Chapter 936: Conversation

Jian Minglang felt his blood surge upward, rushing to his head; his already swollen face instantly turned crimson, as if it could drip blood.

How am I not better than Zhou Andong? What does he have to compare with me? What right does he have to compare with me?

Jian Minglang clenched his fists tightly, his eyes bloodshot, his appearance terrifying.

The old man glanced at Jian Minglang, placed his still-burning cigarette in the ashtray, then picked up his teacup and took a leisurely sip.

“Are you really Bufuqi ?”

Jian Minglang said nothing, but his expression told the old man clearly that he was Bufuqi .

“Looks like you truly are Bufuqi ,” the old man set down his teacup and lit another cigarette. “Then challenge Zhou Andong openly and fairly.

Don’t always scheming behind the scenes. In front of Zhou Andong, best to put away your petty cleverness. Don’t end up dusty and humiliated—or worse, slinking away from Jiangzhou in disgrace. The family won’t back you.”

Jian Minglang couldn’t believe his ears: “Grandpa, I’m your own grandson.”

“You’re my own grandson, but Zhou Andong is my own son-in-law. I must keep this balance.”

The old man stepped up to Jian Minglang and patted his shoulder. “Being an official is temporary, but being a person lasts a lifetime. From birth, we must learn how to be a person. Yet some people live their whole lives and never learn how.”

The old man sat on the sofa but didn’t invite Jian Minglang to sit. “To be a person, virtue must lead, sincerity must be the root, and goodness must be valued. The character ‘ren’ is simple—two strokes—but writing it well is not easy.”

You don’t have to stand tall as heaven and earth to be a good person, but you must answer to your conscience. You don’t have to hold the highest office to be a good official, but you must answer to the people.

Sincerity wins true hearts; integrity turns into true gold. Integrity is the greatest wisdom, the most valuable capital, and the essential quality every official must possess.

If a person lacks integrity, he may gain fleeting petty gains, but he cannot last—he will inevitably fall into ruin. If an official lacks integrity, he cannot stand among the people.

So whether as a person or an official, without good character, nothing else matters. The ancients said: first cultivate yourself, then seek ability.

They meant that moral cultivation and character are vital to personal growth. Without good character, you cannot accomplish great things. A person of bad character, no matter how high his rank, will eventually fail under time’s test.

The old man kept talking, regardless of whether Jian Minglang was listening.

“Also, tolerance. Ancient teaching says: be strict with yourself, lenient with others. Being lenient toward others is a transcendence of your own humanity. Letting go of past grievances brings understanding, harmony, and friendship.

Holding grudges only widens the gap between people. Especially within a group, tolerance unites hearts and generates boundless strength.

Tolerance is the true goodness in human nature—it exchanges heart for heart, feeling for feeling, virtue for resentment, kindness for evil. Tolerance is not weakness, not incompetence—it is a measure of character, a breadth of spirit.”

Lastly, in action, base yourself on strategy, prioritize substance, and value wisdom. To live is to act. As an official wielding power, you must act for the people, for society.

But how should an official act? The ancients said: to plan for oneself is foolish; to plan for the world is wise. This is about perspective—how high your stance is matters immensely to any leader.

Like playing chess, it’s about shaping the situation—see the whole board, don’t just chase every piece. Don’t fixate on temporary wins or losses; you must rise to the height that benefits the overall situation.

Start from the fundamental interests of the people, plan comprehensively, consider all angles. Know this: throughout history, all who achieved great things shared one trait—when faced with any matter, they first considered the outcome of the whole…”

Jian Minglang kept his head down, his expression unreadable, his thoughts unknown.

The old man didn’t care what he thought—he crushed the cigarette butt in the ashtray. “So understand this: even if you defeat Zhou Andong through deceit and trickery, to the people of Jiangzhou, you’ll be nothing but a treacherous, despicable villain—your character will be ruined.

But if Zhou Andong loses, in the eyes of Jiangzhou’s people, he remains the man who led the Jiangzhou Distillery to glory—he remains Jiangzhou’s son.”

Jian Minglang lifted his head slightly, his eyes filled with complex emotion. In all his life, this was the first time the old man had spoken so much to him.

The old man stood up, patted Jian Minglang’s shoulder again, and spoke with deep gravity: “If you want to defeat Zhou Andong, defeat him openly and fairly.

Do a good job with Jiangzhou’s old city renovation. Let the people of Jiangzhou know that Jiangzhou isn’t just about Zhou Andong—it’s also about you, Jian Minglang. As long as you earn the people’s approval, you’re already invincible…”

Inside the study, grandfather and grandson conversed; outside in the living room, it was lively and full of laughter. A little girl kept bringing joy to everyone.

“Auntie, Su Su just called me ‘auntie’!” Jian Yue cried out in delight, grabbing Gu Minglan’s arm and jumping up and down.

Jian Mingfan, frowning, lay on the floor, watching Su Su surrounded by toys: “Su Su, call me ‘uncle.’ Hurry up and call me ‘uncle.’”

The little girl merely glanced at him, then went back to playing with her toys.

“Sigh!”

Jian Mingfan sighed in disappointment, got up from the floor, and turned to run out.

Zhao Ping asked: “Where are you going?”

Jian Mingfan waved his hand without looking back: “I’m going to buy her toys. When she’s happy, she’ll call me ‘uncle.’”

Jian Qiu called out: “She’s still too young. Why buy her so many toys? When she grows up, she’ll call you ‘uncle’ naturally.”

Zhou Andong smiled: “An uncle buying toys for his niece—why stop him?”

“Exactly!” Zhao Ping said. “Let him buy them if he wants to.”

Several people chatted around the little girl when the study door opened. Jian Minglang stepped out, sneered at Zhou Andong, ignored Zhao Ping and Gu Minglan entirely, and walked straight out.

Watching Jian Minglang’s retreating back, Zhao Ping shook her head: “That’s all he is.”

Gu Minglan didn’t even look at Jian Minglang. She held a rattle and shook it rhythmically: dong, dong, dong.

“Su Su, look at what Grandma’s holding?”

The little girl lifted her head, drawn by the sound, reached out her tiny hand, grabbed the rattle, and began waving it back and forth.

She giggled happily at the dong-dong sound.

At that moment, the old man emerged, walked over to the little girl, squatted down, picked her up, and beamed.

“Come here, let Great-Grandpa hold you.”

(Is this term correct?)