91: Chapter 91 The Promise of Spring Tea

Zhao Yang's mouth twitched, swallowing the "Auntie Lai" that had been about to slip out, as a flash of vigilance crossed his eyes.

Lai Xunmei was a woman whose tricks were endless.

He sorted out his thoughts almost instantly: with the new Governor Sun Zhendong taking office and the political landscape of Jianghan being reshuffled, Guo Mingkai's faction could no longer sit still.

This invitation was undoubtedly for the Tongan Die-Casting Machine Factory case, with the goal of sounding him out.

If you don't enter the tiger's den, you can't catch the tiger cub; only by getting close could he find the loopholes in Guo Mingkai's gang.

Zhao Yang decided to accept the invitation immediately, but he also secretly resolved that he must not fall into the trap the other party had set.

Before he could think any further, Lai Xunmei's cloyingly sweet voice came through the receiver:

"Young Brother Yang, I've come to the provincial capital on business, and it just so happens I can meet you, the young talent from Tongan. Would you be willing to do me the honor?"

"If you don't agree, I'll go tell on you to your Auntie Xuecen, hmph!" Lai Xunmei added a touch of coquettish threat.

Zhao Yang suppressed his discomfort and deliberately softened his tone, though he emphasized the word "alone" heavily:

"Sister Mei, how could you say that? How could I possibly refuse such a good opportunity to spend time alone?"

He needed to firmly maintain the initiative, and as soon as he finished speaking, he finalized the arrangements:

"Since you've come from afar, Sister Mei, it's only natural that I, your little brother, should host. I'll book a place and send you the address."

After hanging up, Zhao Yang immediately pulled up Lai Xunmei's whereabouts record and discovered she had been in frequent contact with Guo Mingkai recently, so he already had a strategy in mind.

But before he could sort out the details, his other phone suddenly rang. The caller ID clearly displayed the name "Sun Zhendong." Zhao Yang's heart skipped a beat, his fingertips tightened around the phone, and he quickly answered.

"Hello, Uncle Sun. I've already seen the news that you've come to Jianghan to take office." His tone could barely suppress an uncontrollable brightness.

On the other end of the line, Sun Zhendong's voice was steady and powerful, carrying an unquestionable sense of gravity:

"Little Zhao, Secretary Gong has already given me a detailed report on the Tongan Die-Casting Machine Factory case. Hurry up and organize the detailed materials. Come to the Provincial Committee's Villa No. 2 to see me at nine o'clock tomorrow, Saturday morning. This matter should not be publicized."

Zhao Yang was overjoyed and immediately took out a USB drive—it already contained the core evidence for the Die-Casting Machine Factory case.

Sun Zhendong's call was not only timely help, but also the key to tearing open the dark curtain of Tongan. Since Lai Xunmei had delivered herself to his door today, he could just play along with her scheme—it would allow him to extract clues and also provide an explanation to Sun Zhendong.

"Don't worry, Uncle Sun. The materials are ready at any time, and I will definitely arrive on time."

After hanging up, Zhao Yang immediately booked two adjacent private rooms at Tingyuxuan: Chunzhan and Yuwei.

The environment here was quiet and had a wide field of view, which would make it easy to observe any movements and allow for backup to provide support at any time.

He immediately dialed Gao Yan's number, his tone grave:

"Lai Xunmei has asked to meet me in the Chunzhan private room. It's highly likely a trap set by Guo Mingkai. You and Beichen go to the Yuwei private room and stand by. Come over when you see my signal."

"Don't worry, we're leaving immediately. We'll be monitoring the whole time and definitely won't drop the ball."

Gao Yan put aside her usual playfulness, her tone resolute.

Ten minutes later, Zheng Beichen hurried over. The three of them exchanged a few brief instructions before heading to Tingyuxuan separately.

Zhao Yang was the first to enter the Chunzhan private room. He walked to the window to keep a close eye on the movements downstairs and sent a message to Lai Xunmei: "Sister Lai, Tingyuxuan on Wutong Road, Chunzhan private room, waiting for you."

Soon, Lai Xunmei replied: "Little brother, you really have good taste. I'm on my way."

Half an hour later, a black Audi A6 slowly pulled up downstairs.

Zhao Yang's gaze sharpened instantly, and he clearly saw a cold-faced stranger sitting in the passenger seat—most likely Lai Xunmei's bodyguard.

The back door opened, and a figure stepped out.

A dark green cheongsam accentuated her cold and elegant temperament, with shrewdness hidden in her eyes. After getting out of the car, she immediately scanned the surrounding environment, clearly prepared in advance.

Zhao Yang suppressed his vigilance and quietly pressed the recording button on his phone.

He knew clearly that every word from the woman in front of him could contain a trap; he had to prepare a backup plan.

What made him pay even more attention was the subtle metallic reflection on Lai Xunmei's cuff, suspected to be a voice recorder.

A few minutes later, the door to the private room was gently pushed open, and Lai Xunmei's voice came through first: "Young Brother Yang, I've kept you waiting."

Zhao Yang stood up to greet her with a proper smile: "Sister Mei, you're joking. Waiting for a beautiful woman is my honor."

Lai Xunmei sat down opposite him. Without any unnecessary ambiguous gestures, she raised her eyes and stared straight at him, her gaze filled with scrutiny: "Young Brother Yang, with the new leadership in the province, will the Tongan Die-Casting Machine Factory case be reopened? You work at the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, so you must have quite a bit of news, right?"

Zhao Yang picked up his teacup, his tone flat but hiding a sharp edge, and countered: "Sister Mei, you're so concerned about this case—could it be that Boss Guo has a guilty conscience? After all, those two trucks suspected of smuggling have an undeniable connection to him."

Lai Xunmei's expression changed slightly, but she quickly regained her composure. She picked up her teacup, took a light sip, and lowered her voice extremely low. It carried a hint of temptation, while also hiding a hint of danger: "Young Brother Yang, actually, I'm looking for you today because I want to tell you one thing."

Zhao Yang raised his eyebrows, pretending to be curious: "Sister Mei, what do you want to tell me?"

Lai Xunmei smiled seductively, stood up, and swayed her slender waist as she stepped closer to Zhao Yang, her warm breath spraying against his ear. "Young Brother Yang, being too serious about some things doesn't benefit anyone. Making things convenient for others is making things convenient for yourself."

As soon as she finished speaking, she leaned against Zhao Yang's shoulder, her big, watery eyes staring straight at him. The information hidden in those eyes couldn't have been more obvious.