"How long have you been here? Warren and I just got back from fishing." Selina Shi ran up to Evan Lin, gave him a quick once-over, and completely ignored Kai Chen who was standing nearby.
"I just got here." Evan Lin nodded slightly.
Hearing this, Selina Shi slyly hooked Evan Lin's arm, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Sorry, I was supposed to pick you up myself."
Selina Shi's sudden gesture and change in tone made Evan Lin raise his eyebrows slightly.
Ivy Deng, standing to the side, opened her eyes wide at the scene before her.
Anyone who could stay at the County Committee Guesthouse like Selina Shi obviously had an unusual background. Even earlier, Max Ma had to back down when he saw them.
Ivy Deng had assumed Evan Lin was at most just friends with them, but she never expected Selina Shi would actually link arms with Evan!
Kai Chen, who had just missed his chance, watched this unfold and his expression changed. A moment ago, his look toward Evan Lin was full of disdain, but now it was pure hostility. "Selina, who is this guy?"
"This is my little sister's new boyfriend. Not bad, right?"
Before Selina Shi could answer, Warren Wu walked over, grinning, and threw his arm around Kai Chen's shoulders, winking at him. "Long time no see, Kai. It's impressive you managed to chase us all the way here, but too bad—you were a step late. My little sis is already taken."
"Bullshit! Who is this kid? Selina, I know you just dragged someone over here to piss me off!" Kai Chen was getting anxious, but Selina Shi just rolled her eyes. "Give it a rest, I'm not interested in making you mad. Let's go, let's go—I'm starving."
With that, Selina Shi pulled Evan Lin toward the guesthouse.
Kai Chen was so angry he wanted to rush forward, but Warren Wu had him in a headlock and wouldn't let go. "I'm telling you, Kai, don't do anything stupid. If you charge over and that guy knocks you out with one punch, you'll really embarrass yourself."
"Not bragging or anything, but Selina's new boyfriend can take down more than ten guys by himself. Even I might not be able to beat him. If you really want to try, go ahead—I'm not stopping you."
Warren Wu's words made Kai Chen's face change again and again. He quickly calmed down, took a deep breath, and said in a low voice, "So what if he's good at fighting? Does he think he can beat a bullet? Damn it, if I get pushed too far..."
Before Kai Chen could finish, Allen Ju walked over and said coolly, "I'm hungry. Let's eat. Also, if you keep acting like this, I'll call your dad."
Hearing Allen Ju's words, Kai Chen snorted but didn't dare say anything else.
Ivy Deng heard all this and was shocked. Anyone who could casually talk about pulling out a gun was probably connected to the military.
Ivy Deng was all confused. Kai Chen lost interest in her and, together with Allen Ju, walked toward the guesthouse. Warren Wu glanced at Ivy Deng and nodded, "Time to eat."
"Are you dragging me along to be your bullet shield?"
Evan Lin, with Selina Shi holding his arm, asked calmly.
Selina Shi kept smiling: "Of course. Kai Chen is super annoying, always chasing after me. But because of family ties, I can't really do anything to him. Anyway, you're free and he's no match for you, so you might as well do me a favor."
Selina Shi was clearly setting Evan up, showing no hint of guilt. Evan was left speechless.
As they walked ahead, Evan could feel a hostile gaze from behind. He didn’t need to guess—he knew it was from Kai Chen.
With Selina Shi dragging Evan Lin along, the group entered the guesthouse. By the time they reached the reception hall, the tables were already set.
Around the table sat Liu Tangguo and other government officials, along with several local business owners. Magistrate Ma was among them.
Magistrate Ma wasn’t particularly tall and looked rather refined at first glance. At the moment, his expression carried a hint of pride. Next to him sat a man with a side-parted hairstyle and a suit, looking quite haughty.
Magistrate Ma looked at Liu Tangguo and introduced, "This is Victor Lee from Hong Kong, representing the Li family. He’s here to discuss the county plaza project with us. The plan is to build a large mall, then add a series of supporting facilities around it."
The initial investment is about 500 million yuan.
Magistrate Ma spoke slowly. As soon as he finished, the faces of Victor Deng and several other department heads changed.
Five hundred million!
For a county like Bainam, getting an investment of even ten or twenty million was big news. But now, five hundred million at once! Everyone at the table looked at Victor Lee with newfound excitement.
Feng Kangnan and Liu Hai were both stunned. They had come today to discuss the development of the Bainam Resort, but after hearing Magistrate Ma’s announcement, neither dared to speak. Compared to this, their project seemed trivial.
"What do you think, Secretary Liu?" Magistrate Ma smiled at Liu Tangguo. "I went through a lot of connections to secure this investment."
As soon as Magistrate Ma finished speaking, everyone at the table turned to look at Liu Tangguo.
Everyone knew Magistrate Ma and Secretary Liu had different views. Liu Tangguo advocated for a gradual approach with the Bainam Resort project, but Magistrate Ma wanted to quickly elevate the county by building a modern plaza centered on a large supermarket.
Although Liu Tangguo was newly appointed, he’d already accomplished a lot. In a short time, Bainam County had started to overshadow Magistrate Ma’s achievements.
Now, Magistrate Ma had brought in an investor from Hong Kong, with an investment of five hundred million! Such a move put him back in the lead.
As long as it benefits the people, it’s a good thing. But given Bainam County’s current economic level, building such a large, modern plaza might be a bit too ambitious.
Before Liu Tangguo finished speaking, Victor Lee snorted, "So you’re not welcoming our investment? If that’s the case, I can leave right now. Our offer is generous—our company invests five hundred million, your county provides a one hundred million subsidy, plus land equity, and future profits will be split proportionally."
If it weren’t for Magistrate Ma, I wouldn’t even consider a small county like yours.
Victor Lee looked impatient.
After Victor Lee spoke, Magistrate Ma quickly smiled and said, "No, no, of course we welcome you! That's beyond question. I promise to do everything I can to support your investment!"
With those words, Magistrate Ma was tying himself to Victor Lee. Liu Tangguo just shook his head.
Magistrate Ma is truly impressive—he brought in five hundred million just like that!
Yeah, the county magistrate has really done great things for our county—everyone can see it!
The magistrate really leads by example!
Everyone at the banquet table chimed in in agreement.
Magistrate Ma looked delighted, basking in the praise, as he glanced smugly at Liu Tangguo.
Just then, at the entrance, Liu Tangguo saw Selina Shi walk in, arm in arm with a teenage boy, and was visibly surprised.
"Come, Selina, sit here!"