Reborn as Zhao Ruilong of Handong, I will defy fate.

Chapter 476 Upholding the Bottom Line! I, Zhao Ruilong, will not become an evil dragon!

They chatted and laughed, clinking glasses and exchanging toasts.

From private clubs to upscale restaurants, from secluded mansions to villa estates.

Zhao Ruilong has lost count of how many drinking sessions he has attended in the short few days he has been in Yanjing.

I can't even remember how many privileged children, wealthy businessmen, celebrities, and industry elites I've met in the past few days.

I leaned against the headboard, feeling drowsy, and lit a cigarette.

I looked around and thought it over carefully.

But I still couldn't remember where I was.

The door was suddenly pushed open, and Zhao Ruilong was taken aback.

I thought a stunningly beautiful woman would walk in.

Because of the high-end dinners I've attended these past few days, I've been constantly served by beautiful women; it's truly a case of 'a dazzling array of beauties to dazzle the eye.'

However, the one who walked in was his father, Zhao Lichun, dressed in a suit and looking very energetic.

He had a down jacket draped over his wrist, as if he was about to leave.

"Awake?"

"How much did you drink last night?"

"Xiao Tan and the others arranged a room for you, but you didn't go to sleep and kept saying you wanted to find me."

"I thought you had something important to discuss with me, but when I carried you in, you just collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep."

Zhao Lichun sat on the edge of the bed, looking at his beloved son Zhao Ruilong with doting eyes.

"I……"

Zhao Ruilong scratched his head and laughed awkwardly:

"I vaguely remember that they invited several popular female celebrities to sing and drink with them."

“I really have no interest and don’t want to drink anymore, so I said I wanted to talk to you.”

"But I really can't remember how I got here or how I ended up in this bed."

Zhao Lichun sighed softly.

"I know that many people have invited you to dinner and drinks to discuss business these past few days, but I really didn't expect them to be this enthusiastic!"

"It's fortunate you're in good physical condition, otherwise, with them treating you to meals and drinks every day, you'd probably have ruined your health long ago, or even ended up in the hospital!"

Zhao Ruilong said with a wry smile, "There's nothing I can do. Who told you to take such a big step forward? Not only did you get into the Secretariat, but you also became the Deputy Secretariat Secretary for Political and Legal Affairs."

"Furthermore, our Huilong Group is known for being wealthy and fond of investing, so of course they want to win me over and curry favor with me!"

Zhao Lichun frowned seriously and reminded him:

"No matter how much they treat you to food, drinks, and entertainment, and no matter how extravagant their claims are, you must keep a clear head and not be fooled by their sweet talk."

"Especially the Zou family. Zou Kangyong himself was promoted despite his illness. His eldest son, Zou Haibin, and his eldest daughter-in-law, Huang Xiaowan, are extremely shrewd and opportunistic. Don't be fooled by their appearance."

Zhao Ruilong took a puff of his cigarette.

"Don't worry, if I were someone who acted impulsively, I would have definitely chosen to sleep in that courtyard house with the beautiful female celebrity last night. Why would I have used finding you as an excuse to get away and come here?"

Zhao Lichun chuckled softly.

"If you really couldn't control yourself, you'd probably have countless DVDs recorded by now!"

Zhao Ruilong smiled calmly and said, "It's okay if it's recorded!"

"As long as I don't admit it myself, no one can threaten me with my private photos and videos!"

"Because I can say that the photos are photoshopped and the videos are edited. Even if the male protagonist really looks exactly like me, I can say that it was done with AI face swapping technology. Anyway, I will never prove my innocence."

“If the other party insists that I am the main character, then I will ask them to produce evidence and the original document. If they do produce it, whether it is true or false, it will be an infringement of my personal privacy and a violation of my right to reputation.”

Zhao Lichun sneered and retorted, "Since you're not afraid of being threatened or blackmailed, why didn't you choose last night? Was the female celebrity they found not pretty enough?"

"how can that be possible?"

Zhao Ruilong scoffed, "The current cosmetic surgery technology is not advanced enough. Those who can become popular stars are basically one in a million beauties, truly talented and versatile."

"The reason I didn't choose them wasn't because I was afraid of being secretly filmed or recorded, nor because I thought they were dirty and I was afraid of contracting diseases. The main reason was that I wanted to maintain some boundaries and didn't want them to think I was a promiscuous person!"

Zhao Lichun nodded emphatically.

"You did a great job on that!"

"Even when it comes to eating, drinking, and having fun, there has to be a bottom line."

"Otherwise, if you try to do everything and enjoy it, you will inevitably be looked down upon or even plotted against."

At this point, Zhao Lichun raised his wrist to check the time on his watch.

"I'm heading to the airport to go back to Jingzhou in a bit. What about you? Do you want to stay here and wait for me to come back?"

"what?"

Zhao Ruilong asked in surprise:

"What do you mean? Are you going to go back for two or three days and then come back again?"

Zhao Lichun nodded and said, "After I go back and convey the spirit of the meeting and arrange the handover of my work, I should move to Yanjing and work and live here for the long term."

Zhao Ruilong quickly leaned forward.

"So when are we moving in? Before leaving home, I specifically asked Lu Yike for her opinion, and she said she was willing to move in!"

"You also know my father-in-law, Lu Changsheng. He has made great contributions to the military reform, and he will definitely be promoted further. He will stay in Yanjing for a long time in the future."

“My mother-in-law, Wu Xinyi, who longs for further progress, has wanted to move to Yanjing for a long time. Lu Yike, not for himself but for the sake of the children, also wants to move.”

Zhao Lichun frowned and asked, "Does your second sister also agree to move? What will happen to Huilong Group if you and your sister both come here?"

Zhao Ruilong laughed and said, "Of course she agrees! We're just moving, not moving the entire company!"

"Furthermore, after Du Bozhong's betrayal and leak, we are preparing to make significant adjustments to the group's management system, so she will no longer need to stay at the group's headquarters in Jingzhou for extended periods."

"That you……"

Zhao Lichun pondered for a moment.

"Let's wait a while before moving. It's not too late for you to move after I've settled down here."

"Anyway, our family will definitely be spending the Spring Festival in Yanjing in 2003."

Zhao Ruilong nodded and said, "Okay, I'll follow your arrangements. But I definitely can't keep waiting for you in Yanjing, otherwise I'll be constantly being invited to dinners!"

Zhao Lichun laughed and said, "But even if you come to the airport with me now, you won't be able to buy a ticket for the same flight back to Jingzhou!"

"Then I'll buy it for the afternoon or evening, anyway..."

Before Zhao Ruilong could finish speaking, his phone rang.

Upon seeing that it was Su Changli calling, Zhao Lichun glanced at the caller ID and then pressed the speakerphone button to answer.

"Ruilong, are you sober now?"

"You're awake, are you awake? What's wrong?"

"Did you eat breakfast?"

"Just woke up, not yet!"

"I'll come pick you up now. Mr. Shen said he hasn't seen you in a long time and wants to have breakfast with you."

"Okay, okay, I'll wash up right away."

"No rush, it will take me at least fifteen minutes to get here."

"Okay, I'll wait for you in the underground parking lot in a bit."

Su Changli hummed in agreement and then hung up the phone.

How did he know we were here?

How could he not know you were here?

Zhao Ruilong asked a question, and Zhao Lichun immediately countered with a question of his own.

The father and son stared at each other for a while, then burst into laughter.

"Alright, hurry up and wash up! Take a good shower and wash your hair, don't go to see President Shen reeking of alcohol!"

Zhao Lichun slowly stood up and looked at his beloved son with a warm smile.

"The conference has concluded successfully. Apart from the military aspects that have not yet been handed over due to military reforms, General Shen has already handed over all other work to General Xu."

"I reckon that when he suddenly invited you over for breakfast, it wasn't just to chat with you alone. He definitely wanted to have some conversation with you as well, including with President Xu."

Zhao Ruilong stubbed out his cigarette and got out of bed.

“But I’ve only met Mr. Xu once, during last year’s chip industry conference. He said some encouraging words and then left. I didn’t talk to him at all.”

Zhao Lichun smiled calmly and said, "You don't need to worry. President Xu was personally trained by President Shen. He has a broad knowledge base and plenty of grassroots experience. You can have a frank conversation with him. There's no need to be reserved or afraid."

Zhao Ruilong shrugged.

"I'm not afraid of being there, it's not like I haven't been there before."

"I was just a little worried because I didn't know his temperament, and my first private meeting with him didn't leave a good impression!"

Zhao Lichun pointed at Zhao Ruilong, whose hair was a mess.

"If you don't take care of yourself and go to see him like this, how can you expect to make a good impression!"

"..."

Zhao Ruilong was speechless for a moment and immediately rushed to the bathroom.

Not long after they went downstairs, Su Changli came to pick them up with his men.

As the Hongqi sedan drove out of the parking lot, the dim interior of the car brightened up.

Zhao Ruilong glanced sideways at Su Changli, who looked relaxed.

It seems that the next steps in the work plan have been finalized and are going quite well.

However, with guards in the front row, Zhao Ruilong naturally couldn't ask too many questions about the specifics.

We walked in silence until we arrived at the familiar courtyard.

After the routine checks, I stepped into the warm lobby.

Zhao Ruilong arrived at the dining room only after Su Changli had given his report.

Upon seeing Mrs. Shen serving porridge bowl by bowl, they quickly greeted her.

Good morning, Aunt Wang.

"Hello Ruilong, please have a seat!"

Zhao Ruilong smiled and sat down.

Seeing that Aunt Wang had served three bowls of porridge, he became even more convinced of his father's guess.

Mr. Shen invited me to breakfast for a chat so that I could get to know Mr. Xu, who would be succeeding him.

After all, President Shen is about to retire and enjoy his later years, while I still need to continue to work hard, and President Xu also needs me to continue to offer advice and make large investments for the country and the people.

however……

A familiar, hearty laugh rang out, and following closely behind President Shen was Ge Junshan.

This caused Zhao Ruilong, who had stood up to greet him, to show a look of surprise and confusion.

Although Zhao Ruilong quickly restrained himself, President Shen still noticed.

"What's wrong? Didn't expect me to invite Lao Ge over for breakfast, did you?"

Zhao Ruilong glanced at Ge Junshan, whose complexion had improved considerably.

He seems to have landed safely, and he looks much better now, with a better appetite.

Being able to eat and sleep well naturally prevented him from becoming thin and sickly.

"Yes, it was a bit of a surprise!"

"I knew you'd be surprised. Please have a seat!"

President Shen sat down in the main seat.

After Ge Junshan and others took their seats, Zhao Ruilong slowly sat down himself.

After smiling at Zhao Ruilong, President Shen glanced at Ge Junshan.

"Old Ge takes the train back to his hometown at 10 a.m., and a simple breakfast will suffice as a farewell gift."

Zhao Ruilong frowned slightly.

I wondered, given Ge Junshan's position and rank, shouldn't he be going to a sanatorium after retirement? Why is it "retiring to his hometown"?

At this moment, Ge Junshan smiled and said, "I didn't dare to go back to my hometown before I retired. I was afraid that if the villagers asked for my help, I would be accused of abusing my power for personal gain, and if I didn't help, they would say that I was heartless."

"Now that I'm retired, I can finally go back to my hometown with peace of mind and see what changes have taken place in the past forty years, and also see how my relatives, friends and neighbors are doing now."