Chapter 114: Mayor Qiao? Haha

Everyone was stunned by the scene before them. At that moment, no one could believe their eyes. Even if they rubbed their eyes or tried to convince themselves they were seeing things, the reality was undeniable.

Why were a beautiful CEO holding millions in assets and the proud chief reporter of Hong Kong Island Finance both kneeling in front of Zhou Ming, using tissues to clean the tea spilled on his pants? Especially since the tea was spilled right on his crotch. Were women in Hong Kong so open, disregarding gender boundaries?

Qiao Weijiang was also stunned. This was entirely different from what he had planned. Initially, Qiao Weijiang had noticed Zhou Ming holding a cup of tea, so he intentionally tapped him to make the tea spill, hoping Zhou Ming would go to the restroom and give him the opportunity to have the interview alone. Qiao Weijiang knew this move was petty and beneath his status as Executive Vice Mayor, but he couldn't tolerate Zhou Ming stealing the spotlight from him.

The plan was good, but the result was unexpected.

Qiao Weijiang watched in disbelief as two delicate hands worked on Zhou Ming's crotch area. The skin was as smooth as gelatin.

Seeing Lin Muqing and Shen Xin so attentively helping Zhou Ming only fueled Qiao Weijiang's jealousy. If possible, he wanted to rush over, push Zhou Ming aside, and take his place, letting these two beautiful women assist him. Maybe he'd even get a better view of Lin Muqing's chest.

However, Qiao Weijiang lacked the ability to change the situation. He had no choice but to stand aside with everyone else, staring in shock as the two women attended to Zhou Ming.

At that moment, Qiao Weijiang wished he could slap himself for his previous actions, regretting his decision to provoke Zhou Ming, which had led to such an embarrassing and provocative situation.

Zhou Ming was also bewildered. While he could understand Lin Muqing's actions—she was grateful to him for bringing her into high society in Hong Kong—Shen Xin's behavior was baffling. As the chief reporter of Hong Kong Island Finance, she should have been proud and aloof, not kneeling and helping him.

But from Zhou Ming's perspective, the scene was indeed provocative. With two women kneeling in front of him, he couldn't help but imagine the scenario in an inappropriate manner. He quickly forced himself to stop such thoughts, worried that any physical reaction could create further embarrassment.

He urgently held the hands of the two women and said, "Thank you, but I can handle this myself. You don't need to trouble yourselves."

Lin Muqing, understanding Zhou Ming's concern, gave him a disapproving look and handed him the tissues. Shen Xin, somewhat confused but following Lin Muqing's lead, also handed Zhou Ming a tissue.

Zhou Ming wiped his pants with the tissues and stood up, saying, "I'm really sorry for this incident. I was careless, but I appreciate your help."

Lin Muqing then turned to Qiao Weijiang and said, "Mr. Zhou didn't do anything wrong. I think it's Mayor Qiao who was careless. How could he splash tea on someone who's drinking? That's quite inappropriate."

"I agree. For someone holding the position of Executive Vice Mayor, his perceptiveness seems on par with that of a local village leader," Shen Xin added.

It was clear to anyone with a functioning brain that Lin Muqing and Shen Xin's remarks were aimed at Qiao Weijiang. He could understand their criticism, but as a domestic official, he was unaccustomed to such direct confrontation. His only response was to maintain a stern face and say, "You shouldn't speak like that. It's clearly his fault for not holding the cup properly. How can you blame others?"

Lin Muqing looked at Qiao Weijiang with disdain and said, "Does Mayor Qiao really think it's not his fault? What about the previous mishaps?"

Shen Xin was even more direct, "If there's a mistake or something isn't done right, admitting it is better than putting on a facade. Why pretend everything is fine? Isn't this just a way to avoid responsibility?"

Everyone from the Nanjing delegation was stunned into silence. The fact that the Executive Vice Mayor of Nanjing was being so openly criticized by two women was unprecedented. They couldn't imagine the consequences Qiao Weijiang would face upon returning to Nanjing.

Qiao Weijiang felt humiliated by Lin Muqing and Shen Xin's comments, which hit him like a series of slaps in the face. He pointed at Lin Muqing, Shen Xin, and Zhou Ming, and after a long pause, he managed to say, "Alright, fine. You all did great."

With that, Qiao Weijiang turned and stormed out, slamming the door behind him as if trying to vent all his frustration on it.

Seeing Qiao Weijiang's departure, Shen Xin was even more dissatisfied. "What kind of person is this? Clearly in the wrong, yet he acts as if everyone owes him something."

Lin Muqing explained, "Reporter Shen, you should know that officials in China are often like this. They never admit their mistakes and always shift the blame. Avoiding responsibility is their specialty."

"Ms. Lin, Reporter Shen, please don't speak any further," Zhou Ming interjected. While he wouldn't criticize Lin Muqing and Shen Xin for defending him, now that Qiao Weijiang had left, continuing to chastise him seemed unnecessary.

At Zhou Ming's request, Lin Muqing and Shen Xin stopped speaking, which once again astonished everyone. They couldn't understand how Zhou Ming managed to command such influence over the two beautiful women. If it were them, they'd be willing to do anything.

Soon after, Shen Xin asked Zhou Ming, "Mr. Zhou, can we proceed with the interview now?"

Zhou Ming glanced around and said, "Reporter Shen, isn't this still part of the dinner hosted by Ms. Lin for the Nanjing delegation? Wouldn't it be somewhat disrespectful to conduct the interview here?"

Shen Xin smiled, "It's fine. As long as Mr. Zhou is available, we can conduct the interview anywhere."

To the Nanjing delegation, Shen Xin's words seemed reasonable, but to Wang Yunlong and the others, it was shocking. As financial professionals in Hong Kong, they knew Shen Xin's position well. Usually, interviews with such high-profile figures required careful scheduling and locations. Yet, with Zhou Ming, it seemed everything was reversed.

Wang Yunlong, Cao Haiyang, and Sun Wei exchanged glances and could only conclude that Zhou Ming must have extraordinary charisma.

Zhou Ming sat down, and Shen Xin opened her notebook and began the interview, smiling as she asked, "Mr. Zhou, I heard you are in Hong Kong to inspect the securities market on behalf of the mainland. What motivates you to push for the development of the mainland securities market?"

"Well, I wouldn't say it's just me pushing. The development of the mainland securities market is part of the broader trend of reform and opening up. If you know anything about the mainland, you'd be aware that there's also a securities market under construction in Binhai," Zhou Ming replied.

Shen Xin nodded and continued, "But, if I may be blunt, the securities market is a capitalist concept. How can the mainland develop it without adopting capitalist principles? Isn't this going backwards?"

Zhou Ming shrugged, "Economics doesn't adhere strictly to ideologies. As an old saying goes, 'It doesn't matter if the cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice.' Similarly, any market economy that benefits the people and promotes economic development is good."

"Mr. Zhou, you put it very well!" Shen Xin applauded enthusiastically. "But what about the lack of capitalist legal frameworks in the mainland? How will that be addressed?"

Zhou Ming spread his hands, "That's why Mayor Qiao and I are here in Hong Kong—to learn from the experience."

Shen Xin's interview with Zhou Ming was straightforward and insightful, making it clear how much better Zhou Ming handled the questions compared to Qiao Weijiang.

The interview didn't last long. Just as Zhou Ming was wrapping up, Luo Han's pager went off. After checking, Luo Han's expression changed, and he quickly approached Zhou Ming, saying, "Something's gone wrong. Mayor Qiao has had an incident downstairs."