The Family's Desires

After three rounds of drinks and a sampling of the dishes, the atmosphere seemed warm and harmonious, but the conversation quietly shifted.

His wife's face glowed as she casually placed a morsel of food in Li Ze's bowl. "By the way, Li, Principal Wang specifically asked to speak with me today. He said I had outstanding ability and a broad outlook, and the school was considering giving me more responsibility by promoting me to grade director."

"And Deputy Director Zhang from the district education bureau came to the school this afternoon. He privately asked whether I wanted to transfer to the bureau to further my career. They happen to have an opening. They were both wondering when you might be free so they could treat you to dinner and get to know you."

Her words brimmed with pride and anticipation, as though all these opportunities had come entirely because of Li Zhe's personal "ability."

His father-in-law immediately picked up the thread, raising his glass. "See! I always said Xiao Ze was a pillar of talent! Gold will always shine! Come, let your dad toast you again!"

He tipped back his head and drained his glass, then seized the moment to say, "Xiao Ze, look, now that you've reached this position, you have a wider network. Director Liu at our bureau has always taken an interest in your development. He was delighted to hear about your promotion, too. When would you be free for me to host a simple meal for you and Director Liu, so you two can sit down together? Just think of it as thanking a leader for his concern."

His father-in-law had barely finished when his younger brother-in-law impatiently cut in, leaning closer with the smell of cigarettes and alcohol on him.

"Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, there happens to be a little matter. You know that small construction job I have? It's an ancillary project for the district's old residential neighborhood renovation. Right now, it's stuck at the municipal housing and urban-rural development bureau's fire safety inspection. That Section Chief Wang in charge of approvals won't budge, no matter what. You're someone at Mayor Lin's side now. Your words carry weight! When it's convenient, could you invite Section Chief Wang out for dinner? You wouldn't even have to say anything. Just show your face and give a nod. I'll handle the rest! If this works out, we'll split the profits fifty-fifty."

In an instant, all the "enthusiasm," "congratulations," and "family affection" around the table seemed to have their disguises ripped away, exposing the naked calculations of self-interest and intentions to trade favors beneath.

The smile froze on Li Ze's face, and he slowly lowered the glass he had been holding up.

He looked around at all those "warm" faces at the table.

His father-in-law's officialdom-style attempts to cozy up, his wife's vanity and expectations, his younger brother-in-law's undisguised exploitation.

Suddenly, he understood it all.

This lavish family dinner, these two bottles of Maotai they would never ordinarily have opened for him, this sudden family warmth and revered status-none of it was because of who he, Li Zhe, was. They were not even genuinely happy that he had landed the position of the mayor's secretary.

What they saw was the faintly looming shadow of power behind him.

It was the enormous convenience and benefits that the golden signboard of Mayor Lin Yanzhou's name might bring.

They were eager to carve up the dividends cast by the reflected glow of that power, treating him as a stepping stone and a bridge to its core.

An indescribable sense of desolation and irony welled up in him.

For more than a decade, he had buried himself in hard work, diligent and conscientious, yet because he had neither power nor influence, he had always been like an outsider in this family. Even his own parents had found it difficult to visit because they were looked down upon.

Now, merely because he had drawn close to power, without even truly possessing it yet, the whole world had turned a smiling face toward him, revealing its true purpose of demanding things from him.

Heh. Li Ze gave a silent, cold laugh inwardly. Secretary-General Qian Yongnian's warning still rang in his ears: "You must be able to withstand temptation."

And this temptation had pounced on him so quickly, so directly, wrapped in the coercion of family affection.

He knew that from this moment on, every step along the road beneath his feet would require even greater care. These "relatives" around him might become the first wave of "temptation" he would need to resist.

The smile vanished completely from Li Ze's face. He set his barely touched glass back on the table, neither heavily nor lightly, with a soft clink, cutting off his younger brother-in-law's still-rambling "grand blueprint."

"That's enough." His voice was not loud, but it carried an unprecedented calm and distance that instantly cooled the heated atmosphere around the table.

"I haven't even officially taken up the post yet. There's a lot I don't understand, and I don't know the rules either. It's too early to talk about these things."

His gaze swept over his father-in-law and younger brother-in-law before finally settling on his wife's face. "I have to pick up the mayor early tomorrow morning. I can't let anything go wrong, so I won't drink any more. Take your time eating."

With that, he pushed back his chair and stood up. Without looking again at the expressions of those around the table, he turned and went to the bathroom to wash up, then went straight to the bedroom and shut the door.

The atmosphere in the living room immediately grew somewhat awkward.

His father-in-law's smile stiffened briefly before quickly returning to normal as he smoothed things over. "Yes, yes, yes, Xiao Ze is right! He's just taking up the post. It's only right to be cautious. Keeping a low profile is good! Work comes first, work comes first!"

Though that was what he said, he shot his daughter a meaningful look, signaling for her to follow him in and "work on him."

Li Ze's wife also felt somewhat embarrassed, but the power her husband now possessed was the foundation on which her family's rise would rest. Had this been yesterday, she might have flipped the table.

But times had changed. She had to rein in her temper now, because everything she wanted to have in the future depended on Li Ze.

She nodded to her father in understanding.

Seeing Li Ze finish washing up and return to the bedroom, she soon followed him in and closed the door, an ingratiating smile on her face. "Look at you. Dad and my brother were just happy for you. They spoke a little too hastily. Don't take it to heart."

She sat down beside the bed and softened her voice. "But what they said is true. Your position is different now. Isn't this exactly what connections and resources are for? The principal and the director value your ability, too. And my brother's project-isn't that just a matter of saying a word for you? Helping your own family is better than helping outsiders, isn't it? You need to keep this in mind and find an opportunity..."

Li Ze was changing into his pajamas. At her words, his hands paused, and the little warmth his family's "congratulations" had stirred in his heart went completely cold.

He interrupted his wife. "Didn't you hear what I said out there just now? I can barely keep myself safe right now. I have to be careful about everything. What the mayor hates most is people around him using his name to get things done. Don't bring this up again, and especially don't go talking carelessly about it outside. If something goes wrong, I'll be the first one to suffer!"

His wife inwardly disagreed, thinking her husband was making a mountain out of a molehill, but she did not dare press him any further. She merely pursed her lips. "Fine, fine, fine. We won't mention it, then. Let's sleep, let's sleep. You have to get up early tomorrow." But she had not given up inside and planned to keep whispering this "pillow talk" into his ear gradually in the future.

The moment his father-in-law saw his daughter's expression as she came out, he knew they could not rush things. There was plenty of time ahead. As long as his son-in-law secured his footing in this position, many things would naturally become much easier to handle.

All he had to do was let people know his son-in-law was the mayor's secretary. When the time came, Li Ze would not even need to appear in person. With his status as the mayor's secretary's father-in-law alone, what could he not get done?