ime, having a pack of Zhonghua in hand would make it easier to公關打通各路關節 (engage in public relations to smooth over various connections), and others might even think you have some background or connecti...Chapter 40: Being Hurt

After Chen Lan and Jian Liang left the police station, heaven seemed to turn chilly. Cheng Meng put on an overcoat. Today, the Public Security Bureau was very busy, so they had no time for them. Wang Weiwei and his group were picked up by their tough driver at the door.

"Keep your coat." Chen Lan wanted to return the overcoat to Su Can but was stopped by him, "You can keep it. It's cold today; you should go home early."

There wasn't a hint of moralizing or sighing from Su Can. He remained calm as ever, seemingly unaffected by the events that transpired— Wang Weiwei smashing the Prosperous Song City and fighting with security guards face-to-face, and even the armed武警(armed police) rushing in.

Was this still the scrawny, unremarkable boy from middle school

Chen Lan's eyes were always red. Today's shock had made her mind mature greatly overnight. She reached out to touch Su Can’s cheek, somewhat pitifully, "You've helped me twice now; don't you want anything in return"

Her hands felt icy cold, and the streets were brightly lit under neon lights with large billboards of foreign brands introduced by Shenzhen in its early days.

"In your eyes, I must be a bad girl." Chen Lan smiled wryly as she rolled up her sleeves. Under the streetlights, her originally fair arms bore numerous red marks, some bruises crisscrossing each other. "Some were caused by my parents and others from being beaten when I tried to defend what I considered most important despite misunderstanding. I'm so stupid, am I not Even though it's like this, even if people misunderstand me, I still have to protect the things I think are the most important. Now, all you need to do is ask, and I can give you my first time."

Chen Lan’s face was half in shadow and half illuminated, her beauty reminiscent of a pair of charming sisters in campus days, "Don't feel any burden at all. I thought I could immerse myself in the licentious revelry and filth, suffer injuries all over my body, but I have to reserve my most precious first time for someone worthy! Aren’t you that person worth remembering

Su Can sighed and shook his head, "I am not your knight."

Chen Lan's forced smile was like the grandest play stripped of its curtain, erasing all the flickering lights and tender moments. Her eyes stung with pain as tears rolled down her face. She cupped her face and sobbed, "I really am a bad girl. I'm sorry."

Su Cen reached out, pulling at her coat collar to straighten it. He smiled and said, "Everyone does things for different purposes; some are guilt-free, others think they have the right to do so. Some harbor ulterior motives while others tremble with fear. The path you choose no one else can prevent. What's most important is not which fork in the road you take but what you choose when presented with fleeting opportunities and countless paths forward. It’s not shameful to be uncertain about your choices; it’s most frightening to have no idea of what you truly want."

Su Cen wiped away Cheng Lan's tears. At this moment, all her fantasies of Batman and various knights were rendered unimportant when compared to Su Cen standing before her. Never had words been so impactful as they were now.

"From now on, go home, wash up, and think about what you want to do tomorrow morning before going to bed. If you can't figure it out, just sleep. The next day, the third day, until you truly know. Then take action. Nobody gets a second chance at life, so cherish every moment."

The wind was light and the sky clear in this residential compound of the city committee secretary that night. Not long ago, the security guard had seen police cars speeding by — he didn’t know where they were conducting crackdowns. The actions of high-ranking officials weren't something his kind could get involved with.

The black limousine belonging to the city’s party chief arrived at the gate, flashing its lights. The guard excitedly raised the barrier, watching as the dark sedan slowly entered the residential compound. Feeling the most powerful car in the city pass by him gave him a sense of awe that made his scalp tingle.

This kind of power was intangible but formidable to ordinary citizens; it could cause upheaval and change within the city, much like how the police cars racing past or the high-rise buildings under construction affected its development.

Upon entering their home, Wang Weiwei, Lin Zouwu, and Lin Luoran were all dejected, lacking any of the arrogance they had displayed in the karaoke bar.

Wang Weiwei was especially on edge; he dared not do anything that would warrant a curfew violation. Previously, he could argue with his father on principle, but now it was entirely his fault to face such reckless behavior and his father's wrath. Because Wang Bo rarely lost his temper, when he did, it was all the more terrifying.

As Lin Zouwu took off his shoes noisily, Lin Luoran quickly shushed him by pointing to her lips.

The sound of Wang Bo descending the stairs from upstairs echoed through the house.

The three looked ashen; Wang Bo walked down holding a book.

Wang Weiwei was so nervous that his hair seemed to stand up. He stuttered, "Dad, dad." The other two didn't dare exhale.

No one would have thought that Wang Bao raised his head and glanced at them three with a nod. "Oh, you're back." Then he went straight to the kitchen and made each of them a cup of black tea, saying, "Drink it while it's hot; go to bed early." The trio felt uneasy sitting on the sofa, wondering what was wrong with this stern commander today

Finally, Wang Weiwei couldn't bear it anymore. This invisible torment was even more unbearable than a direct scolding. He went upstairs and saw Wang Bao sitting in a rattan chair wearing pajamas and reading a book, showing every sign of going to bed without any signs of an impending explosion. He was even more surprised. "Dad, are you okay"

Wang Bao put down the book, took off his glasses, looked at Wang Weiwei, and smiled with satisfaction. "Haha, you're learning to care about me. Letting you get closer to Su Can was a good decision."

Inwardly cursing, Wang Weiwei thought it was all because of Su Can's words that made him so uneasy. He had expected his father would be upset given that even the police came, but he seemed calm as usual. Only something strange could explain this, and if there were unusual events, there must be a reason behind them. Su Can said Wang Bao would be surprised; he didn't dare agree with this, suspecting instead that his father might lose control. Yet, the silent behavior of Wang Bao made him more anxious.

"Dad, I was at Ding Sheng today."

"A bit impulsive." Wang Bao smiled; Wang Weiwei exclaimed "Ah!"

"However, it's good that you recognize your impulsiveness. After all, we need to learn from our mistakes and think carefully before acting," said Wang Bao as he put down his book, stood up, stretched, and gave a gentle smile.

Wang Weiwei nodded. "Actually, it was because Su Can's friend was bullied that we stepped in. In fact, they started it."

"So you smashed their TVs and caused chaos" Seeing Wang Weiwei blush, Wang Bao smiled again. "Stepping up for your friends is right, but one mustn't be too soft. Who doesn’t offend someone in a lifetime However, we need to know who we’re dealing with. This karaoke bar’s owner has connections with many police stations; the real boss is even higher up and well-connected. If you have to fight, make it count."

"Dad." Wang Weiwei felt touched. His father rarely talked like this, but now he saw a different side of him.

After a while, Wang Bao nodded, "Go to sleep. Don’t forget to finish your homework assigned by the teacher." Turning off the lights, Wang Weiwei left the room and truly felt the weight on his father's shoulders. It seemed that his father’s intellectual image suddenly became more towering, with an indomitable aura behind him.

Under the night sky, Wang Bo quietly stood by the window, looking at the deep night sky and muttering to himself, "Su Cen is indeed an interesting little friend. Because of Su Cen and Wang Weiwei's accidental encounter in the entertainment city, Wang Bo has taken a good step forward. The Dingsheng Song City is an entertainment venue with serious social security issues and complex ties between it and criminal elements within the province; many people have reported that it has close ties with Deputy Secretary Liu Cheng of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission. It's rumored that he is their biggest protector, and upon his arrival in Fuhai City, Jin Donghai immediately connected with the owner of the Xia Hai branch of Dingsheng. When Jin Donghai openly clashed with him at a Standing Committee meeting, Wang Bo decided to take action as a fierce counterattack. He not only wanted to suppress Jin Donghai's arrogance but also hoped to enhance Zhao Lijun's prestige within the police system and attribute this crackdown achievement to him; otherwise, he would be defeated by this petty person.

If Liu Cheng wants to turn Xia Hai into his own downfall, then Wang Bo will show him that even without greater backing, he can still compete with him on equal terms relying solely on himself.

Thinking about the faction and power base he has gradually fostered around him, Wang Bo feels that Xia Hai City is the place where he can consolidate his resources to make a comeback.

The struggle for political power is like a fencing match between two swordsmen. Sometimes there's no smoke of war but already blood spurts and dust settles. Each step in the game is as intricate and ingenious as swordplay, with risks that only those involved can truly understand.

Outsider Su Cen occasionally pauses while doing a test paper under the classroom fan, pondering the current situation in Xia Hai City. From newspapers and internal references on his uncle's table, he notices many clues. In Xia Hai City, two forces are already making subtle moves: one centered around Wang Bo with key local officials, the other an influential force from higher up intervening. These forces are slowly clashing, yet within these quiet classrooms and campuses, no sense of tension can be felt.

Wang Bo is currently preparing for his upcoming visit plans, adding a list of small and medium-sized enterprises to those bureau-level units he will visit on Wednesday as per the Secretary's arrangement.

The Xia Hai Cultural Goods Store owned by Su Cen’s family is already designated as one of the city's key units and a model private enterprise. When Wang Bo and his entourage came for an inspection and慰問, Su Cen's parents and four or five employees in the store were all startled. Although they had been notified beforehand and even dined with Wang Bo at the same table, their excitement was so intense when seeing him arrive under the TV cameras that both Su Licheng and Zeng He shook hands as if trembling.

Wang Bo's sudden decision to include this cultural goods store in his inspection route may not have been expected. Among the numerous officials around, they see this store differently now. Out of hundreds or even thousands of small businesses in Xia Hai City, why choose this stationery shop for an inspection The connections involved are too intricate to explain.

When asked whether tax officers were fulfilling their duties diligently, Su Licheng and Zeng He quickly replied, "The process is problem-free and very convenient. It brings us great convenience in paying taxes according to the law!"

The Tax Bureau Director couldn't help wiping a bead of cold sweat from his brow as he glanced at Su Licheng, thinking how adept this man was with words! Fortunately, those below hadn’t caused any trouble for the store; otherwise, they would have some lingering apprehension.

Through such visits and publicity stunts over recent periods, Wang Bo's nickname and reputation as an "approachable secretary" gradually spread throughout Xia Hai City. on his mind, Zhong Jianjun, Su Licheng, Zeng He, and Su Can had taken about fifteen minutes to arrive. Seeing everyone present, Wang Lu smiled and said, "I invited you all for dinner, but you guys ar...