Chapter 64 Please Love Me

Zhang Jun decided to take his chances along the path arranged by Ma Hongqi!

"Boss, I will follow your lead!" Zhang Jun reiterated his stance.

Ma Hongqi smiled with satisfaction. "I didn't misjudge you. You are an ambitious man. A man must always have ambition. In many people's eyes, ambition is a derogatory word, but phrasing it differently—call it aspiration, doesn't it instantly sound much loftier?"

Zhang Jun smiled. "Indeed. In essence, they are the same thing—an inner yearning, a desire for success."

Returning to the secretary's office, Zhang Jun felt as though his steps had grown lighter.

For the past few days, he had been wandering in anxiety, having no idea where his way out lay.

Now, he felt like a duckweed finally finding a point of anchorage, like a dandelion seed finally drifting to a place where it could take root.

The path ahead was vibrant and full of vitality!

The news of Ma Hongqi's return spread like wildfire.

Those officials who had vanished for days suddenly popped up out of nowhere, each wearing a flattering smile, bowing and scraping as they walked into the secretary's office to cozy up to Zhang Jun.

Having experienced this recent period of trough and cold treatment, Zhang Jun's mindset had matured considerably.

Perhaps this was his boss's test for him!

A test of his composure, his patience, and his ability to handle sudden crises.

He felt fortunate that Zhang Jun had passed.

When he once again faced these ingratiating faces, his mindset had grown much calmer.

People were not currying favor with him, but rather with the chair beneath his backside, and the boss behind his back.

To make people genuinely respect you, flatter you, and fear you, you had to elevate your own hard power and become a figure like Ma Hongqi!

Zhang Jun handled his official duties with a serene mind.

No matter who came, to him, they were merely objects of work and service, and of course, potential allies to be cultivated.

Once he knew the path he would take in the future, he understood what needed to be done.

After finishing a day's work and clocking out, Zhang Jun escorted Ma Hongqi back to the State Guesthouse.

"Xiao Zhang, come in, have dinner together, and let's play a couple of games of Go!" Ma Hongqi's fondness for Zhang Jun had clearly increased significantly, and his tone had grown warm and amiable.

Over these past few days, although Ma Hongqi had been away in the capital, he had kept his finger on the pulse of every movement within the province.

A man with towering ambitions, a man who still intended to mount a comeback, would hardly sink into oblivion just like that.

The waiter brought over the food and dishes.

Zhang Jun accompanied Ma Hongqi for dinner.

The waiter cleared the table and set up the Go board.

Ma Hongqi took the black stones and moved first, saying, "Don't go easy on me. Play at your true strength and let me experience the intellect of a 5-dan Go player!"

Zhang Jun said modestly, "My playing skill is actually quite ordinary; otherwise, I would have pursued a professional career. Once you reach a certain rank, climbing any higher becomes exceptionally difficult."

Ma Hongqi dropped a stone and said, "Every industry is like this. Only a very few can stand at the peak of the pyramid, and the further up you go, the harder it gets. But when you break through the bottleneck and successfully reach the summit, you will witness scenery that others cannot see!"

Zhang Jun played while replying, "The ultimate scenery is found on the most perilous peaks!"

The television was on, broadcasting the eight o'clock evening news.

Zhang Jun glanced at the television and was surprised to discover that the eight o'clock news program had actually changed its female anchor; it was no longer Shen Xue!

His focus wavered, and he immediately lost a section of stones.

Ma Hongqi said indifferently, "What is it? What are you thinking about?"

Zhang Jun smiled. "I suddenly thought of two idioms: 'when a man attains the Dao, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven,' and 'when a tree falls, the monkeys scatter.'"

Ma Hongqi said in a deep voice, "Then attain the Dao yourself, and become that towering tree."

Zhang Jun accepted the teaching with a solemn expression.

After playing two games, Zhang Jun narrowly won one and lost one.

He had intentionally engineered this outcome.

He could not possibly let his boss actually lose the game.

The waiter brought over a wooden bucket filled with medicinal water for Ma Hongqi to soak his feet.

Soaking his feet, Ma Hongqi said, "This medicine is indeed different. Xiao Zhang, you must give me the formula so that when I return to the capital, I can have the herbs filled myself."

Zhang Jun said, "Boss, how about I prepare it here, grind it into powder, and mail it to you? Express delivery is very developed nowadays."

Ma Hongqi nodded and said, "That works too. It's getting late, you should head back. Your family will be worrying about you."

These were words spoken only to those closest to one's heart, something Ma Hongqi had never said before.

Zhang Jun bade farewell and left.

On his way home, Zhang Jun parked his bicycle at a bus stop, took out his phone, and called Shen Xue.

The call went through immediately, as if the other person had been waiting all along for this call from him.

"Shen Xue, it's me."

"Brother Zhang!" Shen Xue cried out in pleasant surprise. "You're finally paying attention to me!"

Zhang Jun asked, "Why weren't you the anchor on tonight's news?"

"I... I was re-assigned again."

"Back to the midnight slot?"

"Mm-hmm!"

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Was it Lu Genbao who reassigned you?"

"He's the one who moved me."

"I see. Goodbye."

"Brother Zhang, don't hang up yet. I miss you."

"Xiao Xue, there is no possibility between us. You know that; I have a wife."

"I don't care! I love you! If I don't see you for a few days, I feel like I'm going crazy! These past few days, I've been reflecting—did I do something wrong somewhere? Did I make you misunderstand me? If I made a mistake, you can punish me, just don't ignore me, okay?"

"Xiao Xue, I cannot offer you any benefits."

"Then please just give me your love!"

Zhang Jun shuddered all over!

Approaching thirty, Zhang Jun had long since stopped believing in love.

Yet Shen Xue's confession made his heart feel like a revived dead volcano, with magma erupting in a fierce, blazing torrent!

Zhang Jun's Adam's apple bobbed up and down. He checked his watch and said, "In a little over a month—after the New Year—I will be transferred to work in Yiping County, only a dozen minutes away from your Broadcasting and Television Center. It will be much easier for us to meet then."

Shen Xue was the only person to whom he had revealed his future whereabouts.

Because Shen Xue was not part of the official system, even if she heard it, she did not understand the implications behind it.

"Brother Zhang, really? How wonderful would it be if you could transfer over to our Broadcasting and Television Center as a leader!" Shen Xue said. "I want you to be my leader."

"Being glued together every day would get boring too. Alright, let's chat another day."

"Goodnight, Brother Zhang. Can I come see you tomorrow? Hosting the midnight program has its perks; my schedule is quite flexible."

"We'll see. I'll send you a message if I have time."

"Okay, I'll wait for you. I'll always wait for your message."

She truly was a lovable beauty!

Every time he chatted with her, he was invariably stirred beyond restraint.

Zhang Jun returned home.

Liu Yujie rushed over and smiled, "Did Governor Ma come back?"

Zhang Jun detested this fickle face of his wife and said coldly, "Governor Ma might really be leaving! He came back this time to pack his things."

Liu Yujie's expression instantly turned estranged once more. "How can that be? Then how is he arranging things for you?"

Zhang Jun said indifferently, "Who knows! Maybe he'll demote me to some impoverished backcountry township and leave me to fend for myself!"

Liu Yujie let out a gasp, shook Zhang Jun's arm fiercely, and wailed, "Then you'd be better off staying at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Institute! Don't be a fool. Hurry up and beg him for mercy, ask him to help arrange a job for you at the Health Department or the Municipal Health Bureau!"

Ignoring her, Zhang Jun walked straight into the bathroom.

He was full of confidence in his own future, and no one could stop him!

Zhang Jun believed that his path to success would begin right in Chengguan Town, Yiping County!