National Tide 1980.

The next successor to the Temple of Heaven Park is Gong Mingcheng, who is just 40 years old this year.

He also has a nickname called "Li Bai".

But to be honest, this person has no talent or ability in writing poetry.

This nickname is not a good reputation. It was originally an insult given to him when he went to the countryside to work as an educated youth.

The origin of this nickname was actually because Gong Mingcheng was so lame when he was sent to the countryside to work.

I remember that while others were getting up quickly in three minutes, washing up in ten minutes and rushing to the fields, he was singing hymns long and short towards the pink morning glow in the sky.

Therefore, he always lags behind the collective and is denounced as a backward element by the masses.

In addition, this educated youth "Li Bai" also has a lot in common with the great poet of the Tang Dynasty in terms of feeling that his talent is not appreciated.

After all, he was unlucky because of his father during those special years, and thus fell into a poor mountain village, leading a life of "a fallen phoenix worse than a chicken". How could he not have complaints in his heart?

Although he did not dare to show it on the surface, he was emotionally extremely resistant to the work of repairing the earth. Gong Mingcheng was often criticized by the production team leader for sighing at the moon and whining without any reason.

He was not allowed to smoke at the educated youth center, and no one was willing to pair up with him when working, so he was almost isolated by the educated youth.

It can be said that he is a burden that everyone hates and a punching bag that everyone can scold.

But this kid is really lucky. His father was one of the first people to jump out of the quagmire during the "movement".

Less than two years after being demoted, this guy followed his father to his original post and returned to the capital from the poor countryside to attend university.

Then he graduated successfully as a worker-peasant-soldier college student and was assigned to work in the tourism department.

From then on, his future was bright and he had green lights all the way. He was promoted almost every year and gradually became a deputy director.

If he wasn't the eldest son in the family, his brothers and sisters would have to rely on their father's help.

And his good father retired a few years ago.

It's not impossible for him to find a legitimate wife when he's forty.

It is conceivable that with the passage of time, the attitude of those educated youth who had worked in the countryside with him back then would definitely be different if they met him again now.

If I could hear him reciting poetry in public again, I would be so excited that I would use all the words that could be used to praise him, and I would still be afraid that my heart was not sincere enough.

What is this called?

This is what it means to be good at math, physics and chemistry. It is better to have a good father.

Well, let’s not talk about anything else, just talk about the present.

Even though his father is enjoying his retirement at home and is no longer in the system, many of his old comrades-in-arms are still in office and still cherish the friendship of their past.

At certain critical moments, these interpersonal relationships can still play a special role.

Gong Mingcheng got the good job of being the head of the Temple of Heaven Park by relying on his father's connections.

Otherwise, if someone else dared to have such thoughts, he would probably be scolded by the stubborn old director, or slapped by the hot-tempered old director.

Anyway, you will end up losing the rice instead of the chicken and will definitely be embarrassed. This is why most people are drooling over this piece of fat meat but dare not take action.

Only his father, who had saved the old director's life, could make this old comrade known for his stubbornness change his mind.

Even though he already had a preferred successor candidate and even though he had rejected countless people, he still gave him the opportunity to take the position.

So for this reason, when Gong Mingcheng learned that the old principal was hospitalized due to illness after the New Year, he went to the hospital to take a good look at this noble man who had helped him, not only for his father but also for himself.

After all, the Temple of Heaven Park is no longer what it used to be and has long become a reform star in the national tourism industry.

With such a solid stepping stone as a foundation, he is confident that he will be able to successfully promote the Temple of Heaven Park to become a national tourist attraction comparable to Beihai Park and the Forbidden City during his term of office.

If he can really do that, his career ceiling will automatically upgrade to the department level.

In his opinion, there is no more reliable and faster way to get promoted in the entire tourism system than this.

At noon on March 1988, 3, when Ning Weimin and Matsumoto Keiko boarded the plane to Japan, Gong Mingcheng also walked into the inpatient department of Friendship Hospital.

The old director was reading newspapers on his sickbed, the People's Daily and Guangming Daily of that day.

Through the reading glasses on his nose, this old man with half white hair is concerned about national affairs and the latest changes in society between the lines.

"Hello, old leader." Gong Mingcheng said, "I heard that you were ill, so I came to see you."

Then he placed the wide variety of nutritional supplements in his hand on the bedside cabinet.

"It's Ming Cheng..." The old headmaster saw who was coming and said with a little dissatisfaction, "What are you calling leader? Call me uncle..."

"Hey, uncle." Gong Mingcheng quickly changed the address, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Look at me. I'm still not as healthy as the old platoon leader. I'm three years younger than your father. Is your father in good health?"

"I'm fine, but I'm worried about you. I heard you were in the hospital, and I'm worried. I've asked the doctor, and he said that your condition is serious and you need to take good care of your liver. You can't get angry or drink."

"Hey, it's possible to not get angry, but not letting me drink is like killing me."

"There's nothing we can do about it. You've ruined your health and violated the laws of life, so you must mend your ways. Otherwise, you'll still be serving your sentence in the hospital." Gong Mingcheng joked. "Yes, yes, I will honestly accept reform, mend my ways, and strive to be released from prison as soon as possible." Perhaps because the old director couldn't go anywhere, it was hard to find someone to talk to.

Gong Mingcheng's casual joke made him feel relaxed, so he started to joke along.

As for Gong Mingcheng, he looked around and saw that there were not many people around and no one was paying attention to this side.

Then he leaned forward again and whispered to the old director, "Uncle, there is something my father asked me to tell you. He knows that one of your sons is a forging supervisor at Shougang, and that job is too tiring. My eldest sister works at the Metallurgical Bureau, and there are a few vacancies for transfer to a civil servant position in the Labor and Personnel Department of the Bureau. Do you want to..."

As a result, before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by the old principal with a frown.

"No, no, how can this be done? This would be a private transaction."

The old director looked at Gong Mingcheng seriously and said, "We cadres cannot do this. I agree to transfer you here and let you take over my job, although your father entrusted me with the task. But the most important thing is that your education, level, work experience and resume meet the requirements. And I also talked to you once, and I agreed because I think you can make the Temple of Heaven better. I didn't consider anything else. Go back and tell your father that I appreciate his kindness and don't mention this matter again."

But even so, Gong Mingcheng still thought he was just being polite and continued to persuade him without giving up.

"Uncle, please don't worry. My father proposed this because my eldest sister fully considered your family's situation and made relevant investigations before deciding. Your son has been an advanced worker every year. He has won countless May Day Labor Medals and has been a model worker in the industry. I am right. So he is absolutely qualified. No one can say 'no' to his job transfer. My father didn't mention it to you at the beginning because he had to follow the procedures. Now that the conditions are ripe, he is mentioning it to you. How can this be called private transfer? These are clearly two different things."

It must be said that Gong Mingcheng understands this very well.

He managed to make a not-so- above-board transaction look very white, and provided ample leverage. As long as the old director nodded, the deal would be done.

But the problem was that he had really misjudged the person. The old director was the kind of "old antique" whom he could not understand at all. He really could not deceive himself, so he sighed instead.

"Ming Cheng, you have to take the right path. If you insist on saying that, I will regret it. I have never done anything wrong in my life. I don't want choosing you to take over to be the only wrong decision in my life. I don't want my reputation to be ruined and I will regret it when I think of this matter in the future. Do you understand?"

"I..." Gong Mingcheng was stuck and felt his face burning.

The old director ignored how embarrassed he was, sat up straight, and continued to speak directly.

"If you really want to thank me, don't bother with these personal matters. If there are any additional conditions, I still ask that you follow the rules. You can come to Tiantan as the top leader, I welcome you. But I don't want Tiantan to change its current management style and destroy the good development direction. Even if you have your own ideas, you have to be familiar with the situation for at least five years before you can talk about it. You must cooperate sincerely with Pierre Cardin and listen to the advice of Pierre Cardin manager Ning. How about it? This is what you promised yourself last time, you won't forget it, right?"

"No, no, don't worry. I will definitely do what I say." Gong Mingcheng quickly agreed.

But even so, the old director still couldn't be completely at ease.

"Ming Cheng, a man cannot stand without trust. The foundation of the development of the Temple of Heaven lies in the cooperation with Pierre Cardin and in Pierre Cardin Manager Ning. Since you have agreed to this, you must do it, otherwise don't blame me for turning my back on you. Even if I can send you up today, I can also pull you down tomorrow. Your father won't stop me by then. Do you believe it?"

Gong Mingcheng had no choice but to sit upright and promise again, "Believe it! Believe it! Uncle, I promise you on my character and in the name of my father. I will never break my promise to you."

Only then did the old director give up.

"Okay, then we have a deal. Now, go back to your work. I want to get some sleep..."

Seeing the old director slowly close his eyes, he seemed to have no desire to continue chatting, and his intention to send him away was obvious.

Gong Mingcheng had no choice but to leave quickly.

He said, "Uncle, you should have a good rest. I will come to see you in a few days."

He stood up carefully, tiptoed out of the room and closed the door.

Just based on his respectful and cautious appearance, people who don’t know him might think he is the old principal’s biological son.

However, when he turned around, he was no longer himself.

The sincerity that was showing concern just now disappeared in an instant, faster than the face-changing in Sichuan Opera.

Then he straightened his back, sneered contemptuously, and walked out of the hospital with big strides.

That’s not all. After he walked out of the hospital and found a public phone across the street, he called his eldest sister.

The results of the conversation were reported over the phone.

"Sister, forget about the favor I asked you to do. The old man is a stubborn person who doesn't know how to behave. We can all be relieved now."

However, the voice in the microphone showed some hesitation.

"No way? Don't you understand what they mean? You have to know that people in the system all have principles. Don't take it seriously. Sometimes people always pretend to be nice..."

"Sister, am I that naive? I am already forty years old. I still can't tell what is true or false. Let me tell you this, this old fellow regards the past model as the supreme truth. He has always been incorruptible and has never changed. If you deny his truth, it would be like asking for his life. That's why he is so stubborn. Otherwise, how come he has worked all his life to become a deputy director, while his son is just a worker? Today I finally understand what's going on. He is just a fool who works for the revolution until his death. You were not there, so I was helpless. I almost got scolded by him..."

"Oh, you offended him? Will he have any opinion about you because of this? You haven't officially taken office yet, so there won't be any changes to your position, right..."

"That's not the case. Who am I? I have the ability to adapt to the situation. When I see that the situation is not going well, I will change direction and go along with him. I will say yes to any admonition and agree to any request. At most, I can admit my mistakes in person and be humble. I will just treat it as an ideological education lesson to satisfy his vanity of being a teacher."

"Well, that's right. It's less than two months anyway, so just be patient and it will pass. Why bother to make him angry? Don't be too nervous, society develops according to its own rules. No one's words count. As long as you take office and he steps down, this matter will be settled, and there will be no more changes. As for now, just treat it as a joke to coax this old man."

"Haha, of course. I'm definitely not stupid enough to have any quarrel with him now. At least I have to wait until I have the power in my hands. Then he won't have the final say. Big sister, just wait and see. In two months, the Temple of Heaven will be named Gong! And in a few years, I will be able to promote the Temple of Heaven Park to become a national tourist attraction that can rival Beihai Park and the Forbidden City. When you come to the Temple of Heaven, I will receive you according to the standards for receiving foreign guests."

"Okay, then I'll be waiting to see you shine and take advantage of you. But... little brother, should we tell Dad about this matter just in case?"

"No, just tell me what the old man is doing. And to be honest, I have a suspicion that the old man is in the hospital because he is upset about choosing me as his successor. If the old man knew about this, he might scold me again. If you don't want me to be scolded, you have to help me..."

"Okay, I'll listen to you. You're an adult now, and you'll be the boss soon. Just know what to do..." (End of this chapter)