Mayor Li and Tang Song’s handshake lasted a full ten seconds.

In the highly etiquette-conscious and meticulous political arena, this was almost a signal of the highest regard, expressing closeness and importance.

Following closely were other city government leaders, including County Party Secretary Zhang Chengming, Principal Liu Zengyin, and others.

"Chairman Tang! Welcome, welcome!"

"I’ve long heard of Rongliu Capital, and I didn’t expect the Chairman to be a talent from our Quan City. Truly pride of our hometown!"

"Chairman Tang is young and promising. Please return often to guide the development of our hometown!"

Leaders who could be considered "big figures" in the local area at this moment proactively approached, conducting brief exchanges with Tang Song in an extremely respectful manner.

Tang Song, amidst all of this, maintained a confident and relaxed smile, handling everything gracefully.

Among the crowd in the square, a buzz of discussion gradually erupted, unable to be suppressed.

Wang Zhigang from Mining Construction Company stood dumbfounded at the edge of the crowd, eyes shifting between Liu Qingning and Tang Song, with a cold sweat instantly forming on his back.

His heart filled with fear, grateful that he had decisively pulled his nephew Zhou Hao away during his time at Liu Qingning’s home.

If he had made even the slightest misstep, slightly offended this "True God," the consequences would be unimaginable!

Beside him, Zhou Hao was breathing rapidly, face pale, seemingly unable to comprehend the situation.

Not only them, but everyone unaware of the details around were shocked by this scene before them.

As participants in the school celebration, so-called "famous personalities."

They all understood that for Mayor Li to bring core team members to such a solemn "greeting" at a county high school celebration,

It must represent a significant presence.

"Yazi... th-this... your high school classmate... Am I seeing this right?!"

At the crowd’s outskirts, Sun Xiaonan, overwhelmed, incoherently grabbed Deng Yazi’s arm.

Just last night, she clung to a starry-eyed mindset, fantasizing about meeting this "handsome and wealthy programmer," perhaps even developing a relationship.

But the scene now... what kind of programmer is this?!

Deng Yazi pursed her dry lips, mind still blank, instinctively murmuring, "It’s him..."

"He... my God... what’s going on?" Sun Xiaonan continued to mumble in disbelief, "Just now, the Mayor introduced him, and I... did he say Chairman or something?" 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"I don’t know either..."

Deng Yazi shook her head, staring blankly at Tang Song surrounded like a cherished star in the center.

At twenty-six or seven, he wore a high-end tailored suit, tall and handsome, with exceptional demeanor.

Among the somewhat more imposing middle-aged leaders, he stood out like a crane among chickens.

Under the warm winter sun, he exuded a gentle glow, radiating an awe-inspiring poise and grace characteristic of top-tier power circles.

She couldn’t reconcile this person with her old classmate who chatted warmly in casual attire last night, nor connect him with the boy in school uniform sweating on the basketball court from her memories.

Yet, the contours of his eyebrows, sharp vitality, seemed to be directly imprinted from those youthful years.

An unreal, dreamlike feeling engulfed her.

Just then, a reprimanding voice exploded in her ear: "Deng Yazi, what are you doing?!"

Deng Yazi jolted back to reality, finding the show’s chief producer, Liu Jianjun, staring at her with a stern face.

"Why are you dazing there? Is the camera given to you for fun? Hurry up and follow along!"

The host, Xie Xuan, frowned, turning back, "Yazi, pay attention! You’re an alumna of Jing County First High School, you have a natural advantage. Later, find a chance to follow me and see if you can connect with Minister Lin from the publicity department, aiming for a brief exclusive interview."

Deng Yazi quickly bowed her head, "I’m sorry, Director Liu, Sister Xuan, I..."

She indeed lost her composure, mainly due to the overwhelming shock Tang Song had given her, causing a buzzing in her head.

Liu Jianjun glanced disapprovingly at her but said no more, refocusing on Xie Xuan and the primary camera operator, becoming noticeably serious.

"Clearly, the city is using the school celebration as an opportunity to push a major investment project. The fact that Mayor Li is personally hosting indicates the visitor’s extraordinary backing! This is the crux of our reporting mission! If we can secure firsthand, exclusive in-depth reporting, year-end evaluations and selections would be in the bag!"

Apart from their ’Quan City Observation’, other official media like the ’City Daily’ and ’Quan City Evening News’ were present, inherently competitors.

Deng Yazi stood aside, listening to the leaders’ arrangements, and gradually her sense of bewilderment faded.

Taking a deep breath, she picked up the camera again, squeezed into the crowd, adjusted the angle, and pressed the shutter towards Tang Song.

"Click—"

The shutter’s crisp sound.

At the moment the photo was captured, as if perceptive, Tang Song in the crowd center truly directed his gaze towards her, hidden in an inconspicuous corner.

He showed the same warm smile as last night, nodding gently as if greeting her.