Chapter Forty-Seven: Discourse

The countryside here exudes a rustic charm, and Zhang Ye found himself fond of it as well. He followed Gu Changming’s wife into the house, and upon seeing the calligraphy posted on the walls, Zhang Ye couldn’t help but smile. Clearly, this was the abode of a man obsessed with the art of writing.

“Haha, it’s Brother Zhang! No wonder my brow kept twitching today—so it was you coming!” Gu Changming, a man of sincere temperament, burst out laughing as soon as he saw Zhang Ye, causing his wife beside him to frown in displeasure. Brother? Such a young brother—where did that leave her dignity? It seemed he cared little for proper generational order.

“Ahem, Brother Gu, didn’t I mention I wanted to see your calligraphy last time? I couldn’t resist, so here I am. I hope I’m not unwelcome,” Zhang Ye said, laughing awkwardly and teasing. When it came to thick skin, he was no amateur.

“How could you be unwelcome? Come, let me show you around. Every piece of calligraphy here is my own work—please, give me your critique.” Gu Changming laughed heartily, taking the lead as he guided Zhang Ye around to appreciate his creations.

The walls of Gu Changming’s home were adorned everywhere with his calligraphy, each piece carefully framed and displayed in prominent places. Clearly, these were his proudest achievements.

“Impressive. Brother Gu, your calligraphy has indeed reached a certain mastery. If the paper didn’t look so new, I’d have thought these were lost works of Wang Xizhi,” Zhang Ye praised casually after half an hour, having viewed most of the calligraphy with Gu Changming.

“You flatter me.” Gu Changming was deeply satisfied. He adored Wang Xizhi’s script and had been imitating it for years; Zhang Ye’s words touched him right where he was most sensitive.

Returning the favor, now fully pleased by Zhang Ye’s praise, he finally noticed the rolled-up paper in Zhang Ye’s hands and asked, feigning nonchalance, “Is that your calligraphy, Brother Zhang?”

Zhang Ye chuckled inwardly, nodded, and replied, “Yes, it is.”

“Well, what are you waiting for? Unroll it for me to see!” With that, he carefully took the paper from Zhang Ye and gently spread out the sheet.

“Excellent, what fine words and script! Brother Zhang, truly a young hero!” At just a glance, Gu Changming’s eyes lit up, a look of obsession flickering across his gaze.

“Remarkable. Your script does not imitate the ancients, yet carries a dignified classical spirit. The strokes are bold and the ink rich, dragons and snakes seem to dance—wonderful writing indeed.” Gu Changming, true to his passion for calligraphy, immediately sensed Zhang Ye’s talent and began to praise and critique line by line.

“Quick, unroll the others as well!” Gu Changming now lost some composure, his gaze toward Zhang Ye changed yet again. Although Zhang Ye’s skill was still far from the masters, his potential was undeniable; among the youth, few could match him.

Zhang Ye had come with a purpose and would not let Gu Changming have his way so easily. He smiled and said, “No hurry. You can see the rest, but first, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”

“What is it?” Gu Changming, now like a cat eyeing a feast, stared hungrily at the calligraphy in Zhang Ye’s hands.

“I just want to know—why did my sister get promoted the day before yesterday, only to be dismissed yesterday?” Zhang Ye was smiling, but his eyes were cold.

Gu Changming might not have known the specifics at the time, but over a day had passed; claiming ignorance was impossible. After all, he was the editor-in-chief, and Lihua Morning News was not so large that he wouldn’t know about changes among his staff. He wouldn’t have kept his post for over ten years if he were so clueless.

“Wang Mengzi was dismissed?” As he spoke, Gu Changming’s expression changed dramatically—not with embarrassment, but genuine shock.

Zhang Ye found himself uncertain. “You really didn’t know?” It made no sense. An editor-in-chief not knowing about a staff member’s departure was hard to believe.

“I truly didn’t. I left early the afternoon before last for personal matters, haven’t been out since, and no one told me.” As he spoke, Gu Changming grew serious and asked, “What happened? Tell me what you know, and I’ll call to find out.”

Seeing that Gu Changming didn’t seem to be lying, Zhang Ye quickly recounted yesterday’s events, hinting at issues with Gao Ming but not going into detail.

“I understand. I’ll verify it.” Gu Changming nodded, then entered the room, weighed down with concern, and called the newspaper office directly.

“I’ve got the facts. It was Deputy Director Hong from the county committee who orchestrated it. As you mentioned Gao Ming, I realized it must be him. Perhaps you don’t know—Hong is Gao Ming’s uncle.” As he spoke, Gu Changming frowned; this was indeed a tricky situation.

Though Deputy Director Hong was only a deputy-level cadre, he wielded real power and happened to have influence over them, making him difficult to offend. After thinking it over, he said, “Don’t worry. I’ll handle this properly and make sure Wang isn’t treated unfairly.”

“I heard your son is captain of the criminal police brigade?” Zhang Ye suddenly asked, his face unreadable.

“Yes.” Gu Changming nodded slowly, somewhat confused as to why the conversation had suddenly shifted to his son.

Though his son was outstanding and his position was no less influential than Hong Jiang’s, the two belonged to entirely different systems, with no authority over each other.

Zhang Ye paid no mind to Gu Changming’s surprise. He slowly took out a black notebook from his jacket and said, “Tell me—if I hand this notebook to your son, what do you think would happen to Gao Ming?” Zhang Ye felt awkward, calling Gu Changming ‘brother’ and his son ‘big brother’; the terms were cumbersome.

Gu Changming raised his brows, took the notebook, and quickly flipped through it. Immediately, all of Gao Ming’s misdeeds were laid bare before him. A man who had always been upright, Gu Changming’s face darkened as he closed the notebook and asked loudly, “Is everything written here true?”

“This fell out of Gao Ming’s bag.” Zhang Ye used a little trick here; he didn’t tell the whole truth. Whether or not Gu Changming questioned the notebook’s origins, it was undeniably Gao Ming’s.

“Disgraceful! A disgrace! He’s a parasite in our paper!” Gu Changming ignored the holes in Zhang Ye’s story and simply erupted with fury.

He was truly outraged. Gao Ming, abusing his position as chief editor for bribes and even threatening the paper’s reporters and editors, was utterly contemptible. He never would have guessed that the usually cultured Gao Ming was this sort of person.

“Rest assured, such a parasite will never remain in our paper, and I will see justice done for your sister Wang.” With this notebook, all previous concerns vanished, and he made his decision on the spot.