Power and Wealth C.1583: Meeting

Afternoon.

In the taxi.

Dong Xuebing had been considering finding the right moment to mention it. After all, there was no need to hide that they were all family members of the research team from Jiangnan Province. When Hou Wen brought it up, Dong Xuebing casually responded with a smile.

"Your wife."

"Yeah."

"You mentioned Secretary Xie."

"Yeah, Xie Huilan."

"You're exaggerating."

"Sweat, what am I exaggerating about?"

Hou Wen, not surprised at all, burst into laughter. "You're just talking about it without even seeing her. You're stretching it. She's already in her thirties, while we're still in our twenties. How many years apart are we? And her appearance… I won't say it, but you know. I believe I could rule the world someday if you could marry Secretary Xie. Besides, Secretary Xie is already married, and her rank is higher than my dad's. Xuebing, not bad, you're getting more and more humorous."

"I know she's married," Dong Xuebing said.

"Then why are you still bragging?" Hou Wen grinned.

"But we two got married," Dong Xuebing sighed. I came here with Xie Huilan for this business trip, just like you're here with your dad for the one organized by Jiangnan Province. So, it's all convenient for us."

Hou Wen didn't believe him. "Oh, you know quite a lot, huh? Your wife is also a civil servant. She must have heard about leaders going on business trips."

"Huilan is the leader, so why would she need to hear about it?" Dong Xuebing said.

Hou Wen's mother, in the taxi's front seat, couldn't stand it anymore. She turned around with a stern face and looked at Dong Xuebing. "Don't think you can talk nonsense just because you're not in Jiangnan Province any more. Don't gossip behind Secretary Xie's back. Don't speak nonsense, especially about a female leader's reputation."

Dong Xuebing: …

Hou Wen rolled his eyes. "Mom, you have no sense of humor. It's just a joke, not serious at all."

Hou Wen's mother replied coldly, "You still shouldn't speak recklessly. Wife? Secretary Xie Huilan is here, too, at the hotel. What if she overhears?"

"But she didn't hear," Hou Wen said.

Hou Wen's mother said, "Loose lips sink ships. Be careful what you say."

With that, Hou Wen's mother turned back to the front, seemingly having an even lower opinion of Dong Xuebing.

Dong Xuebing felt speechless. So, after all that talk with his buddy, it amounted to nothing.

Hou Wen signaled to Dong Xuebing, " Ignore my mother," and then they continued chatting but changed the topic.

Twenty minutes later.

At the entrance of the Royal Hotel.

The taxi stopped, Hou Wen's mother paid the fare and got out.

Hou Wen and Dong Xuebing followed behind. Dong Xuebing even took Hou Wen's mother's luggage out of the trunk. The three of them walked inside together.

The hotel was quite luxurious, especially in an area where most buildings weren't very tall. This twenty-story hotel stood out, and its interior decoration exuded a sense of wealth. The lobby was bustling with people. Some bellboys were helping with luggage, some guests were processing paperwork, and others were chatting in the lounge area, both inside and out. The entire city gave off a rather business-like atmosphere.

"Hey, my dad's here too," Hou Wen said, looking inside.

Hou Wen's mother also saw her husband and said calmly, "Let's go over."

Hou Wen glanced around. "Uncle Wang and Uncle Li are here too."

Dong Xuebing glanced in the direction indicated by the mother and son and saw several people, among whom one middle-aged man bore some resemblance to Hou Wen, evidently Hou's father.

"Mayor Hou, you're here too?"

"I was invited, so I had to come."

"Seems like the development zone over there is progressing decently."

"Hehe, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. This time, it's mainly for research purposes."

Mayor Hou and Dong Xuebing blinked their eyes. So, Hou Wen's father was a mayor or a deputy mayor. Hmm, it seemed more likely that he was the mayor. No wonder Hou Wen dared to talk about trivial matters with Dong Xuebing on the plane. His father, indeed, had some clout.

They walked over in that direction.

The elevator door opened at that moment, and a glamorous figure stepped out.

Hou's father smiled when he saw her. "Secretary Xie is here too."

An adjacent middle-aged man also said, "Secretary Xie, your husband isn't here?"

"Mayor Hou, Mayor Wang." The woman chuckled. "My husband is on the next flight. I'm not sure what time he'll arrive."

Hou's father checked his watch. "My wife and child are on the same later flight. They should be arriving soon."

They engaged in conversation, and though they weren't all from the same city's government, their connections weren't insignificant. A city Party committee secretary and a mayor or deputy mayor were definitely on different levels. It felt like a higher status, as hierarchy was crucial within the system.

Observing this, Hou Wen slowed and quietly pointed to the woman not far away. "See that? That's Secretary Xie."

Dong Xuebing sighed. "I know."

"Isn't she beautiful?" Hou Wen asked.

"Of course she is," Dong Xuebing replied. "She's my wife."

Hou Wen rolled his eyes. "Keep bragging, and you'll coax the cow down from the sky."

Hou's mother couldn't stand it and sternly said, "Didn't I tell you in the car not to speak nonsense? Now you're still blabbering. Watch your mouth."

Hou Wen gestured to Dong Xuebing to stop. "Don't say anything. If Secretary Xie hears, it'll be a disaster—not just for you but for both of us. Didn't you see how polite my dad was when speaking to her? She's the secretary of the city Party committee, governing a whole city. We can't afford to offend her."

Dong Xuebing didn't know what to say.

Suddenly, perhaps because their voices had grown louder, they attracted the attention of Mayor Wang. Seeing this, Mayor Wang smiled and said, "Mayor Hou, your wife and son are here."

Hou's father looked over.

Xie Huilan also noticed them.

"Dad, Uncle Wang, uh, Secretary Xie," Hou Wen quickly greeted, although his gaze lingered more on Xie Huilan. After all, everyone loves beauty.

Hou's mother also nodded at them. "Secretary Xie is here too."

Xie Huilan smiled and shook hands with her. "Is this my sister-in-law? Hello."

Hou's mother, who had been without a smile on the plane and in the car, also cracked a smile. "You're even more beautiful than on TV."

Hou's father smiled and patted Hou Wen's shoulder, introducing him, "This is my son, Hou Wen, a disobedient kid."

"Mayor Hou is humble, I can tell," Xie Huilan said with a smile as she shook hands with Hou Wen. "Hi."

"Uh, hello," it was evident that Hou Wen was slightly nervous.

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