0074 83 I also want
As soon as he arrived at the office, there were already quite a few people at the door. Ling Xingzhi paused in his steps. Several people surrounded him, and he smiled and walked over, "Happy New Year, everyone. It's an honor to have you here so early to wish me a Happy New Year."
The group of people smiled as well. "Happy New Year, Secretary..." One of them didn't speak, just smiled. Ling Xingzhi nodded to him. "District Chief Zhang, it's been a long time. How have you been?"
It's about the incident of losing a son.
District Chief Zhang sighed and shook his head, his expression indicating that he was not feeling well, but not wanting to spoil Ling Xingzhi's mood, he then added, "It's fine, thank you for your concern, Secretary."
The group exchanged pleasantries in the corridor. Among the visitors were economist Wu Jiren, the district heads of Dongcheng District and Xicheng District, and the district head in charge of the Mentougou District's management and conduct arrangements.
Pei Zhiyu was nowhere to be seen.
"Qingshan, prepare some tea for everyone. This tea is very fresh and was transported from Yunnan."
After Ling Xingzhi finished speaking, the group followed him into the reception room.
The discussion revolved around Ling Xingzhi's views on their work reports, as well as the work plans and progress of each district for the new year.
On my first day back at work, I had two meetings in the morning. The main focus was repeatedly discussing potential problems with the Ministry of Railways regarding the return-to-Beijing rush. More importantly, the Two Sessions after the Lunar New Year must address the issue of rectifying social conduct. For example, the "lady" services in KTVs and the hostesses who provide escort services for social occasions must be explicitly prohibited.
Simply put, it's about cracking down on prostitution.
After two meetings, Ling Xingzhi didn't arrive at his office until noon, where a bunch of people were waiting to meet him. Once he'd seen the important ones, he could finally catch his breath. He took out his phone; there were many messages. He scrolled through a few, finally stopping at the one confirming Zhou Xiye's marriage to Pei Zhiyu.
He glanced at it for a few seconds, put down his phone, took out his cigarette case, and lit a cigarette. As the smoke drifted out, Ling Xingzhi picked up the landline and pressed a button. "Has the work report for Haidian District been submitted? Call District Chief Pei and tell him to come over when he has time."
With a cigarette between his fingers, he walked to the window. Cars were constantly coming and going in the municipal government compound. A few minutes later, his cell phone rang. He went over to look at the number; it was the Xicheng District Public Security Bureau of Beijing calling. He answered it.
"Secretary Ling, the body has been found. Next, we need to proceed with the autopsy... What do you think?"
Ling Xingzhi exhaled a puff of smoke, tapped the cigarette butt with his finger, and looked down at the ash falling. "Thank you for your help."
The person on the other end understood. "Don't worry, we will handle it properly."
Ling Xingzhi twitched the corner of his mouth. "By the way, could you please give me a copy of the deceased's information... and the autopsy report?"
"good."
Within minutes, the documents arrived in Ling Xingzhi's email. He downloaded and printed them out. Looking at the smiling woman in the photo in the upper right corner of the documents, Ling Xingzhi let out a breath, leaned back in his chair, and began to read the documents carefully.
"That was an accident. She had taken too much and was not in her right mind."
In his memory, Wei Luochen looked panicked, her eyes red from crying. Ling Xingzhi looked at her, momentarily at a loss for words, and simply stared at her silently.
"That day... I was craving something and wanted to relax. She said she had some good stuff, and I believed her and went with her. But I didn't expect that neither of us was in the mood... and I'm not very good at driving either..."
The gist of the story is that Wei Luochen and a socialite were in a car accident on their way to do drugs. Wei Luochen was unharmed, but the socialite died.
Wei Luochen knelt before him, so vulnerable and fragile, like a butterfly that had been rained on.
Ling Xingzhi hugged her, comforting her in the darkness, "It's okay...it's okay..." He stroked her shoulder blades, inch by inch, making her feel pain. Wei Luochen held him tightly, not letting go, only to hear Ling Xingzhi's voice coming from afar, "I know you didn't mean it, you're my good wife, I believe you..."
Her tears soaked his trousers, and Ling Xingzhi stared intently at his reflection in the glass.
Ling Xingzhi remembered this woman; he had not only met her, but he must have slept with her. Thinking of this, Ling Xingzhi stubbed out his cigarette. It must have been when he was in America, back when he was young and unable to control his desires. He had become entangled with this woman for a while without fully understanding why. After she learned he was the son of a high-ranking official in China, she became even more unrestrained, and the two did many outrageous things together.
He had long forgotten their past, only remembering that when they finally broke up, the woman demanded a large sum of money as hush money.
Problems that can be solved with money are not problems. Ling Xingzhi also told her that it was best not to go back to China. His exact words were, "You can only choose between living and going back to China."
In the end, she chose money and survival—the wise thing to do.
Ling Xingzhi never expected that after more than ten years, this woman would still appear before him, and that she would be killed by his own wife.
How long have you known her?
After a long silence, Ling Xingzhi asked Wei Luochen, then put his hand on her shoulder and made her look at him.
Wei Luochen shook his head, "She's a very popular fashion blogger on social media, but we haven't had any in-depth conversations..."
"Was that party the first time you met?" Ling Xingzhi looked into her eyes, trying to find a clue.
Wei Luochen nodded, "Yes, this is our first meeting."
"You can bring someone you've just met to your home for a party?"
Ling Xingzhi put down the documents and fell into deep thought. This whole thing happened so coincidentally—the timing was perfect, the people involved were perfect—was it an accident? Or was someone giving him a warning? Or… Zhou Xiye?
How could that be? When he was in America, Zhou Xiye should still be in high school; she couldn't possibly know everything. His gaze returned to the documents; the black and white text on the paper felt like a sharp sword piercing Ling Xingzhi's heart. Now, the truth was no longer important.
The course of events must follow his own will, otherwise it will be a disaster.
While he was thinking, the phone rang. "Secretary, District Chief Pei has arrived. Would you like to see him?"
Ling Xingzhi glanced at his watch. "You entertain him first. I have other things to attend to. We'll talk when I'm done."
"good."
After hanging up the phone, Ling Xingzhi picked up his phone, intending to make a call, but then thought better of it and sent a text message instead.
A few minutes later, the other end replied, "Okay."
Ling Xingzhi curled the corners of his lips, picked up his coat, and walked out.
The teahouse was crowded. On the platform on the first floor, there was a storyteller, some people there to listen to the stories, and others there to chat and pass the time. The storyteller was telling a funny story about Kong Xiangxi returning from studying in the United States and being awarded the title of "Jinshi" by the Qing government. The crowd burst into laughter.
Zhou Xiye picked up a peanut, chewed it, and then took a sip of the beer next to him.
"This is the first time I've ever seen someone drinking and eating peanuts in an old teahouse."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Xiye looked up and saw Ling Xingzhi wearing the dark gray executive Harrington jacket he often wore in group meetings, a black crew neck sweater over a white shirt, with a few buttons undone on the white shirt. He looked both serious and amiable, truly a typical example of someone who was both serious and lively.
"So what? Look at that kid downstairs drinking Coke," Zhou Xiye lowered his eyes and raised his chin.
Ling Xingzhi draped his coat over the back of the chair, sat down, and crossed his legs. "Not busy in class today?"
Zhou Xiye shook his head, "I'm alright, how about you?"
Ling Xingzhi took a deep breath. "Busy. There were two big meetings this morning, and I have countless people to meet this afternoon."
Hearing this, Zhou Xiye laughed gleefully, "Those in positions of power should fulfill their responsibilities; the greater the official rank, the greater the responsibility."
The teahouse waitress pushed open the door and came in carrying a teapot. "This is your Biluochun tea."
After delivering the tea, Zhou Xiye left. Looking at the closed door, he suddenly said, "This girl's husband is having affairs, but he's still very good to her, as if he hasn't cheated on her at all."
Ling Xingzhi poured himself a cup of tea. Although the tea had been brewed, the flavor was much weaker. Without looking up, he asked as he poured the tea, "How did you know?"
Zhou Xiye turned to look at Ling Xingzhi, "You'll understand once you come here and listen to a storyteller twice."
Ling Xingzhi put down the teapot and leaned lazily back in the wooden chair. "If you can find out something after coming twice, how could the teahouse waitress not know?"
"So I'm curious, this girl is beautiful and capable, why would she tolerate him going out and messing around?"
Ling Xingzhi's smile held a different meaning: "What would you do if your husband cheated on you and the whole world knew?"
Zhou Xiye blurted out, "He sleeps with one, I'll sleep with ten."
"Why don't you get a divorce?"
“Someone like me gets married not for the person, but for money and power. This kind of marriage is never easy to get a divorce, so if he sleeps with one woman, I'll sleep with ten. We'll torture each other for the rest of our lives.”
After hearing her words, Ling Xingzhi smiled helplessly. He felt that she was implying something, but considering that she was also getting married, he didn't want to steer the conversation toward himself.
He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and shook it, holding the rim. "You have to be qualified to sleep with anyone. You can't just sleep with ten people whenever you want."
Zhou Xiye picked up his beer, took a sip, and asked without restraint, "Ling Xingzhi, how can you be so sure that Wei Luochen won't sleep with other men?"
Ling Xingzhi paused in his swirling teacup, spilling a little tea from the inertia. He smiled; the topic had ultimately circled back to him. He put down the teacup. “So, marriage is best for love. My current situation is a cautionary tale for you.”
Zhou Xiye nodded, "What you said makes sense. When I marry Pei Zhiyu, I'm actually quite afraid... that I'll cheat on him."
Ling Xingzhi raised an eyebrow, thinking that Pei Zhiyu was still waiting in his office to report on his work, while he was flirting with his future wife in a teahouse. His mood improved, and he smiled calmly, "That's true."
Have you agreed on the terms of your marriage?
Zhou Xiye nodded and turned to look at the storyteller downstairs, "Registration will be done in the next couple of days."
"I advise you not to get married so hastily."
Zhou Xiye found this laughable. "You're just like the United Nations condemning China for emitting too much carbon dioxide and harmful gases. It does have a bit of a 'crossing the river and burning the bridge' mentality."
Ling Xingzhi shook his head, "These are two different things."
"It's the same thing."
"Two different things."
Zhou Xiye turned to look at him and said definitively, "It's the same thing."
Ling Xingzhi leaned forward, "Two different things."
The two inexplicably started this pointless argument, staring at each other with neither willing to back down.
"I'm doing this for your own good."
"You're getting me into trouble."
The two fell silent again before Ling Xingzhi finally spoke up, somewhat resentfully, "Even if you're going to get married, you should find someone you can control. Who is Pei Zhiyu? What's his family background? Is this climbing the social ladder? This is like a carp leaping over the dragon gate. If you were some young model or a minor celebrity, this would be like climbing the social ladder, but you're not. If you want to leverage someone's influence, you also need to know which stones you can step on and which you can't."
Doesn't Zhou Xiye understand this principle? She understands it all too well. Leaning closer to Ling Xingzhi, she said, word by word, "Ling Xingzhi, what you want, I also want."
When the driver came to pick up Ling Xingzhi, he appeared much calmer. After getting in the car, the driver, Lao Du, had just asked Ling Xingzhi where he was going when he received a phone call: "Secretary, would you like to come to the crime scene?"
Ling Xingzhi pressed the phone button and gave the driver an address.
Upon arrival, before Ling Xingzhi even got out of the car, he heard the driver say, "Thank you, Secretary. My child got into the High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, and her grades are quite good. It's all thanks to you."
Ling Xingzhi paused in his act of getting out of the car. "It's good that you're in. There was no waste of talent. Wasn't this something from last year? Why is it only being taken care of now?"
Driver Lao Du smiled. "Secretary, thank you! By the way... I was just wondering if you have time, someone here... wants to see you..."
Ling Xingzhi patiently asked him, "Who is it? What's the matter? Tell me?"
Old Du shook his head, "You should deal with Madam's matter first. My little matter is nothing to worry about."
Ling Xingzhi's smile slowly appeared. "Okay."
His smile vanished after he got off the bus.
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