"Impudent, is this the place for you to speak?" Nie Guowei immediately stood up, scolding loudly. It's outrageous, utterly lacking in propriety. Nie Guowei glared furiously at this so-called son. If not for the scientific evidence present, Nie Guowei would absolutely refuse to acknowledge this son. At this moment, no matter how Nie Guowei looked at him, he felt uncomfortable. This was indeed one untaught, in such a family, tradition must be maintained, when adults are speaking, where would the younger generation have a chance to interject?
Nie Zhenbang sneered, he had known it would be like this. In his past life, he had desperately tried to please them. He improved his grades to the point where, in his final year of graduation, he had become the top student of the Chinese Department at Jingcheng University. However, reality proved that this had no effect, no matter how much he wanted to be a good boy. An illegitimate child will always be an illegitimate child. No one cared.
Reality proved that such actions were futile. If so, what about facing confrontation? With his gaze fixed on Nie Guowei, Nie Zhenbang spoke solemnly, "I don't think there's anything wrong with my words. If the discussion involves national affairs, I won't participate. However, if it concerns me, as the party involved, I think, I have the right to be present here."
After these words, a hint of surprise flashed across Nie Guodong's face. A child raised in a common family had no fear or dread in front of them, in front of such a prestigious family. This was very strange. This son was extraordinary. Given time, he might become Jialiang's biggest competitor in the family.s
Nie Jialei was quite interested in watching Nie Zhenbang. The twenty-year-old Nie Jialei had already graduated and started working in the State Council Office. With the support of his family, Nie Jialei's career was thriving. In less than two months, he had reached the deputy section level. His personal ability was also commendable. It could be said that he was the third-generation heir that the family was focusing to cultivate. With his father in the military and his uncle in politics, his future was unlimited.
"Interesting, it looks like this half-brother is also no simple character." Nie Jialei thought to himself.
Nie Jiamin was shocked. When did such a remarkable person appear? In this capital of the fourth ring, even the famous Zhou Chen, Yang An Bang, and Zhang Xu were docile in front of their parents. This brother was impressive.
Ye Shuxian was stunned for a second, her expression complex. It seemed that this son was not a simpleton who had never seen the world, not an easy target to bully. Ye Shuxian immediately stood up, saying, "You guys continue talking. I'll go and pour some tea for you."
Pouring tea was just an excuse. In such situations, women usually would stay out. This was an unwritten rule within their circle. Unmarried women in their families could say a few words, but once they married, they couldn't participate because no one knew whether, in crucial moments, their daughter-in-law would side with her natal family. There had been incidents of in-law families fighting against each other in Jingcheng.
Before Nie Guowei could explode, Nie Guodong waved his hand, directed at Nie Zhenbang, "Nie Zhenbang, sit down. This matter, in fact, does involve you."
Nie Zhenbang disregarded his father's anger, casually taking a seat. At this moment, Nie Guodong was carefully observing Nie Zhenbang's behavior. Seeing this, he then said, "Zhenbang, your arrival is rather ill-timed. Do you know why?"
Actually, this was just a polite statement from Nie Guodong as no one in the Nie family would have thought that Zhenbang could understand it. Not to mention he was raised outside, even Nie Jiamin, who grew up in the large family courtyard, probably couldn't comprehend the concept of timing.
However, at this moment, Nie Zhenbang casually said, "Ill-timed? Isn't it just that my appearance has disrupted his career prospects? Uncle, I think, a lost horse may make a gift of a blessing.
"Ha, ignorant arrogance!" Nie Guowei scoffed disdainfully.
Nie Guodong was somewhat surprised, he found his illegitimate nephew more and more elusive. Is this kid, who was raised among commoners, a freak, or was he trained and deliberately implanted into the Nie family by an adversary? Of course, he dismissed the latter thought soon. If even Nie Guowei wasn't aware of it, it seemed unlikely any adversary would. He gestured to Nie Guowei to hold back and looked at Nie Zhenbang, saying, "Oh? How so?"
Meanwhile, Nie Jialei sneered on the side, "Ignorant, what do you know. This is a crucial moment for my uncle. He has a great chance this time to take a step further and become the Head of the Planning Department. Think about it, he's a Director-level official at the age of thirty-six, a rarity nationwide. If he fails to progress this time, he may have to wait for another four years. By then, his age advantage compared to others from different families will have faded away."
Nie Zhenbang was very clear about this matter. In his previous life, because of his existence, Nie Guowei was eventually unable to advance any further and was suppressed in the position of Deputy Director. Four years later, he failed to make any progress. When the old man died, the Nie family declined drastically, and his siblings scattered, all taking care of their own families. Although Nie Guodong managed to narrowly protect his own line, Nie Guowei was the one who suffered, stuck in that position until his death.
Nie Jialei's words, however, gave Nie Zhenbang an opportunity. Otherwise, if everyone was silent about this issue, and he was the only one who knew it, it would be too strange. At this moment, Nie Zhenbang took the opportunity to say, "My eldest brother, that's exactly what I mean. At present, I'm here. I think that those who would compete with my father for his position would certainly have strong support. Otherwise, my uncle and my father wouldn't be so anxious. Given that, I suggest we take a step back and withdraw from this competition."
"Withdraw from the competition?"
"Yes, that's how we dealt with such situations back in Tang City. Once, we were electing student cadres in my class, both I and a classmate ran for class monitor. In the end, I approached the classmate with two yuan as a bargaining chip, and I quit. I think if we withdraw, our opponent ought to give us some benefits, right?" Nie Zhenbang carefully thought out every word. Being overly mature would likely be counterproductive.
Everyone began to contemplate. Nie Guodong, though in the military, had sharp political instincts. He quickly identified the crux of the matter: do not compete, that is, give up the position and, in return, the opponent won't suppress Nie Guowei in this matter. Instead, they might offer certain benefits. After all, if they were to relentlessly pursue the issue, they would end up with a bad reputation among the families in Jingcheng, giving off a brutally aggressive image. In turn, they could become a public enemy amongst these families, even their allies would start to worry. What if they offended them one day, would they go as far as wiping them out?
"But what about your father's position?" Nie Guodong quickly asked. If they followed this approach, Nie Guowei would have to vacate his current position because his rank hadn't increased.
Nie Zhenbang was quite pleased with his performance, from the beginning until now, everything was falling into place. He steered everyone's thoughts down the path he wanted. Even though this performance wouldn't lead to significant changes, at least it wasn't like his previous life. A complete change couldn't be achieved in one or two attempts. It was a long process, requiring time.
Immediately, Nie Zhenbang played dumb, "I honestly don't know. But considering the size of our nation, if you look at places like Eastern Fujian, Yuedong, Jiangbei, and South of the Yangtze River, along with countless impoverished areas, it could be an opportunity. Perhaps he could step up a rank and become a regional commissioner or mayor of a prefecture-level city. Wouldn't that be the same level position?"
Nie Guodong pondered for a moment, then took a meaningful look at Nie Zhenbang. He wondered if his nephew was genuinely naive or just pretending to be. In the Jingcheng ministries, the current situation was each position was sought after by many, some candidates didn't even wait for the vacancy to appear. Given Nie Guowei's current predicament, he was easily targeted by various families. It was impossible to maintain his position in Jingcheng and get a promotion. His only way out was to be assigned elsewhere.
Shortly after, Nie Guodong got up, patted Nie Guowei's shoulder, and said, "Guowei, you think about it yourself. Decide on a place, and tomorrow, we'll go talk to the old man together. I should head home now."
Nie Jiamin's face showed admiration at that moment. He found his brother to be quite impressive. At this point, he wasn't as pragmatic as Nie Jialei. He didn't concern himself with family strife and such, he admired the disposition of the younger generation. As he passed by Nie Zhenbang, Nie Jiamin whispered to him, "Kid, you're really something. How about it? We should find some time to spar together tomorrow."
Nie Zhenbang smiled, watching Nie Guodong leave, and responded nonchalantly, "You? I'm always ready for you!"
Only Nie Guowei and his son Nie Zhenbang were left in the living room. Nie Ziyu had gone to bed. At this point, Ye Shuxian came out from the interior of the house. With complex emotions, she looked at Nie Zhenbang and whispered, "Guowei, I think you should consider Yuedong. My hometown is there, and my father still has some connections. If we go there, he could probably provide some assistance."
Nie Guowei nodded. This was indeed the best option. Time wouldn't wait for him, and he couldn't either. He looked at Nie Zhenbang, his mouth moved slightly, but he did not say anything, instead shook his head and walked away.
Ye Shuxian watched Nie Zhenbang. As the saying goes, a wife shares the glory of her husband, a mother the honor of her son. If only he was her biological son, how great would that be. Unfortunately, he was only a illegitimate child, and she was just a stepmother. At this moment, Ye Shuxian felt conflicted. After a long silence, she calmly said, "Your room is next to the study. It's getting late, you should rest."