I feel right at home in the world of the courtyard house.

After having lunch at the steel mill canteen, Li Jing'an didn't return to the guesthouse. Instead, he pushed his bicycle straight to the courtyard house.

He pushed open his bedroom door and took out the painting he had prepared beforehand from the cabinet. The scroll was wrapped in blue cloth and tied neatly.

This is a donkey painting I picked out yesterday at Rongbaozhai. Huang Zhou is a contemporary painter, and his donkey paintings are exceptional. The painting isn't considered an antique, so it's a presentable gift that's neither too tacky nor too flashy.

He glanced at the clock on the wall; it was 2:30. Perfect timing. He had specifically called to confirm that Director Gao was home this afternoon.

Carrying the painting, Li Jing'an went out the door.

The security guard at the Ministry of Metallurgical compound recognized him, registered him, and let him through. Li Jing'an walked confidently to the second floor of Building No. 3 and knocked on the door of the east-facing apartment.

The door was opened by Director Gao's wife, who smiled as soon as she saw him: "Jing'an's here! Come in, come in!" She stepped aside and called into the house, "Old Gao, look who's here!"

Director Gao emerged from the inner room, dressed in a casual white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, carrying a document in his hand. He smiled upon seeing Li Jing'an, but his brow furrowed immediately upon noticing the document in Li Jing'an's hand: "You've come all this way, what did you bring this time?"

"Old boss, this is nothing special." Li Jing'an entered with a smile, carefully leaning the painting against the wall. "It's just a painting by a modern artist. I saw it when I was browsing Rongbaozhai, and I thought it was interesting, so I bought it."

"A painting?" Director Gao approached and examined the long, blue-cloth-wrapped object. "What painting? You don't understand these things."

As Li Jing'an untied the cloth bundle, he said, "I don't understand it, but this painting is special." He slowly unrolled the scroll, revealing a traditional ink painting of donkeys. The three donkeys were in different poses, and the brushstrokes were unrestrained and vigorous, exuding a lively and wild charm.

Director Gao took a closer look but didn't say anything.

Li Jing'an pointed to the donkey in the painting and said with a smile, "When I see this painting, I think of you, my old leader."

Director Gao glared at him: "What do you mean? Do I look like a donkey?" His face was stern, but there was a hint of a smile in his eyes.

Mrs. Gao burst out laughing from the side, quickly covering her mouth with her hand, her shoulders trembling.

Li Jing'an made a helpless expression: "Old leader, have you forgotten? Back in the base area, everyone said you were stubborn, like a donkey!" He paused, then added, "I was praising you for being persistent and principled."

Mrs. Gao wiped away the tears of laughter and pointed at the painting, saying, "You know what, this donkey's spiritedness really does resemble Old Gao's when he was young."

"Go away, you're just spouting nonsense too." Director Gao waved his hand, but his gaze returned to the painting, examining it carefully. After a while, he nodded: "It's indeed well painted; this donkey has spirit." He turned to look at Li Jing'an, "You little rascal, you're just indirectly insulting me, and I still have to accept it."

Li Jing'an chuckled: "How could that be? I genuinely think this painting suits you perfectly."

"Alright, I'll accept it," Director Gao said to his wife. "Hang it in the study, on that empty wall."

Mrs. Gao took the painting, smiled, shook her head, and went to her study.

Director Gao pulled Li Jing'an to sit down on the sofa: "How have you been lately? Is everything going well at the factory?"

"Thanks to you, everything is fine," Li Jing'an said respectfully. He noticed that although Director Gao was scolding him, he seemed to be in a good mood—a good sign.

The two chatted for a while about work and family matters. After Mrs. Gao came out of the study, she said, "Jing'an, please stay for dinner tonight. I bought several crucian carp, and they are very fresh."

Li Jing'an didn't refuse and said with a smile, "Okay, I didn't come here on an empty stomach."

Director Gao pointed at him and laughed, "Look at you! You call me a donkey, yet you still want to freeload! Li Jing'an, you're a complete scoundrel now!"

Just as they were chatting and laughing, the doorbell rang.

Mrs. Gao went to open the door, and came in the director of a factory under the Ministry of Metallurgy, surnamed Wang, who was also carrying some things. When he saw Director Gao, Director Wang smiled broadly, but when he saw Li Jing'an sitting on the sofa, he was obviously taken aback—clearly not expecting that Director Gao would have guests at this time.

Director Gao simply introduced him, saying, "This is Li Jing'an, my former communications officer in the base area, now working at the steel rolling mill," and then said no more.

Li Jing'an immediately stood up: "Director Wang, right? Please sit down." He took the things from Director Wang's hands and put them aside, then turned to pour tea. "Please have some tea, it's freshly brewed Longjing."

His movements were natural and fluid, as if he were the master of the house. Director Wang sat down somewhat awkwardly, glancing at Li Jing'an a couple more times as he took the teacup.

The following afternoon, three more groups of people arrived. There were section chiefs from the Ministry of Metallurgy, as well as heads of subordinate enterprises. Each time someone arrived, Li Jing'an would take the initiative to stand up, greet them, pour tea, and take their things, then naturally step aside, neither overshadowing the guests nor failing to make each guest notice his ease and comfort at the Gao family's residence.

Director Gao let him do his work, occasionally glancing at him with a hint of approval in his eyes—this kid knows how to handle things.

Li Jing'an knew perfectly well that these people visiting Director Gao were all shrewd individuals. His running around like this would naturally make them wonder about his relationship with Director Gao. That was exactly the effect he wanted—Director Gao didn't need to say anything; his actions alone would speak volumes.

Sure enough, Li Jing'an saw each guest off to the door. In the hallway, they would naturally exchange names, workplaces, and positions.

"Director Li, right? I work at the Third Steel Plant. My surname is Zhao. Let's keep in touch."

"Comrade Li Jing'an, it's a pleasure to meet you. I work in the Planning Department of the Ministry..."

Li Jing'an accepted all offers without hesitation, responding to each one with a humble yet respectful tone. He knew that these relationships, planted today, might come in handy sometime in the future.

The most unexpected thing was meeting Director Yang. Director Yang was visiting a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Metallurgy and took the opportunity to visit Director Gao.

Seeing Li Jing'an serving tea and seeing off guests at the Gao family's house, a hint of surprise flashed in Director Yang's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. However, Li Jing'an caught that moment of astonishment.

"Jing'an is here too." Director Yang smiled warmly.

"Director Yang." Li Jing'an nodded and handed over a teacup. "This is freshly brewed tea."

Factory Director Yang took the document and sat down to talk to Director Gao, but his eyes kept glancing at Li Jing'an. Li Jing'an pretended not to notice and continued with his work. He knew that what had happened today was enough for Factory Director Yang to reassess his importance in the factory.

After seeing all the guests off, it was already evening. Mrs. Gao had prepared dinner, and the three of them sat down around the table. Four dishes and a soup—simple, but the atmosphere was warm and cozy.

After having tea for a while after the meal, Li Jing'an got up to take his leave. Madam Gao packed him a jar of her homemade pickles, and Director Gao saw him to the door, patting him on the shoulder: "Do a good job. If you have any difficulties, you can tell me."

Li Jing'an nodded emphatically: "Thank you, old leader."

By the time I left the Ministry of Metallurgical compound, it was completely dark. Today's trip was worthwhile. The painting was a perfect gift, expressing my feelings without being cliché; my behavior at the Gao family's house not only strengthened my relationship with my former leader but also subtly showcased my "connections."

He remembered that he had to visit Deputy Director Sun's home at the Beijing Second Commercial Bureau the next day. Although Deputy Director Sun's rank was not as high as Director Gao's, he was in charge of resource allocation and his influence was much greater than Director Gao's.

"I need to go to the department store and buy some good cigarettes and alcohol," Li Jing'an thought to himself. Unlike Director Gao, Deputy Director Sun wasn't particularly fond of refined pursuits; he was more practical, and cigarettes and alcohol were the safest bet. Ideally, he'd get Zhonghua cigarettes and Moutai.

Walking home, Li Jing'an lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. The smoke dissipated in the dim night. He knew that in this society based on personal connections, relationships were like a net, and he was slowly weaving his own. Every step had to be taken carefully; what gift to give, what to say, when to appear, and when to disappear all required careful consideration.

Today at Director Gao's house, he saw the surprise in Director Yang's eyes. That's good. In the factory, sometimes you don't need to say anything directly; just letting people know you have connections makes things much easier.