"What's wrong with me?" Lin Fan was utterly confused.
"Ever since you peeked at me during my nap, you've been acting up against me." Song Yue grinned triumphantly, "Do you think I don't know what you're up to?"
"If you say so, then I've fallen for the new village secretary?"
"Fine, I just want to get her attention, and I've got my eye on her!" Lin Fan retorted stubbornly, deliberately trying to provoke her.
"Oh, spare me. Even if you have your eye on her, it's in vain." Song Yue looked at him, a mixture of amusement and exasperation on her face.
"Ahem!" A cough from outside the door interrupted them.
Both stopped their playful banter and turned to see Wu Lei, his face ashen, walking in with Tian Mengyao trailing behind him, head bowed and blushing.
"Lin Fan, what's going on?" Wu Lei demanded sternly, his whiskers bristling.
"Mr. Wu... Village Chief, I was just... joking around. Please don't take it seriously." Lin Fan was stunned. He had only spoken out of spite and never expected Tian Mengyao to be right outside the door. What was he going to do now?
Wu Lei's face hardened, and he admonished, "You're a grown man, do you still think you're a little kid?"
"Talking nonsense, saying anything that comes to your mind!"
Lin Fan lowered his head, appearing deeply ashamed, and apologized, "I was wrong, I was wrong. I'm sorry."
"Write a self-criticism and hand it to my office later!" Wu Lei commanded. He then turned to Tian Mengyao with an awkward smile, "Secretary Tian, Xiao Fan here hasn't had much schooling and doesn't know the rules when he speaks or acts." He cleared his throat, then looked back at Lin Fan. "Xiao Fan, Secretary Tian is here to understand the village situation. You need to cooperate properly. If you dare to speak carelessly again, don't blame me; the elders and folks of the village could drown you with their spit."
Lin Fan nodded, "Understood."
Tian Mengyao stepped forward and stood before Lin Fan, smiling, "Hello, my name is Tian Mengyao."
"Hello, Secretary Tian." Before Lin Fan could respond, Song Yue chimed in, "Let's all sit down and talk. No need to stand."
Wu Lei, ever observant, immediately gestured for Tian Mengyao to take a seat on the sofa. "Secretary Tian, please sit."
"You sit too." After a brief polite exchange, Tian Mengyao finally sat on the sofa with a wry smile under Wu Lei's insistence. The others sat on small stools, all lower than Tian Mengyao.
"Your medical clinic looks quite good," Tian Mengyao commented as she surveyed the room, a hint of disappointment in her eyes. The reality of the clinic was far from the ancient, fragrant atmosphere she had imagined. It resembled a health station or a modern clinic, designed to swindle money from villagers, lacking any real medical substance in her opinion.
"It's only been open for a short while. I'm a bit short on funds right now, and our selection of Western and Chinese medicine and equipment isn't quite complete." Lin Fan kept his head down, not daring to look at her.
"Comrade Xiao Fan, can you tell me about Luofeng Mountain?"
"Luofeng Mountain..." Lin Fan recounted the legends he knew and the recent developments. Tian Mengyao's brow furrowed. The things she had considered were apparently already attempted by the village. To dissuade her, Lin Fan elaborated, "Let's go outside. I'll point things out to you, and you'll see how limited the development potential is."
Lin Fan led the way out of the clinic, with the others following closely. Standing on the dirt road outside the door, he pointed to the towering, winding Luofeng Mountain. "You see..." He suddenly froze. To get a clearer view, he had activated his Zi Ji Ling Tong as soon as he stepped out. However, Luofeng Mountain, which he had observed several times before, now appeared different. A light mist had somehow enveloped the entire mountain range, as if a lid had been placed upon it. Lin Fan then looked towards the quarry and saw another dense fog swirling around it, forming a large vortex.
"What's going on?" Lin Fan exclaimed in surprise.
"Comrade Xiao Fan, what are you talking about?" Lin Fan's unusual reaction made Tian Mengyao suspect he was hiding something.
"Nothing." Lin Fan continued to stare intently at Luofeng Mountain. Before, he could see a black light sphere continuously draining the earth veins of Luofeng Mountain. Now, it was gone. He was bewildered. Could it be... "Something extraordinary happened at Luofeng Mountain while I was in town?" Lin Fan stood dumbfounded on the dirt road.
Wu Lei, who had been restraining himself for some time, finally burst out, "Lin Fan, what are you muttering about?"
"You said you were going to introduce Secretary Tian to the situation at Luofeng Mountain, why aren't you speaking? Has your mouth been sewn shut?" Hearing Wu Lei's angry voice, Lin Fan snapped back to reality. The earth veins of Luofeng Mountain had recovered. Did this mean Tian Mengyao's development plan was feasible?
"Look at you!" Wu Lei's face darkened, urging him on, "Still not talking, deliberately making trouble, aren't you?"
Lin Fan shook his head repeatedly, "No, no..." He was desperately trying to figure out how to explain this. He had publicly contradicted Tian Mengyao at the village committee, and then Luofeng Mountain had recovered. This was practically a deliberate act against him!
"Don't be nervous, speak slowly," Tian Mengyao said, her voice gentle. Lin Fan's teeth clenched, his expression shifting from flustered to resentful, causing Tian Mengyao's initial good impression of him to drop a few notches. Truly, he was just an unsophisticated village boy, lacking any composure, exactly like a child. Lin Fan, of course, had no idea what she was thinking. If he had known, he would have splattered her face with saliva.
"Let's all go inside." Lin Fan said, already walking back into the house. The others, though confused, followed him.
"Actually, Secretary Tian, your idea isn't entirely unfeasible." Lin Fan was now focused on how to save face. Judging by the condition of Luofeng Mountain's earth veins, planting anything would be fine.
A hint of disdain flickered in Tian Mengyao's eyes. His words were contradictory. Was it true, as he claimed, that he was merely trying to show off and attract the attention of a pretty girl? If so, that would be... utterly contemptible. Lin Fan, unaware of her disdain, continued, "However, Luofeng Village is impoverished and weak. We must proceed cautiously and not rush things."
"I know," Tian Mengyao replied perfunctorily, her tone quite cold. Lin Fan could tell that his image in Tian Mengyao's eyes had plummeted, even becoming extremely poor. If he couldn't come up with a perfect explanation, he would definitely offend Tian Mengyao. What to do? Lin Fan was at a loss, completely unable to justify himself. After all, he was the one speaking inconsistently.
Just then, a savior arrived! "Quick, quick!" An anxious shout came from outside.