Chapter 63

Chapter 56: Alliance

Wen Huaiming humbly responded a few times, knowing it was his turn to ask questions, he said, "Director Zuo, did you hear something from Ji Zheng after you met him?"

Zuo Yuxi nodded and said, "Exactly! Ji Zheng wanted to sue Yuan Dazhu over salary issues. Unintentionally, he let it slip while drunk, and Yuan Dazhu, learning of this, falsely accused him of embezzlement and bribery, which led to his arrest." These details Xu Fuyan could also learn through other channels, so there was no need to lie.

"Hmm, and then what happened?"

"At the time, Wen Liang was also present. Yes, I brought him and Ji Su along," Such a clear violation of discipline and law, both Xu Fuyan and Wen Huaiming pretended not to hear, "Fortunately, Wen Liang was there. He noticed Ji Zheng's secret, and after a series of exchanges, Ji Zheng finally decided to confess the materials he had painstakingly collected over the years about some major issues at the Qinghua Factory. The problems at the Qinghua Factory are shocking..."

Xu Fuyan became interested, "I heard a bit from Old Wen, but I don't know the details. It turns out our little hero has another heroic deed! Yuxi, tell me more..."

Xu Yao walked past Wen Liang without even looking at him, sat on the sofa, straightened her back, kept her legs together, placed her hands flat on her thighs, and looked straight ahead. Wen Liang maintained his bowing posture. He had his ways to deal with Xu Yao and smiled, "If Her Majesty allows me to stand up, I can consider taking her to see the pandas during the winter break."

Xu Yao's cold face immediately showed a hesitant expression.

"I heard that the panda house in Xinan Province allows you to adopt a baby panda. You can name it, buy it snacks, and receive small gifts from it during holidays..."

Xu Yao coughed lightly, trying to keep her voice steady, "Stand up!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Wen Liang sat opposite her, staring at Xu Yao with a smile, saying nothing until she blushed and, in a fit of rage, picked up a slipper to hit him. He raised his hands in surrender. Xu Yao huffed, smoothed her skirt, and maintained her ladylike posture, asking in a low voice, "Why did you come? Last time, my father asked me about you. I knew him, right? I covered for you, but now it's all exposed, isn't it?"

"It's fine. Last time, I was mainly worried that your father might overthink it and stop us from seeing each other. This time, if your father asks, just say that I talked to you recently, and we cleared things up with no issues."

Xu Yao nodded, somewhat understanding, but still puzzled, "Then why did you come tonight? And what about your father and that beautiful aunt, what's going on?"

Xu Yao had met Zuo Yuxi twice, once at the award ceremony and once at the academic affairs office. She knew Wen Liang was close to her but had never asked about it.

Wen Liang felt a headache, glancing nervously at the study, and whispered, "Well, you can actually call her sister..."

This emphasis made Xu Yao instinctively realize something was wrong. She pouted and huffed, "Aunt!"

Wen Liang felt this topic couldn't continue and quickly changed the subject, "Actually, I came tonight mainly to plead for Ji Su with Secretary Xu, to see if her father can be released."

Xu Yao widened her eyes and said, "Didn't you say it was all fine yesterday?"

Wen Liang started to feel a headache. Lying too much meant he had to keep covering up, "Well, your father is the top leader. With his help, it will be much easier. Anyway, don't worry about it. I'll handle everything. Just look forward to seeing the pandas during the winter break, ha ha."

This made Wen Liang almost break a sweat. He forced a dry laugh, but fortunately, Xu Yao, with her simple and trusting nature, quickly shifted her attention, "Okay, okay, I'm counting on you. If you dare to lie to me, I'll... I'll beat you to death!"

Amidst the laughter, Wen Huaiming emerged from the literary network, knowing that this was the moment to impress Xu Fuyan and open the door to the heavens.

He smiled slightly, "I'll go chat with your father, I'll be back soon!"

Xu Yao, though naive, sensed the unusual from Wen Liang's eyes, her heart involuntarily racing. She watched his tall back, opened her mouth but said nothing.

As he opened the door, Wen Huaiming gently squeezed his hand, a silent strength passing between father and son. Wen Liang's calm face showed no emotion, and in a voice only the two could hear, he said, "Don't worry!"

Pushing the door open, Xu Fuyan greeted with a full smile, standing up, "Our little hero has arrived."

The same words Xu Fuyan had used when the soy milk shop opened. At that time, Xu Fuyan still saw Wen Liang as a precocious child, whose wisdom and insight far exceeded his peers, but still a child.

But now, the meaning was clearly different.

Wen Liang was also surprised. He didn't expect Xu Fuyan to stand up to greet him. He glanced at Zuo Yuxi, his eyes full of questions: Sister, are you not following the script and improvising?

According to their earlier plan, tonight's meeting aimed to achieve three goals: First, clarify the background of the Ji Zheng incident to gain Xu Fuyan's full attention; second, use Ji Zheng as a token of sincerity to alleviate Xu Fuyan's concerns; third, use Wen Liang as a bond to become a trusted point of contact for both sides, thus forming an alliance. The first two goals were to be handled by Zuo Yuxi, while the third would be managed by Wen Liang, adapting as needed. Although Xu Fuyan might not treat him as an equal, at least he would no longer see him as a child or a dispensable presence, laying a solid foundation for future plans.

But before he could say a word, Xu Fuyan's understanding and consideration were too shocking to be believed.

However, he couldn't show too much surprise like a typical subordinate. He quickly walked to the desk and said, "Uncle Xu, I'm really sorry. If Dad hadn't told me afterward, I wouldn't have known you were Xu Yao's father."

This was expected. After the incident, Wen Huaiming naturally told his son the truth. Xu Fuyan didn't think too deeply, patted his shoulder, and smiled warmly, "You've met Xu Yao, right? Don't blame her, Wen Liang. I asked her not to reveal her identity casually. I should be the one to apologize."

"I won't. We've talked it out, and good friends don't hold grudges." This sentence marked the end of the crisis caused by Xu Yao's identity.

"Um, I've been busy lately, so I haven't heard her mention it."

Chinese people always speak in circles. After some small talk, Xu Fuyan turned back to his seat, closed his eyes, and seemed to have no intention of speaking further. Some words had to be asked by Wen Huaiming, "Director Zuo, is this your own idea or your father's?"

This was crucial. Although Zuo Yuxi had some influence in Qingzhou, she couldn't participate in such a game without her father's strong support. Only then would Xu Fuyan seriously consider it.

"It's my idea, and my father's idea!"

Xu Fuyan didn't react. Wen Huaiming looked at Xu Fuyan, knowing he was still hesitant, and said, "We need to think this through..."

Zuo Yuxi sneered, "Think this through? Director Wen, as Secretary Xu's closest confidant, your insight and vision are truly disappointing. Out of the seven votes on the Standing Committee, how many does Secretary Xu have now? The Qinghua Factory, with billions in assets, is about to be handed over at the word of Zhou Yuanting. Secretary Xu strongly opposed it, but what progress has been made? Yang Yixing, whom my father personally promoted, has shown support for Secretary Xu, but what can he do? Zhou Yuanting can crush him with a single move!"

"Ridiculous!"

Xu Fuyan suddenly opened his eyes, his face showing no anger, but the authority that came from years of being in a high position made the three of them jump.

Zuo Yuxi paused, stood up, and said, "Secretary Xu, I mean no disrespect. But with Qingzhou's current dangerous situation, if you continue to be so benevolent and refrain from counterattacking, I fear Zhou Yuanting will not only not appreciate your kindness but will become even more aggressive."

Wen Huaiming secretly glared at Wen Liang: Is this the carefully planned speech? Using me as a stepping stone to criticize indirectly is one thing, but if it angers Xu Fuyan, isn't that counterproductive?

Wen Liang, as if nothing had happened, held Zuo Yuxi's hand, making her sit down, and advised, "Sister Zuo, don't be anxious... Uncle Xu, although I'm young, I know that there are rats in Qingzhou, gnawing away at the people's hard-earned money. Not just the Qinghua Factory, but the agricultural machinery factory, glass factory, machinery factory, and cotton textile factory, all are inefficient and chronically losing money. Workers' wages are not paid, yet the leaders are all getting richer. Is this normal? Your insistence on reforming the Qinghua Factory is a good starting point. If the Qinghua Factory can successfully restructure and turn a profit, other state-owned enterprises can follow this model. The significance of this will far exceed our imagination, crucial for Qingzhou's future."

With Zuo Yuxi's thunderous words, Wen Liang's gentle rain sounded even more touching. This was the purpose of Wen Liang's participation in tonight's meeting. Besides leaving a deep impression on Xu Fuyan, he also wanted to use his special relationship with both sides to act as a lubricant and a mediator. Even though Xu Fuyan had high expectations for Wen Liang's performance tonight, this speech still shocked him greatly.

After a while, Xu Fuyan laughed and teased Wen Huaiming, "You really teach your son anything? At such a young age, you've cultivated him to be so capable. What will he be like when he grows up? I'm thinking of reserving him for my daughter, ha."

Zuo Yuxi, Wen Huaiming, and Wen Liang all breathed a sigh of relief. During Xu Fuyan's silence, the tension in the air was almost unbearable.

With this statement, the deal was almost sealed!

In fact, after learning about the Ji Zheng incident from Wen Huaiming, Xu Fuyan realized this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. However, in the political arena, one must be extremely cautious. Why did Zuo Yuxi take the initiative to approach? What were her true intentions? Without understanding these, how could Xu Fuyan dare to accept her olive branch?

If not for Wen Liang's involvement and Wen Huaiming's strong recommendation, he wouldn't even consider meeting Zuo Yuxi. Offering such a significant favor without any apparent benefit seemed too suspicious.

But after the conversation, Xu Fuyan initially judged that Zuo Yuxi had no ulterior motives. At least, Wen Liang was too smart to push Wen Huaiming to a dead end. In Qingzhou, who didn't know that Wen Huaiming and Xu Fuyan were closely aligned, sharing the same fate?

Understanding this, the last and most important question needed to be resolved. Asking directly would be too blunt for Xu Fuyan, too abrupt for Wen Huaiming, and would lower Zuo Yuxi's status if she brought it up herself.

Wen Liang smiled, "Uncle Xu, are you wondering why Director Zuo is taking such a big risk to do this? After all, it seems she won't gain anything from it."

"Oh, you know why?"

"Of course. To say Director Zuo is doing this out of altruism, neither Uncle Xu nor I would believe it. The reason she is doing this is because..." Wen Liang knew this was a crucial point. Only by satisfying Xu Fuyan on this issue could a true alliance be formed.

Zuo Yuxi suddenly interjected, "Because I have a personal grudge against Zhou Yuanting and Fan Hengan!"

All three were stunned. Xu Fuyan and Wen Huaiming were surprised by this answer, while Wen Liang stared at Zuo Yuxi in disbelief: Sister, why are you improvising again?

"I am different from you, Secretary Xu. You have to consider the big picture of Qingzhou and the lives of over 6 million people. I am just a small person, and a woman who seeks revenge. Fan Hengan and I have an unresolvable personal grudge! Wen Liang once saved my life, he can vouch for it."

Wen Liang solemnly said, "That's right, I guarantee it!" But a bitter feeling rose in his heart. This was Zuo Yuxi's biggest secret, but to make this deal, it had to be revealed to outsiders.

Xu Fuyan and Wen Huaiming suddenly understood. This explained everything. Xu Fuyan stood up, smiling, "Are you hungry? I'll have Aunt Zhang prepare some late-night snacks for everyone..."

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