"Disappeared?" Wang Zhanting's heart skipped a beat. How could a perfectly good person suddenly disappear? "Concentrate all police efforts to find this person, and notify me immediately upon discovery." A bad premonition flashed through his mind, deepening his thoughts on a potential shake-up within the Wang Family. It's safer to use a blank slate rather than a very clever person.

Hua Muyun's expression of grief looked particularly glaring in Wang Zhanting's eyes. He lowered his head, listening to the increasingly heavy sighs coming from above.

"Zhanting, I don't know what to say to you." After a heartfelt sigh, Hua Muyun took a sip of tea. "Lately, the municipal committee has had quite a few opinions about your Wang Family. I'm sure you've heard some of it, right."

"Secretary Hua, I just heard about this too. I believe there's some misunderstanding involved." Wang Zhanting felt obliged to explain, though both of them were well aware of the sincerity in his words.

"Ah!" Another sigh, Hua Muyun's eyes curved downwards. "You know about the municipal case filing for Liger City, right? How could you do such a thing at such a crucial moment? The central government has always maintained a good oversight streak over your Wang Family, wanting to promote you. Now, forget about the promotion, even the Liger City contract is out of reach."

Wang Zhanting sighed along with him. He wasn't particularly interested in the Liger City contract. The plan submitted by the Qin family had been delayed after several discussions, apparently because the central government had other intentions, so it was postponed anyway. It wasn't a loss for him. But regarding the promotion, he felt some resentment, not towards Hua Muyun but towards Fatty Wang.

The fact is, the municipal committee mainly looks at political appearance for promotion and demotion, as well as family background and usual work style, along with interpersonal skills. He was quite confident that he did reasonably well in handling these aspects. The family's historic background was a prestigious one in Yanjing. Since entering politics, he hadn't engaged in speculation or embezzlement or bribery. But now all this might be ruined by Fatty Wang.

Seeing that Wang Zhanting was lost in thought, Hua Muyun stood up from behind his desk, walked to Wang Zhanting's side, and patted him on the shoulder. "Zhanting, we've worked together for so many years. That young Wang of yours, I've watched him grow up. We all know his character without me saying much, right!"

"Secretary Hua, I also have unspeakable difficulties." Wang Zhanting understood the underlying implication of Hua Muyun's words: the matter of choosing whom to protect.

"Let's not talk about the 'inone' incident for now. I haven't had a chance to discuss with you the matter of the Xia Family land transaction." Hua Muyun took the opportunity to hand Wang Zhanting a prepared file folder. "You can take it home and read it slowly. But let me remind you: this is not the first time your Wang Family has bribed government officials. This evidence is irrefutable, and those involved have already been detained by Dragon Soul.

With Hua Muyun's words, Wang Zhanting's heart was almost paralyzed. He didn't know when the sly old fox had already taken action. Keeping his composure, he secretly suppressed the panic in his heart and exhaled a breath.

"Secretary Hua, the Wang Family in Yanjing is considered a prestigious clan. We have capable people, but most have been banished to the frontier by my nephew, leaving only useless ones or his cronies in the country. How am I supposed to act immediately?"

Have you already decided so quickly? Hua Muyun deliberated for a moment. Originally intending to give Wang Zhanting a severe wake-up call, it seemed the matter of the sharp sword could be postponed for now.

"Our Hua Family and your Wang Family stand as two of the four major families in Yanjing. In comparison, your Wang Family is above ours. Managing such a large family can indeed be a headache for family heads." After beating around the bush, Hua Muyun returned to his seat. "But now, there's a malignant tumor in this family affecting the welfare of the entire family. Shouldn't we cut it out decisively? I believe you've been doing well, wanting to turn this tumor benign, but the results are visible. The person you relied on doesn't respect you as an uncle."

Hua Muyun's last few words pierced Wang Zhanting's heart like a sharp sword, making his face turn alternately pale and blue, feeling suffocated as if he was about to split his strength.

"Have some tea, a fine Da Hong Pao. A rare harvest this year." I had Xiao Luo prepare some for you, delivered to your office. It's not much. You know how difficult it is to produce genuine Da Hong Pao; it takes years to produce even a little.

"Thank you, Secretary Hua, for your thoughts. I am unworthy!" When people's emotions get stirred, eloquence is futile. Hua Muyun, being the person he is, knew when to stop. Saying more wouldn't make Wang Zhanting more receptive, but saying less would lessen the impact. He walked to the window, feeling a bit regretful for wasting such good tea on someone who couldn't appreciate it.

"Xiao Luo, acknowledge that cup of tea," Secretary Luo said as he emerged from the secretary's office after Wang Zhanting left. Seeing the tea barely touched, he understood the old man's care for tea.

"Good tea deserves a good owner. The old man truly goes through a lot of effort," Secretary Luo comforted Hua Muyun, cleaning up Wang Zhanting's teacup. After filtering the tea residue, he threw both the cup and the entire container into the trash bin.

"Xiao Luo, you're getting better at speaking and understanding my thoughts." Watching Secretary Luo's actions, Hua Muyun laughed cheerfully.

"That's thanks to the old man's good teaching." Secretary Luo took off his coat, hugged it in his right hand, then pulled out a trash bag and placed it in a corner, aimed a punch at it, and the porcelain cup shattered with a crack.

"Hehe, you'll have to buy a new suit again." Every time after Wang Zhanting's visit, he'd replace his tea set; just one missing piece would make it incomplete and lose its usage appeal. Hua Muyun liked everything to be whole, and any minor deficiency would make him uncomfortable.

"The allowance from the Old Master for clothing is quite generous." Secretary Luo put a new garbage bag over the old one, placed it back into the trash can, and swapped it with the one in his own office before he satisfactorily hung his suit on the hanger.

Being cautious and leaving no room for criticism is one of the professional ethics a secretary must always uphold.

"Has Chu Fangxiu been found?"

"Yes, under tight surveillance. Fatty Wang has already made a move over there, but Young Master Xiao happened to be present, so it didn't succeed." Secretary Luo reported meticulously.

Hua Muyun suddenly sighed, filled with endless helplessness. As Wang Zhanting would put it, these were inexpressible difficulties. "Don't show any flaws. Let them keep an eye on things from the shadows. Do not intervene, whether they live or die, do not intervene."

"I understand." Secretary Luo lowered his head. "Old Master, what do you think is the best way to handle the situation with Young Master Xiao?"

"Liu Sheng's matter is obviously a trap. No special handling is needed. Let Lin Zhifang suppress it first. We shouldn't meddle in the issues between their brothers. Every family has its own difficult story, and we are outsiders, understand?"

"Yes, Old Master."

Hua Muyun tended to favor Xiao Lin, but in terms of interests, he leaned more towards those who were in power. The appearance of Xiao Mu was a signal; even the Xiao Family, usually neutral, is starting to stir. What is power truly, that can lead even the usually neutral Xiao Family to succumb to such routine? It's truly disheartening. What else besides greed lies in the human heart?

"You're biased towards Young Master Xiao, aren't you, Old Master!" Secretary Luo rarely chimed in at such times, spending most of his time silent, accompanying beside.

"It's rare for Qing Yi to have such a good partner, inspiring a desire for power in him." One day, Hua Qingyi suddenly returned and requested Hua Muyun to give him power. This shocked him. Hua Qingyi had a clever mind but lacked the ambition to use it, which was one of the main reasons Hua Muyun was reluctant to let Hua Qingyi take over. In the political arena, without a desire to win, you would be devoured entirely by those behind you, leaving not even a bone remaining. Politics is far scarier than business; it's not about losing today and having the chance to rise again. It's about losing to the extent that you might even lose your life. Only he knows how many times he narrowly escaped assassination to survive until now.

"Young Master Qing Yi will understand the Old Master's well-meaning."

"Let him learn by Xiao Lin's side first! Eventually, he'll have to enter politics." Hua Muyun understood another person shared the same thoughts as him, as their time was running out. "Arrange it for me; I'd like to go to the club."

"Do you need me to arrange a companion for you?"

"Not today, I just want to meet some old comrades and chat."

"I'll prepare the car for you."

"Find one for yourself, I don't plan on going back tonight." Hua Muyun was very considerate of those around him. The long night shouldn't be spent making the young accompany these old men drinking tea, chatting, and playing chess!

"That's really not necessary!" Secretary Luo wasn't embarrassedly trying to refuse, nor did he think the club ladies weren't pretty enough or were too old; he was just too exhausted from his own household's drama lately to manage dealing with the ladies.

"What's the matter?" Hua Muyun squinted, looking maliciously at Secretary Luo, then chuckled out loud. "Isn't your wife taking care of you well?"

As soon as he said that, Secretary Luo almost choked on his own breath. The Old Master was in an unusually good mood today, even cracking a risqué joke.

"How come young men are so ineffectual!" Hua Muyun looked disapprovingly at Secretary Luo's lower body. "Try something invigorating at the club tonight, and I'll have to check your performance later."

Seeing the Old Master's mischievous expression, Secretary Luo suddenly wished every day was gloomy for Hua Muyun. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, we welcome your votes and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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