Nominal: The pinnacle of power began in the sixth province of Handong.

Chapter 113 Governor Qi

Hou Liangping exited the procuratorate gate, where Gao Xiaoqin was already waiting.

Upon receiving the invitation from the beautiful woman, Hou Liangping flashed what he considered his most handsome, wicked smile, raised an eyebrow, and said:

"Mr. Gao, how have you been?"

Unexpectedly, Gao Xiaoqin simply said:

"Director Hou, this way please."

Then, without even glancing at Hou Liangping, he got into the car on his own.

Hou Liangping's handsome expression froze on the spot. He looked at Gao Xiaoqin with dissatisfaction and then got into the car.

On the way, Gao Xiaoqin hadn't prepared any red wine, and she didn't want to talk to Hou Liangping much.

This made Hou Liangping very uncomfortable.

The first time they invited me to the Mountain and Water Manor, weren't they just treating me like a king?

Why is it so unfriendly this time?

Oh, I see.

To lure someone in at the first sign of trouble, one must feign indifference.

Pretending not to care is a way to inflate one's own worth.

So that I can ask for your help at the upcoming dinner.

That's definitely the case.

Thinking of this, Hou Liangping smiled smugly and said to Gao Xiaoqin:

"Mr. Gao, we haven't even sat down at the dinner table yet, and you're already trying to outwit me? But it's alright, we'll find out how the 'King' and 'Queen' are written in a bit."

After saying that, Hou Liangping turned his head away, crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

Gao Xiaoqin was left speechless.

We arrived at Shanshui Manor.

Hou Liangping got out of the car and said unhappily:

Why didn't Qi Tongwei come to pick me up?

Gao Xiaoqin rolled her eyes at him and said:

"Director Hou, Director Qi is several ranks higher than you, so it might not be appropriate for him to pick you up."

After saying that, he went back into the manor on his own.

Hou Liangping stood frozen in place, gritting his teeth, thinking to himself:

Okay, okay, is this how you play it?

Don't kneel down when you beg me later!

Upon arriving at the manor, we entered a private room.

As soon as Hou Liangping opened the door, he saw Qi Tongwei sitting in the main seat, drinking with several men in suits.

Upon seeing Hou Liangping enter, Qi Tongwei did not stand up, but simply pointed to the empty seat opposite him and smiled:

"Liangping's here? Please have a seat! Let me introduce you all. This is Hou Liangping, the deputy director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau!"

Everyone around nodded and smiled at Hou Liangping, but no one stood up.

Hou Liangping stood firmly beside his seat, glaring angrily at Qi Tongwei.

Qi Tongwei was taken aback and asked:

"Ryohei, what's wrong? Come sit down!"

"Senior, what do you mean by this?" Hou Liangping said, suppressing his anger.

"Not only did you not give me a decent seat, but you didn't even bother to get up?"

Qi Tongwei then apologized:

"Oh, Ryohei, I'm so sorry! I didn't consider you, I apologize. But, I have to explain this to you. Last time we ate together, didn't you say you were just an ordinary person and not used to this kind of setting? To make you feel comfortable, I specially arranged a seat for you near the door! How about that, wasn't I considerate enough?"

Hou Liangping was speechless for a moment. His previous words were now being used by Qi Tongwei to attack him.

Okay, so you're still putting on an act with me, huh?

Don't cry when you need my help later!

Hou Liangping sat down angrily. Whether in the capital or Handong, he had never sat in such a low position at a banquet before, and he was burning with rage.

Qi Tongwei ignored his bad expression and began to introduce:

"Liangping, let me introduce you. These are all prominent entrepreneurs and big bosses from all over the country! We're having dinner together today, and we specifically invited you to get to know them!"

Hou Liangping seemed to have triggered some kind of low-level code; he jumped to his feet and pointed at Qi Tongwei, saying:

"Director Qi! You're the Director of Public Security, how can you associate with businessmen! This is how corruption breeds!"

The air freezes.

Everyone stared at Hou Liangping as if he were a monkey.

Qi Tongwei stood up apologetically, smiling obsequiously at everyone. Then, he glanced at Qi Tongwei with displeasure, walked to the door, picked up the bill, and said:

"This meal is on my own. What, can't I even treat my friends to dinner after get off work?"

Hou Liangping was dumbfounded, then pointed to the teapot on the table and said:

No alcohol consumption on weekdays!

Qi Tongwei reluctantly poured him a glass, pointing to the liquid inside:

"This is Longjing tea."

Hou Liangping didn't know what to do, but still stubbornly insisted:

"Well, you still have to be careful, dinner parties can be risky..."

"Alright, alright, since you're here, let's begin the meal." Qi Tongwei waved his hand, signaling for the dishes to be served.

At the dinner, everyone fawned over Qi Tongwei, showering him with compliments and praise, leaving Hou Liangping feeling neglected.

He sullenly picked up the exquisite dishes and put them in his mouth, but couldn't taste anything.

Logically, as a parachuted-in cadre from Beijing, I should be the center of attention.

Why is Qi Tongwei being so inconsiderate today?

So, at the height of the dinner party...

Hou Liangping suddenly stood up and shouted:

"Hey senior, are you switching from singing 'The Battle of Wits' to 'The Feast at Hongmen' today?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Tongwei said with dissatisfaction:

"Monkey, what nonsense are you talking about! This is just a meal, there's no 'Feast at Hongmen' involved!"

Hou Liangping didn't care about any of that. Seeing that he had successfully provoked Qi Tongwei, he became even more aggressive and said:

"Senior, regardless of who paid for today's dinner, or whether it was alcohol or tea, it's wrong of you to be hanging out with a bunch of businessmen. Today it's just a meal, but what about tomorrow, the day after? This back-and-forth will inevitably cause problems sooner or later. Senior, your relationship with Shanshui Manor has always been complicated, and I've given you face by not saying anything. Now you're hosting a banquet for businessmen in front of me—do you not respect me as the head of the Anti-Corruption Bureau?"

A businessman sitting next to Qi Tongwei asked in confusion:

"Strange, wasn't he supposed to be the deputy director? How come... he's the director again?"

Everyone couldn't help but laugh at these words.

Hou Liangping's face flushed red, and he was about to lash out when Qi Tongwei waved his hand and said:

"Ryoping, so you're saying I can't have dinner with my business friends without a proper reason?"

Hou Liangping nodded smugly and said:

"Exactly. If you don't heed my advice, I'll have no choice but to question you in my capacity as the deputy director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau."

After Hou Liangping finished speaking, the merchants looked at him in disbelief.

Hou Liangping finally got the pleasure of having the spotlight return to him.

But this feeling of pleasure didn't last long before one of the entrepreneurs next to Qi Tongwei said with a hint of doubt:

"Governor Qi, do your division-level cadres in Handong have so much power? Can they question officials across three levels?"

Province, governor?

Qi Tongwei?

Hou Liangping's smug expression vanished, replaced by one of utter disbelief.

Am I right?

Governor Qi?

No, no, no, it was definitely a compliment at the dinner table.

This impossible title was merely a way to satisfy Qi Tongwei's vanity, which he couldn't have.

Thinking of this, Hou Liangping felt a little relieved.

Until another entrepreneur asked with some concern:

"Governor Qi, will our investment projects be affected?"

Hou Liangping was completely dumbfounded.

Attracting investment?

What exactly is going on?

Sitting opposite Hou Liangping, Gao Xiaoqin noticed his panic and explained with a smile:

"Director Hou, I forgot to tell you: your old classmate has been promoted to vice governor."