Nominal: My senior brothers are all big shots

It was already dark when I came out of the provincial party committee compound.

Lin Feng got into the car, which drove out of the compound and onto the highway to Lucheng.

Lucheng is located more than 200 kilometers north of Pingjiang. It is a quiet little town in Jiangnan Province, with no industry or hustle and bustle, only a few sanatoriums scattered at the foot of the mountains, where some retired comrades live. Old Zhou lived in one of these sanatoriums.

It was already dark when the car entered the gate of the sanatorium.

The courtyard wasn't large; several low-rise buildings were hidden behind sycamore trees, making it as quiet as a park. There were a few guards at the entrance.

After undergoing the inspection and registration, Lin Feng told the driver to wait in the car while he carried a fruit basket inside. Before coming, he had called Old Zhou's family. Old Zhou's daughter answered the phone, her voice soft, saying that her father was in poor health but was very happy to hear that Lin Feng was coming.

Old Zhou lived on the first floor of the last small building, in a simple two-room house: a living room and a bedroom.

Lin Feng knocked on the door, which opened to reveal a woman in her fifties, looking haggard with slightly red eyes. She was Old Zhou's daughter. "Secretary Lin, my father has been waiting for you all day." She stepped aside to let Lin Feng in.

The living room wasn't big, containing an old sofa, a coffee table, and an old-fashioned television. Several newspapers were spread out on the coffee table, along with a pair of reading glasses.

Old Zhou sat in his wheelchair, his back to the door and his face to the window. Outside the window was a small bamboo grove, rustling in the wind.

"Dad, Secretary Lin is here," Zhou's daughter said softly. The wheelchair slowly turned around.

Lin Feng saw a very old man.

His hair was completely white, so sparse that you could see his scalp. His face was covered in wrinkles, like cracked earth. His eyes were cloudy, but they suddenly brightened when he saw Lin Feng. His hands rested on the armrests of his wheelchair, the veins on the back of his hands bulging, and his skin was covered with age spots. He was wearing an old military uniform, faded from washing, with the collar buttoned up meticulously.

"Comrade Lin Feng," Old Zhou's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing against wood, "you've arrived."

Lin Feng walked over, squatted down in front of the wheelchair, and took the old man's hand. The old man's hand was cold, but very strong.

"Old Zhou, I've come to see you," Lin Feng said.

Old Zhou looked at him for a long time, then nodded: "Good, good. You look younger than in the photo."

He paused, then said, "Old Su mentioned you to me. He said you're capable and daring. You're the one who cleaned up that mess in Luhai."

Lin Feng said, "Mr. Zhou, you flatter me."

Old Zhou shook his head and didn't speak. He turned his head and looked at the bamboo forest outside the window, remaining silent for a long time. Lin Feng didn't urge him, but simply squatted quietly in front of the wheelchair.

After a long silence, Old Zhou spoke, his voice very soft, as if talking to himself: "Comrade Lin Feng, do you know why I called you here?"

Lin Feng said, "I know. Old Zhou is worried about what happened in Pingjiang."

Old Zhou nodded, then shook his head: "It's not just Pingjiang. It's my good-for-nothing nephew, Zhou Tianming." He paused, his voice lowering, "He's my eldest brother's son."

Lin Feng remained silent. Old Zhou continued, "My eldest brother is eight years older than me. My parents died early, and he raised me. Back then, our family was poor, and he went out to work when he was a teenager to support my education. Later, when I joined the army, he went with me. We weren't in the same unit, but we corresponded frequently. In his letters, he always said, 'Brother, do your job well and don't bring shame to the family.'"

The old man's voice began to tremble: "That was in Korea. During the Third Battle, our company fought a blocking battle with their company. In the end, only seven men remained from both companies. My eldest brother was the company commander. He was wounded, his leg was broken, but he still lay on the position directing the retreat. When we were retreating, he told me to go first, saying he would cover the rear. I refused, and he scolded me, saying, 'You are a Party member, you have to live and fight the war for your brothers.'"

Old Zhou closed his eyes, tears sliding down his cheeks and tracing his wrinkles. "I'm gone. He didn't come back. When we launched our counterattack, the battlefield was littered with corpses. I found him; he was lying in a machine gun emplacement, still clutching his gun. He'd been hit by three bullets, his legs were broken, and he'd bled to death."

The living room was extremely quiet, with only the sound of the wind outside the window. Old Zhou's daughter turned her head away, her shoulders trembling.

Old Zhou opened his eyes, looked at Lin Feng, and there was a deep pain in his eyes: "My eldest brother only left behind this one son. Tianming was only three years old at the time. His mother remarried, and I raised him. I spoiled him and indulged him. I gave him whatever he wanted. When he made mistakes, I covered for him. When he got into trouble, I settled it for him. I always felt that what I owed my eldest brother was still owed to his son."

He paused, then lowered his voice even further: "I was wrong."

Lin Feng held his hand without speaking. Old Zhou said, "Tianming has been smart, quick-witted, and daring since he was a child. He served in the army, and after being discharged, he returned to Pingjiang and worked in a mine. Later, he started his own company. At first, it was small-scale, dealing in mineral powder and earning a meager living. Later, he became more daring and reckless. He started illegally mining rare earth elements, smuggling them out of the country, and making friends with people in the underworld. By the time I found out, he was already out of control."

The old man closed his eyes: "He came to see me, but I refused to see him. He just stood at the door all day. I knew he was doing it for my benefit, but I wasn't soft-hearted. I just hated myself for not raising him well."

Old Zhou opened his eyes, looked at Lin Feng, and his gaze suddenly brightened: "Comrade Lin Feng, I called you here today because I want to say something to you."

Lin Feng looked at him.

Old Zhou said, word by word, "Tianming should bear whatever responsibility he is supposed to bear. He broke the law, so he should go to jail. He harmed someone, so he should pay with his life. I don't care if he's my elder brother's son or anyone else's son. Everyone is equal before the law."

Lin Feng's throat tightened. Old Zhou gripped his hand, his voice trembling slightly: "But I have a request."

Lin Feng said, "Please go ahead."

Old Zhou looked at him, his eyes filled with pleading yet also with dignity: "Spare his life. No matter how bad he is, he's still my elder brother's only bloodline. He's the only heir my elder brother left. I beg you."

Lin Feng remained silent for a long time. He recalled Old Master Su's words, the densely packed names on that list, the mountains riddled with holes from illegal rare earth mining, and the people oppressed by criminal gangs. He raised his head, looking at Old Zhou with unwavering determination.

"Mr. Zhou, I will do my best within the legal framework."

Old Zhou looked at him for a long time, then smiled. The smile was faint, bittersweet, yet warm. "Good. Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease."

He released Lin Feng's hand, leaned back in his wheelchair, and closed his eyes. After a long while, he suddenly said again, "Comrade Lin Feng, I fully support what you're doing in Pingjiang. If anyone tries to put in a good word for you, tell them to come to me. Although I'm old and useless, I still have some influence."

Lin Feng stood up and bowed deeply: "Thank you, Elder Zhou."

It was completely dark when Lin Feng came out of the sanatorium. He stood at the entrance, took a deep breath, and looked at the dark mountain shadows in the distance, his heart heavy.

He got into the car and said to the driver, "To the provincial capital."