The two straightened their clothes, took deep breaths, and composed themselves before heading home hand in hand.
Just now, Lin Chao Ci had already gotten hands-on.
Their relationship had heated up, with only the final half-step left to take.
On the way back, they clung to each other like a young couple in love, reluctant to pull apart.
Only when they reached the front door did they separate and let go of each other's hands.
As they entered, his little sister spotted them immediately from the sofa.
When she saw her older brother, her eyes lit up, but then she remembered how he had abandoned her that afternoon. She promptly turned her head away and pretended not to see him.
With his sharp eyes, Lin Chao Ci immediately caught his little sister's sulky act.
He smiled helplessly. As her older brother, all he could do was keep spoiling her.
"Little princess, guess what present I got you!"
Lin Chao Ci took out the gift he had prepared long ago for their reunion.
He had forgotten during lunch, and that afternoon, he and Qin Chi Chi had rushed out. He should have given her the gift when they first met at the airport.
Instead, he had kept putting it off until now.
"A present!!!"
At the word "present," Lin Weiyi's eyes suddenly lit up like a little hamster's. She sprang off the sofa and scampered over to Lin Chao Ci.
"What is it? Quick, let me see!"
Lin Weiyi eagerly took the gift box.
Inside was an adorable, pink hair clip.
The clip was beautiful, set with numerous pink crystals, with gold wire filling the gaps between them.
Its design was exquisitely ornate, and Lin Chao Ci had specially commissioned it as well.
"Wow! What a gorgeous hair clip! Oh, I love you so much, big brother!"
Lin Weiyi fell in love with the beautiful clip at first sight. Excited, she jumped into her brother's arms and planted a big kiss on his cheek.
"Huh? Why do you smell like Chi Chi, big brother? And why are your lips a little red?"
Clinging to Lin Chao Ci, Lin Weiyi could see the lipstick marks on his lips at a glance. Leaning closer, she could also smell Qin Chi Chi's perfume.
Lin Chao Ci stiffened at her words and laughed awkwardly. "Hahaha, get down. You're seeing things! I had some chili peppers while we were out. That's chili oil on my lips!"
Lin Chao Ci offered a flimsy excuse.
If Qin Chi Chi were his only woman, he would have simply made their relationship public.
But that was not an option. In this life, he wanted to spread his love around and take care of more good girls.
He could not officially make Qin Chi Chi his girlfriend.
Otherwise, once they established their relationship, Lin Chao Ci would face more restrictions when spending time with other women.
And it would not sound good if word got around.
As long as they had not confirmed a relationship, they were all just female friends.
"Oh?"
Lin Weiyi gave him a knowing smile, looking as though she had seen right through him.
"Big brother, Dad wants you in his study!"
Fortunately, his younger brother, Lin Qingzhou, arrived just in time and called from the stairs.
"All right, I'm coming! You two watch some TV..."
Lin Chao Ci hurriedly extricated himself, setting Lin Weiyi down. After a few words to the two of them, he headed for the study.
Knock, knock, knock!
"Come in!"
He knocked and entered the study.
His father was leaning back on the sofa, smoking with a frown on his face.
"You're here! The people I sent have reported back. Some sections of Lishui Dam's walls have already cracked. Fortunately, the water flow is still low this flood season. If the river rises any further, the dam really could be washed away..."
Having served as an official for so long, Lin Jianguo naturally had plenty of trusted subordinates.
He had only sent them out the previous night, and by that afternoon, he had already received their report.
The situation at Lishui Dam was worse than expected.
Fortunately, the rainy season had not arrived yet, and the river was low. With more water, the dam could be washed away at any moment.
"The sooner we find the problem, the sooner we can fix it! Send people to reinforce the dam..."
"I want to reinforce it too, but the bureau has neither the money nor the manpower. I spoke to the province, but they don't have any money either. They can only give us a token amount for repairs, and that's nowhere near enough!"
"Didn't the higher-ups just allocate one billion to the province? It's only been a few months, and they've spent it all?"
"Yes. Projects needed funding, and there were outstanding construction payments too. As soon as the money arrived, it was all spent in no time!"
The situation was worse than expected.
The water resources bureau had no money, and neither did the province. Nobody was taking the problem at Lishui Dam seriously.
If Lin Jianguo had not had connections, someone else asking for that money probably would not have received a cent.
Clearly, the province did not consider Lishui Dam a priority.
First, Lishui Dam had only been built in recent years. How could anything go wrong after just a few years of use?
Second, they preferred to stay out of anything that did not concern them. They were not in charge of water resources projects, so even if something happened, it would have nothing to do with them.
Third, the local faction was targeting Lin Jianguo. Even if they had money, they would not give it to him.
Reinforcing and repairing the dam would require at least a million.
What a bunch of idiots. Lives are at stake, and they're still busy with factional infighting! A bunch of hopeless incompetents. Once things settle down in Xichuan Province's political circles, I'll hand all the evidence of your crimes to the higher-ups!
Lin Chao Ci held those people in utter contempt.
An official should fulfill the responsibilities of his position.
He had originally wanted to give them a chance to turn over a new leaf, but now that seemed unnecessary. When the time came, he would submit all the evidence of their crimes.
"If the province won't give us money, and we can't ask the higher-ups, then we'll raise it from below! Dad, have you heard of fundraising..."
Lin Chao Ci quickly offered a solution.
The Lin Family had powerful connections, with plenty of people higher up and contacts in departments both large and small.
If they asked the higher-ups, they would certainly be able to obtain the money to repair the dam.
But what about next time, or the time after that?
They could not ask the higher-ups for money every time, seeking help from the adults at every turn.
Only knowing how to turn to adults, like a child, was a very immature way to behave.
It would affect how those above viewed him, and hurt his future political prospects.
So unless there was absolutely no other choice, it was best to avoid drawing on those connections.
With no money available from the province and asking the higher-ups out of the question, they could only raise the funds from the public.
Lin Chao Ci gave his father a rough outline of the plan.
"Good idea! That's an excellent approach!"
After hearing him out, Lin Jianguo clapped his hands in satisfaction, deeply impressed by his son's intelligence.
In those days, it was still relatively uncommon for businesspeople to donate money to build their reputations and gain publicity.
That was precisely the approach Lin Chao Ci intended to use.
They would gather Jishan City's wealthy residents together and hold a fundraising event.
The ten largest donors would have their names engraved on Lishui Dam.
The largest donor would have a monument erected at Lishui Dam.
An undertaking that benefited both the people and the country would enhance everyone's reputation once word spread.
Presumably, the businesspeople would be more than willing.
This approach was actually quite common in later years, but at the time, it would certainly be a first.
Of course, the fundraiser could not be held in his father's name. It had to be held under the water resources bureau, and the donations had to be made public and handled transparently.
Every penny had to go where it was needed most and withstand scrutiny from anyone, leaving no room for corruption.
Before you continue