Wang Jingchuan braced himself, saying, "After all, he’s one of Little Gu’s people, and even if we don’t give him face, we must give the Bo Family some. You must look at the owner before hitting the dog."

Old Brother let out a cold laugh, "Ha, since when have you ever looked at me, the owner? You heard the old lady scolding me today too, didn’t you? She was tearing into me like a maniac. Looking at this little brat, it’s like he’s constantly trying to make my life miserable."

Seeing Old Brother’s fiery temper again, Wang Jingchuan dared not make a sound, merely rubbed his nose.

Old Brother glared at him, "Why aren’t you speaking? Aren’t you always defending that little bastard?"

"How could I dare, I dislike who you dislike, I only dare to like who you like. I’m always on your side," the secretary-general said fawningly.

Old Brother patted his pant leg dismissively, "Come on now, Jingchuan, don’t I know you?"

He sighed, "You don’t have to focus solely on me. You must... decide on your own how to act. Although you’re with me now, how many years do I have left? In the future, it will just be someone else, but the Bo Family won’t fall."

He said, somewhat unwillingly, "With Bo Xichen and that little brat around, who could possibly touch the Bo Family?"

As he spoke, he seemed to be in a daze for a moment, a fleeting moment of absent-mindedness.

His expression was a mixture of loss and frustration, which made the secretary-general’s heart ache. He leaned in and asked softly, "What’s on your mind?"

Wang Jing raised his eyes to him after looking for a while and said hoarsely, "When I chose Zhou Yunchen at the start, I had ulterior motives. It was all for cleaning up Beicheng inside and out, to protect that fearless little brat. But now, that little brat and the Bo Family have become those I fear the most. Jingchuan, do you think I have changed or has she changed?"

Wang Jingchuan’s heart tightened, his nose felt sour, "Perhaps your mood hasn’t been well these days. Thinking about these things isn’t good for your health."

"At this age, what’s the difference between good and bad? But I wonder how much longer I have to struggle." Wang Jingyao patted the armrest of the sofa next to him, suddenly speaking up, "If you can’t find anyone else, maybe make Minxin take over for a few more years, and then find someone else suitable. He’s always wanted this position."

Upon hearing this, Wang Jingchuan was shocked.

This didn’t sound like something Mister Wang would say at all.

Immediately, he didn’t know what to say.

Wang Jingyao sighed again, "Jingchuan, I don’t even know why. Do you know?"

The secretary-general gave a forced laugh, "If someone as wise as you doesn’t know, I, being so incompetent, definitely wouldn’t know."

After he spoke, Wang Jingyao glared at him, "You little rascal, playing dumb with me again."

"How could I? I am truly foolish." The secretary-general continued to play dumb, his performance made Old Brother laugh, who then stood up to walk to the desk, speaking as he went, "Alright, alright, you handle that Ma person then. There’s no point keeping him around unless you want him ruining my carpet."

Just thinking about that suffocating scene, Old Brother really had had enough.

With this confirmation, the secretary-general immediately smiled, "You are generous."

"I’m not generous, I’m disgusted," Old Brother bowed his head, "That guy is just like that little bastard, annoying to keep around. Quickly get rid of him."

Wang Jingchuan said a few more playful words before going off to handle the matter.

Once he left, Old Brother couldn’t help falling into a daze for a while.

Over there, Wang Jingchuan went to the room where Manager Ma was staying. Manager Ma was busy tapping his fingers, still pretending to be dumb, as if one urine spill had drained all his intelligence.

Standing at the door, Secretary Wang smiled, "Manager Ma, startled, eh?"

Manager Ma was startled, looking up at the slyly smiling eyes of the other, feeling a chill in his heart.

Wang Jingchuan, the top advisor beside Wang Jingyao, was unfathomably shrewd and cunning, and he dared not underestimate him, thus he continued to play dumb with his fingers.

Seeing this, Wang Jingchuan smiled, "No need for that, Manager Ma, I’m here to congratulate you."

Manager Ma’s heart trembled, yet he continued to look down, pretending to be oblivious.

Wang Jingchuan stepped inside with one foot, still smiling, "Come on, stop pretending! If you’re sick, get treated. Can you do that?"

Manager Ma was taken aback again and then looked up, "What treatment?"

The Secretary-General was a witty one, known for his jokes, he laughed as he approached, "Weren’t you the one who wet your pants? That’s unacceptable. Manager Ma, you’re only in your early fifties; if you end up with a condition, it wouldn’t be Jingchuan’s fault, would it? That’s why I told Mister Wang to have you check into a hospital, get a proper examination at the nephrology and urology departments, and treat this condition."

Manager Ma’s old face flushed, "I’m not sick."

The Secretary-General put on a stern face, "You haven’t even had lunch yet, even if you’re not sick you should be eating, what if something happens? How do I face Little Gu?"

Face?

Manager Ma instantly leaned closer, lowering his voice, "Are you... one of us?"

Wang Jingchuan was momentarily stunned, then understood, rubbing his forehead, "Not quite, but I have some personal relations with Little Gu, so naturally, I need to look after you, Manager Ma."

Manager Ma was initially pleased, ready to take his leave, but then he reconsidered—

No, his skills hadn’t been showcased yet!

Thus, Manager Ma shamelessly said, "I’m not leaving."

Having been privy to the conversation, Wang Jingchuan naturally knew his inner thoughts, and after a light cough, said, "Old Ma, I’ve gone through a lot of trouble to convince Mister Wang to give you a way out, seize this opportunity because it won’t come around again. Besides, even if you want to curry favor with Little Gu, you still have to consider Mister Wang’s status. He is unwilling to move against that person but won’t be lenient with you. Consider these issues carefully."

Manager Ma’s heart fluttered with anxiety, as thoughts raced through his mind. He gave a light cough, "I’m getting old, my mind doesn’t work very well, perhaps the Secretary-General can point me to a clear path?"

Wang Jingchuan internally cursed him for ruining Mister Wang’s beloved carpet with a single mishap, and now playing dumb, but was shrewd enough not to show it, just smiled blandly, "Haven’t I pointed you to it? Run, run far away, before Mister Wang changes his mind, don’t drag yourself into this mess. I’m not saying this to lecture you, Old Ma, but how many heads do you have to risk touching Mister Wang’s nerves? Truly fearless like your masters?"

Manager Ma knew well that he had been seen through, and that Mister Wang didn’t bother to calculate further, perhaps for that person’s sake, but understanding didn’t change the facade, so he continued acting obliviously, "Now that I’m older, I wouldn’t want to waste this old life of mine. Since the Secretary-General says I can leave, then... I’ll go to the hospital for treatment?"

Wang Jingchuan beamed like spring, "Yes, yes, go quickly for treatment. Little Gu’s medical skills are extraordinary; one look and you’ll be fine."

Manager Ma made a hasty exit.

Wang Jingchuan chuckled, "That little coward, really scared and slippery, but in just a few days, Little Gu has him tightly in his grasp, even showing a scent of unwavering loyalty."

Having laughed for a while, he went to report to his superior...

Meanwhile, Manager Ma went downstairs, his legs still weak.

Though not as expected, he left ahead of time but nevertheless had a brush with death—

For it’s well known, Mister Wang’s temper isn’t very good.

Manager Ma sat in his car, trembling, lit a cigarette which calmed him after he finished it, then started the car and headed to Si Garden...

Upon arriving at Si Garden, after the gatekeeper reported him, he was first seen by Bo Nianyao and his wife. Although Manager Ma played the pitiful card, his attention was clearly elsewhere, always looking around, not focused on Bo Nianyao and his wife.

This couple, insightful as they were, clearly realized that Old Ma wanted to find Zaizai.

In their minds, both amusing and frustrating, though mostly proud—

Zaizai was truly impressive, had Manager Ma in line in just a few steps.