Chapter 171

Chapter 171

The next day, the disciplinary inspection team officially launched an investigation into Wang Lin, the head of the Quality Supervision Station.

Everyone in the Quality Supervision Station had to undergo investigation, so Little Wang couldn't pick up Yuanyuan.

Yuanyuan had to squeeze onto the subway and head home early because, according to the schedule, the confirmation call for her purchase of the second batch of Olympic Opening Ceremony tickets should come today.

She had bought one A-class seat and two B-class seats, one for each of the three family members. She didn't buy tickets for Little Lang and Yan Zhao because Yan Zhao would be on duty at the ceremony, and Little Lang was serving in the Snow Wolf Assault Team responsible for Olympic security, so he didn't need a ticket.

She had left her mobile number and the home landline, fearing that the organizing committee might call the house directly, so she had to stay home and wait.

However, as soon as she walked in the door, Chen Meilan said, "Yuanyuan, Jim just came by and wanted to give you three VIP tickets for the Opening Ceremony. He said you haven't been answering his calls, and since he has a performance, he had to leave first. He asked me to ask you what's going on."

Yuanyuan placed her phone next to the landline and focused on waiting for the call. She casually replied, "Mom, we don't need Jim's tickets. I'll get you an A-class seat, and Little Wang and I will sit in B-class seats."

"VIP seats are the best, you know. Jim got them because he's a specially invited violinist for the ceremony. He's your brother, so if he wants to give them to you, just take them. Why not?" Chen Meilan said.

Yuanyuan replied, "Mom, you used to say that if you don't like a boy, don't give him any hints that might make him think he has a chance. Jim wants to pursue me, but I don't like him. I have someone I like. I'll buy my own tickets so he won't misunderstand me."

"You know Jim likes you, but do you know John also likes you?" Chen Meilan asked again.

Yuanyuan said, "Of course, so whenever he helps me, I always find a way to repay him."

Chen Meilan was stunned.

She had always thought her youngest daughter was clueless about love.

Now she realized that the girl, though she didn't talk about it, was very clear in her mind.

No wonder Yuanyuan refused Jim's tickets. Even when she asked John for a small favor, she would repay him by washing his car or cleaning his high-rise apartment.

She treated John and Jim the same as Little Wang, just nominal siblings.

And Jim and John, whether it was to compete with Little Wang, because Yuanyuan had a substantial fortune, or because they genuinely liked her, had been expressing their intentions to pursue her in various ways.

However, Yuanyuan always reciprocated politely and kept a clear boundary, giving them no opportunity.

Chen Meilan had always thought Yuanyuan hadn't grown up and didn't understand who she liked, but now it seemed she already had someone in her heart. She asked, "Do you have someone you like? Where is he?"

It must be Little Wang, so she could just ask directly.

Yuanyuan looked up, unable to hide the smile at the corner of her mouth, and frankly said, "Yes, it's Yan Wangqi. Mom, I want to marry my brother. Is that okay?"

Seeing Chen Meilan didn't respond, Yuanyuan raised her hand and said, "Mom, this is my own choice. I promise I'll live a good life and not let you worry. If anyone in the courtyard gossips, Yan Wangqi and I will go explain together. I promise not to let the neighbors laugh at you, okay?"

Her words were straightforward and decisive.

Chen Meilan was initially very surprised, but then she could understand.

Although she had been spoiled by Yan Zhao all her life, Yuanyuan's character hadn't changed.

She had always been a very decisive and brave girl, knowing what she wanted.

In her previous life, even if she couldn't get approval from Zhou Xueqin, she would still help Little Wang take care of Little Lang and stay with him. This life, she and Little Wang were fortunate not to have gone through too many hardships.

But since she liked Little Wang and wanted to marry him, she would say it out loud and stand up to take on any gossip and trouble that might come from marrying her brother.

The little girl might seem a bit spoiled on the surface, but her nature hadn't changed.

She was inherently a strong-willed person, both in her previous life and this one.

"It doesn't matter who it is, as long as you like them. Even if you want to marry a frog, I'd be willing," Chen Meilan said sullenly.

She had known this outcome, but she couldn't help feeling that her daughter was being a bit too proactive.

From her daughter's perspective, it was like giving in to Yan Wangqi too easily.

He hadn't even pursued Yuanyuan much, and she was already running off with him.

Yuanyuan finally received the call from the Olympic organizing committee to confirm the information.

After confirming the details, she saw her mother looking at her, seemingly unhappy, and said, "Mom, some fairy tales have princes who were once frogs. What's wrong with a frog? My brother is a frog, and I'd still marry him."

This showed she had already liked Little Wang for a long time.

The little girl was quite deep, hiding it so well that even Chen Meilan, her mother, hadn't noticed.

And how shameless the two kids were, how proactive Yuanyuan was—that night, Chen Meilan saw it with her own eyes.

In the middle of the night, as soon as Little Wang came home, before he even entered the house, Yuanyuan ran out, hid behind the osmanthus tree, and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.

It was too much to watch, so Chen Meilan looked away.

Since Yuanyuan had proactively brought up wanting to marry Little Wang, Chen Meilan, on behalf of Yan Zhao, agreed to the marriage. Of course, she also had to ask Yan Xishan and Zhou Xueqin for their opinions on the matter.

Yan Xishan was currently at the jade factory in Kana, where the Kunlun jade was of pure quality and sold exceptionally well, not inferior to the profits from coal mining. He spent most of his time there overseeing the factory.

Zhou Xueqin, on the other hand, had a benign breast tumor removed at the hospital a couple of years ago, but it had grown back, and this time it was malignant. She had cancer.

Fortunately, she still had some unsold properties, so selling them would be enough to support her life and treatment.

The next day, Chen Meilan called them separately to ask about their views on the marriage.

Yan Xishan only replied, "As expected." He was more than happy to have Little Wang as his son-in-law.

Zhou Xueqin, who had been battling cancer for years and feared she might die, most wanted Little Wang and Little Lang to form families soon. Upon hearing that Little Wang was getting married, she immediately said, "That's great! I'll prepare a gift for him. My son is finally getting married."

"The gift is unnecessary. If your health allows, come to the wedding," Chen Meilan said.

This was just a polite gesture, as Zhou Xueqin was extremely afraid of death. Since discovering she had cancer, after each chemotherapy session, when the doctor advised her to leave the hospital and rest at home, she refused, fearing the illness might recur. She had been staying in the hospital.

Chen Meilan guessed that even if she invited her, she wouldn't come.

Sure enough, Zhou Xueqin said, "I won't attend the wedding. If Little Wang and his new wife have time, they can come to Shanghai to see me. I'm being treated at Ruijin Hospital. I won't leave the hospital until my cancer is completely cured."

It was May now.

Chen Meilan was busy with her company's IPO and agreed to the marriage without further involvement.

Little Wang, with no grand ambitions, just wanted to get married as soon as possible, so he took charge of organizing the wedding.

The wedding was set for May 15th. Due to Yan Zhao and Yan Peiheng's identities, they didn't plan a grand ceremony in the capital, but at the insistence of Mai Liye and Yan Xishan, they had to hold a wedding in Kana. Yan Xishan said he would marry his "princess" with the grandest ceremony according to Kana customs.

The Quality Supervision Bureau was currently undergoing a major anti-corruption purge, extremely busy, but Little Wang still took leave to go to Kana for the wedding.

Yan Xishan not only mobilized dozens of nephews and cousins to prepare a grand wedding but also provided Little Wang with a pile of medicinal herbs, specifically stating that these were folk remedies he had heard about from various places, known to help conceive boys.

Of course, these weren't for Yuanyuan; Yan Xishan wouldn't dare harm his daughter's body.

They were specifically for men, so all the herbs were for Little Wang.

If Little Wang was willing to take them and could conceive a son by next year, Yan Xishan solemnly promised to gift all his shares in the jade factory to his grandson.

The dream of having a son was something Yan Xishan could no longer achieve, but he wanted Little Wang to carry on the legacy.

He was unrelenting in his desire, and he wanted Little Wang to take the relay for him!

Going to Kanan to get married, Little Wang and Yuanyuan had already gotten their marriage certificate, so of course, they could live together.

Sleeping together was a much more delightful experience than just kissing.

After being busy for several days due to the wedding preparations, any man would want to spend the night with his wife as soon as possible. However, Yan Xishan was like a stubborn piece of gum, holding a bowl of freshly brewed medicinal soup, following Little Wang step by step, not persuading, just smiling and gesturing for him to drink.

If Little Wang were willing to drink this medicine, he wouldn't be surnamed Yan anymore.

"Uncle Yan, for me, having a boy or a girl is the same, but I prefer having a daughter. Please throw this medicine away; I won't drink it," Little Wang had to be honest.

"I like daughters too. If I didn't like daughters, I would have given Zhaodi away when she was born. But I didn't, precisely because I like daughters," Yan Xishan replied.

Little Wang furrowed his brows: "Since you like daughters, why are you so insistent on having a son?"

Yan Xishan sighed and said, "Yan Wangqi, you must have a son. Do you know why? I may not be a virtuous coal boss, but I am extremely pessimistic about the current state of society. I try to be a decent person, but do you know how much money the industrial and commercial taxes, plus environmental protection, extort from Xishan Company and Kanan Jade Factory every year? We comply with the law, but those officials from the industrial and commercial taxes, quality supervision, and environmental protection always find ways to pick faults and extort money from us. For example, if there's a problem with our Xishan Company, I'm willing to accept the fine. But when they deliberately find faults and demand bribes, I refuse. Civil servants are supposed to serve the people, aren't they? When government offices become personal piggy banks, what future does this society have?"

So, Yan Xishan's pessimism stems from his belief that society, following the current trajectory, will only get worse, not better.

Having a son, no matter how chaotic society becomes, would be less of a worry, as sons are sturdy and resilient.

Little Wang took the bowl of medicinal soup from Yan Xishan, went into the room, and poured it down the toilet.

At that moment, he consoled himself, at least the quality supervision bureau was undergoing a major purge.

After a thorough investigation by the disciplinary inspection committee, the quality supervision bureau had been infused with new blood, and the atmosphere should be completely renewed from now on.

However, ??‌‌?‌‌???‌‌?‌‌‌??‌‌?‌‌??‌‌????‌?‌‌????‌??‌‌???‌??‌‌?‌‌‌??‌‌??‌???‌‌?‌‌???‌‌?‌‌??‌‌???‌‌?‌‌??‌????‌‌??‌‌??‌‌??‌‌??‌‌?‌????‌‌?‌?‌??‌‌??‌‌??‌‌??‌‌?‌‌??‌‌???‌‌‌?????‌‌??‌‌??‌‌?‌‌???‌‌?‌????‌‌????‍upon returning from Kanan and reporting to work on the first day, Little Wang just stepped into the office when he saw Deputy Station Chief Sun Wang standing in his office, chatting amiably with Xiong Zhuang.

Sun Wang had recently been wearing a Patek Philippe, but now he had switched to a fake watch worth just a few tens of dollars.

The tea he used to drink was expensive, costing several thousand yuan per jin, but now he had discarded that and switched to cheap loose tea worth just a few tens of yuan. He still wore a smile on his face, nodding to Little Wang and saying, "Congratulations on your new marriage, young man. Marriage is a major life event. How about treating the whole station to a dinner tonight? We've all prepared red envelopes for you."

Little Wang nodded, and after Sun Wang left, he quietly asked Xiong Zhuang, "What's going on? Why isn't Sun Wang in custody?"

"In custody? The disciplinary inspection committee found nothing at his home, and in terms of work, he's always been a slacker, never signing any quality supervision audit reports. Since he never signed anything, how could there be any mistakes? And rumor has it that his father-in-law worked in the political and legal committee and has connections, so he got him out. Now, he's our station chief," Xiong Zhuang explained.

Little Wang was dumbfounded. The supervisory department had shown determination and was willing to take strong action against corruption.

However, as the saying goes, "where there's an upper policy, there's a lower countermeasure." Sun Wang, with both ability and connections, was not easy to bring down.

And with a new leader comes a new style. Even though the disciplinary inspection committee had conducted a major crackdown, corruption couldn't be done openly anymore. But would Sun Wang restrain himself? No, he wouldn't. During lunch, Little Wang personally saw Sun Wang get into a Maybach. Even for an ordinary lunch, he was picked up in a Maybach.

In the afternoon, as soon as Sun Wang entered the office, he handed Xiong Zhuang a "Quality Supervision Acceptance Form" and asked Little Wang to sign it, saying, "Comrade Yan Wangqi, I've already inspected this project, and it's mostly qualified. Just sign here, and this project's success will be attributed to you."

What success? This was him taking the benefits while letting his subordinates take the blame.

"That's not right, Chief. We haven't used any instruments, nor have we visited the project site to see how it's going. How can we sign without knowing anything?" Little Wang stood up and asked.

Sun Wang smiled and said, "Little Yan, I know you have a strong backing. I also know that your father and grandfather worked their entire lives without making much money. They sent you to the quality supervision station to gain something here. Your grandfather and father worked for the party and the country their whole lives; the country should repay them in some way. Signing this project is your achievement. After a few years of experience, the deputy station chief's position will be yours. Then, you can..."

As he spoke, he opened the "Quality Supervision Acceptance Form" and revealed a stack of money underneath—fifty thousand yuan.

Xiong Zhuang, who shared the office with Little Wang, looked up at him.

Xiong Zhuang had no grand ambitions; he just wanted to follow Little Wang. Whether Little Wang went into business or worked at the quality supervision station, he followed. But he couldn't stand the current atmosphere at the quality supervision station, so he angrily snapped his pen in half with a loud crack.

Even after a severe crackdown by the disciplinary inspection committee, the quality supervision work was still measured by money.

Xiong Zhuang thought this situation was simply terrible.

Angry, his chest filled with fury.

Little Wang, on the other hand, lowered his head and stared at the newspaper in front of him.

The newspaper read: "2007 Civil Service Recruitment Announcement for Various Government Departments in the Capital."

Suddenly, he looked up and said, "Station Chief Sun, you can have someone else do the work. I'm resigning. I'm not doing this anymore."

"What's wrong with you, kid? Your father and grandfather sent you here to work, giving you a golden rice bowl. How can you just quit?" Sun Wang asked in surprise.

Little Wang pointed at the recruitment announcement in the newspaper, his finger resting under the word "Disciplinary Inspection Department," and said, "I'm going to take the civil service exam."

Xiong Zhuang quickly added, "Me too."

Sun Wang immediately laughed: "Alright, alright. Your ambition to take the civil service exam is very grand, and I fully support it. But don't resign yet. I'll give you a sick leave. If you don't pass, you can still come back to work, right?"

In his heart, however, he was sneering.

How difficult is it to pass the civil service exam in the capital?

Yan Wangqi may have a strong backing, but is that enough to pass the civil service exam?

Most people with iron-clad connections still fail at the written exam stage.

Yan Wangqi was smart and didn't want to be manipulated by him. This was an attempt to take the civil service exam to advance further.

Moreover, he was dissatisfied with the current corrupt atmosphere in the Chinese bureaucratic system and probably wanted to join the Disciplinary Inspection Department to make a difference.

But Sun Wang was well-versed in the art of bureaucracy. He had connections and had seen how idealistic young people, fresh out of school, were gradually ground down by reality, losing their ideals, reaching despair, and eventually compromising, choosing to go along with the corrupt system.

So he was very composed, not offending the two young men, smiling as he saw them off from the quality supervision station, and waving to them: "If you don't pass, don't worry. I'll keep your positions open at the quality supervision station."

As they left the quality supervision station, Xiong Zhuang asked Little Wang, "Are we really going to take the civil service exam? I heard it's extremely difficult to pass, and the Disciplinary Inspection Department is only recruiting three people this year. How many people will apply? Can we even pass?"

"If I don't pass, I won't be surnamed Yan, not the grandson of Yan Peiheng, nor the son of Yan Zhao," Little Wang suddenly grinned. "Don't you see? Right now, just standing here, I'm already a disgrace to my father and grandfather."

Yan Wangqi had a grandfather with a strong work ethic, who had worked diligently and impeccably throughout his life, and a father who was feared throughout the public security system as the "Living King of Hell."

He also had a mother who didn't evade taxes, and during the mass closure of military factories, she managed to save two of them, providing jobs for over a thousand retired servicemen.

They stood behind Yan Wangqi.

They were Yan Wangqi's strongest backing, the most formidable support in this country, yet what was he doing? He was in a small quality inspection station, colluding with a group of corrupt, lazy, and neglectful officials.

If he really took that fifty thousand yuan, he wouldn't just be disgracing himself; he would be disgracing Yan Peiheng, Yan Zhao, and Chen Meilan. And even if he didn't take the money, by choosing to turn a blind eye to all the injustices in reality, others would perceive it as the attitude of his parents and grandfather.

It was because of Yan Wangqi's indifference that Sun Wang became so brazen.

That scoundrel dared to bring fifty thousand yuan, trying to drag him down.

Yan Peiheng lived a life of integrity, and Yan Zhao had worked tirelessly over the years.

But in the eyes of a scoundrel like Sun Wang, all their lifelong achievements were worth just fifty thousand yuan?

A while ago, when Director Qi mentioned that the Chinese nation was at its most perilous moment, Little Wang felt nothing. But now, he was truly enraged. There's an old saying: "The rise and fall of a nation is the responsibility of every citizen."

Once, Little Wang could have been just an ordinary citizen because all he wanted was to get married and live a small, cozy life with his partner.

But even someone like Yan Xishan, who thrived in society, felt there was no light or hope in the world. How could Little Wang then live a peaceful life with his small world?

The threshold for joining the inspection department as a civil servant wasn't high; a bachelor's degree was sufficient to apply.

Both Little Wang and Xiong Zhuang had master's degrees from Germany. When filling out the application forms, they needed to provide their school information and academic records. After applying, they could return to study and wait for the exam.

With the internet being so advanced, the two searched for some preparation materials online, bought some supplementary materials, and then Xiong Zhuang went back to his rented apartment, while Little Wang went home. They officially began their review and preparation.

Yuanyuan's work had been less busy lately, and Little Wang was in a relatively idle department.

The couple had just gotten married and moved out. In the evenings, Yuanyuan wanted to go to bed early, but she found that not only had Little Wang taken leave, but he was also seriously reading a stack of "Beijing Civil Service Recruitment Exam Specialized Textbooks."

"Brother, you already have a job, why are you studying this?" Yuanyuan asked in surprise.

Little Wang flipped a page and leaned his head on Yuanyuan's shoulder. "I've already applied. The exam is on July 20th. I have 55 days to study."

To make it more comfortable for her brother to lean on her, Yuanyuan adjusted her posture but still had to advise him, "Brother, even though there's more than a month from application to the exam, most people preparing for the civil service start studying a year, or even two or three years in advance. And the civil service exam is really tough. Even the least popular positions have a 1/300 acceptance rate. Just think about how difficult that is. With only a month left, you're cramming now. Do you really think you can pass?"

Little Wang flipped another page and kissed Yuanyuan. "What I'm best at is cramming at the last minute."

From childhood to adulthood, he only liked making money through side hustles and always crammed for exams at the last minute, yet he always ranked at the top.

Cramming before exams was Little Wang's usual tactic, and it never failed.

However, Yuanyuan didn't believe Little Wang could pass the written exam.

After all, taking the civil service exam in the capital was like fighting your way out of a massive crowd.

"Then study, I'm going to sleep," she said.

Little Wang was probably just joking around. Yuanyuan stretched her foot to tickle Little Wang's leg. "If you don't want to work at the quality inspection station, go into business. You love making money the most. Let's go to sleep now, okay?"

Little Wang kissed Yuanyuan again, then saw her white chest under the summer blanket and almost couldn't resist. He suddenly sat up. "You go to sleep first. I'll sleep in the next room. We'll sleep together after the exam."

Anything that was done, had to be done well.

That was what Yan Zhao taught Little Wang when he was very young.

Ten years ago, during the Yangtze River flood, Little Wang had seen soldiers jumping into the raging river, one after another, like dumplings in boiling water, linking arms to resist the flood. At that time, he was busy making a fortune during the national crisis, earning seventy thousand yuan in just three days, his mouth wide with laughter. Then, he was stunned by those soldiers who jumped into the river without hesitation. He never thought anyone would jump into the Yangtze to stop the flood.

But he had seen it with his own eyes. The soldiers, one by one, blocked the flood with their bodies.

At that moment, Yan Wangqi saw the selfishness and baseness in his own heart. So he donated all the money he had earned and even Chen Meilan's seventy thousand yuan.

He only returned that money to Chen Meilan last year.

And today, he was spurred on by Sun Wang's indifferent attitude. Corruption was like an unstoppable flood, and he, like the first soldier who jumped into the Yangtze in front of him, would be the first to jump into this flood.

He wasn't alone; he had Xiong Zhuang. Hand in hand, they would eventually form a human barrier against this flood.

After a few days, seeing that Little Wang was serious about his preparations, Yuanyuan took on the household chores.

After all, when she wanted to apply for Tsinghua University, her ideal might have been laughable, but her brother had supported her. Now, she should support him.

To avoid unnecessary worry in case he didn't pass, Yuanyuan and Little Wang tacitly didn't tell anyone.

Even Yan Zhao and Chen Meilan didn't know about Little Wang's civil service exam.

Little Wang's cramming tactics, which had always worked in the past, did so again this time.

Although he only studied for 55 days, Little Wang surprisingly ranked third in the written exam.

Next came the interview.

Perhaps it was fate.

Yan Wangqi had always liked making money, and no matter how hard his father tried, he couldn't get his son to follow the path he wanted. But Little Wang, struggling in the flow of fate, eventually found a path that made Yan Zhao most gratified.

During the interview, Director Qi, who was once the Minister of Public Security and is now the Director of the Inspection Department, happened to be one of the interviewers.

There were also professional ability tests, physical examinations, and investigations.

The civil service exam was indeed difficult, but after overcoming five hurdles and six challenges, Little Wang managed to pass them all.

Yan Zhao learned that his son had passed the civil service exam for the Inspection Department when the organization department came to visit the primary leadership residence for individual talks.

The two colleagues from the organization department were people Yan Zhao knew.

They visited Minister Cui's home, Commander Wang's home, and the neighborhood office. Everywhere they went, they heard nothing but praise for Yan Wangqi. After the visit, they headed to Xiping City, to the East Middle School, to investigate Little Wang's high school record. They would also send a letter to the embassy in Germany to investigate Little Wang's situation there.

As long as Little Wang was willing to work hard, there was no issue with his family background that would hold him back.

So at this moment, Yan Zhao knew his son would definitely pass.

The final announcement result showed that Xiong Zhuang failed the interview and would have to take the exam again next year, while Yan Wangqi was admitted.

A few months later, when he returned to his original unit, Yan Wangqi had already become an employee of the Inspection Department.

Smiling, he shook hands with his old leader Sun Wang, returning as a representative of the Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision, to investigate Sun Wang based on public reports.

...

That evening, Little Wang and Yuanyuan were going to have dinner at the small red building.

Yan Zhao knew Little Wang loved sour and spicy handmade noodles, so he personally made them.

The chili oil and vinegar were on the table, but Little Wang today only added chili oil and didn't add vinegar. He just ate the noodles with plain broth?

"Add some vinegar and chili oil; otherwise, the food won't have any flavor," Yan Zhao advised his son.

Little Wang frowned and shook his head, adamant about not eating.

"How did this child's taste change? He doesn't eat spicy or sour food anymore. Yuanyuan, has Little Wang been feeling unwell recently?" Chen Meilan pressed further.

Yuanyuan looked at Little Wang with sympathy and said, "My dad keeps calling him, urging him to eat more chili and vinegar, saying that 'sour sons and spicy daughters' will bring him twins. He got so annoyed that he stopped eating vinegar and chili altogether."

Yan Zhao and Chen Meilan exchanged glances.

So, Yan Xishan's unrelenting desire to have a son has now been pinned entirely on Little Wang?