Family connections: From special recruitment by the county committee to the pinnacle of power

As Xu Hansheng was thinking, he was driving when his mother, Li Xiuru, suddenly called just as he was about to enter the Qingshan North toll station.

She was genuinely worried that her son might be traumatized by his breakup with Su Qing and cause trouble outside.

"Mom, is something wrong? I'm about to enter the tollbooth," Xu Hansheng said calmly.

"Tollbooth? Where did you go?" Li Xiuru asked anxiously over the phone.

"I'm going to check on my second uncle and aunt. I'll be back later." Xu Hansheng thought for a moment, but still didn't tell his parents his thoughts.

Some things cannot be publicized too much before they are accomplished, especially things like taking the special recruitment route. It is even more important not to make a fuss about it, otherwise Xu Hansheng's whole plan will fall apart.

"If it's too late, you can stay at your second uncle's house for now. It just so happens that your dad is going to your second uncle's house tomorrow to discuss the Qingming Festival ancestor worship arrangements," Li Xiuru said in a slightly gentler tone.

"Okay, don't worry, I won't contact those bad friends anymore. From now on, I'm going to live each day to the fullest." Xu Hansheng thought for a moment and comforted Li Xiuru.

Li Xiuru's voice trembled slightly as she spoke over the phone: "Hansheng, Mom isn't worried about you spending money, Mom is worried about your safety."

Having lived two lives, Xu Hansheng understands even better what it means to have the heart of a parent everywhere.

"Mom, I'm about to pass through the tollbooth, so I won't say any more."

After saying that, Xu Hansheng hung up the phone, sped up, and headed straight for the Fortune Shopping Plaza, the largest shopping mall in Qingshan City.

Xu Hansheng knew very well that when asking someone for a favor, a "door" was essential, and relatives were no exception.

Giving gifts is the first step.

At 2 PM, Xu Hansheng arrived at his second uncle's house and rang the doorbell...

A few minutes later, the door opened and a middle-aged woman in her forties came out.

When she saw Xu Hansheng standing at the door, with short hair, wearing a black trench coat over a V-neck sweater, a white shirt underneath, dress pants, and black leather shoes, she was instantly stunned.

She was Wu Yueru, Xu Hansheng's second aunt.

In Wu Yueru's memory, Xu Hansheng should have had white-dyed, short hair that reached his eyebrows, dressed in strange clothes, and wore various ornaments on his chest, looking like a spoiled brat.

For a moment, Wu Yueru almost didn't recognize her.

Second Aunt.

Xu Hansheng bowed slightly with great politeness and gave Wu Yueru a smile.

"It's Hansheng, come in quickly." Wu Yueru smiled.

"Thank you, Second Aunt."

As they spoke, Xu Hansheng, carrying two gift bags, stepped into the entrance hall and paused briefly.

In his past life, Xu Hansheng suffered quite a bit from his lack of manners when he was young. But later, as he rose through the ranks, he became increasingly adept at navigating interpersonal relationships. Even a small gesture like pausing to observe others' presence is the most basic respect one can show to their master.

Even your closest relatives must pause in the entryway after entering the house. After all, no one can guarantee that they will let you in easily.

Taking a break not only gives the other person time to ease the awkwardness, but also saves face for yourself.

"Come in and have a seat."

Wu Yueru tidied up the clothes on the living room sofa, took a pair of slippers, and placed them in front of Xu Hansheng.

"Thank you, Second Aunt."

After changing into slippers, Xu Hansheng took out an exquisite jewelry box and handed it to Wu Yueru, smiling as he said, "Second Aunt, I came in a hurry and didn't prepare any gift. When I passed by the mall, I thought this necklace would look great on you. Would you like to try it on?"

As he spoke, Xu Hansheng opened the jewelry box, inside which lay a 04 design of a starry necklace, which at the time cost nearly ten thousand yuan.

Upon seeing the necklace in the box, Wu Yueru's face lit up with surprise. She hadn't expected Xu Hansheng to give her such a valuable gift.

Women, regardless of wealth, have virtually no resistance to jewelry. Even though Wu Yueru's jewelry box is overflowing with countless rings, bracelets, and necklaces, she still loves them.

In his previous life, Xu Hansheng was not only a notorious corrupt official but also a master of gift-giving.

Gifts are not something you can just give randomly. First of all, you need to consider the gender. If it's a woman, even if you know her preferences, don't give her random things. Just give her jewelry. Any woman will instantly feel good about you.

Even relatives are no exception.

Holding the heavy diamond necklace in her hand, Wu Yueru couldn't help but smile.

"Okay, then I'll try it on." As she spoke, Wu Yueru led Xu Hansheng to sit down on the sofa in the living room, and then quickly went to the dressing mirror and put on the diamond necklace that Xu Hansheng had given her.

Looking at herself in the mirror, Wu Yueru became more and more satisfied.

"Second Aunt, I think you look ten years younger and more energetic when you wear this necklace."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yueru could hardly contain her smile. While serving the fruit platter, she said to Xu Hansheng, "Hansheng, thank you. Your auntie accepts your kind gesture. When you get married, your auntie will definitely give you a big red envelope."

At this point, Wu Yueru was taken aback and looked at Xu Hansheng, asking, "Why didn't Su Qing come with you?"

Every time Xu Hansheng came to the city, Su Qing would follow him like a shadow. Although Wu Yueru disliked Su Qing, she always treated her warmly out of respect for Xu Hansheng.

Today, Wu Yueru was slightly surprised by Xu Hansheng's attire, and she also felt very comfortable with his words and actions. As a result, she was so engrossed in talking to Xu Hansheng that she didn't even notice that someone was missing.

"It's nothing. By the way, where's my second uncle?" Xu Hansheng directly avoided the topic.

Upon hearing Xu Hansheng ask about Xu Weimin, Wu Yueru's smile vanished instantly, replaced by a worried expression as she said, "Your second uncle is sulking."

"What's wrong?" Xu Hansheng asked, somewhat surprised.

"Sigh, what else could it be? It's about things at the factory." With that, Wu Yueru stood up and said, "Sit here for a while, I'll go call your second uncle."

After saying that, Wu Yueru quickly walked into the inner bedroom.

Before long, Xu Weimin came out of the bedroom with a worried look on his face. When he saw Xu Hansheng, he forced a smile and said, "Hansheng is here."

Xu Hansheng hurriedly stood up, bowed slightly, and said, "Second Uncle."

Xu Weimin sighed softly, walked to the sofa, and gestured for him to sit down, saying, "Please sit down."

Xu Hansheng sat down next to Xu Weimin with a serious expression and asked in a deep voice, "Second Uncle, what happened?"

Xu Weimin took a deep breath and sighed, "Two days ago, someone went to the factory to inspect the fire safety and said that the fire safety was not up to standard, and ordered it to be shut down for rectification for a month."

At this point, a look of worry appeared on Xu Weimin's face as he said, "This is the second time since the end of last year. Last time it was because of substandard safety production, so the factory was shut down for a month at the end of the year. This time it's been another month. If this continues, the factory will go bankrupt sooner or later..."

Looking at Xu Weimin's worried face, Xu Hansheng nodded secretly. Just like in his previous life, someone was already targeting Xu Weimin in secret.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Xu Weimin's factory will be on the verge of bankruptcy in at most another year.

However, Xu Hansheng could not say these words to Xu Weimin.

Xu Hansheng was silent for a few seconds, then put his hand on Xu Weimin's shoulder and said in a steady tone, "Second Uncle, we are a family, let's get through this together."

As soon as he said that, Xu Weimin turned his head sharply to look at Xu Hansheng, his resolute eyes glistening with tears.

In fact, when people are at their lowest point, what they need is not encouragement or empty platitudes, but concrete care and understanding that they can feel.

"Hansheng, thank you." Xu Weimin patted Xu Hansheng on the shoulder, his voice choked with emotion.

"Second Uncle." Xu Hansheng gave Xu Weimin a warm smile.

"Hansheng, you haven't eaten yet, have you? A new Sichuan restaurant just opened here. Let's go try it together." As he spoke, Xu Weimin stood up, called Wu Yueru to join him, and together with Xu Hansheng, they got into the car and headed straight for the Shu Prince's Mansion.

As soon as the car stopped at the entrance, Xu Hansheng saw a familiar figure—Su Qing.

Su Qing, with a sullen expression, pushed open the door and stormed out. The next second, Xu Shuai followed her out like a shadow.

"What a small world," Xu Hansheng said with a playful smile, looking at the two arguing at the door.