Not only Zhao Yougen recognized Director Zhang, but some of the official guests upstairs in his tea shop recognized him too. An official by the window whispered, "The Provincial Organization Department Head is here, and the Provincial Health Department Director is here—impressive, two high-ranking officials at once! Who do you suppose is across the street?"

Mayor Zeng, though maintaining a composed exterior, felt a prickle of doubt, secretly pondering whether he should go over and exchange greetings.

He was listening intently as the officials next to him cataloged the arrivals across the way, when they exclaimed, "Oh, look, a car from the Provincial Military Region! Wow, a Major General with one gold star on his shoulder?"

"Hey, isn't that Major General Luo?"

Hearing this, Mayor Zeng couldn't help but be slightly moved, thinking: Military connections too? How formidable!

"Hey, here comes another one—a car from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection!"

"And look, behind that is a car from the Provincial Department of Culture!"

"Why are so many provincial officials showing up? What is going on across the street?"

As one official car after another passed the entrance of Li Yundong's shop, the guests seated high up in Zhao Yougen's tea house began to grow restless. They shifted in their seats, whispering amongst themselves.

"Hey, should we go over and see?"

"Right, so many bosses are arriving; we can't not go over and say hello! What if they remember you later and make things difficult for you?"

"Pah, you think they even know who you are?"

"Well, that's not the point! On this patch of ground in China, isn't that how politics works? Better to be cautious!"

"Stop talking. Let's watch Mayor Zeng. If he goes, we go!"

Mayor Zeng's resolve was wavering seriously. As he hesitated, the officials near the window suddenly gasped in unison, one stammering, "The, the Provincial Party Secretary's car, Mayor Zeng, you... come look quickly!"

Mayor Zeng could no longer remain seated. He shot up, rushed to the window, leaned out, and instantly sucked in a sharp breath.

Below, a middle-aged man in a grey Zhongshan suit, his temples showing streaks of white, was emerging. This man exuded authority, and it was none other than Provincial Party Secretary Li Yuanbo.

"It truly is Secretary Li!" Mayor Zeng turned and bolted toward the stairs, only to halt after a few steps. He straightened his jacket meticulously before hurrying downstairs.

Seeing Mayor Zeng take the lead, the other officials exchanged glances and promptly rose, descending in a rush.

Among the guests upstairs were not only officials from Tiannan City's political circle but also some prominent figures from the business world, and even second-tier celebrities like Wang Li from the film industry.

They watched Mayor Zeng rush downstairs, leaving them momentarily hesitant, wondering if they should follow.

Especially Wang Li. Her mere appearance had initially drawn everyone's attention; after all, one celebrity was worth more than a hundred officials in terms of immediate sensation. But soon after, Liu Feier arrived across the way, completely overshadowing her, sparking a mix of resentment and jealousy in Wang Li. Yet, she was intensely curious: Who were these people across the street to be able to attract such a major star? Was she hired, like Wang Li? But why would a star as huge as Liu Feier take a gig at such a humble establishment? Wasn't she known as a socialite from an affluent family? Did she need the money too?

At that moment, Zhou Qin also spotted Li Yuanbo, exclaiming in surprise, "Uncle Li, why are you here?"

Li Yuanbo chuckled, "What, can this old man not come? Are you annoyed by me? Fine, I'll leave then!"

Zhou Qin scrambled, "No, no, Uncle Zhou, please come in, that’s not what I meant!"

Li Yundong also sensed that Li Yuanbo was no ordinary person. This middle-aged man carried the air of a superior, similar to Zhou Keqiang, yet imbued with greater elegance and humility. He murmured to Zhou Qin, "Who is this?"

Zhou Qin stared fixedly, "The Provincial Party Secretary, the top man!"

Li Yundong started. He understood that in ancient times, this man would be a regional governor, possessing astonishing power.

Li Yuanbo’s gaze then settled on Li Yundong. He assessed him from head to toe, nodding slightly, thinking: Well, he radiates energy, and his eyes show a certain spirit. I wonder what kind of person he is?

Li Yuanbo smiled slightly at Li Yundong and extended his hand, "You are Li Yundong?"

Li Yundong shook hands with the regional leader, smiling calmly and respectfully, "Yes, hello Uncle Li, I am Li Yundong."

Li Yuanbo felt Li Yundong’s grip was warm and firm, showing no sign of timidity. He thought, A newborn calf that doesn't fear the tiger; he has spirit and courage. Li Yuanbo knew many young people, and almost none could face him so composedly after learning his identity.

Li Yuanbo smiled and nodded at Li Yundong. He turned to Zhou Qin and said, "Qinqin, you have excellent taste. Very good!"

A flush spread across Zhou Qin's face. She shot Li Yuanbo a playful glare and retorted, "Uncle Li, Li Yundong is my master; of course, I have good taste!"

"Master?" Li Yuanbo looked at Li Yundong with some surprise, asking him, "What are you teaching Qinqin?"

Li Yundong smiled, "Nothing much, just some cultivation techniques."

"Cultivation techniques?" Li Yuanbo asked with interest, "Could you elaborate on what kind of cultivation?"

Li Yundong smiled faintly, "A flower, a leaf—that is the world. A word, an action—that is cultivation!"

Li Yuanbo's eyes lit up. He seemed to be seeing the young man anew. He took a step back, studied Li Yundong carefully once more, and then nodded slowly, "Good! Well said!"

Li Yuanbo looked seriously at Li Yundong and said, "I rarely see young people as grounded as you. No wonder Old Zhou praised you so highly." Then, glancing at Su Chan, Ziyuan, and the others behind Li Yundong, he suddenly laughed, "He said you are excellent in every way, except that you are too prone to romantic entanglements—that's not good!" With that, he burst into hearty, unrestrained laughter.

Seeing Li Yuanbo lingering at the entrance talking endlessly and refusing to enter, Zhou Qin grew impatient. She hurried over and grabbed his arm, saying, "Uncle Li, are you done talking? The people behind can’t get in!"

Li Yuanbo turned and saw that several cars were indeed blocked behind them, unable to proceed. But seeing the Provincial Party Secretary's primary vehicle leading the line, none dared honk or hurry the procession. They could only wait obediently behind, not daring to utter a sound.

Li Yuanbo chuckled wryly, "Alright, alright, let's go inside and talk!"

As he was about to move, a voice mixed with surprise and urgency called out from behind him, "Secretary Li, please wait!"

Li Yuanbo frowned inwardly. He turned to see Tiannan City's Mayor Zeng jogging towards him.

Mayor Zeng shed all his previous reserve, his face alight with excitement and enthusiasm. He rushed forward, extending both hands, grasping Li Yuanbo's hand firmly and shaking it vigorously, "Secretary Li, coming to Tiannan City and not giving us any notice? We haven't even hosted you properly; how can we subordinates face this?"

Li Yuanbo maintained a polite, reserved smile, chuckling, "It's little Zeng, isn't it? No need to be so formal!"

Mayor Zeng said excitedly, "No, no, Secretary Li taking time out of your busy schedule to guide our work in Tiannan City—this is a great honor for all of us in Tiannan City..."

Li Yuanbo interrupted before he could finish, "Little Zeng, you exaggerate! I came incognito today, neither for an inspection nor to guide work. I am merely attending a child's opening ceremony."

Mayor Zeng looked at Li Yundong, his face beaming, "I could tell at a glance that this young man is exceptional, possessing unusual bearing. Now seeing you, I realize he is truly extraordinary!"

Li Yundong smiled slightly. He didn't puncture the Mayor's words, shaking his hand courteously and saying with a smile, "Mayor Zeng, you flatter me!"

Li Yuanbo chuckled, feigning ignorance, and asked Mayor Zeng, "Little Zeng, where are you dining?"

Mayor Zeng jolted, then quickly laughed, "Naturally, wherever the leader is, that is where we subordinates will be!"

Li Yuanbo smiled at Li Yundong and asked, "Little Li, do you have enough seating here?"

Li Yundong replied without hesitation, "Yes, of course!" Then he turned and said to Su Chan and the others, "Quickly, go tidy up the tables upstairs!"

Su Chan sighed and led the little foxes away upstairs. Ziyuan tugged at Li Yundong's sleeve and whispered, "There are quite a few people. We didn't anticipate this many; I'm afraid we don't have enough tables!"

Li Yundong grimaced, "Are we supposed to ask people to leave?"

Ziyuan pondered for a moment, then her lips curved slightly. She winked at Li Yundong, signaling him to look outside.

Li Yundong followed Ziyuan's gaze and saw Zhao Yougen standing foolishly at the shop entrance, his eyes vacant, frozen like a statue.

Li Yundong asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"

Ziyuan smiled sweetly, "He has plenty of tables over there!"

Li Yundong laughed wryly, "You're kidding. Will he lend them?"

Ziyuan smirked, "Does he dare refuse?"

Li Yundong laughed heartily, "Your move is ruthless—cutting off the foundations! But that will completely alienate him!"

Ziyuan said calmly, "He is finished! Don't you know human nature is to kick someone when they're down?"

As she spoke, nearly every influential person still inside Zhao Yougen's tea house rushed out, eagerly trying to get close to Li Yuanbo, even if just to be seen in his presence for a moment!

However, the smile had vanished from Li Yuanbo's face. He wore an air of imposing majesty that discouraged approach. He turned to Zhou Qin and said, "Qinqin, your father told me to let you know he has officially taken office and cannot attend your and Li Yundong's opening ceremony to offer congratulations, so he asked me to deliver a gift. I spoke for so long I almost forgot."

Hearing this, everyone present felt a jolt in their hearts, thinking: Zhou Keqiang has truly made a comeback! The Zhou family has turned things around! No wonder so many dignitaries have shown up!

As Li Yuanbo spoke, his driver cleverly handed over two red envelopes inscribed with gold lettering. Li Yuanbo accepted them and solemnly placed them in Li Yundong's hands, saying, "This is a small token of our regard, please don't find it wanting! A light gift carries heavy sentiment!"

Li Yundong stared at the two red envelopes, hesitating: What kind of joke is this? The Provincial Party Secretary giving him a red envelope? Is this for real?

People nearby, seeing Li Yundong refuse, secretly cursed: Damn it, others would jump at the chance to get close to the Provincial Party Secretary, and he’s putting on airs!

Zhou Qin quickly tugged at Li Yundong's clothes discreetly. Only then did Li Yundong accept them with both hands, smiling, "Then Secretary Li, please come inside!"

Li Yuanbo chuckled and stepped inside.

Mayor Zeng tried to follow, but after taking one step, he suddenly remembered he was empty-handed, bearing no gift. How could he enter the host's door?

Mayor Zeng quickly turned and called his driver. The driver swiftly retrieved a gift box from the car and handed it to the Mayor. Mayor Zeng secretly wiped his brow, thinking: Thank goodness I keep some gifts from subordinates in the car, otherwise this would have been awkward today!

Mayor Zeng presented the gift to Li Yundong with a beaming smile, "Little brother, please don't look down on it!"

Seeing a mayor of his standing presenting a gift with both hands, Li Yundong chuckled inwardly but didn't press him, simply saying with a smile, "I wouldn't dare, Mayor Zeng. Your presence honors my humble shop. Please come in, please come in!"

Mayor Zeng still felt a bit anxious. Having spent years navigating the official currents, how could he not see the friction between Zhao Yougen and Li Yundong? He was afraid that by "backing the wrong side," he would incur the resentment of this mysterious young man. But now, seeing how magnanimous the young man was, Mayor Zeng was overjoyed, thinking: This young man knows the ropes, excellent, excellent!

Mayor Zeng walked inside with a smile. Outside, Zhao Yougen watched his figure wistfully, stretching his neck out, yet Mayor Zeng never spared him a backward glance.

Zhao Yougen was bleeding with hatred in his heart, but his hatred was directed at Mayor Zeng's heartless opportunism, not at Li Yundong. He now fully understood that this time he had kicked an iron plate; he had provoked someone he absolutely could not afford to provoke!

In Zhao Yougen's mind, the same questions churned endlessly: Why did the Zhou family suddenly bounce back overnight? Why did I have to provoke Li Yundong? In this land called China, offending an official is far more terrifying than offending the King of Hell. Especially for a local businessman like him, unless he could flee abandoning all his wealth and property, killing him would be easier than crushing an ant!

The more Zhao Yougen thought, the colder and more frightened he became. Despite the high sun overhead, he felt as if he were trapped in an ice cellar, utterly chilled to the bone.

The Qipao-clad beauties behind him, who had witnessed everything, watched Zhao Yougen’s forlorn silhouette with a sigh of realization. Some of them glanced back at the now deserted tea house, then looked across at the tea house teeming with honored guests, all sighing over how swiftly fortunes could change!

Suddenly, Li Yundong glanced at the tea house across the street, then at Zhao Yougen, and whispered with a low laugh to Ziyuan, "You were right!"

Ziyuan was busy ushering in the endless stream of guests and asked, puzzled, "About what?"

Li Yundong smiled faintly and quoted, "I saw his mansion rise, I saw him feast his guests, and I saw his mansion collapse!"

Ziyuan then understood that Li Yundong was referring to Zhao Yougen across the street. She smiled meaningfully, saying nothing.

Li Yundong sighed profoundly, "I saw his upstairs full of esteemed guests, and his front door desolate! What is retribution? This is retribution!"