020 The Shield

The Chundu Hotel is located in the northeast of the county. It took just over ten minutes by taxi to arrive. As the only five-star hotel in the county, it was built only a couple of years ago. Its decor is quite luxurious, making it the preferred venue for local business magnates to host social gatherings and receptions.

Fang Qingye went straight to the third floor and pushed open the door to private room 302. The dining table inside was large, yet only three people were seated around it.

There was one man and two women. The man was in his fifties, sporting a slicked-back hairstyle and a square face; he was Song Qingdong, the father of Song Dahai.

Zhang Qunying had already arrived, but Xia He had not yet appeared. There was another woman, roughly thirty years old, who was quite beautiful. Her phoenix eyes gave her an air of shrewdness. Fang Qingye recognized her as Luo Yan, the deputy general manager of Kerry Real Estate.

Luo Yan was quite a talent. According to Song Dahai, she started as a hotel waitress before being hired as a property salesperson at Kerry Real Estate. Because she was excellent at communicating with clients and had outstanding performance, she was quickly promoted to a business supervisor. Later, Song Qingdong brought her to the company headquarters to serve as the public relations manager, where she specialized in dealing with the government, banks, and major clients. Last year, she was promoted to deputy general manager, becoming Song Qingdong's right-hand person.

Seeing Fang Qingye push the door open and enter, Song Qingdong looked slightly surprised. "Why are you here?"

Before Fang Qingye could answer, Zhang Qunying smiled and explained, "Chairman Song, let me introduce him. This is Fang Qingye, a staff member at our Oriental Bank. President Xia specifically requested his presence."

"Director Zhang, I already know him. He is a childhood playmate of my youngest son," Song Qingdong replied with a smile. Hearing that it was Xia He's wish, he naturally did not probe further.

Beside them, Luo Yan gave Fang Qingye a look that held a deeper meaning. Fang Qingye offered a polite greeting to everyone before taking a seat at the lower end of the table.

At 6:25 PM, Xia He arrived. She was not wearing her uniform, but rather a white shirt paired with high-waisted wide-leg trousers, looking both intellectual and elegant.

"Chairman Song, Director Luo, my apologies for being late due to some work matters," Xia He said as she entered, offering a slight gesture of regret. Song Qingdong naturally made no fuss and invited her to the seat of honor.

Once everyone had arrived, the dishes were served. Song Qingdong had originally planned to serve Moutai, but Xia He politely declined, citing a poor tolerance for alcohol. Song Qingdong did not insist and instead ordered a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Though there were few people, there were many dishes, all of which were famous delicacies. Song Qingdong was naturally attentive, pointing to one dish as he smiled: "I heard that President Xia is from Jinling, so I specifically asked the chef to prepare a local Jinling specialty, 'Beauty's Liver.' Do have a taste and tell me what you think."

"Beauty's Liver" is made of duck pancreas sautéed with chicken breast in duck fat. Xia He did not stand on ceremony; she picked up her chopsticks, sampled a piece, and remarked, "Mmm, the flavor is quite good. I didn't expect the Chundu Hotel to prepare Jinling cuisine so authentically."

"Haha, Director Zhang of the Chundu Hotel is a friend of mine. President Xia, you must come here often. I will make sure Director Zhang gives the chef special instructions to ensure your satisfaction!"

"Thank you," Xia He said, picking up her napkin to elegantly dab her lips.

After they had eaten and drank for a while, Song Qingdong refilled the wine glasses of Xia He and Zhang Qunying. When he reached for Fang Qingye’s glass, Fang stopped him with a smile.

"Uncle Song, I'll handle it myself."

Song Qingdong did not stand on ceremony and turned to Xia He. "President Xia, Director Zhang, I invited you here today because I have a favor to ask of you."

"Please go ahead, Chairman Song."

"I have a 24-million-yuan loan with your bank that is about to mature..." Before Song Qingdong could finish, Zhang Qunying interrupted: "Chairman Song, are you looking to extend the repayment? I'm afraid that..."

Song Qingdong gave Zhang Qunying a glance before continuing with a smile: "No, Director Zhang. Extending the repayment would affect my company's credit, making it harder to apply for loans in the future. I wouldn't do that unless absolutely necessary."

Hearing this, Zhang Qunying relaxed slightly. Xia He, however, shot Zhang a look of dissatisfaction. *Why are you in such a hurry? Let the man finish his sentence.* It seemed that in terms of dealing with high-level clients, Zhang Qunying was not as adept as his predecessor, Su Ming. However, Zhang Qunying did have his own strengths; he was meticulous and principled, which made it difficult for unscrupulous people to drag him into trouble while he was in charge of the credit department. Of course, he also listened to her orders.

Song Qingdong continued, "My idea is this: I will raise funds from elsewhere to repay this 24 million, but I would like to ask President Xia and Director Zhang to grant me a new 24-million-yuan loan as soon as possible. We have already submitted the relevant application materials."

"Chairman Song, you aren't planning to take the 24 million you borrow from us and use it to plug holes elsewhere, are you?" Xia He said, half-jokingly and half-seriously.

Song Qingdong gave a bitter smile. "President Xia, I won't lie to you—that is indeed my plan. You are well aware that the real estate industry is currently in a downturn. It isn't just us; across Jinghai and even the entire Su Province, real estate companies are facing tight liquidity. Many are on the verge of bankruptcy due to broken capital chains."

"But rest assured, Kerry Real Estate does not have that problem," Song Qingdong quickly added. "We have projects selling well in Nanxin and Jinghai; it is just a temporary issue with our capital turnover."

*Selling well?* Sitting at the lower end of the table, Fang Qingye chuckled to himself. He wasn't sure about the project in downtown Jinghai, but the "Landscape Gardens" project developed by Kerry Real Estate in Nanxin, while appearing busy with many people looking at properties every day, was clearly a charade. Fang Qingye knew that those were all hired plants; very few people were actually buying.

Xia He understood this as well. She smiled but did not expose him. After a moment of contemplation, she said, "Chairman Song, you are a long-standing client of our Oriental Bank, and our cooperation has always been excellent. However, you are aware that the entire banking industry is adopting a cautious stance toward real estate loans. Just last week, our municipal branch called all the county and district branch presidents for a meeting to convey a document from the provincial branch, mandating strict control over the volume of real estate lending. I believe you have heard of this, Chairman Song."

Song Qingdong nodded.

At this point, Zhang Qunying added, "Furthermore, our branch only has the authority to approve loans up to 10 million yuan. For a sum as large as yours, the approval authority rests with the municipal branch."

"I know that. I am not asking for the full 24 million. 10 million—just 10 million. President Xia, what do you think?" It seemed Song Qingdong was truly desperate.

Xia He did not answer immediately. She pondered for a moment before saying, "How about this, Chairman Song? Let us go back and study this further, and we will give you an answer later. How does that sound?"

Song Qingdong looked disappointed. He glanced at Fang Qingye, who had remained silent throughout the meal, but eventually replied, "Then I will have to trouble President Xia and Director Zhang. I hope it can be soon."

"We will see."

Once the business was concluded, they chatted about inconsequential matters for a while. When the time was right, Xia He excused herself, and Zhang Qunying and Fang Qingye followed. Song Qingdong and Luo Yan saw them to the hotel entrance.

"President Xia, did you not bring your car? Let me have my driver take you back," Song Qingdong offered when he saw Xia He preparing to walk.

"No need, I’d like to walk around the shops with Director Zhang," Xia He declined with a smile.

The three of them left the hotel and, after a few minutes, reached an intersection. Xia He turned to Fang Qingye. "Little Fang, Director Zhang and I are going to look for some clothes. What about you?"

"I'm heading home," Fang Qingye replied immediately.

"Very well, be safe on your way." With that, Xia He and Zhang Qunying turned toward the center of the county.

As Fang Qingye walked home, he felt a bit dejected. It wasn't because he had remained silent throughout the dinner like a mere prop; it was the realization that Xia He had seemingly used him as a human shield. Several times, he had noticed Song Qingdong wanting to say something but hesitating because he noticed Fang’s presence. After all, Fang was a junior to Song, and there were things Song didn't want him to overhear.

Fang Qingye had this feeling, and it seemed Song Qingdong had sensed it too.