MWC – Chapter 136 Rivals

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Leaving Elder Qing’s house and getting into Lu Ming’s car, Wei Baozeng sighed with shame, “Qianxing, I didn’t expect that now, among the party members, you as a newcomer visit Elder Qing more often than I do.”

Lu Ming smiled.

Wei Baozeng glanced at Lu Ming and initially wanted to mention that Jiahe seemed to have a different attitude towards him but decided against it. Instead, he asked, “Within the party, the number of people explicitly supporting your entry into the Seven Committee is still too few. It seems like Jiahe has talked to each of them individually, but the results haven’t been great. However, among the Allied Party, the Farm Guard Alliance, heavily influenced by Elder Qing, is willing to support you, though they only have three seats in the parliament.”

Lu Ming nodded, “Actually, whether or not I can enter the Seven Committee this time isn’t particularly important.”

Wei Baozeng looked puzzled, “Then why did you propose this condition? Many within the party are dissatisfied with you because of it.”

Lu Ming sighed inwardly. If it weren’t for his friend’s extraordinary status as the heir of Baoyin Bank, he probably wouldn’t have become the party whip of the Grand Public Party and wouldn’t be suitable for politics either.

If it were someone else, he wouldn’t continue this topic. But looking at Wei Baozeng, Lu Ming smiled, “Do you think I’m now a faction within the party?”

Wei Baozeng was taken aback. Yes, although his friend had just joined the party and had not yet been elected as a member, he brazenly demanded the party’s full support for his entry into the Seven Committee, which caused a lot of dissatisfaction. However, some colleagues within the party who admired Elder Qing and genuinely believed that his friend was more suitable for the Seven Committee than other candidates had started to rally around him.

Even some senior members at the party headquarters in Donghai had inquired about his friend’s situation.

Without a doubt, even before being elected as a member, his friend had already become an important figure within the party in Beiguan, even establishing a small faction with the Lu faction’s banner.

If next time, his friend again sought full party support for the Seven Committee, it would no longer be surprising but rather expected.

“Of course, I will do my best to achieve a good result, though the chances are slim,” Lu Ming smiled.

“Alright, no matter what, I will fully support you!” Wei Baozeng said, feeling a bit ashamed. Thinking about it, as the party whip, it seemed he didn’t have many colleagues willing to support his friend fully.

If not for his friend’s bold move, he might not have realized this point.

“It seems I need to focus more on party affairs,” Wei Baozeng sighed deeply.

Lu Ming laughed, “No, you should keep an eye on the bank. I need a higher year-end dividend!”

Wei Baozeng shook his head helplessly, “You still care about that little dividend?” his friend had terrifyingly high numbers in the Han Dynasty Private Equity and Golden Arch Public Equity funds’ custodian accounts. Although he didn’t know the exact shares his friend held or the investors involved, he had recently invested a hand in it.

“Oh, let me get off at the next corner!” Wei Baozeng saw they were approaching the Baoyin Bank headquarters.

Lu Ming nodded, “I’ll go see brother Liu. I need to advise him; he can’t spend money like that!”

…

Leaving the New Era Mall, Lu Ming felt a bit helpless. Liu Laocai had given him several more black membership cards, offering a 40% discount. Normally, the number of black cards within the validity period might not exceed ten. Still, Liu Laocai gave him eight, saying they were great gifts for those poor members, providing face and practicality without being considered aid. Those struggling members would feel honored to receive such cards.

However, to be honest, the goods at the New Era Mall were all branded. Even with a 40% discount, the cost of some items might exceed the selling price, factoring in labor and venue fees. Selling an item would result in a loss.

Shaking his head, Lu Ming thought about not giving these cards away casually but to people around him, like Pamela, who loved shopping. Although recently, she preferred personalized shopping services, the New Era Mall, despite being the best in Beiguan, might not catch her eye anymore.

As for his brother Liu, Lu Ming decided to find ways to compensate him from other sources.

Looking at the thin document folder in his hand, he told the driver, “Go to the Zou An Garden!”

Inside the folder was Jin Meiyan’s admission notice from Fernard Academy. Liu Laocai had arranged it, donating 1,000 yuan to the school to secure the admission spot. However, the staff and ordinary teachers were unaware of the students’ backgrounds.

According to age, Jin Meiyan should be entering the sixth grade if she started school at seven. Her twin sister, Jin Meizhen, had skipped two grades and was in the second year of middle school, in the same class as Lu Ming.

The admission notice for Jin Meiyan indicated she would be entering the sixth grade.

…

Listening to the playful voices of young girls on the balcony, Lu Ming opened the glass door and walked down a few steps, seeing several figures in the pool. He turned back.

Both Bess and Xiuxiu were there.

Recently, Xiuxiu had been staying here, with someone taking her to visit her grandmother daily.

Yesterday, Lu Ming had someone bring Bess over. Firstly, Bess wanted to see her sister Meiyan; secondly, he felt that making friends with Xiuxiu would be a positive influence on Bess.

Unexpectedly, the little girls were having a great time, playing in the pool.

Initially, he didn’t want to disturb them, but Jin Meiyan, with her sharp eyes, quickly brought the two little girls back. They were all in swimsuits, and Jin Meiyan draped white towels over the little ones, asking them to dry themselves and change clothes.

Bess, however, ran over, intending to leap into Lu Ming’s lap but realized she was all wet. She smiled, “Uncle, I’ll go change clothes.” Then she ran to the dressing room.

Lu Ming sighed with relief, initially startled and ready to catch her.

When Jin Meiyan and the little ones returned, they had changed and sat quietly on the sofas.

Bess wanted to snuggle into her uncle’s arms but, seeing her friends sit so properly, she joined them, sitting neatly.

Bess and Xiuxiu wore matching white gauze dresses, white socks, and little slippers. Bess looked like a cute little princess, while Xiuxiu’s darker skin and demeanor seemed somewhat out of place with the outfit, evoking sympathy.

“You’re quick with dressing today!” Lu Ming looked at Bess, surprised, as she was usually slow, often scolded by her mother for it.

Bess giggled, “Sister Meiyan helped me with my socks!” She stretched out her foot in white socks, “Uncle, these socks are pretty!”

Lu Ming glanced at Jin Meiyan, nodding inwardly. Unexpectedly, the delinquent girl was good at taking care of little kids.

“Xiuxiu, you’ll be moving soon, just downstairs. Your grandmother will be brought here with specialized medical care. The expenses will be covered by your fund. Here, take a look.” Lu Ming handed her some documents. The firm had obtained legal guardianship over Xiuxiu.

“I know you can’t understand, but I wanted to show you as a formality.” Lu Ming smiled, “Don’t be so tense. Relax as if I’m not here. Alright, go play! Bess, take Xiuxiu to play; I need to talk to Meiyan.”

“Uncle, thank you, but I only know how to make lemonade…” Xiuxiu lowered her head, her eyes red.

The little girl knew what this scary uncle had done for her but didn’t know how to repay him. She could only make very cheap lemonade.

Lu Ming smiled, “If you have time, make lemonade for me. I’ve never had such good lemonade!”

“Really? Great! I’ll make it for you every day!” Xiuxiu looked up, eyes wide with surprise, not expecting that she had a skill the scary yet respectful uncle would recognize.

“Alright, go play!”

Bess came over, like a little adult, comforting her friend, wiping her tears, and leading her to play with dolls in the room.

Only Jin Meiyan remained. Lu Ming took out a thin document folder, “Here’s your admission notice to Farnard. Arrange to handle it in a few days. No need to board; coordinate with the housekeeper for a long-term car service to and from school.”

Lu Ming felt it was good for Jin Meiyan to stay here. Bess and Xiuxiu would have a secret garden to play in, and she was good at household chores, sparing him the trouble of finding another maid.

Waving his hand, he said, “Go play.”

Lu Ming took a stack of documents from his briefcase and started reading.

They were materials on the current district three councilor, Yang Guiren.

Yang Guiren had seen him before, he was involved in making films, and had visited Wind Bao with little Renault. With his neatly parted hair, he appeared refined, but deep down, he was quite sycophantic. It wasn’t necessarily that he was specifically flattering Westerners; if high society were composed of Japanese or Central Continent people, it would be the same for him.

He had undermined the Justice Party’s councilman in the 49th district and was aiming to take over the 3rd district as well.

Thinking about it, the Justice Party now likely saw him as a formidable threat.

Initially, he figured that since he had offended the Justice Party, he might as well go all in and target one of them.

Of course, politics is always complex—enemies aren’t always enemies forever, and friends, even less so.

Hmm, Lu Ming was slightly surprised, not noticing when Jin Meiyan had sat on the other side of the sofa.

“Uncle, Bess and Xiuxiu are tired from playing and have fallen asleep,” Jin Meiyan said softly.

Lu Ming nodded, looking at her. She certainly had something to say to him; otherwise, how would she dare sit near him? Although they were on the same sofa, they were quite far apart. This long sofa was very long; he sat in the middle, and she sat on the other end, with enough space between them for two or three people to sit.

Deep down, she was probably very afraid of him, like a rabbit facing a tiger.

Talking to him required a lot of courage.

“Uncle, I… I heard before that you can buy votes for councilman elections…”

“Oh? Where did you hear that?” Lu Ming asked casually, picking up a document from the table.

“At the billiard room. Apparently, it’s done by giving out New Year’s red envelopes, 10-yuan ones, but not everyone knows. They find a way to get these New Year’s red envelopes…”

Lu Ming nodded. The billiard room was a mixed crowd; maybe someone was boasting, or maybe it was true.

After all, in a small area, buying a few hundred votes can often sway the outcome in some districts.

However, even if there were vote-buying incidents, it didn’t mean they were in any specific district, and he certainly wouldn’t use such methods.

This little girl was probably racking her brains to think of how she could help him.

“Alright, if you hear anything like this again, you can tell me!” Lu Ming said as he picked up another document.

He had about an hour here before he had to go meet with military personnel to discuss the military academy’s curriculum.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Jin Meiyan hadn’t left but picked up a comic book to read. Lu Ming couldn’t help but chuckle silently. Was she practicing her courage? How long could she last in front of him, the “tiger”?

Jin Meiyan was wearing a long, white T-shirt with a skull pattern that reached past her knees, revealing a pair of smooth, white calves. From the side, she looked like a sweet young girl, but her white calves were tattooed with words, something philosophical about life being inherently bitter. Her delicate ankles had a small tattoo of a budding flower. The slippers she wore weren’t transparent, but he remembered seeing tattoos on her toes as well. When she first arrived, she wore more revealing clothes, showing off her pretty tattoos, even on her chest.

Lu Ming shook his head, then said, “When I have time later, I’ll deal with the loan sharks you borrowed from.”

Jin Meiyan was stunned. “Uncle, they’re not even worth a toenail of yours. You don’t need to waste your time on them, besides…” She lowered her head. “It was my own…”

Before she finished speaking, Lu Ming laughed, “A toenail? That comparison is so uncultured, you’re almost catching up to me.” He added, “You’re my person now, my little housekeeper here, so naturally, you can’t be bullied!”

If Murong Xue were here, she’d know exactly what the boss meant. These loan sharks were likely repeat offenders, and Jin Meiyan wasn’t the only victim. They probably frequently deceived and intimidated underage girls who were already in difficult situations, pushing them into no-return scenarios.

Hearing Lu Ming’s words, Jin Meiyan lowered her head, her face slightly red, and said softly, “Thank you, uncle.” She added, “Uncle, in a few days, I want to get my tattoos removed and go back to school.”

Oh? Lu Ming realized she had been secretly observing his reaction. When he shook his head at her tattoos, she noticed.

“Forget it, the tattoos are quite pretty.” Lu Ming waved it off. The current technology for removing tattoos was painful and ineffective, almost like peeling off a layer of skin, leaving large scars.

After a brief pause, Lu Ming took a pen from his briefcase and handed it to her, “Here, a gift for you. Study hard!” He felt his words should carry significant weight with her, so he encouraged her.

“Thank you, uncle!” Jin Meiyan stood up, took two steps forward, and received the pen with both hands, treating it like a precious gift.

She went back to her room and returned with a few textbooks, sitting on the far side of the sofa, studying seriously, marking with the pen.

Lu Ming found it amusing, unsure if she was putting on a show for him. She developed quickly, and people might believe she was sixteen or seventeen, but mentally, she was still a child, doing things to please adults.

He turned back, soon immersing himself in revising the military academy’s curriculum.

When the musical doorbell rang, Lu Ming was modifying a line of text. Originally, the text was about how public safety armed officers, during armed patrols, with the consent of the on-site commander, could question and check the documents of suspected individuals, and inspect suspicious items and vehicles.

Lu Ming added, “limited to within the security zone.”

Basically, if armed officers were dispatched with court-authorized security zones, it usually meant there were extremely dangerous violent elements present.

This change meant that vehicle searches were only legally permissible within the authorized security zone.

The musical doorbell rang once, indicating that his accompanying staff was reminding him it was time to go.

Turning his head, Lu Ming chuckled. Jin Meiyan had fallen asleep on the sofa beside him at some point.

Her knees were curled up inside the large white T-shirt, revealing only her white feet. Despite her young age, her feet were adorned with seductive black nail polish and sparkling nail art, with tattoos on her toes and a small vibrant flower tattoo on her smooth, white instep, exuding an alluring charm.

One small hand was stretched out, almost touching his clothes but not quite.

Shaking his head, Lu Ming picked up his briefcase and walked out.

……

In the black business car outside, Murong Xue’s face looked solemn.

“To the Navy restaurant,” Lu Ming said, then asked Murong Xue, “What’s the matter?”

Murong Xue sneered, “I just received news that Yang Guiren went to the constituency, distributing mooncakes door-to-door, and the gift boxes contained 1-yuan vouchers for the Guangchanglong shopping mall.”

“Really?” Lu Ming was taken aback.

“Yang Guiren has announced he will not run for the councilman of the 3rd district, but he accompanied someone named Madam Jia.”

Lu Ming immediately frowned.

“Boss, it seems you know this person.”

Lu Ming nodded. The name was unique, so he remembered it.

In Old Ghost’s investigation booklet on the extremist organizations in Donghai, there was a mention of Karl Bucklow.

He was the son of Northgate’s chief councilman, Old Bucklow. Old Bucklow had only one son, Karl.

The booklet contained a rumor that young Bucklow was also a supporter of the White Rose organization.

And young Bucklow married a woman from the Central Continent. This woman, surnamed Jia, changed her name after marrying young Bucklow to Madam Jia.

The unique name stuck with him.

Moreover, although the booklet was mainly about extremist organizations, it included a few lines introducing Madam Jia.

It stated that Madam Jia was ambitious and greatly favored by Old Bucklow, who considered his son’s marriage to her a wise move, as it provided his otherwise unpromising son with a capable wife, ensuring the Bucklow family’s future.

This indicated that Madam Jia was not a simple character.

Now, Madam Jia was stepping into politics, with her first move being to oppose him?

Lu Ming smiled, “Alright, I’ll send her a grand gift later.” Then he told the driver, “No need to change the itinerary; let’s go to the Navy restaurant first.”