The Poor School Heartthrob Was Secretly a Financial Titan - Chapter 34

Li Jiquan was silent for a few seconds, then looked up and asked, “Master, can you help me analyze who this person is who is targeting Zhou Jianguo?”

Fu Xiangmin glanced at him and smiled: “That’s hard to analyze. Zhou Jianguo offended quite a few people while he was the head of the criminal court.” He paused, “Of course, it’s not without clues.”

“Master, please tell me.” Li Jiquan’s eyes lit up.

Fu Xiangmin tapped his fingers, going through them one by one:

“First of all, this person knows Zhou Jianguo’s family situation very well. He knows exactly what kind of person Zhou Cheng is, who he hangs out with, and where to set a trap for him. Otherwise, how could he have lured his son in?”

Li Jiquan nodded.

“Secondly, he is very knowledgeable about the case of Executive Vice Mayor Kong Sen.” Fu Xiangmin looked at him. “His knowledge is even greater than yours. Because he knew about Kong Sen’s villa earlier than you did.”

He held up two fingers: “There aren’t many people who can satisfy both of these conditions at the same time.”

Li Jiquan frowned.

Fu Xiangmin chuckled: “You’ve most likely seen this person in your daily work and life; they’re not someone who lives far away. But…”

He picked up the case file on the table and shook it: “His name is definitely not any of the names on this file. You, Secretary Li, can figure out the specifics yourself.”

“This…” Li Jiquan opened his mouth.

Fu Xiangmin stood up, put on his police hat, and walked out.

As he reached the door, he suddenly stopped, turned around, and patted Li Jiquan on the shoulder.

“Ji Quan,” he said, “your master has something to say to you.”

When Li Jiquan heard him call him “Jiquan” instead of “Secretary Li,” he suddenly stood up and said, “Master, please speak.”

Fu Xiangmin looked at him with a complicated expression: “Master advises you not to investigate this person anymore. This person is far more cunning and powerful than you. Let’s just close the case here.”

He opened the door and left.

Li Jiquan stood there, staring at the closed door, for a full ten minutes.

Then he suddenly realized that his back was soaked.

Sweat poured out layer by layer, soaking through his shirt.

My master’s words kept echoing in my mind.

A person who can get the head of the criminal court imprisoned.

A person who can manipulate the secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission like a knife and make him run wild.

A person whose name is not on any file.

There are very few people like that in the entire Donglin Party.

He slowly sat back in his chair, stared at the ceiling, and let out a long sigh.

Then I picked up the phone and dialed my home number.

“Hey, honey? Xiaoman’s scores are out, right? I’ll be home for dinner tonight.”

…

The admission notice has arrived and been sent to the school.

Li Man’s homeroom teacher, Ms. Wu, called her home, her voice filled with laughter: “Li Man, your admission notice has arrived. Come to the school to pick it up!”

Li Man hung up the phone, got on her bicycle, and rushed to the school.

The door to Ms. Wu’s office was open. As soon as Li Man entered, she saw Ms. Wu sitting behind her desk with a large red envelope in front of her.

“Teacher Wu!”

“Come, come, sit down quickly.” Teacher Wu smiled and handed her the envelope. “Ninghai University, open it and take a look.”

Li Man took it, carefully tore open the seal, and pulled out the admission notice inside.

A red cover with gold lettering: Ninghai University.

Open it, and it says:

Li Man, with the approval of the Provincial Admissions Committee, you have been admitted to our university’s Department of Politics and Public Administration, majoring in Public Administration, in the class of 1996. Please report to the university on September 2nd and 3rd, 1996, with this notification.

Below is the principal’s signature and the school’s official seal.

Teacher Wu looked at her with a kind expression, and the more she looked at her, the more she liked her.

This student is the school’s top scorer in this year’s college entrance examination. Five hundred and ninety-six points—she ranks among the top in the entire province. She’s brought her homeroom teacher a lot of pride.

“Li Man,” Teacher Wu said, “your application choices are a bit too conservative. Getting into Tsinghua or Peking University might be a bit risky, but other key universities in Beijing are definitely within your reach.”

Li Man tilted her head and smiled, but didn’t reply.

Teacher Wu continued, “Of course, Ninghai University is also quite good. It’s the best in the province and ranks among the top in the country. Plus, it’s close to home, only a few hours by car, so your parents won’t feel bad.”

Li Man nodded, looking somewhat preoccupied.

After holding it in for a while, she finally asked the question that had been on her mind the most: “Teacher Wu, do you know how many points Han Xuetao got on the test?”

Teacher Wu’s smile deepened.

She took another red envelope from the drawer and put it on the table: “Here, this is Han Xuetao’s. He also did quite well in the college entrance examination this time, scoring 581 points.”

Li Man’s eyes lit up.

“Only two of you from our school have been admitted to Ninghai University this year.” Teacher Wu handed her the envelope. “The admission notices will also be sent along with the letter.”

Li Man took it and looked down; sure enough, the cover had the words “Han Xuetao” written on it.

She couldn’t help but laugh and flipped it open to read.

Department of Earth Sciences.

“puff–“

Li Man couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Teacher Wu looked at her: “What are you laughing at?”

“Earth Science…” Li Man pointed to the line of text, “What does this study?”

Teacher Wu smiled and said, “Don’t underestimate this department. Ninghai University’s science and life science programs are among the best in the country. The number of SCI papers published each year is among the highest in the country. Graduates are well-suited for jobs in geological units, meteorological units, and research institutes.”

She picked up her teacup: “Besides, this major is quite suitable for Han Xuetao. His studious nature is perfect for scientific research.”

Li Man pursed her lips, thinking to herself: He’s not just good at burying his head in his studies; he’s incredibly good at hiding it. If she hadn’t discovered it by chance, she would still be in the dark.

Teacher Wu then said, “Li Man, can you contact Han Xuetao? Have him come to the school to pick up his admission letter. We can’t reach his family; we don’t know if they’re all on vacation?”

Li Man nodded immediately: “Teacher Wu, I’ll go ask. I heard his father is sick and went to Ninghai. I’ll ask if there’s any way to contact him.”

Stepping out of the office, Li Man, holding her acceptance letter, walked with a lighter step. She thought of Han Xuetao’s major—

Department of Earth Sciences.

Her lips curled up again. Was this guy going to be traveling the world fixing up the planet from now on? But since he speaks good English, she wasn’t worried.

When Li Man got home and opened the door, she was stunned.

Li Jiquan, wearing an apron, peeked out from the kitchen. Gu Aizhi sat on the sofa knitting.

“Dad?” Li Man changed her shoes and went inside. “Why have you been coming home so often lately?”

Li Jiquan wiped his hands and walked over: “I’ve finished that case, so I’ve had a bit more free time lately.” He held out his hand, “Where’s your acceptance letter? Let me see it.”

Gu Aizhi snatched it away: “You go cook first! I’ll watch first!”

She opened the envelope, took out the notice, and read it from beginning to end, unable to stop smiling.

“Department of Political Science and Public Administration, majoring in Public Administration.” She read it aloud. “Great! This is a good major! After graduation, your dad can pave the way for me to get a job in the government!”

While her mother was engrossed in watching, Li Man quietly slipped into the kitchen.

Li Jiquan was chopping vegetables when she came in. Without turning around, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Dad, I need your help.”

Li Jiquan stopped wielding his sword: “What is it?”

Li Man leaned closer and said, “I have a classmate who also got into Ninghai University. He’s the one who worked part-time with me at the Chunmei Hotel. His father got sick and was transferred to the Provincial People’s Hospital. We can’t contact him now; his admission notice is still with our homeroom teacher. Could you try to find out if the Provincial People’s Hospital can get in touch with him?”