Chapter 117: Jia Qing's Domineering Nature

In comparison, Lin Yu felt even more strongly that the innocence in Xiao Qiangwei—who simply said, "I just love music, I just love to sing"—was particularly rare, as clean as a Norwegian forest and untainted by the impurities of the mundane world.

"Hey, why do you seem so indifferent to these two beautiful stars?" Jiang Lele asked with a smile as Lin Yu fell into a brief contemplation.

Lin Yu glanced at her and nodded. "I’m not really interested. I’m not a fan of celebrities."

"Heh, it’s not just fans who like female stars. Look at those young men and officials—their eyes are practically popping out of their heads!" Jiang Lele rested her hands on the table, observing the men present with interest.

Lin Yu followed her gaze, and indeed, almost everyone in the hall had their eyes fixed on Lin Yaqing and Wang Bing. The vast majority of the men’s gazes were filled with undisguised, raw desire.

Accompanied by them, Jia Qing, dressed in a black suit with his hands in his pockets, also became the focus of everyone’s attention. After standing at the entrance for a few minutes, he led the two actresses toward the table reserved for city leadership.

However, at that moment, aside from the most prominent figure, Municipal Party Secretary Jia Quanhe, who had yet to arrive, the rest were already seated: Police Chief Wang Daoquan, Organization Department Minister Zhan Chengbo, Personnel Bureau Director Zeng Cheng, Urban Management Bureau Director Zhang Kailai, Deputy Party Secretary Guo Wenshun, and Deputy Mayor Yang Xiong. None of them made any move to offer him a seat.

Only those from his father’s faction—Deputy Party Secretary Guo Wenshun, Organization Minister Zhan Chengbo, and Urban Management Director Zhang Kailai—stood up to greet him with smiles. After all, to them, Jia Qing, the son of the Party Secretary, was akin to a crown prince.

Seeing this, Jia Qing sneered. While shaking hands with these influential leaders, he introduced the two stunning actresses to them. Being men of status representing the official face of Bincheng, the leaders remained relatively decorous as they greeted the beauties. The two actresses, as the center of attention, were equally composed, maintaining an air of aloof superiority.

After a brief introduction, Jia Qing narrowed his eyes sharply and slammed his hand onto the table. As several pieces of tableware clattered to the floor, he glared at Police Chief Wang Daoquan, then swept his gaze over Personnel Director Zeng Cheng and Deputy Mayor Yang Xiong.

He spoke in a mocking, provocative tone: "I say, you high-ranking officials, shouldn't you lead by example and show some class? It doesn't look good to keep these beauties standing here, does it?"

His voice was loud, clearly heard by those at nearby tables. Many began to whisper, feeling that Jia Qing was being far too arrogant.

Police Chief Wang Daoquan, known for his fiery temper, could no longer tolerate the provocation. He stood up and cursed, "You little brat, is this a place for your nonsense? Let me tell you, even your father, Jia Quanhe, wouldn't dare speak to me like that!"

"Well, I just said it. What are you going to do about it? Stop acting like an elder lecturing me!" Jia Qing retorted with a cold sneer, clearly holding the powerful police chief in total contempt. In Bincheng, he was the only young man who would dare act this way. Thinking of this, the smirk on his lips widened.

"You..." Stung by the taunt, Wang Daoquan’s legs trembled with rage, his hand reaching instinctively for his sidearm.

Seeing this, Yang Xiong could no longer sit by. He rose, restrained the agitated Wang Daoquan, and asked Personnel Director Zeng Cheng with a smile: "If someone in this world slanders me, bullies me, insults me, laughs at me, belittles me, despises me, hates me, or deceives me, how should I deal with them?"

Personnel Director Zeng Cheng, a man in his fifties with greying hair, smiled and replied: "Just tolerate him, yield to him, let him be, avoid him, endure him, respect him, ignore him, and wait a few more years, then you shall see what becomes of him."

"Heh, he will never amount to anything," Yang Xiong added with a hollow smile, then led the fuming Police Chief Wang Daoquan to a more secluded table.

The table was empty, and the three of them sat in a somewhat desolate atmosphere. Due to the immense influence of Party Secretary Jia Quanhe, no one dared to join them, while those who might have wanted to felt they lacked the rank to do so. This left the three officials feeling even more awkward.

Seeing the three heavyweights pushed aside, Jia Qing laughed audaciously. He turned to the two actresses and said, "Sit down, make yourselves at home. Here, I’m the one in charge."

"Heh," Lin Yaqing gave a faint smile and sat down gracefully.

Wang Bing said with a hint of coldness, "Then I won't stand on ceremony."

After that incident, their attitude toward Jia Qing softened, and the icy arrogance in their eyes diminished significantly.

Jia Qing, highly satisfied with their response and basking in the limelight, began to feel that the money spent on his two luxury sports cars was well worth it. The only regret was that Xiao Qiangwei was missing; otherwise, he could have had a "one king, three queens" scenario instead of just one king and two queens.

Not long after this interlude, Municipal Party Secretary Jia Quanhe and Mayor Wang Kezhou appeared at the entrance of the auditorium together, chatting and laughing.

Watching these two, who were locked in a fierce, secret power struggle, act so intimate in public, many began to realize that performance was an art form every official must master. Compared to many celebrities in the entertainment industry, these officials were the true veteran actors, the peerless performers.

There is a thousand-year-old saying in officialdom: "One rank higher crushes a person." Regardless of whether Mayor Wang Kezhou was convinced, he was always a step below the Party Secretary.

As they walked slowly into the hall, he habitually stepped back, keeping himself half a step behind Jia Quanhe. That half-step made most of the officials in Wang Kezhou’s faction feel as though they were a cut below the other side. For a moment, it dampened their spirits.

Only Yang Xiong, Police Chief Wang Daoquan, and Personnel Director Zeng Cheng, sitting in their secluded corner, remained completely unaffected. At their level, their composure was as unshakable as a rock.

Personnel Director Zeng Cheng, who held higher status than Urban Management Director Zhang Kailai but had been suppressed by Jia Quanhe, didn't take the slight to heart. Even Police Chief Wang Daoquan’s seemingly extreme reaction was largely just for show. At their level, they did not care about petty honors or humiliations. Of course, being provoked by an unreasonable brat still left Wang Daoquan feeling stifled, but it wasn't enough to make him lose his composure entirely.