Chapter 237: This is Young Master An

The room at the Tan Zhou Hotel was equipped with air conditioning, so despite the chill outside, it was as warm as spring inside. However, in Zhou Ming and Su Han's room, it was more than just warm; it was quite intimate. On the large bed in the hotel room, Su Han lay in Zhou Ming's arms, breathing lightly. Her flower-like face was flushed with a peachy hue, and beads of fragrant sweat dotted her delicate nose, all signs of their recent intensity.

Feeling the woman in his arms stir, Zhou Ming looked down to see Su Han's eyes open. He deliberately grinned and asked, "Finally come back to life?"

Su Han was initially stunned by Zhou Ming's question but quickly realized he was referring to her earlier cries of 'I'm dying, I'm dying.' Her face turned bright red with embarrassment, and she reached out to pinch Zhou Ming's waist.

"Ouch!"

Zhou Ming exaggeratedly gasped, and Su Han, concerned, asked if he was okay. Zhou Ming patted Su Han's well-shaped rear and said, "Of course, I'm fine. But if you keep pinching, it might be a different story. Anyway, let's rest for a bit. Three hours on a train is quite tiring."

Hearing Zhou Ming, Su Han immediately pouted in displeasure. "And you still say that? It's all your fault. I already said I wanted to rest."

"Well, aren't we resting just fine?" Zhou Ming pinched Su Han's small nose and added, "Look at you, glowing with health, while I'm the one with sore back, aching legs, and cramps."

In terms of sharp retorts, Su Han couldn't match Zhou Ming. She wanted to pinch him back but was afraid of hurting him, so she buried her head in his embrace, pretending not to hear.

Zhou Ming could feel the warmth of Su Han's face and knew she was genuinely embarrassed. Recognizing that they needed a good rest after the long journey, he stopped teasing her and let her fall asleep in his arms.

When they woke up, it was already evening. It was Wu Shiping's pager that woke them up. Wu Shiping had booked them a high-class room with a phone that could make calls. Zhou Ming called Wu Shiping back, who informed them that he was downstairs in the restaurant. Zhou Ming and Su Han hurriedly washed up and went downstairs. Su Han, still a bit shy, seemed to act as if Wu Shiping might have seen something embarrassing through the phone.

"I've reserved a private room for us; we can go straight there," Wu Shiping said casually, showing no interest in whether Zhou Ming and Su Han had stayed in separate rooms or not. It was as if he had already guessed the situation but preferred to keep things unsaid.

As Zhou Ming and Su Han followed Wu Shiping to the private room, they encountered a few people coming from the direction of the private rooms. The leader was none other than Liang An, whom they had met earlier in the morning.

"Hello, Young Master An."

Wu Shiping greeted him as he had in the morning. Liang An responded courteously and then noticed Zhou Ming and Su Han beside Wu Shiping. Wu Shiping explained, "These two are representatives from Lin Yang, and the leadership requested their reception."

This surprised Liang An. He looked Zhou Ming and Su Han over with interest and said, "Not bad. It's impressive that someone so young from Lin Yang can attract attention from the provincial level. It must have been quite an achievement for you to be here at the provincial meeting."

Liang An's contemptuous tone made Su Han uncomfortable. She spoke up for Zhou Ming, "We're here to propose a plan for rural industrial parks to Governor Xiong."

Su Han intended to make Zhou Ming's position sound more important, but Liang An and his companions laughed upon hearing this. "So, you're from Lin Yang's rural areas. It's even more remarkable that you're here for a meeting. I guess the rural industrial park idea must be some unique concept you came up with. It sounds impressive, though I can't quite place it. I wish you luck with your dreams."

Su Han wanted to say more but held back, looking at Zhou Ming. Zhou Ming showed no reaction to Liang An's disdainful words and simply smiled, saying, "Thank you, Young Master An."

Zhou Ming's calm demeanor earned him a higher regard from Wu Shiping. Originally, Wu Shiping had thought Zhou Ming, being young, might be quite headstrong, but now he saw Zhou Ming was adept at controlling his emotions. Just the ability to maintain such composure in front of Liang An was something most people couldn't manage.

Liang An, the youngest son of the chairman of Lin Chu Machinery Company, was indulged by his family. Although Liang An appeared polite, it was just a facade. He was actually a typical spoiled young master, full of arrogance and self-importance, which was why Wu Shiping tolerated him.

As a high-ranking provincial secretary, Wu Shiping had to be cautious not to upset Liang An. If Liang An caused trouble, Wu Shiping's reputation would suffer, no matter the outcome.

Zhou Ming, unfamiliar with the area and aware of Liang An's influential family background, chose to avoid unnecessary trouble and not to engage in conflicts. Whether Zhou Ming's demeanor was genuine or a facade, it showed he was no ordinary person.

With this thought, Wu Shiping saw Zhou Ming, who had connections in Yan Jing and made significant achievements in Lin Yang, in a new light.

Liang An was pleased with Zhou Ming's humility. He clapped Zhou Ming on the shoulder and generously said, "No need to be so formal. I've been to Lin Yang before. While it can't compare to Tan Zhou, it's developed well. I can see you've put in a lot of effort to become a provincial representative there. Since you're so considerate, I'll help you with your rural industrial park proposal at the meeting."

"My identity, as Wu Secretary may have mentioned, allows me to help you without using any family connections. My personal influence alone can save you a lot of trouble," Liang An confidently said, patting his chest.

Zhou Ming wanted to respond, "Without your family, where does your confidence come from?" 

But adhering to the principle of avoiding trouble, Zhou Ming kept his response to himself, smiling at Liang An, "Thank you, Young Master An. Since you're busy, we'll excuse ourselves."

Just as Zhou Ming was about to leave, Liang An stopped him. "Don't rush off, Representative Zhou. Since you've come all the way to Tan Zhou and are so considerate, I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine who's visiting from the capital. His family connections are quite impressive."

Zhou Ming was at a loss for words, as he didn't want to engage further with Liang An, who was not worth his attention. However, Liang An, being the typical spoiled young master, insisted on showing off his connections.

As Liang An introduced his friend, Zhou Ming recognized a familiar face entering the room—Niu Jie, the manager of the Golden Splendor Nightclub in Nan Jiang, mentioned by Du Peng.

Zhou Ming smiled, realizing he had guessed correctly. This wasn't a genuine capital power player but rather someone who might be overblown in reputation. 

Zhou Ming greeted Niu Jie, "Manager Niu, long time no see. I didn't expect you to be here in Jing Chu."

Niu Jie was taken aback to see Zhou Ming. After a moment, he stammered, "Zhou… Zhou Ming, what are you doing here?"

"Because I'm from Jing Chu," Zhou Ming replied.

Seeing Zhou Ming and Niu Jie's interaction, Liang An was puzzled and asked, "Do you two know each other?"

Zhou Ming nodded, "I met Manager Niu when I was developing in Nan Jiang."

Liang An finally understood, "I see. Young Master Jie had a nightclub in Nan Jiang, the best in the country. That's impressive! So, you met Young Master Jie through his nightclub?"

"It was indeed through the nightclub," Zhou Ming smiled, though his version of the story was different from Liang An's interpretation. Zhou Ming had actually been defined as a troublemaker by Niu Jie, which would have astonished Liang An if he knew.

Liang An wanted to say more, but Niu Jie interrupted, "Enough of that, Young Master Liang. I'm not here to chat. Have you booked the private room? Let's head over."

With that, Liang An had no choice but to comply and took Niu Jie to the private room.

Watching them leave, Zhou Ming shook his head with a smile, "It seems the revolutionary legacy from Yan Jing still holds weight here."