“Director…”

Wang Guangping’s mouth felt stuffed with a large walnut, his face trembling, unable to utter a complete sentence.

The Party History Office was a cold post, meant for those stepping back from the front lines, for retirement, for senior cadres to make use of their remaining energy. He was only in his early fifties, with over a decade of his career’s golden period ahead.

Eight years ago, in his prime with a promising career, Wang Guangping had been sent down to a farm for reform. He hadn’t broken down then, enduring bitterly, firmly believing he could regain important positions, return to the city, and resume his career!

Eight years later, he had indeed waited for his return to the city.

Wang Guangping had wanted to make great achievements but was assigned to the Ministry of Education.

Initially unable to accept this situation, Wang Guangping had been depressed for a while. But being unrelenting, he quickly realized the Higher Education Department had its advantages, like being able to help his son Wang Jianhua. After adjusting his mindset and actively seeking progress, he did much but made many mistakes, and now he was being directly relegated to the “Party History Office.”

This blow was even harder than being sent to the farm back then.

The farm assignment had been due to special circumstances of the time, and Wang Guangping wasn’t the only one sent down – there were others too. Everyone had remained hopeful, and indeed, many eventually returned to the city en masse.

Now Wang Guangping alone was being transferred to a cold office.

Did he have any hope of recovering in this lifetime?

Wang Guangping’s expression was ashen, his hands shaking severely, unable to hold the thin transfer order steady.

The Director personally picked up the order and placed it back in Wang Guangping’s hands:

“Comrade Guangping, continue to work hard in your new unit.”

The pat on Wang Guangping’s shoulder meant encouragement left him weak-kneed and powerless. In an instant, his spirit seemed drained, making him look older than the Director.

He didn’t know how he made it out of the office.

Deputy Director Tang led the unit’s colleagues in bidding farewell to Wang Guangping.

“Working with Comrade Guangping has been a pleasure. Hope we have the chance to work together again in the future.”

While speaking, Deputy Director Tang was internally sneering – he was just saying it for the show, who would want to work with Wang Guangping? The Party History Office was also a proper unit, but Director Tang didn’t want to enjoy such leisure so early, feeling he could still struggle in the education field for many years!

Wang Guangping looked up at this famously good-natured person.

“It was you…”

Director Tang grasped his hand and shook it, “Yes! Yes, I’m reluctant to let Comrade Guangping go, but I must respect the organization’s decision. Ah, I won’t forget Comrade Guangping’s care for me!”

Director Tang smiled warmly – Wang Guangping was already a defeated opponent, so speaking kindly wouldn’t kill anyone.

These words, to Wang Guangping’s ears, were an admission.

His transfer was partly due to Director Tang!

He had thought this good-natured person’s silence meant no pursuit of the matter, never expecting such treachery. Wang Guangping’s eyes bulged with anger, but he forcibly suppressed it. While the Higher Education Department wasn’t considered a prime position elsewhere, it held real power over university students. With Wang Jianhua still studying at Beijing Teachers College, if he turned against Tang – Wang Guangping gripped Director Tang’s hand back:

“If I’ve caused any offense in my work before, please be understanding.”

With other colleagues present, Wang Guangping’s words were like a defeated rooster submitting to Director Tang.

Director Tang just smiled without speaking further.

Zhan Aiqun wouldn’t even shake hands with Wang Guangping – she was just there to watch the show.

Wang Guangping packed his personal belongings and left his first work unit since returning to the city. He knew he had no chance of returning to the Higher Education Department, but before retirement, was there any chance of climbing up from the “Party History Office”?

Wang Guangping wasn’t young anymore.

With so many young cadres waiting for promotion, who would remember him after being swept into the Party History Office?

Wondering how things had turned so terrible, Wang Guangping stumbled, falling down the steps while holding his personal belongings.

…

“Transferred to the Party History Office?”

Xia Xiaolan had just finished her exams when Guan Hui’e was waiting for her, bringing this news immediately.

Xia Xiaolan truly breathed a sigh of relief.

She didn’t care how high an official Wang Guangping became; she hadn’t expected a leader would trouble an ordinary student like her before. With Wang Guangping in a place like the Higher Education Department, though he failed to deal with her once, there would have been endless subsequent troubles.

Wang Guangping’s transfer to the Party History Office – even an outsider like Xia Xiaolan who only knew the basics understood it was a leisurely retirement post.

As the name suggested, it was an office for studying “party history,” collecting materials, editing, and publishing party history series, and maintaining revolutionary sites… Some comrades liked this kind of work, finding it refined with less intrigue. But for someone like Wang Guangping who was obsessed with power, this was probably the greatest torture.

Guan Hui’e nodded, “There was previously an arrangement to transfer him to the Cultural Relics Research Institute. Your Grandfather Zhou said that someone seeking quick success shouldn’t go to the Cultural Relics Institute – those artifacts wouldn’t be safe. Better the Party History Office, since he can’t move revolutionary sites.”

This made Xia Xiaolan laugh. Guan Hui’e’s description was so vivid – of course, revolutionary sites couldn’t be moved, what would Wang Guangping do with cave dwellings and iron chain bridges?

Old Man Zhou was right – letting Wang Guangping go to the Cultural Relics Institute would be too unsafe for the artifacts.

The prices of antiques hadn’t been hyped up in the 1980s. In a few more years, even an ordinary porcelain bowl could sell for hundreds of thousands – Comrade Wang Guangping’s integrity wasn’t reliable.

“Auntie, this is already the best outcome. It was all my affair that caused trouble for the Zhou family.”

Xia Xiaolan wasn’t greedy; completely removing Wang Guangping was impossible – organizational appointments weren’t up to the Zhou family.

“No trouble at all. The old man just spoke some fair words, laying out the facts for the organization to see. There aren’t many who worked for half a year and became disliked by the entire unit… The Higher Education Department, even the Ministry of Education, already had strong opinions about him – this was just going with the flow.”

Guan Hui’e didn’t want to mention Wang Guangping anymore. This person’s matters no longer had anything to do with the Zhou family – hadn’t Zhou Guobin said they weren’t on the same path?

“By the way, your final exams are over too. How do you plan to spend this winter break? Return to Shangdu?”

Xia Xiaolan hesitated: “I won’t go back so soon. I have something else to do during the break. Auntie, is there any news about Zhou Cheng? It’s been a while since his isolation review ended – how has the organization arranged for him?”

Xia Xiaolan and Zhou Cheng hadn’t seen each other for two months.

With so much happening in between, how could Xia Xiaolan not think about him?

Guan Hui’e understood too.

She would have been more concerned if Xia Xiaolan hadn’t asked anything about Zhou Cheng.

“If I tell you, I’d be violating discipline… but Auntie knows you’re discreet, you won’t talk about it outside, right?”

Auntie, could you be less playful?!

Weren’t you quite aloof before? Xia Xiaolan had to coax her:

“I won’t tell others, please tell me.”

Guan Hui’e pointed south.

“Still in Fujian Province?”

Guan Hui’e smiled and shook her head, “In Pengcheng.”