0043 48 "Don't miss out on Tsinghua University!"
The car stopped in front of Tsinghua University, and Zhou Xiye got out and went inside. The scenery inside the school hadn't changed much, only the students walking along the roadside were constantly changing.
It took Zhou Xiye almost twenty minutes to reach the college building. He didn't go upstairs, but looked at the lights on in the windows and realized he still had time.
She wasn't in a hurry and took a short stroll downstairs.
Not long after, he ran into his mentor—who is now the head of the journalism department.
"Hello, Teacher Guo."
The department head stopped and frowned at Zhou Xiye. After a couple of seconds, he remembered who the student in front of him was. "Zhou Xiye! I remember you! You won the best debater award at the international debate competition, didn't you!"
Zhou Xiye smiled and nodded, walking over with the smile of a well-behaved student. Best Debater—after Zhou Xiye, the School of Journalism had never won this award again, so the department head naturally remembered it vividly.
Where do you work now?
It is inevitable to ask questions, which determines the content and duration of the conversation, as well as the physical relationship between the two people during the conversation.
"Director of the Xiangtan Municipal Government's Beijing Office."
The department head raised an eyebrow, his smile widening. "That's good. I heard from your counselor that you went to the front lines? And came to Beijing as soon as you got back?"
Zhou Xiye shook his head, "I worked as the mayor's secretary in Shenyang for two years, and then I gradually rose through the ranks."
"That's good," the department head nodded, and the two chatted as they walked. "Why did you suddenly come to the school? What brought you here?"
See, this is how your current job responsibilities determine what the department head will talk to you about.
Zhou Xiye walked alongside the department head, hands behind his back, chatting. "Nothing much, I just came from the Party School and happened to pass by the school, so I came in to take a look."
The department head chuckled twice. A gust of wind blew by, and the yellow fallen leaves, wet with rain, twitched a couple of times but didn't fly away.
"It's been raining a lot in Beijing this year, and it's definitely a bit cold. Have you eaten? Want to join us?" the department head said. Zhou Xiye certainly wouldn't miss this opportunity. "Sure, let's go."
They went to the nearest cafeteria, and the person who paid for their meal was a new lecturer in the department. The three of them sat down together.
The department head didn't say anything, but Zhou Xiye could tell that the lecturer was deliberately trying to create a rift. He picked up his chopsticks and ate a couple of bites of food.
"By the way, Professor Guo, how many doctoral students does your school recruit each year?"
The department head took a bite of food, paused, swallowed, and said, "Not many, just over three hundred people. Sometimes it's even less than that."
Zhou Xiye put down his chopsticks, looked at the lecturer who was eating with his head down, and then looked at the department head. "Dean, I have a friend here who wants to study for his doctorate here. He went to Peking University to inquire, but they didn't want him."
The department head frowned after hearing this. "So, someone Peking University doesn't want can come to Tsinghua? What do you take Tsinghua for?"
Zhou Xiye smiled, put down his chopsticks, rested his hands on his lap, and leaned forward. "Director, this friend of mine is a master's student from Zhejiang University."
The department head looked up, frowned, and glanced behind Zhou Xiye. Zhou Xiye turned his head to look, then looked away. The department head then took out his car keys. "Go and move my car. It's not parked properly."
The lecturer picked up his car keys, wiped his mouth, and walked out.
The department head's attitude towards Zhou Xiye was not very good at the moment. Is it really that simple to get a PhD from Tsinghua University?
So he put on airs, took a bite of food, chewed it more than ten times, swallowed it, and then lifted his eyelids, his lips drooping, and said, "Why doesn't your friend go to Zhejiang University to continue his master's studies?"
Zhou Xiye straightened her back; she had been waiting for these words. "First, my friend is moving from Zhejiang to Beijing for work; second... my friend is getting old, over fifty, what school would accept her?"
After saying that, Zhou Xiye smiled knowingly and stared at the department head.
The department head paused for a moment, then slowly raised the corners of his mouth. "Xi Ye, is your friend... in Beijing, right now?"
Zhou Xiye lowered his eyes, reached for his chopsticks, took a bite of food, and didn't rush to answer. He took a sip of water, then wiped his mouth with a napkin and replied with a smile, "My friend is quite busy, otherwise he wouldn't have asked me to ask."
The department head nodded, but before he could speak, the lecturer returned and handed him the car keys, saying, "Here you go, I've got it all set up."
Actually, the car was already parked, but the department head probably moved it so the two of them could talk. The lecturer understood this.
The department head tilted his head again, frowning, "Go park somewhere else, and then park it for me again!"
The lecturer glanced at Zhou Xiye, picked up the key, and his displeasure vanished in an instant.
After the others left, the two picked up where they left off and asked, "Does your friend want to come and visit the school?"
Zhou Xiye sighed and said sincerely, "Teacher Guo, you're the only person I know at school. I don't know who to ask for this favor. How about you... help me make a connection so we can all have a meal together?"
"Okay... let's make it this way..."
Zhou Xiye nodded, "I understand, teacher. My friend and I will definitely repay this favor."
The two looked at each other for a few seconds, then smiled. "Okay, I'll try my best to ask around for you, and then leave me your contact information so we can have dinner together sometime..."
"Teacher, my friend is quite busy. If possible, please arrange it as soon as possible. It's almost the end of the year, and the state banquet is coming up soon. I'm worried that his schedule will be too busy."
The department head opened his mouth, then smiled and nodded, "No problem! No problem!"
The two were in a pleasant atmosphere. After exchanging contact information, before they could even put their phones away, the lecturer, covered in sweat, came over and said, "Director, I've moved your car for you."
The department head nodded again, pointed at the car, and said, "Look at this, look carefully, where is this car parked?"
The lecturer looked at the department head, puzzled. The car was indeed parked properly. Did the two of them have something else to say?
He shakily reached for the car keys, but Zhou Xiye snatched them away first, saying, "Let me take them. You must be hungry; you haven't eaten much yet."
As he spoke, he stood up, took his keys, and went outside. The department head and the lecturer weren't focused on the meal. Looking out through the glass, Zhou Xiye didn't get into the department head's car. Instead, he walked to the car behind the department head's car, took out his phone, and made a call.
A few minutes later, a man ran out, bent down and said something to Zhou Xiye. After they finished talking, the man got into his car, drove away, and disappeared into the crowd.
Zhou Xiye turned around and walked back.
When the department head saw her, he smiled and praised her, "Xiao Zhang, you should learn from Director Zhou. Didn't you park the car properly then?"
The lecturer watched as Zhou Xiye handed the key to the department head, his expression showing a moment of surprise before he smiled, scratched his head, and picked up his chopsticks to eat.
The matter of the doctoral student was settled within two days. Zhou Xiye went to the Party School again, picked a time, and met Lu Daiyuan again.
"Xiao Zhou? You still have class?"
Zhou Xiye shook his head, "You can come and audit classes even if you don't have any."
Lu Daiyuan smiled and shook his head without saying anything, and the two walked side by side. Suddenly, Zhou Xiye seemed to remember something, "By the way, I heard you want to pursue a doctorate? Our school is currently recruiting doctoral students. I wonder if you'd be interested?"
Lu Daiyuan stopped and looked at her with interest. After a few seconds, he said, "Oh? Tsinghua University?"
Zhou Xiye laughed, a laugh that was open and honest. "Yes, you may not like the scenery by Weiming Lake, but you shouldn't miss Tsinghua University."
Lu Daiyuan shook his head and smiled as he applauded her, then patted Zhou Xiye on the shoulder, "Smart, no wonder you're from Tsinghua, really smart."
The time and place for the dinner were quickly set. The principal contacted Zhou Xiye directly, and the three of them arranged a meeting at a teahouse frequented by Ye Lifeng. Ye Lifeng knew about Zhou Xiye's actions, but it wasn't advisable to act in a high-profile manner now. If he went, people would wonder what kind of background this provincial party secretary, who was studying at the Party School in Beijing, really had.
A quick-thinking person will understand the intricacies behind this after a little thought.
Halfway through the meal, Lu Daiyuan asked Zhou Xiye to go out and buy a pack of cigarettes—a coded message that couldn't be clearer. Zhou Xiye nodded and went out, wandering around.
In the distance, several fashionable young men and women are taking photos under the trees; it's autumn now, and the red maple leaves are at their most vibrant.
There were a few people inside who looked familiar to her; they were probably someone's kids, little tyrants, making a ruckus in the peaceful teahouse. She didn't recognize them or stop them, which was understandable. Her gaze shifted, and Zhou Xiye saw a woman under the eaves in the distance, a cigarette dangling from her lips, arms crossed, wearing sunglasses.
Zhou Xiye smiled, took out his phone, and walked over there.
Zhou Xiye's counter-surveillance and reconnaissance skills were excellent, and he didn't get detected by the group. Just as he approached the tree, he heard this: "Why do you look so mournful, and why are you wearing such big sunglasses..."
Zhou Xiye turned on his phone, activated the recording function, and waited for Kong Lingqi's reply.
"My sugar daddy broke up with me."
Zhou Xiye raised an eyebrow. Had he broken off relations with Ling Xingzhi?
"What do you mean?"
"That's what I mean, stay away from me... don't take off my sunglasses..."
Two or three seconds later, "Wow—your eyes are so swollen? Tell me quickly, what happened to your old daddy? Why did you break up with him?"
Kong Lingqi roughly explained the process of the breakup. It was very sudden and unprepared. She gave him a Picasso painting and then they broke up.
Zhou Xiye listened and sensed something was wrong.
"Tell me, were there any signs before you broke up?"
After Kong Lingqi finished explaining in a few words, Zhou Xiye sighed softly.
Ling Xingzhi, that old fox, he's afraid she'll get involved in the struggle, not only to protect himself, but also to protect Kong Lingqi.
Previously, Zhou Xiye had suspected that Ling Xingzhi was uninterested in love like himself, but now it seems that he is a romantic. Kong Lingqi has always been his weakness. Since that's the case, and he has a weakness, then... it's no wonder that she took action again.
After finishing the recording, Zhou Xiye returned to the room.
Just then, the principal and Lu Daiyuan came out and greeted Zhou Xiye. The three of them chatted for a while. The matter of pursuing a doctorate would be resolved three days after the dinner.
Soon, not long after Christmas, winter arrived.
Zhou Xiye's name appeared on the state banquet guest list.
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