By the roadside not far away, a luxury car, still rare for this era, was parked.
A young man leaned casually against the car door, calmly observing the scene before him.
"Brother?"
Wu Lingling started slightly, her face turning pale. "How... how did you get here?"
Wang Yu could clearly feel her nervousness. The hand that had been holding his was suddenly gripped tightly. He quickly patted her hand in a comforting gesture.
"How did I get here? Naturally, I'm waiting specifically for you. What else would I be doing here?" the young man said with a slight smile. His gaze then fell on Wang Yu, scrutinizing him for several moments.
"Hello, I'm Wang Yu."
Seeing the young man remain silent, only staring at him with a meaningful gaze, made Wang Yu feel somewhat uneasy. Nevertheless, he stepped forward neither servile nor overbearing and introduced himself.
"Mm, Wu Yongping, Lingling's older brother."
The young man nodded, replying to Wang Yu.
His tone was flat, betraying no emotion or intent.
"Brother, how did you find my whereabouts?" Wu Lingling asked Wu Yongping again, appearing somewhat reserved and uneasy.
"Does that even need to be tracked? One look at your bank card's spending and withdrawal records, and I'd know where you are. Do I need to say more?" Wu Yongping glanced at Wu Lingling indifferently. "But don't worry, I haven't told the family about your affairs. As for Manman, I can't guarantee it."
"I specifically waited here just to see you both. Nothing more."
As he spoke, Wu Yongping glanced at Wang Yu again, his eyelids lowering slightly. "I've heard of you. A young man with great aspirations, or perhaps ambition.
But I hope your abilities match your ambition. After all, this world is full of people with grand ambitions but little talent, who speak boldly. I hope you are not one of those people."
Although Wu Yongping's tone did not carry any contempt or disdain, his condescending, high-and-mighty demeanor made Wang Yu feel very uncomfortable.
"I don't know where you heard information about me," Wang Yu said calmly, meeting Wu Yongping's gaze directly, his tone equally neither servile nor overbearing.
"But making assumptions and labeling someone based solely on one-sided information is also a mistake many people make in this world. I hope you are not one of them."
Wang Yu's confrontational words made Wu Lingling's expression falter. She worriedly tugged at Wang Yu's sleeve and whispered, "Hey, don't argue with him."
However, Wu Yongping showed no signs of anger. Instead, he burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahaha, interesting! An interesting young man."
His words were filled with an air of seniority, as if he were ignoring the fact that he was, in reality, not much older than Wang Yu.
"Heh, then I'll wait and see what kind of information you can provide me! Believe me, we will meet again very soon."
Ending with a laugh, Wu Yongping turned around, got into the car, and drove away.
Huh... That's it?
Watching the car disappear, Wang Yu was speechless.
He showed up, said a bunch of nonsensical things, and then left. What was that supposed to mean?
"It seems my brother isn't very pleased with you," Wu Lingling said from the side, sounding worried.
"He appears calm on the surface, but he's incredibly proud at heart. If he approves of someone, he'd be willing to share drinks even with an enemy. But if he looks down on someone, he'll simply ignore them and leave without another word.
The fact that he left mid-conversation means he doesn't want to continue talking to you."
"Hmph, so he doesn't like me? As if I care about talking to him," Wang Yu scoffed. "I don't expect anything from him, and we have no grudges, so why should I care what he says!"
"Actually... you already have a grudge, and it's not a small one..." Wu Lingling suddenly lowered her head and murmured, her voice barely audible.
"What? What did you just say? I was thinking and didn't hear you clearly," Wang Yu suddenly snapped out of his thoughts and asked Wu Lingling blankly.
"Nothing, nothing. What were you thinking about just now?" Wu Lingling abruptly changed the subject.
Whatever problem could make Wang Yu ponder so deeply must be a troublesome one!
"Well, I was just thinking if we should also buy a small car," Wang Yu said very seriously.
"Look at us, we might need to go out frequently in the future. It's not a big deal within Jiangyang County, but traveling back and forth, relying solely on buses is quite inconvenient. Now that car sales are no longer restricted, even though prices are still a bit inflated, I can still afford it."
Seeing Wang Yu speaking so earnestly, Wu Lingling's eyebrows shot up, and she said with annoyance, "This is what you were thinking about just now?"
"Yes, before, your sister, and now your brother, both came in sedans. Although we don't use them often, they're at least convenient.
Even if I can't afford their high-end luxury cars, I can choose a car that suits me to drive. After all, you always get carsick and feel uncomfortable, which isn't... well, good.
It's a shame my factory only has the qualification to produce trucks, not sedans. Otherwise, I would design a car specifically for you."
Looking at Wang Yu's very serious expression, Wu Lingling's attitude immediately softened. She whispered to herself,
"This damned straight-laced, technically-minded guy, always full of engine oil and gears, so slow-witted!"
As she spoke, the corners of her mouth involuntarily curved upwards.
"What were you muttering about just now? One minute angry, the next smiling?"
"None of your business! Aren't we going? Let's find a place to stay."
"Don't worry about that. With the secretary's letter of introduction, I've already arranged a place for us in advance."
Wang Yu smiled. After learning that he was coming to the provincial capital, Jianghan City, and would be participating in a public competition with Qinglu Group, which would attract attendees from all walks of life, Secretary Yang had specifically arranged accommodation and other resources for him.
In his words, Wang Yu was now a trump card for Jiangyang County, a pair of jokers thrown out to the world, and thus needed full support.
For this reason, Secretary Yang had contacted his friends and colleagues in the Jianghan City government departments early on to make various arrangements for Wang Yu, considering it some minor convenience he could provide personally.
Oh, and by the way, the reason Wang Yu was merely a pair of jokers and not a royal flush was because Jiangyang County also had a metallurgical general factory. However, this provincial key unit, with significant backing, was no longer under their command, and this royal flush couldn't be played.
Therefore, in terms of ranking, Wang Yu's pair of jokers was a better hand!
Wang Yu and Wu Lingling chatted as they arrived at the Jianghan City Government Guesthouse.
In the future, guesthouses might represent dinginess and disarray, not even comparable to small hotels in illegally built structures.
But in this era, most guesthouses were synonymous with grandeur, especially those with "government" in front of them.
Upon arriving at the guesthouse, Wang Yu presented Secretary Yang's letter of introduction, which immediately drew a very enthusiastic reception from the front desk. They very politely led them to the most luxurious "presidential suite" of the era, one for each of them.
It seemed the secretary had indeed made all the arrangements. Wang Yu nodded and was about to head upstairs to check in.
Suddenly, there was a clatter, like the sound of broken bottles.
Following that, a tall and sturdy figure blocked his path.