I am not a literary giant

Chapter 122 Why was he arrogant before and respectful afterward?

The phrase "promoted illegally" is usually followed by "appointed while ill." Contrary to popular belief, if you accuse someone of nepotism or excluding dissidents, it's generally difficult to get any results from the investigation. This is because such accusations, which are merely empty labels lacking substance, are extremely difficult to prove; accusations without evidence are no different from baseless speculation.

The relevant departments receive dozens of unsubstantiated reports every day. If they were to investigate every single one thoroughly, they would not only offend people but also make it impossible to carry out their daily work. However, irregular promotions are different. Regulations are regulations, and the details of irregular promotions are often clearly and explicitly written in black and white in the personnel files. Anyone with a discerning eye can easily spot the problem with a glance.

Zhang Qian's irregular promotion falls into this category of problems.

After catching the coattails of a powerful figure in the industry, Zhang Qian experienced a meteoric rise in the three years following her rise from district to city level, promotion, key training, and entry into the leadership team.

According to regulations, after being promoted, one must serve in a certain position for a certain number of years before being eligible for the next promotion. Similarly, after being initially hired by a unit, a certain service period is required. Looking at Zhang Qian's personnel file, one can see that her career path is remarkably competitive; each promotion comes close to the minimum requirement of the previous one, and she is promoted every time the stipulated time limit expires.

However, the problem arose during Zhang Qian's initial promotion, specifically her move from the district level to the city level. The regulations clearly stated that Zhang Qian's qualifications were insufficient for a city-level position that year unless she possessed a postgraduate degree.

She did have a postgraduate degree, but it was six months after that promotion. At the time, she was pursuing a part-time postgraduate degree and was only six months away from receiving her degree. Strictly speaking, she wouldn't have met the hiring requirements, but her connections allowed her to bypass this strict requirement and be hired a year early.

It was because of this early advancement that she caught the last window of opportunity for power, rising to the top in one step. After that, her connections were transferred, and she began to stagnate.

Judging solely from her personnel file, Zhang Qian's resume has only this one "minor flaw." Her connections are quite clear and systematic; she has prepared all her qualifications meticulously and has also established all the necessary relationships. Whether the operation behind this is compliant or not is another matter, but at least it appears compliant on paper.

Aside from the minor "flaw" that the master's degree graduation time doesn't match up.

What Wang Zixu reported to the top leader was this "minor flaw".

Of course, he and Shen Jianqiu also discussed many other issues. Otherwise, it wouldn't have taken two hours.

The logic was convoluted. In the familiar coffee shop, Wang Zixu sat in his usual seat and spent half an hour explaining to Ning Chunyan before she finally caught up with his train of thought.

"So, after all that trouble, all that unpleasantness, and all that pressure, the only issue you raised was that Zhang Qian announced her master's degree six months early?"

Ning Chunyan looked at Wang Zixu, his eyes seeming to say, "Brother, this isn't worth it."

Prince Xu took a sip of black coffee with a blank expression: "Hmm. That's all I can say."

Ning Chunyan placed her thin arm on the table: "Weren't you going easy on me?"

Prince Xu shook his head.

"This is the only piece of evidence I have. I can't say anything about things that I don't have evidence for."

After speaking, he paused for a moment, then added, "Moreover, by only reflecting this one flaw, my purpose has already been achieved."

Prince Xu stared straight ahead, calmly taking another sip of black coffee, which tasted extremely bitter.

Ning Chunyan stared at his face for a while, then gave up asking him what he had achieved and what he wanted to achieve.

She smoothed her hair, sat up straight, and said, "I know why you wanted me to come with you."

Wang Zixu turned to look at her, his face showing emotion for the first time: "Why?"

Ning Chunyan said earnestly, "To enhance our prestige."

She added, "If you had come alone today, Zhang Qian would probably have bullied you to death again. It's okay, we're on a winning streak today, let's not do what happened last time, cheer up!"

"..."

Wang Zixu did not try to correct her thinking, but simply turned his head away silently.

Zhang Qian arrived not long after. She came in a very aggressive manner.

This time she was carrying a Chanel handbag, which she held tightly under her arm as she walked straight towards them. Reaching them, she slammed the bag heavily onto the table in a show of defiance.

"Prince Xu, what exactly do you want?"

Prince Xu looked up, feigning ignorance: "Didn't you want to meet me?"

"I asked you what you wanted to do last night?"

The words sounded somewhat ambiguous. The waiter in the distance turned to look at them, and Zhang Qian reached out and pulled the curtain of the private room closed.

"And why is she here too?"

Zhang Qian rudely pointed at Ning Chunyan.

Ning Chunyan opened her Coach bag with an air of authority, took out a hair clip, and tied her hair up at the back of her head.

I'm angry, but I won't say anything. I can't let my guard down.

Besides, my bag is more expensive than yours.

Wang Zixu said, "She's my friend. I arranged to meet her yesterday because I have something to discuss. Meeting you was just a side thing. If you have something to say, say it and leave quickly."

Zhang Qian crossed her arms and sneered. Same stage, same actors—isn't it all just about regaining face in the same place? Who doesn't know their little schemes?

Actually, she was completely wrong. Wang Zixu wasn't trying to regain his pride. He had already done everything he needed to do yesterday. What was Zhang Qian's pride worth anyway?

Ning Chunyan leaned closer and said through gritted teeth in a voice only he could hear, "Good job, just like that. If you back down like last time, I'll be so angry I'll burst."

Wang Zixu was a little annoyed because he felt he hadn't backed down last time. He hadn't even met Ning Chunyan when he had. Besides, it was absolutely none of his business to be responsible for her breast tissue. He pointed to the seat and said to Zhang Qian, "Sit."

Zhang Qian said coldly, "I don't like it when you talk to me in that commanding tone."

Prince Xu grew impatient: "Sit or don't, it's up to you. If you don't want to sit, then stand and talk."

Zhang Qian gritted her teeth, sat down, and whispered, "Wang Zixu, did you consider the consequences of your impulsive actions yesterday? Do you know how many people you've offended?"

She added, "Don't think that you've won everything just because you made a splash at the literary conference. Let me tell you, people have very short memories. Your work isn't as important as you think. Don't assume it will be remembered for thousands of years. People are too busy with their daily lives to have time to remember you. In a few days, once your moment in the spotlight is over, the higher-ups won't care about you anymore. You'll regret your actions then."

Zhang Qian talked a lot, but Wang Zixu just listened silently. After listening, he broke down Zhang Qian's hard-won defenses with just one sentence:

"Zhang Qian, I'm resigning."

Zhang Qian struggled to reconcile her shattered features: "You're quitting your job? Why are you quitting? You've been wasting your life already. You're such a grown man, and you're still not married. Are you really going to throw away your current life just out of spite? Your literary prize money is only 10 yuan. You don't actually think you can live off your writing fees, do you?"

After Zhang Qian finished speaking, Ning Chunyan looked at her with a hint of pity: She kept saying she understood Wang Zixu, yet she didn't even know he was already married. Wasn't she the one living in her own world, oblivious to the light of day?

Wang Zixu said, "Don't misunderstand, I just feel that this job is not suitable for me, and my energy is not enough to support me to do too many things at the same time. As for my life, you don't need to worry about it."

Zhang Qian's voice was slightly off-key: "Is there anything else?"

"Taking the postgraduate entrance exam," Wang Zixu said in a matter-of-fact tone, almost laughing as he spoke. "I have to get into Nanjing University as soon as possible, otherwise, someone will come after me."

Zhang Qian didn't understand the logic in his words. She felt dizzy and swaying. The only information that entered her cerebral cortex was that Wang Zixu was going to resign.

"Do you really think you have no weaknesses just because you're threatening to resign? Let me tell you..."

Wang Zixu interrupted her, saying, "Zhang Qian, you've got one thing wrong. Today you're the one who came to talk to me, not the other way around. I have nothing to say to you. Put away that bluster you learned in officialdom; it won't work on me. I'm about to leave. If you want to talk, then talk for a bit; if you don't, then leave. Otherwise, you'll just be making yourself miserable."

Zhang Qian's expression shifted several times before she finally asked coldly, "What exactly did you say to the big boss?"

Wang Zixu took a sip of black coffee and said slowly, "The big boss and I reached a consensus yesterday, which is that you are not suitable for any leadership position."

Seeing Zhang Qian's wavering gaze, he said, "Oh, maybe soon we'll transfer you to a township in a development zone or some remote unit. It's also possible that you'll come to our unit and become a colleague of our bureau chief."

Zhang Qian's expression finally turned terrified. Her face gradually turned ashen, like a dead person, and her lips lost their color.

Why?

Prince Xu asked, "What? Why?"

"Why would the boss think that way?!" Zhang Qian was almost hysterical. "I should have been promoted to deputy director this year!"

Wang Zixu blinked: "Because you're not suited for a leadership position."

Seeing Zhang Qian's stunned expression, Wang Zixu said, "Actually, it's already good enough that it's just like this, because in my opinion, you are not only not suitable for a leadership position, you are not even suitable to be a civil servant."

"You like luxury goods, are out of touch with the masses, and lack a sense of serving the people. Being a civil servant not only contradicts your life beliefs and is detrimental to your personal development, but it also hinders your ability to do your job well. Sending you down to the grassroots level is actually a good thing; it can temper your spirit and moral character, which will benefit you."

Zhang Qian slammed her hand on the table and stood up, nearly spitting on Wang Zixu's face: "Are you kidding me? I've been a civil servant for so many years, and in terms of rank, I'm much higher than you. What gives you the right to talk like that in front of a high-ranking leader? What do you know?"

The black coffee was almost gone. Wang Zixu sipped it while staring intently at her, as if watching a joke: "Anyway, I've already told the big boss, and he called the Organization Department tonight to inform them of his decision. It's no use getting angry with me now. If you want to talk to someone, go find the big boss."

Ning Chunyan was trying so hard to suppress her laughter that she almost suffered internal injuries.

Previously, Zhang Qian said she rejected Wang Zixu's manuscript for his own good, and now Wang Zixu is also saying he spoke to the higher-ups for Zhang Qian's benefit. Even their responses are identical: "Anyway, I've already done it; if you want to complain, go find someone higher up."

Wang Zixu claimed he didn't hold grudges, and Ning Chunyan actually believed him. He clearly held grudges very much; wasn't this scene a perfect replica of what happened that day? Only the roles had been reversed.

Ning Chunyan felt completely relaxed; the breast engorgement she had experienced that day, caused by anger, seemed to clear up instantly. Prince Xu no longer needed to take responsibility for this.

Wang Zixu stood up and said to Ning Chunyan apologetically, "Let's go. I don't think she wants to let this go easily. I have something to discuss with you privately."

Ning Chunyan grabbed her bag, raised her head proudly, and walked past Zhang Qian. She followed Wang Zixu for only a few steps when she suddenly heard a "thump" behind her. She turned around and was immediately startled: Zhang Qian was kneeling on the ground.

She was wearing a short skirt that didn't go past her knees, and her round knees touched the ground directly, making the "thump" sound particularly crisp.

"Wang Zixu," Zhang Qian's eyes were red, "I was wrong. Could you please plead with the higher-ups? I really don't want to go to the grassroots level; I'll die."

Wang Zixu turned around solemnly and said to her seriously, "Comrade Zhang Qian, I can assure you from my own experience that you won't die working at the grassroots level."

Zhang Qian began to sob, "I was wrong, I was really wrong. I admit we didn't communicate enough before, and there was a misunderstanding. What will it take for you to forgive me?"

Wang Zixu sighed, "I've never blamed you. You picked on me time and time again, and I didn't say anything. I just..."

He gestured with his hand, making a rolling wheel motion, as if everything would be swept away by the wind: "I just suddenly realized something."

"What have you figured out?"

Wang Zixu looked at her: "We're both human, so why should I make things difficult for myself instead of making things difficult for you?"

After saying that, he pulled Ning Chunyan and turned to leave, leaving Zhang Qian standing there in grief.

Ning Chunyan said in a low voice, "She came on strong at first, but now she knows she was wrong."

Wang Zixu shook his head: "She doesn't know she's wrong. She's just scared. She used to be a leader in the core department. No matter what problem she encountered, she would put on airs and show her displeasure. Naturally, others would be anxious. Over time, it became a habit. No matter what problem she encountered, she would still have this bad habit. When she encountered someone who didn't tolerate her, she would start to get anxious, but by then it was too late."

He spoke with a hint of regret, because Zhang Qian had never been like this before. Material life and a distorted desire for power can completely change a person, even altering their temperament. He felt a touch of sadness at Zhang Qian's transformation, remembering their past relationship, but he didn't regret her fate. She herself had her own problems in turning out this way; otherwise, why would she have been so arrogant before and so obsequious afterward?

Ning Chunyan asked worriedly, "Did the top leader really guarantee that he would deal with her?"

Wang Zixu whispered to her, "It's true. And I didn't just tell the big boss all this; I also collected Zhang Qian's promotion materials and sent them to the relevant department's email address. Even if the big boss doesn't investigate, when this matter comes to light, it will still lead to Zhang Qian. Even if it's just to protect themselves, no one will dare to defy public opinion and protect her."

This series of interconnected moves completely dismantled Zhang Qian's relationships. But that wasn't the most terrifying thing. The most terrifying thing was Wang Zixu's forbearance.

His materials were certainly not collected overnight; the evidence he possessed could be significant or minor. Reporting him a few years earlier might not have yielded good results and could have even resulted in retaliation. By waiting until now and making thorough preparations, he has finally driven the last nail into Zhang Qian's coffin.

Ning Chunyan felt a chill run down her spine.

That's why they say that those who understand you become your most formidable enemies.

For Prince Xu, Zhang Qian, who knows him best, is an enemy on par with Godzilla; and for Zhang Qian, isn't Prince Xu just a zombie Tyrannosaurus?

Unfortunately, Zhang Qian was completely unaware of this before.

The two got into Ning Chunyan's Porsche, and Ning Chunyan sighed comfortably. She seemed to have just won a battle, and now it was time for a summary, celebration, bonfire party, and pleasant after-party.

"Finally, you've gotten your revenge. What are your thoughts?"

Ning Chunyan glanced at him sideways, but Wang Zixu still had the same expression: "I don't have any particularly special feelings, at least not the feeling of revenge. Actually, I've been thinking..."

"What are you thinking about?"

"Someone once told me something," Wang Zixu said, "'Everything in life is related to sex, except for sex, which is related to power.'"

Ning Chunyan's eyes flickered: "So, what about you and Zhang Qian... is it also related to sex? Ultimately, do you want to sleep with her, or does she want to sleep with you?"

Ning Chunyan was becoming more and more uninhibited in front of him, and Wang Zixu didn't criticize this, saying, "Definitely not. I now think that statement is very narrow-minded. Take this matter, for example, it has nothing to do with sex. It's only about power from beginning to end. Before, she controlled my life with a single sentence, and now I've controlled her with a single sentence."

Ning Chunyan said, "Either the West Wind prevails over the East Wind, or the East Wind prevails over the West Wind."

"So if we were to correct it, the statement should be changed to: Most things in life are related to sex, and another part of life is related to power, which includes sex."

Ning Chunyan chuckled to herself, "You're quite meticulous."

"Constantly discarding oneself and making progress little by little each day," Prince Xu said frankly.

Ning Chunyan said, "I don't seek great improvement, and I didn't feel like I learned anything from today's incident. Anyway, I felt good seeing her get the short end of the stick. I had a good time today. Thank you for showing me a good show."

Wang Zixu said, "Then I suggest you get rid of this kind of low-level fun as soon as possible, because what I'm about to tell you will be much more exciting."

After saying that, he placed a bank card on the center console of her car and slowly pushed it over.

Ning Chunyan stared at the card and asked, "What for?"

"Aren't you planning to start a magazine and short of funds?" Wang Zixu said. "There's 80 in this card. I'll lend it to you. As a friend, we can discuss the repayment period and interest rate."

Ning Chunyan's eyes widened: "What...what does this mean? Am I so destitute that my face practically screams 'I'm broke'?"

Wang Zixu couldn't help but laugh; it was the first time he'd laughed all day. "Can I say that I actually thought your magazine was a good project from the beginning? I lent it to you because I wanted to make money from it."

Ning Chunyan stared at him with a mixture of surprise and doubt. After hesitating for a long while, she frowned and said:

"I admit, I'm still quite a bit short of my plan. I originally intended to sell my dad's house, but unfortunately, I recently learned that due to an investment mistake a few years ago, my parents had already sold that house but kept it from me. But I'm not completely broke yet; if all else fails, I can always sell my car..."

Wang Zixu said, "Don't sell the car, I quite like this one."

Ning Chunyan glared at him: "It doesn't matter if you like it or not, I don't lend my car out."

"What I mean is you can keep it. You don't need to lend it out, and you don't need to sell your mount like Qin Qiong did. I have a Platonic fondness for your car. I don't even need to drive it myself; just looking at it is quite pleasing."

Ning Chunyan struggled internally for a long time before pushing the bank card far away: "No, I can't take your money. You don't earn money easily, and this must be all your savings, right? What will you do if I take it? Besides, you're going to quit your job and take the postgraduate entrance exam..."

Wang Zixu said, "Uh, I'm not as bad as you think. I actually have a source of income. I write, I write that, I write online novels."

"Write online novels?"

"Yes, I made a little money."

Ning Chunyan didn't believe it. But reality left her no choice but to believe it; otherwise, where did all this money come from? A Xihe clerk's salary wasn't high enough to save that much money. Besides, with Wang Zixu's talent, it wasn't surprising that he could write a money-making web novel.

Wang Zixu pushed the bank card back to her: "If you really find it too hot to handle, you can treat me as a shareholder and give me dividends every year. But I won't interfere with your work."

Ning Chunyan swallowed hard. "Really? Are you serious? You're not joking, are you? Waiting to see me make a fool of myself?"

"Life has played enough jokes on me; I've lost the ability to joke."

"Don't make it sound so serious, I believe you."

Ning Chunyan's heart pounded as she picked up the card, smiling sheepishly as she asked, "I'm still a little confused. Just take this as a joke. Let me ask you, based on what you just said, is what you did related to sex or power?"

"Anything related to sex means I want to seduce her, anything related to power means I want to build a relationship," Wang Zixu shook his head and denied, saying that neither of the two was true.

"You could say it's related to sentimentality."

Ning Chunyan gently waved the bank card in his hand: "Good brother, I'm willing to believe you, so you can change your sentence now?"

"Let's revise it tomorrow, leaving some room for improvement."

Before Wang Zixu got out of the car, Ning Chunyan hesitated for a long time before suddenly saying, "Hey, let me ask you, would you be willing to work as a part-time editor for our magazine?"

Prince Xu replied, "Me? Am I qualified?"

"That's enough. You're a new author who debuted with 'Yangtze River' now, and you even won first place in the Xihe Literary Society. You're quite a figure now. It wouldn't be a disgrace to our school to recruit you as an editor," Ning Chunyan said, becoming proud as she put her hands on her hips. "Besides, it's just being a junior editor."

Wang Zixu hesitated for a moment, then Ning Chunyan persuaded him again: "Aren't you going to resign next? You're also going to Nanjing University for graduate studies. Our magazine will probably be located near Nanjing University after it's launched. Wouldn't it be suitable for you to study and work part-time?"

Prince Xu was somewhat tempted.

Ning Chunyan continued to tempt her: "And did you know? Our editor-in-chief is Chen Qingluo! Let me tell you, she's amazing. Her next novel is sure to win the Mao Dun Literature Prize. You could work under her and maybe even learn a lot."

Wang Zixu's heart pounded uncontrollably, and after a long internal struggle, he finally managed to say dryly, "I'll think about it."

"Huh? What are you still considering?"

The prince pushed open the car door slightly and got out: "I'll think about it. Wait for my news!"

Having said that, he ran off as fast as he could.

Ning Chunyan pounded the steering wheel, saying, "Damn it, shouldn't that be the recruiter's line?!"

(End of this chapter)