Finally, accompanied by Zhao Songliang and Wang Bijun, along with Yu Hong and Fu Leilei, Luo Ziling strolled around the bustling area near a certain canal dock.
The urban construction in Yangzhou is quite impressive, and the sanitation is very well managed.
Especially those places filled with historical charm.
The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is a remarkable ancient engineering feat of Huaxia, benefiting the country for over a thousand years.
Moreover, it is still in use to this day.
The ancient canal and its historical significance were successfully granted World Cultural Heritage status.
Yangzhou is a very famous city along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, even more so in ancient times.
The canal in Yangzhou is well-maintained and has been developed for tourism.
Along the canal, the scenery is quite beautiful, especially at night, walking by the canal feels like stepping into history.
With Zhao Songliang and his wife, along with two outstanding guides accompanying them, Luo Ziling and Yang Qingyin had a wonderful time.
The six of them even took a group photo together.
Zhao Songliang was fairly tactful, showing great enthusiasm towards the followers of Luo Ziling and Yang Qingyin, Ye Xiaoli and Shi Yidan.
As Luo Ziling and Yang Qingyin prepared to leave Yangzhou, they received gifts.
Zhao Songliang’s gift was not anything too valuable, just some of Yangzhou’s local specialties worth about two thousand yuan, purchased out of his own pocket.
After some polite words from Luo Ziling, he accepted the gift.
Around 8:30, Luo Ziling and Yang Qingyin drove off from Yangzhou, heading to Gusu.
Zhao Songliang and Wang Bijun escorted them to the parking lot.
Only after Luo Ziling and Yang Qingyin’s car disappeared from sight did Zhao Songliang retract his gaze and let out a gentle sigh.
The friendly and warm expression he had earlier was gone, replaced by his usual authority and gravity.
Standing beside him, Wang Bijun retracted her gaze to look at Zhao Songliang after Luo Ziling and Yang Qingyin’s car disappeared.
"Old Zhao, have we overestimated them? Would our actions today make them look down on us, and backfire?"
"Short-sightedness!" Zhao Songliang glared at Wang Bijun with displeasure, "You don’t understand, the situation is extremely dangerous now!"
"What’s going on?" Wang Bijun’s heart tightened.
Zhao Songliang shared with Wang Bijun what he had learned about the conflicts among Yanjing’s elite families.
Upon hearing from Zhao Songliang that the support he sought from the Chen Family might crumble, and the ones targeting the Chen Family were Luo Ziling’s grandfather and mother, Wang Bijun was startled.
Although she mingled within the system, she was not very informed about these disputes.
She only knew that Zhao Songliang’s current achievements were linked to the backing of influential figures.
Before, Zhao Songliang had said that as long as this connection remained intact and he performed well, his future would undoubtedly be promising.
Unexpectedly, things turned out to be so complicated.
Wang Bijun completely understood Zhao Songliang’s almost flattering demeanor towards Luo Ziling and Yang Qingyin today.
Despite not much difference in rank between Zhao Songliang and Ling Ruonan, their actual influence and prospects were worlds apart.
She also believed that the power and influence of Luo Ziling and Yang Qingyin were beyond Zhao Songliang’s comparison.
Luo Ziling could speak in front of many bigwigs, something Zhao Songliang couldn’t do.
A single word from Luo Ziling and Yang Qingyin could weigh more than Zhao Songliang’s years of effort.
As Wang Bijun grasped the situation, she solemnly reflected, "Hopefully they can help us a bit, otherwise it really would be troublesome. The gifts we gave them just now were too light; knowing this, we should have given something more presentable."
"Again, short-sightedness!" Zhao Songliang glared at Wang Bijun, "Do you think if we gave them a grand gift, they’d accept it? Do you think they’d need these items?"
Wang Bijun paused, unsure how to respond.
"By gifting local specialties purchased personally, they’d accept them. Anything else, they wouldn’t. If we insist on giving other gifts, they might turn hostile, or at least change their attitude. Just now, Yu and Fu also gave them some local specialties, which they accepted as well. Similarly, for anything else, they’d certainly refuse. As I see it, what they need isn’t valuable gifts. With their abundant assets, they don’t require taking risks with such items. What they need is a pledge of allegiance from others."
Zhao Songliang’s words deeply shocked Wang Bijun.
"It seems the situation is indeed extraordinarily complex," she said emotionally.
"Of course, it’s more complicated than we imagined. We’re already at the stage of being implicated; many people are seeking alternatives, and we’re already late. The mountain is high and the emperor far away, we only have a delayed reaction to what happens in Yanjing while we do things here," Zhao Songliang also sighed heavily, "I don’t have other channels to connect with the Ling Family. It’s fortunate that Luo Ziling came here to play, otherwise I’d really have no idea how to establish this connection."
"Do you think they specifically came here to play, waiting for us to reach out to them?" Wang Bijun shared her doubts.
Zhao Songliang paused, ultimately shaking his head: "It’s possible, but highly unlikely. They went to Jinling first, then Yangzhou, and then Gusu. They didn’t come specifically to Yangzhou. Also, in their eyes, we’re insignificant, how could they come here just to wait for us to cozy up? If we hadn’t proactively invited them today, they wouldn’t have had any contact with us. After experiencing Yangzhou’s attractions, they’d quietly leave, at most post a message on social media without any other indication."
Wang Bijun thought for a while and gently nodded.
She thought for a while longer and spontaneously offered a suggestion: "Can today’s news of them visiting Yangzhou for sightseeing be reported? Luo Ziling is, after all, a celebrity, and it’s quite normal for him to be covered in the media for his visit to Yangzhou."
"No!" Zhao Songliang shook his head, "I know what you mean, but this would surely upset them; it’s not worth it, so let’s not do it."
Wang Bijun pondered his reasoning and found it sensible, nodding gently.
"The two young people accompanying them seemed to get along quite well," she mentioned Yu Hong and Fu Leilei, "I think their abilities are good too, and they have a knack for handling things. They should be given better opportunities."
"They are under your supervision, so you should put in a word!" Zhao Songliang agreed with Wang Bijun, "Once new positions are arranged for them, you can inform them and seize the chance to get closer. If there’s an opportunity, I’ll make more trips to Yanjing and try to meet them in Yanjing."
Understanding that Zhao Songliang was referring to different people, Wang Bijun gently nodded.