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

Fang Jingxiu arrived at Baizhou at nine o'clock in the evening.

He didn't go to the hotel first, didn't call Chen Nuo, and didn't even ask Qin Yang to notify the local authorities. He directly had the driver take the car to the Baizhou Film and Television Group building.

He turned off the car but didn't get out immediately. Instead, he sat in the back seat and lit a cigarette. The smoke filled the car, blurring his features. He looked out the window at the four-story building with pale yellow paint on the exterior, and lights were on on every floor.

He finished his cigarette, stubbed it out in the car ashtray, opened the car door, and got out. His leather shoes made a crisp sound as they stepped on the concrete.

Secretary Hou and Deputy Secretary He are already here. They came after receiving a call from Qin Yang.

Qin Yang said politely, "Director Fang just happened to be passing by Baizhou and wanted to have a chat with the two secretaries." But both Secretary Hou and Deputy Secretary He knew that passing by was just politeness, and having a chat was a way of holding them accountable.

Secretary Hou is the Party Secretary of Baizhou Province. Although both are at the provincial level, a local provincial-level official has less power than a central provincial-level official. People are afraid of the network behind him that no one can see clearly.

Fang Jingxiu walked ahead at a moderate pace. He wore a dark gray suit, a white shirt, and no tie. Secretary Hou followed on his right, half a step behind. Deputy Secretary He followed on his left, a full step behind.

The three men walked like a honor guard from the parking lot to the building entrance, without saying a word. As they entered the lobby, Fang Jingxiu spoke, without pleasantries or beating around the bush, "Secretary Hou, why is Baizhou's governance getting worse and worse?"

Secretary Hou paused for a moment. "Director Fang, you mean...?"

Fang Jingxiu didn't answer and continued walking. The elevator doors were open, and he stepped inside, followed by Secretary Hou and Deputy Secretary He. The elevator doors closed, and the numbers ticked down. "I heard that even Yingchuan in Zhongzhou has been affected."

Fang Jingxiu stared at his blurry reflection in the elevator door. "A local Baizhou entrepreneur, managing to get his hands on film and television funding in Zhongzhou. Secretary Hou, isn't Baizhou's influence a bit too great? Is Baizhou now comparable to the capital?"

He knew that Fang Jingxiu hadn't come to discuss governance, but to settle accounts.

Why? What does it have to do with him?

The elevator reached the fourth floor. The doors opened.

Fang Jingxiu didn't leave immediately. Instead, he turned around and looked at Secretary Hou. He reached out and helped him turn his collar up, straightened it, and gently brushed his fingertips along the collar. The movement was very light, and every detail made Secretary Hou's breathing quicken.

"Secretary Hou, even my cousin has been dragged into this mess and is being vilified by thousands." Fang Jingxiu withdrew his hand and looked into his eyes. "Secretary Hou, do you feel proud of it?"

Secretary Hou's heart skipped a beat. His cousin—that was Chen Nuo. Fang Jingxiu's cousin. He wanted nothing more than to skin Wang Longjie alive. Why did this guy have to provoke Fang Jingxiu of all people?

"Fang Si, I only just found out about this myself. Wang Longjie usually behaves quite well; he's probably been misled. Don't worry, I'll go up there right now and get to the bottom of this with Wang Longjie. If he really did something to betray your cousin, I'll be the first to hold him accountable. I'll clear your cousin's name, is that alright?"

Fang Jingxiu did not answer. He turned around and walked out of the elevator.

Wang Longjie's office was at the end of the corridor, and the door was closed. Fang Jingxiu walked to the door, didn't knock, and simply pushed it open.

The office was filled with smoke, and the heating was on full blast. Behind the large desk, Wang Longjie sat in the boss's chair with two people on his lap.

Two girls, who looked very young, with their hair down and several buttons undone on their school uniforms, revealing the collars of their brightly colored underwear, were sitting on Wang Longjie's lap, feeding him grapes.

Secretary Hou followed Fang Jingxiu in and saw this scene; his vision went black.

It's over. My official position, my future, my family—all gone.

Deputy Secretary He reacted the fastest. He took a step forward and said, "You two, are you here to ask Principal Wang for help with your homework? We have guests today, so please go back first. Come back tomorrow."

Two girls, heads down and clothes disheveled, ran past Fang Jingxiu, stirring up a gust of wind. The wind carried the scent of shower gel, and other aromas.

Wang Longjie stood up, straightened his collar, and smiled broadly. He extended his hand, his palm large and warm. "Director Fang, it's an honor to meet you here. Baizhou Film and Television has always wanted to learn from the China Economic Audit Center, and we never expected you to come in person. It's truly an honor."

Fang Jingxiu didn't reach out. He walked around to the sofa next to him and sat down. The sofa was leather and very soft. He leaned back, resting his hands on the armrests, his posture as casual as if he were in his own living room.

Deputy Secretary He immediately followed, picked up the teapot from the coffee table, poured a cup of tea, and presented it to Fang Jingxiu with both hands. "Director Fang, have some tea."

Wang Longjie withdrew his hand, which had been hanging in mid-air. His smile froze for a moment before he quickly wiped it off, walked towards the sofa, and prepared to sit down.

Fang Jingxiu didn't look at him, but simply uttered a single word. "Hmm?"

The sound was very soft, like a hum coming from the nose. The moment Wang Longjie's bottom touched the sofa cushion, he immediately sprang up, standing ramrod straight.

Fang Jingxiu leaned back on the sofa. "I heard you said someone framed you?"

He assumed Fang Jingxiu had come to apologize on Chen Nuo's behalf, to plead for her, to cover for her. "Director Fang, that woman is utterly malicious. I, Wang Longjie, have been doing charity work at Baizhou for over a decade, saving hundreds of children, and I've never been slandered like this before. She found a child from somewhere, fabricated a story, recorded it, and tried to send me to jail. Director Fang, you're a sensible person, what do you say…?"

Fang Jingxiu remained silent, but Wang Longjie, assuming he was listening, continued, "That woman, though young, is quite cunning. I don't know who she learned it from, but she tried to kill me right from the start. Fang Si, I, Wang Longjie, am not an unreasonable person. If she apologizes, I can let bygones be bygones..."

Deputy Secretary He frantically tried to signal to Wang Longjie, coughing and clearing his throat, as if he wanted to cover Wang Longjie's mouth.

But Wang Longjie was caught up in the moment and couldn't see it at all, or rather, he saw it but didn't want to stop. He thought he had already won, that Chen Nuo had been suspended, and that Fang Jingxiu had come to clean up the mess.

He thought he was the winner of this game.

"Who is she? A deputy director who rose through the ranks by using her body, what kind of person is she, daring to mess with me? Fang Si, you have no idea, during those days in Baizhou, she was so arrogant, she didn't even knock before entering my office..."

"She's my cousin. I don't know if that counts as anything?"

Wang Longjie's mouth was still open, unable to close it. His mind was still working, but it had already stopped.

Fang Jingxiu lowered his head, took a document from his briefcase, and placed it on the coffee table. He turned and lit a cigarette, taking a drag. Smoke drifted from the corner of his mouth, swirling in the warm yellow light. His features were somewhat blurred by the smoke, as if veiled.

"Signed."

Wang Longjie looked down. The document was titled "Confession Regarding the Illegal and Criminal Acts Involved by Wang Longjie During His Operation of the Baizhou City Education Assistance College".

Page one: He admitted to using the guise of educational assistance to lure and coerce underage girls into sexual relations. Page two: He admitted to providing women and money to specific officials over a long period, establishing a network of protection. Page three: He admitted to subjecting students of the educational assistance program to long-term abuse and illegal detention. Page four… He dared not read any further, because every page represented his crimes. Each charge was enough to land him in prison for ten years.

"Director Fang, everything written here is untrue. You can't..." He paused, then pointed to the document, "This is forced confession! You want me to confess without any evidence?"

Fang Jingxiu looked at him, flicked the cigarette ash onto the carpet, flicking it lightly.

"Secretary Hou." Fang Jingxiu didn't look at Secretary Hou, but his gaze fell on Wang Longjie's face, with a slight smile on his lips.

Secretary Hou responded reflexively, "Director Fang, I'm here."

Fang Jingxiu took a drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaled. "Don't you think there's a strange smell in this office?"

Secretary Hou paused for a moment, then wrinkled his nose and sniffed hard. "What's that smell?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it. It's like..." He thought for a moment, "...like drugs."

Drugs, drug smuggling. The lightest sentence is over ten years, the heaviest is execution. He knew Fang Jingxiu wasn't just saying he smelled it; he was saying, even if you don't have it, I can make you have it. I can easily put a little in your car, your office, your home, and you'll never be able to clear your name.

He suddenly realized he had no way out. Sign it, and he'd go to jail. Don't sign it, and he'd be executed. Either way, he'd die. But he didn't want to die, so he had no choice but to go to jail.

"Director Fang, let's each take a step back." Wang Longjie's voice was very low, almost pleading. "I'll withdraw my false accusations against your cousin, take down the news, and issue a public apology. This document of yours..."

"Do you think I'm discussing this with you?" Fang Jingxiu interrupted him.

Fang Jingxiu stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, rubbing the butt a few times until the embers were completely extinguished. He looked at Wang Longjie.

"Wang Longjie. Who do you think you are, to make demands of me?" His voice was flat, devoid of emotion. "Who do you think you are, to be compared to my cousin? Hmm?"

Wang Longjie kept his head down, not daring to look at him.

"You either sign this document today, spend over ten years in jail, and I'll spare your life; or you don't sign it, and you'll be saying no to the King of Hell in the afterlife."

He pushed the documents in front of Wang Longjie. "A smart person knows how to choose. You can also choose to leave a clean record in the world. You should know that those who obey me prosper, and those who oppose me perish. Your parents..."

"I'll sign, I'll sign," Wang Longjie immediately interrupted him.

"good."

Wang Longjie stood there, head bowed, shoulders trembling slightly. Then he reached out and picked up a pen from the coffee table. He signed his name at the end of each page, and after signing the last word, he put down the pen and took two steps back.

Fang Jingxiu picked up the document, flipped through it, and confirmed that every page was signed. Then he closed it, put it in his briefcase, and zipped it up.

He stood up, buttoned his suit jacket, and walked over to Wang Longjie. He reached out and patted Wang Longjie's face. A forceful, loud, humiliating pat. Once, twice, three times. Each pat was crisp and clear. "You're smart."

Fang Jingxiu withdrew his hand, his gaze as cold as ice. "I'll give you a few days to clean up your act. Once you're in there, you'll slowly atone for your sins. You owe those girls you ruined; you can never repay them in this lifetime."

He turned and walked towards the door. Secretary Hou and Deputy Secretary He followed behind him, neither daring to speak. His leather shoes clicked silently on the carpet.

Fang Jingxiu walked to the door and paused. He didn't turn around.

"Secretary Hou."

"exist."

"I don't want a repeat of what happened in Baizhou."

"Yes. Don't worry, Fang Si."

Fang Jingxiu walked out of Wang Longjie's office but didn't go downstairs immediately. He stood by the window at the end of the corridor, took out the pack of cigarettes from his pocket, pulled one out, and lit it. The smoke dissipated quickly in the night, like his thoughts.

The briefcase weighed heavily on his elbow, containing the document—Wang Longjie's signed confession. Every page was a crime, every single charge enough to land him a lifetime in jail.

But he wasn't seeking justice for those girls, nor was he cleaning up trash for Baizhou. He did all this for her. This document wasn't for the disciplinary committee, nor for the court; it was for Chen Nuo.

If she succeeds in turning the tables, this document will be her stepping stone. She will stand in the spotlight, admired by thousands, and hailed as the heroine who destroyed the biggest protective umbrella in the world.

She will be promoted, given important responsibilities, and have her name written on the honor roll of the film and television system. If she fails to turn the tide, if public opinion is not suppressed, and if there are still people above her who want to protect Wang Longjie, she will have nowhere to retreat, and this document will be her talisman.

She would hand it over and say, "This wasn't something I investigated; Wang Longjie confessed himself. I didn't induce him to confess, I didn't fabricate evidence, he signed it himself."

At that time, who would dare to touch her? Who would dare to say she was framing someone? A person who confessed to the crime, and then recanted?

Who would believe that?

Those who are criticizing her now will turn their guns on her. Those who are protecting Wang Longjie now will rush to distance themselves from her.

Those who want to punish her now will stuff the decision into the shredder and pretend it never happened.

This is the world of officialdom. There are no permanent enemies, nor permanent friends. There are only permanent interests and permanent evidence.

Fang Jingxiu stubbed out his cigarette and flicked it into the trash can. Those hands had just slapped Wang Longjie's face, slapped him hard, and the knuckles were still faintly hot.

He never hits anyone himself, because it's not worth it. But today he did, not for himself, but for her. She had been insulted for so long, doxxed, cursed her whole family, and treated as a wicked woman who framed good people.

She didn't cry; she held it in. But he couldn't.

He had paved the way for her no matter which path she took. He pressed the elevator button, the door opened, and she went inside.

The elevator descended, the numbers ticking away. He looked at the mirror; the person in the mirror was wearing a dark gray suit, a white shirt, and no tie.

But he had deep dark circles under his eyes, from not sleeping well for the past few days. He was exhausted, but he couldn't show it in front of her. Because she was his weakness, he had to be her armor.