Perhaps it was because Wen Liang's expression was too strange when he examined the business card. Wen Huaiming felt a little guilty even though he had done nothing wrong. He explained, "Tang Ye is the main person in charge of the provincial newspaper's report on the Guanshan Conference. She just made an appointment with me to do an exclusive interview... She has helped me a lot, and it's hard to refuse this favor... Hmm? What are you doing?"
Wen Liang put the business card into his pocket and said with a smile, "It's popular to collect business cards recently. This one is very exquisitely designed. It belongs to me."
This is not entirely false. After the skit "Playing Poker" by Hou Yaowen and Huang Hong became an instant hit during the 1994 Spring Festival Gala, there were always people at all kinds of dinner parties who liked to show off how many officials and managers their business cards were in their pockets. Just as the skit said, a small handful of cards can represent the big stage of society and all kinds of life.
Wen Huaiming couldn't do anything to him, so he deliberately picked a quarrel and scolded him, "Playing with things will ruin your ambition! If you have the leisure time, why don't you read more books!"
"Yes, I am uneducated and unskilled." Wen Liang glanced at him and said, "Dad, can you tell me what the first strategy of the so-called defeat strategy is?"
Wen Huaiming then realized that Wen Liang was eavesdropping outside the room. He didn't want to dwell on this issue, so he pretended not to hear it and changed the subject casually, asking, "Have you finished your work? Are you leaving tomorrow?"
Up to now, Wen Huaiming has basically relaxed his control over Wen Liang. As long as he does not drop out of school, he will generally turn a blind eye to it. So when he skipped classes to come to Guanshan, he just gave him a verbal warning and let things take their course.
Wen Liang stopped when he saw that he was ahead. If he really went too far with his joke, he would be the one who would suffer. "I'm going back to Qingzhou tomorrow. I just ran into Zhang Fang downstairs. Xu Fuyan has already rushed back overnight. How many days do you have to stay?"
"It's hard to say," Wen Huaiming rubbed his brows, looking a little tired, and said, "The leaders of the State Planning Commission and the Grain and Grain Reserve Bureau will hear my face-to-face report tomorrow morning, and I have to attend an internal seminar of the Macroeconomic Research Department of the State Commission for Restructuring the Economy later. Before you came, I received a call from the General Office of the Provincial Party Committee. Yu Peidong may take time to see me in the next two days. The specific time will be notified separately, but he told me to stay in the hotel and try not to go out, and keep the communication open... I came to Guanshan, but I was placed under house arrest, ha!"
"When you are in the arena, you have no choice," Wen Liang said jokingly, "But this can also be considered a happy and painful experience..."
Yes, happiness that is both painful and joyful!
When Wen Huaiming walked onto the podium, except for a few few people, the audience looked at him with distrust. Some were annoyed, some were surprised, some laughed at him for not knowing the seriousness of the matter, some were waiting to see him make a fool of himself, and some were afraid that he would bring discredit to the cadres of the entire Jiangdong province if he made a mistake. There were all kinds of thoughts and plans, but no one believed that a small department-level cadre could have any real insights or make any pioneering and innovative moves.
This is actually not discrimination, but the experience of these adults who have made it in the officialdom. A person's position and experience determine his vision and overall view. Wen Huaiming's position as deputy secretary-general of Qingzhou Municipal Party Committee alone makes everyone lose expectations and surprises - no, there are still expectations. Seeing how nervous a director-level cadre is, how he stutters, and how he ends his adventure in shame will also be a good topic for future chats.
At that moment, Wen Huaiming's back looked so lonely and staggering!
However, the facts cruelly slapped everyone in the face. Wen Huaiming stood on the rostrum with calm and confidence. His calm and composed demeanor quickly impressed everyone. His mellow voice echoed in every corner of the hall. He elaborated in detail his opinions and suggestions on the reform of the grain system. He summarized the basic principles of reform of "three policies and one reform" (open purchase of grain at a protective price, implementation of sales at the market price, closed operation of grain purchase funds, and implementation of grain institution reform), and proposed "four separations and one improvement" (separation of government and enterprises, separation of central and local responsibilities, separation of reserves and operations, separation of old and new financial accounts; improvement of the grain protection price system, and cultivation of the grain market system) to further deepen the various problems that may arise in the reform process. His words were concise, easy to understand, yet comprehensive and to the point. He spoke for a full two hours, longer than any other senior leader, but no one present felt the slightest bit dull. After all, they gathered here from all over the place to find a solution to the food crisis, whether for the people's livelihood or for political achievements. If they couldn't find a way out, everyone would be ashamed.
The three-day meeting was more like a market. Everyone had their own ideas and thoughts. The result was a situation of confusion, each doing their own thing, and no one could convince anyone else. All the people present had been dealing with grain for many years. They could not make any false suggestions, whether they were feasible or not, and whether their opinions were useful or not. Until today, Wen Huaiming's speech was like a wake-up call, illuminating a path that seemed to be able to break through the fog.
Everyone keenly felt the difference. You have to know that it was the end of 1995 and the actual plan would not be released until the beginning of 1998. That was a mature plan that had undergone countless demonstrations and revisions. However, under the guidance of Wen Liang, Wen Huaiming advanced this process by two years. The fluctuations and shocks caused can be imagined.
Mr. Ren took the lead in applauding, and the audience immediately burst into applause. The director of the Regulation Office personally praised Wen Huaiming's performance, saying that it was "reasonable and logical, focusing on the overall situation and taking into account details", which put a perfect end to Wen Huaiming's performance. As soon as the meeting ended, many officials from other provinces came to ask for contact information and arrange dinner parties. Some even praised Wen Huaiming's demeanor and youthful potential in person.
This scene was a stark contrast to the cold and desolate one when he first took the stage. It also made Wen Huaiming feel alert when he was full of confidence. But it was undeniable that after this meeting, his reputation would surely go a step further.
Wen Huaiming put down the pen in his hand, raised his head and looked out the window. His eyes seemed to be staring at the bare branches, but in fact his thoughts were drifting far away, so far that he could hardly see any scenery or hear any sound. Only his heartbeat when he walked down from the stage and the smiling faces that greeted him told him that he had succeeded!
Wen Liang sat quietly on the sofa. He understood his father's feelings. Just like the first time he got a multi-million dollar order in his previous life, that night, on the balcony of his residence, he looked at the stars for a long time alone.
When Wen Huaiming woke up from his reverie, Wen Liang was no longer in the room, and a note was placed on the coffee table:
If you stay up late, drink less strong tea. Dad, mom and I are proud of you!
Wen Huaiming felt a heat in his chest and remained silent for a long time.
Walking out of the hotel, the sky was gloomy, the fallen leaves rustled in the wind, and the bone-chilling cold made pedestrians on the street quicken their pace. Wen Liang looked at the time. It was almost eleven o'clock in the evening. He looked back at the third floor of the hotel, took out the business card with the dandelion logo from his pocket, and his eyes suddenly became as sharp as the cold wind.
Tang Ye drove a Honda CR-V that was just launched in October this year. It had a red body, a large luggage compartment, 126 horsepower, a 4-speed automatic transmission, and an innovative timely four-wheel drive system, which made the whole car look majestic and unrestrained. As the car shuttled through the night traffic, her face no longer had the smile she had in front of Wen Huaiming, but was instead a bit solemn and indifferent.
The phone rang. Tang Ye looked at the number in confusion. After answering the call, he asked, "Hello, who is this?"
"Sister Tang, I'm still hurt from the impact just now. Are you going to turn your face and deny it?"
Tang Ye chuckled and said, "Wen... It's Wen Liang, right? Little brother, considering my age, you should actually call me Auntie!"
This woman is not easy to deal with. Wen Liang clamped the phone between his ears and tossed a steaming hot sweet potato back and forth in his hands. He said, "It's only been a short while, and you've already found out my name. You're worthy of being a big reporter for the provincial newspaper. You're well-informed."
Tang Ye did inquire about Wen Liang's situation from the side. No one had ever made her feel uneasy when they first met. A woman's sixth sense was unreasonable, so she quickly got feedback after making a few phone calls.
Wen Huaiming is now well-known, and his family information is almost semi-public. Tang Ye has many friends in the officialdom, and it is easy for him to get inside information that outsiders don't know. Wen Liang, 16 years old, is a freshman in Qingzhou No. 1 Middle School. He has excellent grades and an outgoing personality. He once had a dispute with Gu Shitong's son Gu Wenyuan because of a quarrel, smashed cars and beat people, and made the province and the city restless. He is considered an authentic dandy.
Thinking about the big hands that Wen Liang held around her waist at the moment of the collision, and the hot body temperature that seemed to be able to penetrate the clothes and pour onto her skin, Tang Ye somewhat believed the conclusion of this so-called "dandy boy" - perhaps the feeling of discomfort was a woman's instinctive reaction when she met someone who was threatening enough to her.
Tang Ye hangs out in Guanshan, this den of ecstasy. Being an experienced journalist, he never treats Wenliang as just a child because of his age. Looking at the dirty things done by the children of high-ranking officials in Guanshan, sixteen years old is not young anymore!
"Well, do you need anything from auntie so late at night?"
If Wen Liang knew that Tang Ye already regarded him as a little pervert with ulterior motives, and that was why she called herself aunt to remind him of the age difference, he would probably faint from laughing.
"It's nothing serious, ouch..." Wen Liang burned his tongue with the sweet potato, and his words became unclear: "I want to ride on you and eat your flute..."
Tang Ye's face changed. She was not an innocent little girl. She had heard about the disgusting things men did, such as playing musical instruments and singing. Her seductive breasts rose and fell sharply. She could hardly suppress her anger. She was about to hang up the phone when she heard a breathy voice in her ear: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I meant to treat you to a midnight snack..."
Wen Liang on the other end of the phone was sweating profusely, puzzled as to why he was so off-key. He could only pray that Tang Ye didn't hear anything, or didn't understand even if he did.
Tang Ye said coldly: "It's too late and inconvenient, bye!"