Chapter 1: Testing

Do you want to know why I am late

Yang Fan stood somewhat bored at the street-side platform, watching one woman after another pass by, disappearing into the vast sea of people. The entrance of the Social Sciences Academy behind him was unassuming, even appearing a bit antiquated; the buildings behind the tall walls also seemed somewhat old-fashioned. The sign reading "Capital Social Sciences Academy" hung quietly, standing out with an ordinary yet distinctive charm among the countless signs in the capital.

In the center of the hall, an elderly man with a dignified appearance and a slender figure was sitting upright on the sofa. As he was reading a document in his hands, he noticed Zhou Mingdao and Yang Fan entering. He put down the document, turned his head, and nodded, saying: "You have arrived! Please sit down and wait a moment"

These are the family matters of the Chen family, and Zhou Mingdao did not wish to get involved. Initially, taking Yang Fan under his wing was meant to repay an old favor to the Yang family. Although Yang Fan had only studied under Zhou Mingdao for a little over half a year, his excellent classical Chinese education, along with his extraordinary comprehension and acceptance abilities, made Zhou Mingdao feel that having such a disciple was a great comfort in his life. Zhou Mingdao certainly hoped that Yang Fan would inherit and carry forward the family's scholarly traditions, but unfortunately, Yang Fan's status placed limitations on many matters that were ultimately beyond his control. Furthermore, regarding the face of the old master of the Chen family, it was not easy to refuse.

Yang Fan listened, revealing a slight expression of surprise on his face, with a faint furrow in his brows. He made an effort to appear nonchalant and said, "If he wishes to see me, he can just call me to go over. Why does it require you, Master, to convey the message?"

Many things, when recalled now, still leave a bittersweet feeling in Yang Fan's heart. In his junior year, an unfamiliar Zhou Mingdao from the library brought Yang Fan into the office and, after identifying himself, proposed to accept Yang Fan as a graduate student. At that moment, Yang Fan felt as if he had been struck dumb by a pie falling from the sky, yet he was acutely aware that pies do not fall from the sky. As the founding ancestor once said, "In this world, there is no love without reason, nor hatred without reason"

The elderly gentleman, after finishing his words, continued to pick up the documents and lowered his head to read, as if the two people were nonexistent. He said to wait a moment, but this wait quickly turned into an hour. As noon approached, the elderly gentleman showed no intention of looking up or speaking, merely allowing the two to sit there in silence.

An Audi was parked in front of the gate of a large courtyard. The guard, holding a gun, approached for questioning and only allowed entry after making a phone call. The car eventually stopped in front of a two-story building with a courtyard. The relatively spacious two-story structure exuded a sense of antiquity. A man in his thirties stood at the entrance, courteously stepping forward to open the car door.

Zhou Mingdao recalled that an hour ago, he had asked the old master the same question in the study. The old master had smiled wryly and said, "That kid's temperament is just like his grandfather's, unyielding when devoid of desires! He respects you to some extent, so please attend as an observer. If the discussion gets stuck, it would be good for you to step in and ease the atmosphere."

From that day on, Yang Fan became Zhou Mingdao's apprentice and graduate student. Zhou Mingdao required Yang Fan to address him as Master rather than as Supervisor. In Zhou Mingdao's words, the current foundation of economics in China is a product imported from the West; this simplistic construct based solely on market fundamentals and literature is too superficial, offering little of value for research. Instead, he could teach Yang Fan some useful knowledge in the field of Yi studies, which he is proficient in.

Many young women on the streets have eagerly donned skirts, holding various types of floral umbrellas, exuding charm as they walk past the platform, leaving behind silhouettes of different shapes

The number of pedestrians and vehicles on the road has gradually decreased significantly, while the number of sentry posts along the way has continuously increased. Within the red-walled courtyards of the capital, they often symbolize power

Time continued to move forward, second by second. Yang Fan sat quietly on the sofa, not changing his posture at all. His clear gaze revealed no impatience; he simply turned his head to focus intently on the gradually emerging green branches outside the window, a faint smile lingering at the corner of his mouth

A crisp screech of brakes interrupted Yang Fan's dull observation, as an Audi came to a stop in front of him. The window rolled down to reveal Zhou Mingdao's thin and pale face.

Yang Fan was contemplating what would happen at today's meeting, and with an expressionless face, he nodded slightly at Liu Qing, still exuding an air of indifference to both honor and disgrace

Zhou Mingdao's expression always seemed to be as calm as water, but Yang Fan was certain that just at the moment when Zhou Mingdao called out to him, a hint of serious concern flashed in his otherwise expressionless face

Although Yang Fan's tone was calm and showed no dissatisfaction, Zhou Ming had always been a very punctual person. Today's situation came as a bit of a surprise. They had agreed to meet at 8 o'clock, and it was now already 10 o'clock. According to Yang Fan's usual habit of arriving on time, he must have waited for at least two hours.

The master believes that what can be shared will naturally be conveyed to me

Old man, what era are we in? Why are you still clinging to this distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children? I'm more worried that Yang Fan won't buy into your nonsense. Zhou Ming silently complained in his heart, lightly coughed to remind the old man that it was about time to wrap things up and not drag it on endlessly

What does Liu Qing's words imply? This question involuntarily arose in Yang Fan's mind, leading him to analyze: "Liu Qing is the secretary beside the old master. From what Zhou Ming just said, it seems he is to be reassigned. Liu Qing subtly indicates that the old master places great importance on today's meeting, perhaps trying to curry favor with me, worried that the meeting might end unfavorably? Ever since I learned about my family's background, I have never shown a good face to the Chen family, always maintaining an attitude of a gentleman who is steadfast and unyielding. It is not impossible for Liu Qing, as the old master's secretary, to have such concerns."

Zhou Mingdao said in a low voice without revealing any emotion: "The old master of the Chen family wants to see you"

Yang Fan, Zheng He has discussed with me the intention to transfer your household registration to his account. What are your thoughts on this matter?

Zhou Mingdao is Master Yang Fan, officially the president of the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences. He obtained his Doctor's degree in Economics from Harvard in the early 1980s. Behind the scenes, he also holds the title of a master of Yixue, though few are aware of this latter title.

Always watching Yang Fan's performance out of the corner of his eye, Zhou Mingdao sighed slightly in his heart: "This old fellow, why does he always like to do this? From a bloodline perspective, this is indeed a legitimate descendant of the Chen family. Is it really necessary to go through such torturous trials? Moreover, how old is Yang Fan? He seems to be only 22, right?"

"You are too polite. Without your support in front of the old master, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to be released." Liu Qing, with a composed expression, smiled respectfully at Zhou Ming. Upon seeing Yang Fan coming out from another door, he let out a slight sigh of relief and said, "Young Master Yang, you have arrived! The old master has postponed a few social engagements and has been waiting inside for a while."

At that time, Yang Fan decisively refused and left without looking back. Three days later, he was invited into a Hongqi sedan and taken to a courtyard surrounded by red walls. On that day, Yang Fan met an elderly man of significant power and learned about some past events. Initially skeptical, Yang Fan called his talented yet content mother, who worked as a teacher in a middle school in a small town, and she informed him that it was her arrangement

The spring rain falls gently, and although the wind blowing on my face is still a bit cool, I no longer feel cold; instead, I sense the warm breath of spring approaching.

Watching the figures of Zhou Mingdao and Yang Fan depart, Liu Qing recalled the events that had transpired recently, and could not help but let out a faint sigh. Both are children of the Chen family, yet how can the differences be so pronounced

On the wall, the clock's hour hand pointed precisely at 12:00 noon. The elderly gentleman, who had been engrossed in his documents, heard Zhou Mingdao's cough, set down the papers, removed his reading glasses, and finally lifted his head again. His face bore an air of authority, yet the corners of his mouth revealed an unmistakable joy. From Zhou Mingdao's perspective, he was unexpectedly struck by the resemblance between the elderly gentleman and Yang Fan, both of whom wore similar expressions. Reflecting on the many shared traits in their personalities, Zhou Mingdao couldn't help but mutter to himself: "Birds of a feather flock together".

Zhou Mingdao is actually sixty-five years old, but he looks only in his early fifties. After Yang Fan sits down beside him, Zhou Mingdao leisurely says: "Have you been waiting long?"

Zhou Ming was very clear in his heart that this was merely an assessment by the old man for Yang Fan. At this moment, as long as Yang Fan showed even a hint of impatience or dissatisfaction, his score in the old man's mind would decrease. Zhou Ming was very dissatisfied with this approach; was it not simply because Yang Fan did not grow up in the Chen family? Yang Fan's two cousins, on the other hand, had grown up in the Chen family since childhood, receiving the old man's teachings. However, the actions they took ended up infuriating the old man, leading to his disappointment in these two grandsons, which was why he remembered that he still had a grandson like Yang Fan.

It is nothing to wait a little longer for the master to summon

The old man spoke these words very suddenly, and Chen Zhenghe, the current First Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee of Hunan, is, in terms of blood relation, the biological father of Yang Fan.

Get on the bus

Zhou Mingdao did not explain, adopting a posture as if the master was about to close his eyes and rest. The carriage immediately fell silent, with only the faint sound of raindrops tapping against the car body and the intermittent noise of the wipers.

Zhou Mingdao got out of the car, smiled slightly at the man, and said gently: "Congratulations! Secretary Liu!"

Zhou Mingdao was somewhat at ease, casually taking out a copy of the "I Ching" from his bag to read, as if he had already grown accustomed to such a scene. Yang Fan's situation was clearly a bit awkward for anyone to see.