Chapter 9

"Father, your office is still quite nice."

Xu Yi chuckled and surveyed the bright and clean office. The furniture was neatly arranged, and with a slight adjustment, it could create a feng shui layout beneficial to the office owner.

Clearly, the mastermind behind the scenes had not set up a feng shui layout in this office.

"However, the placement of these things is not good. Who puts a flower pot on the windowsill? It’s not convenient to close the window." Xu Yi chuckled and took the flower pot from the windowsill, placing it in the corner of the wall. "It’s obvious that the person who arranged this office doesn’t understand interior design."

"An office is just a place for work, there’s no need to fuss over it. The former deputy director arranged it this way." Xu Zhengchun chuckled. He knew his son was checking the feng shui of his office, but he didn’t say anything and let him do as he pleased.

"Father, this can’t be taken lightly. The time spent at work is almost the same as the time spent at home." Xu Yi chuckled, shook his head, and was about to leave when a knock came at the door.

"Zhengchun, I heard your son is back?"

The person knocking was a plump, ruddy-faced man in a well-fitted black suit, with a potbelly and a few strands of sparse hair drooping over his forehead.

"Yes, he just got back yesterday."

Xu Zhengchun smiled and went to greet him. "Director Liu, weren’t you supposed to accompany the leader today?"

"Yes, I’m about to leave. I heard your second son came to the office today, so I came to take a look." Director Liu chuckled. "Everyone says your second son studied Daoism for twenty years and must have some expertise in feng shui. Could he take a look at my office?"

Xu Yi’s brows furrowed. The way this fat man spoke to his father was quite disrespectful. This man must have some background, deliberately trying to embarrass his father. "Everyone says" is just a cover-up.

"Director Liu, you flatter me. My son almost died twenty years ago, but his master saved him." Xu Zhengchun chuckled. "The old Daoist took him away, and for twenty years, he only taught him traditional Chinese medicine. As for what you mentioned about feng shui, I don’t know what that is."

"Right, son, come and meet Uncle Liu Meng. He is the deputy director of our Development and Reform Commission and is about to take charge in the province."

"Hello, Uncle Liu. My name is Xu Yi. I hope you will take care of me in the future." Xu Yi bowed slightly to Liu Meng. He knew that Liu Meng was likely to be a rival for the grassroots position his father was competing for.

"Good, good, indeed, heroes emerge from the young." Liu Meng laughed and patted Xu Yi on the shoulder. "Studying Daoism for twenty years and still learning traditional Chinese medicine, that’s impressive."

"Thank you, Uncle Liu." Xu Yi chuckled. "If you have any illnesses that the hospital can’t treat, you can come to me. I specialize in difficult and complex cases."

"Right, right, if you have any illnesses, you can come to my second son." Xu Zhengchun laughed heartily, feeling very pleased. He had always been kind to others, but Liu Meng had come to his office to mock him and even asked his son to check the feng shui. This was like rubbing salt in the wound.

"Who’s sick? What are you talking about?"

Liu Meng’s face turned green. When he heard that Xu Zhengchun had brought a young man into the office, he immediately knew it was Xu Zhengchun’s precious son. He rushed over to mock Xu Zhengchun, but now he felt as if he had a terminal illness.

"Uncle Liu, you mustn’t hide your illness. You really are sick."

Xu Yi chuckled and quickly glanced at Liu Meng’s face, shaking his head. "Uncle Liu, do you feel a pain in your lower abdomen, about an inch below, during the key moments of intimacy? And this pain has been going on for a long time, and recently, the pain has been getting worse?"

"Child, you can’t talk nonsense. Uncle Liu is very healthy, right, Old Liu?"

Xu Zhengchun was startled. Although mocking Liu Meng made him feel better, talking nonsense like this was a bit too much.

Liu Meng’s mouth gaped open in shock. After a moment, he blushed and said, "Yes, yes, I’m very healthy."

"Uncle Liu, I’ll only say this once."

Xu Yi chuckled. "Don’t think I’m scaring you. This is not a small matter. Once your body’s essence is damaged, it will be hard to regain your manly vigor."

"Father, I’m leaving. I need to go get my ID card today."

Xu Yi waved to Liu Meng. "Goodbye, Uncle Liu."

Liu Meng stared at Xu Yi’s back, his mouth open, but he couldn’t say a word. Xu Zhengchun saw Liu Meng’s expression and a thoughtful look appeared on his face.

Xu Zhengchun was startled, then remembered that his son was not familiar with the geography of the capital. He immediately ran out. "Xu Yi, wait a moment. I’ll have someone take you back."

At the military committee compound, in Grandfather Xu’s house.

"Grandfather, I want to go back to Jiangnan to visit the Lou family."

Xu Yi gently massaged Grandfather Xu’s shoulders. After the massage, Grandfather Xu’s spirits improved. "Go ahead, it’s good to go back and visit. I haven’t been back for many years. Your ID card will be delivered this afternoon. However, if you can avoid disturbing the local government, do so."

"When your grandmother passed away, you couldn’t leave the mountain. Now that you’re back, it’s good to go and pay your respects."

Grandfather Xu’s mood was a bit low.

"Grandfather, this morning I went to my father’s office, and it seems there’s a man named Liu Meng who is against my father. He deliberately came to my father’s office to mock him."

Xu Yi chuckled and briefly recounted what had happened. Grandfather Xu snorted, picked up a cigarette from the coffee table, lit it, and took a puff. "These people know my health has been poor recently and are preparing to target your father. Without the support of the Lou family, it seems the Lou family is preparing to send Liu Meng south. This is a two-pronged strategy."

"Your father has a good relationship with the third son of the Shen family. This time, the suggestion to send your father to the southeast came from Old Shen. It seems the Lou family is targeting your father to strike at the Shen family."

The Lou family is a prominent family in the capital with significant influence in both the government and the public. The patriarch of the Lou family is one of the twenty-five members of the pyramid. The Shen family is also a prominent family, and the patriarch of the Shen family has a status similar to that of the Lou family. It seems the two families’ patriarchs have never been on good terms.

"A storm is brewing."

Grandfather Xu sighed.

"Grandfather, your health is not a big issue. With proper care, you’ll be fine." Xu Yi chuckled, feeling secretly relieved. Fortunately, he returned in time. If he had been a few months late, Grandfather Xu’s health would have deteriorated, and the Xu family would have been finished.

Now that Grandfather Xu is still alive, someone dares to set up a scheme against his father. If Grandfather Xu really passed away, who would still care about the Xu family?

"My health has always been good, but recently, it has been a bit abnormal."

Grandfather Xu took a puff of the cigarette and looked at Xu Yi. "Child, did you go to your father’s office to check the feng shui?"

"Grandfather, I went to my father’s office and saw that no one had tampered with it. Instead, I saw that old lecher Liu Meng come to my father’s office to mock him." Xu Yi sighed, took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a puff, his gaze fixed on Grandfather Xu. "Grandfather, I’m sorry, I’ve let you down."

"Child, it’s not your fault. Let them say what they want."

Grandfather Xu shook his head. "Life is more important than anything. Studying Daoism is nothing to be ashamed of. Daoism is a traditional religion that has been passed down for thousands of years in our country, not something that ordinary people can defile."

"However, because there are too many Daoist disciples, some of them are not good and use Daoism to cheat and swindle, which has damaged the reputation of Daoism. True Daoist masters can harness the energy of heaven and earth and control the forces of yin and yang. The capital was chosen to be in the capital for this reason."

Xu Yi was taken aback. Does Grandfather also believe in feng shui and destiny?

"You wanted to go home last night to check if someone had set up a feng shui trap in the neighborhood where your father lives. I’m sure you also checked this house."

Grandfather Xu smiled. "If nothing has been tampered with here, then it must be in the old home."

"Grandfather, that’s exactly what I thought."

Xu Yi nodded, his face showing a serious expression. "And the fact that my father and I fell ill at the same time is too coincidental. From the yin energy that has condensed and integrated into my father’s blood, it’s clear that the trap has been set for at least half a year. This means that someone has been targeting our family for a long time."

"Half a year, that’s right. Half a year ago, Old Shen mentioned to me that your father should go to the grassroots to gain experience and qualifications. Even if he can’t govern a region, he can still retire as a full minister."

"Grandfather, you have a good relationship with Old Shen?"

Xu Yi took a puff of the cigarette. "Otherwise, who wouldn’t want to go for grassroots training? There are so many deputy minister-level leaders in the capital, especially those without real power, who wouldn’t want to seize this opportunity?"

"The Shen family wants to bring your father into their fold, partly to give me face and partly to show their strength. It’s like buying a thousand gold for a horse’s bones."

Grandfather Xu’s face showed a cold smile. "The big meeting is in two years, and preparations have already begun. The Lou family has the same intention."

"Grandfather, in the political arena, it’s still about strength, just like in the world of martial arts."

Xu Yi chuckled, a fierce light flashing in his eyes. "I don’t care who set up this scheme, but anyone who dares to harm my family will not be spared!"