In the living room of a private club, Gan Dayao, a functionary from the Foreign Affairs Bureau, sat cradling a teacup. He was in his thirties, wore a pair of square-framed glasses, and his hair was a bit messy. He was sizing up his surroundings, his feet shuffling restlessly, betraying a slight nervousness.

Although no one had come for a long time and the tea on the table had been refilled three times, he remained seated, as if bound to his spot.

Anyone who had ever worked in an administrative department could tell at a glance that this was a clerk who had spent years in an office, swallowing his grievances and just dutifully doing his job.

The club door was pushed open from the outside, and Wei Jun entered with his butler and several security guards. Seeing them, Gan Dayao quickly set his cup aside. He half-rose from his seat before getting to his feet with a certain stiffness.

Wei Jun barely gave him a glance as he entered. He went to the host’s seat, sat down, and leaned back into the sofa, rubbing his temples with his fingers.

Gan Dayao stood there nervously.

After a moment, Wei Jun finally turned his head. "Let’s hear it," he said. "You mentioned your department made a recommendation for a Wuyi Student. When was this, and for whom?"

Gan Dayao said uneasily, "I heard that if I provide information, you could, uh, help me out in certain ways."

Wei Jun shot him a look. ’The Foreign Affairs Bureau is a dead-end post; no one ever pays it any mind. Its officials are basically stuck in their jobs for life. If this wasn’t about something as sensitive as a departmental recommendation, he wouldn’t have bothered meeting with the bureau director himself, let alone a minor functionary like this.’

He gestured with his hand, and the butler stepped forward at the cue. Looking at Gan Dayao, the butler asked in a friendly tone, "Mr. Gan, are you hoping for a promotion?"

Gan Dayao nodded earnestly, then immediately shook his head. "I don’t want to stay at the Foreign Affairs Bureau. Can you help me transfer to a different department?" he asked, looking hopefully at the butler before glancing at the unresponsive Wei Jun.

The butler maintained a polite smile. "Of course, as long as the information is valuable. How about the Water Affairs Bureau? Many positions have recently opened up there. That should not be difficult to arrange."

"The Water Affairs Bureau..." Gan Dayao hesitated.

"If you’re not satisfied with that, Mr. Gan, we can discuss other departments. However, you would have to wait, and there’s no telling for how long. As you know, an enormous number of people have their eyes on positions in the administrative departments. The moment a vacancy appears, it’s snatched up..."

"I’m satisfied! Of course I am! A position at the Water Affairs Bureau is perfect." Hearing this, Gan Dayao became anxious, afraid he’d lose his chance if he delayed. He hastily agreed.

The butler smiled. "Then, Mr. Gan, shall we get down to business?"

After a slight hesitation, Gan Dayao said, "Back in February, Director Liu drafted a recommendation evaluation for a Wuyi Student under the name of the Foreign Affairs Bureau. I was the one who wrote the document and submitted the file. Director... Director Liu said I was not to tell anyone about it."

"Something from February? That was almost half a year ago." The butler glanced at Wei Jun before continuing, "You seem to have followed Director Liu’s orders, Mr. Gan, and kept this matter a secret. So why are you coming to us now? Have you run into some trouble?"

Gan Dayao’s face filled with anxiety and guilt. "Because Director Liu is being transferred, and the new director, Director Cao, doesn’t like me. He might fire me..." He suddenly looked up. "I have a wife and kids at home. I can’t... I can’t lose this job. It’s just... I’m sorry, Director Liu. I’ve let him down..." His voice trailed off as he slowly lowered his head again.

’The butler keenly noted the key point: Liu Zhan was about to be transferred. Once a man changed positions, a secret like this could no longer be hidden. He was very familiar with the officials of the Yangzhi Administrative Hall; Liu Zhan himself very likely planned to leverage this information for personal gain.’

’From that perspective, even if Gan Dayao hadn’t come to them today, Liu Zhan would have likely revealed the information himself.’

’Still, he had no issue with Gan Dayao. Dealing with a simple functionary was far easier than handling a director. The former was much easier to control, and the price was much lower.’

He looked at Gan Dayao, his tone deliberately casual. "You don’t need to feel guilty, Mr. Gan. You made the right choice. We take good care of those who work with us. By the way, what was the student’s name?"

Gan Dayao glanced at the butler, then at the motionless Wei Jun. His Adam’s apple bobbed. Looking up, he said, "The student... his name is Chen Chuan."

In the Nian Residence, located in the Patrol Bureau Family Area, Chen Chuan walked into the living room. He took the telephone from Yu Wan, raised the receiver, and asked, "Teacher?"

Cheng Zitong’s voice, sounding rather serious, came from the other end. "Yesterday, while you were still in the car, He Nan called me. It seems the situation with Liu Zhan has been settled over the past two days. His transfer order has most likely been sent out. Xiaochuan, prepare yourself... A storm is about to break."

Chen Chuan glanced outside. It was already August, and he could hear the drone of cicadas. The scorching sunlight beat down, and the tree branches were perfectly still. He gazed out the window. "Teacher, a strong wind is a good thing. Once it passes, it won’t be so stifling anymore."

After hanging up with Cheng Zitong, he thought for a moment, then turned and said, "Auntie, I’m going out. I’ll be back soon."

With that, he walked out of the residence and onto the main street. He found a nearby phone booth, picked up the receiver, inserted a coin, and dialed a number.