Asking for the Throne

Staring at Li Dingshan, who had been frowning and silent the entire time, Xia Xiang felt uneasy, unsure if he had made the right bet. Based on his understanding of Li Dingshan, although he was a proud and face-conscious man, he also had an eye for talent and could listen to different opinions. Otherwise, he wouldn't have risen to a mid-level position in a national newspaper, or be appointed as the head of the provincial news station in Yan Province.

The head of a provincial news station not only enjoyed a higher salary and better benefits than a department head within the newspaper, but also wielded significant power. In the local area where the station was based, they were highly respected; not only did municipal government departments treat them with deference, but even provincial leaders had to show them respect. After all, the newspaper Li Dingshan worked for was a legitimate and influential national publication. Although it didn't have the same supervisory power over local governments as Xinhua News Agency, which was a powerful institution, every national newspaper had its ways of exerting influence. Moreover, the power of public opinion was immense, and Li Dingshan, with his extensive network in both the capital and the provincial city, was a person of considerable influence within the media circle.

Unfortunately, despite being a man of letters, Li Dingshan lacked exceptional business acumen. Though he managed to secure an initial investment of one million yuan, he failed to grow and improve the company. The market and the political arena operated on two different sets of principles and models, so it was understandable that Li Dingshan's venture ended in failure.

Song Chaodu was going all out to bring Li Dingshan into politics and promised him the position of county party secretary, partly because they were classmates and partly because he valued Li Dingshan's influence in the media. Xia Xiang knew that Song Chaodu must have learned about his impending removal from the standing committee. He wanted to secure a good position for Li Dingshan before losing power, hoping that if he himself fell from grace and couldn't make a comeback, Li Dingshan would still look after him.

Li Dingshan was a sentimental man, sometimes a bit bookish, but overall, he was a reliable friend. However, when Song Chaodu proposed that Li Dingshan give up his company and let him arrange for him to become the county party secretary in a suburban county, Li Dingshan flatly refused without any room for negotiation. Li Dingshan's response was that he needed to rise from where he fell. He couldn't let others look down on him, nor could he bear the thought of his colleagues at the newspaper calling him a coward and saying he wasn't a real man, running away after a failure, lacking responsibility.

Although Xia Xiang was usually quiet, he got along well with Jia He. They often drank together, and over time, Xia Xiang learned a lot about Li Dingshan from Jia He.

Because Li Dingshan was too proud to admit defeat in front of his classmates and didn't want others to think he was currying favor with the powerful Song Chaodu, he rarely interacted with Song Chaodu. Instead, he frequently met with other classmates who worked in the Yan City municipal government. Apart from not wanting Song Chaodu to think he was seeking favors, deep down, Li Dingshan was unwilling to admit that he was inferior to Song Chaodu. So, when Song Chaodu first suggested that he take up the position of county party secretary, Li Dingshan immediately rejected it, feeling deeply insulted.

As the head of a provincial news station for a national newspaper, Li Dingshan's personnel relationship was in Yan Province, and he held the rank of full division level, far below Song Chaodu's deputy provincial level. Moreover, Song Chaodu was a member of the provincial party standing committee, making him a leader in the provincial party. Despite his resentment, Li Dingshan acknowledged that Song Chaodu was the most successful among their classmates. But Song Chaodu always treated him with courtesy, not just because they were good friends in school, but also because of Li Dingshan's influence in the media.

Li Dingshan believed that Song Chaodu's attempt to persuade him to enter politics was a secret, and he never mentioned it at the company. He was surprised to hear Xia Xiang subtly suggest a change in approach, wondering if Xia Xiang knew about Song Chaodu's behind-the-scenes maneuvering. It seemed impossible, as Xia Xiang was a quiet and timid recent graduate with no connections in Yan City.

Xia Xiang shook his head and said, "How could I know Secretary Song? Compared to him, I'm light-years behind. I just heard Mr. Li mention Secretary Song, and Jia He said that Secretary Song and Mr. Li are close. So, I paid attention. Just now, Secretary Song called and asked me to tell you to call him back when you have time."

Seeing Xia Xiang sitting straight and looking him in the eye without flinching, Li Dingshan was taken aback. He then shook his head and smiled, "I see... What you said makes sense, and I'll consider it. I heard you're living alone in Yan City. What do you do after work?"

From Li Dingshan's expression, Xia Xiang couldn't tell if he was swayed. He knew persuading Li Dingshan wouldn't be easy and wouldn't happen with just a few words. Seeing that Li Dingshan had changed the subject, Xia Xiang went along with it, "Yes, I enjoy my freedom. After work, I find a place to eat and read books. I don't have many activities."

"Young people should participate more in social activities and make more friends. I'm having dinner with Bank Manager Li tonight. If you're free, why don't you join us?"

To be honest, Xia Xiang didn't want to have dinner with Li Kailin. On the two occasions when Li Dingshan invited Li Kailin to dinner and Xia Xiang accompanied them, Li Kailin got drunk and forced Xia Xiang to drink. At the time, Xia Xiang was a shy college student with a low alcohol tolerance. A few drinks made him feel terrible, but Li Kailin insisted, saying that refusing to drink was a sign of disrespect and that Xia Xiang was putting on airs. Xia Xiang, young and stubborn, refused, leading to an unpleasant end.

For some reason, Li Kailin always found Xia Xiang annoying and made things difficult for him.

Another time, Li Dingshan invited Li Kailin to a karaoke bar and hired three hostesses. Xia Xiang, who had just gone through a breakup and was inexperienced with such settings, sat there awkwardly, blushing and fumbling when the hostess hugged his arm and pressed her chest against him. Li Kailin laughed and called him a wimp, saying he was afraid of women. Xia Xiang, though angry, suppressed his feelings, knowing that Li Kailin was the company's financial lifeline and that Li Dingshan wouldn't tolerate him.

Fortunately, Li Dingshan was protective of his subordinates. Although he didn't like Xia Xiang's timidity, he didn't follow Li Kailin's suggestion to fire Xia Xiang. After these incidents, Xia Xiang avoided sitting with Li Kailin, as Li Kailin would always say, "Hey, college boy, how about I get you a couple of hostesses to keep you company today?"

"Sure, I'll wait downstairs. Just call me when Mr. Li is ready to leave," Xia Xiang agreed. He wanted to see what Li Kailin was up to by keeping this from Li Dingshan.

Li Dingshan had only asked casually, as he had no one to accompany him and was trying his luck. He didn't expect Xia Xiang to agree, especially since he knew the company was in disarray and his employees no longer took him seriously.

Surprised by Xia Xiang's calm acceptance, Li Dingshan wondered if Xia Xiang had suddenly matured. Recalling Xia Xiang's earlier analysis and responses, he thought, "Could Xia Xiang have been hiding his true abilities?" During his darkest hour, Xia Xiang not only stayed but also offered to help, showing that he was someone worth relying on.

Back downstairs, Xia Xiang checked his watch; it was only 4 PM, two hours before the end of the workday. Looking out the window, he saw that the rain had stopped, and the western sky was filled with red clouds, creating a beautiful scene. Xia Xiang gazed at it for a while, his heart filled with excitement and joy at the thought of his second chance at life.

If life could be relived... He had often daydreamed about this and boasted to friends after drinking that if given another chance, he would seize opportunities, make a fortune, and achieve great things. Now, having actually been reborn 12 years ago, everything felt so real yet so uncertain. Was taking this step the right decision?

Though he knew the general direction of history, no one could predict every choice and step in a person's life with perfect accuracy. He still had to proceed cautiously and find his way. Xia Xiang sighed and was about to return to his seat when he heard someone behind him say, "Xia Xiang, why are you sighing? Did your girlfriend dump you?"