In the evening, Zhang Zhiyuan brought Lu Yiwei to the Donghu Club.
As mentioned earlier, the Donghu Club was a secret gathering place for a specific group of people, commonly known as a small circle. Those who could step into the door were naturally not ordinary people. This was the second time Lu Yiwei came here, and his mood was very different.
After arriving, Fan Rongkui, Xu Caimao, and Bai Zongfeng had already arrived in advance, and they were chatting enthusiastically. What puzzled Lu Yiwei was that Fan Rongkui was not in this circle before. Why did he suddenly appear?
Although Lu Yiwei had been promoted to Deputy Secretary, he was still a primary school student compared to them. He knew his place and played the role of serving tea and water.
But there must be a reason for every meal. What was the theme of tonight's meal? Zhang Zhiyuan did not say, and Lu Yiwei did not ask.
They chatted around Yang Tongyao, the chairman of Hongtai Group, while Lu Yiwei listened quietly. He vaguely heard that Yang Tongyao wanted to buy a plane and planned to take them to Macau in the near future.
Macau was a world-class casino holy land, and they did not mean it.
At the beginning of the meal, the conversation quickly changed direction, and the topic was shifted to Lu Yiwei. They expressed their praise for Lu Yiwei's drought relief operation, and talked about the anecdotes among the leaders.
Xu Caimao said, "I heard that after the media exposed the water shortage in Black Mountain County, the neighboring province suddenly fell into a passive situation. They even deliberately accused our province of deliberately making things difficult for them. Governor Zhang did not hold back. If the other party was so narrow-minded and directly cut the coal supply chain, they would have to compromise in the end. "
Bai Zongfeng echoed, "This neighboring province is too unkind. The rivers belong to the country. How can they forcibly occupy them? This matter is annoying to anyone. If it were me, I would also go against them. "
Fan Rongkui said with a smile, "I think the water shortage is a small matter. The long-term backlog of contradictions is the root cause. Alright, let's not talk about it. Come on, let's drink! "
At the table, Fan Rongkui frequently toasted with Lu Yiwei, which made him a little overwhelmed.
The topic shifted back to Lu Yiwei.
Xu Caimao said, "Yiwei, I heard from Zhiyuan that you're still single. Why? Can't you find someone suitable?"
Lu Yiwei scratched his head and said, "Secretary Xu, this … question … I …"
"Look!" Bai Zongfeng echoed, "You're already an adult, what's there to be embarrassed about? If you have any ideas, just say them. "
Lu Yiwei looked at Zhang Zhiyuan and said, "Secretary Xu, Director Bai, it's not that I don't want to get married, but I haven't met anyone suitable. That's why I kept delaying until now."
"Haha …" Xu Caimao looked up to the sky and laughed. He pointed at Lu Yiwei and said, "They say that men become bad when they become rich and become officials, but a man like you is really rare. How about it, do you want me to be your matchmaker?"
Lu Yiwei quickly waved his hand and said, "Secretary Xu, I'll do this myself. There's no need to trouble you."
Xu Caimao and Fan Rongkui looked at each other and said, "Don't be like that. I suddenly thought of a lady, and I think you're quite compatible with her. You know this lady, and you're quite close with her. What do you think about Fan Chunfang? "
"Ah?" Lu Yiwei suddenly understood the theme of today's banquet. He turned to look at Fan Rongkui, then at Xu Caimao. It was ridiculous. He immediately said, "No, no. Secretary Xu, I'm a divorced man, and I have a child. I'm not young anymore, and Fan Chunfang is in her prime. Why would she like me? "
"You can't say that." Xu Caimao put down his glass and said, "What if she likes you?"
Fan Rongkui suddenly stood up and said, "You guys continue chatting, I need to go to the washroom."
Lu Yiwei was stunned, and he did not know what to do. What was all this nonsense? He had always treated Fan Chunfang's subordinate, and had never thought about it in this direction. What was the meaning of this sudden move?
Bai Zongfeng added, "I think it's quite good. Yiwei's career is now on the rise, and in a few years, he'll be able to go up another level. He has a bright future ahead of him. As for Chunfang, she's now working at the Ministry of Land and Resources, and she's single. She's quite good looking, and the two of you together would be a perfect match, haha. "
Lu Yiwei could tell. This was clearly their doing, and the mastermind behind it was Fan Rongkui, who had just left the banquet. They did not discuss such a big matter with him, and they had to embarrass him at such an occasion. It was really annoying. He was about to retort when Zhang Zhiyuan, who was beside him, pressed his hand down and shook his head gently.
Fan Rongkui came back happily. He sat down and said, "Yiwei, I only have one daughter, Fangfang. Her mother and I have spoiled her since she was young, and we spoiled her bad habits, and she's very stubborn. Back then, she ignored our objections and went to Nanyang County alone, and did not even let us greet her. It's all good now, she's back to work at the provincial office, and we have one less thing to worry about. But her personal problems have been troubling us. "
"I'm a more open-minded person, and I'm not a stubborn old antique. Fangfang likes you, and we didn't agree at first. But she insisted on it, and we can't kill her happiness. The last time we met, I had a good impression of you. Later, when Secretary Xu and Director Bai praised you, I was even more certain of my decision. As someone who's experienced it, there's no need to say it out loud. You're a smart person, and you should know what to do. "
Lu Yiwei's mind was in a mess. Forcing himself to marry someone he didn't like, would his marriage be a happy one?
Everything should stop here. Xu Caimao ended it in time and said, "Yiwei, go back and think about this. We're very optimistic about this marriage. Lao Fan is still in power, and if it works out, it'll be a great help to your career. Alright, let's not talk about it anymore. Let's drink. "
The dinner lasted until 10 pm. On the way back, Lu Yiwei complained to Zhang Zhiyuan, "Secretary Zhang, why didn't you tell me about this in advance? How can Fan Chunfang and I get together?"
Zhang Zhiyuan said calmly, "Yiwei, I'm in the wrong, but this concerns your future, and as your brother, I can't just sit back and do nothing. You can also see that Fan Rongkui used Secretary Xu and Director Bai as a matchmaker, which means he's put in a lot of effort. Secretary Xu asked me to call you, so how can I not do it? Also, I think that Fan Chunfang is a good girl. If you two really get together, it'll be good for you too. "
"No!" Lu Yiwei said firmly, "Secretary Zhang, I know you're doing this for my own good, but I can't listen to you on this matter. It's impossible for me and Fan Chunfang to be together. If we're forced to be together, do you think I'll be happy? "
Zhang Zhiyuan said patiently, "Yiwei, I know what you're thinking, and you're unhappy because of Tong Huan's matter. But you're an adult, and you should look at this rationally. You're 33 years old this year, and you still think you're young? Do you still have time to waste on romance? No way. If she likes you, it means you're good. Furthermore, she's from a noble family. Even if it's for your family and future generations, you should agree to this marriage. "
"Impossible!" Lu Yiwei said stubbornly, "So what if she's from a noble family? I'm the son of a farmer, and it's not embarrassing. Furthermore, I don't want to live in the shadow of others. It's so tiring. If you want me to agree, I might as well choose Su Meng. "
"Yiwei!" Zhang Zhiyuan suddenly roared, "Why are you still not sober up? Now that things have come to this, do you think you still have a choice? If you don't agree, you won't only offend Fan Rongkui, but also Secretary Xu and Director Bai. Even I will be implicated. Have you thought about the consequences of going against them? "
Lu Yiwei was speechless.
Back home, Zhang Zhiyuan called him to the study, and prepared to have a heart-to-heart talk.
Zhang Zhiyuan said, "Yiwei, I know you hate me, but Tong Huan is really not suitable. Let's not talk about Ding Changhua, her identity is not compatible with your status. You might think that you've found love, but in the future, the pressure of public opinion will make you, your family, and even your future generations unable to breathe. When that time comes, it'll be too late for regrets. "
Lu Yiwei sat on the sofa and smoked silently. He said, "Secretary Zhang, do you know about my previous marriage?"
"I know, what about it?"
Lu Yiwei said, "Actually, that marriage was the result of a political marriage. Li Dengke felt that I had a future, so he asked the leader at the time to matchmake me and his daughter. I was still young at that time, and my family supported me, so I got married without knowing anything. Later, I lost my backer, and Li Dengke forcibly separated us, which led to my current ending. Now, it's a political marriage. If I fall again one day, will I repeat the same mistake? "
After listening to Lu Yiwei's story, Zhang Zhiyuan could not bear it. He sighed and said, "Yiwei, a person's fate is often like this. Whatever God gives you, it will always take away. There's no such thing as smooth sailing and no tribulations. Take your sister-in-law and I for example. We were high school sweethearts, and we got together despite our family's opposition. After decades of ups and downs, we've been squeezed out by life. How can there be love? There was once, if it wasn't for our child, we would have come to an end. So, love is built on a material foundation. If you don't have the ability, even the sweetest lovers will eventually go their separate ways. "
"You once said that you want to make a name for yourself, and I will definitely support you. But how far can I send you? I can use the corporate reform to shine for two days, but if Secretary Huang is suddenly transferred away, and the repercussions of the corporate reform erupts, do you think I can escape? So, you can't rely on one person, as it's very dangerous. If you can build a relationship with Fan Rongkui, even if someone targets you in the future, he will not stand by and watch. There are some things that he can do, but I can't. "
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