218: Chapter 218 Having just arrived in Handong, another move has been made.

Only when Zhao Yang arrived for the appointment did he realize that the bridge Wang Dalu had built was not for Secretary Li Dakang, but for Secretary Li Dakang's wife, Ouyang Jing.

During the meal, the two never mentioned a single word about Secretary Li Dakang from beginning to end. If Zhao Yang hadn't known beforehand about the three of them "living together as a makeshift family," a complete stranger sitting here would most likely have assumed that Ouyang Jing and Wang Dalu were the couple.

In the show, Ouyang Jing was already fifty, yet she still had the heart of a young girl, which was quite cringeworthy. And as her confidant, Wang Dalu, while not having an actual affair with her, had become an emotional harbor for Ouyang Jing, which indirectly strengthened her resolve to divorce Secretary Li Dakang.

After they were wined and dined and the casual conversation began, Ouyang Jing carefully told Zhao Yang that her husband was Secretary Li Dakang of Jingzhou City.

Zhao Yang laughed and said, "I heard of Secretary Li Dakang's reputation back in Shanghai—he dares to forge ahead, works himself to the bone, and I've heard he often sleeps in his office, unable to even look after his home."

Ouyang Jing looked deeply sympathetic. "Chief Prosecutor Zhao, you are absolutely right. Secretary Li Dakang is just like that; he spends more time with his secretary than with me, his wife."

Zhao Yang sighed. "Actually, those of us who are public servants really aren't suited to be husbands."

"Chief Prosecutor Zhao, please don't say that," Ouyang Jing said quickly. "I can tell you're different from Secretary Li Dakang. Besides, Secretary Li Dakang isn't as handsome as you."

Zhao Yang couldn't help but laugh. "Don't say that to Secretary Li Dakang, or he'll get jealous."

"Who told him to be old, ugly, and ungentle now? If he gets jealous, let him; he deserves it." After Ouyang Jing finished speaking, she laughed herself, then began to probe. "Chief Prosecutor Zhao, you know that although I am a Bank Vice President, the pressure to perform is not small. Since you will be working in Handong Province, you will need to use money, and our bank has professional teams to serve high-quality clients like you, and furthermore..."

Zhao Yang waved his hand. "Ouyang Jing, I am a straightforward person. If you want me to deposit money in your bank, just say so; there's no need to beat around the bush."

"Uh..." Ouyang Jing felt a bit awkward and gave a dry laugh. "Actually, there's no need to rush. You have to use money anyway, and it doesn't matter where you deposit it."

Zhao Yang smiled and asked, "The major shareholder of your Jingzhou City Bank is the Agricultural Bank, right?"

"Yes, yes, yes." Ouyang Jing nodded quickly.

Zhao Yang thought for a moment and said, "Last year, your bank's public performance looked fairly healthy, and the stock paid dividends... Jingzhou City's current development momentum is indeed good. I can consider your bank."

Ouyang Jing's eyes lit up. "Then Prosecutor Zhao, how much do you plan to deposit? If it's over ten million, we..."

Zhao Yang waved his hand. "Don't be so small-minded. I'll put 800 million in your bank."

"Cough, cough, cough..." Wang Dalu, sitting to the side, was choked by a mouthful of tea. The entire cash flow that the Dalu Group could mobilize was only a little over a billion, which was already considered very abundant in the business world. Yet when Zhao Yang said "800 million," it was so light, as if he were talking about eight yuan. And this was personal savings—with this much money, why would he even be a Chief Prosecutor?

Ouyang Jing's brain short-circuited. 800 million? How much was their bank's total reserve fund? Less than 5 billion. This year, because they relied too much on corporate deposits, their bank had already been called out by the authorities. Once Zhao Yang's 800 million in personal deposits came in, it could directly pull Jingzhou City Bank's deposit structure above the healthy line.

That was just the impact on the corporate level, but what about the personal level? This was Ouyang Jing's performance. 800 million—she would have the words "Deposit Gathering Hero" welded onto her head. Promotions, salary raises, and commendations were all guaranteed, and the performance commission would be in the millions. Ouyang Jing wished she could kowtow to Zhao Yang on the spot.

She pressed hard against her not-so-full chest. "Chief Prosecutor Zhao, did you say 800 million? Did I hear that right?"

Zhao Yang nodded indifferently. "800 million. Anyway, I use money normally, so it doesn't matter where I deposit it."

"Prosecutor Zhao, thank you so much!" Ouyang Jing looked grateful.

Zhao Yang waved his hand. "The wife of a Standing Committee member, plus the head of the Dalu Group cooking in person—it's just a deposit, I definitely have to give this Face."

The atmosphere of the subsequent conversation became even more harmonious, and Wang Dalu and Ouyang Jing became increasingly attentive. Zhao Yang had watched the original show and had pondered the subtle relationship between Secretary Li Dakang, Wang Dalu, and Ouyang Jing. He felt that this was just a type of "living together as a makeshift family" where everyone got what they needed; before Ouyang Jing fell from grace, their lives were actually quite harmonious.

As for the matter of Ouyang Jing falling from grace, it was truly hard to swallow. Loan rebates were an unspoken rule of the industry in this day and age; at best, they counted as gray income, but it ended up being counted as bribery. Going to jail for that little bit of money was a bit embarrassing to even talk about in financial circles.

If the authorities really wanted to take action against this kind of gray income and make an example of someone, Ouyang Jing's mere two million wouldn't even be significant enough. To put it bluntly, she was just a sacrifice in a small-scale political struggle. The result was that Secretary Li Dakang had to lean toward Secretary Sha Ruijin, the stable political landscape of Handong Province instantly lost its balance, and Secretary Gao Yuliang's faction began to lose ground.

Now, not only did Zhao Yang casually throw out 800 million in deposits, but he also planned to have Hongdou Auto establish a new company in Jingzhou City, specializing in the new energy supply chain. The account would be opened at Jingzhou City Bank, and this performance would also be credited to Ouyang Jing. In this way, Ouyang Jing would become a hot commodity in the banking System of Jingzhou City and even the entire Handong Province. Whoever wanted to use Ouyang Jing to target Secretary Li Dakang would first have to deal with the entire Handong Province financial System.

Thus, Zhao Yang had just arrived in Handong Province, and another move was made.

Ouyang Jing hummed a little tune as she entered the house. Secretary Li Dakang had not returned long ago either. Seeing her rosy complexion and indescribable smugness, he couldn't help but frown. "It's so late, and you still know to come back?"

"Hmph." Ouyang Jing glanced at him proudly. "Secretary Li Dakang, I used to think you were a big shot, but today I realized—you, haha."

"Hiss..." Secretary Li Dakang narrowed his small eyes, jealousy rising. "What do you mean? Let me tell you, although Wang Dalu is rich, he is after all a busi..."

"It has nothing to do with Wang Dalu." Ouyang Jing rolled her eyes at him. "Tonight's dinner was eaten by the three of us: me, Wang Dalu, and Zhao Yang."

"What?" Secretary Li Dakang stood up with a jerk. "Ouyang Jing, have you lost your mind? You are the wife of a Standing Committee member! Zhao Yang just arrived in Handong Province and hasn't officially taken office, nor has he met with the Standing Committee, and you, a Standing Committee member's wife, invited him to dinner first? If this gets out, where do you expect me to put my Face?"

"Wang Dalu invited him, and I just happened to go over, so what?" Ouyang Jing waved her hand. "How much is your Face worth? Is it worth 800 million?"

"What 800 million?" Secretary Li Dakang asked, knitting his brows.

Ouyang Jing gestured. "Zhao Yang agreed to deposit 800 million into our bank! It's all my performance. Do you understand? One meal, 800 million in performance. Is your Face worth this much money, Secretary Li Dakang?"

"My god... how much money is a deposit of 800 million!" Secretary Li Dakang's cousin, Tian Xingzhi, poked her head out from the kitchen, looking surprised. Ouyang Jing had a job and was often not home, so Tian Xingzhi had taken on the responsibility of a nanny. She asked curiously, "Sister-in-law, who is so rich?"

"The new Chief Prosecutor from the Procuratorate, Zhao Yang," Ouyang Jing said casually.

Tian Xingzhi's expression immediately became strange. "Chief Prosecutor? How could he have so much money? Cousin, could this not be a big corrupt official? Then the common people of Handong Province would be in trouble..."