Chapter 1993 - Circle and Approve

Wang Qiyi lay sprawled across his dormitory bed, half-reclined and utterly bored. Perhaps it was his lack of self-awareness as a "Senator," but compared to Ai Zhixin—who bounded about east and west, radiating boundless vitality—he preferred to hole up in his quarters the moment each day's training ended. As for the Senator Residence he'd specifically applied for at Great World, he couldn't even muster the energy to visit.

Why exhaust myself? he mumbled, turning over again. The Guangzhou summer was absolutely unbearable—this heat was not fit for human habitation. Where was the Little Ice Age they'd been promised? At least in Lingao, the General Office delivered ice blocks daily, and the buildings were designed for proper ventilation. One could stay comfortable without electric fans or air conditioning. But here? Even his dormitory, buried deep within the Finance and Tax Bureau compound, was stifling beyond endurance. The thought of Liu Xiang and Ai Zhixin lounging on cool couches right now, maids gently fanning them, ignited a small fire of resentment in his chest. But he could only blame himself. Who'd told him to bring his wife along? He possessed neither Liu San's courage nor Liu Zheng's boldness. And his own wife was certainly no "magnanimous" spouse like Dong Weiwei.

During the previous period, his wife had inexplicably developed warm feelings toward Nan Wan'er, drawing close to the girl and vigorously cultivating her. Director Wang had initially assumed his wife had experienced a change of heart—that she wanted to "find herself a sister." The notion had secretly pleased him. But he was a battle-tested veteran; he betrayed not a flicker of expression. Day after day, he presented himself as a modest gentleman to the world. No matter how Deputy Director Zhang probed and fished for information, he maintained that he personally had absolutely no idea what was going on. Meanwhile, he regularly published "Reflections" about how psychologically difficult it would be to accept such arrangements, while simultaneously excoriating Director Ai as "corrupt and degenerate," "playing with women," and displaying "moral depravity."

Throughout this period, Deputy Director Wang had admittedly wavered. At times he secretly wondered if he'd missed some opportunity. But in the end, he persisted. And when Deputy Director Zhang finally submitted an application to formally recognize Nan Wan'er as her sworn sister, he knew exactly how correct his choice had been. Human survival instincts triggered a sixth sense that never lied.

Sigh. Correct was correct, but this Senator's fortune remained unenjoyed... Director Wang tossed and turned. He considered calling in the idle guards stationed outside his door to fan him. But when he pictured two brawny men sitting by his bedside, gently waving fans back and forth, a chill of wrongness shot straight to his forehead.

Sigh... Never mind. Wang Qiyi sat up and shook his palm fan vigorously several times, as if driving something away. Days ago, his wife had written to say that their application to recognize Nan Wan'er as a god-sister had been rejected. The General Office only acknowledged Senators adopting children—not opposite-sex sworn siblingship. Xiao Zishan had indicated that if they insisted on forming a kinship bond, they would need to make Nan Wan'er their adopted daughter; sworn sisterhood would not be recorded.

Daughter... Wang Qiyi smiled wryly. Given their ages, having a daughter Nan Wan'er's age wouldn't exactly shock the world—in this era, girls of fifteen or sixteen commonly married and bore children. But they'd always treated her as a sister. Actually changing one's address to "Dad" and "Mom"...

He shivered again. Better to forget it.

Since then, his wife had rarely mentioned the girl in her letters. Wang Qiyi suspected her enthusiasm for finding an "aunt" for their daughter had passed—which was probably for the best. Everyone could relax and be happy. Otherwise, maintaining a firm stance day after day was genuine suffering.

Jokes aside, Wang Qiyi had always sensed something hesitant and uneasy in Nan Wan'er's response to their "favor." Though she accepted their goodwill, one could always detect a kernel of resistance within her. She consistently maintained a faint but perceptible distance.

Wang Qiyi knew how many naturalized citizens with "ambitious hearts" racked their brains to work beside Senators, hoping to obtain a Senator's favor. A single good impression could prove invaluable—if something happened later, one casual mention from a Senator could mean prosperity. Yet this girl seemed afraid of growing too close to them.

What is this young lady thinking? Wang Qiyi pondered the question.

On the nightstand beside his bed lay the summary report on Noble Gathering's asset composition, delivered just today. As Wang Qiyi had predicted, after paying the ten-times penalty on their tax liability, Noble Gathering had almost immediately rushed to re-sign the land transfer contract with Zhang Company. The moment the papers were signed, every trace of tension evaporated from the Luo household.

Tsk, tsk—this handwriting is beautiful. These subordinates were capable indeed; switching from brush to fountain pen, they could still produce such elegant script. Wang Qiyi idly picked up the pencil on his table and selected the simplest name from the Shareholder column. He attempted to write a "Shi" character in front of it... Damn. Truly ugly. Comparing the two, his attempt looked even worse. Forget it—a leader only needed to perfect his signature. Why bother with all this? Wang Qiyi resolved to switch entirely to circle-reading in the future. Drawing circles, at least, he could manage with reasonable roundness.

The seven or eight households on this list were all prominent figures in the city. Any single one of them, in past times, would have rivaled Gao Ju in influence. These names had been screened through multiple rounds of discussion. In truth, the earliest report Li Fulai had prepared contained nearly twenty families. Due to "various reasons"—such as deferring to the opinions of Liu Xiang, Zheng Shangjie, and other Senators resident in Guangzhou regarding certain major households—Ai Zhixin and the others had struck names here and there. In the end, the list had shrunk by more than half.

"This Senate is doomed!" Ai Zhixin had slammed the table at the time, his face full of grief and indignation—conveniently forgetting that he himself had crossed off two families.

Wang Qiyi scanned the list from beginning to end once more. It still seemed too long. Counting on his fingers, his fully usable subordinates numbered just five junior officers. They expected him to handle seven or eight major households? Did they truly think people of this era were fools? These merchants might not understand technology industries, but when it came to navigating government affairs, they were seasoned veterans. No—he had to narrow the selection further. Wang Qiyi gripped his pencil and began stroking slowly down from the first household on the list...

Liang Family? Since they ranked first, there was no escaping them—reason and propriety both demanded it. Mm... Xu... Wang... Huo... Liang... Just you. Capable enough to plant an advisor inside the Luo family while maintaining such a small visible stake. Impressive. Not investigating you would be a disservice to your family's reputation within the Senate. That made two. Roughly sufficient... No, he had to add one more. Otherwise that kid Ai Zhixin would never agree. Shi? Wang Qiyi glanced at the ugly "Shi" character he'd scrawled earlier. Mm, this one would do.

Having drawn three circles, Wang Qiyi wrote in the upper right corner with flourishing strokes: "Discretionary Key Inspection—Three Households. Submit to Director Ai Zhixin for Review." Only then did he set down his materials, grab his palm fan, and shake it vigorously several more times. Perhaps because night had deepened, the temperature seemed to have dropped. After gulping down a large cup of herbal tea like an ox at a trough, Wang Qiyi felt considerably refreshed. He raised his wrist to check the time—nearly nine o'clock. Where was that girl Yao Yulan? Political Security Bureau soldiers daring to ignore a Senator now?

"Report, Chief! Finance and Tax Bureau's Yao Yulan requests an audience!" The guard knocked and entered, his voice lowered.

Speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives.

"Send her in." Wang Qiyi pulled on his coat while pacing toward the living room. From certain angles, he actually quite disliked this Political Security Bureau girl embedded in his department. He knew the "Decemvirate" system was an internal security measure approved by the Senate, one that had made outstanding contributions over the years. Especially regarding which young men his eldest daughter had been corresponding with—he owed them considerable thanks for that intelligence.

Zhao Manxiong's "Secret Police" couldn't be called wrong in principle—even in the old timeline, such organizations had their place. But facing the Senate, this political "anomaly" of the new era, the system seemed somewhat maladapted. Wang Qiyi had heard more than one Senator from other departments complain about the discomfort of wondering "exactly which unit does this subordinate truly belong to."

And yes—he felt the discomfort too. Though Director Wang knew perfectly well that he was merely a Director, sent here only to hold a post rather than to "establish a kingdom" as some sort of emperor, he still disliked having subordinates whose "loyalty was not absolute." This, too, was human nature.

That morning, he'd encountered Wu Mu at a meeting convened by Liu Xiang. A woman accompanied Wu Mu—introduced as a backbone member of the Political Security Bureau, surnamed Yang-something, specially dispatched from Lingao to assist him.

The meeting's theme concerned how to strike at anti-Senate underground groups in connection with the "Stamp Tax Case." Wang Qiyi had listened in bewilderment. The case hadn't even entered formal investigation yet—how had the Political Security Bureau already reached such conclusions? Were they planning to fabricate charges in the style of "Unwarranted"—Yue Fei's infamous accusation—or simply determine guilt first and find evidence afterward?

During the meeting, Wu Mu had mentioned that the current financial situation involved "struggle." He didn't specify what kind of struggle, only reminding everyone that beyond certain minor actions, the gentry and major households inside and outside Guangzhou were also engaged in other "illegal activities." He specifically noted that small quantities of counterfeit currency had been discovered circulating at market level. He declined to elaborate, saying only that a report would be issued soon for everyone to review.

Wang Qiyi had knowingly refrained from asking further. But when he'd sought out Yao Yulan after dinner that evening, he was told: "Team Leader Yao went out. She didn't say where." This put Wang Qiyi in a very sour mood. One could guess with one's toes that this was eighty percent likely the "embedded informant" going to deliver her report. Report about what? That their trio was guilty of dereliction of duty, or improper personnel decisions, or forming cliques without honesty toward the Senate? Officially, they weren't permitted to collect intelligence on Senators—but heaven only knew what these people hiding in corners had actually recorded.

"Tell her to come to my dormitory before nine o'clock the moment she returns," Wang Qiyi had instructed with barely concealed resentment. He resolved that the next time Zhao Manxiong faced criticism at a Senator General Assembly, he absolutely would not lift a finger in that man's defense.

"Chief Wang, you sent for me." Yao Yulan's face was flushed—whether from running the whole way or for other reasons, he couldn't tell.

"Mm. Take this to Director Ai." Wang Qiyi kept his expression blank as he slid the list he'd circled and approved into a file envelope, sealed the opening, and passed it to Yao Yulan.

"Yes, sir!"

"Nothing else. Dismissed."

"Yes, sir."

"Team Leader Yao—" Just as Yao Yulan stepped over the threshold, Wang Qiyi called out to stop her. "There may be an important mission tomorrow. Remember to rest early after making your delivery."

Yao Yulan froze, hesitated briefly, then answered: "Yes, sir!"