Chapter 54 Big Shot

  Vice Minister Xiao arrived at the club two minutes before midnight, his timing was impeccable, just like his work and interpersonal skills, he had a good grasp of propriety. Perhaps it was because of his upbringing environment since childhood that he learned some things earlier than others, thus avoiding many detours.

  An ordinary Audi A6, this is the standard configuration for officials at the provincial level in Shaanxi Province. Compared to the cars parked in front of the clubhouse with prices starting from one million, it's not outstanding, but the license plate and the pass on the windshield that says "provincial government vehicle" makes anyone dare not be reckless in front of this car.

  Aunt Zhao and Li San Sheng were already waiting in front of the clubhouse, accompanied by Xiao Shuang and Ming Yue. Only Guan Yuanshan, the chaotic demon king, disappeared without a trace with a urine escape. Li San Sheng knew that this guy was afraid of Deputy Director Xiao, who had often caught and educated him before. Recently, Li San Sheng watched an interview article on Anhui Satellite TV's "Very Quiet Distance", which said that when he was in the provincial party committee compound, he often went to feed pigs, while Guan Yuanshan did similar things when he was a child in the compound.

  Deputy Director Xiao was forty-three years old. Li Sansheng had seen Deputy Director Xiao on TV, in newspapers, online and in photos at Zhao's home, but this time he saw the real person.

  Not tall, not short, not fat, not thin, with a kind of unsmiling dignity on his face, but when he looked at people, there was a natural and effortless attraction in his eyes. Only when he saw Mingyue and Xiaoshuang would he reveal a sincere smile. Behind him followed a man in his thirties, who Li Sansheng guessed should be his secretary. The man wore gold-rimmed glasses and smiled as he nodded to Zhao Yi and Li Sansheng, the smile on his face never fading from start to finish.

  "Old Zhao, our family's that guy has been calling you to go to Lijiang, Yunnan with him to relax, but you never agreed. This time I've come with a task, if you don't agree, I'll definitely have a hard time when I get back." Deputy Director Xiao's words stunned Li Sancheng, what was this and what was that? Logically, Deputy Director Xiao should be calling Zhao "Auntie" or something like that, but instead it was "Old Zhao", which made Li Sancheng find it even more interesting.

  "Even Director Xiao has his difficulties, doesn't he?" Aunt Zhao said with a smile. Deputy Director Xiao chuckled and shook his head, but his eyes were sizing up Li San Sheng standing beside Aunt Zhao. Li San Sheng had a hint of a smile on his face, but remained humble yet confident - this was what the old master had taught him: when meeting an unfamiliar superior for the first time, don't take liberties or try to curry favor; instead, remain modest and respectful, remembering that you are the junior.

  "This is the San Sheng I often mentioned to you, I think your family's Double hasn't mentioned it to you in vain." When Zhao introduced Li San Sheng, his name was just San Sheng, not Li San Sheng. The difference of one word conveyed a different message. Deputy Director Xiao is indeed a clever person, how could he not know the calculation in Zhao's heart?

  "Oh, let me take a look at this Three Lives that my wife and I have been boasting about in front of you and the old master every day. Does he really have three heads and six arms?" Deputy Director Xiao said jokingly, turning his head to give Li San Sheng a serious once-over.

  Even if Zhao Yi and Xiao Shuangshuang praise Li Sansheng as good, Deputy Director Xiao has a ruler in his heart to measure a person, this is his standard, others can't change it.

  "Dad" Xiaoshuang said with a blush, pulling Mingyue's arm.

  "Vice Minister Xiao", Li Sansheng called out with a smile on his face. He didn't dare to address him as "Uncle Xiao" in such a familiar way, even though the Gu and Xiao families had a close relationship, thanks to Zhao Yi and Xiaosha's connection. However, this was their first meeting, and he knew he had to keep his distance and not be too presumptuous. But at this moment, Li Sansheng's heart was already racing with excitement - this was the first time he had met such a high-ranking official, a provincial big shot! He usually only saw them in newspapers and on TV, but today he was actually meeting one in person! If it weren't for his grandfather teaching him some things since childhood, an ordinary person would have been scared stiff by now. Li Sansheng told himself to just treat him like an ordinary person.

  "Hey, kid, not bad! I'm really curious how you tamed our Double Doubles. Turn around and share some experience with me!" Deputy Director Xiao patted Li Sansheng's shoulder, his smile even brighter than before.

  After entering the club, on the first floor, there were a few guests who seemed to know Deputy Director Xiao. One of them, who wanted to come up and get familiar with him, was stared at by the man behind Deputy Director Xiao, so he wisely sat back in his seat as if nothing had happened. Aunt Zhao brought Deputy Director Xiao to the large hall on the third floor, without choosing a private room. Xiaoshuang and Mingyue also followed them up. Aunt Zhao asked Li San Sheng to brew a pot of Oolong tea. Li San Sheng did it in a neither-hot-nor-cold manner, without intentionally showing off his tea skills. Aunt Zhao and Deputy Director Xiao chatted about family matters all along. After brewing the tea, Li San Sheng poured a cup for Deputy Director Xiao, Aunt Zhao, and Deputy Director Xiao's secretary each, knowing that Xiaoshuang and Mingyue didn't like drinking tea so he didn't pour any for them.

  The secretary, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, slightly bowed his body to receive the tea and said "thank you" in a moderate tone. Li Sansheng smiled and nodded, then quietly sat down beside Aunt Zhao without interrupting.

  "Come on, relax, we're all family here. Don't be so formal. From now on, just call me Uncle Xiao." Deputy Director Xiao said with a smile as he took a sip of tea, noticing his daughter pouting beside him, while Li San Sheng was being properly polite and courteous, making what should have been an ordinary meeting between two families feel like a formal conference.

  "This" Li Sansheng didn't rush to open his mouth and call Xiao Shu, you know that if this one voice of Xiao Shu was called out, it would also represent Xiao Deputy Minister's recognition of himself. The most important thing here is still Zhao Yi, so Li Sansheng looked at Zhao Yi.

  "Three lives, Deputy Director Xiao has already spoken up, why haven't you? Others can't wait," said Aunt Zhao jokingly. In fact, Aunt Zhao had been waiting for her big brother to say this. For three years, Big Brother had known that Li San Sheng was playing such a role in the Guan family and was grateful for his care towards them.

  "Haha, Old Zhao, I feel like I've been cheated somehow," said Deputy Director Xiao with a smile.

  "It's also my honor and ability to make Director Xiao fall for it," said Aunt Zhao relentlessly.

  "Ah, you're still so glib," Deputy Director Xiao shook his head with a bitter smile and turned to face the secretary wearing gold-rimmed glasses, "Little Liu, get back to me and leave your phone number with San Sheng."

  It's all said and done, today's goal has been achieved. As long as Deputy Director Xiao acknowledges Li San Sheng, it means that Li San Sheng has boarded this line, which will be of great help to his future development. This is something that many people may not encounter in their lifetime.

  "Uh-huh," Secretary Little Liu nodded, from Deputy Minister Xiao's words and the relationship between the Xiao and Guan families, he already knew how to handle the relationship between the two people in the future, this is what their secretaries should do.

  "The tea is not bad, San Sheng. I heard from Old Zhao that you're quite good at chess." Deputy Director Xiao suddenly remembered what Old Zhao had said before about the young man in front of him being very skilled at chess. He also played chess, and while he was just a beginner at Go, he was actually a master of Chinese Chess. People from Shaanxi were obsessed with Chinese Chess, especially those from the Guanzhong region. This could be seen everywhere, from rural areas to cities, where old men would gather under city walls or in village fields to play chess. Go was a game of subtle strategy, while Chinese Chess was a game of bold and straightforward tactics, which suited the rough and simple nature of the people from Guanzhong. Deputy Director Xiao was born in Beijing but grew up in Shaanxi, so he naturally inherited the bloodline of the Qin people. He was particularly skilled at the "Double Rook" opening, and even in the provincial committee, it was hard to find someone who could beat him.

  "Weiqi and Xiangqi are both okay, I learned a little from the old man in our house when I was young," Li Sansheng said humbly.

  "Lao Xiao, who doesn't know that your chess skills are unmatched in the provincial committee? How could San Sheng possibly beat you? Even if he did win, would he dare?" someone said with a tone of discontent.

  "I'll see if he dares" - Deputy Director Xiao's words, whether joking or serious, startled Li Sansheng.

  "Our family's old man likes Go, I like chess, it's hard to find someone who is good at both, maybe next time we can play a few rounds together." Deputy Director Xiao said with a smile as he looked at Li San Sheng.

  "Go, come and go as called" Li San Sheng had made a bet, after so many years of playing Chinese chess, except for not having won against the old man at home, Li San Sheng really hadn't met an opponent, it's not that others aren't good enough, but he was just too fierce, already having chess on the board and in his heart.

  Secretary Liu took a phone call and whispered a few words in Deputy Minister Xiao's ear. Li San Sheng had already sensed that today's meeting was coming to an end. The big shot from the Provincial Party Committee Organization Department, who handled countless matters every day, wouldn't have time to spare like ordinary people, would he? Poor people never lack time, and it's also the cheapest thing they have.

  "There's another meeting in the province, I'll leave first." Deputy Director Xiao smiled helplessly. As a high-ranking official, this was something they couldn't decide on. He looked at Xiaoxiang and said with a smile, "Dad will leave now, come back early this afternoon."

  "Got it," Xiaoshuang muttered, and it should be said that she was already used to it. At home, there were only the nanny and her grandfather, otherwise, she wouldn't have come to find Mingyue whenever she had time.

  "This child," Deputy Minister Xiao shook his head.

  When leaving, Secretary Xiao Liu left a phone call for Li San Sheng and smiled, saying that if there is anything that can be helped, just call Brother Liu, don't worry about the trouble, we secretaries are here to do these troublesome things. Li San Sheng smiled and said, thank you Brother Liu, if you have time, I'll invite you to drink later.

  Inside the club, people who came to spend their weekend also saw off Deputy Director Xiao, probably all knowing that this big shot in the province had a boundless future, and knew that Deputy Director Xiao had connections in Beijing, and at home there was an old academician from the Central Party School.

  After Deputy Director Xiao left, Mingyue continued to teach Xiaoshuang guqin on the second floor. Xiaotou's fingertips had already developed calluses, but she never frowned. Li Sansheng and Zhao Ayi returned to the third floor to drink tea. When Zhao Ayi saw Li Sansheng looking relieved, she smiled and said, "You used to be so capable, why were you so nervous today?"

  "Auntie, that's a provincial big shot! The biggest official I've ever seen before was just the county head of our place." Li Sansheng took a big gulp of tea and said helplessly.

  "They are all ordinary people, just standing in different positions. Put them in a crowd and they're just two eyes and one mouth, who knows he's the deputy director of the provincial party committee organization department?" Zhao Yi said nonchalantly.

  Li Sansheng was drenched in sweat...

  In the afternoon, Zhao's aunt rarely accompanied two girls with Li Sansheng to a McDonald's not far from the clubhouse for a meal. However, Zhao's aunt and the two little beauties made many people in the store lose their appetite, while Li Sansheng ate happily without a care.

  Then he spent the time until 8 o'clock in the evening, Li Sansheng was rushed back by Lin Xue'er and four other beauties, as well as the beautiful class teacher's urgent phone call.

  Sitting on the bus, still in the last row of seats closest to the window, Li San Sheng looked out at the city outside, which seemed like a flood beast, his eyes were melancholy, muttering to himself, as if talking to someone.

  Hua Hua, we are all living well. I met the deputy director of the provincial party committee's organization department today. Can you see from heaven?