Jiang Jianmin smiled and put his arm around Jiang Cheng's shoulder.
"You're overthinking it. I am naturally your real father, it's just that after the New Year, your dad will no longer be just the boss of a construction company."
A smile beamed on Jiang Jianmin's face, but it quickly faded, and his expression turned somewhat solemn as he continued.
"Son, the reason I didn't tell you when you were young was partly because I was worried the news might leak out, and partly because, to be honest, I was quite reluctant to return here at first. I was raised by your uncles. When they passed away, their bodies weren't in any better state than your Uncle Qiu's. So, for a long time, my heart was filled with resentment..."
At this point, Jiang Jianmin's face darkened further, as if shrouded by those painful memories.
Seeing this, Jiang Cheng quickly hugged his father's shoulders tightly, silently offering comfort and support.
Feeling his son's concern, Jiang Jianmin calmed his emotions slightly.
Then he looked up at Jiang Cheng and asked softly, "Do you blame me? Do you blame me for making you live the life of an ordinary person outside for all these years?"
Hearing his father's words, Jiang Cheng broke into a bright smile. "Dad, don't you know me? Do you think your son is the type to be eager for quick success and instant benefits?"
Jiang Jianmin smiled with relief.
Jiang Jianmin said with emotion, "For the past decade or so, I've been torn. On one hand, I was afraid you'd be too outstanding, and on the other, I was afraid of holding you back. What I never expected was that in the end, you still showed extraordinary talent. You're not mediocre at all..."
Jiang Cheng knew that Jiang Jianmin's main purpose for returning this time was to become a solid backing for him.
Just like Wang Congcong's family.
The grandfather's generation of the Wang family fought hard back then to become a Division Commander.
This achievement was enough to protect Richest Man Wang for half a lifetime of wealth and glory.
Unfortunately, Richest Man Wang later chose to enter the business world.
The first half of his life was indeed glorious, but the second half was filled with many setbacks and hardships.
Jiang Cheng understood in his heart that his own father definitely had the same idea.
Facing his father's deep and profound love, Jiang Cheng's mood became exceptionally complex.
His brows furrowed slightly, a hint of worry appearing in his eyes as he spoke slowly.
"Dad, if this matter is going to be too taxing for you, our old life was fine too. With your health, I'm really worried about you going over there."
Patting Jiang Cheng's shoulder, Jiang Jianmin replied.
"The uncle your grandfather chose before also went there in person to gain experience for several years. When he took office there, things were truly difficult. Local forces were powerful, and the resistance to getting work done was significant."
Jiang Cheng nodded. "That place is the border, after all."
"Don't worry, most of those forces have already been cleared out. It's a challenge for me, but I also think it's a very good opportunity to gain experience. If I want to return to Kyoto, I need some strength of my own. Your grandfather is getting old; how many more years can he stay by my side..."
Hearing this, Jiang Cheng suddenly wanted a few more wishing cards.
Although Great-Grandfather had a healing card on him that could treat all his physical ailments...
...a wishing card could guarantee him a long life.
Jiang Jianmin continued, "Instead of finding an easy region to idle away time and pad my resume, it's better to take this chance to do some real work and grow quickly. Based on the timeline, I only need to stay there for six months to a year before I can be transferred directly back to Kyoto."
When TikTok became popular, he had seen many clips of civil servants who had gone there from the south.
Because they weren't used to it at first, they spent most of their time working while carrying oxygen tanks.
They even had to rely on oxygen while sleeping at night.
However, even though the environment was very unfriendly to outsiders, most civil servants with backgrounds, as long as they were willing to endure hardships there...
...due to the influence of the environment and physical factors, most people would be transferred and promoted faster than in other regions.
This was also why personnel transfers were so frequent there.
That's just the nature of such a unique geographical environment.
Jiang Cheng's eyes widened upon hearing this.
"So fast... Does this mean Grandfather has been preparing for this since the moment you left Kyoto??"
Jiang Jianmin nodded slightly in agreement.
"Your grandfather is indeed formidable; he thinks ten steps ahead for every one he takes. When I decided to leave Kyoto back then, he didn't force me to stay but instead began to plan silently."
Jiang Cheng's gaze slowly shifted to the docile and cute gorilla he had seen when he came with Chen Ping last time.
He couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement. "Wow, what a brilliant brainstorm. Wait a moment while I organize my thoughts. The reason Grandfather didn't let you stay was partly because he was afraid and wanted to hide and protect you, and partly because he was using decoys for an experiment, right? This experiment probably involved more than one person, so how many people are there named Jiang Jianmin??"
Jiang Jianmin looked at Jiang Cheng with appreciation and said...
"You're right. There's only one named Jianmin, but there are others with the same surname."
Jiang Jianmin nodded nonchalantly. "Of course, when I was little, I wasn't called Jiang Jianmin. I changed to this name when I left Kyoto."
"This... I was curious before and asked Great-Grandfather why he gave you such a special name. I didn't expect it was changed later!"
Jiang Jianmin pointed his finger toward the gorilla that Jiang Cheng was staring at intently.
The surrounding environment seemed frozen by the conversation between father and son, with only the faint chirping of birds coming from the distance.
"This world is like a giant makeshift stage. Once enticing things like power are involved, even people with the highest integrity are the same. When it comes to getting things done, they aren't much better than those street thugs waving machetes and fighting for dominance. To be honest, I'm much the same."
Jiang Cheng listened quietly, saying nothing.
Once again, he felt his father had become somewhat of a stranger.
"Why do you think I brought your Uncle Qiu to Kyoto? Of course, the main reason is indeed that I wanted him to take a step further; it's what he deserves. But on the other hand, I had my own selfish motives..."
Jiang Jianmin paused, his voice lowering slightly.
"You have to understand, your Uncle Qiu knows me too well. Even if I changed my name, I couldn't hide it from him. So, he must stay in Kyoto."