again."

Liu Ruyan took the initiative to step forward and greet him. She smiled and continued, "There are no outsiders here today. I want to tell you that I am not your cousin's mistress; the Disciplinary Committee has already verified this. I only sought out your cousin regarding some government business in Anxing County, so please don't get the wrong idea. Furthermore, your cousin has already returned from the Disciplinary Committee. He received a disciplinary action, and I heard the dismissal order was issued today; you should have seen it by now."

Liu Ruyan always felt that Lu Hao held an inexplicable hostility toward her, which was highly unfavorable for the matters she needed to discuss next. Thus, she offered a patient explanation.

"Since the Disciplinary Committee has already investigated, it naturally means that Manager Liu has no issues, and it was my cousin's own problems that led to his dismissal," Lu Hao responded calmly.

That afternoon, Tang Chunyan had already shown him the official document regarding Liu Yuanda's dismissal. Lu Hao had tried calling Liu Yuanda, but just like in previous days, his phone remained off. He planned to try again in the evening. Even if Liu Ruyan was not Liu Yuanda's mistress, Lu Hao still had no positive feelings for the woman, but he knew he had to maintain the customary social pleasantries at the dinner table.

"Lu Hao, since you’re here, sit down. I heard that you and Mayor Wang were both from the county office, and Mayor Wang said he is also very familiar with your fiancée, so I specially invited him to join us," Li Haotian said warmly, gesturing for Lu Hao to sit and asking the waiter to pour some water.

This gesture left Lu Hao even more confused, but he replied politely, "You are too kind, Mayor."

"Come, come, Lu Hao, have a cigarette." Wang Shaojie tossed a pack of Panda cigarettes toward Lu Hao.

Wang Shaojie lived in the same residential compound as Li Zhen. To earn his promotion to deputy section chief so quickly, he had certainly given plenty of gifts to Li Zhen. Since Li Haotian was also part of Li Zhen’s faction and likely to become the next top leader of Fangshui Township, Wang Shaojie knew it was vital to maintain a good relationship with him. Therefore, when Li Haotian asked him to join the dinner, he agreed without hesitation. However, Wang Shaojie was also puzzled: why was Li Haotian going to such lengths to host Lu Hao?

"Serve the dishes!" Li Haotian called out to the waiter with the air of a leader.

As dish after dish was brought to the table, Liu Ruyan placed two bottles of Moutai on the table, opened them, and began pouring the drinks.

"It is truly an honor to have Manager Liu pour our drinks herself," Li Haotian laughed.

"Mayor Li, you are too modest. It is my honor to dine with all of you. In the future, if there are any good engineering projects in Fangshui Township, please keep me in mind," Liu Ruyan said, filling every glass to the brim.

Lu Hao remained silent. He still had not grasped the true purpose behind Li Haotian inviting Liu Ruyan to this dinner, so he chose not to speak first, knowing that too much talk leads to mistakes.

"Come, let's have a toast," Li Haotian said, lifting his glass and tapping it against the table. Wang Shaojie echoed the sentiment, and they all took a drink, marking the official start of the dinner.

Immediately after, Wang Shaojie began proposing toasts, pulling Lu Hao into one as well. Although Lu Hao despised Wang Shaojie and knew he had been trying to sabotage his relationship with Fang Jing, he could not afford to cause a scene in public, so he pretended to be on friendly terms and drank along.

"Little Lu, come, I’ll toast you," Li Haotian said suddenly, raising his glass toward Lu Hao.

Lu Hao quickly stood up, clinked glasses with Li Haotian, and smiled, "Mayor Li, how could I let you toast me? It should be me toasting you. Thank you for your guidance; without you, I certainly wouldn't have become the Director of Poverty Alleviation."

As he spoke, he kept his glass lower than Li Haotian’s, maintaining a gesture of respect.

Lu Hao’s words caught Li Haotian off guard for a moment. He hadn't expected this guy to openly use his words to imply something, but Li Haotian was a seasoned veteran of the political arena and immediately responded with a smile, "Look at how well he speaks! Truly, a top student from a 985 university; an ordinary person really can't compare."

With that, he downed his drink with Lu Hao. Someone unaware of the situation would have truly thought they were just two people building a friendship.

"Lu Hao, the work you have done in the Poverty Alleviation Office over the past few days—whether it be the regulations, the division of labor, or your work at the grassroots level—has been seen by all of us in the leadership team. The atmosphere of poverty alleviation is indeed gradually improving. Facts have proven that you are a capable and good comrade," Li Haotian said after taking a sip of soup, offering his praise.

Lu Hao sneered inwardly. He knew Li Haotian’s words were insincere and that he was actually hoping for him to make a mistake so he could be booted out. Outwardly, however, Lu Hao expressed his gratitude, "Thank you for the affirmation, leader. I will definitely work hard and never let down your trust."