42: Chapter 42 Attending the Banquet to Show Support

Just then, the door to the private room was gently knocked.

A waitress wearing a cheongsam led a stout middle-aged man inside. He was dressed in a suit and leather shoes, sporting a slicked-back hairstyle that shone with pomade, and every gesture he made exuded an air of official authority.

Deputy Director Lai Chengwei immediately stood up to welcome him: "Hello, Deputy Division Chief Xie Xiaofeng! Please, take the seat of honor!"

Seeing that the guest of honor had arrived, everyone in the private room stood up.

Deputy Division Chief Xie Xiaofeng merely nodded slightly and gave a humph from his nose, which counted as his greeting.

Although Deputy Director Lai Chengwei was a bit displeased inside, for the sake of his future daughter-in-law's job, he still put on a big smile and introduced them: "Deputy Division Chief Xie Xiaofeng, this is my wife, Vice Principal Xu Hui of Nanfu No. 2 Middle School; this is my future in-law, Director Du Cheng, who works at a Credit Cooperative in Xinying City."

Director Du Cheng hurried forward, his face full of smiles: "Hello, Deputy Division Chief Xie Xiaofeng! It is a great honor to have the opportunity to learn from a provincial leader today!"

Only then did Deputy Division Chief Xie Xiaofeng look at Director Du Cheng properly, a faint, almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corners of his mouth: "From a Credit Cooperative? Not bad, not bad."

"And those two are my son, Lai Yifan, and his girlfriend, Du Meiyan." Deputy Director Lai Chengwei pointed to the two standing on the side and introduced them.

"Xiaofan, Meiyan, hurry up and greet him."

Vice Principal Xu Hui reminded them softly from the side, her tone carrying a hint of urgency.

"Hello, Deputy Division Chief Xie Xiaofeng!"

The two young people called out in unison, their voices filled with nervousness and anticipation.

Deputy Division Chief Xie Xiaofeng nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on Du Meiyan for a moment: "Hmm, Deputy Director Lai, don't just stand there, everyone take a seat."

Deputy Director Lai Chengwei understood immediately and turned to his son, Lai Yifan, saying: "Xiaofan, you and Meiyan go out and urge them to serve the dishes."

"Alright, Dad, we'll go right now."

Lai Yifan pulled Du Meiyan and walked quickly out of the private room, not forgetting to gently close the door behind them as they left.

After the two left, Director Du Cheng took a bulging envelope out of his briefcase and carefully pushed it in front of Deputy Division Chief Xie Xiaofeng: "Deputy Division Chief Xie Xiaofeng, this is some local specialty from our hometown. I hope you can enjoy it."

Deputy Division Chief Xie Xiaofeng glanced at the envelope out of the corner of his eye. Based on his many years of experience, he immediately judged that there was at least thirty thousand yuan inside. His originally tense expression relaxed instantly, and a meaningful smile tugged at the corners of his mouth: "Oh? I love local specialties the most. This is truly good stuff."

As he spoke, he quietly tucked the envelope into the briefcase he had with him.

In fact, Deputy Division Chief Xie Xiaofeng had not wanted to attend this dinner party. One must know that every graduation season was the busiest and most lucrative time for the Provincial Department of Personnel, and the people who wanted to invite him to dinner were already lined up until next month.

As a Deputy Division Chief of the Provincial Department of Personnel, Deputy Division Chief Xie Xiaofeng held several internal quotas, all for good work units in Mingzhou.

If it weren't for the fact that the intermediary found by Deputy Director Lai Chengwei had a significant background, he would never have agreed.

But looking at it now, the other party was quite sensible.

Before long, Lai Yifan and Du Meiyan returned to the private room, and the waiters began to serve the dishes one after another.

Director Du Cheng had spent a fortune this time, ordering all the signature dishes of Qilin Restaurant. This table alone cost three to five thousand yuan.

Deputy Director Lai Chengwei took out a bottle of treasured Moutai and personally filled Deputy Division Chief Xie Xiaofeng's wine glass.

Having received the "local specialty," Deputy Division Chief Xie Xiaofeng was in a great mood, and seeing the table full of delicacies and fine wine, his spirits were even higher.

Deputy Director Lai Chengwei raised his glass at the right moment: "Deputy Division Chief Xie Xiaofeng, for this first glass of wine, our two families would like to toast you together. Thank you for making time in your busy schedule to come."

"Deputy Director Lai, no matter how busy work is, one still has to eat. Thank you for your warm hospitality. I'll down this glass."

Deputy Division Chief Xie Xiaofeng finished it in one gulp after speaking.

Director Du Cheng hurriedly stood up and respectfully refilled his wine: "Deputy Division Chief Xie Xiaofeng, I toast you with this glass. Please put in some effort for my daughter's matter. If you have the chance, you are welcome to visit our Anjiang County and taste the local specialties."

Deputy Division Chief Xie Xiaofeng nodded with satisfaction: "Hmm, rest assured. I have your daughter's matter in mind. Just wait for the notification."

Meanwhile, Li Dakang was rushing from his hotel to Qilin Restaurant.

Last night, Cao Yong insisted on taking him to experience the nightlife of Mingzhou. Unable to refuse his warm hospitality, the two had played until the early hours of the morning before returning to the hotel.

At this moment, his head was still throbbing slightly. He looked at his watch and saw it was past seven o'clock, so he hurriedly got up to wash and brush his teeth.

After getting dressed, he called Division Chief Hu Weihang and arranged to meet at Qilin Restaurant.

Fortunately, traffic was sparse in this era, and in less than half an hour, the taxi stopped at the entrance of the restaurant.

When Li Dakang got out of the car, he found that Division Chief Hu Weihang had not arrived yet, so he stood at the entrance and lit a cigarette to wait.

He was only halfway through his cigarette when a red Xiali taxi stopped in front of him.

Division Chief Hu Weihang pushed the door open and got out, greeting him with a smile: "Li Dakang, have you been waiting long?"

Li Dakang raised the cigarette in his hand: "Uncle Hu, I just arrived as well. I haven't even finished this cigarette yet."

The two walked into the restaurant, and after asking at the front desk, a tall waitress led them to the Auspicious Hall.

When Li Dakang pushed the door open and entered, Director Du Cheng was whispering to his daughter.

Seeing Li Dakang, a long-lost smile immediately blossomed on Director Du Cheng's face, and he walked up quickly to meet him: "Brother, you've finally arrived!"

At this moment, he felt a sense of relief.

As the director of a small Township Credit Union, Director Du Cheng had been sitting on pins and needles in this setting, but the arrival of Li Dakang allowed him to instantly regain some confidence.