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

Qi Tongwei and Zhong Xiaoai spent four hours on the train.

In the early hours of the eleventh day of the first lunar month, the two finally arrived in Shanghai.

As they walked out of the Shanghai Railway Station, Zhong Xiaoai suddenly looked at Qi Tongwei and said in a deep voice.

"I want to go to the Bund..."

Qi Tongwei smiled and helped her wrap her trench coat tighter, speaking softly.

"Okay, whatever you say... Let's go stroll along the Bund as soon as we wake up in the morning..."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Xiaoai frowned slightly, but spoke again with great determination.

"No! I need to go to the Bund right now, immediately..."

This is the first time Zhong Xiaoai has been so persistent in their relationship.

Seeing this, Qi Tongwei sighed, opened a taxi, and said softly.

"Sigh, I'll indulge you this once... Commander Zhong, please get in the car..."

The taxi sped along and slowly came to a stop on the banks of the Huangpu River.

After getting out of the car, Zhong Xiaoai walked to the riverbank, leaned on the railing, and took a deep breath.

She suddenly turned around, hugged Qi Tongwei tightly, and whispered in his ear.

"Qi Tongwei... Happy Valentine's Day..."

Qi Tongwei was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening.

The eleventh day of the first lunar month, which happens to be the fourteenth day of the second lunar month, is Valentine's Day.

He put his arm around Zhong Xiaoai and whispered something in her ear.

"Happy Valentine's Day..."

The moon is bright and the stars are few; the river tide surges darkly.

Looking at the bright moon over the Huangpu River, Zhong Xiaoai parted her lips slightly and murmured softly.

"The spring river's tide rises level with the sea, and the bright moon rises with the tide..."

How about we name our child Haiping...?

Upon hearing this, Qi Tongwei gently kissed his lover's earlobe and said softly.

"Alright, let's name the second child Mingyue... One boy and one girl, that'll make a perfect family..."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Xiaoai blushed, snuggled closer to him, and whispered something.

"Taking an inch and wanting a mile, shameless..."

This is Qi Tongwei's second visit to Shanghai.

Unlike last time, this time he was very generous, even arranging for him to stay at the Peace Hotel.

Stepping into this century-old building in the Far East, Zhong Xiaoai frowned and said softly.

"Tongwei, let's stay at the state-run guesthouse... it's too expensive here..."

Qi Tongwei smiled and said with a smirk.

"Don't worry, the more expensive the better... In Bianxi and Handong, we have to keep a low profile..."

This is Shanghai, nobody knows us, so we don't need to worry about so much...

These next few days, let's give a good critique of the extravagant lifestyle in Shanghai...

Qi Tongwei was telling the truth, and this also reflects the true nature of many high-ranking officials within the system.

Upon hearing this, Zhong Xiaoai gave Qi Tongwei a deep look and said nothing more.

......

In the early morning, Qi Tongwei woke up again to Zhong Xiaoai's gentle touch.

He cupped Zhong Xiaoai's face in his hands and said with a smile.

"If you keep causing this trouble, I'm going to die young..."

Zhong Xiaoai blushed, glared at him, and complained softly.

"You're getting a good deal and still acting innocent... Get up and have breakfast..."

After they finished getting ready, Qi Tongwei dialed A Bao's number.

The call connected, and Abao's voice came through the receiver.

"Hello, I'm Abao..."

Qi Tongwei smiled and said, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Mr. Bao, it's been a long time... Do you still remember me?"

On the other end of the phone, Abao immediately smiled and spoke.

"Boss Qi... Happy New Year! Boss Qi... Wishing you prosperity and good fortune! I'm sending you my New Year's greetings..."

Qi Tongwei chuckled and asked with a smile.

"Mr. Bao, have you had breakfast yet? Are you still at the Peace Hotel... How about we have breakfast on the eighth floor?"

On the other end of the phone, Abao paused slightly before immediately asking.

"You've arrived in Shanghai? Why didn't you give me a heads-up...?"

See you in the Dragon and Phoenix Hall on the eighth floor in a bit...

After hanging up the phone, Zhong Xiaoai looked at Qi Tongwei and asked with a frown.

"You have friends in Shanghai? How come I didn't know..."

Qi Tongwei flicked her nose and said with a smile.

"You'll find out today... I'll tell you in a bit..."

Upon arriving at the eighth floor of the Peace Hotel, Zhong Xiaoai finally met the "Boss Bao" that Qi Tongwei had mentioned.

Upon seeing A Bao, she couldn't help but think to herself.

My senior is handsome, and all my friends are handsome too.

It really proves the saying that birds of a feather flock together.

When the two arrived, Abao was already there, and the table was full of food.

After inviting the two to sit down, Abao glanced at Zhong Xiaoai and asked with a smile.

"Mr. Qi, who is this beautiful lady...aren't you going to introduce her to me?"

Qi Tongwei placed a glass of milk in front of Zhong Xiaoai and said with a smile.

"They checked my background right after we met... This is my wife, Chung Hsiao-ai."

After saying that, he spoke to Xiao Ai.

"Xiao Ai, this is the Bao Zong I mentioned before... He's the one who placed the order for Dafeng Factory."

He also helped get the two thermal power units in the county...

Upon hearing this, Zhong Xiaoai smiled and nodded to A Bao.

"Hello, I've heard Tongwei mention you often, and I'm so glad to finally meet you today..."

After exchanging a few polite words with Zhong Xiaoai, Abao looked at Qi Tongwei and asked softly.

"Are you out having fun with your wife?"

Qi Tongwei grinned and replied with a smile.

"If I said I mainly came to thank you, would you believe me...?"

Abao was taken aback, then smiled and said.

"Oh, stop joking with me... You must be here for the fortune certificate, right..."

I'm telling you, you're too late... sales stopped on the 1st.

If you want to buy it now, you can only buy it on the black market...

Qi Tongwei thought for a moment and then remembered it instantly.

In early 1992, two million stock subscription certificates were issued in Shanghai for the purpose of subscribing to new shares.

Since buying new shares almost always guarantees a profit, subscription certificates are also known as "get-rich-quick certificates" by ordinary people.

He arrived too late. If he had arrived ten or fifteen days earlier, he might have been able to make another fortune.

But upon further reflection, Qi Tongwei felt much more at ease.

The "Prosperity Certificate" costs thirty yuan each, and he has no spare cash at all. If he wants to buy one, he can only sell his property in Yuyuan Mall.

Having figured this out, Qi Tongwei stopped worrying about it, took a sip of milk, and said with a smile.

"Hey, if you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known about the fortune certificate..."

"I really just came to see you... and also to bring my girlfriend to Shanghai for a visit..."

Upon hearing this, A Bao glanced at Qi Tongwei and said with a smile.

"You've come at a really bad time. The Three Sheep brand products have been selling like hotcakes these past few days, I've been extremely busy..."

I don't have time to show you around...

After saying that, he put the car keys on the dining table and said with a smile.

"You can drive around by yourself. I'll treat you two to dinner tonight..."

Okay, okay...

After breakfast, the two returned to their room.

Just as Qi Tongwei was about to pick up the phone, Zhong Xiaoai immediately asked in a deep voice.

"Tongwei, who exactly is this Abao? He's certainly got quite the entourage..."

"I see that breakfast just now cost over a hundred yuan...that's almost half a month's salary for you..."

She paused slightly, frowned as she glanced at Qi Tongwei, and continued speaking.

"Don't take offense, but you're a government official; it's not good for you to get too close to businessmen..."

Qi Tongwei glanced at Zhong Xiaoai and said with a smile.

"Xiao Ai, I understand what you mean..."

Don't worry, while I wouldn't say I'm overly concerned with my reputation, I would never make a basic mistake...

My relationship with Abao is purely platonic; there was no exchange of favors or money involved.

There was a reason why the two thermal power units purchased by Fuyuan County were recorded in his accounts.

At that time, the Shanghai motor factory was asking for a kickback of 30,000 yuan, which was clearly a mistake.

I'll have Abao do the purchasing, and then I'll buy it back from Abao...

Although it's somewhat borderline, the process is legal and compliant, and no one can find fault with it...

After hearing Qi Tongwei's explanation, Zhong Xiaoai felt much more at ease.

She hesitated for a moment, glanced at Qi Tongwei, and asked softly.

"Who are you calling so early in the morning?"

Qi Tongwei grinned and answered softly.

"Our next stop is back in Bianxi... I'll make a call and ask about the situation in the county..."