The game of power begins with the police officers at the local police station.

After a while, Wang Mingzhang followed Li Nan to the living room.

When Chen Shi first met Wang Mingzhang, he was very polite and immediately stood up: "Uncle, I am Chen Shi."

Wang Guihua also stood up and looked at Wang Mingzhang, who looked very much like her father in her memory.

He uttered four words: "You look a lot like him."

Wang Mingzhang didn't want to see Wang Guihua; they were related by blood, but there was no kinship between them. He was dragged down by Li Nan.

Wang Mingzhang didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly as a greeting, and then sat down.

Li Nan smiled and said, "Big sister, please sit down. Why are you standing?"

Wang Guihua sat down: "Thank you."

The nanny, Xiao Chen, brought over some washed fruit.

Li Nan called out, "Big sister, have some fruit."

Wang Guihua had a very good impression of Li Nan; he was always smiling and had no airs at all.

"Nannan, may I call you that?"

Li Nan quickly replied, "Yes, that's what my parents call me."

Wang Guihua smiled; getting to know Li Nan on this trip was a reward in itself.

Wang Mingzhang remained expressionless and did not utter a single word.

Chen Shi looked at Wang Mingzhang with a smile on his face. "You old bastard, if I didn't need something from you, I would have turned around and left if you were giving me that sour look."

What topics should we talk about? I racked my brains. Talking about work won't work, and talking about life is even worse.

It felt like nothing was appropriate to talk about at this moment; the four of them stared at each other, and nothing they said seemed to fit the mood.

Li Nan broke the awkward silence: "Big sister, is this your first time in Mingzhou?"

Wang Guihua nodded: "From childhood to now, I am fifty-two years old and have never left Fushan Town."

The largest place I've ever been is the town; I've never even been to the county seat.

Li Nan found it hard to believe that her husband's father, who seemed like a respectable person, would be so cruel to his own daughter even after the divorce.

"Have you been to school?"

Wang Guihua shook her head: "I never went to school. We didn't have enough to eat back then, and I had to work in the fields with my grandparents when I was very young."

Li Nan felt sorry for Wang Guihua's plight. She was an only child who had been pampered by her parents. Before this, she thought that no parent would not love their child.

When I met Wang Guihua, her face was full of vicissitudes. It turns out that there really are parents who don't love their children.

Chen Shi consciously made tea for Wang Mingzhang, paying close attention to his expression. He found that Wang Mingzhang's expression did not change, as if the two people in front of him had nothing to do with him.

"Uncle, what kind of tea do you like to drink?"

Wang Mingzhang glanced at Chen Shi, who was all smiles. He thought Chen Shi was a rather likable young man and didn't dislike him. He said something lightly.

"Da Hong Pao"

Chen Shi opened the cabinet, took out Da Hong Pao tea, brewed the tea, and placed the teacup in front of Wang Mingzhang.

Li Nan stood up and went to get the milk for Wang Guihua.

Wang Guihua felt unwell all over, but sat up straight and accepted the milk Li Nan handed her, saying, "Thank you."

Li Nan smiled and said, "Big sister, relax. We're all family, don't be so reserved."

Chen Shi asked, "Aunt, would you like some tea?"

Li Nan waved her hand: "I don't drink."

Wang Mingzhang picked up his teacup and took a sip.

Chen Shi was secretly pleased, at least Wang Mingzhang didn't dislike him; if someone disliked him, they wouldn't bother with him.

He quickly poured tea for Wang Mingzhang.

Wang Mingzhang didn't look at Wang Guihua at all. After sitting for a while, his secretary called to say someone was looking for him and that he wasn't home for dinner, so he went out.

The atmosphere felt more relaxed after he left.

Li Nan felt sorry for Wang Guihua, so he pulled her aside and asked her all sorts of questions, and even gave Wang Guihua 10,000 yuan in cash.

Wang Guihua refused, but Li Nan put on a stern face and said, "Sister, if you still recognize us, then take it."

Chen Shi couldn't get a word in edgewise, but seeing that Li Nan genuinely wanted to make amends to her mother, he advised, "Mom, just take what your aunt gives you."

Wang Guihua was deeply moved. Her own parents didn't care about her, but she never expected that someone she had no connection with would show her such concern and care.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she held them back.

You shouldn't cry in someone else's home.

Control your emotions and put the money in your pocket.

"Nannan, I used to be a person without a family, but from today onwards, I have a family."

Li Nan comforted her, saying, "Big sister, if anyone dares to bully you in the future, tell me, and I won't let them get away with it."

The two chatted for a while, and Li Nan seemed very interested in Wang Guihua's experiences over the years, listening with great interest as she spoke.

Dinner was lavish, with lobster and abalone, all of which Wang Guihua had never seen before, let alone eaten.

Li Nan kept putting food on Wang Guihua's plate.

Wang Guihua was reserved at first, but gradually she opened up.

Chen Shi spent one night in the municipal party committee compound. He never imagined that one day he would be able to sleep in the municipal party committee compound.

Wang Mingzhang returned very late, it was already past midnight.

Back in his room, reeking of alcohol, Li Nan was still awake.

Wang Mingzhang asked, "It's so late, why aren't you asleep yet?"

"Can't sleep"

Li Nan looked at Wang Mingzhang: "Mingzhang, don't you think you owe your eldest sister something?"

"It's her father who owes her, not me."

"Your father is gone, shouldn't you bear this responsibility?"

Wang Mingzhang sat on the sofa next to him: "We are related by blood, but we have never met since we were young, and there is no family affection between us. We are complete strangers to each other. The best thing is not to disturb each other's lives."

Li Nan snorted coldly: "In the end, she has no value to you. If Chen Shi were the provincial party secretary, you would probably recognize her faster than anyone else."

"Unfortunately, he isn't. Do you think they came to acknowledge us without any ulterior motives? It's only because I'm the deputy secretary of the municipal party committee, and I can help Chen Shi advance her career. If we were just ordinary people, would she still have come to acknowledge me?"

Li Nan was confused as to why family ties had to be mixed with these vested interests.

"According to you, back then you were just a clerk in the municipal government, while my father was already the district party secretary. I shouldn't have given you that opportunity in the first place. Would you be where you are today?"

"These are two different things. What we had was love, which is incomparable to family affection."

"Come on, even family ties are unreliable, let alone romantic love."

Wang Mingzhang waved his hand: "Let's not talk about these things. If you want to accept it, I won't stop you, nor will I support you. As long as you're happy, you can do whatever you want."

If they ask me for help, it's impossible.

Li Nan glared at Wang Mingzhang: "Get this straight, she's your own sister, and Chen Shi is your own nephew. Don't act like she's my own sister. Whether you acknowledge her or not is none of my business."

I just feel sorry for your older sister. She was abandoned in the countryside as a child, never went to school, and got married at a young age. It must have been so hard for her.

With your brother being the deputy secretary of the municipal party committee, shouldn't you give him some preferential treatment?

Blood is thicker than water; she and you share the same father.

Wang Mingzhang thought to himself, "Your sympathy is overflowing. Even if your father is in a high position of power, you still can't help him."

"I'm going to take a shower now. I have a meeting in Yizhou tomorrow morning."

Li Nan pulled up the blanket and covered her head.

Wang Mingzhang left home early in the morning. Chen Shi greeted him, but he only nodded slightly in response.

After breakfast, Wang Guihua was going home.

Li Nan called the driver to take Chen Shi and Wang Guihua to the station.

Chen Shi thought to himself, "Luckily, I got in touch with Li Nan. Judging from Wang Mingzhang's deadpan attitude, he doesn't want to acknowledge me as his poor relative at all."

If you can't bring value to others, you'll be disliked wherever you go.

Li Nan is very innocent and naive, and has been overprotected. She is genuinely good to her mother.

Wang Guihua kept praising Li Nan throughout the journey. She gave Chen Shi the 10,000 yuan that Li Nan had given her.

"Take the money, Mom knows you'll need it a lot while you're out there."

Chen Shi held the ten thousand yuan, his heart overflowing with maternal love. He was desperate for money, and maintaining relationships wasn't just about words; it was about spending real money.