William Bolton was inwardly groaning, thinking to himself, “I’m not even twenty-five yet, why are you all in such a rush?” But seeing his father getting upset, he didn’t dare refuse directly. Just as he was pondering how to phrase his response, his phone came to the rescue.

“Hello, is this Little William? It’s me, Samuel Foster. Are you free right now? Township Head Brooks and I are waiting for you at ‘Xiao’er Villa.’” As soon as William Bolton answered the call, he heard Samuel Foster’s deep voice.

“Xiao’er Villa?” William Bolton was taken aback and quickly said, “Secretary Foster, has the meeting ended already? How come you’re free today?”

“The meeting isn’t over, but can’t we eat? Come quickly! I’ve already ordered the dishes.” Samuel Foster chuckled.

“Alright, I’ll be right there.”

After hanging up, William Bolton hurriedly explained the situation to his parents. Since his leader wanted to talk to him, Edward Bolton had no choice but to let him go first.

When William Bolton arrived at “Xiao’er Villa” by taxi, Samuel Foster had already reserved a private room. Samuel Foster, Eric Brooks, and the township government secretary James Harris were all there. As soon as William Bolton arrived, the waiter began serving tea. “Xiao’er Villa” truly lived up to its reputation for hosting officials—the waiters were very experienced, and the order of serving tea and water was just right.

The room was luxurious, and most importantly, quiet. It seemed the owner of “Xiao’er Villa” was indeed thoughtful.

“Little William is here, come, come, sit over here.” As soon as William Bolton sat down, Eric Brooks patted the seat next to him, signaling for William Bolton to sit to his right.

William Bolton hesitated, thinking this didn’t seem appropriate. James Harris had more seniority than him, so sitting above James Harris wasn’t proper etiquette.

Chapter 0010 Xiao’er Villa

“William, Township Head Brooks wants you to sit, so just sit. Why are you being so polite with me?” James Harris said with a smile.

Seeing James Harris speak so frankly, William Bolton didn’t insist further and sat down next to Eric Brooks.

“Miss, serve the dishes! Our stomachs are already rumbling. As for drinks, let’s have Wuliangye!” After sitting down, Samuel Foster laughed and spoke to the waitress.

At that moment, the door to the private room suddenly opened. William Bolton turned his head and was taken aback.

A woman walked in, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. Having been in the county for so long, William Bolton had rarely seen a woman with such poise.

She wore a long black trench coat, her hair stylishly curled at the ends. The dry winter air hadn’t affected the smoothness of her skin at all. Her features were perfectly balanced, her lips red and teeth white, giving off an air of elegance.

“Secretary Foster, Township Head Brooks, it’s been a long time! What brings you two to my humble place today?” The woman smiled radiantly as she spoke.

Samuel Foster, Eric Brooks, and James Harris immediately stood up. William Bolton, not knowing what was going on, quickly followed suit.

“Little Alice, don’t scold us. Lizi Ping is far and the roads are rough—it’s not easy for us to come! Since Township Head Brooks and I finally made it to town, the first thing we did was come to ‘Xiao’er Villa.’” Samuel Foster laughed heartily.

At this point, William Bolton realized who she was—she was the owner of “Xiao’er Villa,” Alice Bennett.

It was said that her father-in-law was the chairman of the county People’s Congress, Philip Scott. Her husband had served in the military and died in the 1998 flood rescue, so she was considered a martyr’s family member. With her background and status, everyone in Yongping County’s official circles gave her due respect.

And “Xiao’er Villa” was just one part of her business empire. She had shares in several supermarkets and many storefronts on the pedestrian street in the county. In Yongping, she was a textbook example of a strong woman.

“William, Little James! This is Miss Alice Bennett. You must have heard of her famous name!” Samuel Foster introduced her to William Bolton and James Harris.

“Hello! I’ve heard so much about you.” William Bolton smiled, nodded, and extended his right hand to gently shake Alice Bennett’s. He couldn’t help but feel a flutter in his heart at how soft and delicate her hand was.

After William Bolton spoke, James Harris followed suit, but he was clearly nervous—he stammered and his face turned a bit red.

“This is William Bolton, an outstanding young cadre! And this is James Harris, our township government secretary.” Samuel Foster said with a smile, introducing them to Alice Bennett.

“Welcome, leaders! Thank you for coming to my humble place. I hope you’ll visit often in the future!” Alice Bennett said politely. She glanced at William Bolton, sensing something ambiguous in Samuel Foster’s introduction. Having been in business for years, Alice Bennett picked up on it immediately.

James Harris was the secretary of Lizi Ping Township, but William Bolton was only introduced as a young cadre. A young cadre from where? What kind of young cadre? Could it be he wasn’t from Lizi Ping Township?

Anyone who could dine with the township head and party secretary was either a local cadre or an important figure from the county committee or other county departments. But she was sure she’d never seen this person before.

“Secretary Foster, Township Head Brooks, please have a seat!” Alice Bennett said with a smile, then turned to add, “These two cadres are a bit unfamiliar to me, especially this one.” She glanced at William Bolton as she spoke. “I really haven’t seen him before!”