Chapter 333: I'm Going into Seclusion to Cultivate!

Today is Xiao Qin's birthday, and the members of the Tang Family and the Du Family have gathered at Yunhu Courtyard.

Amidst laughter and chatter, with wine cups clinking, the atmosphere is warm and harmonious.

"Mom, happy birthday. This is a gift Du Xi and I picked out for you."

Tang Ye took out a gift box, inside which lay a jade pendant.

Tang Ye had purchased it from Chen Shenghai, and just like last time, Chen Shenghai only charged for the cost of the material.

Tang Ye pondered that he would need to find an opportunity to repay this favor.

Xiao Qin looked at the jade pendant, unable to put it down. "This must have cost a lot of money, right?"

Du Xi said to Xiao Qin, "Don't worry about how much it cost; the main thing is whether you like it or not."

"I love it!" Xiao Qin hung it directly around her neck.

Tang Ye glanced at Qin Lan and teased with a smile, "Mom, don't be envious. When your birthday comes, Du Xi will buy you one too!"

Qin Lan couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, then I'll be waiting!"

Seeing the smile on Xiao Qin's face, Du Xi felt deeply moved by Tang Ye's actions.

Du Xi had not known that Tang Ye had prepared the gift in advance.

The more Xiao Qin looked at Tang Ye, the more she liked him; she used to think Du Xi was just obsessed with looks, assuming she only fell in love because she thought Tang Ye was handsome.

Tang Ye is actually very sensitive at heart, and he has a greater sense of ritual in life than Du Chengfeng.

After the meal, Tang Ye was sitting on the sofa chatting with Xiao Qin when the phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated.

The caller ID showed an unknown number.

Tang Ye walked to the bedroom to answer, and a hearty voice came from the other end of the line.

"Brother Tang Ye! I heard you also signed up for the Public Selection this time? Can you give your brother a hint and tell me which position you've set your sights on?"

The person on the other end was a classmate from Tang Ye's Party School Training, currently working at the Municipal Economic and Information Commission. He was five years older than Tang Ye and a young, promising Section-level Official in Hanzhou, speaking with great courtesy.

Tang Ye chuckled, his tone carrying a hint of banter: "I haven't had time to study the specific positions carefully yet. I'm just joining in the fun; I certainly wouldn't stand in your way, brother."

Seeing that he wouldn't reveal his hand, the other party took the initiative to disclose his own goal: "My target is the Youth League Committee. With your ambitions, you surely wouldn't look down on that place."

Tang Ye offered his well-wishes: "The position at the East City Youth League Committee is indeed quite good. I wish you success!"

After hanging up the phone, Tang Ye took a deep breath and walked slowly back to the living room.

Du Chengfeng gestured with his chin toward the direction of the study.

Tang Ye understood immediately and hurried to follow him.

Du Chengfeng signaled for Tang Ye to sit on the sofa, his tone becoming extremely soft: "With your ability, this Public Selection is not a difficult task, but when it comes to choosing a position, one cannot afford the slightest bit of carelessness."

Tang Ye nodded solemnly: "I was just looking for an opportunity to ask for your guidance."

Before he had even finished speaking, Du Chengfeng opened a drawer and took out a document.

"Don't stand on ceremony with me. I want to hear the truth—where do you want to go?"

Tang Ye's gaze swept over the document, and his heart tightened abruptly.

The positions were prominently marked with red ink; clearly, Du Chengfeng had already studied them word for word and had even thoughtfully added his own suggestions.

Two of the positions happened to coincide exactly with what he had in mind:

The first was the position of Deputy County Magistrate of Tianling County. That was Du Chengfeng's "base of operations" and also the "comfort zone" Tang Ye was familiar with; once he stepped in, connections and resources would naturally follow.

The second was Deputy County Magistrate of Suiyuan County. This place could be called a "messy situation." Although the Suiyuan Gang had already fallen apart, the remaining forces were still stirring in the shadows, and combined with long-standing abuses, wanting to achieve results in the short term would be no different from trudging forward under a heavy load in a quagmire.

One was a smooth, unobstructed path; the other was a thorny, perilous road.

Tang Ye did not hesitate, his tone firm: "I want to go to Suiyuan County."

A flash of approval crossed Du Chengfeng's eyes, as if he had anticipated this answer: "You didn't disappoint me. Mayor Jiang and I discussed it privately; although Suiyuan County is difficult, it is the most suitable place for you to display your talents."

Tang Ye hurriedly said modestly: "There are many variables in the exam. Those participating in the selection now are all 'old faces' from within the system; they are not comparable to the civil service exam."

The Public Selection aimed at the civil service ranks is different from the standard civil service exam.

Everyone has the basic skills, so the gap in the written test will not be large, and the gap in the interview will be even more negligible.

Upon hearing this, Du Chengfeng laughed heartily: "Don't be modest in front of me! You were a sensation during the Provincial Examination back then; this little challenge won't stump you. I was originally worried that Mayor Jiang would be reluctant to let you go, but I didn't expect him to fully support you in seizing this opportunity."

Tang Ye was filled with deep emotion: "It is my good luck that the leaders I have encountered are all willing to mentor me."

Du Chengfeng reached out and patted his shoulder, his eyes full of expectation: "This is not luck; it is your ability to conduct yourself in the world. Remember, this is your advantage. Be square in your character and round in your dealings; you must maintain this well."

……

The night was deep, and the warm yellow desk lamp cast a soft glow over the bedside.

Du Xi leaned against the headboard, watching Tang Ye as he hunched over his desk working on problems, a smile curling at the corners of her lips: "I didn't expect our top student to have times when he burns the midnight oil."

Tang Ye put down his pen and looked back at her, feeling both helpless and amused: "How can there be a 'natural' top student? It's just hiding one's hard work in places others can't see. When I was studying, I would get up at five every morning to memorize vocabulary, just without letting my classmates find out."

Du Xi sighed softly.

Her tone held both admiration and teasing: "A top student isn't scary; what's scary is when a top student works harder than you! To be smart and still work this hard is simply 'despairing.' By the way, which position are you aiming for in this Public Selection?"

Tang Ye deliberately kept her in suspense: "Take a guess?"

"Do I even need to guess? It's being spread like crazy outside that the position of Deputy County Magistrate of Tianling County was tailor-made for you." Du Xi said nonchalantly, not noticing the sudden look of vigilance in Tang Ye's eyes.

"Outside? Who is spreading this?" Tang Ye put down the pen in his hand.

Du Xi realized she had made a slip of the tongue, bit her lip, and simply confessed: "Hu Zhongping called me today. He also signed up for the selection and was beating around the bush trying to probe your intentions for the application."

"Don't tell him."

"Why?" Du Xi was a bit puzzled. "He can't out-test you! What harm is there in revealing it?"

Tang Ye gently held her hand and explained patiently: "First, he pursued you, and in his heart, I am his lifelong enemy; second, conflicts of interest lead to war. On the battlefield, how can one casually expose military intelligence?"

Du Xi was both annoyed and amused, gently poking his chest: "I made things clear with him a long time ago; why are you still so prone to jealousy?"

"Can't help it, who told me to be narrow-minded by nature." Tang Ye feigned grievance but pulled Du Xi closer.

Du Xi took the initiative to wrap her arms around his neck, her voice gentle: "Thank you for caring about me so much."

Tang Ye patted the back of her hand and said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "For this period of time, I need to go into seclusion to 'cultivate,' turning on the mode of 'ignoring affairs outside the window and focusing solely on reading exam preparation books,' so I can only temporarily 'neglect' a great beauty like you."

"I know!" Du Xi gave him a reproachful glare. "Then I won't disturb your hard work. However, when you make the Golden List, you must compensate me well!"

"Mm, I'll compensate you with two hundred million!"