Lin Shuwen looked at Lu Hongwen and greeted him. “Hello, Mr. Lu.”
Lu Hongwen did not expect the mayor’s secretary to be so young. Lin Shuwen looked like he was in his thirties at best and seemed easy to get along with.
Lu Hongwen nodded quickly and said politely, “I have heard so much about you. Thanks for making the time to see us.”
Lin Shuwen had encountered all walks of people in his life. Regardless of officials and entrepreneurs, he could discern their personality with just a few looks.
In all honesty, he was somewhat annoyed when Huo Yao’s foster parents immediately put on their ingratiating behaviour.
He had visited the Huo residence previously, but her biological parents were easy to get along with and seemed refined.
Lin Shuwen coughed. He was a little disappointed in his heart. However, he suppressed his irritation on account of Huo Yao and only pursed his lips and said, “My pleasure.”
Lu Hongwen did not know the thoughts running through Lin Shuwen’s mind. He extended his hand and gestured for him to take a seat. “Secretary Lin, why don’t you take a seat first. We can talk over lunch.”
The moment Lin Shuwen entered the room, He Xiaoman pressed the bell for the service staff to send in the food.
Since Lin Shuwen did not intend to eat lunch with them, he stood where he was without walking over. Instead, he cut to the chase and said to Lu Hongwen, “Mr. Lu, why don’t you get straight to the reason why you wanted to see me. I am kind of busy.”
It was clear that he was tactfully turning down the invite to eat with them.
Lu Hongwen had taken a few steps forward. The moment he heard what Lin Shuwen said, he turned back. He glanced at Liang Jun and recalled what he said about cutting to the chase when talking to Lin Shuwen.
Lu Hongwen assumed that Lin Shuwen was genuinely busy, so he said straightforwardly, “I invited you here to talk about the old city district bid. Lu Corporation has prepared a really strong proposal…”
Lu Hongwen glanced at He Xiaoman and cued for her to bring the proposal over.
Lin Shuwen had an inkling regarding the reason why Lin Hongwen had invited him to lunch.
He did not reach out to take the proposal. Instead, he said, “Mr. Lu, the project has to undergo the usual bidding process. I am only in charge of following up on the bidding. The final decision of who the project goes to does not lie in my hands.”
Even though Lin Shuwen tended to curry favor with the powerful, he was just like Fang Chen when it came to work ethics. He never used his power for personal gain. He was desperately suppressing his urge to walk out of the room altogether.
He only continued standing there because Lu Hongwen was Huo Yao’s foster father and she had saved Fang Chen.
If not for Huo Yao, he would not have even turned up for this invitation today.
Lu Hongwen’s hand froze in mid-air with the proposal in hand. He looked at Lin Shuwen.
Initially, he thought that the fact that Lin Shuwen agreed to meet him today was a sign of affirmation for Lu Corporation’s work. He did not expect Lin Shuwen to turn down his request to help without even looking at his proposal.
Lu Hongwen froze for a moment until He Xiaoman nudged his arm. He finally snapped out of his daze and turned to glance at her.
He Xiaoman looked at him before she retrieved a card from her designer purse and quickly placed it in Lu Hongwen’s hand and indicated that he should give it to Lin Shuwen.
He Xiaoman had a simple explanation for this. The only reason Lin Shuwen blatantly refused to help was that they did not bribe him.
In her opinion, all problems could be solved with money. If money did not work, it meant that the amount was not enough.
