Chapter Twelve: First Show of Brilliance

  When Wen Huai Ming saw Wen Qian sitting steadily on the sofa, his irritated and angry mood suddenly calmed down. He let out a light sigh, sat down and asked: "Did you do it?"

  Nodded slightly.

  "Where did you get this from? Who gave it to you?"

  Wen Cheng suddenly burst out laughing and said: "Dad, don't be angry first, this matter was done by me alone, no one instructed me."

  Wen Huai Ming stared into Wen Qian's eyes, wanting to find something from them, but unfortunately, Wen Qian's expression was calm and his eyes were clear, without a hint of deceit. He shook his head and said in a deep voice: "Wen Qian, this matter is not trivial, I'll make my position clear first, no matter what the truth is, I will never blame you for it... son, you must tell daddy the truth!"

  "This is probably the most emotional thing Wen Huai has said to Wen Qian in over a decade. Wen Qian couldn't care less about arousing his father's suspicion, and bitterly smiled: 'Really, I didn't lie to you. Dad, I read your draft, the only consequence of doing it that way is that both Xu Fuyan and Zhou Yuanting will be offended. You've been in the official circle for so many years, don't you understand the outcome of doing things this way?'"

  Although Wen Huaiming was a bit strange to have such insight at a young age, he didn't mind it too much. At home, when discussing officialdom, they never avoided him, and having such understanding wasn't impossible. He let out a long sigh, his face full of helplessness: "I'm not unaware... but now the situation is complex and unclear, with an uncertain future. Zhou Yuanting may be overbearing and powerful, but Xu Fuyan is nominally in charge - who dares to say that the east wind can overpower the west wind? Since it's unknown who will win or lose, what other way is there besides muddling through?"

  Pausing for a moment, he continued to ask: "Wen Ze, was there really no one behind you? How did you write such an article?"

  Wen Jie knew that if he couldn't give his father a reasonable explanation, he wouldn't be able to put his mind at ease. He glossed over it by saying: "I've been very interested in economics lately and have read many books on the subject at the city library. Actually, there are many examples of situations like Qinghua Factory in other parts of the country, so I just borrowed from them. The theoretical stuff is just a summary of opinions from various parties."

  Wen Huaiming was so angry that he was speechless, pointing at Wen Ze and not knowing what to say. At such a young age, you dare to tamper with life-and-death documents? At such a young age, you actually dare to say that this is my personal opinion after summarizing the strengths of various families? At such a young age, you dare to do such things, say such words, and write such articles. You really are my good son, Wen Huaiming!

  Huh?

  Wen Huiming's face changed dramatically, and he suddenly stood up, walking back and forth in the room several times. Suddenly, he was overjoyed: This matter might still have a turning point! He sat down, carefully thinking about various possibilities, and suddenly slapped his thigh, shouting: "Not bad!"

  It's not bad! Since it was written by Wen himself, it's certain to be full of loopholes. Let other experts take a look. Well, you say that the Qinghua factory can't be cut off, but the proposed plan has zero feasibility. Isn't this just self-entertainment? This way, the document is just a waste of paper, giving both Xu Fuyan and Zhou Yuanting an excuse to save face. Those who understand will think that they did it on purpose, expressing their attitude while not offending Zhou Yuanting. At most, Xu Fuyan might slam his fist and scold them for being incompetent, but taking the lesser of two evils, that's nothing. Those who don't understand will think that they're flattering Xu Fuyan, but actually making themselves look foolish... How dare you rush to the front and bite people when you have no substance or teeth? Leaders like Zhou Yuanting wouldn't even bother with someone like that. What Wen wants is not to leave any impression on the leader's mind, whether good or bad.

  Officialdom is subtle, and can only be understood but not explained. Warm and considerate mistakes are even better than deliberately trying to smooth things over! As soon as he thought of this, Wen Huiming hastily said: "Tell me what you wrote, I didn't get a chance to read it earlier when I left in a hurry..."

  No one knew that Lao Wen's mindset had undergone a drastic change in an instant, so he could only explain the problems with Qinghua Factory and the solutions one by one. Combining the overall situation of domestic state-owned enterprise reform, he clearly and logically outlined a grand blueprint. Wen Huiming was originally still in a critical mood, wondering how stupid it would be! But unexpectedly, as he listened to each point, he gradually became absorbed, even having the urge to take notes.

  No sooner had Wen Cheng finished speaking than Wen Hua Ming fully understood the value of this article. He had been working on economic theory in the policy research office for many years, and especially valued interpreting and predicting major domestic decisions. After listening to Wen Cheng's detailed explanation, although he couldn't be certain if this was a necessary trend for future development, there was one thing he no longer doubted: this thing was indeed written by Wen Cheng himself, not the original author, who wouldn't have been able to provide such a thorough interpretation of the article.

  "Bang!" Wen Huiming slapped the table, got up and came to Wen Can's side, stroking his head and laughing: "The ancients said that saints are born with knowledge, could my family's Wen Can also be a little saint? Haha!"

  Wen Jie rolled her eyes and let out a quiet sigh. Parents' love for their children is unconditional, so when something happens, they will naturally think of the good side and won't believe what others say about a 16-year-old high school student having such talent, but parents can quickly accept this point and be proud of it!

  "Oh..."

  After laughing loudly, Wen Huai Ming's face suddenly became stiff again. Wen Cheng, who was frightened by his father's sudden outbursts today, asked in a low voice: "What's wrong again?"

  Wen Huaiming's face fell like he had stepped on dog shit, and he slumped down onto the sofa. It was truly unpredictable. Since Wen Jian's article was so solidly done, his previous plans naturally came to nothing. From now on, it seemed that a big "许" ( permission) character would be carved into his forehead, and as long as Zhou Yuanting was in Qingzhou for one day, he wouldn't have any good days!

  The sorrow of a small person is also here, without a background, like a waterweed without roots, it may be swallowed by the officialdom at any time. When holding onto a thick leg, I'm afraid that when the rabbit dies, the dog will be cooked, and at any time, I'll be thrown out as cannon fodder. It's really hard to advance, hard to retreat, always stepping on the red line between life and death, not daring to overstep in the slightest.

  After receiving a call from the Municipal Party Committee's secretariat, saying that Secretary Xu wanted to see him, Wen Huaiming had fully adjusted his mindset. Since it had come to this point, there was no other choice but to make a desperate bid. Especially since he had already submitted his application, if he wanted to become one of Xu Fuyang's trusted aides, it would depend on whether the Qinghua Factory matter could be handled beautifully.

  Wen Huaming knew that Xu Fuyan had summoned him again, and he must have had second thoughts after the impulsiveness of the morning. He couldn't be sure if the things mentioned in the article could be implemented, and even if they could, how much confidence did he have? After all, the problem with Qinghua Factory was very serious, involving many aspects of relationships, and it wasn't something that could be solved with just one article. And Xu Fuyan, this person, to put it nicely, had a gentle personality, but to put it bluntly, was indecisive, or else he wouldn't have been forced into this situation by Zhou Yuanting. Meng Shanshui also understood his personality, which is why he specifically reminded Wen Huaming to hurry back to the municipal party committee in the afternoon and wait for the secretary's summons. But what neither of them expected was that Xu Fuyan would regret it even before the afternoon.

  Wen Huaming spat, adjusted his clothes and went out. What he had to do was to persuade Xu Fuyan to firm up his confidence and fight against Zhou Yuanting. Otherwise, he would die without a place to bury him!

  (Rolling on the ground for collection and recommendation, whatever you give is fine, I'm not picky)