Chapter 98

A word of enlightenment woke Mei Jie from her dream, and she hurriedly expressed her gratitude. The teacher waved his hand, saying it was nothing, just a matter of a few words.

It was just a matter of a few words, but no one was willing to say it. The head teacher and the academic affairs director were too lazy to pay attention to them, truly failing to live up to the sacred title of teacher.

Mei Jie said, "Teacher, could you please tell us where to register?"

"At the Education Bureau's admissions office. Bring the necessary documents, like your high school diploma, ID card, and household registration. Ask when you get there." The teacher finished speaking and left.

Mei Jie pulled Huanxi and said, "Niece, let's go to the Education Bureau."

Huanxi said, "Sister, I want to see my little brother."

Since leaving home after the Spring Festival, several months had passed, and Huanxi hadn't seen her parents or brother, missing them very much.

Mei Jie said, "Since we're here, let's go see him. Which classroom is the second boy in?"

"I know." Huanxi led the way like a joyful swallow, with Liu Hane Dong and Mei Jie following behind. The teaching building was filled with the sound of students reading aloud, and in each classroom, students were studying on their own. Her little brother was in Class 5 of Grade 1. Being a key high school, the classroom was orderly even without a teacher, and everyone was diligently reading and memorizing words.

A young girl and a tall police officer appeared at the door, and the reading in the classroom paused. Sixty or seventy pairs of eyes stared over, and Huanxi's face turned red, unable to speak for a moment. Liu Hane Dong, with his sharp eyes, spotted Lan Huansha and called out, "Lan Huansha, your sister has come to see you, come out for a moment."

Lan Huansha hurried out, walked to the door, and with a look of surprise, said, "Sister, why did you come?"

"Sister came to see you. You've gotten so thin, how are you doing?" Huanxi looked her brother up and down. He wasn't very tall, slightly taller than Huanxi, with a fair complexion, slender, and delicate. The two of them standing together didn't look like siblings but more like sisters.

"I'm doing well. I'm on the Hope Project, so a kind person sends money to the school every month to cover my tuition and living expenses. I don't need to pay anything from home," Lan Huansha said happily.

"Good, take care of your health and study hard. Aim to get into university." Huanxi, usually a pitiful little girl, was a steady big sister in front of her brother. She took out a fifty-yuan note from her pocket and gave it to her brother, saying, "Buy some stationery."

"Sister." Lan Huansha called out, his eyes moist.

"Sister just came to see you. I'm leaving now." Huanxi said she was leaving, but her feet wouldn't move.

Just then, the head teacher of Class 5, Grade 1, arrived. Seeing the situation, he came over to talk. Huanxi, being shy, couldn't speak in front of her former teacher. Mei Jie was also not good at socializing, but Liu Hane Dong spoke confidently, asking the teacher about Lan Huansha's studies.

The teacher said, "This child is very smart, and his grades are among the top in the class, usually in the top three. He's also in the top ten in the entire grade. He hasn't put in his full effort yet, and he hasn't fully realized his potential. Additionally, his relationship with classmates isn't very harmonious."

Liu Hane Dong had been through his student days and could tell that Lan Huansha was a honest child. The so-called lack of harmony with classmates was likely due to some students envying his good grades and poor family background, often bullying him. This was a common occurrence.

Since they were here, they had to support Lan Huansha. Liu Hane Dong put his arm around Lan Huansha and walked into the classroom, standing at the door and addressing all the students, "I'm Liu Hane Dong, Huansha's brother. You can tell what I do. I'll just say this: anyone who dares to bully my brother will be asking for trouble!"

He was tall and in a police uniform, with a fierce aura from his experience. The authority of the uniform and his personal presence immediately intimidated these freshmen. Although Pingchuan No. 1 High School was a key high school and admitted some high-paying sponsored students, the overall atmosphere was still good. Liu Hane Dong's warning had a significant impact, evident from Lan Huansha's expression.

"Go on, study hard, and make your sister proud." Liu Hane Dong patted Lan Huansha's head and sent him back to his seat. The three of them said goodbye to the teacher and left.

Lan Huansha's seatmate asked him, "Who was that? I've never heard of you having a police officer brother."

"He... he's my brother-in-law," Lan Huansha lied. It wasn't really a lie; he hoped this big brother would truly become his brother-in-law. With a police officer brother-in-law, he wouldn't be bullied by classmates, and life at home would be better. His parents' illnesses could also be treated...

Liu Hane Dong took Mei Jie and Huanxi out of the school gate and hailed a taxi to the Education Bureau.

"Old Education Bureau or new Education Bureau?" the driver asked.

"Go to the admissions office," Liu Hane Dong said.

"Maybe the new Education Bureau, in the new city's municipal building," the driver said, driving straight ahead. The wide road was lined with beautifully designed street lamps, with little traffic and good greenery on both sides.

The driver, a chatterbox, kept talking while driving, "Building the new city, these officials have made a lot of money. There are so many street lamps; if democracy comes, they might not be enough to hang."

They soon arrived at the municipal building, a grand and magnificent complex. The main building was enormous, a cubic structure with a wide fountain in front and side buildings. A vast marble square and tall flagpoles with the Five-Star Red Flag fluttering in the wind.

The main entrance of the municipal building was very impressive, with a grand dome. The entrance had an electric sliding gate that automatically opened when vehicles with government passes approached, saving manpower. There were guards in ceremonial uniforms with chrome-plated semi-automatic rifles, looking solemn and sacred.

The taxi stopped at the entrance, and the three of them got out, paid the fare, and registered to enter. They were let in smoothly, probably because of Liu Hane Dong's police uniform.

The Education Bureau was inside the municipal building. After entering the main door, they found a spacious hall with a marble floor and a large oil painting of the Great Wall. A security guard at a desk by the door asked where they were going, pointed to the floor, and an elevator attendant took them upstairs.

Mei Jie liked to chat and started talking to the elevator attendant, "Miss, how is working in the government?"

The elevator attendant, with a haughty expression, replied, "The salary is average, but the benefits are good."

Mei Jie said, "Young people working in the government must have impressive backgrounds, with connections everywhere."

The elevator attendant smiled, looking proud.

On the third floor, the Education Bureau corridor was quiet and empty, with no signs indicating the functions of the offices, only room numbers. They tried the doors, but they were all locked.

Liu Hane Dong started knocking on the first door, the sound echoing in the corridor. No one answered, and he asked Mei Jie, "Is it Sunday today?"

"No, it's a working day," Mei Jie was also puzzled.

They continued knocking, but still no one answered. Liu Hane Dong knocked harder, and finally, a man came out from the end of the corridor, angrily shouting, "What are you knocking for! This is a government office!"

Liu Hane Dong was also angry, "No one is working in a government office! Is this a retirement home?"

The man saw Liu Hane Dong's police uniform and his tone softened, "Not no one, they're all in a meeting. Who are you looking for?"

"The admissions office."

"Oh, the admissions office isn't here."

"Where is it?"

"In the old government building, in the city center."

"Thanks."

Their first attempt was unsuccessful, and the three of them were not in a good mood. They left the municipal building, and the wide road outside was empty, as the new city was still under development and lacked taxis.

However, the taxi that had brought them hadn't left, parked a distance away. The driver was dusting the car with a feather duster and smiled when he saw them, "I knew you'd be out in less than ten minutes."

Liu Hane Dong was curious, "Why?"

"You're here to do something, right?"

"Yes."

"That's it. This is where things get done for the public. Unless you know someone, you'll be out in ten minutes. It's hard to get in, hard to see people, hard to hear what you want, and hard to get things done. No matter how big or small the matter, it will take you at least a month or two."

The admissions office was in the old government building in the city center. The buildings were new, and the Education Bureau was a separate office building with security guards at the entrance. After circling around, they finally found the admissions office. Inside, a group of young staff members were busy. When they asked who the leader was, they were told the leader wasn't there, and they were all temporary workers helping out.

They waited for half an hour, and the leader finally arrived, a woman in her forties. Upon hearing about the social candidates registering for the college entrance exam, she immediately shook her head, "I'm not familiar with the policy. Our Pingchuan admissions office rarely deals with social candidates."

Liu Hane Dong said, "Rarely, but it does happen. Please, we've come several times. Just help us this once."

The woman said, "There's no policy from above, so I can't do it. Go to the bureau and ask the leaders."

"Where is the bureau?"

"In the new city's municipal building."

This was just passing the buck. Liu Hane Dong was annoyed but had no choice. These officials were like abacus beads, only moving when the leader moved them. They were as immovable as a mountain in front of the public, even if the sky fell.

They had to find another way. As they left the Education Bureau, they considered going directly to the bureau to find the director. Suddenly, Liu Hane Dong noticed a Volkswagen Lavida parked by the roadside. The license plate was familiar, and he recalled it belonged to the parent who had come to pick up the rescued child.

This was a government compound, and social vehicles could only park outside. The Lavida was in a designated spot, indicating the owner was a government employee. The windshield had a compound pass and a pass for the government family compound.

But they didn't know the name. With so many government offices, how could they find the person? Liu Hane Dong had a plan and asked the security guard, but the guard was cautious and said he didn't know.

Liu Hane Dong got impatient, slapped the car, and the Lavida's alarm went off. A man in a suit with glasses hurried down from upstairs. It was the father of the rescued "Xiaobao."

"Oh, it's you." He recognized Liu Hane Dong and turned from anger to joy.

"I'm here on business and saw your car. The guard wouldn't tell me who the owner was, so I had to resort to this." Liu Hane Dong smiled.

"How is this a last resort? This is the best way. Don't leave at noon, I'll arrange something! Last time was too rushed, and I didn't get to thank you, Officer Liu. Don't leave at noon; this is my territory in Pingchuan. If you leave, it's a lack of respect."

Liu Hane Dong said, "I won't leave. I have something to ask you."

"Oh, you're insulting me. Just say what you need. If I can do it, I'll do it. If I can't, I'll find someone who can. Whatever department it is, go directly to the director. If the director can't help, go to the mayor. If the mayor can't help, go to the party secretary. In Pingchuan, it's just a matter of a few words."