Chapter 276: Questions After Questions

In the morning, sunlight streaming through the gap in the curtains illuminated the entire room and roused Zhou Ming from bed. He lay there with bleary eyes, staring at the ceiling, still preoccupied with the events of the previous day.

Yesterday, Zhou Ming had seen Lin Muqing call Su Han to her room and straightforwardly discuss matters related to their relationship with him. This caused him a headache, especially when Su Han inadvertently made a comment about a third party, leading to a near-argument between the two women in his presence. Shen Xin had also questioned him, expressing her displeasure on behalf of Lin Muqing.

Fortunately, Zhou Ming had reacted quickly, taking the initiative to apologize and take all the blame upon himself without touching on the sensitive areas of their relationships. This approach quickly diffused the tension, leading to a reconciliation between the sisters.

However, Zhou Ming understood that this surface-level harmony did not address the underlying issues. Women, after all, are inherently self-centered, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many dramatic conflicts between wives and mistresses throughout history.

Zhou Ming couldn't determine who was the official partner and who was the mistress between Lin Muqing and Su Han; he only knew that both had strong feelings for him.

Su Han's feelings were clear—she was very close to him. As for Lin Muqing, although they had not explicitly defined their relationship, their interactions in Port City had been quite ambiguous. Now that she had returned to the mainland, actively embraced him in front of many people, and prioritized dealing with the situation between Su Han and himself upon arrival, it all pointed to significant feelings on her part.

The approach of taking the blame was merely a tactic. To resolve the issues truly, long-term adjustment was necessary. This was the genuine way to navigate through the complexities of relationships.

Apart from the situation with Lin Muqing and Su Han, Zhou Ming was also troubled by Shen Xin's parting words from yesterday. Although he was clear about Lin Muqing's and Su Han's feelings, Shen Xin's situation was more perplexing. Their relationship was somewhat close, and they had had some intimate interactions in Port City, even with a hint of flirtation. Yet, there was no evidence of anything beyond friendship.

Could it be that Shen Xin, influenced by her good relationship with Lin Muqing, had developed feelings for him?

Zhou Ming found this notion somewhat absurd, yet some things were hard to explain. After all, there's an old saying about how sisters' tastes become similar over time, even in their choice of men. Lin Muqing and Shen Xin were not sisters, but their close relationship could be similar.

If this were the case, Shen Xin's visit to the mainland might not be solely for companionship but could involve her own intentions...

Shaking his head, Zhou Ming decided to set aside these thoughts. Shen Xin was beautiful and accomplished, having become the chief reporter of Port City's finance section at such a young age. It was already impressive that someone like her showed interest in him. To consider her joining the conflict between Lin Muqing and Su Han was overthinking.

With a sigh, Zhou Ming lamented that everything seemed too smooth since his return, leading him to have unrealistic fantasies.

As he dressed and washed up, the knock on his door signaled that Lin Muqing and Su Han had come to bring him breakfast. Because Governor Xiong Qingping was scheduled to visit and inspect Port City businesses in the morning, Zhou Ming had stayed at the county guesthouse.

Lin Muqing and Su Han quickly took their roles—Lin Muqing peeled eggs for him as she did in Port City, and Su Han cooled the porridge to feed him.

Zhou Ming felt a bit overwhelmed by their attentiveness. He looked at Lin Muqing and Su Han, finding the sudden harmony strange. Had they decided to shift tactics from conflict to winning his favor through service?

Unable to figure out the reason and not daring to ask directly, Zhou Ming decided to just go with the flow.

After breakfast, the county office director came to invite them to a meeting to discuss the arrangements for receiving the governor. 

At this time, Shen Xin emerged from her room, dressed in a smart suit, with light professional makeup and her hair neatly styled. She exuded a competent yet elegant professional aura.

Zhou Ming glanced at her, noticing something different about her appearance today compared to usual.

They arrived at the guesthouse's small meeting room, where County Secretary Gu Ping soon arrived with several county officials. They discussed the specifics of the morning's reception. At ten o'clock, Gu Ping's secretary, Xiao Zhang, came to inform them that Governor Xiong Qingping had arrived in Linyang and was on his way to Nan Hui County with the city party secretary, Chen Da.

Gu Ping led Zhou Ming, Lin Muqing, and Su Han to the entrance to greet the governor. Although none of them held official positions, they were positioned at the forefront of the reception line due to their importance as highlighted by the governor.

As police sirens sounded, several cars arrived at the county office building. Governor Xiong Qingping stepped out of his vehicle, and Zhou Ming and the others went forward to welcome him. Xiong Qingping, observing the three women of varying ages and styles—mature, competent, and youthful—felt a pang of jealousy despite being a high-ranking official, knowing that these were the key figures involved in investments and journalism.

Despite his internal feelings, Xiong Qingping said, "Welcome to our Jingchu Province, and we appreciate your investment and attention to our local development."

Lin Muqing simply nodded in response, but Shen Xin was more direct: "Governor Xiong, you may not be familiar with Port City's journalists. We write and report based on what we see and hear, without intentional distortion."

Xiong Qingping chuckled, "Shen reporter, you are indeed a renowned journalist from Port City. Your professionalism is commendable and trustworthy."

After some pleasantries, Gu Ping invited Xiong Qingping and the others into the county office's conference room. There, Gu Ping provided an overview of the county's planning for the township industrial park and the incentives for Port City investors.

Xiong Qingping instructed, "Ms. Lin's journey from Port City to invest in our Jingchu Province signifies tremendous trust in us. As party members and officials of Jingchu Province, we must live up to this trust. We should provide the utmost convenience and ensure that all investors' needs are met without complaint."

Gu Ping immediately pledged to follow the governor's directives, and Lin Muqing expressed her reassurance in investing in Nan Hui due to Xiong Qingping's words.

At this point, Shen Xin asked, "Governor Xiong, I have some questions that might be difficult to answer. I wonder if it's appropriate to ask them."

"Reporter Shen, please feel free to ask any questions. I will answer to the best of my ability," Xiong Qingping replied, though he did not anticipate that Shen Xin's forthcoming questions would be so memorable.

After receiving Xiong Qingping's permission, Shen Xin said, "Governor Xiong, you emphasized the importance of foreign investment and the need to accommodate investors. Does this mean you are solely focused on attracting investment? If not, what is your stance on economic development?"

Xiong Qingping had not expected such a question and found it difficult to answer. After a moment of thought, he replied, "Indeed, our province's economic development lags behind other regions. We aim to attract foreign investment to drive local growth and learn from their advanced experiences."

"Can this be understood as a form of opportunism?" Shen Xin continued.

Xiong Qingping nodded, "It can be understood that way."

Before Xiong Qingping could finish, Shen Xin immediately asked, "As a capitalist endeavor, how does this align with your beliefs as a party member? Additionally, given that there was a large-scale anti-foreign action recently, and Jingchu Province is a revolutionary old area, how can you ensure the interests of foreign investors here?"

This question made Xiong Qingping frown, as it touched on sensitive issues related to policies and party ideology. A misstep here could jeopardize his political future.

After much contemplation, Xiong Qingping said, "I apologize, but I do not recall the details of what you mentioned. I am unaware of any anti-foreign actions and assure you that we have always welcomed foreign investment."

"From your earlier speech, it seems you advocate for as much investment as possible, but have you heard of the term 'economic overheating'?" Shen Xin asked.

Xiong Qingping acknowledged he had heard of it, prompting Shen Xin to ask, "Given that Jingchu Province's economy is not robust, and you are emphasizing foreign investment, aren't you concerned about economic overheating? Or is your priority simply to attract and retain foreign investors, ignoring other factors?"

This question left Xiong Qingping troubled, and before he could consider it fully, Shen Xin threw another challenging question: "I have heard that the preferential policies for the township industrial park have led to dissatisfaction among businesses in other areas, even causing some to work less diligently. How do you plan to address this?"

Shen Xin emphasized, "Governor Xiong, please answer these questions directly!"