Jiang Ling held her daughter's hand, her voice trembling, "He fainted at work around noon. The doctor said it was due to extreme anger, compounded by lack of rest recently. His body was already weak..."
It was clear she was very worried.
Su Yue glanced again at the police officers beside her.
Director Zhou, seeing this, immediately said, "If Director Su's wife and daughter are here, we'll return to the ministry. Contact my secretary immediately if there are any developments."
After they left, Su Yue led Jiang Ling to a quiet corner. Seeing her still weeping, she couldn't help but frown.
"He just fainted, you don't have to cry like this."
"I'm heartbroken. Your father is exhausted," Jiang Ling said, wiping her eyes, her voice laced with complaint.
Su Yue was speechless, regretting coming.
"Oh, right. Director Zhou brought some good news. Your father got promoted. It seems like the Archives Bureau... Deputy Director level... Perhaps he was too happy and fainted from excitement." Jiang Ling suddenly remembered this, her tears drying, and spoke with joy.
Archives Bureau?
Su Yue didn't understand these departments or ranks. She had always thought Su Minghua was powerful, but she didn't know the extent of his authority.
Hearing Jiang Ling's words, she didn't pay much attention, merely murmuring a soft "Oh."
"Let's go see him in his ward," Jiang Ling said, taking her daughter's hand.
"I..." Su Yue subconsciously wanted to refuse, but seeing her mother's innocent expression, she held back.
In the ward.
Su Minghua had woken up. He stared out the window with a sense of utter despair. His head still felt numb, and he couldn't make sense of anything.
Chen Ziming had been so proactive.
Director Xu had even given hints.
He had even seen the draft of the appointment letter.
How did it all end up as a wild goose chase? Not only did he not get what he wanted, but he also lost what he had?
"Honey, Yueyue is here," Jiang Ling's voice broke through his tangled thoughts.
Su Minghua didn't speak. His hollow gaze swept over Su Yue, then returned to the window.
"Quick, call Daddy," Jiang Ling nudged Su Yue when she remained silent, whispering the command.
Su Yue, who had been puzzled by Su Minghua's state, was annoyed by the nudge and reluctantly called out "Dad."
Strangely, the man on the bed no longer even pretended to have a father-daughter bond, ignoring her completely.
It was too strange.
Su Minghua had clearly suffered a blow.
Recalling Jiang Ling's earlier mention of a promotion...
"Mom, I'm going to make a call," she suddenly said, running out before her mother could reply.
After a few steps, she reached the corridor window and dialed Chen Ziming's number.
She had expected him to be busy, but he answered very quickly.
"Does my darling miss me?" a slightly languid voice asked.
Before she could speak, he lowered his voice, "It's only Wednesday. If you miss me, I can break the rules..."
"Be serious, I have something important," Su Yue interrupted him immediately.
There was a second of silence on the other end, then he indeed became serious, "Okay, tell me."
She glanced around, ensuring it was safe, and quietly recounted Su Minghua's situation.
Naturally, she couldn't see the smile that curved the man's lips on the other end of the phone.
"That's good. If I have time this weekend, I'll bring a gift to celebrate," Chen Ziming replied in a low voice, sitting at his desk and idly tracing circles on the tabletop with his finger, as if contemplating something.
"Are you sure... it's good?" Su Yue asked hesitantly.
"Of course, it's good. Better treatment, higher rank, and more leisurely than before. It's a position many people desire."
More leisurely than before...
Su Yue's eyes flickered, and she instantly understood.
What Chen Ziming was describing was not what Su Minghua desired.
He wanted power.
Tangible, real power.
No wonder he was so dejected; his career had suffered a setback.
Su Yue glanced towards the ward, a hint of disdain on her face, but also a sense of relief.
The disdain was for Su Minghua's inability to withstand a setback, and the relief was that this wasn't a major issue, and she could reassure her mother after telling her.
"Understood. You should get back to work. I'm hanging up," Su Yue said into the phone and casually ended the call.
She then headed back towards the ward, intending to give her mother some peace of mind.
On the other end, Chen Ziming stared at the phone, which had been hung up so decisively. He paused, then chuckled with a hint of helplessness.
What a heartless girl.
But the smile quickly vanished.
He got up, went to the parking lot, and after getting into his car, called Director Xu again.
After hanging up, he thought for a moment and then arranged a meeting time with Secretary Chen.
Su Minghua would definitely struggle.
He couldn't give him any room to maneuver.
It was important to quickly solidify his position in the new appointment.
Only then would it be an opportunity to pay him a visit.