You know as well as I do, in the system, for this kind of thing, just seniority and hard work aren’t enough.

My network of connections in the county is fairly solid, but there’s no shortage of competitors—everyone’s got their eyes on it.

At a critical moment, it might just come down to that tiny little edge."

After he finished, he looked at Tang Song with both expectation and nervousness, even unconsciously holding his breath.

The business areas and resources under a "deputy bureau chief" are far from something a mere section chief can compare with.

He’d slogged it out for so many years, and it hadn’t been easy to finally have a shot.

Originally, he’d been hesitating these past two days, wanting to find a suitable opportunity to give Tang Song a call and sound him out.

After all, Tang Song was that "big shot" who knew the heir of Handing Group, and also the one true "dragon" from their Tang family who had really flown out.

If by any chance he had connections in this area, even just a casual mention might change the direction of this competition.

The atmosphere in the living room fell quiet for a moment.

Tang Song looked at his clan uncle in front of him, pondered for a moment, then said, "Okay. How about this, Uncle Maolin, I’ll keep this in mind. Don’t worry, we’re all family. If there’s anything I can help with, I definitely will."

After all, his parents would still be living in Jing County in the future, and the family needed someone like Tang Maolin, who could speak up within the system, to help look after things.

"Ah! Good! Good!" Tang Maolin was so excited he picked up his teacup. "Song, let your uncle toast you!"

One way or another, the fact that Tang Song had agreed to help meant there was a chance.

"Ding~" The porcelain cups clinked lightly. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Tang Song had just put down his teacup.

"Ring ring ring——"

The phone on the coffee table suddenly started ringing.

[Principal Liu Zengyin]

Tang Song picked up the phone and answered, "Hello, Principal Liu."

On the other end came Liu Zengyin’s extremely polite voice: "Classmate Tang Song, I’m sorry to bother you again. Here’s the thing, regarding the reception arrangements for Mayor Li’s visit and guidance tomorrow, the county party committee leaders attach great importance to it and are a bit uneasy. They’d like to meet you in person before the anniversary ceremony starts, to go over the specific procedures, and incidentally... also pay a visit to your parents. So... would now be convenient?"

Tang Song’s eyebrows twitched ever so slightly, and he subconsciously glanced at Tang Maolin, who was sitting upright beside him.

This really was quite the coincidence.

"Sure, then I’ll have to trouble all the leaders to make the trip."

"Not trouble at all, not at all! Okay then, we’ve already set off from the county party committee and will be at Yunjing Platform soon."

"Mm, alright, goodbye."

He hung up.

As soon as he hung up, Liu Qingning leaned over and whispered, "Is Principal Liu coming over?"

Tang Song blinked and said in a low voice, "Yeah, I guess they’re afraid I’ll ’drop the ball’ tomorrow and don’t feel at ease, so they insist on coming over in person to ’rehearse’ it."

Liu Qingning covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

Of course she understood this was just an excuse for the county leaders to seize the chance to get in touch early and show goodwill.

Hearing their conversation, Tang Maolin was stunned for a second, then said in astonishment, "Principal Liu? Is that your First Middle School Principal Liu Zengyin? He’s coming over?"

"Yeah." Tang Song nodded. "Tomorrow’s the school anniversary, so Principal Liu’s probably got something to discuss."

"Heh, that makes sense." Tang Maolin immediately slipped back into that veteran-in-the-system posture, a knowing smile appearing on his face. "Tang Song, you’re a distinguished alumnus now. It’s only proper for the principal to personally come over and talk. As it happens, I’ve run into Principal Liu a few times before; I’ll help accompany and receive them later."

Tang Song smiled and didn’t say much more.

Beside them, upon hearing that "the principal is coming to the house," Xu Feng and Tang Jianying instantly grew nervous and sprang into action, tidying up the coffee table and getting fresh fruit ready.

Liu Qingning also stood up with a smile and offered to help.

Not long after, Tang Song’s phone rang again.

It was a call from Principal Liu, saying they were about to enter the compound.

Tang Jianying and Xu Feng immediately started putting on their clothes. "We have to go down and greet them. This is your principal we’re talking about—this is a big deal."

"Yes, yes, I’ll go too." Tang Maolin also stood up.

In a small place like Jing County, where education and the system are taken extremely seriously, the First Middle School principal is far from just a simple educator.

Holding the best educational resources in the entire county, his social status and hidden Influence are in no way inferior to that of a top leader in a real power department.

Seeing this, Tang Song had no choice but to take Liu Qingning by the hand and head downstairs with them.

But that was also the proper thing to do.

After all, this was his alma mater’s principal personally coming over, and there would also be county leaders accompanying him.

If he didn’t go down to greet them, it would be hard to justify, both emotionally and in terms of etiquette.

...

It was an early-winter afternoon, with warm sunlight shining brightly.

They had just walked out of the unit entrance and hadn’t even had time to steady their footing.

A few black government sedans drove over and one after another stopped in front of Building 8.

Xu Feng and Tang Jianying both skipped a beat. From the looks of it, quite a few people had come.

The smile on Tang Maolin’s face instantly froze. He blinked hard, thinking he must be seeing things.

Why... why are these the county party committee’s official cars?!

After so many years working in the system, he knew these sensitive license plate numbers like the back of his hand.

While he was still dazed, the car doors opened.

His heart gave a jolt.

The first person to get out was not the Principal Liu Zengyin he had imagined, but the county party committee office director, Wang Liwei.

Right after him came the county propaganda department minister, Liu Ziqian, the county education bureau director, Chen Weiming...

Every single one of them was a "big-name" county party committee standing committee member.

The expression on Tang Maolin’s face became wonderfully complex.

Then another figure stepped out of the car.

There was a booming "buzz" in Tang Maolin’s head, as if he’d been struck on the spot by a bolt of lightning.

He stood there dumbly, his mouth unconsciously falling open.

The county party committee... Secretary Zhang Chengming?!

What... what were they doing here? Holding a standing committee meeting?