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

Entering Chen Yanfei's office, Yu Zhao smiled and introduced himself to Chen Yanfei:

"President Chen, this is County Magistrate Qi and Director Zhao from our county."

Chen Yanfei was stunned for a moment.

He wasn't surprised when Zhao Haiyan came to visit, but he didn't expect Qi Tongwei to come as well.

But after a little thought, he understood.

Although Zhao Haiyan is the director of the county finance bureau, he is only at the level of a section chief.

She was working with someone else, but they were at a lower level, which made it seem like the county wasn't paying enough attention to her.

Having figured this out, Chen Yanfei couldn't help but look at Qi Tongwei with newfound respect.

With such thoroughness in handling affairs, it's no wonder he was able to become the head of a county at such a young age.

He quickly stood up, shook hands with the two men, and invited them to sit down.

Chen Yanfei truly lives up to his reputation as a seasoned veteran.

Despite being tormented by Yu Zhao for five days, he showed no emotion on his face, instead appearing quite enthusiastic.

"County Chief Qi, you came over without even letting me know. I could have prepared in advance..."

He said it with a smile, and Qi Tongwei replied with a smile as well.

"You're too kind. I should have come to visit you a long time ago... but I had too many things to do in the county."

The two chatted back and forth, from the weather to tea, from tea to their hobbies...

They chatted very congenially, laughing constantly, but neither of them would say anything more than get to the point.

Qi Tongwei knew perfectly well that if they were discussing business in the office, they had to do it strictly in a professional manner.

He could only dodge the question and find excuses if he handled things strictly by official procedures; he couldn't give Chen Yanfei a chance.

Chen Yanfei's refusal to bring up the main issue made things even simpler: if you're begging me, why should I be the one to speak first?

This game actually began the moment the two met and shook hands.

Zhao Haiyan had no idea what the two were thinking, and could only watch anxiously, constantly looking down and drinking water.

The two chatted for nearly an hour when the office bell suddenly rang, signaling the end of the workday.

Qi Tongwei glanced down at his watch and suddenly spoke:

"Oh dear! Look at this mess, we got so engrossed in our conversation that we've kept you from getting off work."

He paused slightly, then smiled and looked at Chen Yanfei:

"President Chen, haven't we finished talking yet?"

"Let's find another place to continue our conversation, you can't refuse my request, okay..."

Chen Yanfei laughed too, and casually made a joke:

"That's exactly what I was waiting for you to say. I'll throw you a welcome-back dinner..."

Qi Tongwei naturally wouldn't let him treat him to a meal.

While the contest of skills is underway, the rules must not be broken.

After all, Leishan needed their help, so there was no reason for them to spend money.

The two pulled and tugged at each other, and Chen Yanfei half-heartedly climbed into Qi Tongwei's Santana.

The Santana sped along and finally stopped in front of a Western-style restaurant.

Qi Tongwei, holding Chen Yanfei's hand, pointed to the small restaurant and said with a smile:

"Bai Maiti brought me to this restaurant; the food is pretty good, you should try it..."

Chen Yanfei was taken aback, then smiled and replied:

"Hey, all the restaurants in Bianxi are pretty much the same."

"What you eat isn't important; what matters is who you eat with."

His words were quite dramatic, which caused the four of them to burst into laughter.

When inviting Chen Yanfei to dinner, Qi Tongwei couldn't sit in the main hall, so he asked the owner for a private room.

When the boss saw Qi Tongwei arrive, he habitually asked:

"Hey friend, long time no see... Didn't your friend Bai come?"

Qi Tongwei brushed it off casually, but Chen Yanfei, standing beside him, frowned slightly.

After arriving at the private room, the group chatted for a while before all the dishes were served.

The dishes weren't high-end, but they were definitely plentiful.

Roasted lamb leg, roasted lamb chops, naan pit roasted meat... all are local delicacies from the western border region.

Yu Zhao ordered the dishes, and thinking that the group would be drinking, he also specially ordered a soup and rice dish.

Having been in Bianxi for some time, Qi Tongwei has become familiar with the procedures at Bianxi Bar.

The way drinks are served in the West Coast is slightly different from those in the mainland; you don't start drinking right away.

Bianxi first ate something to fill his stomach, until he was about three or four tenths full, before he started drinking.

Seeing that Chen Yanfei had finished a bowl of soup and rice, Qi Tongwei picked up his first glass of wine.

"President Chen, this first toast is to you, as an apology."

"My son has caused you trouble these past few days, please forgive him."

After he finished speaking, all four of them laughed, but their feelings were quite different.

Yu Zhao was a little embarrassed, but his smile carried a hint of pride.

Chen Yanfei smiled helplessly, "If you're really that embarrassed, then don't send him."

The four men clinked glasses, sat down, and drank their wine in one gulp.

Seeing that Zhao Haiyan was drinking heartily, Qi Tongwei already understood what was going on.

There is an unwritten rule in the political and business world.

When women sit at the table, they either don't drink a drop of alcohol or they can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk.

Never mess with a woman who drinks baijiu (Chinese liquor); she might just drink your pants off.

Qi Tongwei put down his wine glass and said to Yu Zhao with a smile.

"You've troubled President Chen quite a bit these past few days, so you'd better serve him well today."

Yu Zhao nodded repeatedly and quickly got up to pour wine for Chen Yanfei.

"That's only right, Director Chen has taken good care of me these past few days..."

While Yu Zhao was pouring the wine, Qi Tongwei asked Chen Yanfei with a smile.

"President Chen, I brought three bottles of liquor. How about Director Zhao takes charge of the drinking?"

Chen Yanfei chuckled and said, "Are you trying to use a relay system to get me drunk...?"

Zhao Haiyan immediately picked up the conversation:

"What are you talking about? I'm a woman and I'm not afraid, so what are you, a bank president, afraid of?"

Everyone burst into laughter again, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

After Qi Tongwei finished serving three cups of wine, everyone except Zhao Haiyan had a slightly flushed face.

Chen Yanfei finally couldn't hold back and asked first.

"County Chief Qi, are you very familiar with Director Bai of the Municipal Party Committee?"

Qi Tongwei grinned and answered casually.

"Well, when we were serving Secretary Wang, we became quite close."

"I'd completely forgotten about it until you mentioned it; it's been so many days since I last spoke to Brother Bai on the phone..."

After hearing Qi Tongwei's words, Chen Yanfei couldn't help but secretly lament his misfortune.

He realized he had been cornered!

The fact that they didn't report it to higher authorities is already a sign of them being considerate.

He was so foolish as to let Yu Zhao stand guard at the door.

Was this post just for show? How much dirt has Yu Zhaoji accumulated on himself? How much leverage does he have over him?

Thinking about this, he couldn't help but feel a chill of fear and regret for his blindness...

Qi Tongwei didn't care what he thought.

Tonight, he not only has to settle the loan matter, but also make sure Chen Yanfei has a good time.

He smiled at Zhao Haiyan and clinked glasses with her.

"Commander, my mission is complete. The rest is up to you."

Zhao Haiyan smiled, stood up, and downed a drink.

"No problem, I'll do it first and make a pledge."

"If President Chen doesn't have a good time today, I'll consider it a dereliction of duty on my part."

According to Bianxi's rules, drinking while standing doesn't count; this glass of wine was a free gift from her.

Although it was said to be a free gift, Chen Yanfei knew in his heart that he wouldn't have a good time at this party tonight!

Sure enough, Zhao Haiyan immediately filled his glass after finishing his first one.

"President Chen, let me offer you a toast."

"This loan is my responsibility. Whether I get approved or not depends entirely on you."

Chen Yanfei grinned, and his voice softened slightly.

"Director Zhao, half a glass, just half a glass... let's take a break..."

The rest of the time was almost entirely spent in a massacre.

Zhao Haiyan and Yu Zhao bombarded Chen Yanfei with messages.

By the end of the drinking session, Qi Tongwei couldn't help but marvel at Zhao Haiyan's incredible drinking capacity!

He roughly calculated that Zhao Haiyan had drunk at least eight cups.

While Chen Yanfei was in the restroom, Qi Tongwei asked Yu Zhao, "Did he throw up?"

Yu Zhao grinned and answered with a smile, "Twice."

Zhao Haiyan raised an eyebrow and uttered two words, "Serves you right!"

After a drinking session, the loan was basically settled.

Chen Yanfei not only didn't ask for a rebate, but he also drank away all the exorbitant interest.

He only made one request: Lei Shan had to open an account at the Construction Bank and that the use of funds would be subject to approval.

With the matter settled, Qi Tongwei had no intention of lingering in Bianxi City any longer.

He and Zhao Haiyan rushed back to Leishan overnight, while Yu Zhao stayed behind to continue liaising with the bank.

Qi Tongwei leaned back in his seat with his eyes closed and suddenly said something.

"Sister Zhao, once the money arrives, transfer it to another account as soon as possible."

In the passenger seat, Zhao Haiyan was taken aback and glanced at him in the rearview mirror.

"This is a special loan; the bank won't agree to transfer it all at once."

Qi Tongwei exhaled a breath of alcohol: "Then let's find more excuses and get out of here as soon as possible."

Zhao Haiyan pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked up, "You're afraid..."

She didn't say the second half of her sentence, and Qi Tongwei didn't press her for details.

He simply gave a heavy "hmm".