93: Chapter 93 Bewitching

He turned his head to glance at the beautiful Deputy Mayor, a playful smile curling at the corner of his lips: "With Deputy Mayor Li leading the way, I believe it will be much smoother."

Li Anran rolled her eyes at him, but this time, there wasn't a hint of anger in her eyes.

"Stop with the glib talk. Let's go, Secretary Li is waiting."

The two walked one after the other into the small conference room.

Inside the resting area of the small conference room stood a mahogany round table set with eight dishes and one soup—unexpectedly simple.

Secretary Li Changhe sat at the head of the table, holding a white porcelain teacup. He wore a kind smile, but it concealed a scrutinizing gaze.

Lin Yu sat to Secretary Li Changhe's left, with President Wang Ya sitting opposite him and Tang Man beside her. Deputy Mayor Li Anran sat to Secretary Li Changhe's right, serving as the "host." Deputy Director Zhou Mingyuan of the Provincial Development and Reform Commission and Director Sun Zhiyuan of the Provincial Tax Bureau were also present. The atmosphere seemed relaxed, but in reality, there were undercurrents.

"Come, try this dish. It's a classic of our Lu cuisine." Secretary Li Changhe picked up the serving chopsticks and placed a piece on Lin Yu's plate. "Lin Yu, just now on stage, your President Wang really shone. She is young, promising, and quite eloquent."

Lin Yu smiled slightly. He didn't show any trace of pride at Secretary Li Changhe's praise of his woman; instead, he replied humbly, "Secretary Li is too kind. President Wang Ya is the head housekeeper of Junlin Capital; she is much better at these public appearances than I am. I'm used to being lazy, and I prefer to just pour tea and serve water for them behind the scenes."

"Haha, pouring tea and serving water?" Secretary Li Changhe laughed, then set down his chopsticks. His gaze suddenly sharpened. "If you were only capable of pouring tea and serving water, Wang Zhenshan wouldn't have praised you so highly. Lin Yu, let's speak frankly. I know you've invested heavily in the livelihood projects in Ze City—you could even say you're 'paying out of pocket just for the applause.' But here in Quan City, you've set up such a massive operation—3,000 mu of land and billions in turnover. What is it that you're after?"

This question was the true purpose of today's meal.

Beside them, Director Sun Zhiyuan and Deputy Director Zhou Mingyuan pricked up their ears. Indeed, if not for profit, could it really just be for fame? Having spent so long in officialdom, they found it hard to believe in the existence of a pure philanthropist.

Lin Yu set down his teacup, his expression unchanged. He knew that Secretary Li Changhe was testing his vision.

"Secretary Li, what I am after is 'the root'." Lin Yu spoke slowly, his voice steady. "Ze City is where I started; I took root there, and it is the place that raised me. But for Junlin Capital to develop, it cannot remain confined to one place. Quan City is the provincial capital; it is the heart of Lu Province. I am implementing livelihood projects in Quan City not to put on a show for anyone, but to prove that my model can succeed in larger cities and more complex environments."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Director Sun Zhiyuan and Deputy Director Zhou Mingyuan before returning to Secretary Li Changhe. "As for what I'm after in Quan City... I'm after this: ten years from now, when the children of Quan City grow up eating Junlin's lunches, and when the elderly return home carrying affordable vegetables from Junlin, I want someone to remember that behind it all was a man named Lin Yu, a kind-hearted Confucian merchant. That reputation is worth more than billions in profit."

Secretary Li Changhe stared at Lin Yu for a few seconds. The sharpness in his eyes gradually dissipated, replaced by a hint of appreciation.

"A 'search for roots,' a 'reputation'... Well said." Secretary Li Changhe nodded. "Among young people today, there aren't many who can keep their composure like you."

At this moment, Vice Mayor Li Anran, who had been silent, suddenly spoke. She placed a piece of sea cucumber into Lin Yu's bowl; her movements were so natural that it seemed as if she were serving a brother.

"President Lin, sea cucumber is good for replenishing your energy. You worked hard with your speech just now, so eat up."

Lin Yu was slightly taken aback and turned to look at Vice Mayor Li Anran. Vice Mayor Li Anran had a faint smile on her face and her eyes were clear, but Lin Yu keenly noticed that when she served the food, her fingers tapped the edge of the bowl twice. Was this a signal? Or was it unintentional?

"Thank you, Vice Mayor Li Anran." Lin Yu ate the sea cucumber without changing his expression; it was soft, sticky, and delicious.

"Anran," Secretary Li Changhe said, looking at his daughter. His tone had softened. "Your Investment Promotion Bureau needs to keep up with President Lin's project. Especially the site selection for the food city—it cannot be done carelessly. It needs to be convenient for transportation while also ensuring it doesn't disturb the public. What are your thoughts?"

Vice Mayor Li Anran set down her chopsticks and sat up straight, instantly switching into work mode. "Dad... oh, I mean, Secretary Li. Regarding the site selection, I have preliminarily investigated two locations. One is near the logistics park in the High-tech Zone; it has obvious transportation advantages, but the land price is high. The other is an abandoned industrial park in the North Suburbs; the land price is cheap, but the infrastructure needs to be rebuilt. President Lin's project requires a large upfront investment and has thin profit margins, so I personally lean toward the North Suburbs. The government could provide support with infrastructure facilities, which would alleviate the pressure on the company's cash flow."

Lin Yu was stirred. This Vice Mayor Li Anran was truly Secretary Li Changhe's daughter. She looked like an innocent little white rabbit, but he hadn't expected her to be so meticulous in her professional work.

"I know that place in the North Suburbs," Deputy Director Zhou Mingyuan interjected. "That was the old chemical district. Although it's abandoned, soil remediation is a major issue. If you want to build a food city there, passing the environmental protection assessment won't be easy."

"We can handle the environmental protection," Lin Yu replied. "We have a specialized environmental team. Although the cost of soil remediation is high, we can bear it. As long as the government provides support regarding the change of land use, I just don't know how long we would have to wait?"

"Time can wait, but can your capital chain?" Director Sun Zhiyuan pushed up his glasses and raised the concerns of the Tax Bureau. "President Lin, your model in Ze City is 'high turnover, low margin.' If you have to invest huge sums in soil remediation during the initial stages here in Quan City, won't your cash flow break? By then, let alone doing charity, you won't even be able to pay the bank interest."

This was a very professional and sharp question. Before Lin Yu could answer, Vice Mayor Li Anran spoke again.

"Director Sun, I have considered this issue." Vice Mayor Li Anran took out a document and handed it to Director Sun Zhiyuan. "This is the soil test report for the industrial park in the North Suburbs. Although it has a history of chemical use, after years of natural degradation and preliminary treatment, the heavy metal content is already within a controllable range. Furthermore, the municipal government plans to designate the area as a 'Livelihood Guarantee Demonstration Zone,' which allows for applications for special environmental subsidies. These subsidies could cover approximately 30% of the remediation costs."

Secretary Li Changhe looked at Vice Mayor Li Anran in surprise. She had even obtained the soil test report? It seemed that over the past few days, she had done quite a bit of homework behind his back.

"Oh?" Director Sun Zhiyuan took the report and flipped through a few pages, his brows relaxing. "If that's the case, the risk is indeed controllable. On the Tax Bureau's side, we can also provide certain tax credits for this kind of environmentally friendly investment with a public welfare nature."

Secretary Li Changhe looked at his daughter with satisfaction, his eyes full of gratification, but he said, "Comrade Anran, work must be done meticulously, but you must not overstep your authority. As for the specific policies, we still need to listen to Deputy Director Zhou and Director Sun."

"Yes, Secretary Li." Vice Mayor Li Anran nodded. By the end of the meal, the atmosphere had become very harmonious.

"Lin Yu," Secretary Li Changhe wiped his mouth and leaned back in his chair. "The waters in Quan City are very deep; it's not as easy to wade through as Ze City. Anran is a straightforward girl, and she can easily offend people sometimes. Since you've come here and are working on livelihood projects, you will be dealing with each other a lot in the future. You should look out for her."

The meaning behind these words was profound. It was both an entrustment and a warning. Lin Yu immediately understood what Secretary Li Changhe meant. He wanted Lin Yu to become a political asset for Vice Mayor Li Anran.

"Rest assured, Secretary Li," Lin Yu said solemnly. "Vice Mayor Li Anran is young, promising, and has strong working capabilities; she is a role model for me. In Quan City, Junlin Capital will be her soldiers. Wherever she points, we will strike, without a single word of complaint."

"Good. With your word, I am reassured." Secretary Li Changhe stood up. "Alright, that's it for today. You young people can go about your business this afternoon; I won't keep you company."

After seeing Secretary Li Changhe and the others off, only Lin Yu, President Wang Ya, Tang Man, and Vice Mayor Li Anran remained in the conference room.

President Wang Ya packed up the documents, glanced at Lin Yu, and then at Vice Mayor Li Anran. She said tactfully, "Boss, Vice Mayor Li Anran, Sister Man and I will head back to Yu Garden now. The car is downstairs."

"Thank you for your hard work, President Wang." Vice Mayor Li Anran smiled and nodded. Before leaving, Tang Man gave Lin Yu a meaningful look, as if saying: If you win over this "princess," your path in Quan City will be smooth.

The door closed.

Vice Mayor Li Anran's originally dignified posture relaxed slightly. She let out a long sigh and rubbed her temples.

"Exhausted..." she muttered. Her voice carried a hint of girlish innocence, completely lacking the sophistication she had displayed at the table just moments ago.

Lin Yu watched her in this stark contrast and couldn't help but laugh. "You were quite energetic in front of Secretary Li just now, weren't you? What's the matter? Are you done pretending now?"

Vice Mayor Li Anran looked up, momentarily forgetting that Lin Yu was still there. She glared at him. "What do you know! I don't want others to think I got where I am by relying on connections."

"You've worked hard." Lin Yu walked over and poured her a glass of water. "Vice Mayor Li Anran, you really are devoted to the utmost for the sake of these livelihood projects."

"Spare me that." Vice Mayor Li Anran took the water and took a sip. Suddenly, she looked up and scrutinized Lin Yu. "Why were you staring at me the whole time at the table just now? Is there a flower on my face?"

Lin Yu's heart skipped a beat. This woman's intuition was indeed sharp.

"I was wondering," Lin Yu leaned in closer and lowered his voice, "what Secretary Li meant by telling me to take care of you!"

Vice Mayor Li Anran set down her cup, a smile curling at the corner of her lips. "I know what he meant."

"Oh? I'd be happy to hear your explanation."

"He probably wants me to take you on as a younger brother." Vice Mayor Li Anran sipped her tea. "In the future, you can just call me by my name when we're out in public. Or..." She paused, "or you can call me Sister Anran."

Lin Yu was stunned. This plot development seemed a bit off.

Lin Yu raised an eyebrow. "That's fine, but then you should be my lover instead!"

The air in the conference room seemed to freeze for a moment. The look in Vice Mayor Li Anran's eyes, which had originally been filled with a bit of cunning and probing, froze instantly upon hearing those words. She clearly hadn't expected Lin Yu's advance to be so direct, so... unconventional.

"You..." Vice Mayor Li Anran opened her mouth, but the eloquence she usually used to debate with the best at the Investment Promotion Bureau seemed to have deserted her. A flush of anger rose on her face, visible to the naked eye. "Lin Yu, what nonsense are you spouting!"

But Lin Yu did not retreat. He looked at the woman before him, who appeared exceptionally vivid in her shame and anger, and the desire to conquer her was thoroughly ignited in his heart. He knew that for a strong woman like Vice Mayor Li Anran, who came from a prominent family but was eager to prove herself, conventional sweet talk was useless. Only words like these, which struck straight at the soul and were beyond outrageous, could tear down her defenses.

"I'm not spouting nonsense." Lin Yu stepped closer, his masculine scent—a mix of tobacco and cologne—instantly enveloping Vice Mayor Li Anran. "Anran, we are both smart people. Since you have chosen the path of an official career, you should know what that entails."

He reached out a finger and gently lifted a strand of hair that had fallen by Vice Mayor Li Anran's ear. His movements were gentle, but his tone was domineering. "Your surname is Li; you are the daughter of Secretary Li Changhe. In this position, your marriage will never belong to you. It is a political chip, a tool for family alliances, and a weight to balance the various opposing forces."

Vice Mayor Li Anran's body trembled slightly. She wanted to refute him, but she found that every word Lin Yu said was like a needle piercing her heart. It wasn't that she didn't know these things; she just didn't dare to think about them.

"Your life is destined to be spent on the path of an official career." Lin Yu's voice was low and magnetic, like a bewitchment. "If you marry, if you marry a scion from a well-matched family, you will have to serve your husband and raise children, deal with complex mother-in-law relationships, and exhaust your talent and youth amidst the entangled interests of your husband's family. Are you willing to accept that?"

Vice Mayor Li Anran bit her lower lip, her eyes turning slightly red. She was not willing. Of course, she was not willing. She had worked herself to the bone, staying up late to write reports and running around construction sites, all to prove that she was not someone's daughter or someone's wife, but Vice Mayor Li Anran herself.

"But, if you are my lover..." Lin Yu changed his tone, throwing out that shocking proposal. "You won't need to carry those shackles."

"You can still be Vice Mayor Li Anran and a good daughter to Secretary Li Changhe. In public, we can be trusted partners and comrades fighting side by side. But in private..." Lin Yu leaned close to her ear, his hot breath spraying against her sensitive earlobe. "I will be your strongest backing, your harbor when you are tired. I don't need you to wash your hands and make soup for me, nor do I need you to bear children for my family. I only need you to be yourself."

"Do you really want to get married? Do you want to sell yourself to a man you don't love for the sake of a so-called political alliance, and then weep alone in the countless dead of night?"

These words were like a heavy hammer, smashing fiercely against Vice Mayor Li Anran's heart. Vice Mayor Li Anran looked up at Lin Yu. The man before her was dangerous and arrogant. He had seen through her fears, and he had seen through her desires.

"Aren't you afraid that I might use you?" Vice Mayor Li Anran's voice was slightly hoarse.