32: Chapter 32 Municipal Party Secretary

The two sat down as host and guest; Secretary Zhou served two cups of hot tea and quietly withdrew.

Secretary Li reined in his smile, his tone testing yet sincere: "Mr. Lin, the main reason I invited you here today is to understand what exactly you plan to do with the three thousand acres of land you acquired in the High-tech Zone. To be honest, many people in the city are worried that you are just buying the land for speculation and to manipulate prices."

Lin Yu understood the situation, but remained calm on the surface, meeting Secretary Li's gaze steadily: "Please rest assured, Leader. In all my dealings, I, Lin Yu, have never engaged in speculation. My acquisition of this land is genuinely for the purpose of doing real work for Ze City and for the folks of my hometown."

As he spoke, he took out the well-prepared business proposal and meeting minutes from his briefcase and handed them over with both hands: "I plan to invest 5 billion to build the Junlin Food Group and create a large-scale central kitchen."

Secretary Li took the documents, and his eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of "5 billion."

"What is its main purpose?"

"To provide zero-profit meals to children in primary and middle schools across the city, orphans in welfare homes, and the elderly in nursing homes," Lin Yu said with a firm tone. "The entire process will be open and transparent, subject to comprehensive supervision by society, the media, and the government. Furthermore, for meals provided to various enterprises and institutions in the city, the prices will be far below the market rate."

Secretary Li flipped through the detailed proposal in his hands. Everything was there: factory planning, equipment procurement, food supply chains, food safety supervision, price disclosure, and public welfare programs. Even the potential future public opinion trends and social supervision mechanisms had been clearly considered.

The more he read, the more shocked he became, his expression gradually turning solemn. After finishing the last page, he stood up abruptly and paced back and forth in his office.

A 5-billion investment!

An almost purely charitable central kitchen!

Zero-profit meal service covering students, the elderly, and orphans!

This was no longer just a simple corporate investment; it was a substantial, major project for the people's livelihood! Moreover, think of how many jobs this could create and how it would stimulate the economy across several industries.

After a full five minutes, Secretary Li stopped pacing and returned to his desk. He stared intently at Lin Yu, his tone filled with a hint of disbelief: "Mr. Lin, this proposal is impeccable. But I still want to ask—why are you doing this?"

"5 billion is not a small sum. With zero-profit meal service, even if there is a tiny profit from enterprise and institutional catering, the overall return is completely disproportionate. For a businessman, this is a losing deal. What are you after?"

Lin Yu leaned forward slightly, his gaze sincere and open: "Leader, I am not just doing this one project. I also intend to build supermarket chains and large-scale comprehensive supermarkets, with the goal of covering townships to create a true 'Vegetable Basket' project right at people's doorsteps."

"I want to drive prices down, so that ordinary people can buy the highest quality goods with the least amount of money, making sure everyone can afford to use and eat them."

He paused, his voice steady and powerful: "I am not some Western capitalist; I am a native of Ze City, one of the common people. Now that I have the ability, I have an obligation to do something practical for my hometown."

"I can make money anywhere—in the neighboring city, the provincial capital, or even abroad. But I only want to build up my own hometown first."

Secretary Li stared blankly at Lin Yu for a long moment, then suddenly slapped his thigh and said "Good" three times in a row!

"Good! What a great son of this hometown! What a great way to do practical things for the common people!"

He stood up and walked over to Lin Yu, his eyes full of undisguised appreciation and approval: "Lin Yu, I've lived for more than half a lifetime and have met countless businessmen. You are the first young man I've ever seen with such courage, conscience, and sentiment!"

"You have a sense of responsibility, a grand vision, and great love! To have a young entrepreneur like you in Ze City is Ze City's fortune, and the fortune of the people!"

Secretary Li became more and more excited as he spoke: "Rest assured, the city will fully support your project! I will personally lead the establishment of a municipal special steering group, with an office set up directly on-site to handle full-process coordination, open green channels, and handle all procedures with special priority!"

"Land use, approvals, and policies—as long as they are reasonable and compliant, the city will guarantee priority for all of them!"

Lin Yu stood up and nodded slightly: "Thank you for your support, Leader. I will certainly not fail the expectations of the city and the people."

The two chatted for another dozen minutes, from the planning of the food processing city to the livelihood layout of supermarket coverage in townships. The more they talked, the more they found common ground, and Secretary Li's appreciation for Lin Yu was evident.

Lin Yu checked the time and stood up at the appropriate moment: "Leader, I won't take up any more of your time. I'll take my leave now."

"Very well." Secretary Li didn't try to keep him and personally stood up to see him off. "If you have any further questions, just have Secretary Zhou contact me, or you can call me directly."

He walked Lin Yu all the way to the office door, had Secretary Zhou and Lin Yu exchange contact information, and then shook hands to say goodbye.

Lin Yu, accompanied by Tang Man and seen off by Secretary Zhou, walked out of the Municipal Committee building.

The rain was still falling, a light drizzle that washed the whole world clean and refreshed.

Lin Yu sat in the back seat of the XC90, watching the streetscape glide past outside the window, a faint curve appearing at the corner of his mouth. Beside him, Tang Man had just recovered from the tension of meeting the high-ranking leader and was looking at the man beside her, a bit mesmerized. Sensing her gaze, Lin Yu turned to look at her, smiled slightly, and pulled her into his arms.

The knuckles of the fat man gripping the steering wheel had turned white, his peripheral vision locked onto the rearview mirror.

In the mirror, Lin Yu had a casual smile on his face and even deliberately raised an eyebrow at him. That cheeky look was completely different from the composed and steady persona he had displayed in front of the Municipal Committee building just moments ago.

The more the fat man looked, the angrier he got, his teeth grinding audibly. He suddenly reached out and "slapped" the rearview mirror to the side, out of sight, out of mind.

Watching this childish gesture, Lin Yu laughed out loud, his chest vibrating with a sense of assured ease.

The car drove steadily into the company's underground parking lot, where the cold white lights illuminated a neat row of business cars. The fat man turned off the engine, still not having recovered from his earlier frustration.

Lin Yu turned his head, his tone casual: "Fatty, doesn't your family run a breeding farm? How are the sales?"

The fat man was stunned, then immediately opened the floodgates, rattling off a stream of complaints: "How do you think? It's just small-time stuff, can't scale up, no big channels, relying entirely on those few restaurants in town to consume it. They're always owing money, dragging out payment and straining the family's funds. Only the meat stall can bring in some cash to barely subsidize the family. Why do you ask?"

Lin Yu tapped his fingers lightly on his knee, his voice steady: "I have a channel with huge demand, timely payment, and zero delays. The only requirement is that the meat quality must pass inspection, all quarantine and inspection documents must be complete, and the price must be slightly lower than the market rate. Go back and ask your parents if they are willing to take on this long-term order."

The fat man's eyes instantly widened, the gloom on his face swept away. He was so excited he nearly jumped out of his seat and was about to bow and salute on the spot: "Oh, Godfather! Please accept your brother's bow!"

"Get lost, you idiot," Lin Yu scolded with a smile, reaching out to block him. "Cut the crap. After work, contact President Chu. I'll send you the number on Green Bubble."

After saying this, Lin Yu reached out to take the car keys and pushed open the door.

Tang Man and the fat man also got out of the car. Lin Yu turned back to instruct Tang Man: "Tomorrow morning at 8:30, come to Ruiyuan Residential Compound to pick me up. I won't be going up today."

"Alright, husband," Tang Man nodded.

Lin Yu waved at the two, leaned over to sit in the driver's seat, and with a roar of the engine, drove away.

Watching the handsome, dust-kicking rear of the car, the fat man swallowed hard, then trotted behind Tang Man, shamelessly hitching a ride on the executive-only elevator.

Back at his workstation, the fat man plopped down, his mind swirling with everything that had happened over the past two days.

Yesterday at the class reunion, Lin Yu was being ridiculed by a group of people; today, in the blink of an eye, he was dealing with company executives, a group of top-tier beauties, million-dollar luxury cars, and could even walk into the Municipal Committee building.

Old Lin has really taken off.

And it was obvious that Old Lin was trying to give him a hand.

The fat man clenched his fists, his eyes firm.

In this lifetime, I'm sticking with Old Lin! No matter what, I cannot fail this brotherhood!

Meanwhile, inside the large flat at Ruiyuan Residential Compound.

Warm yellow light filled the living room, and a faint scent of flour drifted in the air.

Su Manqin, wearing an off-white apron, exuded a gentle temperament as she and the nanny, Sister Zhang, gathered around the dining table making dumplings. Mu Wan, wearing loose loungewear, squatted beside them, her hands busy—though rather than helping, she was more seriously causing trouble.

The sound of the door opening came from the entryway. Lin Yu walked in, looking relaxed, took off his coat, and tossed it onto the living room sofa.

"You're back?" Su Manqin looked up, a smile rippling in her eyes.

"Brother Lin Yu!" Mu Wan immediately held up a crooked dumpling, shaking it like she was presenting a treasure.

Lin Yu responded with a smile, placed his car keys on the coffee table, and walked straight to the bathroom to wash his hands. After drying them, he rolled up his shirt sleeves and walked to the dining table without any hesitation. He picked up a dumpling wrapper, scooped the filling, and pinched the edges with smooth, natural movements.

In just a few seconds, a plump, well-shaped dumpling with neat pleats landed steadily on the plate.

Mu Wan was stunned on the spot, her round eyes wide open: "Brother Lin Yu, you can actually make dumplings?!"

Not just her, Su Manqin and Sister Zhang also looked surprised.

In their eyes, Lin Yu was now a powerful and influential boss who traveled in luxury cars. Who would have thought that he would be so skilled and competent at such domestic chores?

Ding! Su Manqin intimacy +5. Current intimacy: 60.

Ding! Mu Wan intimacy +5. Current intimacy: 45.

"Such a small thing can't stump me," Lin Yu said with a playful arch of his eyebrow and a light laugh, his hands never stopping.

On the dining table, the fillings were laid out in abundance—savory beef and green onion, refreshing chive and egg, tender shrimp and corn, and appetizing mushroom and vegetable. Four flavors, the fragrance mouth-watering.

Mu Wan, refusing to lose, pursed her lips and began to learn seriously. Lin Yu, Su Manqin, and Sister Zhang took turns guiding her. She was smart by nature and learned as soon as she was taught. Before long, the dumplings she made looked quite decent.

But she was so engrossed in making them that she accidentally got a smudge of white flour on the tip of her nose, looking like a little kitten dusted with snow.

Lin Yu couldn't help but laugh out loud at the sight.

Mu Wan puffed out her cheeks, grabbed a pinch of flour, and "slapped" it onto Lin Yu's cheek, instantly giving him a big white face.

"That's for laughing at me!"

The living room was suddenly filled with laughter, warm and incredibly cozy.

Just as the dumplings were almost all wrapped, Lin Yu's phone suddenly rang.

He wiped the flour off his hands, took out his phone, and looked at the screen. Five characters were dancing on it—Municipal Committee Secretary Zhou.

Lin Yu's expression became slightly serious. He stood up, walked to the living room window, and answered the phone: "Hello, Secretary Zhou."

"Hello, Mr. Lin. I'm sorry to disturb you at this hour," Secretary Zhou's voice was steady and polite.

"It's fine, please go ahead."

"It's like this: the leadership team has just discussed and decided to hold a special meeting for the Junlin Capital and Junlin Food projects tomorrow morning at nine o'clock in the Municipal Committee's No. 1 Conference Room. The heads of all relevant municipal departments will be in attendance. We hope your company can send a representative to give a special report on the project planning, implementation plans, etc. Would that be convenient for you?"

Lin Yu did not hesitate: "No problem, Secretary Zhou. Professionals do professional things. My company will arrange for President Wang Ya to lead the team and bring the core project heads to attend the meeting and report on time."

"That's good. I won't disturb you further. I will report this to Secretary Li right away."

"Thank you for your hard work, goodbye."

After hanging up, Lin Yu immediately dialed President Wang Ya's number. He calmly and concisely recounted the content of his meeting with Secretary Li today, and clearly explained the time, location, and requirements for tomorrow's meeting, telling her to prepare the presentation materials in advance and lead the team to represent the company at the meeting.

At the dining table, Su Manqin was slowly cleaning up the dough board and flour, but her ears were pricked up unconsciously.

She wasn't trying to eavesdrop on purpose, but those terms were just too striking—Municipal Committee, Secretary, Secretary Zhou, project meeting, group report...

Su Manqin sighed softly in her heart.

This is no longer just doing a small business; Lin is clearly already at a level that ordinary people can only look up to.

He is so outstanding that it brings peace of mind, and one cannot help but feel admiration.

Ding! Su Manqin intimacy +10. Current intimacy: 70.

By the time Lin Yu hung up the phone, the fresh, savory scent of cooked dumplings was drifting from the kitchen. Sister Zhang brought plates of steaming dumplings to the table, and several dipping sauces—fragrant vinegar, light soy sauce, minced garlic, and chili oil—were neatly arranged.

Mu Wan and Lin Yu went to wash their hands and faces, then returned to join Su Manqin, and the three of them gathered around the dining table to eat. The freshly cooked dumplings had thin skins and full fillings. One bite, and the savory soup burst out; the taste was more authentic and delicious than any frozen dumpling in the supermarket.

Lin Yu had a great appetite and ate two whole plates in one go. Su Manqin and Mu Wan each ate a small plate, and Sister Zhang also served herself a bowl in the kitchen. Sister Zhang carefully packed the remaining dumplings into freshness-keeping boxes and put them in the freezer.

After cleaning up, Sister Zhang prepared to leave.

Lin Yu looked out the window: "Sister Zhang, it's raining outside. It's so late, why don't you just make do for the night in the guest room?"

"No, no, Mr. Lin," Sister Zhang waved her hand with a smile. "I drove my small car here, so it's fine for shelter from the wind and rain. There are people waiting for me at home, so I'll head back now."

Lin Yu didn't insist and saw her to the door.

In the living room, Lin Yu, Su Manqin, and Mu Wan huddled on the sofa watching TV.

Before long, the sound of rain outside suddenly grew louder, pitter-pattering against the glass, and the sky grew thick with darkness.

Suddenly—

"BOOM——!!"

A blinding flash of lightning tore through the night sky, and a thunderclap exploded, shaking the windows slightly.