Volume 1: Against the Current Chapter 49: Song Gongzi

  ————————————

  Duke Song of Zhou

  Tomorrow's meeting is a symposium on ideological and political work organized by the Propaganda Department of the Municipal State-owned Enterprise, which is attended by deputy party secretaries in charge of municipal state-owned enterprises. To put it bluntly, this kind of meeting is to summon the deputy party secretaries in charge of municipal state-owned enterprises to come together for a meal, and then ask each enterprise to pay some meeting fees.

  It was not for the Propaganda Department, but for the Enterprise Thought and Politics Work Association. This association is affiliated with the Propaganda Department, the president is Zhu Chengrong, deputy minister of the Propaganda Department, the vice-president is Lao Gu, secretary of the Party Committee of Xin'an City Public Transportation Company, and the secretary-general is the director of the Propaganda Department.

  So there's actually nothing much to prepare for this kind of meeting. Zhu Chengrong will give a speech tomorrow and then have lunch with the company people, that's it.

  It sounds a bit harsh to say that the meeting was held just for the sake of collecting membership fees, but that's basically what happened.

  Peng Yuanzheng had just locked the office door and was about to head home when Zhou Dayong appeared at the staircase on the second floor, calling out from afar, "Little Peng, it's better to be lucky than early, let's have dinner together tonight?"

  Peng Yuanzheng hesitated for a moment, then smiled and walked over in big strides, saying "Zhou Ke, thanks to the leader's concern for me, I should treat the leader to a meal!"

  Zhou Dayong chuckled and said, "No need to be so polite - but tonight, neither of us needs to pay the bill. Someone else is treating!"

  Zhou Dayong mysteriously and warmly took Peng Yuanzheng's arm and went downstairs together. After exiting the municipal party committee office building, a black Santana 2000 was parked in front of the hall, which was considered a relatively "luxurious" model at that time.

  A young man in his early twenties, about the same age as Peng Yuanzheng, stood at the front of the car. Although he was of medium build, he had a refined and elegant appearance, with a pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, giving off an air of sophistication and refinement.

  A man, especially a young man, gives people an elegant feeling, which is enough to illustrate that his cultivation and temperament are not ordinary.

  Zhou Dayong actually smiled obsequiously and walked over, introducing himself proactively, "Professor Song, this is Comrade Xiao Peng."

  The young man had actually been secretly sizing up Peng Yuanzheng, seeing that although Peng Yuanzheng was wearing ordinary and common T-shirts and blue jeans, he had a tall and slender figure, clear eyes and a composed demeanor, revealing an extraordinary air about him, and couldn't help but nod in secret.

  A passionate smile immediately floated onto his face, he took two steps forward and stretched out his hand. "Hello, Song Guo, nice to meet you."

  "Hello Professor Song, I am Peng Yuanzheng."

  Peng Yuanzheng was guessing Song Guo's identity in his heart, smiling and shaking hands with him.

  Zhou Dayong chuckled and said, "Little Peng, this is the son of Director Song, a professor in the Department of Archaeology at Jiangbei University. He's a well-known young archaeologist not only in our province but also nationwide..."

  Just as Zhou Dayong was about to finish speaking, he was interrupted by Song Guo's laughter. "Director Zhou, what famous scholar am I? I'm just an ordinary university teacher, and I've only recently become an associate professor."

  "We're about the same age, just call me Song Guo, I won't be polite with you either, let's just call each other by our names then?"

  "Hehe, okay."

  Peng Yuanzheng's eyes lit up, thinking that he was the son of Song Bingnan, and at a young age, he had already become an associate professor, which was not easy. Jiangbei University, although located in Xin'an City, is a comprehensive university directly under the Ministry of Education, with a deputy ministerial-level unit setup.

  However, Peng Yuanzheng had a slight doubt in his heart. He didn't believe that the current meeting was an accident. He guessed that Song Guo was well-prepared and Zhou Dayong was just a thread puller.

  Song Guo smiled and obviously didn't want to continue on this topic, so he took the initiative to open the rear car door and made a please-enter gesture. "Yuan Zheng, please come in. It just so happens that I came to the organization today to handle some things and ran into you and Zhou Ke. Meeting each other is fate, let's have dinner together, my treat!"

  ……

  ……

  Three people went to the largest star-rated hotel in Xin'an - Xin'an Hotel. Song Guo had already booked a room. The atmosphere of this meal was very good, Song Guo deliberately made friends, Zhou Dàyǒng mediated, and Peng Yuanzheng would not be rude. Moreover, Song Guo's speech was elegant, with a lot of talent and courtesy, giving Peng Yuanzheng a very good impression.

  After a meal, the two were quite compatible and had a sense of regret for not meeting earlier, both drinking several more cups in between.

  Standing in the lobby of Xin'an Hotel, Song Guo was a bit reluctant to part with Peng Yuanzheng, pulling his arm and not letting him leave. With a hint of drunkenness, he laughed and said, "Yuanzheng, today we two brothers met like old times, very compatible! Let's go, let's go practice our skills, eat some barbecue, drink some beer, and not return until we're drunk!"

  Zhou Dayong also chimed in, "Alright, let's go practice our stalls. I'll treat you two to barbecue and beer! There's a great barbecue place on Jian Guo Road, we can go there!"

  Song Guo glanced at Zhou Dayong with a slanted gaze and said lightly, "How can we let Zhou Ke bear the expense? I'll find someone to come over and invite us out for dinner, and also introduce some friends to Yuan Zheng!"

  The phone call to the Songguo restaurant was answered after a few rings. Before long, a police car came speeding from afar and screeched to a halt. A tall and sturdy man in his 30s jumped out of the car, with a buzz cut and slightly dark skin tone, looking very strong and fierce, not like a soldier but more like a detective.

  Song Guo squinted his eyes and waved his hand, shouting, "Director Li, it's so late to find you out for a drink, won't your wife mind?"

  "Heh heh, if it were someone else calling, your sister-in-law wouldn't let me out, but for you, little brother, she can't not give face! Little brother, who are these two?" The man smiled broadly and shook hands with Song Guo, then turned to look at Peng Yuanzheng and Zhou Dayong.

  Song Guo smiled, "Come on, let me introduce you to everyone. This is the deputy director of Xin'an Branch Bureau, Li Mingran, Old Li! I'm honored to introduce my younger brother to you, this is Peng Yuanzheng, Peng Gongzi!"

  "Hello, Mr. Peng, I don't know where you graduated from?" Li Mingran was apparently familiar with Song Guo, and seeing Song Guo look at Peng Yuanzheng with such high regard, he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. He smiled proactively and shook hands with Peng Yuanzheng while guessing his identity and background.

  Li Mingran may look like a big and tall man with well-developed limbs but a simple mind, but in fact he is meticulous and worldly-wise. Otherwise, how could he become the deputy director of Xin'an Branch Bureau and get along with Song Guo? The deputy director of the district bureau is only a deputy department level, but it is a real power position, not comparable to ordinary department-level cadres.

  Song Guo is the only son of Song Bingnan, a notable official in the city. However, unlike other spoiled sons of officials, Song Guo is not uneducated or useless. He has exceptional talent and an air of elegance that makes him look down on ordinary people. Li Mingran thinks that this refined young man must have a remarkable background to be able to make Song Guo behave like this.

  "Hello, Director Li. I work in the News Division of the Municipal Party Committee's Propaganda Department. I just graduated from university and started working. Please take care of me in the future." Peng Yuanzheng smiled faintly as he shook hands with Li Mingran.

  Li Mingran's face didn't change color, but in his heart a thread of doubt arose: A newly graduated university student? An officer in the propaganda department? It can't be that simple.

  "This is Director Zhou of the Organization Department of the Municipal Party Committee, Zhou Dayong." Song Guo continued to introduce.

  Li Mingran smiled all over his face and shook hands with Zhou Dayong, the head of the organization department's cadre section. His rank was not high, but he couldn't afford to offend him. It was better to make friends with such people if possible.