Noon
Outside the restaurant.
Most of those attending the birthday celebration had already gone inside. Only Dong Xuebin, Li Feng, and a few others were left standing there awkwardly, under the watchful eyes of several soldiers and the guard. "County Chief Li, I'm sorry about this," Dong Xuebin said sincerely. Because of his conflict with Liu Guowei, Li Feng had needlessly offended a Municipal Party Secretary. Dong Xuebin truly felt bad about it.
Li Feng waved it off. "It's nothing. We came together, so how could we go in by ourselves?"
Dong Xuebin's impression of Li Feng immediately improved. "How about this? I'll treat you to dinner tonight, and we can have a good chat."
Li Feng smiled. "Since they don't welcome us inside, why not do it at noon instead? I'll find a place and treat you."
"Noon won't work." Seeing Li Feng's puzzled look, Dong Xuebin pointed inside. "We still have to go in and mooch a meal. We're already here—how can we just leave?"
Li Feng and the Dafeng County officials were all stunned. They were still going in?
Dong Xuebin had originally not wanted to make a fuss. He felt there was no need to waste breath with them over such a trivial matter. But things were different now. Watching Liu Guowei and Liu Haibin take veiled jabs at him, trying to drive a wedge between him and the Dafeng County leadership, and then remembering that Liu Guowei's own son had acted without any sense of propriety yet Liu Guowei still wanted the city to punish Dong Xuebin—how could Dong Xuebin's temper tolerate that? Damn it, what a bunch of petty bastards! Look at those faces! Showing off in front of me? I'm fucking going in today!
Dong Xuebin walked inside with a cold expression.
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