Chapter 192: A Glimpse of Beauty

In the leadership office of the Central Office's right street building, Vice President Du Zhongyuan sat on the sofa, deep in thought. By now, Zhou Ming and Du Peng had already left, leaving him alone in the office.

After some time, Du Zhongyuan looked at his watch, picked up the phone on the nearby desk, and dialed a number. The call was quickly answered.

"Hello, Yang Lao, this is Du Zhongyuan."

If Zhou Ming had been present, he would have become anxious, as it was clear from Du Zhongyuan's words that he was calling Yang Dingguo, the current de facto leader of the Central government. Since Du Zhongyuan made this call, it was not hard to guess some of the purposes behind their conversation.

"Zhou Ming just left. I spoke with him; he is still unwilling to take up a position in the Central government, but he is willing to be an external advisor," Du Zhongyuan said. "Yes, I understand. So, I didn't press him. However, it's evident from his words that he is pessimistic about the upcoming price reform and bluntly stated that if things continue this way, there will definitely be trouble."

After saying this, Du Zhongyuan remained silent for a moment, listening quietly to the response from the other end. After a long time, he said, "Alright, Yang Lao, I will return and discuss this with you in person."

Du Zhongyuan then hung up the phone, smiled, and said, "This Zhou Ming, despite his young age, really keeps one on their toes."

With that, Du Zhongyuan left the office. At this moment, Zhou Ming was walking down the corridor, chatting and laughing with Du Peng.

"Zhou Ming, you're really bold to speak like that in front of my grandfather," Du Peng said.

Zhou Ming shrugged and said, "Your grandfather called me here just to hear these things. If I hadn't said them, it would have disappointed him."

"That's true. However, it is a wise choice for you to not take a position in the Central government. It's too chaotic internally right now, with various factions in conflict and no unified ideology. It feels like a fragmented situation. Even if you have extraordinary abilities, it would be hard to make a difference here," Du Peng said.

"Whether I can make a difference is secondary. What I'm worried about is getting into trouble!" Zhou Ming replied.

Du Peng widened his eyes in surprise, but Zhou Ming didn't linger on the topic. After thinking for a moment, he added, "But continuing with the current approach in the Central government is definitely not feasible. The ideas are too mixed, and no one knows which way the future should go. The Central government needs to unify its thoughts. Du Peng, you can pass my words to Chairman Du."

Du Peng stared at Zhou Ming in shock. As Du Zhongyuan's grandson, he had developed a high level of political awareness from a young age, so he understood Zhou Ming's meaning completely.

Some things Zhou Ming couldn't say directly to his grandfather, as it would seem disrespectful and a bit presumptuous, making it hard for the other party to accept. But if conveyed through someone else, it would be more acceptable.

This approach might be indirect, but it was necessary.

Thinking of this, Du Peng gave Zhou Ming a thumbs up and said, "Zhou Ming, you really leave people speechless. You're impressive!"

"Stop it. You sound like you're insulting me," Zhou Ming said with a laugh.

Zhou Ming then headed toward the reception room to meet Su Han.

Despite Zhou Ming's casual demeanor, he was actually sweating a lot due to the stress of being in the same office as the Vice President and discussing national issues, which included matters concerning the country's future. Fortunately, Zhou Ming's psychological resilience was strong; otherwise, an ordinary person might not have managed to speak coherently under such pressure.

While Zhou Ming was relieved after the event, he didn't dwell on it. As a reborn person, he believed that being frustrated about past events was pointless and even unpleasant. For most people, moving forward was the right thing to do, and Zhou Ming was doing just that.

Entering the reception room, Su Han stood up with concern and asked, "How did it go? Was everything alright?"

Before Zhou Ming could answer, Du Peng, who had followed them in, spoke first, "Xiao Han, you're worrying for nothing. With Zhou Ming's brains, you should worry more about others instead."

Zhou Ming playfully told Du Peng to leave and then reassured Su Han, "I'm fine. Chairman Du only asked me some economic questions. Nothing serious."

Su Han sighed with relief. Zhou Ming took Su Han's hand to comfort her but noticed it was quite cold. This surprised him because, even though it was winter in Beijing and temperatures could drop to minus ten degrees, it didn't feel particularly cold. The reception room even had the heating on, so Zhou Ming, wearing only two light garments, didn't feel cold. Of course, Su Han's cold hands might be due to her constitution, but even so, it shouldn't be this extreme!

Seeing Zhou Ming's puzzled look, Su Han shyly said, "The room is so big. I was worried about you."

Zhou Ming smiled, realizing that Su Han's coldness was likely due to her own nerves. However, at this moment, Zhou Ming didn't realize there might be other reasons for Su Han's discomfort.

Just like when they arrived, Zhou Ming and Su Han left the building, with Du Peng driving them away. Once on Chang'an Street, Zhou Ming saw the sunny weather and said to Du Peng, "Just drop us off somewhere along the road. I want to walk with Xiao Han and get some sunshine."

Du Peng agreed, "Sure, the weather is nice. It's good for Xiao Han to get some fresh air."

Du Peng parked the car by the roadside, and Zhou Ming and Su Han got out. Du Peng left them with a "call me if you need anything" and then drove away.

Zhou Ming and Su Han strolled along Chang'an Street toward Xidan. Although Xidan had developed somewhat, it was far from the commercial hub it would become in the future. Zhou Ming mostly wanted to take Su Han for a walk rather than shop, and he also took this time to reflect on his conversation with Du Zhongyuan.

Zhou Ming suddenly realized that all the questions Du Zhongyuan asked were related to the reform.

There must be an issue!

Zhou Ming was certain because, as Vice President, Du Zhongyuan didn't have time for idle chat, and being elderly, he didn't have the energy for pointless conversation.

Considering the Central government's current situation and his past memories, Zhou Ming could deduce that Yang Lao and his faction might be planning something. Even though the timing didn't match his previous life, Zhou Ming, as an ordinary citizen back then, had little knowledge of internal affairs. It was possible Yang Lao and his group were already taking action, given the upheavals in price reform.

Moreover, Zhou Ming wasn't sure if his presence would lead to changes in the Central government. As an ordinary businessman, it was one thing, but his involvement in creating a stock market in Nanjiang meant that capital markets had the potential to change eras.

Lost in thought, Zhou Ming was suddenly jolted by Su Han pulling him. "Zhou Ming, watch out for the car."

Zhou Ming came to his senses and heard the sound of an engine behind him. He turned to see a Santana with diplomatic plates. Quickly, Zhou Ming stepped aside.

He remembered hearing that in the capital, one should yield to diplomatic vehicles because if one was hit, it would be their misfortune. Diplomatic vehicles had immunity, meaning they were above the law, which could lead to accusations against the victim rather than the diplomat.

Although it was a joke, it was based on reality. Diplomatic vehicles had diplomatic immunity and were indeed outside normal legal processes.

Seeing the diplomatic plates, Zhou Ming stepped aside with Su Han, but the vehicle didn't pass directly. Instead, it stopped in front of them. The window rolled down, and a middle-aged Western woman leaned out, speaking in accented Chinese, "Hello, could you please tell me how to get to Yanjing University?"

Zhou Ming was a bit puzzled because Yanjing University was one of the most prestigious higher education institutions in the capital, and embassy staff should know about it.

However, Zhou Ming didn't dwell on it. Since it had nothing to do with him, he said, "Yanjing University is quite a distance from here, towards the northwest. Do you know where Yuanmingyuan is? It's nearby. Yanjing University is well-known; you should be able to ask around once you get there."

"Ok, thanks."

Suddenly, a melodious voice, like a nightingale, came from the car. Zhou Ming instinctively looked inside and felt his heart skip a beat.

It was an extraordinarily beautiful face with a petite, rosy mouth, a high nose, and eyes like sapphire. Her golden hair fell casually on either side, looking as exquisite as a Barbie doll. Although Zhou Ming had seen similar photos in the future, they were often the result of technology. This was all-natural! The difference was striking.

However, the moment of astonishment was brief. The middle-aged woman seemed displeased with the girl speaking out of turn and scolded her in a language Zhou Ming didn't understand before rolling up the window and driving away.

Watching the car drive off, Zhou Ming felt a sense of loss. At this moment, Su Han suddenly said, "Zhou Ming, how about we go to Yanjing University? I've never been there!"

"Hmm?" Zhou Ming looked at Su Han in surprise.