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

7 p.m., Jingjing Hotel, third floor, Plum Hall.

Fang Jingxiu walked ahead, with Chen Nuo following half a step behind him. The distance was perfect; she held a handbag in her hand, her fingertips slightly cool—not from the cold, but from nervousness.

"Relax." Fang Jingxiu slowed his pace, waiting for her to catch up. "Representative Guo doesn't eat people."

Chen Nuo took a deep breath and nodded. It wasn't that she hadn't seen high-ranking officials before, but she had never seen one who stole the spotlight at a national conference and remained firmly in the top position.

At the end of the corridor, a dark brown wooden door was open, and a person stood in the doorway. He saw Fang Jingxiu and bowed slightly. "Director Fang, Representative Guo is waiting for you inside."

Fang Jingxiu nodded without asking who the other person was. He went in first, with Chen Nuo following behind.

Guo Huaimin sat in the main seat, drinking tea. There were no documents or mobile phone beside him, only a cup of tea. This meant that tonight, they would not discuss official business, but only personal relationships.

But the more we say we shouldn't talk about business, the more we end up talking about business. Real deals are never made at the meeting table or the dinner table.

"Congratulations, Representative Guo." Fang Jingxiu bowed slightly. "This time you can rest easy and are firmly in the top position."

Guo Huaimin put down his teacup and smiled. "Fang Si, thank you."

Fang Jingxiu stepped aside, making way for Chen Nuo behind him. "Representative Guo, you flatter me. But the credit for this proposal doesn't belong to me; it's all thanks to my cousin."

Guo Huaimin's gaze fell on Chen Nuo, scrutinizing her from head to toe without revealing his expression. "Fang Si's cousin? Which unit? What's her position?"

Chen Nuo immediately understood and bowed slightly. "Hello, Representative Guo, I am Chen Nuo, the deputy director of the Film and Television and Media System of Zhongzhou City."

"In the entertainment industry, it's hard to get promoted without some serious skills. When Liu Changhe was in charge, things were chaotic for years. It's not easy for you to rise to the position of deputy director in this industry."

He paused for a few seconds, wondering why Fang Jingxiu had brought her along, whether she was worthy of his support, and what she could offer him. "Fang Si said you wrote this proposal; you have the people's best interests at heart. You're a rare talent."

"You flatter me, Representative Guo. I still have a lot to learn from you."

Guo Huaimin picked up his teacup, took a sip, and put it down. "The people Fang Si brought out are indeed different."

Fang Jingxiu smiled, a very faint smile. "Representative Guo, you flatter me. Chen Nuo is young and doesn't know how to speak properly; please forgive him if he offends anyone."

He paused, glancing at Chen Nuo. "Chen Nuo, aren't you going to thank Representative Guo?"

"Thank you, Representative Guo. I will definitely seek your advice more often in the future."

Guo Huaimin waved his hand.

The waiter began serving the dishes. There weren't many—six dishes and a soup—but each one was a signature dish of the restaurant. Guo Huaimin hadn't ordered any alcohol, but when the waiter brought in the Moutai, he glanced at Fang Jingxiu.

"Fang Si, would you like a drink today?"

Fang Jingxiu nodded. "Representative Guo has the final say."

"Then let's have a drink. It's rare to be so happy."

Fang Jingxiu picked up the Moutai on the table, unscrewed the cap, poured a glass for Guo Huaimin first, then for himself, and then poured half a glass for Chen Nuo. He raised his glass. "Representative Guo, on behalf of the workers, I thank you for this proposal."

You're not working for me, you're working for the workers. You don't owe me a favor, you owe the workers a favor. Whoever opposes this proposal is going against the workers. Whoever goes against the workers is going against the will of the people.

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He knew Fang Jingxiu was flattering him, but he couldn't refuse. Because Fang Jingxiu was right; this proposal truly reflected the will of the people. "Director Fang, this is my duty. The people elected me as their representative; it's only right that I speak for them."

He picked up his glass, clinked it against Fang Jingxiu's, and downed it in one gulp. "And Fang Si, you've made it so I can stay in the top position this time. I'll remember that favor."

Fang Jingxiu also did it, his movements steady, without ever frowning. "Representative Guo, you're too kind. It's not that I'm asking you to sit here, it's that the people are asking you to sit here. I'm just conveying the people's voice to you."

It wasn't me helping you, it was the people helping you. I was just a messenger. In this way, he didn't take credit, and Guo Huaimin didn't owe him anything.

Fang Jingxiu put down his wine glass, glanced at Chen Nuo with a light, almost unintentional look. "Chen Nuo, you should also toast Representative Guo. We should thank Representative Guo for speaking out for the people."

Chen Nuo stood up, holding his glass with both hands, the rim of his glass lower than Guo Huaimin's. "Representative Guo, I toast you. Thank you for speaking up for those workers who haven't received their wages."

Guo Huaimin nodded, picked up his wine glass, and clinked it against hers.

Fang Jingxiu stood up, holding the wine glass with both hands, and respectfully presented it to Guo Huaimin, repeating, "Representative Guo, my cousin is young and new to officialdom, she doesn't know anything. She has a long road ahead of her, I hope Representative Guo will be understanding. If she does anything wrong, please speak up, and scold her if necessary."

It's easy to ask for help for yourself, but difficult to ask for help for others. He asked for her, not for anything else, but only that Guo Huaimin not forget her.

Guo Huaimin didn't take the drink, just looked at him. He was waiting for Fang Jingxiu to add something else, to raise another bet, or to lower his stance a little more. Fang Jingxiu didn't move, just held his glass up.

"Fang Si, if you can do it, I can do it too." Guo Huaimin took the wine and drank it down.

After a few rounds of drinks, it was time to get down to business.

"Director Fang, it's good that you can be so steady and clear-headed in the audit, but sometimes seeing things too clearly can be a burden. In our system, if the water is too clear, there will be no fish. When it's time to muddy things up, we have to muddy things up a bit."

Fang Jingxiu nodded. "Representative Guo is right. We should be muddleheaded when necessary and clear-headed when appropriate. When we are clear-headed, we need to know who we are trying to fool, and when we are muddleheaded, we need to know who we are trying to deceive. But in the thick fog, I only wish to stand on the side of the people."

No one dares to object to these four words.

"The masses are a difficult group to stand on. If it's too wide, anyone can stand there. If it's too intangible, no one will know you're standing there. Fang Si, can you stand on that platform?"

"Whether Representative Guo can stand firm or not is not up to me, but up to whether the people approve of him."

Guo Huaimin remained silent for a long time. Knowing he wouldn't get anything out of him, the smoke in front of him blurred his expression. He then turned to Chen Nuo. "Xiao Chen, what do you think of Sun Xintong?"

She didn't know who was backing Sun Xintong, but she knew she couldn't afford to offend him. If she spoke ill of Sun Xintong, it would be tantamount to siding with Guo Huaimin. And once she was on his side, would Fang Jingxiu dare not support her?

Fang Jingxiu glanced at Chen Nuo briefly, then lowered his eyes to look at the wine in his glass. Was the wine flowing like a river?

"Representative Guo, I don't know Sun Xintong very well. But based on my experience, he has been uncooperative and shirking his responsibilities in the special campaign to address cultural security. We are still investigating the specifics of his problems."

Guo Huaimin leaned back in his chair and glanced at Fang Jingxiu. "Fang Si, the cousin you brought out is indeed different."

The two of them are so cunning, their wits could circle the earth eight hundred times. They're both incredibly shrewd; they're truly a match made in heaven.

"Representative Guo, it's not that I'm a good mentor, it's that she's smart."

"Being smart is good. Being smart means you won't be used as a pawn."