Chapter 190 VS

Chapter 190: Chapter 190 VSAt 6:50 PM, Li Yifei drove Xu Yingying’s Mercedes to the Yiyun Clubhouse. Yifei had been to the clubhouse twice before, once to meet with Su Mengxin and two beautiful hostesses, and another time to meet with some senior leaders from the city, so he knew the place well.

"You’ve been here before?" Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei with some confusion. She was fully aware of this place, but she was not yet a member. Even when she was the general manager at Huayang Company, her own income was not enough for her to get a membership card here. And to spend the company’s money was not her style.

Li Yifei smiled and said, "I’ve been here with Su Mengxin. She even got me a membership card so that I could look the part whenever I needed to come here."

"Miss Su is really generous with you, she hasn’t even given me one," Xu Yingying said with a slightly sour tone.

Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "She gave you five billion, and now, if you want to get a membership card here, the clubhouse would be only too pleased."

Xu Yingying snorted and said, "That five billion is for doing business, not for my enjoyment. I wouldn’t spend that money."

At that moment, the car stopped in front of the clubhouse where Ye Yunzhu was waiting. When she saw Li Yifei get out of the car, she quickly came over to greet him. Although she was a township chief, she did not dare to show the slightest arrogance in the presence of the president of a company planning to invest five billion, as it involved her performance in office.

However, when she saw a beautiful woman get out of the passenger seat, Ye Yunzhu was surprised, paused, and turned her gaze towards Li Yifei.

Xu Yingying also noticed Ye Yunzhu approaching and looked unfriendly towards Li Yifei, not yet realizing that Ye Yunzhu was the township chief, thinking her someone Li Yifei knew. All the people Li Yifei knew were beauties, which caused some discomfort for Xu Yingying.

Li Yifei laughed and said to Xu Yingying, "President Xu, this is Ye Yunzhu, Chief Ye I told you about. Yunzhu, this is our company’s president, Xu Yingying."

Both Xu Yingying and Ye Yunzhu were taken aback and then reached out their hands to shake, with both revealing surprised smiles. Ye Yunzhu spoke first, "President Xu, it is such a surprise. I originally thought the president Yifei mentioned would be a man in his fifties. I never expected such a beautiful woman."

Xu Yingying also said with a blooming smile, "Mayor Ye, I was even more surprised to find out that the Chief Ye that Yifei mentioned is such a beautiful woman. If we’re talking about surprises, it’s really mine."

"President Xu, please don’t say that. To be so young and already managing an investment of five billion, that’s not something a small township chief like me can compare with."

"That money isn’t mine, I’m just working for someone. Mayor Ye, however, is a parental official of the area. Us commoners will need your care in the future," Xu Yingying responded.

Seeing the two women compliment each other back and forth, Li Yifei grew impatient and interjected, "Alright, enough with the pleasantries here, let’s go inside to talk."

Ye Yunzhu’s face showed a hint of confusion. It was natural for Li Yifei to speak to her in such a tone, not to mention their special past relationship, or even as old classmates, Li Yifei could talk to her like that, but for a subordinate to speak to the president like that was a bit too much.

Immediately, Xu Yingying agreed, "Yes, Yes, Yifei is right. Mayor Ye, let’s go inside to talk."

"Alright, let’s go and talk inside," Ye Yunzhu said as she pulled Xu Yingying by the hand to walk forward. However, in the moment she turned around, she cast a glance at Li Yifei. Instinctively, as a woman, she felt that there must be something more than ordinary between Li Yifei and Xu Yingying.

Ye Yunzhu had a membership card for the clubhouse. She might be just a township chief, who normally couldn’t afford to come here, and the clubhouse wouldn’t pay much attention to a township chief like her based on her background alone, but Ye Yunzhu was not just a township chief; she also had a powerful family background, which made getting such a membership card easy.

After showing her membership card, the three of them entered the clubhouse and Ye Yunzhu led them to the Bamboo Hall. True to its name, the hall’s decor and style revolved around bamboo. The potted bamboos inside were pleasing to the eye, and the bamboo-made tables and chairs surprised Xu Yingying, who said, "The decoration here is nice and fitting for Mayor Ye’s name. I suppose you must really like it here, don’t you?"

Ye Yunzhu smiled faintly and said, "Yes, my name contains the character for ’bamboo’, and I am particularly fond of bamboos. It’s not just their serenity I admire but also their integrity."

Xu Yingying quickly complimented, "From Mayor Ye’s tastes, one can tell you are a person of high integrity and surely a good official who serves the people."

Ye Yunzhu laughed loudly and said, "What’s a good or bad official, in today’s world, if you want to get by in civil service, you have to conform to some rules and systems; it’s not something I alone can change. You see, now I’m specifically courting President Xu to invest in my jurisdiction for some achievements."

Xu Yingying smiled demurely and said, "As long as Mayor Ye can offer us sufficient advantages, we would naturally be happy to invest there."

When it came to this matter, Xu Yingying showed her slickness by first seeking benefits for herself.

Ye Yunzhu, who had been in the world of officials for a few years, naturally understood the implication in Xu Yingying’s words and immediately said with generous enthusiasm, "As long as I am the Township Chief, and as long as our township can do it, I will definitely secure the greatest benefits for President Xu and your company. This is something I, Ye Yunzhu, can guarantee."

Though her words sounded pleasing, they lacked concrete substance. They were nice to hear and would easily move someone, but since there were no specific commitments, they didn’t really count; it was more of a gesture than anything.

The three of them sat down, and two beautiful girls came in, both sporting cheongsams with easy grace. With waitresses of such caliber, who would qualify for beauty pageants, one could tell the service here was excellent and could only imagine how expensive it was to dine here.

After exchanging pleasantries, it was Ye Yunzhu who took charge and ordered several dishes, along with a bottle of red wine. She laughed, "President Xu, we’re both women, and I won’t be particular about drinking anything, nor insist on drinking to our heart’s content. I hope you don’t mind."

This suited Xu Yingying perfectly. She said, "Honestly, Mayor Ye, what I fear most is having drinking contests at the table. Getting through an issue without getting oneself drunk is almost seen as impolite. Being able to negotiate without getting drunk would be just perfect."

Ye Yunzhu giggled twice, winked at Li Yifei, and asked, "Old classmate, what would you like to drink?"

Li Yifei replied casually, "Anything will do."

Xu Yingying quickly said, "You better not drink, you still have to drive back later. Drunk driving enforcement is so strict now, and if you get locked up for a few days, who will bring you food?"

Li Yifei gave Xu Yingying a look and said, "Can’t you wish for something good for me?"

Xu Yingying shot back with a glare of her own, "Not letting you drink is me wishing you well. Otherwise, I couldn’t care less about what you do."

Watching the two talk this way, Ye Yunzhu grew suspicious, thinking that Li Yifei’s relationship with this President was too casual; he showed no respect for the President, and Xu Yingying didn’t seem to mind and didn’t put on airs when talking to Li Yifei. Could it be that Li Yifei had some kind of relationship with Xu Yingying?

At that moment, Xu Yingying turned to Ye Yunzhu with a smile and said, "Mayor Ye, I apologize, but this guy just can’t act properly no matter what. Even though I’m the President, he doesn’t take me seriously in the slightest, and I even have to coax him."

"Coax him?" Ye Yunzhu looked intrigued and laughed, "Could it be that President Xu and Yifei..."

Glancing at Li Yifei, Xu Yingying said, "I’d like to, but someone is being really evasive," indirectly admitting to a relationship with Li Yifei.

Ye Yunzhu’s expression changed slightly. She had reflected on herself and realized she might have been too eager in her interactions with Li Yifei. She had also investigated him and learned that his girlfriend was Su Yiyi. Ye Yunzhu didn’t take Su Yiyi seriously, deeming her just a college student. She fully believed that with her history with Li Yifei, including being his first love, it was only a matter of time before he returned to her side.

She hadn’t expected Xu Yingying to come into the picture, presenting a formidable rival. In terms of appearance, temperament, and status, Xu Yingying was an impeccable woman, and she seemed quite fond of Li Yifei, not displaying the demeanor of a President, and even deferring to his opinion.

However, Ye Yunzhu did not show her feelings and glared at Li Yifei, saying, "I must say, old classmate, you’re being quite considerate, not letting me know about this earlier. I only find out now."

Li Yifei was somewhere between smiling and crying as Xu Yingying had brought this up right in front of Ye Yunzhu, clearly intending to make things awkward for him. But at this point, even a denial would probably not convince Ye Yunzhu, especially considering Xu Yingying’s status; it seemed unlikely she would make such a joke.

Looking at Xu Yingying with a semblance of "grievance," he said, "It’s not that I don’t want to, but I simply can’t aspire to such heights."

Xu Yingying, assuming a slightly aggrieved demeanor, said to Ye Yunzhu, "See what I mean? This is what he’s like. I don’t know where I’ve gone wrong, but he just won’t agree."

Just as Ye Yunzhu had sensed a substantial relationship between Li Yifei and Xu Yingying, Xu Yingying also quickly perceived that Li Yifei must share a past with his old classmate, Ye Yunzhu. Therefore, she acted preemptively to claim Li Yifei, leaving Ye Yunzhu no opportunity to make a move.

These two were supposed to discuss a cooperation, but instead, they started making plays for Li Yifei right off the bat.