[A quick preamble before diving in. A new month has begun, and during the past June, Dūshì Tòushì Yǎn maintained a stable update schedule of two six-thousand-character chapters daily, totaling 180,000 characters for the month, earning the network’s full attendance bonus of exactly five hundred yuan. I report this to all my esteemed readers. Originally, I planned to use these five hundred yuan for a short trip—perhaps find a seaside spot to gaze at the ocean—but since outstanding debts remain, I can’t bear to spend the money. Thus, I must continue to hide at home and remain a dedicated shut-in...]

The phenomenon of arbitrary toll collections on China's highways acts like arterial sclerosis, hindering the nation's development while sowing seeds of future instability.

This sector is as murky as a stagnant pond, to the extent that not only are the regulatory bodies bleeding it for profit, but even departments lacking proper authorization are desperately scheming to siphon off whatever they can.

This is precisely why Wang Zhuo encountered that farce involving inspectors numbered 9527 and 2046.

The other side of the expressway led directly into Jihua City territory. Having apprehended a group of fake highway enforcement officers, and to prevent any further complications, Wang Zhuo simply called the Jihua Municipal Government, briefly explained the situation, and informed them that he would arrive that evening.

According to the original itinerary, Wang Zhuo and his party were supposed to stop for rest around 7:00 PM at a service area nearly four hundred kilometers from Jihua City. They planned to depart at dawn the next day and arrive around 11:00 AM, just in time for lunch with the local leadership. However, he first skipped that service area stop, and then he ran into 9527, which unexpectedly caused him to arrive ahead of schedule.

Taoyuan Village falls under Liuhe County, which is governed by Jihua City. Consequently, Jihua City is one of the primary beneficiaries of the Taoyuan Copper Mine. The local government views this matter with extreme seriousness, having already designated it as the foremost priority on their governmental agenda. Since Wang Zhuo, Qi Fei, and Guan Yingying are the direct controlling shareholders of the Shengshi Dynasty corporation, according to established protocol regarding equivalent ranks, the Mayor of Jihua City would personally host them.

It was already 10:00 PM when Yang Xu, Secretary to Mayor Su Shouyuan, arrived home, only to receive a call from Wang Zhuo. After listening to Wang Zhuo’s brief narration of events, Yang Xu could only resign himself to bad luck, slapping his chest and assuring Wang Zhuo that he would be waiting to greet him at the zero-kilometer marker.

"What a massive headache…" he muttered with a wry smile after hanging up. Checking the time, he immediately dialed Mayor Su Shouyuan.

"Mayor Shouyuan, I have an urgent matter to report to you…"

One hour later, Mayor Su personally led a contingent. The municipal government dispatched three sedans, while the Transportation Bureau and the Criminal Police Detachment each sent two vehicles. They lined up in formation at the expressway exit.

Although 9527 and his group were certainly not from Jihua City, they had angered a distinguished guest of Jihua City—one who held significant importance even to the Provincial Party Committee and Government. Therefore, Mayor Su decided to overstep protocol this one time: arrest this group of criminal suspects first.

At midnight, the fake highway enforcement vehicles, flashing their azure warning lights, led the way. Trailing behind them, the Mercedes-Benz RV—which from a distance resembled a long-haul coach—moved slowly as the convoy descended from the highway.

Su Shouyuan exchanged a wry look with his secretary, Yang Xu. Both realized that the fake enforcers had made a mistake in vehicle identification, mistaking this opulent business coach for a common long-distance bus. Even Su Shouyuan had never seen a vehicle this large; he thought it was less a car and more like a small house.

Someone from the Transportation Bureau muttered quietly, "Driving a vehicle this size all the way from Jiangzhou—what were they thinking?"

A few sharp-eyed observers noticed the anomaly and exclaimed in surprise, "That’s an RV…"

As the Mercedes-Benz RV drew closer, everyone finally saw clearly that this was no ordinary bus. Through the lights, they could make out an interior featuring a living room, a kitchen, and even a staircase leading upstairs.

Wang Zhuo had changed into a dress shirt and trousers, and the two women were also in formal attire. As the three stepped out of the vehicle, they were greeted by applause from the leaders and staff of the Jihua Municipal Government. Yang Xu stepped forward to introduce himself before presenting Mayor Su Shouyuan to Wang Zhuo.

The Mayor himself leading the reception? Wang Zhuo was quite surprised and quickly stepped forward to shake Su Shouyuan’s hand. According to the original plan, a Vice Mayor was supposed to greet them the next day, followed by a meeting with Mayor Su at a restaurant. He hadn't expected the Mayor to come in person.

"Chairman Wang, you’ve had a hard journey," Su Shouyuan said, shaking Wang Zhuo’s hand with a warm smile, though inwardly he harbored some criticism: Jihua City had an airport in Sanyuanpu District; why didn't this man take the convenient flight, but insist on driving, only to run into trouble on the road? Wasn't that just creating unnecessary mess?

Despite his internal thoughts, he showed not a hint of displeasure on his face. He dared not look down upon this young man who was around the same age as his own son; after all, Wang Zhuo was associated with a high-ranking official who was on the cusp of entering the Politburo Standing Committee. Even though Jiangzhou and Jihua were separated by mountains and distance, and Qin Xue’s influence couldn't easily reach this corner of the province, who knew what the situation might be like in a few years?

Su Shouyuan was in his early forties, a Mayor holding the rank of Department Director, right in his prime. With effort, he still hoped to advance a few more steps. For someone like Wang Zhuo, a favored associate of future national leaders, flattering him might not yield immediate returns, but offending him could certainly bring bad luck.

Therefore, his attitude toward Wang Zhuo was exceedingly enthusiastic, and his posture was markedly humble. Although Wang Zhuo was only two years older than his son, his status dictated deference.

"I’m truly sorry to trouble Mayor Su to welcome me so late in the evening," Wang Zhuo responded sincerely, shaking Su Shouyuan’s hand with both of his.

Regrettably, due to the unusual circumstances, no press or television crews had been notified, so this moment could not be captured by camera for the front-page headline of the Jihua Daily a few days later. Nevertheless, Wang Zhuo felt quite pleased with himself regardless.

He thought to himself, I can’t believe I’ve reached a point where I warrant a personal reception from a city mayor.

After the handshake, Wang Zhuo introduced, "Mayor Su, this is Ms. Qi Fei from our company, the General Manager of the Jewelry Division."

What a beautiful woman, Su Shouyuan inwardly praised, shaking Qi Fei’s hand.

Wang Zhuo then extended his hand again: "And this is Miss Guan Yingying, who will assume the role of General Manager of the Mineral Transport Department."

Su Shouyuan shook Guan Yingying’s hand as well, thinking, Another great beauty? This young man Wang Zhuo certainly has good fortune with women.

Looking behind them, there was no one else of note, only four young women standing slightly further out, all dressed identically, giving off an indescribable aura.

"They are Ms. Qi’s and Ms. Guan’s personal assistants," Wang Zhuo explained with a smile.

His unspoken message was clear: We have finished our introductions. The people requiring official identification are these three. Now it’s your turn.

Mayor Su Shouyuan possessed the necessary grace and cultivation befitting his office, but he was momentarily taken aback. He had expected that since Shengshi Dynasty brought such a massive bus, they would surely have brought along some mid-level managers or senior technicians. He was utterly surprised that the only ones presentable for this level of greeting were this one man and two women.

Seeing Mayor Su’s momentary lapse, Yang Xu quickly stepped in to smooth things over, smiling, "Mayor Shouyuan, it’s so late. Perhaps we should head to the banquet hall first and chat there?"

"Yes, yes!" Mayor Su’s expression immediately relaxed, and he laughed heartily, "Chairman Wang, the city has prepared a welcoming banquet for you. Let’s discuss matters at the hall!"

"In that case, thank you very much, Mayor Su," Wang Zhuo replied with a nod and a smile.

"Come, come, please get into my car," Su Shouyuan invited warmly.

Wang Zhuo chuckled and said, "If it’s not too intrusive, perhaps Mayor Su and Secretary Yang would prefer to ride in my vehicle. Mine is much more spacious, and it even has a living room."

"Oh?" Su Shouyuan’s interest was immediately piqued. "Very well then, let's take your car."

So, Su Shouyuan, Yang Xu, the Director of the General Office, and a Department Chief who would frequently liaise with the Taoyuan Copper Mine all squeezed into Wang Zhuo’s RV. With police cars leading the way, the motorcade sped toward the hotel prepared for Wang Zhuo.

From beginning to end, no one mentioned the matter of 9527 and the others; such an unpleasant topic was unsuitable for this occasion. Two female bodyguards remained behind to oversee the transfer of 9527 and his crew to the police, and then they quickly caught up with the main convoy in a police car.

Having tyrannized the highway for three and a half years, these men were the envy of the village—local upstarts relying on the village head's connections to grease the palms of the highway management authorities. During hours when management wasn't actively patrolling, they amassed fortunes. The aware officials, having accepted benefits from their subordinates, turned a blind eye. Unfortunately for them, this time they had kicked an iron plate named Wang Zhuo, and ruin was surely coming.

Once inside Wang Zhuo’s RV, Su Shouyuan maintained his composure, while the others acted like country bumpkins gawking at a feast—as if Liu Laolao had entered the Grand View Garden. Since there was nothing pressing to discuss formally at that moment, the vehicle itself became the primary topic of conversation.

At the welcoming banquet, Lu Weimin also occupied a seat at the main table. Given his position as Security Manager for the Shengshi Dynasty Group, his rank was equivalent to that of a mine manager at Taoyuan Copper Mine. In a state-owned enterprise, this would equate to a division-level official. Although the gap in rank between him and Mayor Su Shouyuan (a Department Director level) was substantial, it would have been awkward for the Shengshi Dynasty side to have only one man and two women seated at the head table while drinking.

Lu Weimin’s trajectory—from being the driver and bodyguard for a small boss to dining at the same table as a city mayor—represented a massive leap. During the meal, watching his cousin Wang Zhuo clink glasses, laugh, and converse smoothly with the municipal leaders, he couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion. In just over a year, Wang Zhuo had grown into an extraordinary figure.

The Jihua government officials were equally impressed by Wang Zhuo. They even began to suspect he might be the illegitimate son of some powerful figure; how else could someone of his mere twenty years maintain such calm poise in this setting? His composed demeanor and steady movements were things few young men could master.

The feast concluded happily around 2:00 AM when Su Shouyuan and his party took their leave. Wang Zhuo and his group escorted them to the parking lot, watched the important figures depart, and only then returned to the hotel.

Mayor Su Shouyuan sat in his car, reflecting on his brief two-hour interaction with Wang Zhuo, and compared it silently to his own troublesome son, ending with a wry, wordless sigh.

He let out a breath and genuinely exclaimed, "If one is to have a son, it should be like Wang Zhuo—"

Meanwhile, at the exact same moment, some unscrupulous middle-aged man far away in Jiangzhou was basking in glory at a university alumni reunion. Among the classmates who envied or admired him, a single thought echoed in their minds, mirroring Mayor Su Shouyuan’s sentiment precisely.