Not long after, the two arrived at the municipal government compound without any gifts, as things were different now. After receiving confirmation, the guards at the gate conducted several strict checks before allowing them in.
After entering the compound and parking the car, they walked towards Building No. 1, where Xie Baolian was already waiting at the entrance.
Upon seeing Li Haochen and the other person arrive, she became as happy as a child, running up to hug them and playfully complaining, "Why are you so late? I've been waiting for you for a long time. Come in."
Just as they reached the door, Xie Baolian stopped and looked at Li Haochen and the other person's hands. "Good, it's fine you didn't bring anything. Things are different now, so you need to be careful."
"Understood, Auntie. We just brought two fish we caught earlier."
"Oh, your uncle has been complaining about not having fish to eat lately. Tonight, we can finally shut him up, hehe!"
"Haochen, you'll cook tonight, right? Hee hee!" With that, Xie Baolian pulled Murong Yanran into the room.
"Child, I've heard about your situation, but your uncle just took office, and there are some things he can't step in for. You've really suffered," Xie Baolian said, hugging Murong Yanran and stroking her hair like a mother.
"Aunt Lian..." Murong Yanran couldn't hold back her tears any longer. Grief surged again, and she buried her head in Xie Baolian's embrace and cried heartily.
After a while, Murong Yanran gradually calmed down. Crying it all out had released some of the pent-up emotions from the past period, and she felt much better.
"Auntie Lian, I've made your clothes wet."
Xie Baolian reached out and wiped the tears from Murong Yanran's eyes. "If you have any grievances in the future, tell Auntie Lian."
"Mm!"
The two did not leave and continued to whisper secrets like women in the room. Xie Baolian was also quite a character, and her words made Murong Yanran shyly lower her head, her face flushing frequently.
While Li Haochen was busy in the kitchen, Ling Hanfeng returned home. "Wow, it smells so good! Wife, is there fish for dinner today?"
"Uh, Haochen, you're cooking? Where's your aunt?" Ling Hanfeng asked Li Haochen curiously.
"Uncle, you're back. Auntie and Yanran are in the room."
"Oh, no wonder the smell is so... different today. Your aunt's cooking isn't this bad," Ling Hanfeng quickly corrected himself as he saw Li Haochen's teasing expression.
Xie Baolian walked in, glared at Ling Hanfeng, and whispered, "I'll make you pay tonight."
Murong Yanran covered her mouth and giggled, then went in and rolled up her sleeves to wash the dishes.
"Dinner is ready."
"The fish today is really good. Wife, try some of the fish back meat."
"It is good, much better than mine. Teach me next time you come over."
The dinner table was not filled with political discussions, but only with family anecdotes. The banquet ended happily amidst laughter and joy.
While Murong Yanran was washing dishes, Li Haochen and Ling Hanfeng sat at the coffee table, drinking gongfu tea. Seeing that the time was right, Li Haochen got straight to the point. "Uncle, I have an idea, but I don't know if I should say it."
"Tell me," Ling Hanfeng said calmly, savoring his tea.
"Then I'll be showing off in front of a master. Uncle, you must have encountered many obstacles since you just took office." Ling Hanfeng took another sip of tea, signaling Li Haochen to continue.
"You probably know about Yanran's situation. The Mu family is too aggressive, and she can hardly bear it alone. I've been thinking of a way to not only break the Mu family's blockade but also to help you achieve some success."
"Continue."
"Let the Binhai Grand Hotel sponsor the largest-ever maritime event in Binhai's history – the National Sea Fishing Elite Competition. We'll invite fishing masters and amateur enthusiasts from all over the country for a sea fishing battle. For the prize, the first place winner will receive ten million. What do you think? Heh heh!"
Ling Hanfeng looked at Li Haochen with some surprise and patted his shoulder with satisfaction. "Not bad. If organized successfully, it will have a significant impact and help me somewhat. But after the competition, how do we solve the problem of the Mu family's blockade?"
Li Haochen poured Ling Hanfeng another cup of tea and continued, "When they register, they'll sign a contract, prioritizing the sale of all catches to the Binhai Grand Hotel. Of course, the purchase price will be consistent with the market or slightly higher. If the Mu family wants to interfere, they'll have to buy it back at a high price. Buying high and selling low? They wouldn't be that foolish, would they?
Moreover, with such a generous prize, the number of participants will be unprecedented. How much catch can so many people bring back from the sea? With such a grand event, it's expected that many tourists will come. With more tourists, the seafood collected can satisfy the demand.
This sea fishing competition won't end in a day or two; it will last at least a month. By then, the leasing of aquaculture areas will be reshuffled. Perhaps the Mu family had absolute control before, but now, hehe!"
This was a win-win-win situation, and Ling Hanfeng certainly wouldn't miss it. Having just taken office, if he didn't make any moves, how would the higher-ups view him? If he did well, his position would be secured.
"Good, very good. I'll call a staff meeting tomorrow to implement this matter as soon as possible." Ling Hanfeng's phone rang as soon as he finished speaking. After informing Xie Baolian, he left in a hurry.
"Alas, now that your uncle has taken this position, he's spending less and less time at home," Xie Baolian complained somewhat.
"Auntie, Heaven bestows a great mission upon a person. Uncle is working for the benefit of the region."
Li Haochen and the others stayed for a while longer before leaving. In the car, Li Haochen recounted his conversation with Ling Hanfeng to Murong Yanran word for word.
"Uncle has agreed. You can start preparing on your end. This is a great opportunity. If it's done well, all problems will be solved smoothly."
"Mm, I think the prize money is a bit low. Should we increase it a little?"
"You decide. The prize money should only be awarded to the top eight places, to foster competition."
The next day at noon, a news announcement on the Binhai official website caused a sensation, soaring to the top of the trending list. It was no wonder, the prize money was so generous it was irresistible – fifteen million yuan. Instantly, all professional and amateur anglers were itching to head to the Binhai Grand Hotel to register. Facing the continuous influx of eager anglers and tourists, the happiest were the hotels, restaurants, and fishing gear shops, whose business boomed explosively.
As the sole sponsor of this sea fishing competition, the Binhai Grand Hotel had a prime location, with almost all its rooms fully occupied. Furthermore, Murong Yanran had made a bold decision, mobilizing the entire procurement department to acquire seafood from other cities to meet demand, even at a significantly increased cost.
In the following days, Murong Yanran was incredibly busy. Li Haochen also successfully passed his exam and obtained his fishing boat license on the first try. This greatly frustrated Li Yongxin, who lamented the loss of potential income from re-examination fees. On a happier note, the boat had also arrived.