He did not expect himself to lose to Qiao Nan, who did nothing. It was all because she was relatives with the ambassador couple.

  If he had known that Qiao Nan and the ambassador couple were relatives, he would not have indulged in the fantasy of making use of this opportunity to subdue Qiao Nan fully and prove himself to everyone. If he had known that this was the case, he would certainly change his plan, make use of Qiao Nan, and make the ambassador couple focus their attention on him.

  In that case, the situation of the ambassador couple pulling Qiao Nan to the side and chatting about everything under the sun today would not occur. He was like an invisible figure who stood foolishly by the side, watching Qiao Nan slowly rob away the limelight that belonged to him.

  After thinking, Deng Wenchang felt that the word ‘insidious’ could not completely describe Qiao Nan’s despicable nature. If heaven had eyes, he should not let a scum like Qiao Nan continue to live in the world and be a stumbling block to others.

  Deng Wenchang very much wished that what the elders in his family said about heaven’s retribution was true. In that case, heaven could bestow lightning and turn Qiao Nan into wooden ashes with one strike. Henceforth, he would be rid of all worries and no longer troubled by Qiao Nan.

  “.……”

  “Aiyo, isn’t this considered sour grapes?”

  \r \r \r

  “Wrong. It’s not just the problem of sour or sweet grapes. Xiao Qiao clearly said that she is someone with grapes. Some comrades are proud and arrogant, looking at others with their nostrils. If they don’t have it, they think that others can’t have it as well!”

  After someone reminded, many people in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recalled Qiao Nan’s shocked expression when she first saw the photo of the ambassador couple. From her expression then, it was obvious that she knew the two people in the photo.

  However, no one really believed Qiao Nan at that time. In particular, Deng Wenchang even mocked at Qiao Nan with disdain and sarcasm. He told Qiao Nan not to use such a foolish method to make herself look good as it would be too shameless.

  Today’s matter had proved that Qiao Nan was not praising herself. She really knew the ambassador couple personally. Besides that, they were on very good terms.

  Qiao Nan had told them the situation but Deng Wenchang did not believe it. He even mocked Qiao Nan. Now, he was so sarcastic in his words to Qiao Nan. Tsk, tsk, tsk…… Deng Wenchang’s words conveyed his extreme jealousy. He was not behaving like a man. “I remember that some people not only generate such words but also behave in an ugly manner. Sometimes, I really doubt that, between someone and Comrade Xiao Qiao, who is the man and who is the woman.”

  There were many people watching them, and Qiao Nan’s behavior was gracious, earnest, and down-to-earth.

  On the contrary, Deng Wenchang was spoiled, sensitive, and had excessive pride. He felt that all the seniors in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should fawn on him and nurture him to become the next leader of the department. In addition, they had to help and support him unconditionally in any matter. If anything did not go his way, he would flare up immediately and show a black face. In addition, he was very narrow-minded. He would bear a grudge and find ways to seek revenge.

  They rarely encountered such newbies.

  They recalled the times when they first joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They were very courteous and respectful when interacting with their seniors. No one behaved like Deng Wenchang, who looked down on one and detested another. It was as if besides the minister, Deng Wenchang was the only human left in the entire department. At the sight of that behavior, one could not help flaring up no matter how big-hearted they were.

  A grown-up man competed with a young lady but he refused to admit defeat after losing. He was utterly shameless. If Deng Wenchang was the young lad in their family, they would definitely take a cane and beat this brat to death.

  To begin with, everyone felt positive about Qiao Nan and was dissatisfied with Deng Wenchang putting on airs. After today’s matter, everyone could not stand Deng Wenchang any further. “Minister He, the few of us have always felt that a ‘talent’ like Comrade Xiao Deng should go somewhere else that is more suitable for him. In this way, he will be able to shine and contribute to our country then.”

  In other words, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was not suitable for Deng Wenchang at all. It was fine if Deng Wenchang continued to stay here and waste his own time. However, it was too unethical of him to add on to their woes.

  Deng Wenchang’s face instantly turned red. Naturally, he understood the implied meaning in these words. He was so furious that he glared at the other party with reddened eyes. At the sight of this, the other party felt the urge to beat him up again. This was a grown-up man. Forget it if he could not win against a young lady. Was he so thin-skinned that he could not even take criticism despite his lack of capability? Was this kind of man still considered a man? It was truly an embarrassment to men.

  “Hahaha, no matter what, it is a triumphant first battle for the newbie in our department. Let me give everyone a treat tonight!” Of course, He Yi wanted very much to kick Deng Wenchang out.

  However, that shameless cheap shot of Deng Wenchang today did not manage to harm Qiao Nan. Instead, he became Qiao Nan’s accessory. He was the thrown-out brick that lured the gem out. He Yi was in a very good mood today. Although debts had to be repaid, at the very least, it would not be today. It could be tomorrow or the day after. They should celebrate the happy occasion first.

  “Xiao Qiao, given your situation at home, can you attend?” He Yi added. At the thought that Qiao Nan was a mother and the three children at home were only three years old, He Yi was hit by a wave of guilt after suggesting the celebration. He had no choice. His own master had been keeping a watch on him.

  If he dared to make the three babies cry when looking for their mother, his master would make him cry and look for his wife. However, words that were spoken could not be retracted anymore.

  He was already of this age and could be a grandfather in a few years. No matter what, he could not embarrass himself at this moment. He had to endure. Although spoken words were akin to spilled water, he had to wipe it clean and then squeeze them back into the basin!

  Everything revolved around the triplets in Qiao Nan’s house. They were the most important ones.

  Qiao Nan was amused as she could tell the nervousness beneath He Yi’s eyes. She did not know what her master had told Senior He such that her senior was so nervous when wanting to treat her to a meal. “Minister He, don’t worry. I will make a call home. No issue.”

  After all, she was a formal employee now. In order to maintain the harmonious relationship between colleagues, it was necessary to have adequate social interaction. Ever since she was a permanent employee, Qiao Nan had gradually communicated to the triplets to make them understand that occasionally, and under very low frequency, she might be home a little late for one or two days.

  However, she promised them that she would definitely be home before they sleep to tell them a bedtime story and coax them to sleep.

  1410 No One Is Toasting with You

  Qiao Nan’s attitude was very sincere. She also treated them like adults and discussed this with them. At the sight of this, and after some consideration, the triplets nodded and agreed reluctantly. “However, minister, I can’t reach home too late tonight. It is almost five o’clock, dismissal time, now. I have to be home before eight o’clock. Is that okay?”

  Qiao Nan had not participated in such gatherings before and was not sure how long the fun would go on. Hence, it would not go wrong if she were to specify her condition in advance.

  “Sure, I will definitely let you get home by eight o’clock.” He Yi was overjoyed. It was rare that his little junior agreed to go out and have a meal with everyone and bond with her colleagues. He had some initial concerns. Despite his protection, subtle influence on the team to make them trust Qiao Nan, and Qiao Nan’s own capability, he wondered if anyone would feel as indignant as Deng Wenchang and commit petty acts to evict Qiao Nan after Qiao Nan succeeded him.

  One had to know that relationships between colleagues had to be built by spending time with one another. This kind of interaction was not only restricted to performance during work.

  During Qiao Nan’s internship period, she had never participated in any of the department’s activities. However, she was just an intern at that time. In fact, it was not very appropriate for Qiao Nan and Deng Wenchang to join in then. However, He Yi was always supportive of Qiao Nan’s usual approachable style of interaction that did not go overboard.

  The problem was that Qiao Nan was now a permanent employee and some ways of handling things had to change.

  If he were to continue to defend Qiao Nan the same way that he did during her internship, Qiao Nan would eventually give the colleagues the impression that she was either not easy to be trifled with or too cold and snobbish. It would not be easy to win the hearts of everyone then.

  Today, He Yi was elated when Qiao Nan agreed to have a meal with everyone. This little junior really made him feel at ease. He had not even reflected this situation to her and the problem was resolved. She had already thought of it.

  True enough, his decision to pass the baton to his little junior was correct.

  At the dining table, everyone only allowed Qiao Nan to drink beer as she was still young. The rest drank according to their usual habits.

  \r \r \r

  When everyone was holding a glass of alcohol in their hands, someone immediately said, “Come, come, come! For today’s contribution, to our minister and our Comrade Xiao Qiao, cheers!”

  “Cheers, right, cheers!” The newbie could chip in and share the responsibilities and burdens with the seniors. Who would not feel happy that someone was helping them out?

  “Cheers, everyone, let’s raise our cups.”

  Everyone, including Qiao Nan and He Yi, was in quite a good mood. They thus very willingly stood up and raised their cups. Of course, there was always someone who was a ‘maverick’ that appeared very unsociable.

  Deng Wenchang had a stiff expression on his face. It was as if someone had owed him ten million yuan for a few years. He slowly stood up and raised his cup a little in a reluctant manner. Throughout the entire process, Deng Wenchang was like a dumb person who did not know how to smile or talk. He turned the bustling atmosphere cold.

  “.……”

  The corners of many people’s mouth twitched. They could not wait to strike a kick on Deng Wenchang’s buttocks. Everyone was feeling quite happy. No one had forced Deng Wenchang to come. If he was so reluctant, he could go wherever he wanted to. Please do not stay here to be an eyesore and spoilsport!

  “Cheers.” Qiao Nan simply ignored Deng Wenchang. She had not encountered many people like Deng Wenchang, but she had interacted intensively with them for two lifetimes. The more she treated Deng Wenchang with importance, the more he would kick up a ruckus. He was the same type of person as the Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin in her family.

  Ignoring such people would make them feel awkward and terrible. In the end, they might not even dare to fart at anyone.

  In Qiao Nan’s views, Deng Wenchang’s age was similar to that of a child. The problem was that Deng Wenchang was not born to Qiao Nan and she was not obligated to forgive the sicko Deng Wenchang unconditionally again and again.

  He loved to pretend. Did he really think that the world would stop rotating without him?

  What a joke!

  Qiao Nan was very young and was not very forceful in her tone. At most, it was very clear and crisp. Nevertheless, it could bring on the atmosphere. A second ago, many people’s face darkened at the sight of Deng Wenchang’s behavior. The next moment, under Qiao Nan’s influence, they were ignoring Deng Wenchang and toasting to each other as per their wishes.

  Clink! The sound of the glasses knocking onto each other was very crisp and clear. It stunned the hearts and livened up the atmosphere. Although Qiao Nan was a lady, she was as game as the men. She drained the beer in her glass at once. Many shouted ‘good!’ at that.

  Next, wine and toast went around amidst laughter and chats. The atmosphere was harmonious and lively. Everyone was wearing a smile on their faces and speaking with raised voices. The atmosphere was better than before. Of course, besides that exception.

  During the toasting, everyone had neglected Deng Wenchang. They had raised their cups high while Deng Wenchang was the only one who gloomily and listlessly raised his cup a little.

  Sure. If he was not willing to toast, they would not toast with him then.

  Everyone’s glasses touched except for that of Deng Wenchang, which remained silent.

  Thereafter, groups of people engaged in small talks. Everyone had someone to chat with and was chatting eagerly. Deng Wenchang was the only one alone and silent all the time. He did not even say ‘yes’ or ‘mmm’. Besides sitting on a bench, occupying a seat and a set of utensils, he was no different from a block of wood. There was no sense of his presence at all. No one was willing to interact with an unsociable individual like Deng Wenchang. No one would be so wretched to do that.

  Before eight o’clock, He Yi reminded Qiao Nan to go home.

  Throughout the entire event, besides not holding Qiao Nan back from her first glass of beer, He Yi had been keeping a watch on Qiao Nan in her subsequent drinks.

  Because of this situation, a few colleagues teased He Yi. “I say, minister. I know you value talents and care about your juniors. However, aren’t you a little overboard? If I am not aware that sister-in-law has given birth to a son for you, and this nephew of ours is still schooling, I am really going to suspect whether Xiao Qiao is your daughter.”

  Besides her father, who would care so much for a young lady?

  Everyone was men. Whether He Yi’s concern for Qiao Nan out of a man to a woman or a senior to a junior, no one would make a mistake on this. Hence, there was no misunderstanding.

  In fact, besides He Yi, many people in the department treated Qiao Nan like a junior in their family. Hence, during the drinking session, none of them harbored any ulterior motive or force-fed Qiao Nan with drinks just because she was a woman.

  On the contrary, if Qiao Nan did not refill her cup, no one would say that there was no more alcohol and request to refill the cup quickly. In addition, Qiao Nan was the only one drinking beer. Hence, they had only asked the waiter to prepare one bottle of beer.

  1411 Old Friend

  “Alright, I will go back first. I am really sorry to spoil the fun for everyone. If there’s a chance in the future, I will treat all of you to a meal.” Qiao Nan picked up her bag and was about to leave.

  Deng Wenchang, who had been keeping quiet all along, spoke up. “Before leaving, let me ask you a question. What is your relationship with the ambassador couple? How do you know them?” If he did find out the answer, he would not be able to sleep tonight. Although he had lost, he wanted to know the reason so that he would not make the same mistake next time.

  He wanted to know how capable Qiao Nan was. She was married to Zhai Sheng, and Zhu Chengqi was her godfather. Shi Peng, who returned to the capital a few years ago, was doing very well in the government and his only daughter was Qiao Nan’s best friend. On top of that, it seemed that He Yi and Qiao Nan had a close relationship due to Elder Lin who had retired for many years.

  Qiao Nan had too many backers and supporters. Nobody could understand the excruciating pain that Deng Wenchang felt right now.

  He had always looked down on Qiao Nan. But apart from not going overseas, she had a stronger political background than him!

  He had figured out Qiao Nan’s relationships with other people, but what about the ambassador couple today? How did Qiao Nan get to know them? What other strengths and backers did Qiao Nan have? All these were pitfalls waiting for him.

  Qiao Nan curled the corners of her lips and sneered. “I have not been to other countries, and I did not go on overseas study. But I am hardworking. During my four years in college, I worked as a voluntary guide at the Palace Museum. I got to know the ambassador couple at that time. Previously, there were some reading materials as well as the materials regarding the evolution of English words from the Arabic language that I couldn’t find in the country. They were the ones who found the materials for me.”

  It was also through interaction with friends from overseas that she got to constantly practice speaking and writing in English. Even when they returned home, Qiao Nan continued to chat with them using MSN, asking for their help to look for reading materials that she needed. They had a close relationship with each other.

  \r \r \r

  The western friends were very friendly and warm. Initially, the ambassador couple felt that Qiao Nan looked young and fair. She looked similar to the dolls in their country in her pink long dress.

  The ambassador couple was not DINK[1]. They wanted to have children, but it had been more than thirty years and they did not have any kids. They have tried in vitro fertilization, but to no avail. It was no surprise that when they saw a young lady who looked like the doll, they were particularly nice to Qiao Nan even when they were tourists.

  Qiao Nan was not only pretty-looking and good-natured, but she also had a good attitude when she was the volunteer guide. The ambassador lost his credentials during the trip. Qiao Nan searched high and low to look for them when there were not many tourists around. It took her three hours to search all corners before she found the ambassador’s documents.

  After retrieving the documents, Qiao Nan merely passed them to her reporting unit so that they would return them to the ambassador.

  All the people in Qiao Nan’s reporting unit were very fond of her who was hardworking at work. Since it was Qiao Nan who went to great pains to retrieve the documents, they would not take her credit. They told the ambassador what happened.

  That was why the ambassador couple had a good impression of Qiao Nan.

  They added each other on MSN. After the ambassador couple returned to their country, they kept frequent contact with Qiao Nan. When they knew that some reading materials could not be easily found in China and it was hard to get them elsewhere as well, they told Qiao Nan to send them the list of books, and they would think of ways to get them for her.

  Initially, Qiao Nan had her hesitation and doubts. Even if the book was sold in her country, it was akin to searching for a needle in the sea. After all, the current IT industry was not as developed as ten years later.

  Strangely, whenever Qiao Nan needed a book, they were able to get the book for her.

  At first, Qiao Nan thought that they must have the means to find the books for her. It was only until a few days ago when she saw the photos of the visiting ambassador couple did Qiao Nan realize that they came from a family of political and military background. People like them would definitely have the means to find the books for her.

  “I am not that capable, and I am not as smart. All I did was to treat people with sincerity. Comrade Deng, if you are satisfied, I have to go home.”

  That day, everyone could tell from Qiao Nan’s expression that Qiao Nan knew the ambassador couple. However, Deng Wenchang made crude comments, looking down on Qiao Nan. It turned out that Qiao Nan was not boasting. Instead, it was Deng Wenchang who had one’s nose in the air and was given a tight slap to his face.

  Qiao Nan did not expect a reply from Deng Wenchang. She took her bag and left the place quickly to call a car to go home. If she delayed any further, the three spoiled brats might be throwing tantrums later.

  Qiao Nan left without any hesitation, but all the colleagues were in shock.

  “Crap. This was the first time that I learned that something good will come out of social practice during college.” This would not do. After dinner, he would have to make an overseas call right away. He must remind his son that even if he was overseas, he must take the social practice seriously. If he was lucky, he might have a good encounter like Xiao Qiao as well.

  If he participated in social practice, there would be a chance of having lucky encounters. If not, he would not have the chance at all. It was obvious what decision he should make.

  “Haha. Come on. Not everyone will have such a good encounter. Xiao Qiao is well-behaved and kindhearted. As the saying goes, the good would be well rewarded. Judging from today’s happenings, it is very true.” The man who said that narrowed his gaze and cast a sideways glance at Deng Wenchang. It was obvious that his comments were directed at Deng Wenchang.

  “Good. It’s good that such a good comrade is from our department. Come, let’s have another drink.” He was only concerned about Qiao Nan, who had a stellar performance. As for Deng Wenchang, who performed badly, it was uncertain if he could continue to stay in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

  Since he might not necessarily be part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there was no need for him to treat Deng Wenchang as part of the department and for Deng Wenchang to leave a blemish on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

  Deng Wenchang, who was ridiculed, could tell that their remarks were directed at him.

  Since Qiao Nan could be big-headed and leave before the seniors in the department, he could leave as well. He would not accept that he was doomed to be worse than Qiao Nan and to be her stepping stone! Hmmph!

  Deng Wenchang stood up, turning green in anger. “It’s getting late. I am needed at home. Minister, seniors, excuse me, I have to go. Next time……” Deng Wenchang did not finish the sentence. He was about to say that he would treat them to dinner next time.

  The reason being Qiao Nan made the same comments before she left.

  [1] Double income and no kids,

  1412 Unrealistic

  Even if Deng Wenchang had such an intention long ago, since Qiao Nan already said so, Deng Wenchang was unwilling to make the same remarks. It would seem as if he copied her and that he lost to her once again.

  Since Deng Wenchang was born, he had never been thoroughly defeated like today. No matter how hard he tried, he could not turn the tables on Qiao Nan and he was ridiculed by his colleagues time and again because of her. The worst part was that the other party was a woman and she was younger than him and had lower educational qualifications than him!

  Nobody stopped Deng Wenchang from leaving.

  When Qiao Nan left, everyone watched her as she made a move. They reminded her to be careful on the way back and pay attention to safety and contact her family in the car.

  When Deng Wenchang made a move to go, no one bothered about him. They did not say a word but continued with their drinks. It was as if Deng Wenchang was already old enough to take care of himself. He could not possibly want the seniors to care for him as if he was a young man and to worry about his safety.

  Deng Wenchang did not drink, but he staggered as if he had finished one bottle of white wine by himself. The only way to prove that he did not have any drinks was the pallor on his face.

  People inside the room were full of laughter and fun, while Deng Wenchang was all by himself outside the door.

  \r \r \r

  Deng Wenchang gritted his teeth such that his gums were bleeding. He finally made his way back home.

  As soon as he opened the door, Father Deng began to ask how the situation was today. He had yet to ask and he saw the pale look on his son’s face and knew the outcome even without asking. “How can this be? It is impossible.” The Zhai family did not do anything. It was impossible that Qiao Nan found out more information than his son.

  Even if He Yi showed favoritism to Qiao Nan, his son would still be the winner.

  Deng Wenchang laughed at himself. “It was useless to prepare any amount of information. We might have gone to great lengths to do research, but did we find out that the ambassador’s wife is pregnant?” Qiao Nan went out for a short while before dinner. When she returned, he noticed that she had a receipt for mother and baby products in her pocket.

  He remembered that before the ambassador couple left, Qiao Nan was being very careful with his wife, and she would give her gentle reminders. When the ambassador couple chatted with Qiao Nan, he faintly heard the mention of ‘child’. He knew that the ambassador couple did not have any children. Therefore, he initially thought that the ambassador couple was talking about other people’s children.

  But after seeing the receipt that Qiao Nan had, he realized belatedly that the ambassador’s wife was pregnant!

  Qiao Nan was privy to such personal information. No matter how much research his family did, they could not possibly know more than Qiao Nan.

  Deng Wenchang was not lauding the spirit of the enemy and belittled that of his own. But this was the harsh reality and he had to face up to it. He could not possibly deceive himself now and close his eyes and cover his ears, pretending that he did not see or hear anything.

  Father Deng was dealt with a harsh blow. He did not look better than his son. “How could this happen? How did Qiao Nan know all the details? Could it be that the Zhai family knows what we are going to do, and thus used other means to pass the ambassador’s information secretly to Qiao Nan?” Unless the Zhai family had invincible powers, it was absolutely impossible.

  Deng Wenchang sat down on the sofa, feeling dejected. He lay listlessly on the sofa like a puddle of glue. “Alright, Dad, you don’t have to make any guesses. It’s not what you think. This has nothing to do with the Zhai family. Qiao Nan is very lucky. She and the ambassador couple know each other and they have a very good relationship. Speaking of which, it was due to the ambassador couple’s help that Qiao Nan had a strong foundation and knowledge in the related field. They spared no effort to help Qiao Nan find reading materials from overseas. This is why Qiao Nan could have a stellar performance.”

  She did not resort to any tactics to find out more about the ambassador couple. Qiao Nan and the ambassador couple had built a strong friendship over the years!

  “.……” Father Deng was rendered speechless. No one would have guessed that the visiting ambassador would be Qiao Nan’s friend! This was a harsh blow to Father Deng.

  Unless the countries had a good relationship, it was impossible to be a friend of other countries’ ambassadors. Furthermore, the United Kingdom was not on very friendly terms with China. Father Deng could not help but wonder. Would the newly appointed ambassador step down once he returned to his country since he had a personal friendship with Qiao Nan?

  But regardless of whether he stepped down or not, Father Deng knew that his son did not perform as expected today. Instead, it was Qiao Nan’s stage, and his son merely blended into the background.

  Thinking of this outcome, Father Deng was so angry that he felt like vomiting blood. “Qiao Nan has not been to other countries. Why would she be friends with them? There is a big difference in age. How can they become friends?”

  “Foreigners don’t care. It is fine as long as they can get along with each other. They don’t mind, and as Chinese, we don’t necessarily care either. Qiao Nan might not have been to other countries, but the ambassador couple met Qiao Nan who was a voluntary guide when they came to China for a holiday.” At the mention of this, Deng Wenchang felt that it was the most ironic of all.

  Since she was a guide, she should just do her job. She must be very free to help people look for their credentials!

  Also, how could Chinese college students have so much time on their hands? The probability of having such an encounter was like striking the ten million lottery. It was almost impossible to win the lottery. She should have gone for her college lessons abidingly, yet why did she go to the extent of becoming a voluntary guide? “Dad, do you have a way to stop the places of interest from accepting student volunteer guides?”

  If there was such a rule, Qiao Nan would not have done so well today!

  Deng Wenchang knew that there was nothing that he could do now. But he refused to admit defeat. Therefore, he decided to take his anger out on Qiao Nan’s juniors so that there would be fewer ‘Qiao Nan’ in the future!

  Father Deng waved his hand in frustration. “This is meaningless. We can’t do anything to Qiao Nan, and we might even implicate the Deng family.” Usually, it was the students from Peking University and Tsinghua University that would work as volunteer guides at these places. It would be doing oneself in to hinder the development of the students from the two elite universities.

  It was unrealistic!

  1413 Worried

  Father Deng sighed. His heart ached at the dejected look on his son’s face. “Don’t think about it. It’s all in the past. Instead of dwelling on the past, you might as well spend more time thinking about the future. You only lost to her this once. It does not mean that you will always lose to Qiao Nan. The most important thing is to look at the future. We have a lot of time, and we have the Peng family as our ally. We haven’t lost yet!”

  Father Deng pulled Deng Wenchang up, telling Deng Wenchang not to think too much. He should take a bath, have a full meal, and go to sleep. He should have a good night’s rest and recharge so that he would be ready to fight the hard battle tomorrow.

  After comforting his son, Father Deng went back to his room. His wife was waiting for him. “How’s our son doing?”

  “How can he feel good? Since a young age, I’ve never seen him in this state. If he were still young, I reckon he would have cried now.” Father Deng was worried. Although it was summer, and summer was unbearably hot in the capital, Father Deng felt a chill inside. He covered his tummy with a thin blanket. “It would be good if we know that there is such a young lady like Qiao Nan in Peking University.”

  Mother Deng did not understand. “Why would that be good?” Why would it be good for their family and their son if they knew about Qiao Nan earlier? What was the link between the two?

  Seeing that Mother Deng did not understand his words, Father Deng sighed with regrets. “Wenchang is not young. These two years, he did not have the time to get a girlfriend. You should help Wenchang keep a lookout for ladies who are suitable and come from a good background. It would be good if they can aid Wenchang in his career.”

  If Qiao Nan was married to his son, Qiao Nan and Wenchang would be able to work hand in hand in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry would be their stage.

  \r \r \r

  Moreover, even if Qiao Nan was more competent than Wenchang, she would not make things difficult for him. Instead, she would take the backstage and support him. If so, instead of Qiao Nan, Wenchang would be the one who shone today.

  In fact, it was beneficial to the Deng family to have a daughter-in-law like Qiao Nan. Unless she was too obstinate and strong-willed, she would be a good help to them. After cooperating with the Peng family, Wenchang did not seem to be doing better than before. He seemed to be in the same position, not making any improvements.

  “What’s the hurry!” Mother Deng was unhappy.”Wenchang studied abroad for so many years, and he just returned two years ago. He has to work, and I only get to see him in the morning and at night for two meals a day. For instance, Wenchang did not have dinner at home today.”

  The family only had one son. Her husband was busy with work and she seldom saw her son. She did not spend much time with the two men that she loved most. If they had a daughter-in-law at this time, her son would belong to someone else.

  Since she had a son and he was still in his prime and she did not need to be concerned about his fertility, she was in no hurry to find a wife for her son. One had to take a long time to find a good wife. They would not take any daughter-in-law randomly.

  “What did you say just now? Why didn’t our son have a girlfriend in the past two years?” She thought that her son just returned from overseas and was not in a hurry to get a girlfriend. But from what Old Deng said, it was as if something had happened to her son. Could it be that he had no time to find a girlfriend?

  Her son returned from overseas study. He was highly educated and good-looking. Moreover, the Deng family was well-to-do. As long as her son wanted to get a girlfriend, the women would rush toward him just like how bees were attracted to honey.

  “Nothing much. You should know that Wenchang has a hard time in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The only reason why he doesn’t have a girlfriend must be that he has to work on his career. Alright, it’s getting late. Get some sleep. Otherwise, you won’t be able to wake up in time to prepare breakfast for our son. By then, don’t complain to me that you don’t get to see your son.”

  Father Deng yawned. He was reluctant to continue the impossible conversation with his wife. He switched off his bedside lamp, turned to one side with his back facing his wife, and made no further comments.

  Mother Deng felt unhappy. But she knew that her husband was tired from work. She stifled her anger and switched off her bedside lamp as well, lying down to sleep.

  Father Deng opened his eyes when the other side of the lamp had been turned off. He was not lying when he said that Wenchang tried his best to prove that he was more competent than Qiao Nan in the past two years. However, the outcome was not what he expected.

  But it had been nearly three years since he returned to the country. He did not have a single girlfriend, and he did not have the time to have a girlfriend as he was busy with work.

  When Deng Wenchang was studying abroad, he would change a girlfriend almost every half a year. However, after he returned to the country, he did not have a single girlfriend. Father Deng could not help but feel sorry for his son. His son was occupied with work every day and did not have any other entertainment. He seemed to be leading the life of an ascetic monk.

  Father Deng was a man and he had other women besides his wife. His son was young and at his prime, but he did not have any woman in the past two years, and he did not even get to hold their hands. Father Deng even suspected that perhaps it was due to the fact that there was an imbalance of yin and yang that his son was impatient and not in a good state of mind recently and his temper turned nasty.

  If possible, he should try to find a girlfriend for Wenchang.

  It was not early for Wenchang to get a girlfriend at this age. Some men already became a father at his age. But there was no suitable candidate right now. In fact, Father Deng also hoped that Deng Wenchang would have a permanent partner.

  These past few years, the father and son would always talk about one topic: Qiao Nan. Although his son was full of disgust whenever he talked about Qiao Nan, Father Deng still could not help but be worried. It was better to find a woman to distract his attention and for him to relax.

  It was better to be safe than sorry.

  Everything he did was for his son.

  Father Deng had made up his mind. He did not intend to take his wife’s words seriously. Since Mother Deng was unwilling to help her son look for a girlfriend, he would not mind asking his colleagues to keep a look out for him. Perhaps they knew a girl from a certain family who was suitable, or they knew someone who was of similar age and came from a good background. They could bring them together and create a chance for them to get to know each other.

  1414 Exchanged Blows

  “.……” Deng Wenchang, who was already lying on the bed, alternated between being awake and deep in his dreams. He could not tell whether he was dreaming or awake. Deng Wenchang shivered in the hot summer night. He grabbed a blanket that was left at the side and covered himself with it. Could it be that there would be a drastic change in the weather tomorrow? It was already July, so how was that possible?

  “Zhai Sheng, look who’s here.” Zhai Hua patted Zhai Sheng’s shoulder, motioning for Zhai Sheng to look at the person walking toward them. Peng Yu was responsible for Elder Lin’s safety when he went overseas last time. But with Elder Lin’s help, Zhai Sheng took most of Peng Yu’s credit at the last minute. Many people in the army knew about it and everyone was talking about it.

  The party concerned knew who spread the news around the camp.

  The reason why Peng Yu did that was to win over the people in the army. People would usually sympathize with the weak in normal circumstances. No matter how one looked at it, it was Zhai Sheng who was being dishonest. Peng Yu was being bullied by him.

  Although the soldiers would have a discussion among themselves, the higher-ups would not be affected by the discussion going around. They would base on their judgment when they decided who should take credit for the assignment.

  Whenever Zhai Sheng and Peng Yu happened to be in the place, the atmosphere between the two of them would be interesting. People could not help but put down all the things on hand and watched how the two young and promising soldiers exchanged blows.

  \r \r \r

  “Deputy Brigade Commander Zhai, are you having your meal?” Peng Yu, who looked like a scholar and had a fairer complexion than Zhai Sheng, smiled. No matter how long he stood under the sun, he still had a fair complexion. He acted very friendly to Zhai Sheng. The two of them used to grow up together in the quad in Ping Cheng. It was just that Peng Yu moved to the capital earlier than Zhai Sheng.

  It was not an exaggeration to say that they were ‘childhood friends’. But it was just that Zhai Sheng and Peng Yu did not have a good relationship with each other.

  Zhai Sheng swallowed the last bite of his meal and smiled. “I thought that Regiment Commander Peng has good eyesight. I didn’t know that your vision has turned worse.” Since he was in the canteen and was putting food into his mouth, he must be having his meals. If not, could he be there specially to wait for Peng Yu?

  Peng Yu did not mind that Zhai Sheng was being edgy. “Is that so? It just happens that I have some questions to ask you. Can I take the seat opposite you after I get my food?”

  “Well, Regiment Commander Peng, I am sorry to say that I have already taken the seat.” People who worked with Zhai Sheng could tell what Peng Yu was up to. He quickly took the seat that Peng Yu was after.

  Without waiting for Peng Yu to make further comments, several other soldiers took the seats to Zhai Sheng’s left and right-hand side. They also took the seats two seats away from Zhai Sheng’s left and right-hand side, as well as the four seats adjacent to him. All of the seats in Zhai Sheng’s three directions had been taken up.

  All these people formed a circle around Zhai Sheng and surrounded him as if he was a precious gem. Peng Yu had no way to get close to him.

  Peng Yu smiled at this situation. “Deputy Brigade Commander Zhai, when did you become so timid?” There were so many people. He would be a fool if he made trouble for Zhai Sheng in the public without any apparent reason. The general opinion had just changed to side with him. If he was reckless now, all his efforts would be in vain.

  “Do I have the guts? Zhai Sheng asked a rhetorical question, looking seriously at Peng Yu. “Perhaps compared to you, I might not seem to be as brave. Of course, you can also say that I am more steady and dependable instead of being excessively cautious.”

  Zhai Sheng knew that his family had been targeted.

  He only needed to do a check and he knew that it had to do with Peng Yu. Peng Yu sent a large group of men to keep a watch on Nan Nan, a defenseless woman. Now that he thought about it, Zhai Sheng could not resist the itch to give Peng Yu a beating.

  Fortunately, in the end, the Deng family and the Peng family did not do anything to hurt the Zhai family. Otherwise, Zhai Sheng would not let Peng Yu go. He would not be able to talk to him right now looking perfectly fine. “By the way, is Regiment Commander Peng free? I just finished the meal and I am thinking of doing some practice to aid in the digestion.” Zhai Sheng had never exchanged blows with Peng Yu. He did not want to give up the rare opportunity today, so he asked Peng Yu to exchange blows with him.

  Peng Yu smiled. “Sure. I have this intention as well. We have known each other since a young age. We are so close but we seldom interact or talk to each other. We must make use of this opportunity to get to know each other.” Since a long time ago, Peng Yu had wanted to find out how good Zhai Sheng was with his fists.

  He only got to watch Zhai Sheng spar with his subordinates.

  Peng Yu could not get a real grasp of Zhai Sheng’s real strength if he used others as a reference. He was afraid that he might have a wrong estimate of his abilities, and it might turn out to be a waste of time and effort.

  Since Zhai Sheng made the suggestion, Peng Yu would definitely agree to it. “If you don’t mind, can you give me five minutes?” Zhai Sheng had finished his meal, but he had yet to have his meal. How could a soldier win a battle on an empty stomach?

  “Five minutes?” Zhai Sheng stood up. “I won’t wait for you. I will go there first. Since I am exchanging blows with you, I have to be very serious about it. I will change into the right clothes to spar with you. You have five minutes, so take your time to have your meal. Do you know where to go to after the meal?” Zhai Sheng liked to be in control. Moreover, his opponent was Peng Yu.

  Zhai Sheng would not give in to Peng Yu in terms of decisive minor details. In this life, Zhai Sheng was only willing to wait for his family and his enemies. Zhai Sheng was particularly patient with his enemies. There was once when he was still an average soldier, he did not sleep for forty-eight hours. He kept his eyes open to prevent someone from leaking the information.

  It was an easy feat not to sleep in those forty-eight hours. What was worse was that there were a lot of mosquitoes. They could be considered as the mosquitoes in the autumn. Those who had been stung by mosquitoes would know that if one was stung by mosquitoes in the autumn, it would be very itchy and painful. It was sheer torture.

  After lying in ambush for forty-eight hours, Zhai Sheng had numerous mosquito bites on him. When he checked himself in the mirror, he did not look like he was in an ambush. Instead, he seemed as if he just had a sumptuous meal and enjoyed himself, the reason being his face was swollen and bloated.

  1415 Verbal Confrontation

  To Zhai Sheng, the process of ambushing was hard and tense. Most of the time, he would be able to take the enemy’s life in the ambush. Apart from his family, everyone who made him wait had to pay a painful price for it.

  Zhai Sheng would not go to such extent with Peng Yu, but Zhai Sheng’s habit would not change because of him. In Zhai Sheng’s arrogant opinion, everyone who dared to make him wait was daring and reckless, not fearful of death.

  Zhai Sheng did not care that Peng Yu had a smile on his face. He went to the training field, changed into comfortable clothes, and prepared himself as he waited for Peng Yu.

  Although Peng Yu had his meal later than Zhai Sheng, he arrived at the training field soon after Zhai Sheng. He took less than the five minutes that he requested from Zhai Sheng.

  “Do you need a few minutes to warm up?” Zhai Sheng looked very calm at the sight of Peng Yu. He was so cool and indifferent that it was as if they were having a friendly match to check out the other party’s fighting skills.

  Peng Yu smiled as he took off his clothes and flexed his arms. “There is no need for that. I am always ready to fight you.” Zhai Sheng was so much better in planning military strategies than before. He was curious to find out if his skills were as good as his intelligence level, and people who sparred with him would be ashamed of their shoddy skills.

  Zhai Sheng had given Peng Yu a chance to warm up, but he did not cherish it. Since Peng Yu said that he was ready, Zhai Sheng could not be bothered to repeat himself.

  “Well, let’s get started.”

  As soon as Zhai Sheng finished his sentence, Peng Yu, who had a smile on his face and looked like the boy next door, turned serious. His bright smile vanished and there was a sharp look in his eyes. He seemed like the leopard that licked his paws and was ready to battle. He performed a lethal hook, aiming at Zhai Sheng. He swung his hands in the air, and there was a fishy smell that followed.

  \r \r \r

  Fortunately, Zhai Sheng was not to be trifled with. Peng Yu said that he was always ready ever since he regarded Zhai Sheng as his rival. In fact, Zhai Sheng was just as prepared as Peng Yu.

  It was rare to see the two young and promising soldiers who were the future tower of strength in the army to compete with each other in a fierce fight. Many soldiers gathered to watch the fight. They were tensed up and cheered for their immediate superior respectively.

  It was also right then that the new recruits who joined the army recently realized that since the day they joined the army, things were no longer the same. They played a special role now. They were soldiers!

  “Great!”

  “Marvelous!”

  “Who do you think will win? Would it be Regiment Commander Peng or Deputy Brigade Commander Zhai?”

  The two young superiors seemed to be well-matched in strength. It was hard to tell who would win.

  “It had to be Regiment Commander Peng!”

  “Crap. It’s impossible that a deputy brigade commander will lose to a regiment commander.” Zhai Sheng’s subordinates were unhappy. One could tell from the ranks that their deputy brigade commander was better than the regiment commander.

  If the deputy brigade commander lost to Regiment Commander Peng, did it mean that he had to give up his position as the deputy brigade commander to Regiment Commander Peng? The two regiments did not get along well. Moreover, their regiment commander and the deputy brigade commander seemed to be at loggerheads.

  No one could be calm and composed as they watched the match between the two men. It was all lies when people said that friendship must come first and competition second. As a man, one had to maintain one’s dignity. Nobody could afford to lose.

  Right then, there was a ‘bang’ that sounded like something heavy fell to the ground. This marked the end of the contest between Zhai Sheng and Peng Yu. Zhai Sheng threw Peng Yu heavily to the ground. Zhai Sheng also locked the hands and feet of Peng Yu in the fastest speed, trapping him firmly and preventing him from making any movements.

  If the two of them were real enemies and Zhai Sheng exerted more strength, Peng Yu would have died in his hands. If this was not considered as a win, then there would be no soldiers alive in Peng Yu’s regiment.

  This was a private exchange between the two of them. There was no referee.

  Since there was no referee, the party who lost in the contest must take the initiative to admit defeat so that the contest would be considered as coming to an end.

  Peng Yu was thrown to the ground by Zhai Sheng. He had a heavy fall and his back was flat on the ground. He turned pale from the excruciating pain. If the ground was not covered with thick army green cushioned mats, Peng Yu might become disabled from the fall.

  Peng Yu’s demeanor changed from the pain at his back. He was further upset that he lost to Zhai Sheng in front of so many people. It was difficult for him to accept defeat.

  Fortunately, Peng Yu, who had turned green in pain, smiled grudgingly without waiting for someone to speak up. “Deputy Brigade Commander Zhai, my dad always told me to learn from you when I was a kid. Back then, I felt unconvinced that I had to learn from you. Now, it seems like not only did I have to look up to you when I was a child, but I have to do so even after I grew up. Deputy Brigade Commander Zhai, you are indeed capable!”

  He sounded calm at the beginning, but his tone was somewhat different toward the end.

  Since Peng Yu indirectly admitted that he lost, Zhai Sheng would not be so petty-minded to make things difficult for him and insist that he admit defeat. One had to have absolute capability in the army. Being formidable was the way to go.

  However, if one was too aggressive, instead of earning respect, one would create trouble for oneself and push those that he wanted to rope in toward his enemies.

  Zhai Sheng was shrewd and smart. He would not commit such a foolish mistake.

  Zhai Sheng loosened his death lock on Peng Yu, letting him go. “You shouldn’t say that. We are exchanging blows and learning from each other. We seek to improve as we learn from each other.” He was certainly formidable. He was stronger than Peng Yu when they were kids. Peng Yu’s father even told Peng Yu to learn from him. So many years had passed. Peng Yu had improved, and so did he.

  Since they made progress at the same time, Peng Yu would always lose to him. He would not be able to bridge the gap and change the situation.

  Zhai Sheng sounded as if it was a friendly match, but Peng Yu was the only person who understood the hidden meaning. “Well, let’s all work hard and improve together.” One did not state that he could only make the same progress as Zhai Sheng. It was alright that he lost to Zhai Sheng now. He was younger than Zhai Sheng by a few years. There was still a chance of him defeating Zhai Sheng in the future.

  1416 Successor

  Now, Zhai Sheng won because he was a couple of years older and had the upper hand in his physical strength. A few years later, the day would come whereby Zhai Sheng would lose because he was a couple of years older!

  After the exchange, they ‘made peace’ with a ‘friendly’ handshake and spurred each other on. The atmosphere was not too bad.

  Throughout the entire process, Zhai Hua could not help laughing. When Zhai Sheng walked toward her, Zhai Hua threw him the towel in her hands and Zhai Sheng caught it. “Tell me. You made Peng Yu suffer so badly today. Given Peng Yu’s character, he will not call it quits like that. To help Deng Wenchang, he even arranged someone to keep a watch on us. Aren’t you afraid that Peng Yu will do something more extreme after you do this? Also, don’t forget. My son is still at your house.”

  Besides considering the safety of her maternal family, she was more concerned about the safety of her son, Xiao Bao.

  “Peng Yu is not so stupid. If he really does things in such a direct manner, it will be much easier to deal with him then.” However, Peng Yu had always carried out his plans in secrecy. Even for the matter this time, Peng Yu did it under the name of the Deng family. “Today, take it that I am teaching him a lesson for this matter.”

  If this matter did not happen, Zhai Sheng would not be so harsh on Peng Yu.

  Zhai Sheng was certain that his earlier blow would bruise Peng Yu’s back and a few parts of his buttocks. Soon, Peng Yu would realize it after he removed his pants. The area of bruising was not small and it would be quite frightening to look at. It was still fine if Peng Yu could lie in bed to rest. Otherwise, these bruises would definitely affect his movements tomorrow.

  If Peng Yu did not have the leisure time to rest in bed, he would have to find someone to rub and massage these awkward areas hard with medicated ointment to dissolve the blood clots.

  Regardless of the method, Peng Yu could not escape from the destiny of embarrassment and huge pain and suffering.

  \r \r \r

  Was it so easy to target his wife and family?

  Peng Yu did it under the name of the Deng family and did not cause any specific harm to the Zhai family. However, did Peng Yu think that he would close one eye, not take issue with him, and pretend that this matter did not happen?

  If that was really the case, he could only say that Peng Yu was sometimes too naïve, ludicrously so.

  Zhai Hua patted Zhai Sheng’s shoulders. The siblings grew up together. Others might not know the temper of her younger brother, Zhai Sheng, but how could Zhai Hua not know?

  Although today’s exchange was initiated by Peng Yu, in Zhai Hua’s views, Zhai Sheng must have used some means to plant the idea into Peng Yu’s mind. Hence, when Peng Yu said that he wanted to exchange blows with Zhai Sheng in front of everyone, he had already lost to Zhai Sheng.

  As for the subsequent exchange of blows, Peng Yu had obviously cemented the loss. He lost more miserably and suffered even more.

  Zhai Sheng had punished Peng Yu so greatly for a small incident of coveting. Zhai Sheng’s main objective was to make Peng Yu remember the pain and suffering and to think over the matter carefully before he plotted against the Zhai family. He was better off not fiddling around with such petty tricks. His Zhai family would not show mercy to Peng Yu in such situations.

  Not to mention Peng Yu stretching out his claws, even if one strand of Peng Yu’s hair flew across the boundary and polluted the air in the Zhai family, Zhai Sheng would chop away that part of Peng Yu’s body with a knife on the spot!

  Mmm…… Very good, very good. Xiao Bao had such an uncle. She did not need to worry about others bullying Xiao Bao again in the future.

  Speaking of this, Dongzi was quite good-tempered in front of her. However, to others, he was a tiger that could not be provoked. Today, Zhai Sheng had already taught Peng Yu a lesson. What action would Dongzi take after knowing this matter?

  With the crowd at the doors of the Zhai family, more or less, Miao Jing was a little shocked. Miao Jing was not worried for herself but Qiao Nan had to go to work every day, and the triplets were still very little and loved to play. Miao Jing was more worried for the juniors in the family.

  Miao Jing was the queen of the Zhai family. If Peng Yu dared to frighten the queen, of course, Zhai Sheng would not tolerate it and would teach Peng Yu a lesson.

  After Zhai Sheng took actions, and Mother Tian almost recovered from her cold, Tian Dong expressed that he was, after all, his mother-in-law’s son-in-law. His mother-in-law had been ‘bullied’. If he did not do anything, Hua Hua would kick up a fuss and sleep in separate rooms after her return, wouldn’t she? One had to know that he was still a green card now. After having Xiao Bao, he still wanted to give birth to a little warm cotton jacket with Hua Hua.

  Where would the warm little cotton jacket come from if they were to sleep in separate rooms?

  As such, without the need for Zhai Sheng and Zhai Hua to do anything, Tian Dong had long planned not to let the Peng family off. According to the country’s regulation, one would not dabble in politics if he was in business, and vice versa. The Peng family’s situation was similar to that of the Zhai family. Father Peng did not have any siblings who were in business to earn money and aid him in his political career.

  Hence, under the country’s regulations, Father Peng would not be so stupid to do something so obvious. However, he had certainly done some under-the-table manipulating to accumulate wealth through unfair means.

  As the big boss of the Tian Corporation, it was a piece of cake for Tian Dong to attack the Peng family through his business. Within one month, three consecutive business deals that the Peng family was involved in had been snatched by Tian Dong.

  Three might not seem like a large number but these three business deals, if successful, would bring a lot of wealth to the Peng family. Looking at the losses in July, Father Peng felt so many pinches that he lost his appetite for two consecutive days. That night, blisters broke out in his mouth. It was so bad that he had to be sent to the hospital for consultation.

  “Xiao Qiao, are you able to attend the overseas trip this time?” It was August. He Yi asked Qiao Nan if she wished to follow him for an overseas business trip.

  “This……” Qiao Nan hesitated for a moment.

  Qiao Nan would hesitate but not Deng Wenchang. “Minister He, do you think I can also follow you?” Overseas business trip should not be a minor matter. Last time, Qiao Nan was in the limelight. This time, it was unreasonable such a good opportunity was only offered to Qiao Nan.

  He Yi ignored Deng Wenchang for the moment. He just smiled bitterly at Qiao Nan. “Xiao Qiao, I feel that I should remind you of the department you are working in now and your age. I think retirement mode is not suitable for you. Otherwise, someone will feel sad about this……”

  Was He Yi trying to nurture Qiao Nan by bringing her overseas to widen her horizons?

  Qiao Nan was guarding her triplets and not willing to leave. She only wanted to sit in the office. Was this not considered in retirement mode? Which motivated youngster whom the superior thought highly of stay in the office every day? None!

  He Yi was full of expectations for Qiao Nan. He treated Qiao Nan like his successor.