Chapter 12: First Showing of Sharpness

When Wen Huaiming saw Wen Liang sitting steadily on the sofa, his烦躁激怒的心情 suddenly calmed down. He sighed lightly and sat down, asking, "Did you do it?"

Wen Liang nodded.

"Where did you get the materials? Who gave them to you?"

Wen Liang suddenly laughed and said, "Dad, don't get angry. I did this on my own, no one instructed me."

Wen Huaiming stared into Wen Liang's eyes, trying to find something, but unfortunately, Wen Liang's expression was calm, his eyes clear, showing no trace of lying. He shook his head and said solemnly, "Wen Liang, this is no small matter. I want to make it clear that no matter what the truth is, I will not blame you... Son, you must tell me the truth!"

These words were the most heartfelt Wen Huaiming had spoken to Wen Liang in over a decade. Wen Liang, no longer caring about arousing his father's suspicion, smiled bitterly and said, "Really, I'm not lying. Dad, I read your draft. The only outcome of doing it that way would be to offend both Xu Fuyan and Zhou Yuanting. You've been in the political arena for so many years, don't you understand the consequences?"

Although Wen Huaiming found it strange that Wen Liang, at such a young age, had such insight, he did not pay too much attention. He had never avoided discussing politics at home, so it was not surprising that Wen Liang had such understanding. He sighed deeply, his face full of helplessness, "I'm not unaware... But the current situation is complex and the future is uncertain. Although Zhou Yuanting is domineering and powerful, Xu Fuyan is nominally the top leader. Who can say for sure that one will prevail over the other? Since we don't know who will win, what else can we do but play it safe?"

After a pause, he continued, "Wen Liang, really, no one instructed you to do this? How did you write such an article?"

Wen Liang knew that if he couldn't give his father a reasonable explanation, he would never be at ease. He evaded, "I've been very interested in economics recently. I read many books on this topic at the city library. Actually, the situation at Qinghua Factory is similar to many cases in other parts of the country. I just adapted them. The other theoretical parts are my own summary based on various opinions."

Wen Huaiming was so angry that he was at a loss for words, pointing at Wen Liang. At such a young age, he dared to tamper with a life-or-death document, and at such a young age, he dared to say it was his personal opinion, summarizing the strengths of others. At such a young age, he dared to do such things, say such words, and write such an article. You are truly my son, Wen Huaiming!

Huh?

Wen Huaiming's face changed dramatically. He stood up abruptly and walked back and forth in the room, suddenly overjoyed: This might still have a chance! He sat down, carefully considering all possibilities, and suddenly slapped his thigh, exclaiming, "Not bad!"

Indeed, not bad! Since Wen Liang wrote it himself, it was bound to have many flaws. When other experts saw it, they would say that while the Qinghua Factory should not be shut down, the proposed plan was unfeasible. Isn't this like beating your wife and then beating your child—just for your own amusement? This way, the document would be nothing but scrap paper, giving Xu Fuyan a way out without embarrassing Zhou Yuanting. Those who understood would think he did it on purpose, showing his stance with Xu Fuyan without truly offending Zhou Yuanting. At worst, Xu Fuyan might slam the table and call it unreliable, but in a situation where the lesser of two evils must be chosen, that wouldn't matter much. Those who didn't understand would think he was shamelessly flattering Xu Fuyan, but ended up making a fool of himself. A leader like Zhou Yuanting would not bother with a fool. What Wen Huaiming wanted was to leave no impression, good or bad, in the leaders' minds.

The subtleties of politics could only be understood, not explained. Wen Liang had stumbled upon a better outcome than if he had just played it safe! With this thought, Wen Huaiming could hardly contain his excitement and said, "Tell me about what you wrote. I didn't have time to read it just now..."

Wen Liang had no idea that his father's mindset had changed dramatically in a short time. He had to explain the problems at Qinghua Factory and his solutions, combining them with the broader context of state-owned enterprise reform. His explanation was well-structured and logically clear. Wen Huaiming, initially looking for flaws, was gradually captivated and even felt the urge to take notes.

Before Wen Liang finished, Wen Huaiming already understood the value of the article. Having worked in the policy research office for many years, he specialized in economic theory, particularly in interpreting and predicting major national decisions. After hearing Wen Liang's detailed explanation, although he couldn't be sure if this was the inevitable trend of future development, he no longer doubted that the article was indeed written by Wen Liang. Only the author could provide such a detailed interpretation.

"Bang!" Wen Huaiming slapped the table, stood up, and came to Wen Liang's side, patting his head and laughing, "The ancients said that sages are born with knowledge. Could it be that my Wen Liang is also a little sage? Hahaha!"

Wen Liang rolled his eyes and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. A parent's love for their child is pure, and when something happens, they naturally think the best. No one else would believe that a 16-year-old high school student could have such talent, but his parents quickly accepted it and were even proud of it!

"Oh..."

After laughing, Wen Huaiming's face suddenly stiffened. Wen Liang, unnerved by his father's sudden mood swings, asked softly, "What's wrong now?"

Wen Huaiming's face was like he had stepped in dog poop. He slumped onto the sofa, truly realizing that fortune and misfortune are unpredictable. Since Wen Liang's article was so solid, his previous plan had failed. From now on, his forehead would be branded with a big "Xu," and as long as Zhou Yuanting was in Qingzhou, he would have no good days!

This was the tragedy of a small figure. Without a powerful backer, he was like a rootless plant, always at risk of being swallowed by the unpredictable political arena. Once he latched onto a powerful backer, he feared being discarded like a used pawn. It was difficult to advance or retreat, always walking the thin red line between life and death, never daring to overstep.

By the time he received a call from the municipal party committee's secretary's office, saying that Secretary Xu wanted to see him, Wen Huaiming had completely adjusted his mindset. Since it had come to this, he had no choice but to fight with all his might. Especially since he had already submitted his loyalty, he needed to see if he could handle the Qinghua Factory issue to become Xu Fuyan's confidant.

Wen Huaiming knew that Xu Fuyan's decision to see him again must have been due to second thoughts after the morning's impulse. He was unsure if the things mentioned in the article could be implemented, and even if they could, how much confidence did he have? After all, the problems at Qinghua Factory were very serious, involving many layers of relationships, not something a single article could solve. Xu Fuyan, to put it nicely, had a gentle personality, and to put it bluntly, was indecisive. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been forced into this situation by Zhou Yuanting. Meng Shanshui, understanding his character, had specifically instructed Wen Huaiming to return to the municipal party committee in the afternoon to wait for the secretary's summons. But neither of them expected that Xu Fuyan would regret it even before the afternoon.

Wen Huaiming spat, straightened his clothes, and went out. What he had to do was to convince Xu Fuyan to have the confidence to fight Zhou Yuanting. Otherwise, he would have no place to bury his bones!