Official excuse: I've put you on patrol in Handong, and the whole province is in a panic.

Wang Xuan's voice came through.

Su Zhe pushed open the door and entered. Wang Xuan was holding the phone. Seeing him come in, he said into the phone, "That's all for now, I'll contact you later," and hung up. He looked at Su Zhe and asked, "Xiao Su, did you finish meeting with the secretary? Is everything alright?"

He was clearly also concerned about Secretary Zhao's sudden summons of Su Zhe.

Su Zhe walked to the desk, his expression somewhat complicated, and said, "Director, I have a report to give. Secretary Zhao said that Zhao Dehan's case has been transferred to the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and that we no longer need to follow up on it."

"Has it been handed over?"

Wang Xuan nodded.

"I know about this. The Party Secretary talked to me about it, and I was planning to tell you after you came back from his meeting! I didn't expect him to tell you directly. Is there anything else?"

Su Zhe said, "The secretary also said... Elder Sun wants to see me and asked me to go there this afternoon."

"Old Sun? Which Old Sun?"

Wang Xuan didn't react for a moment, but then his eyes widened suddenly, his body leaned forward involuntarily, and his voice rose a half octave, "Wait! You mean Old Master Sun?"

Su Zhe nodded.

Wang Xuan's expression instantly became incredibly complex, ranging from surprise and doubt to disbelief, before finally settling into a nuanced scrutiny as he looked Su Zhe up and down as if he were meeting him for the first time.

He remained silent for several seconds before slowly leaning back in his chair, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table, muttering, "Old Master Sun wants to see you in person? This is a very important matter!"

Done.

Wang Xuan laughed and said, "Su Zhe, you've been hiding this relationship way too well! If it were true, why bother with all that hard work before...hehe!"

Upon hearing this, Su Zhe couldn't help but shake his head.

"Director, I really don't know what the connection is. I was completely stunned when I received the secretary's notification. You probably know my family situation; I was raised by my grandfather. We're just an ordinary family. I'm wondering about this myself!"

Wang Xuan stared at Su Zhe for a few seconds, his expression becoming somewhat complicated.

Finally, the doubt on his face was gradually replaced by an eager smile. He stood up, walked around the desk, went to Su Zhe's side, patted him on the shoulder affectionately, and said in an unusually amiable tone, "Brother! You're about to soar to great heights! Old Master Sun specifically asked to see you, how could this be anything bad? It must be incredibly good news! Congratulations!"

Su Zhe felt extremely uncomfortable after Wang Xuan suddenly called him "brother".

Normally, Wang Xuan would call him "Little Su," so this sudden change in address was clearly due to the effect of the title "Old Sun."

The fact that a department-level leader called him, a division-level cadre, "brother" made Su Zhe feel somewhat pressured, and even a little absurd.

He could only manage a dry laugh and reply, "Director, please don't say that. I'm still feeling very uneasy; I don't even know what's wrong with me."

"Don't worry! It's definitely a good thing!" Wang Xuan said confidently. "How precious is the time of a leader at Elder Sun's level? For him to make time specifically to see you—this is such a valuable opportunity!"

As he spoke, Wang Xuan chuckled, "Alright! You're going to see Old Master Sun this afternoon, so your mental state is very important. I'll give you half a day off. Go home now, get some rest, and be refreshed by noon so you can see Old Master Sun this afternoon! Hehe, it's all about balancing work and rest!"

Hearing that Wang Xuan had given him a day off, Su Zhe was speechless again.

As soon as the news of meeting Elder Sun arrived, the attitude of the direct supervisor changed completely, and even work discipline was handled flexibly.

But he knew this was also a way for Wang Xuan to show goodwill, and he couldn't refuse his leader's request.

He quickly said, "Director, no need for a holiday, I still have some other things to take care of..."

"Need not!"

Wang Xuan waved his hand.

"Those are minor matters, there's no rush. Meeting Elder Sun is the most important thing! Listen to me, go back and prepare well! Being in good spirits will leave a good impression on Elder Sun!"

Seeing that he couldn't refuse, Su Zhe had no choice but to nod and agree: "Well... thank you, Director. I'll go back and make some preparations now."

"Go quickly, go quickly!"

Wang Xuan greeted Su Zhe with a smile and saw him to the door.

Su Zhe thanked him again, left Wang Xuan's office, and returned to his seat. He tidied up his desk briefly, but his mind was still a mess.

Seeing that he was leaving at this hour, his colleagues asked him a question out of curiosity. Su Zhe only vaguely said that he had something to do and then hurriedly left the office.

Stepping outside the government compound, the early summer afternoon sun was rather dazzling.

Su Zhe stood by the roadside, watching the cars come and go, and felt a little lost for a moment.

The ease with which Zhao Dehan's case was transferred felt like a small thorn stuck in my heart; it wasn't fatal, but it was very uncomfortable.

The thought of meeting Old Master Sun that afternoon felt like a huge stone pressing on his heart, so heavy it made it hard for him to breathe.

The unknown is what makes people most uneasy.

He glanced at his watch; it was still early, not yet two in the afternoon.

Go home and rest?

He definitely can't calm down.

I might as well find a quiet place nearby to sit down and sort out my thoughts.

He had just reached the door of a coffee shop on the street corner when his phone rang.

It was an unfamiliar number.

Su Zhe sensed something and immediately answered the phone: "Hello."

A gentle voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Excuse me, are you Comrade Su Zhe?"

"I'm Su Zhe. Hello."

"Comrade Su Zhe, hello. I am Huang Jiang from Sun Lao's office."

Su Zhe greeted him politely with a smile, "Hello, Secretary-General!"

Huang Jiang laughed and said, "Don't be so polite, brother. Old Sun wants to see you at two o'clock this afternoon. Please be on time... at the entrance, and I'll have someone meet you there."

"Yes, Secretary-General! I will be there on time!"

Su Zhe immediately responded.

"Okay, that's settled then, bro. Let's talk beforehand if anything comes up!"

Su Zhe nodded.

"Yes, Secretary General."

Hearing the busy tone on the phone, Su Zhe slowly put down his phone, his palms slightly sweaty.

Mr. Sun's office...

Although I've worked in Yanjing for several years, I've never actually seen that place...

He looked up at the sky; the sun was still shining brightly, but his mood was incredibly complicated and heavy.

He walked into the coffee shop, ordered the strongest Americano, and found a seat in the corner.

He needed this cup of coffee to perk himself up, but he also needed this time alone to process everything that had suddenly happened and was completely beyond his comprehension.