Chapter 80: Third Most Popular

When Suzuna Tsukimiya returned from the restroom, she saw Zi’ang Chen standing by the railing, his face deep in thought.

“Senior.” She approached him and asked in a low voice, “What did Mingyuan Song say to you?”

“Uh…” Zi’ang hesitated, unsure whether to tell her.

Although Mingyuan Song hadn’t emphasized secrecy, he’d deliberately sent Suzuna away before their conversation—it was obvious he didn’t want her to know. From a professional standpoint, when a superior leaks personnel changes to you in advance, it’s a sign of trust, appreciation, and investment. That made it all the more important not to let the secret slip to any outsiders.

But was Suzuna truly an outsider?

After a moment’s hesitation, just as he was about to speak, Suzuna waved her hand and said,

“It’s all right if you can’t tell me, but… never trust that old fox.”

“Not trust him?” Zi’ang asked in surprise. “Why do you say that?”

“He’s a man of deep calculation,” Suzuna explained. “He never does anything without meaning. Every word, every gesture is deliberate. Just be careful.”

Zi’ang was still puzzled.

“I’ll give you an example.” After checking that no one was nearby, Suzuna continued quietly, “The former governor, Bernard Stone, disliked Mingyuan Song intensely. He thought Song was too cunning, of questionable character, and even said, ‘So long as I’m in office, he’ll never rise.’”

“But in the end, while Bernard Stone was still in power, Song climbed step by step into the role of confidential secretary—no one could stop him. Before Stone died, he had no choice but to entrust his own son, the current governor, Dick Stone, to him.”

“My father once analyzed Song’s career. Almost every one of his promotions coincided perfectly with the prevailing winds. Sometimes his rivals simply weren’t up to the task, sometimes the Song family exchanged favors, and there were even occasions when Bernard Stone and the Qin family joined forces to promote him in name while demoting him in truth—but each time, for various reasons, the attempts failed.”

“In short, I’m not saying Mingyuan Song means you any harm,” Suzuna sighed, “but he’s adept at setting traps, always holding something back. That’s why I’m worried…”

“Suzuna, I’ve been thinking about this too.” Zi’ang no longer hesitated and told her everything Song had revealed.

The security system was about to be overhauled—a major purge. Machang and his backers were falling from power. Countermeasures Section Six would be split off as a new organization, and the two of them would soon be heading it…

“So, who will be our direct superior?” Suzuna asked patiently after hearing him out, her face showing no hint of delight.

“I don’t know,” Zi’ang admitted. “Mingyuan Song didn’t say.”

“This is very strange,” Suzuna said gravely. “I’m not saying the news is false, but he shouldn’t have told you.”

“I think so too,” Zi’ang agreed. “I’m too junior for him to bother confiding in me in advance.”

“That so-called direct superior…” Suzuna’s instincts quickly picked up the anomaly. “Song specifically mentioned the person and emphasized you should follow them to the Security Bureau next week to hand over the work. But if we flip our thinking, tracing effect to cause…”

“It wasn’t Song’s arrangement,” Zi’ang realized, “but our new superior who asked Song to assign us?”

“I’ll have Uncle Weimen investigate who in the Song family is currently idle or unassigned,” Suzuna mused. “The pool can’t be large. Maybe the person named you because of me—to help you out, and also to grant the Tsukimiya family a favor.”

“In any case, as far as this matter is concerned, it’s beneficial to us.”

“I agree,” said Zi’ang.

But was it really so? Suzuna was still uneasy.

She’d already made a meticulous plan—tonight, she and her senior would spend the night together on Thousand Islands in the center of Hot Lake. The only way off was by purchasing a ticket for the cruise, which would leave a record and thus provide a perfect alibi.

But plans never keep pace with change; someone had acted ahead of schedule.

If the other party really was just taking advantage of the upper-level power struggle and removing Machang as a matter of convenience, that would be fine.

But what if that wasn’t the case?

Though her heart was uneasy, her face betrayed nothing. Smiling, she took Zi’ang by the arm and greeted the dignitaries and scions she knew among the guests.

Today at Dolphin Bay, six couples were hosting a joint wedding—mostly second-generation insiders, all quite familiar, who’d decided to celebrate together rather than attend six separate ceremonies throughout the year.

The newlyweds had gone off for their photos, and the guests were left to mingle and chat. For many, the opportunity to build or maintain connections was more important than the wedding itself… For instance, Mingyuan Song, father of Xi Song, was the most distinguished guest present; it wasn’t easy to meet him on a normal day, so everyone was eager to make a good impression.

Governor Dick Stone hadn’t appeared at the wedding, likely for security reasons, but he did invite the couples into a private suite to offer personal congratulations and blessings.

After Mingyuan Song, the second most sought-after figure was the rising young parliamentarian, Senhe Qin.

He did not come from a privileged branch of the Qin family, it was said he’d originally been quite overlooked, but since entering politics, he had demonstrated a remarkable flair for public relations. With his “Animal Rights Bill,” he won a huge following among the general public.

Now that the Qin family had decided to invest political capital in him, the social climbers swarmed around like flies to a feast, offering toasts and laughter without end.

As for the third most popular figure—unexpectedly, it was Suzuna Tsukimiya. Though she wasn’t surrounded by guests, Zi’ang’s veteran eye quickly noticed that nearly every attendee had greeted her at some point.

Not all at once, but one after another—so her presence wasn’t as overwhelming as Song or Qin’s, but it was telling in its own way.

Suzuna Tsukimiya was not a young lady who relied solely on her family’s power to earn her place among them.

From this angle, many new questions arose.

For instance, why would someone like her choose to be a frontline officer in the security bureau?

Zi’ang saw no point in pretending ignorance—Mingyuan Song had warned him already. He knew that sooner or later, he’d have to face Suzuna’s feelings… assuming she didn’t change her heart first.

“Shall we get something to eat?” Suzuna suggested.

“Sure.”

The wedding food was all buffet-style. Suzuna picked out some little cakes and, attentive as ever, brought Zi’ang a plate of fruit.

Once, he might have felt awkward, but now, attending as her escort, it would be churlish to refuse. Seeing him quietly accept the plate, Suzuna felt a surge of secret satisfaction.

She knew well the principle of boiling a frog slowly, and it worked perfectly on her senior.

Perhaps tonight she’d finally get close to him… Hm?

Who was that?