One person said: The essence of Wuhou Qimen lies not in Qimen, but in Wuhou.

Zhuge Gong took a deep breath to calm himself, picked up the receiver, and said in a clear and firm voice, "Hello, leader! This is Zhuge Gong, the Party Branch Secretary of Zhuge Bagua Village! What are your instructions?"

A steady, middle-aged male voice came from the other end of the phone, his tone not loud but possessing an imposing presence: "I am Zhuge Zheng, the town party secretary. Comrade Zhuge Gong, I am here to convey an important work arrangement. This weekend, leaders from the Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will be conducting on-site inspections and research in Zhuge Bagua Village."

This is a special research project on rural revitalization, uniformly deployed by the province, and Zhuge Bagua Village has been designated as a grassroots inspection site. As the village Party branch secretary, you must attach great importance to this and earnestly carry out all preparatory work, including but not limited to village environmental improvement, research route planning, preparation of reporting materials, and logistical support arrangements. There can be no carelessness; you must ensure the smooth progress of the research work. Do you understand?

Zhuge Zheng's words were watertight, delivered in a standard work deployment tone, without any personal emotion.

Zhuge Gong straightened his back and replied reflexively, "Township Party Secretary, I understand!"

The phone hangs up.

Zhuge Gong put the receiver back and stood there. His expression gradually changed from serious to confused and bewildered, and then from confused and bewildered to a complex look that mixed suspicion and unease.

He frowned, staring at the phone, muttering to himself, "City leaders, provincial leaders? What are they doing in the village?"

He stood there, his mind racing.

A thought rose to the surface like a bubble at the bottom of the water, and no matter how hard I tried to suppress it, I couldn't put it down.

The provincial leaders specifically requested to visit Zhuge Bagua Village this weekend—these keywords collided in his mind, sparking a series of ideas.

Deep down, he suspected it was related to his rebellious son.

Zhuge Gong took out his phone from his pocket, swiped the screen, and scrolled to his contact list.

His finger stopped on a name—"Third Uncle".

According to the seniority system within the Wuhou School, Zhuge Zheng, the town party secretary, is his third uncle, whom he privately calls Third Uncle.

He took a deep breath and pressed the dial button.

The phone rang twice before being answered.

Zhuge Zheng's voice came from the other end, noticeably more relaxed than during the phone call on the private jet: "Hey, Xiao Gong, what's up?"

Zhuge Gong lowered his voice, his tone carrying a hint of pleading: "Third Uncle, I was a bit confused by the call from the town government just now. What happened? Why are city leaders and provincial leaders here? This is quite a big entourage. We don't even see a single provincial leader come all year round."

Zhuge Zheng's voice carried a hint of helplessness, as if he were patiently explaining to a junior who couldn't quite grasp the concept: "Xiao Gong, I couldn't tell you directly on the private jet call just now. It was a work call, and it's recorded."

"Ah, I understand that, Third Uncle. That's why I'm asking you for guidance now."

Zhuge Gong softened his tone, adding a touch of junior's earnestness.

Zhuge Zheng cleared his throat and began to reveal the truth: "It's like this, Xiao Gong. Don't say you're confused, I'm confused too, and I can't figure it out either. I just received a call from the city, and then I asked around through our family's connections—they said that provincial leaders are coming down to inspect and promote the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy. The city's notice specifically emphasized our Zhuge Town and even named Zhuge Bagua Village for inspection."

Zhuge Zheng's tone became more serious: "This is the order from the higher-ups. Let's not speculate. Just do your job well. You're the village Party branch secretary; you need to know what's going on."

Zhuge Gong was silent for a second, then his tone changed.

From confusion and bewilderment, she transformed into a resolute "I knew it!": "Third Uncle, now I understand. I have no more doubts—I'm certain it's my rebellious son!"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

Then Zhuge Zheng's voice rang out, his tone much more serious than before: "Xiao Gong, what kind of talk is that? You must be mindful of the impact of your words! Zhuge Ming is a provincial leader! Public and private matters must be clearly distinguished! Don't say anything that's detrimental to unity!"

Zhuge Gong grew anxious, his voice tinged with the aggrieved feeling of "Third Uncle, you don't know the inside story": "Third Uncle, you don't know! I called that unfilial son today, and I was so angry—I won't go into the details! Anyway, I just said one thing: tell him to come back this weekend and teach him a lesson, to show him what it means to respect his elders! And look, only a few hours later? The provincial investigation notice has already come down! This must be his doing!"

Zhuge Gong became increasingly agitated as he spoke, his voice rising a half-octave: "He tried to use his position as a leader to intimidate me, to prevent me from laying a hand on him! Third Uncle, you be the judge, tell me what this unfilial son has to say—"

"Xiaotong."

Zhuge Zheng interrupted him.

The voice wasn't loud, but it had a threatening power that instantly silenced Zhuge Gong.

"Since we're talking privately, it's okay to let our emotions get in the way."

Zhuge Zheng's tone softened, but every word carried undeniable weight. "However, as far as I know, this inspection of the examination site is a normal work arrangement; the province originally planned to do so. Don't misunderstand Zhuge Ming—he is the pride of our Zhuge family."

Zhuge Zheng's voice grew even more solemn, as if he were addressing the ancestral tablets in an ancestral hall: "You and your father must not have any conflicts. Even if you do, you must bear with them and not let them affect Zhuge Ming's progress. This is not only my intention, but also the intention of your other elders—can you distinguish the importance of this?"

Zhuge Gong's voice paused for a second, then turned into an urgent insistence: "But Third Uncle—"

"There's nothing to say about it."

Zhuge Zheng made the final decision, his tone as firm as the stone threshold of an ancestral hall: "Obey the organization's arrangements! You are the village party secretary, a Communist Party member, and you must obey orders and uphold the Party's leadership! Do you understand?"

Zhuge Gong took a deep breath, his shoulders slumping slightly: "I understand, Third Uncle."

He had intended to stop there, but there was still a knot in his heart that he hadn't untied. After hesitating for a second, he finally spoke up: "But Third Uncle, there is still something I don't understand."

"What is it? Tell me."

Zhuge Gong licked his lips and lowered his voice even further: "Third Uncle, that traitor—"

He stopped mid-sentence, realizing something was amiss, and swallowed the last two words, changing his form of address instead, "Well, isn't Zhuge Ming a provincial-level official? How could he possibly make a phone call to the city level? Shouldn't they be at the same level? How could he possibly give instructions?"

A soft sigh came from the other end of the phone, like a teacher facing a student who hadn't even grasped the basic concepts.