Reborn as Zhao Ruilong of Handong, I will defy fate.

"receive!"

Zhao Ruilong readily agreed.

Although he had only been in this world for less than a day, he had already had enough of this frail body.

[Warning: Claiming the reward for this mission is expected to take five minutes.]

Dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea during the process are all normal phenomena.

what?

Vomiting and diarrhea?

Is this some kind of detoxification process to make me feel completely refreshed?

Zhao Ruilong rushed into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

I heard the door slam shut.

Zhao Lichun was not angry at all; instead, he looked at his second daughter, Zhao Xiaohui, with some resentment.

"Didn't you stop at a service area to rest on your way back? Look how restless Xiaolong is."

Zhao Xiaohui muttered, "It's only a two-hour drive, why do we need to go to a service area?"

"His kidneys are bad because he's been indulging himself almost every day since he got out of prison, which has weakened his kidneys!"

Zhao Lichun immediately looked displeased.

"What nonsense are you talking about? Your brother is perfectly healthy!"

"Yes, yes, very good!"

Zhao Xiaohui looked at the table full of delicious food.

He couldn't help but think to himself, if his older sister were here, she would definitely say that Dad was biased.

The table is full of my third brother's favorite foods!

He's a glutton, he wants to eat more than a dozen dishes?

however……

A few minutes later.

Zhao Ruilong took a shower, wrapped in a towel and shirtless, and went straight to the dining table.

As soon as I sat down, I started eating like crazy.

Not only did they finish all the dozen or so dishes, but they also ate three large bowls of white rice.

Zhao Ruilong drank most of the soup in the pot.

Hiccup~

After a satisfying, hearty burp.

Zhao Ruilong finally put down the soup bowl, satisfied.

The father and daughter, who had been stunned the whole time, finally came to their senses.

"Brother, looks like you're really hungry!"

"You're like a cabbage, you didn't leave anything for me and Dad!"

After looking at the clean plates, Zhao Xiaohui looked at Zhao Ruilong with shock and confusion.

"You didn't eat this much the day you were released!"

"And your skin tone is a bit tanned, but your muscle definition is quite nice?"

Zhao Lichun, who had been about to laugh, suddenly frowned.

The thought of her son, who had suffered seven years in prison, made her heart ache.

"Xiao Hui, shut up. If you're hungry, go ask Auntie to cook a few more dishes."

"I……"

Zhao Xiaohui immediately realized she had said the wrong thing and quickly got up and left.

"Dad, I'm sorry, I'm just too hungry."

"It's okay, I'm happy to see you eat so much."

As Zhao Lichun spoke, he hurriedly reached into his pocket.

He found cigarettes and a lighter and offered one to Zhao Ruilong.

"Those years were tough on you, and you suffered a lot."

"But don't worry, I will definitely make it up to you."

Zhao Ruilong took the cigarette and the lighter.

Although it's still hard to accept this 'father' in my heart.

But no matter what, the other party is considered an elder.

Having been taught to respect the elderly and care for the young since childhood, I felt really embarrassed to let my elders light my cigarette.

"Why don't you have one too?"

"Okay, sure!"

Snapped!

The lighter ignited.

Zhao Ruilong clearly noticed that Zhao Lichun's eyes seemed to be glistening with tears.

Logically speaking, Zhao Lichun, who had been working in the officialdom for more than 20 years, should have long since mastered the art of concealing his emotions.

But at this moment...

In the dining room, where only the father and son were sitting at the table, he couldn't help but reveal his true feelings.

At this moment, he felt no authority or power, only the joy of a loving father and filial son.

He puffed out smoke for a while.

Zhao Ruilong broke the silence.

He briefly explained that he would abandon the food court project.

After listening, Zhao Lichun narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Gao Yuliang doesn't even need to go to him; he knows he definitely won't approve it."

“Liang Qunfeng and I haven’t decided who’s the winner yet, so he wouldn’t dare to easily align himself with me.”

"But Li Dakang, who's been with me for five years... he's a real ungrateful wretch!"

Zhao Ruilong immediately advised, "He studied abroad and has a longer-term vision. I don't blame him for not signing."

"Oh, is it so?"

Zhao Lichun asked with some surprise:

"When the food court project was first mentioned, you were so determined to get it done, saying you would build it no matter what. Why don't you blame him now?"

Zhao Ruilong took a deep drag of his cigarette and said calmly:

"Crescent Lake is not only a scenic spot in Lüzhou City, but also a mother lake that nourishes more than three million people."

“Building a food court next to a lake where the ecology must be strictly protected will inevitably lead to pollution.”

"There shouldn't be any problems in the short term, but what about in the future? Even if a single drop of sewage gets into Crescent Lake, people will make a big deal out of it."

“Dad, even if you win this time, you can only work in Handong for another ten years at most. But Li Dakang is still eager to climb the ranks and definitely doesn’t want to have any blemishes on his resume.”

Having spent over twenty years in the system, Zhao Lichun is naturally very intelligent and quick to grasp concepts.

"That's true, if you say so."

"A new emperor brings a new court; once the emperor leaves, the tea grows cold!"

"When you have power and influence, no one dares to criticize you, but once you lose power, even uttering a fart becomes a crime!"

Zhao Ruilong chuckled and said, "So you have to defeat Liang Qunfeng, otherwise our family might soon be in trouble."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Lichun smiled slightly.

There was neither arrogance nor contempt, nor fear or cowardice.

It seems to be a kind of 'leaving it to fate' attitude.

"What are you laughing at? Does that mean that if you don't have a sure chance of winning, you can only leave it to fate?"

"Of course, the top position isn't something you can just fight for and win."

After taking a drag of his cigarette, Zhao Lichun frowned slightly and said:

"Even if Liang Qunfeng is senior, has a powerful background, and has Zhong Zhengguo's nomination support, so what?"

"The final decision-making power does not lie with Handong at all, but with Yanjing."

Zhao Ruilong flicked his cigarette ash and laughed, "I know that such an important position will definitely be thoroughly evaluated, but I believe you will win."

"Oh, why do you say that?"

Zhao Lichun asked with great interest and curiosity.

Zhao Ruilong smiled faintly.

"Is there any need to say that? The 15th Congress three years ago clearly stated that the period before 2010 was a crucial period for achieving modernization and a key stage for building a moderately prosperous society."

"Therefore, before the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the focus of our country was on developing the economy. To make great strides in economic development, we obviously needed a leader who was young, energetic, and willing to fight."

“Liang Qunfeng comes from a political and legal background. How would he know how to accelerate economic development? Besides, he should be sixty years old this year and should be retiring to the second line. How can he compare to you, who are in the prime of your life?”

Wear it a thousand times, but flattery never wears it.

Even Zhao Lichun naturally enjoys being praised.

Seeing him smile slightly, Zhao Ruilong immediately poured cold water on his enthusiasm.

"But Li Dakang is able to think about the long term, so you should also consider this carefully, Dad."

"We must not let ten years of frantic development lead to economic success but also create some problems."

"In the end, you didn't get any credit, but people kept harping on the problems and kicked you while you were at it!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Lichun immediately frowned.

He certainly knew that rapid economic development would inevitably be accompanied by problems such as pollution, corruption, and a widening gap between the rich and the poor.

However, given the current circumstances, he has no choice but to vigorously promote economic development; otherwise, it would be impossible to make further progress.

"I never expected you to have such insight."

Zhao Ruilong chuckled.

"I was one of the few college students in the 1980s, and I even wrote a graduation investigation report on the road to a moderately prosperous society in China."

"During my seven years in prison, I frequently followed domestic and international news. How could I not even have this much knowledge?"

Zhao Lichun took a puff of his cigarette and asked with a casual smile:

"So what do you think I should do after I win to avoid being abandoned ten years later?"

Zhao Ruilong said very seriously:

"Of course, we're looking to the future and pursuing a high-quality development path; simply put, we're playing with high technology!"

"If you develop Handong into a major province for high-end manufacturing, who can stop you from soaring to new heights?"

……