Chapter 9: Chapter 0009: Open Strategy
In the hazy moonlight, Pan Cuilian's skin glowed with a faint luster, the beautiful place emanating a subdued scent of life.
This scent was too lethal, Cheng Yuan felt as if his brain could no longer function!
The only voice left in his subconscious was shouting!
He wanted this woman!
He wanted to have this woman fiercely!
Pan Cuilian leaned down like a fox spirit, using all fours to slowly crawl up!
Kissing her way up from Cheng Yuan's feet.
Cheng Yuan's condition got even better!
"Deputy Town Chief Cheng, Sister's coming!"
Just as Pan Cuilian was about to sit down, a childish voice came from outside.
"Mom, Grandpa's talcum powder is all gone, can you get me a new one?"
Wang Shun's words were like a bucket of cold water, snapping the two awake in an instant!
Pan Cuilian jumped out of bed as if electrified, getting dressed in two shakes of a lamb's tail.
Cheng Yuan also became unusually agile, pulling up his pants with speed.
A click.
Wang Shun turned on the light, casting a skeptical gaze at Cheng Yuan and Pan Cuilian.
"Mommy, your face is so red, are you sick?"
Pan Cuilian's gaze flickered, slightly embarrassed as she fumbled with her hair.
"Mommy's not sick, it's just a little hot today, I'm going to find the talcum powder for you."
Wang Shun took a sniff.
"What's this weird smell?"
Pan Cuilian wished she could find a crack to crawl into.
"It must be the smell of sweat, right?"
Wang Shun didn't suspect Pan Cuilian's bluff, but he had another question.
"Mommy, why did you turn off the lights?"
Pan Cuilian's heart skipped a beat, how was she to explain this?
Fortunately, Cheng Yuan had the presence of mind to laugh and explain, "Shunzi, your mom was helping me find a shirt. As men and women should not touch hands when giving or receiving objects, I suggested we turn off the lights to change shirts."
As he spoke, Cheng Yuan shook the shirt Pan Cuilian had found for him.
Wang Shun showed a look of sudden realization on his face, laughing and saying, "Mommy has good taste, Uncle will definitely look great in this shirt."
Cheng Yuan and Pan Cuilian exchanged a wry smile, managing to bluff their way through.
With Wang Shun's little episode, Cheng Yuan was now completely sober.
They're from the same unit, seeing each other day in and day out. If he really did something with Sister Pan, how could he face her afterward?
"Sister Pan, this shirt fits well, I'm heading back now! You and Shunzi should rest early."
Pan Cuilian, still shaken by Wang Shun's interruption, didn't try to keep Cheng Yuan, nodding with a slight sense of loss.
"Okay, take care, Deputy Town Chief Cheng."
Cheng Yuan's house was very close to Pan Cuilian's, less than a five-minute walk away.
Cheng Yuan took a cold shower when he got home, finally calming his restless emotions.
He tossed and turned for two hours before he managed to fall asleep reluctantly.
Cheng Yuan usually didn't dream.
But tonight, he dreamt.
He dreamt of Pan Cuilian.
However, in the latter part of the dream, Pan Cuilian's face seemed to change, turning into that woman with whom he spent a wild night at the Jinmao Hotel.
When Cheng Yuan woke up in the morning, he felt extremely uncomfortable.
His sleep pants were damp.
Cheng Yuan chuckled bitterly and shook his head; it seems he had been poisoned by Sister Pan, dreaming of her...
Cheng Yuan quickly took a shower and changed into a fresh set of clothes for work.
"Deputy Town Chief Cheng, Secretary Yan has called for an expanded leadership meeting of the party group. Please go to the small meeting room immediately."
Ma Guorong's messenger, Wu Zhanjun, stood at the door of Cheng Yuan's office, looking at him with a mocking glance.
Clearly, Wu Zhanjun had heard something, and this Deputy Town Chief was in for it!
"Secretary Wu, how far has the committee expanded the meeting?"
"It has expanded to Deputy Town Chief Cheng."
Cheng Yuan's pupils narrowed slightly, it seemed Ma Guorong was playing his last card.
Having failed with the covert approach, it's time for an overt plot!
"Understood."
Cheng Yuan set down his file and followed Wu Zhanjun to the meeting room.
Three members of the party committee had already taken their seats in the meeting room.
They were:
Lingshan Town's full-time Deputy Secretary Yan Wenzheng.
The Executive Deputy Town Chief Huang Dong.
The Organizational Committee Member Huang Tianshuo.
"Secretary Yan, Executive, Committee Member Huang, good morning."
Cheng Yuan courteously greeted the three men, then took the last seat available.
After all, he was the lowest-ranked Deputy Town Chief.
And not a member of the Lingshan Town party standing committee.
Yan Wenzheng greeted Cheng Yuan with a benevolent smile and a nod of his head.
Huang Tianshuo did not smile, merely acknowledging with a flat nod.
Huang Dong didn't even bother with that much, barely lifting his eyelids.
Cheng Yuan wasn't surprised by the reactions of Huang Dong and Huang Tianshuo.
However, Yan Wenzheng's gesture was somewhat puzzling to him.
Why was Secretary Yan suddenly showing him goodwill?
Could it be that Secretary Yan was about to wrestle with Ma Guorong?
If that were the case, the enemy of his enemy is a friend, and he should get closer to Secretary Yan in the future.
Soon, the party standing committee members arrived.
Ma Guorong arrived last, right on time, walking into the meeting room.
Everyone stood up neatly to greet him.
Ma Guorong relished in the attention, striding to the head of the table and taking his seat, then sweeping his gaze over everyone with a commanding air and said indifferently, "Take a seat."
Ma Guorong got straight to the point without beating around the bush.
"Executive Shen was furious, ordering us to immediately implement safety rectifications on the Weidong River! He mandated us to build a dam and a bridge within a set deadline, to ensure the safety of Lingshan Town's people!"
"After unanimous study by our Lingshan Town party committee, we decided to give this rare opportunity for exercise to our young colleague, our very own Cheng Yuan—Deputy Town Chief Cheng!"
"Does anyone have any objections?"