Xia Xiang could see that Li Dingshan was in a dilemma. In fact, he had already considered giving up on the company, but he lacked confidence in entering politics. He was worried that if Song Zhaodu lost power, he would be implicated. Even though he had connections with the central media, it would still be easy for the provincial party secretary to deal with a mere county party secretary.
Perhaps this was precisely why Li Dingshan had been hesitant to agree to Song Zhaodu's arrangement. Now, seeing that the large LCD screen project was about to fall through, and being persuaded by Xia Xiang, his desire to enter politics grew stronger. However, he couldn't help but think that even a powerful figure like Song Zhaodu, a member of the provincial standing committee and the provincial party secretary, was being suppressed. If he were to become a county party secretary, he would still be seen as part of Song Zhaodu's faction. What future would he have then?
Although Xia Xiang knew the course of history, he couldn't just tell Li Dingshan that Gao Chengsong would fall from power in two years, and Song Zhaodu would rise again, even more powerful than before. As a young man just starting out in society, no one would believe him even if he made grand claims.
"I have an idea, though it's not fully formed. If Mr. Li is willing to listen, I'll share it," Xia Xiang said, deliberately lowering his tone.
Li Dingshan put out his cigarette, stood up, and sat next to Xia Xiang: "Speak your mind. We're in the same boat now!"
Xia Xiang felt a surge of joy. With those words, Li Dingshan was acknowledging Xia Xiang as one of his closest and most trusted people. However, Xia Xiang didn't show any sign of pride. Instead, he respectfully said, "Before Secretary Song loses power, we should arrange everything as quickly as possible. Your plan to enter politics remains unchanged, and you should still go to a county to serve as the county party secretary. But don't go to a suburb of Yan City; it's too close to the provincial government and will attract too much attention. Choose a remote, poor county where no one will notice. One day, Gao Chengsong will be transferred, and after three or four years of hard work, you'll see a bright future..."
Li Dingshan sat up straight, a look of admiration in his eyes. He hadn't realized that Xia Xiang, who had always been quiet, was actually so meticulous. His vision, determination, and ability to find opportunities in chaos were unmatched in the company, and even among the young people at the national newspaper, no one could compare.
Seeing Xia Xiang's calm and composed demeanor, Li Dingshan thought he was indeed someone worth using. After a moment of contemplation, he decided that Xia Xiang's suggestion was the best option. He patted Xia Xiang on the shoulder and stood up: "I'll go to Beijing tomorrow to hand over my responsibilities at the newspaper. When I return, I'll talk to Song Zhaodu."
He gave Xia Xiang a meaningful look and added, "If you're still with the company, come with me."
Back at his seat, Xia Xiang still felt a bit dazed. Partly because of the lingering headache from the previous night's drinking, and partly because of Li Dingshan's hint. By saying he wanted Xia Xiang to come along to meet Song Zhaodu, it was clear that Li Dingshan saw him as his most trusted person. And there was an additional implication: as long as Xia Xiang stayed with the company, Li Dingshan wouldn't mistreat him.
Xia Xiang smiled to himself. If he really wanted to leave the company, he would have done so already. He wouldn't have gone to such lengths to push Li Dingshan into politics. But did Li Dingshan's words imply something else, or did he doubt Xia Xiang's commitment to the company?
Could Wen Yang be causing trouble behind the scenes?
After Xia Xiang went downstairs, Jia He hurried upstairs and stayed for about half an hour before coming back down. He looked very happy and came to Xia Xiang, putting an arm around his shoulder: "Brother, you've got some skills. I admire you. Let's have lunch and a drink, what do you say?"
Jia He had followed Li Dingshan for many years and had seen how drivers of officials behaved. He also aspired to be the driver for a county party secretary. Though he couldn't influence Li Dingshan's decisions, he had seen Xia Xiang's abilities and, given their good relationship, now considered Xia Xiang his closest friend. Besides, someone who could influence Li Dingshan could also influence his opinions. Jia He wanted to maintain his status in the inner circle.
Xia Xiang had always liked Jia He and saw him as a trustworthy friend. He nodded, "Let's eat, but no more drinking. I'm still hungover from yesterday. Drunkenness is the worst."
Jia He laughed and left to wash the car. Xia Xiang had just poured himself a glass of water when Wen Yang came out of the office, looking unhappy: "Xia Xiang, if you're not going to Jiajia Supermarket, give me back the form."
In truth, Xia Xiang should thank Wen Yang for the opportunity, but he wasn't going to return the form. He stood up and smiled, "Such a good opportunity, of course, I'll cherish it. I'll go to Jiajia Supermarket this afternoon. Thanks, Mr. Wen."
Wen Yang didn't say anything, just nodded and went upstairs.
Xia Xiang didn't know what Wen Yang and Li Dingshan discussed, but when Wen Yang came back down, he had a smile on his face that made Xia Xiang uneasy. He worried that Wen Yang might try to take credit for the success when it was almost achieved.
If it came to that, Xia Xiang wasn't afraid to confront Wen Yang. The secret book publishing under the company's name could be used against him. But it wasn't time to fight to the death yet. Xia Xiang believed that when Li Dingshan became the county party secretary, he would be the first choice to follow him.
At lunch with Jia He, Xia Xiang casually mentioned, "If Mr. Li becomes the county party secretary, Wen Yang could at least be the director of the county party office. I saw him come down from upstairs today, looking very happy, as if he had received some good news."
Jia He snorted, "I don't think Mr. Li will take him. He probably doesn't want to go to the county either. If the company is handed over to the newspaper, Wen Yang might become the general manager."
If the company fell into Wen Yang's hands, it would surely become a tool for his personal gain. But Xia Xiang didn't have the energy to worry about that now. As long as Wen Yang didn't get in his way, he wouldn't expose the book publishing scheme.
Xia Xiang had a nagging feeling that if the book publishing scheme was exposed, Xiao Jia would be implicated. He didn't want to use it to threaten Wen Yang, perhaps partly because he was concerned about Xiao Jia. Thinking about it, although Xiao Jia was beautiful, they probably wouldn't end up together. It was likely just a temporary infatuation and sympathy.
Actually, Xiao Jia was quite a pitiful girl. She had put in a lot of effort but didn't receive her due compensation from Wen Yang. Unable to get it through legal means, she resorted to illegal methods. Xia Xiang said he wouldn't help Xiao Jia with the book, but in reality, he turned a blind eye to her actions, taking a laissez-faire attitude.
After lunch, Xia Xiang asked Li Dingshan for leave, saying he needed to handle some personal matters. Li Dingshan agreed without asking any questions. As Xia Xiang was leaving, Li Dingshan added, "I'm going to Beijing for a few days, probably two or three."