The Happy Farmer Wanderer-Chapter 365 Countermove_1

Li Qing left Secretary Zhou’s house feeling refreshed and invigorated.

The battle just now, although only half as long as usual, was very thrilling and comfortable.

Lu Furong, a woman who liked to dominate yet played wildly, seemed to always bring him some unconventional excitement.

Li Qing reflected carefully.

The memorable bouts of excitement seemed to mostly involve Lu Furong.

He parked his tricycle on the roadside and hailed a taxi to the company.

He wasn’t drunk, and his will was clear.

But Li Qing didn’t dare gamble with his life, having drunk half a liter of liquor before hitting the road on his bike.

The company was deserted, with most people out.

However, Brother Gong was still there, reading in the office.

He had been studying recently.

And he was very earnest about it!

This burly man was meticulously carrying out orders under Lü Zong’s demand.

"Brother Gong, will you be available later?" Li Qing asked as he entered the office.

Brother Gong closed the history book in his hands and laughed heartily, "Qingzi, just give the order if you need something, why so polite?"

"Didn’t want to interrupt your studies!" Li Qing said with a smile, "If you’re free, accompany me to meet Lü Zong later."

"Sure," Brother Gong chuckled and agreed, then asked, "Qingzi, do you have something on your mind?"

"I just met with our town’s Secretary; he mentioned two projects very subtly. One is the reconstruction of the dam to control soil erosion, and the other is the new rural project. I’m somewhat interested. But I can’t grasp Secretary Zhou’s thoughts clearly, that old fox, so I can’t rashly agree!" Li Qing expressed his concern.

"Manpower and such are easy to find, but I’m worried Secretary Zhou might trap me, and all efforts would be in vain."

Brother Gong nodded thoughtfully, "Secretary Zhou is no pushover. You really should be cautious!"

"However, the dam reconstruction and the new rural project are both great opportunities. Just landing one of them would easily make hundreds of thousands. If you play your cards right, you can earn even more."

"So, you want to involve Lü Zong; are you thinking of cutting him in on the deal?"

Li Qing nodded, then relayed the proposal Secretary Zhou had mentioned.

"Although he finally hinted at letting me have a hand in these two projects, when it came to money matters, he remained vague, always equivocating."

"Moreover, the power dynamic between Secretary Zhou and me is imbalanced. I’m not afraid of ending up as a wage earner; at least I’d make some money. What I’m worried about is that by agreeing to this unclear deal, I might sink everything I have into it and completely lose any hope of turning things around."

After listening, Brother Gong’s brows furrowed slightly.

"Being vague about money is definitely not a good sign; that old man is probably trying to use you. You should really think carefully about this," Brother Gong said.

"However, if Lü Zong gets involved, with his influence, he might be able to completely push Secretary Zhou out of the picture. Then you truly wouldn’t have to worry about not making money. Come on, let’s go now."

The two exchanged a few words and then left the company for Lü Family Restaurant.

But Lü Zong wasn’t in his office.

After asking a brother in charge of the dance hall, they learned that Lü Zong was downstairs entertaining a VIP guest.

"Let’s wait downstairs; by my calculations, it should be wrapping up soon," Brother Gong suggested.

Li Qing nodded, "Okay."

The two went to the third floor, found a table at random, sat down, and waited for Lü Zong to finish.

About half an hour later, the door to the VIP private room opened.

Lü Zong exited, accompanied by several men in suits, all in high spirits and laughing.

"Do you recognize that person?" Li Qing gestured with his mouth and asked Brother Gong.

Brother Gong shook his head, gazing at the man in the lead for several seconds before adding, "Seems like he’s from the Qi Family."

Again, the Qi Family?

A twinge of surprise shot through Li Qing’s heart.

Lately, this name had come up with astonishing frequency within his purview.

He smirked and said, "It looks like I’m fated with the Qi Family recently, bumping into them wherever I go!"

"You’ve encountered them before?" Brother Gong asked, astonished.

Li Qing nodded, "I’ve come across them several times already."

Brother Gong laughed and said, "That’s because you’ve reached that Realm. There are some people who you wouldn’t easily meet if you’re not at that level."

"It’s not that mysterious. We all have two eyes and a mouth just the same!" Li Qing shook his head as he spoke.

Brother Gong chuckled lightly, "That may be true, but even in today’s society, people are still ranked differently! An established family like the Qi’s is not easily seen by ordinary folk."

"The places they go, the things they do, the people they meet are all different from the likes of us."

"Moreover, the Qi Family isn’t just any wealthy family; they are a clan, a vast one at that!"

Before this, Li Qing’s concept of family clans was indeed vague.

In his view, it was something that belonged in the old society, in the ancient times.

But after the Qi Family entered his line of sight, he had to reassess this idea.

Lü Zong approached from a distance, his face beaming with joy yet still sly.

"Qingzi, it’s been a long time since you’ve visited my place!"

He seated himself next to Li Qing without any airs and gestured to a server at a distance, commanding, "Have the kitchen prepare a few small dishes and bring over a few bottles of good wine."

"Of course, Lü Zong!"

"Lately, if I’m not delivering goods, I’m working as a storekeeper at a school. I really have been quite busy," Li Qing said with a smile.

Lü Zong chuckled softly and shook his head, "I really can’t fathom what you’re thinking. You leave big money-making opportunities to go work in a school warehouse, losing face for me."

"I had agreed to it a long time ago and wouldn’t feel right going back on my word. I’ll keep at it for now and if it becomes too much, then I can back out. At least I need to keep my word," Li Qing remarked.

Brother Gong interjected with a laugh, "Lü Zong, Qingzi came here today to discuss a deal that could make big money."

"Got a new idea?" Lü Zong asked, glancing sideways.

"Lü Zong is joking," Li Qing replied, "the real big money-making ideas have long been taken up by other people. I hardly get a chance. I’m here today to talk about a couple of construction jobs and I wanted to hear Lü Zong’s thoughts on it."

"Let’s hear it!" Lü Zong raised his hand and said.

Li Qing repeated to Lü Zong what he had previously discussed with Brother Gong.

After listening, Lü Zong pondered for a moment and then said, "I have indeed heard something about this recently. Several towns are launching new rural projects, and Sanhe Town, being close to the county seat, is likely to be among the first to implement them."

"If you can secure this project, you will definitely amass a considerable fortune, but your concerns are also valid."

"Qingzi, you’re not thinking of having me confront Secretary Zhou, are you?"