Chapter 2821 Safety is Important

“I know what you’re worried about. Ever since you came to Shazhou, I’ve kept my distance from you. Even for something as important as tonight, I had Chen Guohua talk to you. I didn’t show up myself. So you’re wondering if I can keep my promises to you, and you’re also questioning my attitude towards you, right?” Qin Feng made his point clear.

"No, no, no, Mayor, you've misunderstood. That's not what I meant..."

"Old Xiao, we've been friends for so many years, there's no need to hide anything from each other. I understand your concerns. If I were betting everything on you and you ignored me, I would also have doubts and feel uneasy. It's only human nature," Qin Feng said with a smile.

"The reason I haven't contacted you isn't because I, Qin Feng, don't value you, nor is it because I'm plotting anything; it's because I have my own reasons."

“I understand. You are the leader, and I am a businessman. Getting too close to each other would have a bad influence,” Xiao Jian’an said.

Qin Feng shook his head and said, "Things aren't that simple. Although you're right, leading cadres should keep a certain distance from entrepreneurs. But as long as they act uprightly and honestly, meeting and making friends isn't a big deal, as long as they don't engage in the usual banquets and feasts."

“I asked you to come to Shazhou City to take over the projects, and these projects were all forcibly cleared out by the government and handed over to you. In addition, given our previous interactions, if we get too close, this matter could easily be used against us.”

“In other places, as long as you don’t break the law or violate regulations, everything is in accordance with the rules and there’s not much of a problem. But this is a sandbar, and it’s completely different from other places.”

"Let me be frank with you. Whether it's Shazhou City or Ganliang Province, many people want me to step down. Even if they don't have any dirt on me, they will try every means to create it to cause me trouble. What's more, if they do have dirt on me? They will definitely make a big deal out of this."

“You not only have to take over these projects now, but you also plan to develop in Shazhou in the long term. If someone brings up our close relationship, it will not only affect the success or failure of these projects now, but also have a great impact on whether you can continue to develop in Shazhou in the future.”

"My decision not to see you isn't just for my own sake, but also for yours," Qin Feng said slowly.

"So the best way is for us to have no contact at all. You came to Shazhou City on your own initiative, and you met with Sun Yuanwei, the vice mayor in charge of urban construction. You've never met me, and we have no connection whatsoever."

“I’m a hot commodity in Shazhou. Every move I make is being watched. If I meet you a few more times, you’ll become a hot commodity too. This won’t be good for what we’re going to do or for you personally. For your safety and for the smooth takeover of the project, the later they find out about you, the better.”

"So that's why I haven't seen you," Qin Feng explained.

"Actually, whether we meet or not doesn't make much difference. You know my personality; I keep my personal and professional affairs separate. For matters related to the project, you can contact Vice Mayor Sun Yuanwei directly. If that doesn't work, you can contact the Secretary-General. He can handle anything I can."

"I know you're worried about whether I can keep the promises I made to you, Xiao Jian'an. You decided to take a gamble in Shazhou because of me, so you should trust me completely." Qin Feng looked at Xiao Jian'an.

"No, no, Mayor, I absolutely did not doubt you. It's just that I'm going to see Vice Mayor Sun tomorrow to confirm these things, and like you said... I'm not at ease, so I thought I'd come and see you to put my mind at ease," Xiao Jian'an said with a smile.

Qin Feng smiled; he understood Xiao Jian'an's thoughts.

"I'll say it again: Chen Guohua's words are my words, and Chen Guohua's meaning is my meaning," Qin Feng said firmly. He knew that Xiao Jian'an had come to see him today specifically to hear him say these words himself.

"I understand, Mayor. Don't worry, I will definitely get things done for you." Xiao Jian'an nodded.

"I won't say anything else, Chen Guohua has definitely made everything very clear. I just want to tell you one thing today: be careful." After Qin Feng finished speaking, he turned to look at Xiao Jian'an's car behind him: "No bodyguards, just you and Meng Dan came out?"

“Oh…it’s so late at night, and I’m sitting in the car to see you. I don’t want too many people to know…” Xiao Jian’an explained.

“Old Xiao, this shows that you haven’t truly realized how dangerous the sandbar is, nor do you understand what kind of force the other side is.”

"I won't say much else, but I'll give you two suggestions. First, try to learn more about the Lixin Group and the Yang family, especially their backing and underground forces. Once you understand them clearly, you'll realize how dangerous it is."

"Second, go out less and show your face less. Unless necessary, do not stay in Shazhou. Arrange capable and trustworthy people to be in charge of each project. It would be best if you remotely command from Jiangnan Province."

"Old Xiao, I invited you to Shazhou, so you absolutely cannot have any accidents happen to you. I have already ordered the Public Security Bureau to send people to protect your safety 24 hours a day, but that is not a guarantee. The most important thing is that you must take care of yourself. Your life is very important!" Qin Feng said seriously to Xiao Jian'an.

Xiao Jian'an was indeed unaware of how dangerous he was, even though he had hired four bodyguards.

However, Qin Feng's words tonight made Xiao Jian'an more concerned about his own safety. He nodded solemnly to Qin Feng: "Okay, thank you for your concern, Mayor. I will pay attention to my safety from now on."

"Mayor, I brought some local specialties from Jiangnan this time. You must be missing the taste of home after being here for so long. I'll put them in your trunk later," Xiao Jian'an said to Qin Feng as he got out of the car.

"Old Xiao, you know what kind of person I am, and you know my personality. You also know that my family is not short of money," Qin Feng said seriously.

"It's not about the money..."

“I don’t want anything, and you shouldn’t send me anything in the future. We are friends, so I introduced you to Shazhou. But what happens after you come to Shazhou is none of my business. That’s between you and the Shazhou Municipal Government.”

"Qin Feng and you are friends. A gentleman's friendship is as light as water. Friends should treat each other with sincerity. Don't do these old-fashioned things. The mayor of Shazhou City doesn't know you, won't see you, and won't have any contact with you. This is a principle that you must abide by," Qin Feng said coldly.

Xiao Jian'an was stunned. He hadn't expected Qin Feng to be so serious this time, and he quickly nodded.

"Like I said before, high risk means high reward. As long as you help the government do this well, the future returns will satisfy you." Qin Feng said this last sentence to Xiao Jian'an after he closed the car door, which completely put Xiao Jian'an's mind at ease.

Of all the things Qin Feng said, this was the sentence he most wanted to hear.