The company rented a two-story building located in a village within Yan City, resembling a villa. The total area of both floors was over 300 square meters. Li Dingshan worked and slept on the upper floor, while everyone else worked on the lower floor. Generally, calls for Li Dingshan would be directed to the upstairs phone, while the downstairs phone was used for external communications.
Xia Xiang approached the telephone, about to pick it up, when he suddenly froze at the sight of the incoming number. The first three digits were glaringly obvious, making him involuntarily hold his breath. These three ordinary digits, which might be just a regular prefix in another city, were well-known in Yan City as the dedicated prefix for the Provincial Party Committee. This meant that the call was coming from the Provincial Party Committee compound.
A call from the Provincial Party Committee must be for Li Dingshan. And among those who were familiar with Li Dingshan at the Provincial Party Committee, there was only one person: Song Chaodu.
Song Chaodu?
Xia Xiang's eyes suddenly lit up as he recalled what he knew about Song Chaodu's career. A vague yet strong idea flashed through his mind. This idea was so intense and persistent that he couldn't ignore it; it made him want to grasp this bold and crazy thought and shout it out loud. He tried to think hard and finally remembered that in his previous life, he had also received a call from Song Chaodu before getting the company's notice. However, at that time, he had already decided to leave, and whatever Song Chaodu said on the phone, he quickly forgot, overwhelmed by the joy of being hired by a new company. He even forgot to tell Li Dingshan about the call before leaving the company.
Xia Xiang picked up the phone, trying to calm himself down and make his voice sound less excited, pretending not to know who was on the other end. It was laughable, but after leaving the company in his previous life, the highest-ranking official he ever dealt with was a department head, who was so arrogant that he held up Xia Xiang's company for half a month during its early stages, only relenting after extorting 5,000 yuan.
He remembered that when he received this call in his previous life, he felt nothing, thinking it was just like any other call, with no connection to him. But today, it was completely different. Having experienced the immense power of authority, Xia Xiang naturally associated it with the significant benefits it could bring. An uncontrollable idea grew in his mind like wild grass, almost overwhelming him, because he knew he was facing a huge opportunity. He knew why Song Chaodu was calling Li Dingshan.
"Hello, may I ask who you are looking for?" Knowing the high status of the caller and the significant change they could bring to Li Dingshan and himself, Xia Xiang was no longer the naive young man he was in his previous life. Despite his efforts, his voice still sounded a bit off.
A calm yet authoritative voice came through the phone: "This is from the Provincial Party Committee. Is Li Dingshan there? His upstairs phone is not being answered."
Li Dingshan had been in a bad mood recently and often unplugged the phone line when he took naps, so it was normal for the call to go unanswered.
After a slight hesitation, Xia Xiang made his voice sound respectful but not overly familiar: "Is this Secretary Song? Hello, Mr. Li is sleeping, and he probably unplugged the phone. Shall I go upstairs and wake him up?"
Clearly, the caller did not expect Xia Xiang to recognize his voice, as he didn't remember who Xia Xiang was. After a brief pause, Song Chaodu said, "Never mind, it's not important. Let him sleep..."
Xia Xiang seized the opportunity to continue: "Alright, if Secretary Song has something to say, I can pass it on to Mr. Li, or you can try again later. I'll go upstairs and plug the phone back in. Mr. Li has been very busy these days and is quite exhausted. Even I, as his subordinate, think he should consider a change and maybe take a break. It might do him some good..."
Xia Xiang knew he was talking too much and might leave a bad impression on Song Chaodu, but this call was a golden opportunity. If he missed it, it would be too regrettable. Since he had been given a second chance, he couldn't let it slip away.Although he couldn't see Song Zhaodu's expression, his voice sounded intrigued as he said, "Oh," and then casually added, "I've been to Ding Shan's place. Why don't I remember you?" Xia Xiang, suppressing his racing heart, gripped the phone tightly and carefully chose his words, "My name is Xia Xiang. I work in the office downstairs. Secretary-General Song might not have noticed me because my seat is in a secluded spot." In his previous life, when Song Zhaodu called, Xia Xiang had only spoken two sentences before hanging up, and Song Zhaodu hadn't even asked for his name. Song Zhaodu didn't say anything more, just asked Xia Xiang to relay to Li Ding Shan that he had called, and then hung up. Putting down the phone, Xia Xiang realized his hands were drenched in sweat, as if they had been washed. When he turned around, he felt his T-shirt sticking to his body; his back was also soaked. However, his heart burned like a flame. Successfully speaking with Song Zhaodu and having him ask for his name was a crucial first step toward success. Sitting back at his desk, Xia Xiang felt a cool breeze coming from the door. Looking out the window, he saw that it had started pouring rain outside. He thought about the sequence of events and how to persuade Li Ding Shan to give up the company, leave the newspaper, and follow Song Zhaodu's arrangement to enter politics. This would open up new opportunities and turn the current passive situation into a new beginning... The sudden ringing of the phone startled him.Xia Xiang jumped in surprise and grabbed the phone. It was the company he had applied to, informing him that he could start work on Monday. There was no joy in his heart, and he firmly but politely declined, despite knowing that it was a foreign company with generous benefits, which was hard for most people to get into. In his previous life, he had worked there for three years, eventually earning a monthly salary of 10,000 yuan, making him part of the high-income group in the provincial capital. But since he had a second chance, what was the point of following the same path? How could he justify this precious opportunity for a fresh start? Moreover, Xia Xiang was determined to change his fate, and Li Ding Shan's, according to his own plan. After all, his first step toward advancement depended on Li Ding Shan's network. At that moment, the familiar coughing of the smoker upstairs indicated that Li Ding Shan had woken up. In his previous life, Xia Xiang had rushed upstairs immediately upon hearing him wake up, resigned, and left Li Ding Shan looking extremely displeased. This time, Xia Xiang also needed to go upstairs, but not to resign. He had something important to discuss. He composed himself and decided to wait 10 minutes to let Li Ding Shan fully wake up, making the conversation easier. The rain outside had lessened but was still continuous, a rare heavy downpour for the northern city. The sound of the rain gradually calmed his heart. With 12 years of additional experience, he was no longer as impulsive and anxious as before, nor did he have the same sense of gain and loss. After sitting for less than five minutes, he suddenly saw someone staggering through the wind and rain, pushing the door open and bringing in a gust of wet, cool air. Drenched from head to toe, her face was a mix of rain and tears, her eyes filled with water, staring at Xia Xiang with a look of utter despair. What happened to Xiao Jia? Xiao Jia had delicate features, giving an indescribable sense of beauty. Her attractiveness was dazzling at first glance, but if one looked longer, the most striking feature was her misty, smoky eyes, which seemed to draw one in irresistibly. In his previous life, Xia Xiang had also harbored fantasies about Xiao Jia, but seeing her flirtation with Wen Yang, he had lacked the courage to act. Additionally, having just entered society and suffered a breakup, he wasn't ready for a new relationship, so their relationship remained distant. This time, delaying going upstairs by five minutes, he unexpectedly encountered Xiao Jia in such a state of distress. Xia Xiang was momentarily stunned, unsure of what to say. Regaining his composure, he noticed that Xiao Jia was wearing a thin, flowered dress with a blue sash around her waist, accentuating her slender figure. Now, completely drenched, the light, sheer fabric clung to her body, revealing her curves as if she were naked. Even the lace trim of her beige bra was clearly visible!