32. Who, after all, is the protagonist?

Despite his deep reluctance, Li Mingjiang still obediently took the host’s seat, occasionally helping the waiters arrange the dishes and serve the food. Though he felt stifled, he could only force a smile.

“It’s business, after all. Making money isn’t shameful,” he comforted himself inwardly, downed a glass in one go, and tried his best to steady his mood.

Moments later, he managed to appear warm and enthusiastic once again.

“Director Liu, Director Zhu, it truly means the world to me that you both could come today. Allow me to offer you a toast, just to express my gratitude.”

Liu Xuefeng, of course, understood Li Mingjiang’s mindset. Since the attitude had been properly expressed, there was no need to press the matter further. Playing along, he raised his glass and toasted Li Mingjiang from across the table, downing the drink in one swift motion. Zhu Weiguo followed suit with his own glass.

This gesture made Li Mingjiang feel much better. Thinking it over, he realized it was only natural—after all, his future son-in-law was just starting out, and it was understandable for the father-in-law to help pave the way.

His smile widened. He raised another glass and said, “As for the project in Lianjia Village, I’ll be relying on both of you for guidance. This glass is to thank you for recognizing my efforts.”

With those words, he lifted his hand and finished another drink.

Liu Xuefeng quickly reached out to stop him from pouring more, laughing as he said, “Xiao Li, as I told you before, since the village chief and President Ge couldn’t work smoothly together, having you take over is also supporting our work. It’s all for the sake of development—no need to thank us.”

“But,” he shifted the topic, “I only learned today that Chen Ling is interested in this project as well. If there’s an opportunity, I hope you’ll give him a helping hand too. Young people need the chance to gain experience.”

A threat! A blatant threat!

Li Mingjiang’s heart skipped a beat. He understood that resisting further was pointless. All he could do was force another smile. “Of course. I know Xiao Chen’s abilities well. I would be delighted to have him involved.”

“That’s good, that’s good.” Liu Xuefeng then turned to Zhu Weiguo, saying, “In that case, Old Zhu, keep a close eye on the Lianjia Village project. The priority is to ensure its smooth progress. After all, this project is part of the new countryside development, in line with the government’s directives!”

“I understand,” Zhu Weiguo replied with a beaming smile. He raised his glass to Li Mingjiang and said, “President Li, I’ll be counting on your support in the future.”

Li Mingjiang realized this was a clear statement of support. Overjoyed, he abandoned the small glasses altogether, grabbed the wine decanter, and declared, “Absolutely! I believe, under your supervision, the project will not only succeed but shine brilliantly in the Binhu District!”

Of those present, only Zhao Yuanqiang took his words at face value; the others simply smiled, none taking it seriously.

Especially Ge Luo—he no longer cared much about Li Mingjiang. With Liu Xuefeng, the true decision-maker, having made his stance clear, it was obvious he was here to support Chen Ling.

Such an unmistakable hint—if he couldn’t see it now, his years in the business would have been for nothing!

“Xiao Chen,” Ge Luo raised his glass, “this is our first meeting. I’m a few years your senior, so I’ll take the liberty of calling you brother. If there’s a chance, let’s work together more in the future.”

Chen Ling glanced at Liu Xuefeng, who inwardly called him a sly fox, then nodded in coordination. Only then did Chen Ling raise his glass, clink it lightly with Ge Luo’s in front of Liu Xuefeng, and drain it in one go.

With just that look, Ge Luo understood the situation perfectly. There was no need to discuss the rest in front of Li Mingjiang at the table.

All this while, Zhao Yuanqiang had been wearing a forced smile, silently watching everything unfold. He tugged at Li Mingjiang’s sleeve, leaned in, and whispered, “Brother Li, who’s really the main character tonight? It feels like this whole dinner is setting that kid up for success.”

“Sigh,” Li Mingjiang glanced over and replied quietly, “Brother, you think I don’t see it? But there’s nothing to be done. It’s obvious now—if Chen Ling gets his share, only then do we get ours. Just look at his father-in-law compared to ours.”

That one sentence nearly brought tears to Zhao Yuanqiang’s eyes.

In these suburban villages, a live-in son-in-law’s status was barely above that of a servant. Day after day, doing laundry, cooking, pouring tea, and still being bossed around—such a life was unimaginable for those who hadn’t lived it.

For someone like Li Mingjiang, who’d relied on his own cleverness and diligence to rise in his job, life was at least bearable, and his father-in-law was willing to lend a helping hand.

But for someone like Zhao Yuanqiang, whose position was arranged by his father-in-law, there was no status at all. Harshly speaking, he was little more than a stud, rewarded only with a bowl of rice for his service.

“Brother Li, once you secure the director’s position, things will get better for us, right?” Zhao Yuanqiang asked hopefully.

Li Mingjiang secretly looked down on him but replied confidently, “Of course! When the time comes, I’ll make you deputy director. Let’s see if your father-in-law still dares to look down on you, or if that barrel-waisted wife of yours still dares to boss you around every day…”

The mere thought filled Zhao Yuanqiang’s mind with vivid images; he quickly shook his head. “Don’t mention her! Brother Li, let’s go have some fun tonight?”

Li Mingjiang dashed his hopes at once. “Do you have any secret savings?”

The drinks flowed, the dishes were sampled, and the banquet didn’t last long. With Liu Xinyue present, Li Mingjiang didn’t dare suggest any further entertainment, merely arranging for everyone to visit a teahouse for a touch of refinement.

Both directors politely declined his invitation, but Liu Xuefeng did say to Chen Ling, “Young people should drink less and learn to appreciate tea.”

Chen Ling caught the meaning behind his words and nodded in agreement. Li Mingjiang said nothing more, called for several designated drivers, and invited Chen Ling and Liu Xinyue into his car, heading for the teahouse.

On the road, Li Mingjiang smiled at Chen Ling, “Xiao Chen, you’ve made good money. Isn’t it time to buy a car? Any model you’ve got your eye on? I know people at all the BMW, Benz, and Audi dealerships—could get you quite a discount.”

“Haven’t even got my license yet,” Chen Ling replied, shaking his head.

“That’s easily solved,” Li Mingjiang continued. “I’ll get you enrolled at a driving school I know. For the theory and practice, you just show up and get checked in, then I’ll find you a car to practice on. You’ll be able to get your license straight away.”

Chen Ling thought this sounded like a good idea. With memories from his previous life, he could already drive, but now he really didn’t have the time to get a license. So he agreed.

The conversation drifted from topic to topic as the two cars arrived together at the shore of Emerald Lake, stopping in front of a teahouse.

To Chen Ling’s surprise, before he even got out of the car, he caught sight of a familiar figure…