Lin Hua smiled and said, "What I just said is just a matter of principle. It is assuming that no leader is willing to speak for you, and you are the only one who is willing to appeal to the organization for review. Then you must produce enough evidence to prove that you did not violate any rules or regulations. Only then will the organization consider revoking your punishment. However, if there is a leader who speaks up for you, especially if the leader of the City Local Taxation Bureau is backing you up, then your county bureau will definitely consider revoking your punishment. To put it bluntly, we're still not a completely lawful society. The rule of man still plays a large role. Sometimes the leader says that you'll be punished even if you didn't make a mistake; sometimes the leader says that you'll be fine even if you didn't make a mistake. I'm not wrong, am I? "
Just as Lu Tao was about to answer, Lin Hua's phone rang. He picked it up and saw that it was Yuan Cheng calling. He said that he and Director Li were outside the restaurant and looking for a place to park. He asked which room they were in.
Lin Hua quickly said, "Director Yuan, Lu Tao and I are here to welcome the two leaders."
Then, he brought Lu Tao downstairs and walked out of the restaurant. When he saw Yuan Cheng and Li Zitong walking over, he greeted them respectfully and pointed at Lu Tao, "Director Li, Director Yuan, this is Lu Tao from the Taolin County Bureau. His hometown is also Qingxi County and he took the civil service exam at the same time as me."
Yuan Cheng walked over first and shook hands with Lu Tao with a smile. He patted his shoulder affectionately and said, "Little Lu, when Lin Hua invited me over for dinner, he introduced you to me. He said that you're very capable and talented. Now that I've met you, you're also very handsome, just like a movie star. Not bad, not bad!"
Then, Li Zitong also smiled and shook hands with Lu Tao, but he didn't praise him as passionately as Yuan Cheng. When Lu Tao greeted him, he replied with "Good, good" and didn't say anything else.
After entering the room and sitting down, Yuan Cheng looked up at Lu Tao and asked, "Little Lu, I heard from Little Lin that you have a university classmate coming over for dinner. She hasn't arrived yet?"
Lu Tao looked at his watch and saw that it was already 12: 45. He was a bit confused and answered, "She should be here soon! Half an hour ago, she called me and said that there was a traffic jam on the way here from the Finance Department, so she might be a little late. She asked us to eat first and not wait for her. But it had already been more than half an hour. Why wasn't she here yet? Why don't we get the waiter to serve the dishes first? We can eat while we wait! "
Yuan Cheng hurriedly waved his hand to stop her and said, "Don't serve the dishes first. It's fine if we wait."
Li Zitong is afraid of Chen? However, when she came over, she said to Lu Tao, "Little Lu, why don't you call her again and confirm when she will arrive?"
Lu Tao quickly called Chen Zhao. His cell phone rang for a long time, but no one answered.
Li Zitong and Yuan Cheng stared at him without blinking. Seeing that he didn't say anything for a long time, they both looked anxious and disappointed …
After calling twice but no one answered, Lu Tao started to panic. Worried about Chen? He hung up and told Li Zitong and Yuan Cheng, "That's weird. She didn't pick up the phone. I don't know what's going on either."
Li Zitong and Yuan Cheng looked at each other, then looked at Lu Tao with a scrutinizing gaze. Both of them had the same thought at the same time. Could this Lu Tao be lying?! Maybe Chen? She didn't agree to eat with him at all. He just wanted to show off in front of Lin Hua, so he lied about Chen? She would come over. Now Chen? She didn't pick up his call. Maybe she didn't want to talk to him anymore …
Thinking of this, the smile on Yuan Cheng's face disappeared. He suddenly asked Lu Tao, "Little Lu, when did you meet your classmate for dinner? What did she say to you? "
Seeing his expression, Lu Tao knew that they were suspicious of his words. Feeling a little uncomfortable, he forced a smile and said, "I made an appointment with her around 11: 30. I also sent her the location of the restaurant. I called her at 12: 10. She said she had already gotten on a taxi. I don't know why she hasn't arrived yet. "
Just then, his cell phone suddenly rang. He looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Chen Zhao. "Lu Tao, I just got off the car at the entrance of the alley and went to a nearby mall to buy some things. My cell phone is in my bag. The mall is noisy, so I didn't hear my cell phone ring. I'm already at the entrance of the restaurant. Which room are you in? "
"We're in room 8 on the second floor. You can ask the waiter to bring you up!"
After he hung up, Yuan Cheng asked excitedly, "Is your classmate here?"
Lu Tao nodded and said, "Yes, she went to a nearby mall to buy some things. That's why she's a bit late. She didn't hear my call. She's downstairs now."
Li Zitong couldn't hide the excitement on her face. She stood up and said, "Little Lu, your classmate is a female comrade. To show respect, let's go outside to welcome her!"
Lu Tao saw that Li Zitong and Yuan Cheng were trying to hide their eagerness to see Chen Zhao. They also didn't want to leave the impression that they were trying to curry favor with the leader's daughter. They didn't mention "Deputy Secretary Chen's daughter" or "Chen?" They only said "your classmate". In their hearts, they despised their hypocrisy and admired their good psychological quality and acting skills.
After they walked out of the room, Yuan Cheng consciously moved aside to let Li Zitong line up behind Lu Tao. He even pulled Lin Hua, who was about to go in front of Li Zitong, and gave him a stern look. He wanted him to know his place and not go in front of Director Li. He wanted Lu Tao to introduce Director Li to Chen first. …
Soon, Chen Zhao walked in with a waiter. He followed a waiter upstairs and saw Lu Tao standing at the door of the private room. He also saw two middle-aged men and a young man behind him. His face showed a trace of surprise, but after thinking about it, he understood. Those two middle-aged men must be the leaders of the provincial tax bureau. Lin Hua probably took the initiative to invite them to eat with him.
Thinking of this, she was a little displeased, but considering that these people might be helpful to Lu Tao in the future, it would be good for her to meet and chat with them, so she suppressed the dissatisfaction in her heart. With a trace of a smile on her face, she walked over with graceful steps and stood in front of Lu Tao. Using an intimate but slightly reproachful tone, she said, "Lu Tao, what are you doing? Are you welcoming me as a foreign guest? Why didn't you welcome me with such a grand ceremony when I visited you in Taolin County last time? "
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