Bai Yulan was among the group with Han Mingrui and others.
Moreover, it was clear to any discerning eye that she was the undeniable protagonist of this group.
"Jiang Tao, Lili, Mr. Xu, Mrs. Xu, youâre here."
"Let me introduce you, this is the Executive Deputy Magistrate of Ping County, County Magistrate Gao Aiguo."
"And this is..."
Seeing Jiang Tao and his group arrive, Bai Yulan warmly approached them and took the initiative to make introductions.
Xu Liâs family of four listened to Bai Yulan introduce various county magistrates, secretaries, directors...
Watching everyone treat Jiang Tao with immense courtesy.
A strong sense of pride and shared honor welled up in their hearts!
Success!
Their husband and son-in-law had truly made it!
So many county leaders were treating Jiang Tao with such respect, treating him as an honored guest.
Moreover, when Jiang Tao greeted everyone, his expression was very composed, with not a hint of restraint.
The Jiang Tao of today bore no trace of the former truck driver.
In just a few months, the tremendous changes in Jiang Tao could already be conservatively described as a transformation!
It was as if he had become a completely different person!
After the introductions, everyone moved into a large reception hall inside the guesthouse.
Inside, there were four large round tables, and service staff ushered everyone to their seats.
There were no opening remarks or speeches; once seated, the staff began to serve the food.
Given the special nature of todayâs reception, the dishes served were not as luxurious as the feast Wang Xingguo hosted at Baiyulan Hotel yesterday.
Yet, it wasnât skimpy either.
There were chicken, duck, fish, beef, lamb, pork shanks, and prawns on the menu.
The liquor served was a type of baijiu Jiang Tao had never heard of, but the label on the bottle read "Special Supply."
This liquor might not match Maotai, but its taste was certainly comparable to those of some 100 to 200 yuan baijiu on the market.
During the meal, Bai Yulan reintroduced Jiang Tao to the leaders, and they toasted each other and exchanged contact information.
The earlier introductions at the door didnât count as truly meeting.
After toasting and exchanging contact details, it was considered a genuine acquaintance.
During the banquet, everyone noticed Bai Yulanâs warm attitude towards Jiang Tao and speculated about their relationship.
Though they couldnât figure it out.
But everyone present was seasoned in social dealings and could tell their relationship was not ordinary.
Therefore, the attendees were also very enthusiastic towards Jiang Tao, valuing not only the fact that he won todayâs competition.
Frankly speaking, although todayâs health run was Ping Countyâs first.
If someone else had won the championship, it wouldnât warrant the county officials personally receiving and hosting him for a meal.
At most, there would be a few polite words in person, followed by a photo-op for publicity, and thatâd be it.
The meal lasted from past 1 PM till slightly after 3 PM.
The whole process was lively, and the atmosphere extremely congenial.
In todayâs setting, everyone present was a dignified person; no one pressed Jiang Tao to drink, nor did they force alcohol on him.
But Jiang Tao offered toasts to so many officials, and in doing so, drank quite a bit indeed.
Fortunately, with his increased constitution, his bodyâs metabolic ability improved significantly.
After drinking over three jin (approximately 1.5 liters) of baijiu at lunch, his face remained unflushed, and his breath steady, as if nothing happened.
His capacity for drinking amazed everyone once again.
Once full and satisfied, everyone parted ways at the entrance of the guesthouse.
The family of three returned to the in-lawsâ house.
Upon returning home, the alcohol kicked in for Jiang Tao, and he went straight to sleep.
...
Meanwhile.
In the general managerâs office of Baiyulan Hotel.
Bai Yulan was initially in a good mood today until she received a call from her assistant.
Returning to the office and looking at the financial report placed on her desk by the assistant.
Bai Yulanâs pretty face instantly clouded over, cold as frost.
Thud!
"Big sis, Iâm sorry, Iâm sorry, I realize my mistake."
"Iâm sorry, big sis. Please give me another chance, I swear I wonât do it again."
Bai Jianfeng saw the expression on his cousinâs face and figured out that his deeds had been uncovered.
With a thud, he knelt to the ground, continually kowtowing and apologizing to Bai Yulan.
"Jianfeng, oh Jianfeng, what couldnât you do with that 5 million? You went and bought lottery tickets!"
"I knew you werenât smart, but I didnât think you were this stupid!"
"At the end of the day, itâs a game of rock-paper-scissors; if youâre always the one to play first, how can you win?"
Bai Yulan flung the financial report onto the floor in front of the desk with a crash.
For Bai Yulan, 5 million wasnât a huge amount.
Her anger stemmed from her cousin Bai Jianfeng using her resources and quietly embezzling funds behind her back!
If not for their familial bond, such an amount would have had Bai Jianfeng jailed for seven to eight years!
"Iâm sorry, sis, I just lost my head for a moment, Iâm truly sorry..."
The matter had already occurred, and the evidence was conclusive; Bai Jianfeng knew there was no point in saying anything else now. It was better to sincerely admit his mistake and hope for his cousinâs forgiveness.
The Bai family wasnât thriving in this generation, only four siblings.
Thatâs why Bai Yulan had always taken care of her younger siblings, using her network to arrange things for them.
"Letâs leave it at that; I wonât hold you accountable further."
"However..."
"Use the talented, do not doubt them; doubt them, do not use them. Pack up and go home, the hotel will compensate you with N+2."