Why did the system take my request to take photos with a cosplayer seriously?

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"Take Baima with you."

Qu Zhen paused slightly, turning back to glance at her good-for-nothing daughter.

Ding Heng reminded her, "After all, Auntie, you also said it's 'Hengbai Capital,' right?"

Qu Zhen smiled wryly: "Alright, let's do it together."

Bai Ma was completely bewildered, not understanding what Ding Heng meant at all.

Before she could ask any questions, Ding Heng had already pulled her along and followed.

……

The meeting was held in the largest military tent in the tent area.

The long table was filled with people on both sides, including county officials, fire and military leaders, officials from the civil affairs bureau and the health center, as well as some faces that Ding Heng had never seen before.

Qu Zhen sat down in her seat, with Ding Heng and Bai Ma sitting on either side of her.

Baima looked left and right, her youthful appearance standing out conspicuously among the serious faces in the tent.

The meeting began.

First, the county leaders reported on the disaster situation.

"As of now, the earthquake has caused... collapsed houses... severely damaged houses... and other houses to varying degrees of damage throughout the county. All residents in the disaster area have been relocated to safe areas, and all relief efforts are proceeding in an orderly manner."

Then each department reported on its progress.

The health center said that all the injured have been admitted to the hospital, and the seriously injured have been transferred to higher-level hospitals.

The Civil Affairs Bureau said that the reserves of supplies are sufficient and the subsequent supply is guaranteed.

The military commander said the rescue work has basically ended and the next step will be to move into the post-disaster reconstruction phase.

When it came time to discuss the reconstruction plan, the atmosphere became delicate.

"The biggest problem right now is the funding gap..."

The county official in charge of finances flipped through the documents and spoke in a heavy, official tone.

Everyone turned to look at Qu Zhen, who had always been their benefactor.

Qu Zhen picked up the disposable paper cup in front of her: "I'll cover the costs of the school, the health center, and the water and heating facilities in the herder settlements."

There was a moment of silence in the tent.

The finance official began to mutter: "The reconstruction of the central primary school, including supporting facilities, will cost about 12 million. The reinforcement and equipment purchase for the health center will cost about 6 million. The activity rooms and cultural centers in several villages, all added up, will also cost 3 to 4 million. And then there's the repair of infrastructure such as roads, water supply, and communications..."

He concluded by giving a number.

Qu Zhen did not immediately express her opinion after hearing this, and turned her gaze to Ding Heng.

Ding Heng immediately replied, "If needed, Hengbai Capital can cover half of the costs, especially for school construction, where additional funding may be provided."

All eyes turned to him at the same time.

"Mr. Ding, are you sure?"

"determine."

Ding Heng spoke calmly, without any grand pronouncements or feigned modesty.

The atmosphere inside the tent suddenly relaxed a bit.

Several cadres showed obvious joy on their faces, but due to the occasion, they all restrained themselves from showing it.

"That's great, that's great. Mr. Ding, Qu Zhen... Don't worry, the county will fully cooperate with the procedures to ensure that the funds are used for their intended purpose and that every penny is spent wisely."

The topic quickly shifted to the reconstruction plan for the health center, with several people in charge discussing it back and forth, occasionally interjecting with confirmations about fund allocation and project progress.

Pema sat in the corner, barely saying a word from beginning to end.

She neither understood nor was very interested in the content of the meeting, and she didn't even know why Ding Heng had asked her to come.

I could only listlessly count the mineral water bottles on the table, secretly swing my short legs under the table, and try to straighten my back as much as possible to make myself look less like I was daydreaming.

After the main meeting, there was a smaller meeting that lasted for another half hour, during which the matter was basically settled.

Several cadres stood up one by one, expressing their gratitude with a long string of polite words.

It was nothing more than "Thank you, General Manager Qu, for your support of our hometown," "Thank you, General Manager Ding, for your timely help," and "The county will definitely do its job well and live up to everyone's trust."

Qu Zhen responded to each question in a flat tone, without any extra expression.

Ding Heng nodded occasionally, replying with a "Of course."

As everyone gradually dispersed, only Qu Zhen, Ding Heng, and Bai Ma remained in the tent.

"Bai Ma, why don't you go out for a stroll first?"

Qu Zhen put down her notebook and said in a calm tone, "I want to say a few words to your brother."

Baima glanced at Quzhen, then at Dingheng, and nodded knowingly.

"Oh."

She jumped off the chair and ran out of the tent.

"Let's go out for a walk too."

Qu Zhen got up and lifted the curtain, and Ding Heng followed suit.

After walking for a while, Qu Zhen suddenly spoke.

"Xiao Ding."

"Ah."

"Your girlfriends called me several times the night before last."

Ding Heng paused slightly.

"Did they cause you any trouble?"

“What’s the trouble? They’re worried about you. They’re all more anxious and panicked than the last. Especially that Lin Man, she was practically crying as she spoke, but she insisted on pretending everything was fine and seriously discussing things with me.”

Qu Zhen sighed, "They're all such good girls."

Ding Heng remained silent.

The two walked up a gentle slope, where the view became more open.

The entire town of Gaitan can be seen at a glance, with ruins, tents, busy crowds, and distant snow-capped mountains.

Qu Zhen stopped, put her hands in the pockets of her windbreaker, and gazed into the distance.

"Xiao Ding."

"Ah."

Do you know how I started my business?

Ding Heng thought for a moment.

"I heard Baima mention it a little, tour guide?"

"Yes, tour guide."

Qu Zhen said in a flat tone: "Back then, tourism in Tibet was just starting to take off, and I was working as a tour guide in Rizhao City. The tourism market was very chaotic at that time. Tour guides didn't have a fixed salary; they relied entirely on shopping commissions. The boss would give the tour guides red envelopes to encourage them to persuade customers to buy more things. I had only been there for half a year, but I was already the one who earned the most among my colleagues... It was all money earned without any conscience."

Ding Heng did not respond.

The wind blew across the hillside, ruffling the stray hairs at Qu Zhen's temples.

She looked away and continued walking forward.

Ding Heng followed in her footsteps.

After the two walked a few dozen meters, Qu Zhen spoke again.

"Do you know what Gaitan County and this pastoral area mean to me?"

"what?"

"burden."

Qu Zhen bluntly stated: "Don't be fooled by the cooperatives and industrial bases that sound good. In reality, we lose money every year. We need money to build roads, greenhouses, veterinarians, and fodder... The output is so meager that we can't even recover the costs."

Some people say I'm foolish, some think I'm putting on a show, some think I'm nostalgic... but none of those are true.

"what is that?"

"I want to get a good night's sleep."

She turned to look at Ding Heng: "The bigger the business gets, the more money I make, the heavier my conscience feels. That's why I've come to believe in those things more and more. Living Buddhas, dzi beads, feng shui, fortune telling... I'm willing to spend any amount of money as long as it makes me feel at ease."

Ding Heng asked softly, "Will it work?"

"do not know."

Qu Zhen sighed softly, "But it still allows me to get a good night's sleep occasionally."

Ding Heng asked with concern, "Does Auntie usually not sleep well?"

"I slept quite well when I was with your dad, but unfortunately I've been having insomnia lately."

"How about I try to talk to my dad for you?"

"Forget it, forced relationships are never sweet, besides..."

Qu Zhen suddenly seemed about to speak but then stopped.

After hesitating for a while, she chose to ask the question directly.

"Xiao Ding."

"Ah."

"Last night...you slept with Baima?"