Zou Lan is thirty-three years old, director of the Commerce Bureau, and single.
Five years ago, she was a Chinese teacher in a primary school. During an inspection, a leader "accidentally" put his hand on her waist. She smiled and slid away, handing her a cup of tea.
From then on, she stepped into another world - a world where wine parties, dinner parties, ambiguity and transactions coexist.
She has the ability to read men's eyes.
Know who really appreciates her and who just wants to sleep with her.
She learned to navigate ambiguity and dance on the boundary line. Not crossing the line, but making everyone think she might have.
The 4.8 Billion commercial complex project in Hedong District fell on her shoulders. Investors are raising prices on the ground, local forces are obstructing it, and coordination of military production areas is difficult to achieve.
Special Forces Captain Liu Zheng is a hurdle she has to pass.
When they met for the first time, he rolled down the car window and asked, "Who are you?"
She didn't flinch.
Late at night, he sent four words: "Are you free tonight?"
She didn't reply.
Later, he drove 40 kilometers to take her to the reservoir, kissed her in the wind, and said businesslikely the next day: "What happened last night should not affect work."
Zou Lan smiled.
She knew that restraint meant he was thinking.
This is a story about a woman walking a fine line between power and desire.
She is never active, but never passive.
She makes every man feel like he has a chance, but never shows his cards to anyone.
