Road to Revival

Lü Qi did not attend the welcoming banquet that evening; she was not qualified. Moreover, Tao Tang, who flew in from Yanjing, did not appear at the Red Star factory area; he was picked up directly by the city authorities after getting off the plane.

Zhao Qingmin was completely unaware that Feng Shizhao would personally escort Tao Tang, which was enough to spark many speculations among the employees who were paying attention to the matter. But that was a matter for later; the most important thing was that Feng Shizhao's arrival drastically elevated the level of hospitality. Following instructions from the provincial government, the main leaders of Pingquan City hosted a banquet at the city government guesthouse and arranged accommodations, rendering all of Hongxing's preparations futile.

At the welcoming banquet that evening, apart from Party Secretary Zhao Qingmin and Chairman of the Supervisory Board and Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission Guo Tao, none of the other members of the Red Star leadership team attended, and Lü Qi was even less qualified to attend.

Headquarters chief Feng Shizhao escorted Tao Tang to his new post, showing Tao Tang considerable respect. This was the first time Feng Shizhao had escorted a subordinate to his new position since assuming his current post. This was partly to support Tao Tang, and partly for official business involving local connections. In particular, due to the relocation of Hongxing Company caused by the Pingquan City new town plan, he needed to make preliminary contacts with both provincial and municipal levels. Therefore, on this trip from Yanjing, Feng Shizhao, in addition to the Human Resources Department responsible for managing and evaluating cadres, also brought a number of senior officials from the headquarters' Development Strategy Department, Asset Management Department, and Finance Department. With the Pingquan matter settled, Feng Shizhao also needed to travel to the provincial capital to meet with the main leaders of G Province to discuss matters related to establishing a strategic cooperation between Huihuang Group and G Province.

Feng Shizhao strictly forbade any prior notification to Hongxing. They didn't even enter the provincial capital city until that afternoon when they arrived at Beixin International Airport. Instead, they were directly picked up by a motorcade from the Pingquan Municipal Government and taken to the Pingquan Municipal Government Guesthouse. Only after arriving in Pingquan did Feng Shizhao instruct his secretary to call Zhao Qingmin and Guo Tao, asking them to meet him at the guesthouse.

The top officials at headquarters knew that the Song Yue case not only exposed numerous problems within Red Star, but also implicated local authorities, and might even drag the Beijing headquarters into it. The shockwaves were only just beginning. In the current situation, the Red Star case had dealt Feng Shizhao a severe blow, bringing immeasurable trouble to headquarters. Therefore, Feng Shizhao's unusual visit to Pingquan was not surprising at all.

Zhou Hongyou, the vice mayor in charge of urban planning, attended the welcoming banquet. He recognized Tao Tang at a glance, but he couldn't skip the line to go up and acknowledge him.

Now, a dozen or so people are standing in the lounge outside the restaurant. Introductions have finished, but everyone is still standing. Since Party Secretary Wang Yi and Chairman and Party Secretary Feng Shizhao of the Huihuang Group haven't taken their seats, there's no reason for the others to do so.

"Oh, old classmate," Zhou Hongyou said, shaking Tao Tang's hand after the formal introductions were over. "If we met outside, I wouldn't dare recognize you!"

The Tao Tang before them not only wore glasses, but his hair was also half-gray, making him look six or seven years older than his actual age. However, he was tall and well-maintained, which made the already overweight Zhou Hongyou envious.

"Haha, Zhou Hongyou, Mayor Zhou, you've gained so much weight!" Tao Tang said with a smile.

"Yes, yes, look at my belly..." Zhou Hongyou, who is the same age as Tao Tang, already has a big belly. "Old Tao, it's been ten years since we last met, hasn't it? I heard you came back to take charge of Red Star, and I was so happy that I couldn't sleep all night. Now we're working together."

"General Manager Feng has always advocated integrating into the local economy. How to achieve headquarters' intentions requires further guidance from my old classmate." Tao Tang understood Zhou Hongyou's meaning. Pingquan City had always coveted Hongxing's territory, but this was a major matter involving numerous stakeholders and interests, far beyond Hongxing Company's control. Having worked in the headquarters' policy research office for over a year, Tao Tang was not entirely ignorant of Hongxing's relocation. Therefore, he gave a vague answer to Zhou Hongyou's question.

"Oh, you two are classmates?" Mayor Shangguan Hong asked as he approached.

"We were classmates in high school," Zhou Hongyou said with a smile.

"The Red Star Factory produces talented people." Wang Yi, the Party Secretary of Pingquan City, also came over. "President Tao, the city has high expectations for your triumphant return to your hometown, you son of the Red Star Factory."

"It's hardly a triumphant return; I feel like I'm walking on thin ice, facing an abyss. Without the city's support, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to move an inch. Secretary Wang, please don't think I'm bothering you and Mayor Shangguan in the future."

"Support is mutual; the city also needs the strong support of Hongxing and Huihuang Group," Secretary Wang said with a smile as he saw Feng Shizhao approaching.

"Hongxing Factory has a glorious history... It's okay that it's encountering some problems now, they will all be resolved. Xiao Tao is right, Hongxing's recovery and development are absolutely inseparable from the support of the local government. Secretary Wang, Mayor Shangguan, from now on we are all one family," Feng Shizhao said with a smile.

"Distinguished leaders, please come to the restaurant for a meal," Huang Jinming, Secretary-General of the Municipal Government, invited with a smile.

"Alright, Mr. Feng, shall we eat and chat?" Secretary Wang gestured an invitation.

"Haha, you're the master, I'll listen to you," Feng Shizhao laughed.

Zhao Qingmin and Guo Tao entered the grand, opulent dining room last. Place cards were already placed on the huge, automatically rotating table adorned with flowers. They found their seats, but had to wait for the leaders to be seated. So they stood there somewhat forlornly. During the meeting in the reception room, Feng Shizhao had indeed been very cold, merely shaking hands without even asking a single question about the company's current situation. Moreover, handshakes were very nuanced; Zhao Qingmin and Guo Tao, both seasoned veterans, understood the nuances. Feng Shizhao's handshakes with them were the kind that made subordinates extremely uneasy. Guo Tao thought that if it weren't for the presence of the main leaders of Pingquan City's party and government, Feng Shizhao wouldn't have even bothered to make a gesture. Not only was Feng Shizhao cold, but even the senior officials at headquarters wore stern faces, which made Guo Tao feel deeply aggrieved. Was it his fault that Song Yue and Yang Wenhuan were in trouble? However, he could understand his superiors' anger; after all, it had brought trouble to headquarters, and the trouble wasn't over yet.

Wearing old-fashioned black-rimmed glasses, Guo Tao liked to ponder seating arrangements and always managed to glean something from them. The head seat was naturally for Party Secretary Wang Yi, the guest of honor for Feng Shizhao, head of the Huihuang Group, and Mayor Shangguan Hong's seat was to Feng Shizhao's right, next to him was Zhang Jianguo, the Party Secretary and Director of the Industrial Office—all of this was fine. The rest was more intriguing. He didn't pay much attention to the government personnel, as they were too distant from him, but rather focused on Feng Shizhao's entourage. He noticed that Tao Tang's seat was arranged to Wang Yi's left, ahead of Zhou Hongyou. Meanwhile, several powerful figures from headquarters, led by Yuan Changhai, the Director of the Development Planning Department, and the Human Resources Director Chang Shanqiang, whom he respected, were seated at the very end.

Normally, when the head of the central government comes to Pingquan, even if the city government intervenes, it's a government matter; the city party secretary would never appear. But Feng Shizhao is a very high-ranking official; he's an alternate member of the Central Committee, and his position within the party is equivalent to that of a provincial governor. Since no one from the province is showing up today, the Pingquan city party secretary has no choice but to do so.

Guo Tao sadly discovered that throughout the entire banquet, Feng Shizhao barely spoke to Zhao Qingmin or him. As the central figure of the banquet, Feng Shizhao's conversations were limited to Wang Yi, Shangguan Hong, and Tao Tang, with even Zhou Hongyou receiving little attention. Moreover, they barely discussed Red Star or the land issue that closely linked Red Star and Pingquan, focusing instead on the situation in Libya and Gaddafi. Guo Tao did listen to Tao Tang's account of the deep friendship between ordinary Pakistani people and the Chinese, which he found quite interesting. When it came time for toasts, he followed Zhao Qingmin in offering toasts to the leaders, but Feng Shizhao only symbolically touched his lips to the wine, whereas he had downed his drink when Tao Tang had toasted him earlier.

Who can discern Feng Shizhao's attitude?

Guo Tao heard Zhao Qingmin's sigh. Guo Tao fully understood Zhao Qingmin's immense disappointment. He was disappointed by his failure to win the top position, and worried about Tao Tang's growing power. They were all aware of Tao Tang's actions at Shengdong, which had been heavily publicized as internal experience. Although young (quite young for his position), Tao Tang was an iron-fisted figure, and now, with Feng Shizhao's trust and support, Zhao Qingmin's future was certainly going to be difficult. Immediately, Guo Tao felt a surge of contempt for Zhao Qingmin. Song Yue's incident didn't mean the matter was over. As the Party Secretary, he couldn't escape the blame for inadequate supervision. What gave him the right to covet that position? Guo Tao immediately thought of himself; as Chairman of the Supervisory Board and Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, he couldn't escape joint responsibility either… Perhaps the personnel adjustments at headquarters for Hongxing were just the beginning…

Before the two of them could even make a move, Tao Tang rushed over to toast Zhao Qingmin and Guo Tao, saying, "Secretary Zhao, Chairman Guo, from now on we're like three donkeys in the same carriage, how about we travel together? I'll need your help in the future."

Tao Tang's words elicited laughter from several directors at headquarters. Chang Shanqiang chuckled, "The words may be rough, but the principle is sound. Making Red Star a success truly depends on the three of you."

"You're the backbone. With you here, I feel much more at ease," Zhao Qingmin said, clinking glasses with Tao Tang.

"I wouldn't dare, and I hope Mr. Tao will offer more criticism and guidance," Guo Tao said.

"We're all in this together, let's help each other out. Luckily, we have support from headquarters and local authorities... it's all in the drink, cheers!" The three clinked glasses and drank it all in one gulp.

Guo Tao noticed that Tao Tang had a very high alcohol tolerance. His cup wasn't small, about three qian (a unit of weight), and Tao Tang basically drank it in one gulp. He had drunk with Vice Mayor Zhou Hongyou at least four times. "He's at least a very energetic guy..." Guo Tao thought to himself. He wasn't familiar with Tao Tang, and this was the first time he'd been in such a situation.

"We'll stay here tonight, you guys go back." As the banquet was drawing to a close, a slightly tipsy Chang Shanqiang instructed Zhao Qingmin and Guo Tao, "There's a leadership meeting at nine o'clock tomorrow morning, followed by a meeting for department heads and above at ten. No one is allowed to take leave except for special reasons. Go back and make the arrangements carefully. Are all the leadership team members here?"

"Everyone is here except for Li Luo," Zhao Qingmin replied.

Chang Shanqiang frowned. "Is Li Luo not able to make it back in time?"

"I just arrived in Lingnan... I didn't know beforehand..."

"Never mind, since we can't make it back in time, there's no need to notify us."