Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 39: Just Treat It Like Having an Extra Sister

Yes, any father would be very worried if he saw his daughter being sullen and unhappy all day long.

"Teacher Liu, yesterday I accompanied Secretary Xu on a surprise inspection tour of Haihe County..."

Wu Zhiyuan recounted Xu Youwei's visit to the aquaculture farm's central island yesterday.

Upon hearing this, Liu Qingqing immediately perked up: "Really? If Old Xu says it's good, then it must be good. How about we go again tomorrow? But, will that bother your parents?"

"Teacher Liu, it's an honor for our family to have you there. How could we possibly be bothering you?"

"That's great!" Liu Qingqing exclaimed excitedly. "Yunxi will definitely like that kind of natural scenery too, and it will be good for her sketching. It's settled then, we'll go to the island in the middle of the lake tomorrow!"

Wu Zhiyuan tentatively said, "Teacher Liu, there is an ancient town nearby. Although it hasn't been developed much, many old houses from the Ming and Qing dynasties are well preserved. It's an authentic ancient town, not a replica."

Liu Qingqing's eyes lit up: "Really? Nowadays, many ancient towns are either too commercialized and crowded with tourists, or they have brand-new imitation ancient buildings that have lost their ancient charm."

These authentic, well-preserved old towns are the most charming.

Yunxi will definitely love it; it's perfect for her to find inspiration for sketching!

Upon entering the art museum's exhibition hall, Xu Yunxi seemed like a different person. She lingered in front of each painting and sculpture, her expression focused and her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Liu Qingqing gazed at Xu Yunxi's figure and said softly, "Art is Yunxi's haven. Here, she can emerge from that hard shell and breathe some free air."

Yunxi loves to draw, influenced by her mother. Her mother is an art teacher and painter.

Wu Zhiyuan said in a low voice, "Yunxi has passion, which is good. I believe she will definitely get out of the shadows."

Liu Qingqing said softly, "Zhiyuan, Yunxi usually doesn't talk to strangers, but today she has a very good impression of you."

Lao Xu is busy with work, and as for me, I'm not her biological mother after all. You are attentive, reliable, and trustworthy.

In the future, if it's convenient, please take good care of Yunxi while you're in Longcheng.

"I'm not asking you to do anything special, just to check in occasionally, and if there's a chance like today, to take her out for a walk, see an art exhibition, chat, just like having another little sister to care for. Is that okay?"

Wu Zhiyuan replied sincerely, "Teacher Liu, please don't worry. Yunxi is a very good girl, and as long as time permits, I would be happy to care for her like an older brother."

Secretary Xu has been very kind to me, and both publicly and privately, this is what I should do. I will be careful to act appropriately.

At this moment, Xu Yunxi stood in front of a huge oil painting for a long time.

The image shows a mother mending clothes under dim light, her eyes gentle yet resolute, while a little girl is writing at her desk next to her.

The painting is titled "Mother".

Perhaps triggered by the scene, Xu Yunxi's eyes reddened, her nose tingled, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Liu Qingqing noticed Xu Yunxi's unusual behavior immediately.

She walked quickly to Xu Yunxi's side, gently put her arm around her shoulder, and said softly, "Yunxi, are you thinking about your mother?"

Xu Yunxi buried her face in Liu Qingqing's shoulder and choked out, "Aunt Qingqing, I miss my mom..."

Liu Qingqing's eyes instantly reddened. She hugged Xu Yunxi tightly, patted her back gently, and comforted her, "Yunxi, Mom is watching you from heaven. She definitely wants you to be happy, and she wants you to be strong and brave enough to pursue what you love, just like her..."

Wu Zhiyuan handed her a tissue at the right moment and said softly, "Yunxi, the greatest charm of art is that it can touch the deepest emotions in people's hearts."

Being able to be moved shows you have a strong sense of sensitivity, which is a very valuable talent.

Xu Yunxi took the tissue and said softly, "Thank you, Brother Wu."

She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down: "Aunt Qingqing, Brother Wu, I'm fine. I just suddenly lost control a little."

Wu Zhiyuan nodded solemnly and said to Xu Yunxi, "Yunxi, remember what your mother would like to see. Put all your longing and feelings into your paintings; that will be the best way to remember her, and it will be what your mother would most like to see."

Xu Yunxi nodded vigorously: "Yes, I will."

In the evening, at a local restaurant in the city.

Xu Youwei has arrived.

Xu Yunxi called out "Dad" and then took the initiative to hang his coat on the back of the chair.

Xu Youwei's heart stirred. Today, his daughter was no longer as worried as usual; instead, she even had a rare, faint smile on her face.

"Yunxi, did you have fun today?" Xu Youwei was also happy to see his daughter in a good mood.

"I'm so happy." Xu Yunxi nodded. "Dad, Brother Wu and Aunt Qingqing rescued a girl who fell into the water, and it's trending on social media. Did you know?"

Xu Youwei was taken aback: "Really? I've been busy all day and haven't even watched the news."

Xu Yunxi moved closer to Xu Youwei, opened her phone, and showed him the trending news.

"Good! Good! Good!" Xu Youwei said "good" three times in a row, his tone full of praise and pride. "Zhiyuan, Qingqing, you did a fantastic job! This is true positive energy, the kind of spirit that our Party members, cadres, and their families should demonstrate!"

Liu Qingqing laughed and said, "The situation was urgent at the time, and I didn't think too much about it; it was just an instinctive reaction. The main thing was that Zhiyuan was brave and jumped down immediately."

Wu Zhiyuan quickly and modestly said, "Secretary Xu, Teacher Liu, you flatter me. Anyone with a conscience would have stepped in if they were in that situation."

Teacher Liu's first aid was crucial; it bought precious time.

Xu Yunxi then recounted the incident with hooligans that afternoon, her tone filled with excitement and admiration: "...Those bastards tried to bully me and Aunt Qingqing, but Brother Wu rushed in immediately!"

He took on four of them by himself and knocked them all down in no time! He was incredibly skilled!

Xu Youwei had already experienced Wu Zhiyuan's formidable power during the mass incident triggered by the expansion and demolition of the Jintang Hot Spring Resort.

"Zhiyuan, you've worked hard." Xu Youwei looked at Wu Zhiyuan and praised him, "You are brave and resourceful, calm in the face of danger, and able to step up at crucial moments."

This not only reflects your personal qualities, but also shows me your strong sense of responsibility and commitment.

I'm at ease leaving Qingqing and Yunxi in your care!

Liu Qingqing nodded, still shaken: "Yes, Lao Xu, if Zhiyuan hadn't been there today, the consequences would have been unimaginable. These people were too arrogant!"

Wu Zhiyuan quickly replied, "Secretary Xu, Teacher Liu, this is my duty. Ensuring your safety and that of your family is one of my most important tasks."

Today's incident served as a reminder that I need to be more careful about safety precautions when accompanying others on outings in the future.

Those thugs today were from the security team of Dadi Real Estate Company, which are Zhang Wanlin's men.

These people are used to committing numerous evil deeds, which is why they act with such impunity.

Xu Youwei's expression was solemn: "This once again confirms our previous judgment. Zhang Wanlin's men are arrogant, domineering, and lawless; they have reached the point of being completely lawless!"

This is no longer a simple matter of public security; it's a fundamental issue concerning the political environment and social atmosphere of Longcheng!

Liu Qingqing interjected worriedly, "Old Xu, I've heard about it before. Zhang Wanlin has a lot of power and deep roots. You've just arrived in Longcheng and your position isn't stable yet. I'm worried about going head-to-head with them..."

Xu Youwei waved his hand: "Qingqing, I understand your concerns. But it is precisely because the problem is serious that we need to be determined to solve it."

We cannot back down because of difficulties, otherwise we would be letting down the expectations of the people of Longcheng and the responsibilities on our shoulders.

Of course, struggle requires strategy; it cannot be done blindly.

Let's not talk about that tonight, let's talk about something lighter. What are your plans for tomorrow?

Xu Yunxi eagerly said, "Dad, tomorrow morning we'll go to Longqiao Ancient Town in Haihe County, at noon we'll go to Brother Wu's dad's fish farm, and in the afternoon we'll do some sketching on the island in the middle of the lake. Is that okay?"

"Of course," Xu Youwei blurted out. "As long as my precious daughter is happy, Dad will support anything."