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

After seeing Baimaiti off, Qi Tongwei sat in his office, lit a cigarette, and reviewed the situation alone.

Zhang Wei's unexpected death, Zhong Zhengguo's exposed cards, Wang Quanyou's tips...

He tried to piece together these fragmented pieces of information, but no matter how he tried, it just didn't quite work...

It's like a jigsaw puzzle that's almost complete, but a few crucial pieces are missing.

Qi Tongwei was certain that Zhang Wei had been silenced, and he could even guess who was behind it all.

What he couldn't understand was why the culprit would take such a risk for a mere three million...

I can't figure it out, what a coincidence that Zhong Zhengguo revealed his identity at this moment...

What's even more incomprehensible is why Wang Quanyou, with his iron-fisted nature, would choose to remain silent...

Just as he was racking his brains trying to figure it out, the phone on the table suddenly rang.

He picked up the phone casually and said something out of habit.

"County Party Committee Secretary Qi Tongwei."

On the other end of the phone, Zhong Xiaoai's voice came through, not loud and somewhat deep.

"What time is it? Why aren't you off work yet? Are you working overtime...?"

Qi Tongwei glanced at the time; it was almost eight o'clock.

He was so focused on piecing together clues and deducing the situation that he didn't pay attention to the time.

"I'm off work, I'm heading home now..."

Zhong Xiaoai didn't say much, just replied, "I'll wait for you at the guesthouse," and then hung up.

After hanging up the phone, Qi Tongwei frowned slightly.

He could tell from the phone call that Zhong Xiaoai didn't seem to be in a very high mood.

Back at the guesthouse, Qi Tongwei saw that no one was around, so he gently knocked on the door of the next room.

The door opened, and Zhong Xiaoai pulled him inside.

The door closed, and she leaned against it, looking up at Qi Tongwei, and asked softly.

"Knocking on the door of a teacher sent to a remote area in broad daylight. What do you want?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but her gaze and tone were full of undisguised provocation.

Qi Tongwei was stunned when he heard this. He was about to speak when Zhong Xiaoai covered his mouth with hers.

During their passionate kiss, Zhong Xiaoai spoke softly and haltingly.

"Qi Tongwei... classmate... today, you should... call... Teacher Zhong..."

Qi Tongwei held her in his arms without saying a word, responding passionately to her actions.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and rain falls after a long drought.

When two young hearts meet, it's like dry wood meeting a raging fire—they ignite instantly.

In the warm yellow light, Qi Tongwei looked at Zhong Xiaoai's face with tenderness in his eyes.

As the television screen flickered, an old song gradually began to play.

He hurried into the forest, where the trees grew in clusters;

He couldn't find her anywhere, only saw the trees swaying in the wind...

At this moment, Qi Tongwei stood tall and imposing like a tree, while Zhong Xiaoai was as gentle as the wind.

......

After the passion subsided, Qi Tongwei gently stroked his lover's hair and asked softly.

"Not hungry anymore? Don't want hot pot anymore?"

Zhong Xiaoai's face was still flushed as she looked up at Qi Tongwei.

"Who said that...it's all your fault..."

Qi Tongwei was taken aback, frowned as he looked at Zhong Xiaoai, and said with a wry smile.

"Hey, Mr. Chung... how can you turn the tables on me... it was you who was just now..."

Zhong Xiaoai's face instantly turned bright red, and she covered his mouth, preventing him from saying anything more.

"Stop talking... Hurry up and get dressed, let's go eat hot pot..."

Qi Tongwei didn't argue with her. He made a phone call and asked the front desk to prepare a hot pot and send it to his room.

After the two got ready, they went to Qi Tongwei's suite, where a hot pot was already prepared.

Zhong Xiaoai walked around the room, pouting and making a sarcastic remark.

"Oh my, I never would have guessed... you've already started taking advantage of others since becoming the Party Secretary..."

Even the room was different from ours; it was a suite...

Qi Tongwei knew she was joking, so he didn't take it to heart.

As he prepared the dipping sauce for Zhong Xiaoai, he casually replied with a smile.

"My situation is special, and the county cannot provide me with housing."

You can't talk nonsense. My treatment is all in accordance with the regulations.

In terms of area alone, my place isn't even as big as a one-bedroom apartment...

After saying that, he handed the dipping sauce to Zhong Xiaoai and smiled, inviting her to start eating.

"The situation is different now; we can't easily go out to eat."

"Try it, how's the hot pot at the guesthouse...?"

Influenced by her family, Zhong Xiaoai understands Qi Tongwei's situation very well.

She even felt that this kind of time alone together was much more romantic than going out to eat.

Seeing that Zhong Xiaoai was enjoying her meal, Qi Tongwei poured her a glass of wine and asked softly.

"You sounded down on the phone earlier... Did something happen at school?"

Zhong Xiaoai was taken aback upon hearing this, and immediately replied in a deep voice.

"It's not that anything happened... I was just amazed by Fu Yuan's teaching conditions."

She swallowed the mutton in her mouth in a few bites, frowned, and continued speaking.

"I have 45 children in my class, and three children share one textbook..."

I'm the only teacher; I teach all subjects—math, language arts...—all by myself...

As she got into the conversation, she put down her cutlery and began to explain each point in detail.

"And that's not all... The entire school doesn't even have an accordion... let alone music classes..."

Qi Tongwei frowned as he listened to her rambling on and on, then asked a question softly.

"The conditions in Bianxi are tough... Coming here for fun is completely different from working here... It's not too late to regret it now..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhong Xiaoai interrupted him.

Her expression turned serious, and she said in a deep voice.

"I'm not afraid of hardship... I've already planned it all out. I'll go to the city this weekend to buy textbooks for the children..."

I'll contact HanDa again when I have some free time to see if they have any obsolete pianos or ink printing presses...

By the way, we could also do what Wu Shanheng did and contact the student council to donate a small library to the school...

Zhong Xiaoai became more and more excited as she spoke, her face flushed slightly, and her eyes grew brighter and brighter.

With a smile on his face, Qi Tongwei helped her cook the meat while listening to her aspirations.

Zhong Xiaoai talked a lot, and only when she stopped did she realize that her bowl was full of meat.

Her face flushed slightly. She glanced at Qi Tongwei, frowned slightly, and asked softly.

"The hardest part is water and electricity... When will the school have running water... and unlimited electricity...?"

Qi Tongwei placed another piece of meat on her plate, answering very solemnly.

"By the end of next year, when the Bailong River water diversion project and the thermal power plant are all built, things will be much better."

Fuyuan no longer lacks water or electricity... If there are enough funds, some units can even have heating...

Zhong Xiaoai was taken aback upon hearing this, stared at Qi Tongwei, and asked softly.

"Fuyuan County...you actually run water conservancy projects and small thermal power plants at the county level..."

Zhong Xiaoai reacted strongly, while Qi Tongwei remained calm.

He smiled and nodded, then placed another piece of mutton on her plate and said softly.

"The projects have all been approved... once the freeze is lifted next year, construction can officially begin..."

Qi Tongwei answered affirmatively, but Zhong Xiao still couldn't quite believe it and continued to ask questions.

"Water diversion project, small thermal power plant... both of these projects must cost over a million yuan..."

"We're going to start at the same time... Senior, you're not lying to me, are you?"

Seeing that she didn't believe him, Qi Tongwei put down his chopsticks, smiled at her, and asked her in return.

"Don't you trust my abilities? In your eyes, all I know is how to build roads and do disaster relief..."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Xiaoai stared wide-eyed and waved her hands repeatedly.

"No... Of course I know you're capable, otherwise why would I like you..."

I was genuinely shocked... Good governance at the county level ensures peace throughout the land. You're so young to be in charge of a county...

And you've managed to pull off two such big projects in a row... Senior, you're having such a lucky time..."

After saying that, Zhong Xiaoai gave him a thumbs up, expressing her sincere admiration.

Qi Tongwei sighed, gave a wry smile, and said softly.

"Smoothly? How long did it take for these two projects, from research to project approval, to go through all that..."

In Brother Bai's words, it took a lot of running around and talking until his legs were sore to finally get this project approved...

Once the project is underway, land acquisition, labor, materials... which one isn't a problem?

Speaking of funding, construction is scheduled to begin next March, but the funding hasn't been fully secured yet...

I'm even considering exchanging my shares in Fuyuan Mining for funds... Do you still think that's a good idea...?

After saying that, Qi Tongwei sighed and swallowed a piece of mutton.

As the mutton entered his mouth, Qi Tongwei seemed to release the pressure that had been building up for so long.

During his time supporting the border regions, although he received help from benefactors, only he knew the hardships he endured along the way.

Zhong Xiaoai's words were like turning on a tap, causing Qi Tongwei's bitterness to pour out...

As Qi Tongwei recounted the details, Zhong Xiaoai became very quiet.

She seemed to see a shadow in Qi Tongwei, the shadow of her father...

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I was locked up for eight days and lost 20 points of my enrollment... Please, stop messing with me...

I haven't been feeling well these past few days, I'm trying to adjust... Thank you all for your continued support.