73: Chapter 73 Father and Son's Phone Call

Xu Weidong sat on the sofa in his dormitory, his phone pressed against his ear.

Fine snowflakes drifted outside the window, swirling in the halo of the streetlights. It had been a long time since he had been able to have a proper conversation with his father like this.

On the other end of the line, Xu Tianhua's voice was gentler than usual, carrying a rare sense of relaxation.

"I've read the materials submitted by Lüjiang City. The case in Qili Village was handled well. You handled Director Li Zhongmin with great discretion."

Xu Tianhua paused, then admonished, "However, avoid going to the front lines yourself in the future."

Xu Weidong smiled and said, "Dad, didn't you always say that a cadre shouldn't just sit in the office reading files?"

Xu Tianhua also laughed. "Your ability to talk back has improved."

"I meant for you to go deep into the grassroots, not to face off against organized crime."

"A person of status should not court danger—don't you understand this principle?"

"I do."

Xu Weidong said honestly, "But the situation was special at the time. If I hadn't gone in, those two groups would have started fighting, and the casualties would have been high. Besides, I knew what I was doing."

Xu Tianhua was silent for two seconds, then sighed softly.

"Knowing what you're doing is a good thing, but you can't always rely on it."

"You are no longer alone now; there is a group of people standing behind you. You must be worthy of their trust."

Xu Weidong nodded, even though he knew his father couldn't see him.

"Dad, I'll remember that."

Xu Tianhua made an acknowledging sound and changed the subject.

"I'm going to the Northeast in a few days to hold a comprehensive symposium on combating human trafficking in Fengtian."

"I might see the comrades in your province then, and I'll also go to Lvjiang City to take a look."

Xu Weidong's eyes lit up. "You're coming to Lvjiang City?"

"What, not welcome?"

"Welcome, very welcome!"

Xu Weidong laughed. "Then can I see you?"

Xu Tianhua also laughed. "Isn't it a bit presumptuous for someone of your rank to meet me?"

"We'll see when the time comes."

"The schedule is tight this time; there might not be time."

"But don't worry, even if we can't meet, I'll make sure someone takes good care of you."

Xu Weidong was silent for a moment, then lowered his voice and asked, "Dad, I want to ask you something."

"Speak."

"Are you about to attain… that?"

On the other end of the line, Xu Tianhua was silent for a second.

"Which one?"

Xu Weidong chuckled. "Dad, stop pretending."

"The top position of the Knife Handle is usually held concurrently by someone with a Fruit Position. You've been doing it for a while now; according to the rules, it's about time…"

Xu Tianhua interrupted him. "Is this something you should be asking about?"

Xu Weidong sheepishly fell silent.

Xu Tianhua was silent for a few seconds, then his tone softened. "Everything is decided by the organization."

"Whatever the organization arranges, I will do."

"Do not ask too much about matters concerning personal future."

Xu Weidong nodded, then remembered something and said, "Grandpa Ning will definitely think highly of you."

Xu Tianhua didn't speak. After a while, he spoke again, "Comrade Weidong, you must remember."

"Personal future counts for nothing."

"The interests of the country and the nation are paramount."

Xu Weidong was stunned for a moment, then solemnly replied, "Dad, I'll remember that."

Xu Tianhua made an acknowledging sound, and his tone became relaxed again.

"By the way, your mother has been restless lately and keeps nagging about you."

Xu Weidong laughed. "What's wrong with Mom again?"

Xu Tianhua sighed, his tone carrying a touch of helplessness, but also a hint of doting.

"She was doing well at the No. 1 High School, but she had to make a fuss."

"She said she was tired of being a school leader and wanted a change of environment."

"I had someone arrange for her to be the deputy director at the Language Publishing House."

"She's happy now, but she complains that Yancheng is too far away and says she can't see you."

"She's pestering me to move her to Fengtian. Can you believe this nonsense? Organization appointments aren't child's play. Your mother just hasn't suffered enough hardship."

Xu Weidong felt a warmth in his heart. "Mom is still the same. Don't be angry with her."

Xu Tianhua also laughed. "Isn't that the truth?"

"I'm used to it."

"So many years, from Ankang to Hanzhou, from Hanzhou to Tianzhou, and now to Yancheng, she's followed me everywhere without ever complaining."

"Now that things have finally settled down, she finds it too stable."

Xu Weidong thought for a moment, then said, "Dad, tell Mom that I'm doing fine here, and tell her not to worry."

"After I finish this busy period, I'll go to Yancheng to see her."

Xu Tianhua made an acknowledging sound, then suddenly remembered something.

"By the way, contact your Grandpa Liu when you have time."

Xu Weidong's heart stirred. Grandpa Liu… Liu Dehai, his father's old leader, who later became a vice president and is now one of the Twenty-Four Sea-Stabilizing Pearls.

"Is Grandpa Liu's health okay?"

Xu Tianhua laughed, his voice filled with respect and closeness. "He's doing very well."

"Your Grandpa Liu is the type of person who can never stay idle."

"He's still busy in The Government Compound every day, pointing out the direction of the country."

"Last time I visited him, he was still talking about you, saying you're a promising kid, better than he was back in the day."

Xu Weidong said somewhat embarrassedly, "Grandpa Liu is too kind."

"He is the true Sea-Stabilizing Pearl."

Xu Tianhua's tone was filled with emotion. "Yes, each of the Twenty-Four Sea-Stabilizing Pearls is a pillar of our country."

Xu Weidong nodded; he understood what his father meant.

That position is not for just anyone.

Those who can sit in that seat have been tempered by fire and sifted by the great waves of time.

The fact that Liu Dehai could gain a firm foothold there proved that his political wisdom and vision were truly extraordinary.

"Dad, sometimes I think, if it weren't for Grandpa Liu and you, even if I had passed the central selection, I might still be a regular, low-level official in some township in Hanzhong."

Xu Tianhua was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Comrade Weidong, you must remember."

"You didn't get to where you are today because of me, nor because of your Grandpa Liu; it was because of yourself."

"You investigated the Qili Village case. You handled the Huangcheng KTV case."

"I and your Grandpa Liu couldn't help you with these things."

Xu Tianhua paused, his tone becoming even more solemn. "We can only point you in the right direction and provide oversight. You have to walk the real path yourself."

Xu Weidong was silent for a long time, then said, "Dad, I understand."

"Alright, it's getting late. Get some rest early. We'll talk when we meet in a few days."

"Dad, you get some rest early too."

After hanging up the phone, Xu Weidong sat on the sofa, watching the snow outside the window.

The snow was falling even harder, swirling and silently covering the small county town.

Xu Weidong stood up and walked to the window, looking at the night outside.

Outside the window, the snow was still falling, as if Louis XVI...