"Mr. Xiang, you've already investigated me thoroughly, haven't you?" Leon closed the book, facing Victor Xiang's oppressive presence without flinching. "I wonder, what is it that disappoints you about me now?"
Victor Xiang, whose seemingly ordinary name harbored a deep-seated pride, exhibited a commanding aura in every movement and glance, making people feel unsettled.
Seeing Leon's calm demeanor, Victor's eyes flashed with a sharp glint. "Leon, twenty years old, from Nanhu. Your parents, laid-off workers, now run a small jewelry business. You have a sister three years younger. With such an ordinary family background, all I can hope for is your character. But it seems my daughter has chosen someone who lacks basic manners."
"I could stand here obediently, like a subordinate, waiting for you to finish or get bored with your book before you talk to me. But is that really what you're expecting?" Leon had sensed the subtle test from the moment he entered. "I don't think so."
Victor's eyes showed a hint of surprise at Leon's words but became even more severe. "Arguing with a parent on the first meeting leaves a terrible impression."
Leon sheepishly scratched his head. At this point, he knew that any response would cement that impression.
After a long silence, Victor chuckled, "You've piqued my interest. The helicopter didn't scare you, did it?" The armed helicopter was enough to terrify any ordinary person, but Leon felt there was little left on Earth that could scare him.
What happened next surprised Leon. He had braced himself for questioning about his kiss with Isabella, but Victor's topics were unrelated trivialities.
Leon didn't let his guard down. He knew that people in positions of power often liked to hide sharp intentions behind seemingly innocuous questions. He thought to himself that if power required such constant maneuvering, living with it must be exhausting.
After about ten minutes of small talk, Victor suddenly asked, "You noticed the book I was reading, and you were quite engrossed in it yourself. How do you understand the Doctrine of the Mean?"
The Doctrine of the Mean? Many people interpret it as the middle path, neither leaning too far in any direction, doing things methodically, or simply as mediocrity. They often cite "excess is as bad as deficiency" to support this view, but that's a misinterpretation due to literal understanding.
If Leon answered that way, he would surely be looked down upon. So he thought for a moment and said, "The Doctrine of the Mean states, 'The virtue of the mean is that it is unchanging.' Mean refers to the correct way of the world, the universal principle."
"What does 'mean' mean? My understanding is that it doesn't imply mediocrity or compromise but adherence to the Dao, the natural order. What is Dao? The Doctrine of the Mean says, 'What Heaven has conferred is called the nature; an accordance with this nature is called the path of duty.' It means aligning with and following natural laws."
Victor had asked casually, wanting to see how the younger generation perceived the concept and whether Leon saw it as ordinary, plain, and insignificant. He had little expectation but found himself genuinely interested as Leon spoke confidently.
"All things in the world follow the Dao, the natural order. What does 'mean' mean? It means unchanging, or constant, not mediocre or undistinguished. The world always adheres to the natural order. This constant characteristic is the principle of the mean. From the world's perspective, the natural order is objective reality; this is the mean. From an individual's perspective, recognizing the world's objectivity and always acting in accordance with natural laws is the mean."
"The Doctrine of the Mean also states, 'When joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure have not yet arisen, it is called the mean. When they arise to their due degree, it is called harmony.' This means facing things most objectively is the mean. When subjective actions align with objective reality, that's achieving harmony between heaven and man."
Leon concluded, wiping cold sweat from his forehead. It was painful to elaborate so much.
"Your understanding is quite good," Victor praised.
Leon continued, "The saying 'excess is as bad as deficiency' can be illustrated by walking in a city. Every path is a 'Dao.' To reach a destination, some people wander aimlessly, and they never reach the end. These are the fools Confucius referred to as lacking. Some try to take shortcuts, not following the paths, and end up hitting walls. These are the overly clever ones Confucius spoke of as going too far. Both are not following the correct path."
"The correct path?" Victor remarked. "It refers to those who find the right path and go straight to their destination. Because they follow the mean, they reach their goal on the correct path. This is true adherence to the mean. Is that what you mean?"
Leon nodded, feeling his thoughts had been entirely seen through.
"Let me ask you this: If you are on the correct path but someone disrupts it, what would you do? Would you take another path? Repair and continue? Or defeat the one who disrupted you?"
Victor's three questions brought the atmosphere to freezing point.
Leon knew the real test had begun.
As the candlelight flickered and then extinguished, the room plunged into a silent darkness.
From the darkness, Leon's icy voice emerged.
"Taking another path would negate all the previous efforts, which isn't feasible. Repairing and continuing might solve the surface problem, but the path could be disrupted again. The third option, defeating the enemy, seems the best answer."
"Oh, so you choose the third option?"
"No, the third option is the least feasible," Leon denied firmly. "An enemy capable of disrupting your path is stronger. Fighting them could be self-destructive."
"Then are you avoiding all three options?"
Leon smiled, "Mr. Xiang, I never said I would avoid them. You should go online more often; this answer is quite popular."
"Hmm?"
"Walk their path and make them run out of options!"
That was Leon's choice.
After a moment of silence, a warm laugh broke the stillness. In the darkness, a flame ignited, revealing Victor Xiang's wise, sharp eyes.
The room was lit again, this time by electric lights, making Leon feel much more comfortable.
"An interesting answer. Though there's much to ponder, it's certainly intriguing." Victor smiled faintly for the first time.
Leon breathed a sigh of relief. Was the crisis over?
"Leon, since you call me 'Uncle,' let me ask you another question in that capacity."
Here we go again, Leon thought, swallowing nervously. His brain cells were already depleted. "What would you like to ask, Uncle?"
Victor asked coldly, "Leon, do you think you have the qualifications to marry my daughter, Isabella?"
Great, the question Leon dreaded the most had finally come.