Xu Ze had never called Tang Guorui before. But after being woken from his sleep by the phone, he frowned. When he saw the phone number, Tang Guorui’s eyebrows twitched slightly. Although he wasn’t very familiar with his honorary nephew, he knew very well that the young man wouldn’t call him at this hour unless it was something important. So he quickly answered.
After a brief conversation with Xu Ze, a trace of drowsiness still in his voice, Tang Guorui’s eyes soon became fully alert, taking on a sharp edge. Within half an hour, he appeared before Xu Ze.
Seeing Mayor Tang’s swift arrival, Zhang Jingming finally showed a hint of relief. He knew very well that if Mayor Tang didn’t show up now, he, as the Deputy Bureau Chief of the Xingcheng Police Bureau, would face unbearable pressure by the latest tomorrow morning.
But Mayor Tang had arrived, and with Xu Ze, who had personally killed Gu Xiaobing, present, he could surely convince Mayor Tang of the authenticity of the documents in his possession. Once he handed them over, he would gain the support and protection of the Tang faction. The Zhang family, far away in Yanjing, would no longer have the inclination or ability to pressure him.
After listening to Xu Ze’s account and reviewing the documents Zhang Jingming had provided, Tang Guorui’s expression changed briefly but quickly returned to calm.
As Zhang Jingming had anticipated, Tang Guorui expressed his gratitude and encouragement, and affirmed the nature of the incident. Gu Xiaobing, Deputy Section Chief of the National Security Bureau’s Supervision Section, was suspected of collaborating with and betraying the country. When his actions were exposed, he pursued Director Zhang of the Xingcheng Police Bureau to seize intelligence and was shot dead on the scene by Major Xu Ze of the Second Intelligence Bureau of the General Staff Department.
Xu Ze found it quite odd that after spending just half an hour alone in his office, making a few calls, Tang Guorui had pinned a seemingly random title—Major in some Second Intelligence Bureau of the General Staff—on him. Still, it gave him a glimpse of the formidable influence of the Tang family.
Seeing the look of utter astonishment on Xu Ze’s usually calm face—a face that had just been involved in killing a deputy section chief of the National Security Bureau—Tang Guorui couldn’t help but laugh heartily, a rare occurrence.
Tang Guorui was in a very good mood right now, so seeing Xu Ze’s expression made him especially happy.
Xu Ze had indeed rendered a great service. Without these documents, the Tang faction would have suffered a major blow in the upcoming turmoil. But now things were different. The Tang faction had advanced knowledge of the situation and could prepare calmly, minimizing their losses.
So, at five in the morning, Tang Guorui personally contacted Elder Li, the Tang faction’s most important ally in Yanjing, to brief him on the matter.
To Tang Guorui’s surprise, when Elder Li learned that Xu Ze was involved, he went as far as arranging a Major position in the General Staff Department for Xu Ze to eliminate any future complications for him.
Tang Guorui knew how difficult it was to suddenly arrange a Major position in the General Staff Department. For a junior officer, it wouldn’t be too hard. But a field-grade officer, even if just a Major, would require significant effort, even for someone as influential in the military as Elder Li.
This showed that Xu Ze’s weekly trips to Yanjing had not been in vain. Elder Li’s regard for him had reached such a level.
This was naturally the best solution, and Tang Guorui breathed a sigh of relief. The incident couldn’t be covered up. As the Deputy Section Chief of the Xingcheng National Security Supervision Section, and given his close ties to the Yanjing Zhang family, handling it properly would be challenging. While Tang Guorui could have arranged things for Xu Ze, it wouldn’t have been as simple as what Elder Li did.
What Tang Guorui didn’t know was that Xu Ze already had a special file with the National Security Bureau from way back and was already registered with the General Staff Department. The military had special regulations for such cases, so arranging this Major position didn’t take much effort for Elder Li.
Now, with his honorary nephew Xu Ze acquiring this identity, it was actually a good thing. The young man was destined to be a notable figure, and this would save trouble down the line.
Faced with this sudden turn of events, Xu Ze was also bewildered. He looked at Tang Guorui questioningly.
Tang Guorui didn’t explain further, simply smiling and saying, “Your credentials will arrive from Yanjing tomorrow. You can continue as you were, but you’ll have a powerful backing from now on.”
Zhang Jingming was also satisfied with how things had turned out. The current Police Bureau Chief, Yang Li, would be promoted next year. Having now officially aligned himself with the Tang faction, with Mayor Tang’s support, the position of Bureau Chief was all but secured.
He was also somewhat awed by the military Major title suddenly bestowed upon this adopted son of the Tang family. His own rank of Third-Class Police Supervisor was roughly equivalent to a Colonel. It had taken him decades to climb this high. Yet this young man, barely twenty-one or twenty-two, had become a Major through a few phone calls. It just went to show that people were different—having connections made all the difference in officialdom.
Though Zhang Jingming was somewhat emotional, he felt more secure. The Tang family seemed even more mysterious and powerful in his eyes. He knew they had influence in the military, but he hadn’t realized it was this great. It confirmed that he had indeed found a good patron.
Xu Ze went to the hospital for work at eight in the morning, yawning. Although he had been unwillingly drawn into a major incident the night before, he hadn’t expected to gain such a benefit. It was unexpected.
Xu Ze was arguably the most relaxed person in the entire First Affiliated Hospital. His daily routine was to follow Director Zhang Lide around, look at patients, say a few words if he felt like it, or stay silent if he didn’t. He didn’t need to write medical records or do much of anything, and he even had a certain air of authority by association.
Leveraging Director Zhang’s reputation, everyone in the hospital, at least within the Internal Medicine departments, was polite to him, including the other directors.
Lately, though, the politeness from these directors had grown warmer. Before, they were merely being courteous because he was valued by Director Zhang. But now, after Xu Ze had spent time with Director Zhang in these departments, he had impressed many with his skills and helped them out considerably. So although he held no official position in the First Affiliated Hospital, his standing in everyone’s eyes had risen significantly.
Director Zhang Lide was quite free today, so Xu Ze wandered around the Cardiovascular Medicine department alone. He chatted happily for a while with Zhang Jiangyou in the director’s office, drank some of his good tea, and discussed the future of acupuncture in cardiovascular diseases. Then he wandered off to visit Zhang Lizhi.
Zhang Lizhi was recovering remarkably well. Though he was still a bit weak, Zhang Jiangyou estimated he could be discharged in two or three days.
Looking at this young doctor, who was his daughter’s classmate, Zhang Lizhi was also emotional. He never expected that his daughter’s connection would end up saving his life. He treated Xu Ze with even more warmth.
Xu Ze didn’t stand on ceremony. He accepted a peeled banana from Zhang Linyun, took a few bites, chatted with Zhang Lizhi for a while, said some polite words about getting plenty of rest, and then left.
In the evening, after receiving a call from the old man, Xu Ze hurried back to Tianyang Mountain.
With only four or five days left until the New Year, Xu Ze, as the honorary grandson, naturally had to fulfill his duty and keep the old man company.
The old man liked Xu Ze more and more. Although he had long expected his honorary grandson to become someone remarkable, he hadn’t anticipated that Xu Ze would already be providing such significant help to the Tang family.
However, he sternly lectured Xu Ze: Gu Xiaobing was from the special forces and had a gun. What business did a young fellow like you have getting involved? If something had happened to you, what would this old man do… Tang Zhi listened nearby, grinning the whole time.
After the lecture, the old man sternly tossed a small booklet to Xu Ze.
Xu Ze was thrilled to receive it. Having navigated the world for years, he understood how hard it was. He knew that power and money were crucial in this world—a lesson he had learned since university.
If he didn’t have the Tang family behind him, even with Xiao Dao’s help, given his humble background, he would never have gained the experience and status he had now.
Without the Tang family, he might still be the intern doctor at Huimin Clinic, constantly worrying about visits from the Health Bureau or Health Supervision Office.
Now, with this new identity, he could do things without being as cautious, without fearing that someone would try to undermine him or pick on him.
At least, like last time when he treated someone at home—if the Health Supervision Office had come knocking, even without a practicing license, with this military identity, they wouldn’t dare do anything to him. He wouldn’t need to bother Tang Zhi to bail him out afterward.
Navigating the world is never easy… so difficult… Xu Ze sighed to himself.
The New Year’s bell was about to ring. Amidst the crackling of firecrackers, light snow began to fall from the sky. This year’s reunion dinner was especially different. Xu Ze’s parents looked at their three children, who had grown noticeably taller since the beginning of the year and carried an air of urban sophistication. Their eyes were filled with pride and contentment.
Xu Qing’er had won several violin awards at the end of the year, contributing over ten thousand yuan in prize money to the family.
Although the Xu family no longer worried about money, seeing their daughter’s prize money made the couple happier than if they had earned a hundred thousand.
They had planned to give the prize money to Xu Qing’er as spending money for the next semester, but she smiled and refused, saying her brother already gave her more than she could spend each month, and she was even saving some.
Xu Hao, who had always been the biggest worry, didn’t disappoint either. His grades were decent, and unlike the first half of the year, he had no failing subjects.
As for their eldest son, A Ze, seeing his tall, straight figure—already two centimeters taller than his father—and the plaques and banners hanging on the clinic wall filled the couple with pride.
Xu Ze’s mother had been looking better lately. She hadn’t set up her street stall for months and had been getting plenty of rest. With much less stress and the nourishment from the supplements Xu Ze brought home regularly, she appeared noticeably younger.
Early on the first day of the New Year, light snow was still falling, but some people came early to the Xu household to pay their New Year respects. Most country folk are simple and honest; if you treat them well and help them, they remember it for a lifetime.
The first visitors were a couple with a child—the boy Xu Ze had saved from drowning. They came with gifts to respectfully pay New Year’s greetings to Xu Ze’s parents and Xu Ze himself.
They stayed for a while, had some tea, and then left with the child, who was carrying a red envelope Xu Ze had given him.
Two more families came after that, making the usually quiet Xu household quite lively on New Year’s Day.
Xu Ze watched his parents, their faces full of joy, as they brought out snacks and treats to welcome the guests and handed red envelopes to the children. He held a warm cup of tea, his face glowing with warmth.
After seeing the guests off, Xu Ze drove the family to the temple outside town to pray and make offerings.
The Tianfu Temple was always busiest on the first day of the New Year. The large square in front was packed with cars and trucks of all sizes. By the time Xu Ze arrived, there were hardly any parking spots left.
But when they saw the car with the X-shaped emblem, several local volunteers helping with crowd control quickly moved a few stools aside to create a space and signaled for Xu Ze to park there.
Xu Ze parked the car, got out, thanked them, and, amid their polite smiles, accompanied his parents toward the temple.
As they walked through the crowded paths, people constantly greeted Xu Ze’s parents and Xu Ze himself with friendly, warm, and even slightly respectful smiles. This surprised and delighted his parents.
Both of them knew it was all because of their son walking beside them, but they smiled with immense joy.
After thanking an elderly man who politely made room for her, Xu Ze’s mother carefully placed her incense and candles at the burner, knelt devoutly on the prayer cushion, and bowed before the Buddha statue. She sincerely thanked the Buddha for watching over Xu Ze over the past year and prayed for continued smooth sailing and family safety in the new year.
After spending over ten days at home, it was time for school to start again, and Xu Ze also needed to go to Yanjing.
