ary Liu beamed. When asked about the occasion, he merely smiled and hinted that East Village was about to achieve a significant milestone.

As noon approached, the village committee members, led by Secretary Liu, lined up at the village entrance. Liu constantly peeked towards the end of the path. Right on schedule, a long American Lincoln limousine slowly approached.

As everyone marveled, the Lincoln stopped. A scholarly young man with gold-rimmed glasses, seemingly an assistant, got out, nodded politely, and opened the rear door, shielding it with his hand. From the car emerged a black high-heeled shoe, followed by a tall, beautiful secretary carrying a square briefcase, her eyes fixed on the car’s interior. Everyone's eyes naturally locked onto her.

She was stunning, breathtakingly beautiful, outshining any celebrity woman, even making Secretary Liu steal a few glances. As the male assistant and female secretary respectfully welcomed him, a bald businessman in his thirties emerged from the car. He coldly scanned the crowd before warmly embracing Secretary Liu, giving him a western-style hug.

“Brother Liu! It feels like ages since we last met. I’ve missed you!” the bald businessman exclaimed, dramatically patting Secretary Liu’s back to show his affection.

“Mr. Shao, didn’t we just part ways at the spa yesterday?” Secretary Liu innocently revealed their recent meeting, making Mr. Shao blush. Secretary Liu, otherwise a straight-forward person, couldn’t quite grasp Shao’s diplomatic flourishes.

“Secretary Liu! Shall we invite Mr. Shao to your home?” the secretary named Qiqi asked with a teasing glance at Liu.

“Right! Thank you, Secretary Qiqi, for your thoroughness. Mr. Shao, please!” Secretary Liu extended an invitation to Mr. Shao. Laughing, Mr. Shao took Secretary Liu’s hand, and they walked into Liu’s house together, surrounded by a crowd, making Mr. Shao feel like a star. It was clear that Secretary Liu and Secretary Qiqi were already acquainted.

Following rural customs, Secretary Liu offered the seat of honor at the Head of the Eight Immortals Table to Mr. Shao, who refused, stating it was a place for elders. As Liu's younger brother, he couldn’t assume such importance. His words impressed everyone, including Secretary Liu.

“Everyone, look at Mr. Shao, Chairman Shao! Isn’t he considerate?” Secretary Liu praised. But more surprises lay ahead. Before Secretary Liu could respond to the gift-giving formalities, Assistant Mengqi expertly opened a wooden box and took out a set of purple clay teaware and sterling silver cutlery.

“Sorry, everyone! Mr. Shao prefers his own tea set and only drinks the best Dahongpao tea from the six trees in Wuyi Mountain,” the secretary stated. While they might not grasp the significance of Wuyi Mountain's six t

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