Yan Fangming finally understood what his uncle meant when he said he couldn’t shoulder this blame; the Ecological Environment Construction Investment Group had dismissed him before the incident at Han Yuan Hot Spring Resort occurred.

Yan Fangming recalled everything that had happened recently. Ultimately, it all started with the Weishan Island Winery’s hot spring. They provoked people they shouldn’t have, and before the winery workers started causing trouble, there was still a chance to retreat unscathed. But now, it wasn’t something they could end just because they wanted to.

Yan Fangming felt anxious and fearful. He had heard even his uncle was removed from his position, which made him even more terrified.

Just when he didn’t know what to do next, Xu Chunliang called him.

Yan Fangming hesitated for a long time while looking at Xu Chunliang’s number but ultimately answered the call, his voice trembling a bit, "Hello..."

Xu Chunliang said, "Manager Yan?"

Yan Fangming now was both resentful and fearful of Xu Chunliang. "What do you want with me?"

Xu Chunliang said, "You’re quite on guard. I initially wanted to chat with you about life and discuss the future. Maybe there’s an opportunity for us to collaborate. But it seems you’re not interested, so forget it then, goodbye!"

"Wait...please, wait..." Yan Fangming almost wanted to slap himself. He actually used a formal term of respect. Circumstance dictates mindset, and right now, he was like a drowning man despairing and clinging even to a straw if offered.

Xu Chunliang said, "I know the winery workers’ disturbance has nothing to do with you. You were being used."

Yan Fangming couldn’t believe such understanding words could come from Xu Chunliang’s mouth. In his impression, this guy was a harsh person who hit others over the mouth whenever he didn’t get his way.

Xu Chunliang continued, "Let’s discuss face to face. You come to Hu Shan Town, and I’ll prepare some food and drinks so we can chat while eating."

Yan Fangming hesitated. Was this guy setting a trap for him? Hu Shan Town was his turf. Wouldn’t going alone be risking too much?

Xu Chunliang had already deduced his thoughts quite thoroughly, "Every grievance has a culprit. I rarely harm the innocent. You decide for yourself."

Yan Fangming hung up, his mind a tangled mess.

Xu Chunliang had arranged a meal at the Xianhong Farm’s water restaurant, just waiting for Yan Fangming to arrive. He was confident Yan Fangming would come because he had no other choice.

As expected, Yan Fangming arrived at Weishan Island at five-thirty in the afternoon, a place he had decided to avoid for the rest of his life. But he came much sooner than expected. Only this time, his purpose was different from the past. In the past, it was to gain something, but this time, it was for redemption.

After getting off the boat, an Audi Q7 was waiting for him. Zhang Haitao drove him to the Xianhong Farm, without any conversation during the journey.

Zhang Haitao couldn’t quite understand Xu Chunliang’s layout. Was it necessary to treat someone like Yan Fangming, a proverbial dog with its tail between its legs, with such hospitality? But he also knew Xu Chunliang’s plans were not something he could see through. Ultimately, following Town Mayor Xu’s arrangement was all that mattered.

Xu Chunliang chose to host Yan Fangming alone. Even though Yan Fangming had purposely taken a shower and changed clothes to appear more energetic, he still couldn’t hide the desolation in his eyes.

Throughout the journey, he pondered how to deal with Xu Chunliang, but the more he thought about it, the less confidence he had.

As he walked into the water restaurant, Xu Chunliang greeted him with a smile and extended his hand, "President Yan, welcome."

Yan Fangming shook hands with him, realizing Xu Chunliang’s palm was warm, which meant his own hands were cold, making him feel even more uneasy, revealing his current emotions right from the start.

Xu Chunliang invited him to sit down, and a waiter came in to pour tea.

Xu Chunliang had the waiter turn on the TV, which was playing the news at the time, coincidentally covering Han Yuan Hot Spring Resort.

General Manager Chen Yiru was responding to some recent hot topics.

When a reporter asked about the issue of bacterial contamination in Han Yuan Hot Spring Resort’s water, this was her response:

"Regarding this matter, we are conducting a rigorous self-check and rectification. We have held responsible the relevant management personnel and have already dismissed Yan Fangming, the Group’s Deputy General Manager responsible for specific management tasks..."

Yan Fangming’s head buzzed and felt overwhelmed. These two really have no shame, just passing the blame onto him. What does the Han Yuan Hot Spring Resort have to do with him? Hasn’t Chen Yiru always been in charge?

Xu Chunliang then had the waiter turn off the TV news, which was actually their recording.

Xu Chunliang smiled and said, "Don’t let such trivial news ruin your mood."

Yan Fangming forced a slight smile, guessing that Xu Chunliang probably did it on purpose, but he couldn’t deny the fact that He Xingjian and his wife were shifting responsibility onto him.

The waiter began serving dishes, featuring the lake fresh specialty of Weishan Lake, and the wine was the Zodiac Maotai from the Year of the Pig, which happened to be Yan Fangming’s zodiac sign.

Xu Chunliang said, "President Yan, I inquired about your zodiac sign."

Yan Fangming replied, "Mayor Xu has gone to great lengths."

Xu Chunliang personally poured him a drink, which made Yan Fangming a bit uneasy, "Let me do it, let me!"

Xu Chunliang said, "Just sit back and relax. You’re older than me, so by age, I should call you brother."

Yan Fangming was flustered by this sudden respect. "Mayor Xu, you’re too kind."

Xu Chunliang raised his glass, "Although there were some unpleasantness between us in the past, it was due to our differing positions. I was for the public interest, you were for the company. Now that you’ve been fired by the Ecological Environment Investment Group, we no longer have conflicts. Anything that was done wrong in the past, please don’t hold it in your heart."

Yan Fangming said, "I acted impulsively and may have caused offense in the past, Mayor Xu, please be magnanimous and don’t hold it against me."

The two of them downed three glasses of wine in a row. Yan Fangming felt a warm feeling in his heart, partly due to the alcohol and partly due to Xu Chunliang’s words. Today’s meeting was even more harmonious than he had expected.

Xu Chunliang refilled Yan Fangming’s glass. "The matter of the winery’s hot spring is settled, and He Xingjian has expressed that he will no longer intervene."

Yan Fangming said, "I’ve resigned from the Ecological Environment Investment Group; whatever happens with him is no longer my concern."

Xu Chunliang said, "I’m afraid it’s not that simple. As far as I know, He Xingjian has shifted all the blame for the winery workers’ disturbances onto you. Plus, there’s the issue with the Han Yuan Hot Spring Resort. Are you really planning to take all the blame yourself for these two matters?"

Yan Fangming fell silent.

Xu Chunliang said, "If you really did those things, there’s nothing wrong with taking responsibility. But if you didn’t, isn’t it unfair for you to take the blame for someone else?"

Yan Fangming picked up his glass and took a drink on his own. Xu Chunliang refilled it for him. "The bacterial contamination at the Han Yuan Hot Spring Resort is no small matter. If it escalates, there could be legal consequences. This issue has already affected the overall image of tourism in Dongzhou. You should be aware of the recent actions taken by the city."

Yan Fangming pursed his lips, visibly nervous.

Xu Chunliang said, "Even if you manage to dodge this issue by luck, there’s no future for you in Dongzhou. With your capabilities, you could have been independent long ago. If He Xingjian truly regarded you as a friend, he wouldn’t have thrown you under the bus the moment trouble arose. I know very clearly that you played a big role in him getting the exclusive development permit for the hot springs. And yet, when things went south?"

After a pause, with a sense of compassion, he continued, "You’re indeed a righteous person, but righteousness needs to be directed at the right people. Some people aren’t worth your effort."

Yan Fangming still said nothing, and Xu Chunliang clinked glasses with him again and downed his drink.

"The quality test results for the winery’s hot spring water are out. The content of premium minerals in it is outstanding, not only in Dongzhou, but across the entire Jianghai Region. With proper development, the daily output could reach three thousand cubic meters."

Yan Fangming’s heart fluttered. Having been engaged in hot spring development for years, he instantly knew that this hot spring was probably the best discovered in the Dongzhou area so far. Unfortunately, it no longer had anything to do with them anymore. He softly said, "Congratulations to you."

Xu Chunliang smiled, "Congratulating me for what? I’ve already mentioned that we’re doing this for the public good. Previously, I opposed the Ecological Environmental Investment Group’s development not just because someone else had contracted it first, but also because I felt your company’s strength was insufficient. Weishan Island is building a national-level tourist resort. From the beginning, our stance on hot spring development has been very clear—finding the top domestic hot spring development team to design and develop it. We’ve now reached a preliminary agreement with the Mu Tian Group."

Yan Fangming pursed his lips. The Mu Tian Group is a leading entity in the domestic hot spring industry, incomparable to the Ecological Environment Construction Investment Group.

Xu Chunliang said, "The hot spring development and construction by the Ecological Environmental Investment Group have always been your responsibility. The current construction team was established by you."

His words obviously hit a sore spot for Yan Fangming, who sighed.

Xu Chunliang said, "If I entrust you with the hot spring development here, can you handle this task well?"

Yan Fangming raised his head, looking at Xu Chunliang in disbelief. He had already been kicked out by He Xingjian, and was now a lone wolf. Xu Chunliang’s suggestion clearly wasn’t for him to handle this project alone but to bring his old team over from the Ecological Environment Investment Group, essentially undermining them from the ground up!

Yan Fangming’s heart raced uncontrollably. Xu Chunliang’s bait was certainly tempting and hard to refuse. The people in the engineering department were all his old team, and if he wanted to, he could definitely pull this off. But he still had unresolved issues, like Yan Zhongmin leading the workers in a disturbance, which he was involved in.

Yan Fangming softly said, "I should be responsible for the disturbance caused by the winery workers."

Xu Chunliang said, "Someone indeed needs to take responsibility, but it doesn’t have to be you. Of course, if you insist on taking the fall, no one can stop you."