At 6 o'clock in the evening, Wen Huaiming got off work early after receiving a call from his son. As soon as he entered the house, he saw his wife Ding Mei carrying a plate of fried chicken nuggets to the restaurant. He hurried over to take the plate and said, "What day is it today? Why is it so grand?"
Wen Liang just came out of the kitchen with a dish and said with a smile, "What era did Secretary-General come from? A mere plate of fried chicken is considered grand. Are you going to jump for excitement when you see the Chinese sturgeon in my hand?"
Wen Huaiming, who was losing his fatherly dignity in front of his son, decided to turn a deaf ear to him and frowned, "How is Su Hai's matter going?"
The news of Ding Mei being cheated spread among the municipal party committee, and even Xu Fuyan had asked about it twice. Wen Huaiming was angry, but his wife's original intention was to make money to support the family, so he couldn't blame her too much. Besides, most of the money that was cheated was earned by Ding Mei from running the store in the past two years. With his fixed salary, he couldn't save enough in ten years, so he could only hope that Wen Liangsuhai's trip would bring the cheater to justice and recover the losses.
"Didn't Liu Tianlai report to you?" Wen Liang asked back, and immediately realized that Liu Tianlai looked rough, but he was thoughtful. Without his consent, how could he report directly to Wen Huaiming? He glanced at Ding Mei and said, "With Director Liu's intervention, of course the scoundrels have nothing to do. All the money has been taken back..."
Wen Huaiming was not as easy to fool as Ding Mei. He said, "So fast? Didn't I hear that Su Hai had just started investigating?"
"Yes, but Lin Yufen was arrested in Guanshan, and the money she handled has not yet been entered into the general account of Shenyu Company, so the case has been closed first. Anyway, the amount of money involved in the case of Shenyu Company is huge, and it doesn't matter if it's just a drizzle."
It sounded like the procedure was not right, but Wen Huaiming did not think about it because Ding Mei had already happily taken the money out of her bag and placed it on the table. She said, "When Tianlai comes back from handling the case, I must invite him to my house for a meal. As a secretary general, you are not his direct leader, so it is not easy for him to be so attentive and help..."
Ding Mei chattered on for a long time, and Wen Liang listened with a smile and was not at all bored. Wen Huaiming had a sullen face, but he rarely scolded her. The three of them sat around the small dining table, the family was having a great time, and the room was filled with long-lost warmth.
After dinner, Ding Mei went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Wen Liang wanted to help, but she chased him out. So he washed a few apples and brought them to the living room. He handed one to Wen Huaiming and said, "Here, try it. It's crispy and sweet."
Wen Huaiming didn't answer it. He looked at Wen Liang strangely and said, "Why do I feel like there's something wrong with you today?"
Wen Liang chuckled and said, "Dad, you see, I came all the way here to get our money back. Even if I don't have any credit, I've worked hard, right?"
Wen Huaiming raised his eyebrows, laughed out of amusement, and said, "Oh, how do you say merit, how do you say hard work?"
"It's a credit. Without the money recovered, there would be no chicken or fish to eat tonight, right? It's good enough if we don't have to starve! It's hard work. Look at me. I haven't adapted to the climate for the past month. My face has become thinner due to hunger..."
Wen Huaiming couldn't stand Wen Liang's rogue look, so he snorted and said, "I don't know where you learned to be so talkative, it's not like me at all!"
Wen Liang immediately shouted towards the kitchen: "Mom, my dad said I'm not like him, come out and give me an explanation..."
"Shut up!" Wen Huaiming had a headache. If he really provoked Ding Mei to come out, he would definitely criticize her again. He said, "If you have something to say, just say it. I still have some documents to approve. I don't have time to waste on you!"
As the saying goes, one thing conquers another. With Ding Mei mentioned, Wen Huaiming had to obey. Wen Liang struck while the iron was hot and asked, "Didn't you visit Han Chaoping last time you went to Guanshan? How did you get along?"
Han Chaoping has always been quite supportive of Wen Huaiming's economic ideas, and has repeatedly praised him in public and in the media. Although he can't say that he is a benefactor, at least he is the icing on the cake. So Wen Huaiming returned the favor and would ask for advice every time he went to Guanshan. As time went by, their friendship changed from mutual appreciation to a kind of friendship regardless of age.
"Not bad." Wen Huaiming looked at him in surprise and said, "Why are you asking Professor Han?"
"It's like this," Wen Liang briefly talked about the Ministry of Education's intention to promote the merger of colleges and universities, and said, "Director Zuo wants to participate, but Zhang Wugu wants her to continue to focus on the work of private-public transition... In fact, Director Zuo is Director Zhang's favorite, and there is no big conflict between the two. As long as we find a suitable person to mediate..."
So that's why. No wonder this guy is so flattering. He is here to lobby for Zuo Yuxi. Wen Huaiming had many guesses about the relationship between Wen Liang and Zuo Yuxi, but he was never sure. Or maybe in his subconscious, he knew that he couldn't be too serious about this kind of thing. It's rare to be confused, rare to be confused!
Wen Huaiming pondered and said, "Professor Han has an average relationship with Director Zhang. If he comes forward directly, Director Zhang will have to give him face, but he will inevitably feel uncomfortable, which will be detrimental to Director Zuo's future development... How about this, it's best to find someone from the Provincial Department of Education to bring up the topic, and then let Professor Han play a supporting role. First, it won't seem abrupt, and second, it can also give Director Zuo some points..."
What does it mean to be knowledgeable when you know the world? Although Wen Liang is smart, the truth of officialdom is often revealed in subtle places. If you are not involved, you will inevitably be careless. Han Chaoping spoke directly to Zhang Wugu. With his reputation and status, it is inevitable that he would be suspected of using his power to suppress others. Moreover, he is an outsider after all. If Zhang Wugu did not say it at that time, would he have any grudges in his heart? However, if someone from the education system first proposed it, and then asked Han Chaoping to help say something good, Zhang Wugu would be more likely to listen. After listening, he would also think about the relationship between Zuo Yuxi and Han Chaoping, and would invisibly value Zuo Yuxi a little more.
It seemed like a simple negotiation, but the knowledge behind it was not simple. Wen Liang praised, "Dad, you are thoughtful. Let Yan Jize be the middleman, and then let Han Chaoping say a few good words. Yes, that's it!"
"Yan Jize?" Wen Huaiming asked curiously, "I heard that this deputy director is cold and stern, and a very upright person. He is not someone who is easy to talk to."
Wen Liang explained, "When he came to Qingzhou for inspection, he had a very good impression of Director Zuo. Moreover, this time he was here for work, not for personal matters, so he will surely not be stingy with his words."
"It's good that you know what's going on!" Wen Huaiming said, "How about I go to Guanshan tomorrow and talk to Professor Han? Or should I wait until you have made all the arrangements before I pay you a visit?"
"Let's do this at the same time. I'll call Director Zuo right away and ask her to go find Yan Jize. But we can't rush. We have to find a suitable occasion where all three of us can be present..."
Wen Huaiming did not worry about the specific arrangements, believing that Wen Liang could handle it without any mistakes. He just couldn't understand why Zuo Yuxi had to go to so much trouble to merge the universities. The transition from private to public institutions was about to be completed, so if he left at this time, wouldn't he be giving away the credit to others in vain
But no matter what, Wen Huaiming still has some admiration for Zuo Yuxi. He lets go when he is told to, and takes back when he is told to, without any lingering feelings or greed for credit. The government has no shortage of people who can get things done, but what it lacks is people who can get things done but do not seek credit. In the long run, temporary gains and losses are nothing. Leaving a good impression in the mind of the leader is more important than anything else!
The next morning, Wen Huaiming went to work on time. Ding Mei left Xin Xin to look after the store and asked Huang Gang to help. She and Ding Lan took the train to Jiangyue to check the goods. Huang Gang had nothing to do during the summer vacation, but she went to Bi Ya Si every few days. She was much more filial than Wen Liang, the authentic son. Wen Liang did not go out, but stayed at home watching TV. Jiangdong Satellite TV was replaying "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", and it was showing the burning of Red Cliff. Even if you watch it from the perspective of later generations, this scene is a rare big scene. The camera, details, and editing are all taken care of very well, so he was fascinated for a while, and even the phone rang three or four times before he reacted.
He took the phone from the coffee table and saw that it was Xu Yao's home phone. He pressed the answer button and said, "Oh, this is really a telepathic connection. I was just thinking about calling you, and you called me now."
"I don't believe it, I don't believe it, I don't believe it!"
Wen Liang couldn't help but smile. His mind automatically appeared Xu Yao on the other end of the phone, pouting and shaking her head. He said, "God is my conscience. If you don't believe me, ask your phone if it was going to call you just now?"
Wen Liang's phone was still the Ericsson. Xu Yao really asked, "Ericsson, Ericsson, you are a smart kid and you won't lie. Tell me, is what the brat said true?"
"Really, it's all true!" Wen Liang said in a pinched voice.
Xu Yao pretended to be angry and said, "Okay, it's true that people get smeared when they are around good people. Even mobile phones can lie to people!"
As soon as the words came out, they both laughed at the same time, and stopped after a while. Then they said gently, "Are you home alone?"
"you guess!"
Another person's shadow appeared in Wen Liang's mind, and he said, "Ji Su is here too, right?"
"Bingo!" Xu Yao snapped her fingers and said, "You and Xiao Ning are both too disloyal. One of you went to the army and there has been no news for almost two months, and you ran to Su Hai and only came back now..."
"Wait, who told you I was back?"
"Hehe!" Xu Yao said with a little pride in her tone, "Guess again!"
Wen Liang couldn't guess it this time, so Xu Yao didn't make it difficult for him. She said, "It was Huanggang. Didn't she go to Bi Ya Si this morning? I heard from Aunt Ding that you came back last night, and then she mentioned it to me when she called me to chat. Then I knew that you, the heartless one, had returned to Qingzhou..."
At the end, she was about to cry. Wen Liang understood her temper and knew that this was a trick of retreating to advance, but he was also willing to be fooled and surrendered: "Okay, okay, I apologize, I am guilty, Miss Xu can do whatever you want!"
"You said it, don't force it." Xu Yao chuckled and said, "Susu and I are going shopping later, so I'll punish you by making you accompany us for a day and do hard labor, no, be a slave!"
Wen Liang said with a bitter face: "Yes, Master!" (To be continued)