Qi Tongwei at the start: Not relying on Liang Lu, but winning by a single move against Heaven.

Li Guofu's decision to hold the dinner in the courtyard of the cadre retirement home surprised Qi Tongwei.

Surprised, he couldn't help but look at Li Guofu with newfound respect.

This approach not only fostered closer relationships but also avoided giving others ammunition for criticism, demonstrating a level of skill far superior to that of people like Qin Feiyue.

The dishes were simple, all home-style, and the four dishes and soup were a well-balanced combination.

Li Guofu was very hospitable, frequently serving food to Qi Tongwei, showing the demeanor of an elder.

Qi Tongwei also behaved very appropriately, being humble and polite, respectful without being obsequious.

The two chatted over their meal, discussing Fuyuan's development history, past issues, and future prospects...

The two hit it off very well, and Li Guofu couldn't help but look at Qi Tongwei with new respect.

He discovered that Qi Tongwei was very capable, and in a short period of time he had a thorough understanding of the situation in the county.

What's even more commendable is that Qi Tongwei is very forward-thinking, having planned out the future development direction...

During the meal, the two exchanged words and drinks, and had already completed several exchanges and tests.

Qi Tongwei wanted to test Li Guofu's views on corruption, but Li Guofu avoided the question by mentioning his retirement.

Li Guofu tried to probe Qi Tongwei's background, but Qi Tongwei jokingly replied that everything was for the people...

After a few rounds of drinks, both men wore smiles on their faces, but each harbored their own secret intentions.

The two clinked glasses again, and Li Guofu's face flushed, as if he were a little drunk.

He put down his wine glass and called out to the kitchen.

"Little Tiger, is Bahari ready yet? I'm starving..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the kitchen door opened.

A dark-faced man came out carrying a plate of brown steamed cakes.

The man, expressionless, placed the plate on the table, turned and went back into the kitchen without saying a word.

Seeing the surprise on Qi Tongwei's face, Li Guofu smiled and said.

"I have a cousin who's a very nice person, just a bit quiet. I hope you don't mind..."

Qi Tongwei didn't seem to care, his gaze falling on the steamed cake, his brows furrowing slightly.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Li Guofu pointed to the steamed cake on the table and asked with a smile.

"Secretary Qi, have you ever tried this? It's a Uyghur specialty pastry called Bahali..."

Qi Tongwei has been in Bianxi for a year, so he has naturally eaten Bahali.

He frowned not because he had never eaten it before, but because Bahari hadn't cut it; it was a whole piece.

Qi Tongwei glanced at Li Guofu and asked with a smile.

"Old Party Secretary, this piece is so big, how are we going to eat it?"

Li Guofu immediately handed over the knife and said with a smile.

"This is such a big piece, neither of us can finish it. Secretary Qi, please share it..."

Qi Tongwei immediately realized that the old fox had been waiting for him all night.

He didn't take the knife; instead, he smiled at Li Guofu, his smile quite amusing.

"Old Party Secretary, it's not appropriate for just the two of us to share such a big cake, is it?"

I have acid reflux, so I don't dare eat too many sweets, afraid I won't be able to digest them...

Li Guofu was taken aback, then smiled and nodded at Qi Tongwei before continuing.

"One person can't finish it all, so I'll take it back to my family. It's good to keep the good stuff in the family..."

Qi Tongwei grinned, sighed, and said with a wry smile.

"What a pity. I have no relatives or friends in Fuyuan, I'm all alone..."

Li Guofu was taken aback, a flash of coldness appearing in his eyes.

He didn't respond, but cut a piece of bahari and put it on Qi Tongwei's plate.

"Here, have a taste. This stuff has a long shelf life; if you can't finish it, you can save it and eat it slowly..."

Qi Tongwei didn't refuse, reached out and picked up the brown pastry, and took a bite.

It's soft, sweet, and glutinous, and you can also taste walnuts and raisins inside.

He ate while praising it sincerely.

"Mmm, delicious. This is much better than cake...and it even has chocolate flavor..."

Swallowing the food in his mouth, Qi Tongwei looked at the remaining Bahari and said with a smile.

"I think this thing shouldn't be called Bahari..."

Upon hearing this, Li Guofu immediately became interested.

He cut another piece of bahari, put it on his plate, and asked with a smile.

"Bahali is a Uyghur word that means black cake... If we don't call it Bahali, what should we call it?"

Qi Tongwei poked at the soft cake with his chopsticks, glanced at Li Guofu, and said in a deep voice.

"Look at this color, it looks just like the 'Burning Beam' cake from Fuyuan... I think it should be called 'Burning Beam Cake'."

Li Guofu was taken aback, exchanged a glance with Qi Tongwei, and then the two of them burst into laughter at the same time.

One laughed with trepidation, the other with a knowing smile...

Li Guofu laughed so hard that he even laughed until tears streamed down his face.

After laughing, he wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and waved his hands repeatedly.

"Haha, if it had that name, I wouldn't dare eat it. It's too hard, and it'd hurt my teeth..."

Qi Tongwei didn't respond, but picked up his wine glass and changed the subject.

"Just kidding, thank you for your hospitality, former Party Secretary. Let me toast you again..."

The two clinked glasses again, and each tasted the wine differently as it went down their throats.

The meal lasted nearly two hours, and Qi Tongwei left at 10 o'clock.

Li Guofu personally escorted them to the hospital gate.

He grasped Qi Tongwei's hand and shook it vigorously, his tone tinged with emotion.

"Secretary Qi, I'm getting old. The future of Fuyuan depends on you young people..."

He paused slightly, his voice becoming low and deep, carrying a hint of weariness.

"Back then, our management was also quite rough, leaving behind many historical problems."

If there's anything I haven't done well enough, please forgive me...

Qi Tongwei nodded, sighed softly, and spoke in a noncommittal tone.

"Well, every period has its own unique circumstances. As long as it's for the people's benefit, I can understand."

After seeing Qi Tongwei off, Li Guofu returned to the house, where Jin Hu had already come out of the kitchen.

When he saw Li Guofu return, he immediately handed him a thermos and said in a deep voice.

"Qi Tongwei doesn't know what's good for him. Should we..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Li Guofu's reprimand.

"Jin Hu, do you have any respect for the law? He's the county party secretary!"

Do you know what the consequences would be if an accident happened to a county party secretary?

Jin Hu didn't respond, but muttered something under his breath.

"You gave me my life, and you even gave me this name."

At worst... I'll trade my life for his.

Li Guofu glanced at him, sighed, and softened his tone.

"Stop fooling around. It wasn't easy for you to accumulate this wealth..."

Now that everything that needed to be said and done has been done, let's just wait and see...

He opened the thermos lid, took a sip of strong tea, and continued speaking.

"Don't worry, as long as the things in Dayou Township aren't exposed, I'll be fine."

"I'm retired now, Zhang Wei's problems have nothing to do with me..."

Jin Hu's face darkened, and he nodded without replying.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Li Guofu put down his thermos and glanced at him.

"I'll ask you one more time, is everything handled smoothly?"

Jin Hu nodded, answering with great certainty.

"Don't worry, everything's settled... except we still haven't found Li Haili..."

"If they didn't find it, they didn't find it... It's been eight years, whether they're alive or dead is another question..."

After saying that, Li Guofu sighed, waved his hand, and signaled Jin Hu to leave.

......

Qi Tongwei returned to the guesthouse at past eleven o'clock.

He quickly washed up and was about to go to bed when there was a sudden knock on the door.

The sound was not loud, but rather urgent and chaotic, and it was exceptionally clear in the night.

Qi Tongwei frowned slightly, wondering to himself, "Who could it be so late?"

Upon opening the door, Qi Tongwei was taken aback; the doorway was empty.

He looked to both sides of the corridor, but there was no one there.

He frowned and muttered, "Did I hear that right?"

Qi Tongwei was about to close the door when he stopped.

There was a piece of paper on the ground by the door.