232: Chapter 232 Li Dakang: Why did you insist on choosing green?

A few days later, the inspection delegation led by Governor Liu returned to Handong Province.

Governor Liu gathered the top two leaders from the five cities of the inspection delegation for a day-long meeting at the provincial government building, after which everyone dispersed.

Except for Lvzhou Municipal Party Committee Secretary Lv Deguang, according to reports from their secretaries, all the bosses went behind closed doors for at least half a day upon returning, looking haggard, as if they had just finished the college entrance exam.

Secretary Li Dakang sat in his office, staring at the development plan for Guangming Peak, finding it increasingly displeasing to the eye.

It is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but difficult to go from luxury to frugality.

Having seen the planning and development of Jinghai, especially after visiting the flower factory in Pengcheng and the hongdou m5 R&D center in Jinghai, he felt that Guangming Peak exuded a sense of tackiness no matter how he looked at it.

"That Ding Yizhen," Secretary Li Dakang spat, "what kind of investors did he bring in! This won't do. Guangming Peak must be slowed down; we can't keep going like this. Otherwise, even if it's built, it will be backward. The new governor has seen the finer things in life; if he sees Guangming Peak like this, he will definitely curse."

Just as he was pondering, Secretary Xiao Jin hurried in: "Secretary Li Dakang, the Procuratorate just called to ask if you will personally attend tomorrow's coordination meeting regarding Dafeng Factory and Shanshui Group? If you don't go, District Mayor Sun Liancheng will represent the municipal government."

Secretary Li Dakang was about to say that letting District Mayor Sun Liancheng go would be fine, but a thought suddenly occurred to him, and he asked: "Who from the Procuratorate is attending?"

"I heard Chief Prosecutor Zhao is attending in person. From the court, President Chen Qingquan is going; for Shanshui Group, it's General Manager President Gao Xiaoqin; and for Dafeng Factory, Union Chairman Zheng Xipo will represent the workers," Xiao Jin replied.

"I'll go," Secretary Li Dakang said immediately.

"Then..." Secretary Xiao Jin asked, "should we notify the Procuratorate and ask Chief Prosecutor Zhao to make sure he attends?"

Secretary Li Dakang thought for a moment and waved his hand: "No need. Notify District Mayor Sun Liancheng and have him go with me."

"Very well, sir." Although Secretary Xiao Jin didn't understand why Secretary Li Dakang insisted on making this trip himself, he followed instructions.

After Secretary Xiao Jin left, Secretary Li Dakang dug out all the materials on Dafeng Factory and buried himself in reading them. Over the past few days, his mind had been blown by what he saw and heard in Jinghai and Pengcheng, and he desperately needed a dose of reality to sober himself up.

He had only been reading for a short while when his phone rang—it was Ouyang Jing.

Secretary Li Dakang scratched his hair with an irritated look, pressed the answer button, and said gruffly: "What is it?"

Ouyang Jing's voice came from the other end of the line: "What kind of attitude is that? I want to change my car. I'm going to the dealership in a while to take a look and ask for your opinion. Are you coming or not?"

"Why change a perfectly good car?" Secretary Li Dakang looked annoyed. "How many years have you even been Driving that car?"

"I just want to change it, that's all," Ouyang Jing said. "Wang Dalu is also changing his. If you aren't going, I'll go with Wang Dalu."

Secretary Li Dakang's expression turned stern: "Wang Dalu is changing his too? Then I must warn you—"

"I know, I know!" Ouyang Jing interrupted him impatiently. "Don't worry, I'm spending my own money. Hmph, since you aren't coming to see it, don't you dare start pointing fingers and picking faults once I've bought it."

"Fine, fine, fine. Aren't cars all the same? Four wheels and a motor. Buy it if you can afford it. Anything else? I'm busy here."

"All you know is busy, busy, busy! Just work yourself to death then!" Ouyang Jing hung up the phone with a snap.

Secretary Li Dakang shook his head and continued reading the materials. It was past eight in the evening when he finally returned to the Jingzhou City Party Committee compound.

Just as he walked downstairs, at a glance, he saw a flame-red, sporty-looking SUV parked in the parking space—a hongdou m5.

His expression couldn't help but change, and he stopped in his tracks. He scanned the surroundings and realized that Ouyang Jing's old car was gone, and this parking space was the one for her old car.

Secretary Li Dakang was stunned: "How did she buy it back so quickly? And she bought a red one? Isn't this something young people drive?"

He leaned up to the car window and took a look inside, and felt as if the sky had collapsed—purple interior.

You have to know, besides his official vehicle, he would occasionally drive Ouyang Jing's car.

Now this one, red exterior and purple interior—he, a Jingzhou City Party Committee Secretary, an old man in his fifties, how could he possibly drive this out?

The design of the hongdou m5 was already young enough, and combined with such a color scheme—could Ouyang Jing, a bank vice president, really drive this out?

While he was stunned, the unit door opened, and Ouyang Jing walked out: "You're at the doorstep, why aren't you going upstairs? What are you standing here for?"

Secretary Li Dakang pointed at the red car: "Is this the car you bought?"

"This is the car from the dealership; the one I ordered won't arrive until next week," Ouyang Jing said. "I left my old car at the dealership, and they gave me this one to get used to for a few days."

Secretary Li Dakang breathed a sigh of relief: "You chose an M5 too? What color?"

"Green," Ouyang Jing said.

Secretary Li Dakang's eye twitched: "Green? Who picked that for you?"

Ouyang Jing frowned: "It's my car, of course I picked it myself. White interior, it won't be hot in the summer."

"Why did you have to pick a green one..." Secretary Li Dakang felt something strange in his heart—sitting in the car, wasn't there green right above his head?

"It's an eco-friendly color, it looks good." Ouyang Jing rolled her eyes at him, took out her phone and operated it, then suddenly frowned and said, "Move away, don't stand behind the car, the car can't get out."

"Aren't you not in the car yet?" Secretary Li Dakang looked puzzled.

"I told you to move, so move." Ouyang Jing impatiently pulled him to the side.

Secretary Li Dakang then watched in shock as the car drove itself out of the parking space and stopped steadily.

"They've had this feature for a long time; you're the only country bumpkin who didn't know." Ouyang Jing smiled, opened the car door, and sat in.

"It's so late, where are you going again?" Secretary Li Dakang frowned.

Ouyang Jing patted the steering wheel: "A joyride, and to get used to the car. The pedal feel of an electric car is different from a gas car. Are you coming?"

"Me?" Secretary Li Dakang hesitated for a moment, then steeled himself, opened the car door, and sat in the passenger seat.

"Fasten your seatbelt, let's go." Ouyang Jing drove the car steadily out of the residential complex.

Secretary Li Dakang looked around and reached out to touch: "The interior material is not bad, and there's no smell—it's just too flashy. By the way, you said it's different, how could it be different?"

"Hold on tight." Ouyang Jing looked up and scanned, seeing a long stretch of empty road ahead with no cars, and then slammed her foot down.

The car's speed soared abruptly.

"Ah!" Secretary Li Dakang was pressed firmly against the seat by inertia, and he instinctively cried out.

Ouyang Jing glanced at him: "Is it exciting?"

Secretary Li Dakang clutched his chest, still shaken: "How does this car have so much power? Don't drive like this usually!"

"Tch, making a fuss over nothing!" Ouyang Jing snorted lightly: "It has power, and the chassis is stable. It can also park automatically, it has lane cruise control, which means the car drives itself, automatically slows down when there's a car in front, and can even stop and wait at traffic lights—in short, it's all high-tech. Why else would I change cars?"

Secretary Li Dakang panted, watching the triumphant Ouyang Jing.

Her hair blended with the purple interior, and although she was no longer young, she made Secretary Li Dakang vaguely see the shadow of her former self. For a moment, his heart stirred slightly, and he blurted out: "This car... actually seems not bad."

"By the way," Ouyang Jing changed the subject, "Gao Qiqiang from Qiangsheng Group sent a message through Wang Dalu, wanting to find a time to meet you. Will you see him?"

Secretary Li Dakang was stunned: "Gao Qiqiang from Qiangsheng Group? The one from Jinghai?"