County heads, being busy individuals, naturally wouldn't waste their time flattering He Xinyi like those idle rich kids.
His primary goal was to see if he could secure some investment from He Xinyi.
Although Fuyang County was near the sea, its development had always lagged behind its neighboring coastal cities. Therefore, the county head wouldn't miss such a rare and golden opportunity.
After all, He Xinyi was from the He family of Hong Kong. Even a little bit of their wealth, casually revealed, would be enough to double the annual income of this small county.
He Xinyi sat at the head table, with Zheng Aoqiu beside her and the Fuyang County head on the other side.
She was beautiful, exuding a mature and sexy aura. Coupled with her astonishing family background and distinguished status, everyone looked at her as if she were a goddess.
Chen Xiao and his group, however, were seated at another table. They were treated as He Xinyi's entourage, like servants, nannies, and chefs. Even the wine and dishes served to them were different from those at the head table.
Looking at the head table, Li Mu said indignantly, "This is going too far. We are not He Xinyi's servants, so why should we be treated differently?"
Chen Xiao, however, remained calm, eating the braised large intestine in front of him and said, "Eat your meal properly. Once we're at sea, you won't be able to eat this."
At the head table, the county head politely asked, "Miss He, where are you planning to go for your outing at sea this time? If you don't have a familiar guide, I can help you find one."
He Xinyi said indifferently, "My purpose for going out to sea this time is not for sightseeing. It is for inspection. I heard that near Jiaonan, there is an Ice Fire Island. It is said that the climate there is pleasant, the scenery is beautiful, and the geological conditions are excellent. If it is as I've heard, our He family will consider investing in building a factory there, and it's even possible to develop it into a scenic area."
Despite her arrogance, He Xinyi was not foolish. On the contrary, having been born into a wealthy family, her mind was exceptionally sharp, and her emotional intelligence was very high.
She knew what the county head wanted to hear, so she said accordingly.
As expected, the county head's eyes lit up upon hearing her words.
"Miss He, if it is as you say, then Fuyang County will wholeheartedly support you!"
He Xinyi smiled slightly, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Mr. County Head."
Her smile could truly be described as captivating, stunning all the men present.
Even Zheng Aoqiu, who had seen countless women, was momentarily taken aback.
After regaining his composure, he raised his wine glass and said, "Come, let us all toast Miss He together. I wish Miss He success in all her endeavors. Come, cheers!"
As Zheng Aoqiu raised his glass, everyone else also stood up with their glasses.
Of course, there was one table that was an exception: Chen Xiao and his group, who were still eating and drinking at their table.
Zheng Aoqiu had already brought his wine glass to his lips but froze when he saw Chen Xiao's table.
He put down his glass and called out to Chen Xiao's group, "Hey, what are you doing? Still eating? Didn't you hear me speak?"
Zheng Aoqiu knew that Chen Xiao's group had come with He Xinyi, but seeing their ordinary attire and lack of presence, he assumed they were merely local servants hired by He Xinyi and didn't pay them much attention.
Seeing that they were not giving him face, he immediately began to scold them loudly.
Upon hearing his shout, Li Qin frowned and was about to stand up and retort, but Chen Xiao pressed her down.
"Eat."
Chen Xiao said calmly.
Seeing this, everyone was stunned. These people actually dared to disregard Young Master Zheng's face. Were they tired of living?
When Huang Wenlei saw that it was Chen Xiao's group, he chuckled inwardly.
"Let you show off. Now that you've offended Young Master Zheng, let's see how you get yourselves out of this."
As expected, Zheng Aoqiu, seeing that they remained unmoved after his call, became furious.
He walked over with his wine glass and imperiously asked, "Hey, I'm talking to you. Can't you hear me?"
Chen Xiao picked up a tissue, wiped his mouth, and then slowly raised his head, "I heard you."
"Damn it, if you heard me, why are you pretending to be deaf? Hurry up and raise your glasses. We're all toasting Miss He. Don't dawdle!"
Zheng Aoqiu said commandingly.
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Xiao calmly said, "I don't drink."
Everyone was stunned. Young Master Zheng had personally come over to ask him to raise his glass, and he still refused? Wasn't this disrespecting Young Master Zheng?
Besides, even if he didn't want to drink, filling his glass with some beverage would have been the same!
"Kid, you're not giving me face? Do you know who I am?"
Zheng Aoqiu asked through gritted teeth, assuming Chen Xiao was being arrogant because he didn't know who he was.
Chen Xiao glanced at him indifferently and said plainly, "I said, I don't drink. What does that have to do with who you are?"
Zheng Aoqiu froze on the spot, his eye twitching uncontrollably.
Seeing this, everyone secretly shook their heads. In Jiaonan, no one had ever dared to refuse Zheng Aoqiu's face. This kid was likely in for trouble.
Huang Wenlei, however, suddenly stood up and angrily walked towards Chen Xiao's group.
This guy was too arrogant, thinking that just because he came with Miss He, he could disregard Zheng Aoqiu's face?
"Chen Xiao, I told you, this is Young Master Zheng! Not giving even Young Master Zheng face, are you tired of living?"
Huang Wenlei did this not only to insult Chen Xiao but also to show his allegiance to Zheng Aoqiu. After all, he had been seen associating with Chen Xiao and his group, and he absolutely couldn't be misunderstood by Young Master Zheng as being part of their faction.
As soon as he finished speaking, Sun Buzhou angrily rebuked, "Shut up, Huang Wenlei. Who do you think you are to speak to Chen Xiao like that?"
Huang Wenlei's eyes narrowed, but he dared not provoke Sun Buzhou. He immediately said aggrievedly, "Grandpa Sun, I'm not targeting you. It's just that this kid Chen Xiao is too clueless. Please, say something to him!"
Sun Buzhou was so angry that his beard trembled. "Get out of here immediately, or I'll have your grandfather deal with you!"
Upon hearing Sun Buzhou mention his grandfather, Huang Wenlei immediately became timid and slunk away.
Zheng Aoqiu was slightly taken aback. So, someone here knew the elder Mr. Huang, which explained why this kid was so arrogant.
However, in Zheng Aoqiu's eyes, the mere elder Mr. Huang was nothing.
"You brat, you think you're so great just because you have the elder Mr. Huang backing you? I'll ask you one last time, are you drinking or not?"
Zheng Aoqiu rebuked, giving Chen Xiao one last chance.
Chen Xiao looked up and gave him a cold glance.
Then, he calmly said, "I'll give you three counts to disappear from my sight, or you'll face the consequences."