Nominal: Intercepting Zhong Xiaoai, Dominating Handong

The ribs were stewed until very tender, falling off the bone with a gentle bite, and had a rich, savory sauce flavor with a hint of sweetness.

As he chewed, he found that this bite was more delicious than any other bite he had ever eaten.

After dinner, Gu Pengyu watched cartoons in the living room, while Gu Mingyuan and Zhong Xiaoai sat on the balcony drinking tea.

The air was cold on the winter night, but the balcony door was closed, the house was warm, and a thin layer of condensation covered the glass. The city lights outside appeared as blurry patches of light through the condensation.

Zhong Xiaoai, holding a teacup, leaned against the small table: "Do you think Mayor Qian has truly come to his senses, or is he just superficially agreeing?"

Gu Mingyuan thought for a moment: "He must have really come to his senses. Governor Zhao called him in and made things clear. Even if he still has some resentment in his heart, he won't bring it up again. Moreover, the fact that he took the initiative to call me shows that he really wants to repair the relationship."

Zhong Xiaoai nodded: "That's good."

Gu Mingyuan reached out and took her hand from the table: "Don't worry, this matter is over. In the next few months, I will focus on pushing forward the integration of state-owned enterprises and deliver results before the end of the year. Next year's matters will then fall into place naturally."

The night outside the window was quiet and deep, with the city lights in the distance twinkling in the cold night like countless low-hanging stars.

Holding his wife's hand, Gu Mingyuan finally relaxed completely, the tension that had been building up in his heart for days finally eased.

The next day, October 26th, Friday.

Gu Mingyuan arrived at his office early in the morning, first dealing with a few backlogged documents, and then calling the National Development and Reform Commission to confirm that the asset appraisal report had been delivered to his office.

He reviewed it once; the data was clear, the format was correct, and there were no problems.

He closed the report, picked up the phone, and dialed Qian Huiren's number: "Mayor Qian, the asset appraisal report is out. I've reviewed it, and there are no problems. The integration plan for the first batch of three companies can be officially launched."

"Okay." Qian Huiren's tone was the same as before, calm and pragmatic. "Proceed according to plan, and send over any documents that require my signature as soon as possible."

"OK."

After hanging up the phone, Gu Mingyuan leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the view outside the window.

The winter sun was a bit brighter than it had been a few days ago, streaming in through the glass window and casting a warm glow on the table.

He picked up the teacup and took a sip. The tea was brewed for him by Zhong Xiaoai before he left home that morning, and the temperature was just right.

He thought that starting today, the integration of state-owned enterprises in Ningchuan would officially enter the implementation phase.

This is his most important task since returning to Ningchuan, and a crucial factor in whether he can successfully take over as mayor of Wenshan City next March. He must accomplish this, and do it to the best of his ability.

He opened the documents on the table and began to go through the implementation steps of the integration plan item by item.

The first batch of three companies to be integrated involves multiple aspects such as asset restructuring, personnel placement, and business integration, and each aspect requires meticulous implementation.

He went through each step one by one, marking the timeframes and responsible persons at key points to ensure that every step was monitored and implemented.

He ran into Chen Fengbo while eating lunch in the cafeteria.

Chen Fengbo sat down opposite him, carrying his tray, a familiar smile on his face: "Mayor Gu, I heard that the integration of state-owned enterprises is about to officially begin?"

"Yes, the first batch of three will officially launch next Monday." Gu Mingyuan picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks, his tone casual.

Chen Fengbo nodded: "Great! The state-owned enterprises in Ningchuan should have been integrated long ago. This time, they deserve a lot of credit for making it happen."

"By the way, Mayor Gu, I heard you've been going to the provincial capital quite often lately? Has Governor Zhao given any new instructions?"

Gu Mingyuan glanced at him, a slight tremor running through his heart, but he remained outwardly calm: "No new instructions, just a report on the progress of the state-owned enterprise integration. Governor Zhao is quite satisfied with the plan and told us to expedite its implementation."

Chen Fengbo said "oh" and didn't ask any further questions, then lowered his head to eat.

But Gu Mingyuan noticed that he picked up food more slowly than before, as if he was thinking about something.

He didn't bring it up, nor did he continue the topic. Instead, he chatted about the year-end performance review, and the atmosphere remained lukewarm until the end of lunch.

In the afternoon, Gu Mingyuan convened a special meeting, which was attended by the heads of relevant departments such as the National Development and Reform Commission, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, and the Finance Bureau.

He chaired the meeting and clarified the implementation steps, timelines, and division of responsibilities for the integration plan one by one.

The meeting was lively, and some people raised questions about details, which he answered one by one to ensure that everyone understood what they were supposed to do.

The meeting lasted for nearly two hours and ended at 4:30 pm.

He returned to his office, sat down, and drank a sip of the now-cold tea without adding water. The cold tea had a slightly bitter taste, but it made his mind clearer.

He recalled what Chen Fengbo had said at noon—"I heard you've been going to the provincial capital quite often lately."

This question may sound like a casual remark, but given the context of this time, it is somewhat intriguing.

Chen Fengbo is from Yu Huabei's side. He inquired about the province's movements, most likely to pass on a message to Yu Huabei.

Gu Mingyuan put down his teacup, not dwelling on the issue for too long.

Having been in the team for so many years, it's impossible to expect Chen Fengbo to completely behave himself.

As long as he doesn't directly oppose him, Gu Mingyuan won't bother with him. The most important thing now is to push forward the integration of state-owned enterprises and let the results speak for themselves.

That evening, Gu Mingyuan returned home, ate dinner, and sat in the living room watching TV for a while.

Gu Pengyu was already asleep. Zhong Xiaoai sat next to him, knitting a sweater. The knitting needles flew up and down between her fingers, making a soft clicking sound.

"Did you have dinner with Chen Fengbo today?" Zhong Xiaoai suddenly asked.

Gu Mingyuan was taken aback: "How did you know?"

"When you came back to change your clothes, there was a grain of rice stuck to your coat. It wasn't the rice from the cafeteria you usually eat at." Zhong Xiaoai didn't even look up, her knitting needles still flying in her hands.

"And you had a slight frown on your brow when you came back, so you must have run into someone you didn't want to see while you were eating."

Gu Mingyuan looked at her and couldn't help but laugh: "With your observation skills, it's a pity you're not in criminal investigation."

Zhong Xiaoai's lips curled up slightly: "I can't control what you do outside, but I can tell what you do at home at a glance."

Gu Mingyuan leaned back on the sofa and briefly recounted how Chen Fengbo had tested him at noon.

After hearing this, Zhong Xiaoai continued knitting without stopping, only saying softly, "Then be careful of him."

"I know."

Saturday, October 11.

Gu Mingyuan rarely gets a day off. He spent the morning at home playing with building blocks with Gu Pengyu, and then went to the neighborhood to play football for a while.

The thin sunlight of a winter morning shone on the lawn, which was already withered and yellow, rustling underfoot. Gu Pengyu ran until he was covered in sweat, his face flushed, and his laughter carried far in the empty neighborhood.

After lunch, Gu Mingyuan was looking at picture books with Gu Pengyu when his phone rang. It was Wang Rucheng calling.

"Mingyuan, are you free this afternoon? Come to my house; there are some things I'd like to discuss with you."