Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 564: Small County Town

You couldn't say that all the female teachers who came here to sing were cunning socialites, but there were definitely those who knew how to mingle and act as workplace butterflies. These individuals were highly skilled at reading the room. They also knew perfectly well that the audience sitting below—specifically those right in the middle of the front row—represented the center of power for the entire small county town. They had long since memorized these faces from television broadcasts.The charm of power was that it could cover up all of a person's flaws. Take Uncle Ma, who had been sitting next to Zhou Yuwen just now. He was in his fifties, even had age spots on his face, and his figure was no longer tall and sturdy. But even so, countless women racked their brains trying to get close to him. After all, once they established a connection with him, it wasn't just about material enjoyment; it was more about privilege. It would mean privilege for their entire family in this small county town.

Therefore, Uncle Ma's every move tugged at the heartstrings of certain women with ulterior motives. Today, the fact that a young man was sitting beside Uncle Ma naturally made everyone quite curious.

And when they heard that Zhou Yuwen was a billionaire with a net worth in the tens of billions, these women were even more astonished. Good heavens, how old was this kid? Compared to the elderly Uncle Ma, he was infinitely more appealing. It was just a pity that this could only be a passing encounter; he clearly didn't belong to this small county town.

Just as their imaginations were running wild, Zhou Yuwen actually walked right over. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he approached Pan Min.

At this moment, Pan Min was sitting in her seat, removing her makeup. Even in her late thirties, as she sat on a stool without a backrest, her slender waist remained remarkably delicate. She looked at Zhou Yuwen with curiosity.

"How did you get in here?" she asked curiously.

Zhou Yuwen explained that it was boring waiting out front, so he came to find her.

"I didn't expect to run into you here. I was originally planning to visit you after the New Year."

These words were genuine. After all, Pan Min was Su Qing's mother. As a prospective son-in-law, he definitely needed to pay a visit and bring some gifts during the New Year. It was just that he had been too busy lately to find the time.

Running into her here was actually quite awkward. Because he and Su Qing were currently dating, and Su Qing was abroad, he hadn't made visiting Pan Min his first priority.

Hearing just that one sentence, Pan Min understood what Zhou Yuwen meant. The corner of her mouth lifted slightly into a smile, and she told him it was fine.

"You young people have your own things to do. I understand," Pan Min said.

Zhou Yuwen nodded, glancing again at the bright and captivating Pan Min. "Aunt Pan, you sang beautifully just now," he said.

"I couldn't tell you were so good at coaxing people." In truth, Pan Min was quite easy to talk to. Plus, as one person living alone, it could get truly boring. When interacting with others, she always needed to maintain certain boundaries, but there was no need for that with Zhou Yuwen. After all, he was her son-in-law.

The two of them chatted for a bit, and then Zhou Yuwen said he would head out first.

"I have two cases of red wine in my car that someone gifted me. When this is over, I'll move them to your place," Zhou Yuwen said.

Pan Min refused, but Zhou Yuwen simply didn't listen, waving his hand to indicate he was leaving first.

During the New Year, a son-in-law definitely had to bring gifts to his mother-in-law's home. These two cases of red wine were actually a bit lacking, but it couldn't be helped. Other than the red wine, Zhou Yuwen really didn't know what else to give. Besides, this red wine had been forced upon him by someone else.

After Zhou Yuwen left, the makeup room backstage practically exploded with excitement.

The teachers in the makeup room were mostly drafted from primary and middle schools all across the city and small county town, so they usually knew each other. Just now, while Zhou Yuwen and Pan Min were talking, everyone had looked extremely surprised. They never expected Pan Min to know such a big shot. Moreover, from their interaction, it was obvious their relationship was quite deep. He was even going to visit her at her house!

Wait a minute, wasn't Pan Min a divorced woman?

How did she hook up with such a young boy?

Could they be...

Someone couldn't resist gossiping and asked, "Oh, Teacher Pan, do you know that young man from just now?"

Looking at everyone's astonished gazes, Pan Min finally realized what they were thinking and let out a soft "Oh."

"He is my daughter's boyfriend."

In an instant, an uproar of surprise swept through the room.

The outstanding billionaire youth was actually her son-in-law?

It was absolutely shocking.

My goodness, Teacher Pan, you truly are a real person who hides her true depths!

Exactly! With this kind of connection, why didn't you say so earlier!

One by one, they gathered around, all talking at once. They never dreamed that there would be such an incredible person right beside them. They couldn't help but ask a few more questions. How exactly did your daughter and Zhou Yuwen meet?

"He's your daughter's boyfriend? Teacher Pan, I didn't realize your daughter was already so grown up. You never mentioned it before! If you hadn't clarified, I would have thought he was your boyfriend!"

A female teacher joked, and immediately, several others chuckled.

Faced with such a joke, Pan Min was actually a little embarrassed. But out of being polite, she didn't say anything and just offered an awkward smile.

These female teachers continued to clamor around Pan Min. On the surface, they looked genuinely happy for her, but deep down, they were extremely jealous. They wondered why Pan Min was so lucky. She was only a girlfriend, after all. Most likely, Zhou Yuwen was just playing with her daughter's feelings!

The gala ended at eight o'clock. Afterward, the top leaders of several departments were bound to gather for a drink. They were all old colleagues, and having been busy for another year, they definitely needed to share a few extra glasses.

Zhou Guobin was pulled along by a few middle-aged men who refused to let him leave no matter what he said. They even declared that they had to pour him a few more rounds this time.

"We need to make this old rascal teach us properly how to raise a son!"

Zhou Guobin protested, saying he had never even managed the boy.

"He's like this entirely because of his own tinkering."

"Listen to that! Isn't that infuriating?!"

"Truly infuriating! I can't even resist the urge to hammer him a couple of times!"

A group of men in their forties and fifties stood there joking around. Don't be fooled by how they were talking and laughing now; whenever these people faced an outsider, they always kept a stern, straight face.

Someone joked, telling Old Gao from the Education Bureau to pull a few female teachers over.

Hearing this, Old Gao immediately glared and retorted, "Sure! You tell me which one catches your eye, and I'll play matchmaker for you. You can go ask for her yourself."

The crowd erupted into another fit of roaring laughter.

When there were this many people around, making jokes was fine, but they would never dare to actually pull female teachers over. In private, two people might talk about setting up an introduction, but right now, with the heads and deputies of seven or eight departments present, anyone who acted like a hooligan would be the laughingstock of the town by tomorrow.

As they were chatting, the guests of the gala also began to emerge one by one. After the female teachers changed into their regular clothes, they looked even more stunningly beautiful. Outside the county theater, car after car was already waiting. The female teachers naturally had their husbands coming to pick them up, and these husbands could be considered members of the small county town's elite class; at the very least, they were nouveau riche.

Walking at the very back was Pan Min, wearing a wool coat. Pan Min had clearly trained her physique specifically; her figure was exceptionally well-proportioned. To be honest, among this group of female teachers, Pan Min had the best temperament. Although everyone had no intentions of starting any scandals, everyone possessed an eye for beauty and naturally wanted to steal a few extra glances.

However, when they saw Pan Min, they were stunned for a moment.

"Hey, Old Zhou, isn't that your son?"

Zhou Guobin took a look and realized that Zhou Yuwen was actually walking alongside Teacher Pan. The two were behaving quite intimately, seemingly deep in conversation.

Seeing this scene, Zhou Guobin couldn't help but frown slightly.

"Wenwen."

Zhou Yuwen had sought out Pan Min to ask how she got there, and Pan Min said she had driven over.

Zhou Yuwen then offered to carry the red wine to Pan Min's car first.

Pan Min felt quite helpless in the face of Zhou Yuwen's attentiveness.

But then she smiled, thinking to herself, 'I suppose I've really found a good son-in-law.'

As a result, they had barely taken two steps when Zhou Guobin called out to stop them.

Zhou Yuwen looked at his father curiously. He watched as Zhou Guobin walked over and cast a glance at Pan Min.

Pan Min was indeed beautiful, but wasn't she a bit too old?

Zhou Guobin knew his son's tendencies, but things couldn't be this outrageous.

Seeing Zhou Guobin approach, Pan Min politely nodded at him.

However, Zhou Guobin asked Zhou Yuwen, "Ran into an acquaintance?"

Zhou Yuwen introduced them, saying, "Oh, Aunt Pan, this is my dad. Dad, this is Su Qing's mother. Su Qing is abroad, and I always told her I'd help take care of Aunt Pan for her. But I've been home for a week now, and I didn't expect to run into Aunt Pan here."

Hearing that she was Su Qing's mother, Zhou Guobin finally realized he had overthought things and suddenly felt a bit ashamed. Looking at Pan Min again, she still maintained her polite demeanor. After Zhou Yuwen finished the introduction, she nodded once more and greeted him, "Hello."

Zhou Guobin opened his mouth slightly. He knew Su Qing's mother was a teacher, but he hadn't expected to meet her here. Ultimately, he nodded and replied, "Hello. I hope Wenwen hasn't caused you too much trouble."

"Not at all. You have an excellent son."

Pan Min was a senior teacher, and her Mandarin was perfectly articulated, making people feel as though they were bathed in a spring breeze. Knowing this was not the place for chatting, she turned to Zhou Yuwen and said, "Then I'll head home first. It won't be too late to catch up when you're free."

Zhou Yuwen had originally planned to leave with Pan Min, but Zhou Guobin interjected, saying they were going out to eat in a bit. Zhou Yuwen replied, "You guys go ahead and eat. I don't even know anyone there."

Hearing this, Zhou Guobin shot Zhou Yuwen a sharp glare, thinking, 'Do you think you're still a child?'

Right now, Zhou Yuwen was considered Uncle Ma's guest of honor. Stating it like that might be too abstract; more accurately, he should be considered the guest of honor for the entire small county town. Uncle Ma had already shown a clear stance toward Zhou Yuwen, so the rest of the local officials definitely needed to get acquainted with him as well.

Of course, if he were any other businessman, he might not receive this kind of treatment.

But wasn't this Zhou Yuwen a kid who grew up in their own backyard? Seeing a longtime colleague's child suddenly achieve such success, they undoubtedly wanted to meet him.

Even if they hadn't mentioned it, Zhou Guobin would have introduced him to everyone anyway.

Zhou Guobin pulled Zhou Yuwen to the side to explain this. Zhou Yuwen was reluctant to go, arguing that he needed to drop by Aunt Pan's house first.

Zhou Guobin frowned slightly.

Having listened from the side for a moment, Pan Min couldn't help but say, "Yuwen."

"Yeah?"

"Let's make it another day. Your father's matters are more important," Pan Min advised.

Seeing that Aunt Pan had put it that way, Zhou Yuwen felt a bit helpless, but he ultimately agreed.

With that, Pan Min turned and left.

When Zhou Guobin brought Zhou Yuwen before his group of colleagues, these people were brimming with curiosity and asked, "Guobin, how does your son know Teacher Pan?"

Without a doubt, some among them were eager to hear some gossip.

They mused to themselves, 'It's so good to be young. The most important part is the lack of constraints.'

Zhou Guobin wouldn't indulge their thirst for gossip and stated directly, "Oh, she is the mother of Yuwen's girlfriend. Yuwen just went over to say hello."

"Wenwen has a girlfriend!?"

Hearing that Zhou Yuwen had a girlfriend, this group of uncles was somewhat taken aback.

Another person couldn't help but sigh in exaggerated disappointment, "Ah, Old Zhou, I was hoping we could become in-laws. Now there's no chance."

Zhou Guobin assured him, saying, "Your daughter will find someone even more excellent in the future."

"Sigh, where can I find a son-in-law better than your son these days!"

"Hey, Wenwen, how far have you progressed with her?"

Everyone was quite interested in Zhou Yuwen's romantic life, but Zhou Guobin interrupted, "Let's head to the restaurant first. We can chat slowly once we're in the private room."

Everyone voiced their agreement.

They split into several cars, and even after entering the private room, the conversation still revolved around Zhou Yuwen.

As Pan Min's highest superior, the head of the Education Bureau first voiced his affirmation of Teacher Pan. He remarked, "This Pan Min, I know her well. She is awarded as an excellent teacher every year. I've listened to her lectures; our small county town is simply lacking in such excellent teachers."

"Then shouldn't you hurry up and arrange for her to work at the bureau? She's Prosecutor Zhou's future in-law, after all!" someone joked.

Zhou Guobin shot him a glare and scolded, "Why do you have to talk nonsense!"

The man from the Education Bureau chuckled from the side and waved his hand, saying, "Hey, Old Zhou, don't accuse him of talking nonsense. Honestly, we've actually been considering seconding a few excellent staff members from the local schools to work in our bureau. Teacher Pan's capabilities are obvious to all of us. Even without today's incident, we had already studied and discussed it."

Zhou Guobin scoffed, "You're already drunk today without even drinking."

Everyone laughed again, chiming in that it was the New Year, so they should just be happy.

"If you really want to thank me, just have your son donate two more buildings to us!"

The crowd erupted into laughter once more. It was originally meant as a joke, but Zhou Yuwen needed to show a proper attitude. Zhou Yuwen stated that he had already planned on giving back to his hometown anyway. He had just discussed this issue with Uncle Ma; he intended to build a customer service tower in the city, and from then on, all of his company's customer service personnel would be recruited locally.

In addition, there was another matter he needed to discuss with Uncle Gao.

"Ah, feel free to speak your mind."

This was technically a private gathering, but truthfully, ordinary businessmen really had no chance to attend. Zhou Yuwen mentioned that he had received his education here, so he understood the situation in their small county town. Because of this, he wanted to invest two hundred million to establish an education foundation. The main goal would be to build Hope Primary Schools in the surrounding villages and towns, as well as to make investments in repairing schools that had long fallen into disrepair. For example, the primary, middle, and high schools he had attended would be personally funded by him to either rebuild their facilities or relocate to new campuses.

It had to be said that Zhou Yuwen's timing was impeccable. The year 2015 was exactly when the small county town was undergoing massive construction. Thanks to real estate development, major primary and secondary schools were all beginning to expand. Zhou Yuwen pulling out two hundred million at once was no small sum of funding for the Education Bureau. As the man in charge, Old Gao was naturally thrilled and immediately proposed a toast with Zhou Yuwen.

As the drinking went on, even though Zhou Yuwen had a decent tolerance, he couldn't withstand this group of old folks constantly forcing drinks down his throat. He quickly became deeply intoxicated.

Fortunately, before he got completely drunk, he made a phone call to Liu Shuo, asking Liu Shuo to come and pick him up.

Being of the younger generation, he definitely needed to excuse himself early. Using the excuse of being unable to hold one's liquor, combined with the fact that Liu Shuo had arrived to pick him up, made his exit smooth.

Everyone didn't make things difficult for him.

Zhou Guobin handed Zhou Yuwen over to Liu Shuo, instructing Liu Shuo to take Zhou Yuwen home first.

Liu Shuo agreed, nodding his head.

When they stepped out of the private room, Zhou Yuwen still looked completely drunk.

However, the moment he got into the car, Zhou Yuwen completely sobered up. He commanded, "Let's make a trip to Su Qing's house."

"Huh?"