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

Dou Le stood beside him, looking at Xu Si's ecstatic expression, and was first stunned, then couldn't help but laugh: "Hey Xu Si, what's with that expression? Like you're on drugs. It's just a cigarette, is it really necessary to enjoy it like this?"

Dou Le's tone was slightly teasing, but there was a clear bitterness in his laughter.

He took off his glasses and wiped them with his sleeve; a thin layer of dust had settled on the lenses.

The wind is strong in Beijing; as soon as you step outside, there's a layer of dust.

"So you still have the mood to smoke?"

Dou Le put his glasses back on his nose, turned to look at Xu Si, the fine lines at the corners of his eyes particularly noticeable in the setting sun, "I'm so worried. Are you heartless or what?"

Xu Si took another drag, and this time he exhaled a complete smoke ring that lingered in the air for half a meter before dissipating.

He looked in the direction the smoke rings had dissipated and said in a disillusioned tone, "Old Dou, you know me—I, Xu Si, only have these few bad habits, not many hobbies. Smoking, drinking, and foot massage parlors. These three things are my life, more important than life itself."

He held the cigarette between his fingers and counted on his fingers for Dou Le: "A couple of days ago, I found out that a leader had been parachuted in from above. He looked like someone not to be trifled with, and he was in charge of investigating discipline—I was on a business trip in Tianjin at the time, and I rushed back overnight for a meeting. On the way, I canceled my membership card at the foot massage parlor. I haven't been to the foot massage parlor for several days; the foot massage technicians probably haven't even forgotten what I look like."

As for drinking, I haven't touched a drop since the first meeting; the liquor cabinet at home is just gathering dust. I also quit smoking these past couple of days—you have no idea what quitting smoking feels like; it's like being in hell. I feel like life has lost its meaning these past few days; I've lost my direction in life. Every day I open my eyes to work and meetings, then I get scolded, then I just go home and space out. Is this what living is? This is like being in prison.

He took a deep drag on his cigarette and said with a relieved tone, "I was terrified again at the meeting just now—you didn't notice, but when Director Zhuge called roll, he looked at me for a fraction of a second longer. In those few seconds, my back was soaked with sweat. I had to have a smoke to calm myself down, otherwise I was afraid I wouldn't be able to recover. This cigarette isn't a cigarette, it's medicine. A life-saving medicine."

Listening to Xu Si's self-righteous and twisted logic, Dou Le's expression changed from teasing to helplessness, and then to a look of disappointment and disdain: "Hmph, these are all bad habits. I advise you to get rid of them as soon as possible, especially that foot massage parlor—I'm telling you, this is no joke."

His tone suddenly dropped half an octave, and he leaned closer to Xu Si's ear, his voice filled with genuine worry: "Didn't you see? Even Director Bi was frightened. Who is Bi Youlong? He's known throughout the company for his explosive temper, a ruthless character who dares to confront even Director Zhao to his face during meetings. Just now, the tone he used—listen to it, listen to it—when has Bi Youlong ever used such a tactful tone? He didn't even dare to breathe loudly in front of Director Zhuge."

And then there's Chairman Zhao's attitude—did you notice where Chairman Zhao was sitting just now? After Director Zhuge left, Chairman Zhao didn't return to the main seat. That's the seat he's held for over a decade, and today, in front of everyone, he didn't go back. Don't you understand what that means? The company's power is now completely in the hands of Director Zhuge. This isn't an implication; it's a direct statement.

If anyone reports you or gives you a tip-off, and Director Zhuge hears about it—that won't just be a matter of giving you a hard time. It'll be a much bigger disaster. You might be the first one they target. Then you'll be crying your eyes out; even the foot massage parlor won't be able to save you.

Xu Si took the cigarette out of his mouth, held it between his fingers, and looked at Dou Le's face, which was filled with anxiety.

His expression became unusually serious, and his tone lost some of its roguishness, replaced by a sincere sigh: "Old Dou, you don't understand. The reason I, Xu Si, went to the foot massage parlor is because—"

He took a deep breath and recited a string of rhymes in a heartbroken tone: "—A gambling dad, a sick mom, a brother in school, a hardworking girl, if I don't help her, who will? You're telling me not to go to the foot massage parlor, you're depriving me of my right to do charity."

Dou Le stared at him expressionlessly, his disdain reaching a whole new level: "I don't believe you for a second. You, Xu Si, can just treat what you say as bullshit. You, Xu Si, want to trample every single foot massage parlor in the world. Save your twisted logic for fooling Feng Baobao, not me. You're far from fooling me."

He sighed, his tone shifting from disdain to a seasoned advice: "You can't reason with a damned devil. You'd better be aware of your own situation and handle things accordingly. Let me be clear—if you cause any trouble for me while you're working in Jiangxi, don't blame me for not covering for you. I'm too busy taking care of myself to clean up your mess."

Xu Si put the cigarette in his mouth, freed both hands to pat Dou Le's shoulder, the force neither too light nor too heavy. His face regained its playful expression, but the seriousness in his eyes had not completely faded: "Old Dou, don't worry, I understand all of this. I, Xu Si, have a very high level of awareness. I know what I should and shouldn't do."

He took a final drag of his cigarette, flicked the butt to the ground, and the cigarette butt flew through the air in an arc before landing precisely in a roadside trash can.

He rubbed the remaining cigarette ash on the ground with the tip of his foot, then put his hand on Dou Le's shoulder and adopted a more serious and earnest tone: "Let's not talk about anything else. This time, on official business in Jiangxi, we two brothers must be of one mind. Unity is strength, we must go through thick and thin together. Any intelligence we have, we must share with each other—this is a matter of life and death."

His voice lowered even further, so low that only Dou Le could hear it, but the sincerity in his tone was unprecedentedly high: "Especially when we're in your territory, you have to protect me. My abilities are limited, I can't compare to you, brother. Among the seven regional leaders across the country, who doesn't know your name, Dou Le? Who doesn't know that the East China region is the toughest nut to crack, with the largest area, the most complex situation, and the most concentrated factions among the seven regions? Who doesn't know that you, Dou Le, have the highest work efficiency, the best task completion rate, and the most solid work style? Compared to you, my work in North China is nothing—it's a drop in the ocean."

"Stop."

Dou Le stretched out his hand, spread his five fingers, and drew a horizontal line in front of Xu Si, like a traffic cop stopping a car. "Xu Si, stop right there. You don't need to flatter me like that. I, Dou Le, don't fall for that."

He withdrew his hand, rubbed his temples, and frowned so deeply he could have trapped a mosquito.