Guide to Rising to Power as a Wife in Beijing's Elite Circle

The moment his phone vibrated, Fang Jingxiu had just opened a document outlining adjustments to new energy vehicle subsidies.

My fingertips traced the gold-embossed title on the document, but the photo Chen Nuo had sent me yesterday kept flashing through my mind. The girl was standing in an old alley in Yongzhou's urban village, sunlight streaming through the mottled eaves onto her face, her eyes full of curiosity and enthusiasm for the unknown world. The caption read: "Brother Xiu, the houses here are old, but the people here are very friendly."

He smiled and replied, "Be careful, come back early after filming," and even specifically told her to bring the two bodyguards he had arranged, even though she had promised him, "Okay."

At that moment, the emergency hotline for Xiao Wu flashing on the screen felt like a heavy hammer blow to his heart.

This number was a dedicated line he set up specifically for Chen Nuo's safety, and it would never ring unless absolutely necessary.

Fang Jingxiu pressed the answer button. The voice coming through the receiver trembled like never before. In the background were piercing police sirens and chaotic voices. Xiao Wu's words were broken yet deadly: "Sir, Miss Chen is in trouble... in a village in Yongzhou city, she was stabbed, her neck... she's bleeding a lot..."

With a "thud," the pen fell onto the red-headed document, the black ink spreading rapidly, like the blood gushing from Chen Nuo's neck, stinging his eyes.

His blood seemed to freeze instantly, and a bone-chilling cold permeated his limbs and bones. Only his heart was contracting wildly, the pain almost making it hard for him to breathe.

He didn't ask who did it, nor did he inquire about the details. All he knew was that a broken carotid artery meant that every second could mean the difference between life and death.

"Location." His voice was unusually calm, so calm that it didn't seem like someone whose heart was breaking at the moment, but the fingers gripping the phone were so tight that the knuckles were white, and the knuckles were bluish-gray from lack of blood.

As Xiao Wu gave the coordinates, Fang Jingxiu grabbed another phone on his desk and quickly dialed a number he knew by heart: the Jingjing Military Region General Hospital's combat readiness duty room.

This was the only force he could think of that could get to Yongzhou in the shortest amount of time. Chen Nuo's injuries couldn't wait for the local ambulance to slowly transfer him.

"This is Fang Jingxiu from the National Development and Reform Commission." He spoke rapidly, each word like a bullet. "Yongzhou urban village, coordinates sent. Our personnel have suffered a carotid artery stab wound and are in hemorrhagic shock. We need your nearest air ambulance team to go there immediately. I will take full authority."

"Director Fang, this requires..." The duty officer's voice was hesitant.

"What do you need?" Fang Jingxiu interrupted him, his voice suddenly turning cold and sharp. "Do you need me to have Political Commissar Fang call you? Or do you need me to have the General Staff Operations Department issue the order directly?"

There was a half-second silence on the other end of the phone: "Understood. The medical helicopter will take off within one minute and arrive at the coordinates within five minutes."

"I want her alive," Fang Jingxiu said, emphasizing each word, "at all costs."

He forcefully suppressed the brief hesitation on the other end of the phone, and all he heard was, "Understood, the helicopter will take off immediately."

"At all costs, keep her alive." Fang Jingxiu spoke each word slowly and deliberately, each word carrying an unprecedented fear and obsession.

After hanging up, he dialed Xiao Wu's number again, his voice trembling slightly: "The medical team will be here in five minutes. Until then, whatever it takes, save her life. Don't let her fall asleep, do you hear me?"

"Understood, sir! I certainly will!"

The office fell into a deathly silence, with only his heavy breathing remaining.

Fang Jingxiu stood still, his gaze fixed on the afternoon traffic on Chang'an Avenue outside the window. The sunlight was so bright it was almost blinding, but it couldn't penetrate the unfathomable darkness and panic in his eyes.

He remembered Chen Nuo saying on the phone yesterday, "Brother Xiu, I want to go see the real thing."

What did he reply at the time?

He said, "Go ahead, be careful."

be careful.

These four words now echoed in his ears like the most vicious irony.

He regretted it.

A deep, agonizing regret.

Why send her to Yongzhou?

Why let her touch those dirty things?

The bloodshed hidden behind the glamorous development, the bones carefully buried by power, are not things she should see.

She was just a 22-year-old girl, a student still learning to make movies.

She should live in the sunshine, taking pictures of beautiful and heartwarming things, instead of going into that cannibalistic ruin.

But at a deeper level, there was a kind of rage, anger at her disobedience.

He had clearly arranged for bodyguards and had clearly instructed her not to act alone. Yet, she still went in by herself.

If she had gone in with those two bodyguards, things wouldn't have come to this.

She's too stubborn; once she's made up her mind, she'll never look back.

He used to think that her stubbornness was her strength, the reason she persisted in pursuing her dreams. But now, that stubbornness made him both furious and heartbroken.

If she had been more obedient, even just bringing one more person along, things wouldn't have ended up like this.

Her incident also involved the use of military resources.

Fang Jingxiu knew all too well what this meant: misusing military resources was a major political taboo.

Once political enemies seize on this and accuse him of abusing public power for private gain and using his privileges to override the law, not only will his own position be in jeopardy, but the entire Fang family will be implicated.

But he couldn't care less.

Chen Nuo cannot die.

She absolutely cannot die.

The phone rang again.

This time it was the father.

Fang Jingxiu stared at the word "father" on the screen for three seconds before answering the call.

"Jingxiu," Fang Zhenguo's voice came through the receiver, devoid of emotion, "I received a report that you mobilized the military region's medical team to Yongzhou?"

The news travels fast. Fang Jingxiu sneered inwardly, but remained calm on the surface: "Yes."

"For that girl?"

"Yes."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone. Fang Jingxiu could imagine his father's expression at that moment: his brows furrowed, his eyes sharp, as if he were reviewing a battle plan.

"How are your injuries?" Fang Zhenguo asked.

"Ruptured carotid artery, hemorrhagic shock." Fang Jingxiu's voice was steady, but every word sounded like it had been pulled from an ice cellar. "The local hospitals in Yongzhou are too late; we have to use the military's."

"What's the reason?"

"There are three reasons," Fang Jingxiu said calmly and logically, completely avoiding any personal feelings.

"First, the Yongzhou urban village renovation project involves major issues concerning people's livelihoods, and the attack on Chen Nuo, as an investigator, proves the existence of systemic organized crime in the area. Second, the attack occurred in broad daylight, was brutal, seriously disrupted public order, and had a negative impact. Third, the inability of local rescue forces to respond in a timely manner exposed significant deficiencies in the grassroots medical emergency system."

He paused, then added, "Mobilizing military medical resources is not only to save lives, but also to preserve evidence; the injured are key witnesses."

These words were perfectly watertight.

They elevated a personal incident to the level of people's livelihood, public security, and the medical system, and packaged Chen Nuo's rescue as a preservation witness to uphold justice.

Fang Zhenguo remained silent for a longer time on the other end of the phone.

Then he said, "That's a good reason. But Jingxiu, you and I both know what the real reason is."

Fang Jingxiu remained silent.

"That girl," Fang Zhenguo's voice deepened, "you've invested too much in her."

"She deserves it," Fang Jingxiu said, uttering only three words.

"Whether it's worth it or not isn't up to you to decide right now," Fang Zhenguo sighed. "Jingxiu, you've just been promoted to director; so many eyes are on you. Using military resources for a woman—do you know what that means?"

"I know," Fang Jingxiu said, "but I also know that if she dies today, I will never forgive myself for the rest of my life."

There was another silence on the other end of the phone.

"Your mother is very worried about you," Fang Zhenguo finally said. "She asked me to tell you to be mindful of your actions."

"I know what I'm doing."

"I hope you really do." Fang Zhenguo paused, lowering his voice even further. "The waters run deep in Yongzhou. I checked the person behind Zhao Zhiqiang... it's Wang Yongkang, a member of the Yongzhou Municipal Standing Committee."

Fang Jingxiu's eyes narrowed.

This level of power is equivalent to a local tyrant.

After all, it's far from Jingjing, and the emperor is far away. Whatever they do won't be investigated unless it causes a big fuss.

This has been the case since ancient times.

"Wang Yongkang's father-in-law," Fang Zhenguo continued, "is retiring next year. He wants to push his son-in-law up one more step before he retires. So there can't be any trouble in Yongzhou."

Fang Jingxiu understood.

A complete chain of interests.

Zhao Zhiqiang was the front man, Wang Yongkang was the protector, and his father-in-law was the powerful backer.

Layer upon layer, intertwined and complex.

No wonder those people dared to be so arrogant. They believed that no one could touch them in their small territory of Yongzhou.

"Dad," Fang Jingxiu said, his voice calm but icy, "this matter cannot be left like this."

"I didn't say we should just let it go," Fang Zhenguo said. "But you must remember, strike the snake at its vital spot. Either don't move, or if you do, strike decisively. Otherwise, you'll alert the snake and cause endless trouble later."

"I see."

"Also," Fang Zhenguo's tone turned serious, "I've already spoken to the General Staff about your mobilization of the military medical team, and it's been temporarily put on hold. But secrets can't stay hidden forever, and you must clean up the situation in Yongzhou before things escalate."

"I will."

"One last thing," Fang Zhenguo's voice held a rare hint of paternal concern, "be careful of yourself. Don't give anyone a handle to use against you."

"understood."

After hanging up the phone, Fang Jingxiu looked out the window again.

Outside the window, the traffic was still busy, and sunlight streamed through the glass, casting cold, hard spots of light on his dark gray executive jacket.