Qi Tongwei fell silent, though he hadn't been in touch with Chen Yang for a long time.
Even though the two of them hadn't spoken those final words aloud, they both knew in their hearts that it was over between them.
Qi Tongwei still retained the original owner's memories, and it seemed he needed to properly say goodbye.
To draw a neat and complete period at the end of their time together.
Chen Hai looked at Qi Tongwei in silence, assuming he had struck a raw nerve.
He quickly changed his tune: "You don't have to go if you don't want to. My sister is partly to blame for this anyway, it's better if you two don't meet!"
Chen Hai knew his sister pretty well.
Her ambitions reached higher than the heavens.
If Qi Tongwei had been assigned to the provincial capital right from the start, perhaps things might have really worked out between them, but fate had dealt them a cruel hand.
Chen Hai had once brought this matter up with his father.
Unfortunately, every time he did, he was met with a stern reprimand from the old man, leaving Chen Hai too scared to ever mention it again.
Qi Tongwei raised his head and looked at Chen Hai. "Haizi, I should go. Am I supposed to be afraid of something? I didn't do anything to let him down; with a clear conscience, it's only right to give an accounting."
Qi Tongwei continued: "It's about time to draw a period to this matter for both sides."
Watching Qi Tongwei, Chen Hai couldn't help feeling a measure of admiration in his heart.
This was the Qi Tongwei he knew.
So upright and unyielding, exuding righteousness.
He figured his senior must surely find a way to pull through and snatch survival from the jaws of death.
Chen Hai said: "Let's go then, Tongwei, and draw that period just like you said."
The two of them got into a taxi.
As they drove along, Qi Tongwei looked out at Jingzhou, which was still in the early stages of development.
There were scattered high-rises here and there, and the streets remained somewhat crowded.
Yet the place was thick with the bustling warmth of ordinary life, giving him quite a sight to behold.
The sleeping dragon of Huaxia was about to awaken.
Qi Tongwei thought to himself that even if his official career hit snags, he could write books and trade stocks in this era and still make a name for himself.
However, having served in politics across two lifetimes, he felt that the political arena offered him a far broader stage.
Power represented order.
It represented Qi Tongwei's ability to better realize his ideals within the political sphere.
Soon, the car arrived at a residential compound...
Qi Tongwei looked closely and guessed that likely everyone living in this compound was involved in politics.
Among them were undoubtedly several retired bigwigs.
Chen Hai enthusiastically grabbed Qi Tongwei and led him straight toward a garden, which was filled with various flowers and plants.
An old man was watering them outside. Qi Tongwei instantly recognized him as Chen Yanshi, the current Executive Deputy Procurator-General of the Handong Province Procuratorate.
Toward Chen Yanshi, Qi Tongwei felt a mixture of respect and disdain in his heart.
This was an old revolutionary who had been through fire and blood.
It was fair to say that without a predecessor like Chen Yanshi, there would be no Qi Tongwei of today.
Yet this old man was also far too stubborn, and somewhat lacking in capability and methods.
However, the man was obsessed with his reputation... though sometimes craving a good reputation was no different from craving wealth.
Still, his integrity in refusing to take bribes was commendable.
If everyone possessed Chen Yanshi's character, there truly would be no need for the Discipline Inspection Commission.
These were just idle thoughts, of course; such things could never exist in reality...
Following Chen Hai's introduction, Qi Tongwei recovered from his brief distraction.
He quickly greeted him: "Hello, Uncle Chen!"
Chen Yanshi glanced at Chen Hai and Qi Tongwei, and said flatly: "Come on in and sit down!"
Qi Tongwei felt a bit awkward, but fortunately, Chen Hai stepped in to smooth things over: "Dad! Didn't you think about how Yangyang is back?"
"Young people's issues should still be resolved in person."
Hearing that it concerned his daughter, Chen Yanshi's expression softened just a bit.
Chen Yanshi said: "Xiao Qi, make yourself at home. Haizi, go call Chen Yang down. Ever since she came back from Beijing, she just stays at home day in and day out, god knows what she's doing."
"Got it!"
On second thought, Qi Tongwei figured he wasn't asking this old man for anything.
Why beat around the bush? He helped Chen Yanshi take the watering can and started watering the plants himself.
Chen Yanshi didn't stand on ceremony either. After handing over the watering duty to Qi Tongwei, he said: "I'm going to check the kitchen to see if dinner is ready. If you're tired, find a place to rest for a bit."
Qi Tongwei smiled and said: "Uncle Chen, it's just watering some flowers, how could that be tiring? Go handle your business, I've got this."
Chen Yanshi nodded and walked toward the kitchen...
Watching Chen Yanshi enter the kitchen, Wang Fuzhen asked: "What is he here for? Is he here to ask you to pull strings and get him transferred back?"
Chen Yanshi glared at his old woman. "He came to see your precious daughter."
"They said they want to clear up their past relationship. You don't understand young people."
Wang Fuzhen continued: "Did he bring any gifts? You remember to keep your guard up—in case this fellow uses Yangyang as an excuse to ask you for favors, see what you'll do!"
Chen Yanshi said: "He came empty-handed, what gifts would he bring? Besides, don't you know what kind of person I am?"
"Even if he really ends up with Yangyang, I won't use state power to seek personal gain."
Wang Fuzhen said: "Good thing you know!"
"Still, how can someone come to visit without bringing a gift... utterly lacking in manners..."
Chen Yanshi had a headache over this... if they bring gifts it's wrong, if they don't it's still wrong...
The old couple bickered away in the kitchen...
Qi Tongwei actually wanted to buy some gifts, but his salary wasn't much to begin with.
On top of that, he had to send money home every month, leaving him with practically no spare cash.
Besides, Qi Tongwei knew Chen Yanshi's character; if he had brought gifts, the old man might have suspected him of having ulterior motives. Why bother doing something thankless and draining?
He had simply come to settle a chapter of past history.
As he was thinking, Chen Yang walked down from upstairs.
Chen Hai found an excuse to slip away, leaving only Qi Tongwei and Chen Yang in the courtyard.
For a moment, the air grew rather heavy.
It was Chen Yang who finally spoke: "Tongwei, are you still stationed in that mountainous county?"
Qi Tongwei nodded...
Chen Yang wasn't surprised.
She was somewhat familiar with Qi Tongwei's general situation.
Back then, she had liked Qi Tongwei precisely because he was a prominent figure at school...
She had imagined he would achieve great things in the future.
Never had she expected that after so many years, Qi Tongwei would still be stuck spinning his wheels in the mountains.
The two of them no longer belonged to the same world.
With this thought, Chen Yang said: "Qi Tongwei, I never said this before, but let's break up!"
Qi Tongwei wasn't surprised by these words...
Yet out of sheer instinct, he asked: "Why?"
Chen Yang answered straightforwardly: "Because you haven't made a single bit of progress all these years, and I can't see the slightest bit of hope in you!"
Seemingly still unsatisfied, Chen Yang continued: "Qi Tongwei, you used to be the president of the university student union and a graduate degree holder to boot. How did you end up in such a pathetic state? Did you ever truly try your best?"
Hearing this, Qi Tongwei reflected that in his previous life, he had never once asked Chen Yang for the reason.
If he had known that the woman he would take three bullets just to be near held such contemptuous views of him, god only knew what he would have felt...
Without retorting, Qi Tongwei replied directly: "Who knows what the future holds? Isn't it a bit too early for you to write me off like this...?"
Without bothering to reply, Chen Yang picked up her handbag and walked straight out of the house...
Leaving Qi Tongwei standing alone in the courtyard...
Chen Hai popped up from out of nowhere.
"My sister is just like that, a bit willful," he said. "Tongwei, don't take it to heart..."
The corners of Qi Tongwei's mouth curved up slightly as he said: "It's fine, I'm already used to it."
Ever since Qi Tongwei was transferred to the mountains, many people had gradually grown distant from him.
Those who knew the inside story gave him an even wider berth. Qi Tongwei had gotten used to it long ago...
At that moment, Chen Yanshi and his wife came out of the kitchen carrying dishes...
At the dinner table, Chen Yanshi kept recounting his heroic exploits from back in the day, especially the Defense of Yuncheng.
Qi Tongwei chimed in and played along the entire time, keeping Chen Yanshi grinning from ear to ear all evening...
When the meal ended, Qi Tongwei didn't say a single word about his own work.
That actually made the elderly couple look at him in a new light.
Their favorable impression of Qi Tongwei shot straight up.........
After offering some polite parting words, Qi Tongwei left the Chen residence.
He also politely declined Chen Hai's kind offer to walk him out.
Walking down the street, Qi Tongwei pondered what his next step should be.
Gradually, a clear path formed in his mind...
At the very least, he could no longer stay within the public security and procuratorial legal systems.
He had to get to the grassroots level. Promotions in the legal and judicial systems were slow, relied heavily on background and seniority, and didn't lend themselves easily to tangible achievements.
Only at the grassroots level were there opportunities to make real accomplishments.
With his foresight, he could definitely achieve results. As long as he could produce dazzling political achievements,
Could this Liang Qunfeng of Handong really cover the sky with a single hand?
It seemed he still needed to go find Teacher Gao...
Suddenly, a few motorcycles roared past Qi Tongwei. A woman walking ahead of him screamed in terror, clutching her handbag for dear life!
Seeing this, a few thugs immediately stopped their bikes and got off.