The decoration of this office was very plain. Aside from a large filing cabinet, there was only an office desk and a half-old desk lamp on it. There was not even a single potted plant.
It hardly suited the status of a mayor.
Chen Huaiqian knew this as well. He reached out to personally pull out the chair opposite him, making a gesture of invitation, and apologized:
"I have been so busy with official duties that I haven't had the time to tidy up this place. There is nothing here, so please forgive me, Miss Su."
"Thank you."
Su Ning nodded and sat down, not feeling overwhelmed by the unexpected favor. She spoke in a light tone:
"A mountain need not be high; the presence of an immortal makes it magical."
"Even if this place were ten or a hundred times more shabby, with Mayor Chen here, it would still be enough to make millions flock to it, wouldn't it?"
"You flatter me too much."
Everyone loves to hear pleasant words, and a faint smile appeared on Chen Huaiqian's face. Just then, there was a knock on the door, and the secretary-general personally brought over two cups of tea—
He didn't dare let anyone else deliver them.
Su Ning took this opportunity to carefully observe Chen Huaiqian. She couldn't help but sigh inwardly; the photography techniques of the Republic of China era were still too rudimentary, and there was inevitably a gap between the real person and the photograph.
There wasn't much difference in terms of his facial features and physique.
But his demeanor and temperament... only upon seeing him in person did one realize the uniqueness of Mayor Chen Huaiqian. He was like a stone washed by rapids, smooth and perfectly natural.
Yet, looking into his eyes.
No one would truly mistake him for the kind of perfunctory person who only sought a secure official position.
Lowering her eyes, Su Ning made her preliminary conclusion.
—He was a difficult man to handle. Simply throwing money at him probably wouldn't achieve the best results.
This observation happened in a mere instant, completely imperceptible to outsiders. Coincidentally, Chen Huaiqian was also mentally sizing up this renowned Miss Su.
It wasn't that she wasn't beautiful, and her clothing and accessories were by no means ordinary.
But he had seen many beauties. Noble ladies and wealthy heiresses from both home and abroad wore more magnificent clothes, had more exquisite makeup, and wore far more jewelry than she did.
Yet none of them gave him the same feeling as Su Ning.
Sharp, confident, and aloof.
To be honest, before their meeting, Chen Huaiqian had sketched a detailed image of her based on files and rumors. But upon seeing her in person, he completely overturned his own assumptions.
Yet he inexplicably felt that this was exactly how she should be.
Su Ning, who possessed wealth rivaling a nation and extraordinary mental fortitude and tactics, should be exactly this kind of person.
.........
The tea was clear and bright like a piece of jade, with the one-leaf-one-bud tea leaves stretching up and down. The aroma was leisurely, like flowers and fruits. Su Ning only needed two glances to know it was the finest Biluochun.
However, Biluochun?
This tea was produced in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions. In recent years, due to the turbulent times and the long distance, tea shops in Beiping rarely sold such precious tea anymore.
He must have brought it all the way from Nanjing. To be able to get such fine tea... his status must not be low?
Well, her mindset became even steadier.
"It leaves a sweet aftertaste, truly good tea."
Su Ning took a small sip, set down the teacup, and the gemstone bracelet on her wrist glinted as she asked, knowing the answer:
"Is it Biluochun?"
"Indeed."
Smart people only need a hint. Mayor Chen's eyes flickered slightly. First, he praised Su Ning's extensive knowledge—there were as many tea varieties as stars in the sky, and even a native Chinese person could rarely identify Biluochun in one sip.
Then, he shifted the topic and took the initiative to mention the origin of the Biluochun—
"I didn't originally have such good tea. It was a gift from the Commander-in-Chief to encourage me when I left Nanjing. Unfortunately, I have been in Beiping for several months and have yet to fulfill his expectations of me."
"Drinking this tea makes me feel guilty."
Saying this, he let out a long sigh, as if he were truly ashamed of it.
Su Ning remained unmoved.
She even felt that Chen Huaiqian was humblebragging.
Given the chaotic mess that Beiping was in, if it were anyone else, they would be assassinated after three days in office, have their funeral in ten days, and have grass growing on their grave in half a month!
"Mayor Chen must be joking. If a capable man like you isn't worthy of drinking this Biluochun, then no one in the world is..."
Not wanting to provide too much emotional validation, Su Ning offered a few superficial compliments and stopped, slowly twisting the bracelet on her wrist.
The coldness of the gemstones made her mind clearer.
Fortunately, Chen Huaiqian clearly wasn't truly ashamed either. After laying enough groundwork, he didn't drag things out. Looking directly into Su Ning's eyes, he said earnestly:
"The situation in Beiping is too complex. In this city government alone, there are countless people like Deputy Mayor He. I cannot support it all by myself. I wonder... if Miss Su would be willing to assist."
Here it is, the main event has finally arrived.
Su Ning chuckled, not avoiding Chen Huaiqian's gaze, but she did not give him a direct answer.
What a joke, you haven't even offered a price.
Expecting me to contribute money and effort based on just one sentence? I'm not some gullible fool.
"A just cause enjoys abundant support, while an unjust cause finds little. Since taking office, Mayor Chen has done many practical things for the people. Even someone like me, who hasn't been in Beiping for long, admires you."
"Otherwise, I wouldn't have given those one hundred thousand dollars, would I?"
Just a reminder, one hundred thousand dollars!
How many Jian Ren is that worth?
Hearing this, Chen Huaiqian nodded without changing his expression. "Miss Su's money was a great help. Many clerks hadn't been paid for months before that, and had to moonlight as laborers or rickshaw pullers after work just to make ends meet."
"But this only solves their temporary difficulties."
"If we continue to let those who stir up trouble for their own selfish interests run wild, sooner or later, not just them, but the millions of people in Beiping will live in constant peril."
He spoke vaguely, but Su Ning knew what he was alluding to.
She suddenly chimed in:
"Indeed. If the situation gets any more chaotic, war will break out in a few months, and the lives of the people will be unpredictable."
Chen Huaiqian's pupils constricted.
He abruptly looked up, only to meet Su Ning's cool yet playfully observant gaze.
"How could you know..."
There was frequent friction between the local factions and the South. Everyone knew there would be a war sooner or later, but they all optimistically thought it would be at least a year or two away, considering they had just fought a war not long ago.
How could Su Ning, who had returned from abroad all by herself, know so clearly?
In an instant.
Countless thoughts flashed through Chen Huaiqian's mind. Su Ning's background, the origins of the Su family, and all the blanks regarding her time abroad intertwined into a tangled knot.
After a long while, he calmed down.
"Although I don't know where Miss Su gets her information, it is indeed the case—chaos is coming."
On her end, Su Ning was very satisfied with the change in Chen Huaiqian's eyes. This was exactly the effect she wanted. "I am very curious. Mayor Chen should have had a bright future in the South, so why come to Beiping knowing it's a fiery pit?"
Having gained a slight upper hand, Su Ning appeared much more composed.
"Why come?"
Chen Huaiqian thought for a moment and smiled. "There is no particular reason. Perhaps it's because I grew up in Beiping and always had a soft spot for it in my heart. Plus, I wanted to test my own weight, so I came."
"I see."
.........
After their verbal sparring, their understanding of each other deepened.
Instead of beating around the bush anymore, Chen Huaiqian straightforwardly revealed his bottom line:
"...Within the city government, I have already won over a third of the people. Deputy Mayor He has more people than I do, but they are a mixed bag and nothing to worry about."
"What truly matters are the various factions out there, the surviving loyalists of the former dynasty, the ousted warlords, the foreigners, the merchants..."
Su Ning's head throbbed just listening to this endless list.
Fortunately, she was a supporting player at best; Chen Huaiqian was the one standing on the front lines.
"Just give it to me straight, Mayor Chen. What do you need my help with?"
"Money. A massive amount of money!"
Chen Huaiqian's eyes burned as bright as flames. He leaned forward and answered without a second of hesitation.
"Money makes the world go round, and everyone loves it. Silver dollars are secondary; foreign currency is even better. Pounds, dollars, marks, no one can refuse them."
"Money is the one thing I have plenty of."
Su Ning folded her hands and shifted into a more comfortable posture, revealing her deepest smile since their meeting began.
"The amount of money you walk away with will depend entirely on how satisfied I am with your terms, Mayor Chen."
