Inside the private room, moans rose and fell in waves.
Under the table, three won had completely removed Lin Fan’s pants. Xu Jiaojiao took the lead while the other two assisted, each clearly designated in their roles, almost wishing they could take all three of Lin Fan’s "legs" into their mouths.
Above the table, Lin Fan still chatted and laughed with Guo Baoming, whose sincerity, mingled with a chilling undertone, was truly the opposite of Zhu Defu’s.
"Mayor Guo, there are things I shouldn’t ask, yet I can’t help but inquire... If you were , how would you choose?"
Lin Fan looked directly at Guo Baoming. The al was becoming increasingly thrilling, and his question made Guo Baoming smile contentedly, "No wonder Chu Shihan is crazy about you. You really have progressed quickly. You’re a natural at this officialdom ga. What you really want to ask is, how can you trust what I say?"
Guo Baoming paused before continuing, "I invited you to dine not to try to sway you but to show you, accurately speaking, that you don’t need to change anything right now. After all, Zhu Defu has already disclosed the bidding details to you. If you don’t act, he will definitely not use you again. Once doubt creeps in, your move to Red Flag County would be akin to walking into certain death. At the very least, if he opposes you, your path to promotion becos incredibly difficult."
"So, this al is just for show?"
Lin Fan seed to understand sothing. Guo Baoming’s invitation was an open secret, but Zhu Defu had never questioned it, which was the most abnormal part.
"You’re really clever, I’ve started to like you."
Guo Baoming nodded, "Exactly, I want him to know that I’m always trying to win you over. The most fun part of this world is competition because once there is competition, sothing originally costing five yuan might just beco worth ten yuan. So, he needs to think twice about using you as a pawn, whether I would help you out. By doing so, you would beco my weapon, and when it’s ti to stab him, it’s doubly vicious!"
"I must thank Mayor Guo for being involved."
Lin Fan lifted his glass, a hint of a smile crossing his lips. He spoke honestly yet covertly—it was indeed enlightening dealing with such high-ranking figures.
"Don’t ntion it, to be precise, I’m not here voluntarily either. We’re just pawns in soone else’s ga. If I play this ga right, I might no longer need to act as the City Secretary. If it goes poorly, I’ll be stuck as the perpetual number two."
Guo Baoming also smiled as he raised his glass, which might just be one of life’s unavoidable frustrations. Nobody could predict the future. Just like Hou Changyao, he never expected to end up in prison during his rise.
"In the realm of officialdom, one is either a friend or an enemy. At least for this mont, I still don’t want to be your enemy, so when I see sothing troubling, I have to tell you plainly to avoid issues later with the Commission for Discipline Inspection catching your tail and dragging out unnecessary dirt which would also land in trouble!"
"Unnecessary dirt."
Lin Fan raised his glass, puzzled by what Guo Baoming said, but was too apprehensive to ask directly, though Guo Baoming could tell. Without further explanation, he guzzled his drink and then watched Lin Fan with a grin.
"He truly is the Golden Spear King. These three are famously talented music graduates, unmatched in their skills. I once resisted for a while, but it seems I’m getting old now. Ti ushers in fresh talents, and old ones fade away. This world will eventually be yours."
"This... doesn’t an much."
Lin Fan hadn’t expected Guo Baoming to hint at such matters, and now his words made Lin Fan lose any mood to enjoy the won’s service. The numbness had long erased any physical sensation, leaving no chance for release.
"What are n’s struggles for in the end if not for the wine in hand, wife in arms, children at knees, and lovers at feet? Without a source of ambition, where’s the will to fight? So, as long as the ’number two’ stands firm, the desire to fight remains."
Guo Baoming chuckled lightly, "This ti I’ll just give you a piece of advice. You thrived in Lotus Town, but stepping into Red Flag County is stepping into a life-or-death struggle. Always be cautious. I don’t want to see news one day of so Deputy County Magistrate committing suicide due to severe depression."
"Thank you for the warning, Mayor Guo!"
Lin Fan squinted his eyes, observing the three won still busy below him. Both above and beneath the table were scenes of consumption, but entirely different kinds—it was just like the visible and hidden sides of officialdom.
"Once you’ve had enough fun, you’ll realize won really aren’t that different from each other, just varying in how much and how well they perform. Don’t let these low pursuits distract you from what truly matters. Be careful, these rmaids always co with hooks."
Guo Baoming smiled as he tossed his cigarette butt onto the ground before finally speaking slowly, "Sotis I really admire Zhu Defu; he even uses his own daughter as bait. This ti to reel you in, he’s really spared no expense!"
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