78: Chapter 78 An Inspection

Xiao Bei stamped out the campfire, ensuring no embers remained.

On the way back to town, neither of them spoke much, each lost in their own thoughts.

By the time the car stopped in front of the Town Government guesthouse, moonlight had already bathed the small town.

"See you tomorrow."

Su Yun unbuckled her seatbelt but hesitated to get out of the car.

"See you tomorrow."

Xiao Bei also sat motionless; the air between them seemed to have solidified.

Not knowing who moved first, the distance between them suddenly shrank, and Su Yun could smell the faint scent of smoke and river water on Xiao Bei.

"I should..."

Before Su Yun could finish, a harsh car horn suddenly blared.

The two separated as if electrocuted. A vegetable delivery truck roared past, and the driver stuck his head out, cursing:

"Blocking the middle of the road in the middle of the night—can't you find a quiet place to flirt!"

Su Yun's face turned red to the tips of her ears instantly. Before Xiao Bei could react, she leaned in quickly, pecked his cheek lightly, and then opened the car door and jumped out.

"See you tomorrow!"

Her voice drifted into the night breeze, and she ran into the guesthouse entrance without looking back, leaving only the fleeting silhouette of her red flat shoes in the moonlight.

Xiao Bei stood frozen in place, his fingers unconsciously touching the spot that had just been kissed. It seemed as though the warmth of Su Yun's lips still lingered there, as soft as a flower petal.

He gazed at the lights that had turned on on the second floor of the guesthouse until Su Yun's figure appeared at the window and waved at him; only then did he start the car as if waking from a dream.

It was already late at night when he returned to his dormitory. Xiao Bei took off his coat and hung it on the hanger, noticing that the cuffs were still stained with sand and mud from the riverside.

He carefully brushed them clean, his mind filled with the image of Su Yun walking barefoot on the beach.

"What am I thinking..."

Xiao Bei shook his head and walked into the bathroom to take a cold shower.

As the water droplets slid down his chest, he closed his eyes, yet he could still see Su Yun's profile illuminated by the firelight. The feeling was strange, as if something was expanding in his chest, both sour and sweet.

After drying off, Xiao Bei lay in bed and picked up his phone. There was an unread message on WeChat, sent by Su Yun ten minutes ago:

"Forgot to tell you, the sheets at the guesthouse have a musty smell, but the locust flowers outside the window smell lovely. Goodnight, see you tomorrow."

Xiao Bei stared at the screen for a long time, his fingers hovering over the keyboard, but in the end, he only replied with a "Goodnight" emoji.

He wanted to say more, but felt that nothing he could say was appropriate.

What exactly was their relationship? Friends? Business partners? Or...

His phone suddenly vibrated; it was a call from Deputy Secretary Xing Guoqiang.

"Secretary Xiao, I hope I'm not disturbing your rest?"

Deputy Secretary Xing Guoqiang's voice was very low. "I just received a tip-off that a few of General Manager Xiang Wenqiang's subordinates are gathering at the 'usual spot' tonight, and after drinking too much, they're shouting about wanting to teach you a lesson."

Xiao Bei immediately sat up straight:

"What exactly did they say?"

"I don't know."

Deputy Secretary Xing Guoqiang paused. "I suspect they know about the inspection by Hongyuan Group."

Outside the window, a breeze blew, and the locust flowers fell in a flurry.

Xiao Bei walked to the window and looked at the small town under the moonlight. Bishi Town, calm on the surface, had never stopped having undercurrents surging beneath.

"Strengthen security around the venue tomorrow."

Xiao Bei said in a deep voice, "Especially in the Development Zone. Send more plainclothes officers to mix in with the onlookers, and also, investigate how the news leaked."

After hanging up the phone, Xiao Bei had no more sleepiness.

He opened his computer to re-check the schedule for receiving Chairman Lin Shicheng tomorrow.

The cursor hovered over the "Preferential Policy Explanation" column for a long time. He recalled Su Yun's warning—the true purpose of Chairman Lin Shicheng approaching Mayor Qin.

At three in the morning, Xiao Bei finally closed his computer.

He stood at the window and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his chaotic thoughts. The scent of locust flowers drifted in, reminding him of the scent of Su Yun's hair.

"No matter what Chairman Lin Shicheng's intentions are."

Xiao Bei muttered to the night, "The development opportunity for Bishi Town cannot be missed."

Just as dawn was breaking, a commotion came from downstairs at the guesthouse.

Su Yun rubbed her eyes and pulled back the curtains, seeing several workers setting up a welcome banner:

"Warmly Welcome Hongyuan Group to Bishi Town for Inspection and Guidance!"

After washing up, she changed into a light gray professional suit and twisted her long hair into a capable bun.

Her eyes in the mirror were bright, her lips naturally rosy. Her fingers unconsciously brushed over her lips, and the hasty kiss from last night surfaced in her mind again.

"Too impulsive..."

Su Yun scolded herself quietly in the mirror, but couldn't help smiling. She picked up her interview notebook and camera, took a deep breath, and walked out the door.

In the first-floor dining room, Xiao Bei was already sitting by the window, with two bowls of soy milk and a few fried dough sticks in front of him.

He was wearing a dark blue suit, his hair combed meticulously, but there was a faint bluish tint under his eyes.

"Morning."

Su Yun walked over, trying hard to make her voice sound natural.

"Morning."

Xiao Bei stood up and pulled out a chair for her. "Did you sleep well?"

"It was okay, just a stray cat meowing in the middle of the night."

Su Yun took the soy milk, deliberately avoiding his eyes. "You don't look like you slept much."

Xiao Bei smiled:

"I'm used to it. Try this fried dough stick; it's from Old Zhang's place across from the Town Government, freshly fried."

The two ate breakfast quietly, occasionally chatting a few words about today's arrangements.

That subtle sense of tension remained throughout, like an invisible thread, gently tugging at both their heartbeats.

At eight o'clock sharp, the Town Government courtyard was already bustling with people.

The heads of various departments were in their positions according to last night's deployment. Secretary He Mingxuan trotted over, beads of sweat on his forehead:

"Secretary Xiao, just received a call, Chairman Lin Shicheng's motorcade has already left the city and is expected to arrive at nine-forty."

Xiao Bei nodded:

"Is the site ready?"

"Everything is ready, but..."

Secretary He Mingxuan lowered his voice. "A lot of people have gathered in the Development Zone; some are just watching the excitement, but there are also..."

"General Manager Xiang Wenqiang's former subordinates?"

Xiao Bei narrowed his eyes.

Secretary He Mingxuan nodded nervously:

"Deputy Secretary Xing Guoqiang has already taken people over there."

Xiao Bei turned to Su Yun:

"You go to the conference room to prepare the interview equipment first; I'll go to the Development Zone to take a look."

Su Yun wanted to say something, but in the end, she just nodded:

"Be careful."

At nine-thirty, five black sedans slowly drove into the Bishi Town Government courtyard.

The Rolls-Royce in the middle was particularly eye-catching, with a license plate ending in five 8s. The door opened, and a tall, middle-aged man stepped out, his shiny leather shoes glistening in the sunlight.

Chairman Lin Shicheng looked to be in his early fifties, with thick, dark hair that had clearly been carefully dyed.

He wore a custom-made suit, and his Patek Philippe watch refracted a cold light in the sunlight.

Most striking were his eyes—appearing to hold a smile, yet hiding the sharpness of a hawk in their depths.

"Secretary Xiao! I've long heard of you!"

Chairman Lin Shicheng strode forward and grasped Xiao Bei's hand. "I've long heard that Bishi Town has a young and promising Party Secretary. Seeing you today, it truly lives up to its reputation!"