Han Lingfei glanced at Chen Yang again, surprised. Chen Yang had surprised him several times today, like this time; before he could even finish speaking, Chen Yang almost instinctively reacted. Such keen political acumen was rare even among aristocratic families, let alone Chen Yang, who had grown up in a mountain village.
Could political acumen be hereditary? Han Lingfei muttered to himself.
After a moment's hesitation, Han Lingfei nodded and said,
"Yes! Chen Yang, your grandfather... his health is failing... He suffered severe injuries on the battlefield years ago, and medical conditions were very limited back then, leaving him with many ailments. Recently, these hidden problems all came to a head... He suddenly fell ill. Now he's in the intensive care unit at [Hospital Name], his life sustained only by machines and medication. The doctor says he could leave us at any moment!"
A look of sadness crossed Han Lingfei's usually calm face. He remained silent for a long while before speaking,
"Chen Yang, the reason I said I needed your help is that I hope you can persuade your mother at the appropriate time. She has already..." "Zihua has been resentful for twenty-five years. Even the deepest resentment from back then should have dissipated by now. Given the old man's condition, I hope she can come to Beijing to apologize and be by his side in his final days. I think… if we wait until the old man passes away, it will be too late. 'The child wishes to care for the parent, but the parent is no longer there!' This might become her lifelong regret!"
Chen Yang felt a slight pang of emotion, but he quickly regained his composure and said:
"Commissar Han, my mother broke ties with the Han family back then. Even if she wanted to come back now, without the old man's approval, I'm afraid even you couldn't make the decision, right?"
Chen Yang's words were straightforward. This issue had two sides: Han Xuehua's own wishes on one side, and the Han family's intentions on the other. The Han family is such a large clan that if the patriarch were to pass away, Han Lingfei, as the eldest son of the second generation, would naturally become the new core of the family. However, even so, Han Lingfei wouldn't immediately have absolute authority within the family. There are many matters he can't decide; it's a matter of prestige, and compared to the patriarch, his prestige is far from sufficient.
Furthermore, Han Xuehua, having run away from home for so many years, suddenly wants to return to the family, especially with a grown son like Chen Yang. Considering their own interests, many in the Han family certainly don't want to see Han Xuehua bring Chen Yang back. The family's resources are limited, especially political resources, which are even more precious. If Chen Yang returns, it means another person will share those resources, and anyone would weigh the pros and cons.
Han Lingfei was somewhat embarrassed. He coughed and said,
"Well… I'll try my best to persuade the family. The old man is basically unconscious, and the main issue is that other family members might have objections. But I hope you can help with persuading your mother. I believe your words will be more effective than any of ours!
Chen Yang, I don't think you want to see this human tragedy continue like this, right? Especially since the people involved are your family!"
Having said that, Han Lingfei looked at Chen Yang with expectant eyes, a hint of hope in them. Chen Yang sighed slightly. He realized that Han Lingfei was truly born to be a political commissar. After hearing his words, his resentment towards the Han family had lessened considerably. Moreover, Han Lingfei, Chen Yang's uncle, was able to humble himself and sincerely plead with him—this was quite rare. Chen Yang was also engaged in a fierce internal struggle. After a long while, he finally nodded with difficulty and said, "Commissar Han, I can promise you I'll talk to my mother at an appropriate time, but I can't guarantee she'll listen to me. After all these years, none of us know if her inner conflicts have been resolved..."
Han Lingfei was overjoyed upon hearing this. He said, "That's great! Chen Yang, thank you! But... I hope you can do it as soon as possible. The old man... probably won't last much longer!"
Chen Yang nodded silently, suddenly feeling a little disheartened. Before hearing Han Xuehua's story, Chen Yang had actually harbored a selfish thought: to have his mother recognized as a member of the Han family so he could use the Han family's power to grow stronger.
But now that Han Lingfei had offered to work on things within the family, those thoughts had vanished from his mind. Firstly, once Old Master Han passed away, the Han family would definitely be plunged into turmoil, perhaps even struggling to survive. Secondly, Chen Yang had a clearer understanding of the coldness and indifference of aristocratic families. In comparison, he felt that the kinship of ordinary families was much warmer, and he harbored a subtle aversion to the life of an aristocratic family.
Seeing that Chen Yang seemed lost in thought, Han Lingfei spoke up:
"Chen Yang, I'll head back now. You should get some rest too. Remember to have a good talk with your mother as soon as you get back..."
After saying that, Han Lingfei took out a business card and handed it to Chen Yang, saying:
"If you have any questions, you can contact me directly at the number on this card!"
Chen Yang took the business card and glanced at Han Lingfei. His temples were already streaked with gray. He guessed that due to the old man's illness and his worries about the family's future, Han Lingfei, as the eldest son, had been working tirelessly and looked somewhat haggard. Chen Yang nodded and said,
"I understand, Political Commissar Han, please take care!"
Seeing that Chen Yang still refused to call him "Uncle," Han Lingfei knew that he still harbored resentment. He sighed deeply, waved, and led Chen Xiuqi and two guards away from the revolving restaurant.
Chen Yang, holding his coffee, stared at the beautiful night view of Beijing outside the window, like a dazzling galaxy, lost in thought for a long time…
…
Red Era Club, tennis court.
Chen Yang, wearing an Adidas tennis outfit, sat with Su Jun on the sidelines. Su Jun was still wearing the same t-shirt and jeans as last night, looking slightly restrained in the upscale clubhouse.
Chen Yang, meanwhile, chatted casually with Su Jun while fiddling with his brand-new iPhone 4s.
Early this morning, Chen Yang had just finished breakfast at the buffet restaurant on the first floor of the Emperor Hotel when Bai Ming, the deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, personally came to see him, bringing him the new mobile phone. Even the phone case had been replaced with an identical one; their work was undeniably meticulous.
Bai Ming apologized to Chen Yang again in a deeply apologetic tone, explaining that the phone was a compensation payment from the Public Security Bureau. Furthermore, Bai Ming revealed to Chen Yang some findings from the overnight investigation: Liao Yongchang and Du Changsheng had played a dishonorable role in Zheng Laoxi's case, and there was irrefutable evidence of this.
The overnight interrogation also uncovered many other problems involving them, including abusing their positions to amass wealth and issues with their lifestyles. Many mid-level cadres in the Changjie Branch were implicated, making it undoubtedly a major upheaval for the Changjie Branch.
Chen Yang knew that the Public Security Bureau's high efficiency was due to Han Lingfei exerting pressure through some channels after returning home last night. That's why Bai Ming had come so early in the morning, simply to express his stance.
That morning, Chen Yang had arranged to play tennis with Luo Zi, Chu Xiaobai, and others. Xu Haoran and Liu Zhengyi were originally supposed to participate, but after last night's incident, Xu Haoran rushed back to the training team overnight. The Liu family also learned of the matter, and Liu Zhengyi was somewhat implicated. After sending Su Jun to Red Era as instructed by Chen Yang, he hurriedly returned to his family for a reprimand.
At this time, Luo Bin and Chu Xiaobai hadn't arrived yet, so Chen Yang sat down and chatted with Su Jun.
Chen Yang casually asked:
"Xiao Jun, I heard from your sister that you came to Beijing to apply for the directing department of the drama academy, right?"
"Yes, Brother Fang, my sister mentioned me to you? What did she say about me?" Su Jun asked curiously.
"There's so much to say! She says you have excellent grades, that you're obedient and sensible, that you aspire to be a great director, and that you'll even make a movie starring her, called 'Sister'..." A gentle smile appeared on Chen Yang's face as he spoke of Su He.
"My sister really tells you everything..." Su Jun scratched his head a little embarrassedly after hearing Chen Yang's words.
Chen Yang asked with a smile:
"Xiao Jun, when is your interview? Are you confident?"
Su Jun showed a helpless expression and said:
"The interview is tomorrow. To be honest, I can't say I'm not confident. I've done a lot of preparation these past few months, so I'm fairly confident. But I've heard many people say that these kinds of interviews are all about connections, and students without connections have a hard time passing..."
Chen Yang could tell that Su Jun was probably a little nervous about the upcoming interview. Chen Yang patted Su Jun on the shoulder, about to offer a few words of comfort, when an untimely voice suddenly came from behind:
"Mr. Fang, we meet again. What a coincidence!"
Chen Yang frowned slightly, turned around, and saw Gu Xuejun asking with a slightly insincere smile:
"Are you here to play tennis too?"
Chen Yang nodded and said indifferently:
"Yes! Hello, Mr. Gu!"
Chen Yang clearly didn't want to talk to Gu Xuejun, but he seemed oblivious, still smiling broadly as he said:
"I heard what this young man said just now. You're absolutely right. How many people apply to drama school every year? And how many are actually admitted? The ratio is truly frightening! I heard the pass rate for the interview is one in five hundred, meaning that out of five hundred people, only one will be admitted…"
Su Jun's expression darkened further upon hearing this. Seeing this, Gu Xuejun became even more smug and said,
"I'm not making this up! This data was told to me personally by Vice Dean Chen of the Drama Academy; he's my best friend!"
"Oh? So, Mr. Gu must be quite influential at the Drama Academy?" Chen Yang glanced at Gu Xuejun and asked casually.
"It's alright! Everyone's just giving my father face… Oh, I forgot to mention, my father works at the Central Propaganda Department, and he happens to be in charge of this area!" Gu Xuejun seemed quite pleased with himself, and he said in a controlled tone, "If I were to guarantee anyone's admission, I might not be able to do that, but making someone fail is not difficult…"
After saying that, Gu Xuejun glanced at Su Jun out of the corner of his eye, a mischievous glint in his eyes, as if to say to Chen Yang: Come and beg me!
Su Jun, seeing this, realized that Gu Xuejun must have some kind of grudge against Chen Yang, and was deliberately bringing up his interview experience! Upon hearing that Gu Xuejun was well-acquainted with the leaders of the drama academy, and that his father was a leader in the Central Propaganda Department, Su Jun's heart sank, and his face turned pale.
Just then, a leisurely voice came from behind him:
"Oh! Mr. Gu, you've got quite the air about you! Anyone who didn't know better would think the drama academy was your family's property!"