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

Zhang Chulan immediately sprang up from the sofa and turned around. The sacred expression on his face, inspired by Director Zhuge's spirit, seamlessly switched to the aggrieved and sincere look of a errant elementary school student facing his homeroom teacher.

He clasped his hands together in front of his chest, his waist slightly bent, and spoke rapidly, his words filled with a desperate desire to survive: "Fourth Brother, Fourth Brother, Fourth Brother, I was just joking, trying to lighten the mood. The atmosphere's already set, so don't take it seriously! I swear to God, I take the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony absolutely seriously, one hundred and twenty percent seriously! I was just being cheeky, it was just a casual remark, please don't take it to heart."

He abruptly changed the subject, his face contorting with the typical curiosity of a child. His tone shifted from survival mode to information-gathering mode. He took a half-step forward, lowering his voice but each word radiating shrewdness: "Fourth Brother, I heard from Third Brother that you went to a meeting at headquarters a few days ago, and it seems you got promoted? Is that true? Congratulations, Fourth Brother!"

Xu Si, who was still stern and about to scold him again, slowed down his chewing of bubble gum noticeably upon hearing this, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up.

He reached out and tugged at his shirt collar, cleared his throat, and said in a tone that was both humble and proud, low-key yet revealing an irrepressible urge to share, "Hey, you're pretty well-informed."

Whether you get promoted or not, whether you're a high-ranking official or a low-ranking official, you're all serving the people.

The burden on my shoulders is heavier now—after all, your fourth brother is now the deputy director of the management office of the Party Committee Inspection Office of Nadutong Company.

Primarily responsible for review and contract performance management, as well as dynamic monitoring.

He paused deliberately, chewed the bubble gum slowly twice in his mouth, and admired the growing surprise and admiration on Zhang Chulan's face. Then, in his humble tone of "this is nothing," he added, "The work in the seven major regions across the country all requires coordination."

Besides North China, I also handle some work in the other six major regions.

Well, work has been tough lately, but it's all for the company and to help the country.

"What's a little hardship?"

Zhang Chulan reacted extremely quickly after hearing this.

He rushed to the sofa, quickly patted the cushions clean of potato chip crumbs, then gestured with both hands, saying repeatedly in a tone of hospitality as if welcoming a VIP, "Fourth Brother, Fourth Brother, sit down, sit down! Please have a seat!"

Beside her, Feng Baobao maintained that "standing tall and upright" posture, one hand pointing to the sky and the other to the ground, like a human-shaped telephone pole standing in the center of the living room.

She blinked her big, bright eyes and looked around. Finding no one paying attention to her, she pouted slightly and muttered softly, "What's wrong? What's wrong?"

But he was also quite self-aware, so he changed his posture, quietly walked to the sofa, sat cross-legged on the armrest, and gave off an expression that said, "I want to listen to your conversation too."

Once Xu Si was seated, Zhang Chulan pulled up a small stool and sat opposite him, leaning forward with his hands on his knees, and asked eagerly, "Fourth Brother, this deputy director—I don't quite understand."

Fourth Brother is supposed to be the head of the North China region, and officially the company manager, but Third Brother said his rank was deputy director-general. How did he become a deputy section chief? Is this a promotion or a demotion? Fourth Brother, could you please explain this to me?

Xu Si leaned back on the sofa, crossed his legs, and chewed his bubble gum slowly and deliberately.

Zhang Chulan's question hit the nail on the head, and a sense of superiority and patience, like an experienced person explaining common sense to a novice, appeared on his face.

He cleared his throat, leaned forward slightly, and began a long speech in a tone that said, "You've come to the right person": "You don't know anything, kid."

How can you call it a downgrade? To be honest, our company is half a state-owned enterprise, not a true state-owned enterprise, after all, it's a special department.

Some levels lack a clear definition; they can only enjoy the benefits.

Regional managers enjoy the same benefits as deputy department heads and have a certain degree of influence—but only within the company.

In organizations and institutions, managers are nobody; they only have a small area to manage and no real power.

He blew a bubble, let it burst naturally, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his tone becoming solemn and proud: "But your fourth brother here is a deputy director—truly deserving of the title."

Do you know that our company's Party Committee Inspection Office is a publicly listed government agency, operating under the leadership of the Party?

In other words, your fourth brother, as a deputy director, has an administrative rank in society. It's not just about enjoying benefits; it's a real rank.

Don't call me Fourth Brother anymore—

He paused deliberately, adjusted his collar, sat up straight, and said in a solemn tone, enunciating each word clearly: "During work hours, please address me as Deputy Director."

Xu Si was a bit arrogant, but this arrogance was based on merit. It was the kind of arrogance that came from the bottom of his heart and that he couldn't suppress after working hard for forty years to finally get a real government job.

Zhang Chulan could easily see through it. He immediately sprang up from the small stool, bowing even deeper than before, his smile bright and sincere. With heartfelt enthusiasm, he shouted, "What deputy director! Director! Director!"

Xu Si narrowed his eyes, pointed at Zhang Chulan with his finger, and his smile was almost reaching his ears: "Hey—you're on the right track."

Then he changed the subject, lowered his voice, his expression changed from frivolous to cautious, and his tone changed from high-profile to low-key admonition, "But just say it like that in private, don't make a fuss about it outside, keep a low profile. Still call me Fourth Brother."

Zhang Chulan nodded vigorously, sat back down on the small stool, his face full of "I understand, I understand, I understand everything" expressions, and then began to praise: "Okay, Fourth Brother, I understand! Keep it low-key, keep it low-key."

Fourth Brother is truly capable! If he doesn't improve, who will?! Five billion!—my ancestors for eighteen generations combined have never seen so much money! I can't even imagine it!

He leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with the most primal curiosity a poor college student has about money and the most sincere admiration for Fourth Brother's business acumen. He lowered his voice and asked cautiously, "Fourth Brother, could you tell me how you got it from Feng Zhenghao—"

He suddenly realized he almost told the truth again, quickly covered his mouth with his hand, coughed twice, and changed his words to something more polite, "—He went through the proper procedures, legally and compliantly, to secure this huge sum of money for the Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Fund? How could he be so conscientious? I knew Feng Zhenghao was a scary guy the last time I met him, not the kind to suffer losses. What's that word again—a ruthless tyrant! Fourth Brother, could he be sabotaging us behind our backs?"

Xu Si leaned back on the sofa, crossed his legs, and looked down at Zhang Chulan with an expression that said, "Your question is too naive."

He blew a bubble, which popped, and then said earnestly in a tone as if he were educating a primary school student: "Your ideological awareness needs to be improved."

Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask. This is all normal work, reasonable, legal, and compliant.

Mr. Feng Zhenghao is now the cultural ambassador of Tianjin and a role model for all of us who are building socialism.

We should learn from their vision and sense of responsibility.