Volume One, Chapter 12: Fang Shenzhai Buys a House
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One day after Fang Shenzhai’s visit to Director Liu—
Sunlight streamed through the window and fell across the desk. Sparse motes danced along the gentle rays, leaping from the neatly stacked books to the scattered newspapers, from the tied-back curtains to the man’s slightly tousled hair.
The man was tall and well-proportioned, his back straight, his features refined and deep-set. His high, straight nose was sculpted to perfection, the tip slightly upturned. His lips were thin and firm, the corners faintly raised. An elegant watch encircled his wrist, its band flashing silver in the sunlight.
“Deputy Director Fang, the spy who leaked the details of the British envoy’s secret visit to China has already been escorted back to the capital. When are we heading back?”
Wang Yuanshan broke the room’s tranquil silence at an inopportune moment, addressing Fang Shenzhai, who was seated at the desk writing.
Fang Shenzhai did not look up. From Wang Yuanshan’s angle, all he could see was the faint reflection in his lenses.
“Well done. I knew I hadn’t misjudged you.”
Fang Shenzhai set down the final period, stopped writing, and raised his head.
“My mother doesn’t want to go to the capital. She’s grown accustomed to living here. I’ll spend a little more time with her while I have the chance.”
Seeing that Fang Shenzhai was in a good mood, Wang Yuanshan boldly took a seat across the desk.
“All the colleagues who came here with us have already gone back. We’re the only two still here. The decision-making conference in the capital is about to begin. If we don’t leave soon, we’ll miss it.”
Fang Shenzhai’s expression remained unchanged, as steady as a mountain. In an even tone, he uttered two words:
“No rush.”
His attitude was like an anchor pinning down the sea. Wang Yuanshan’s heart settled, and he chuckled.
“Hearing you say that, I’m relieved.”
Wang Yuanshan placed the organized documents on the desk.
“These are the research materials from our trip to Harbor City. I’ve整理ed everything. Please take a look.”
Fang Shenzhai said nothing. He nodded and accepted them.
Wang Yuanshan cast a curious glance at the newspapers scattered across the desk.
They were from different newspapers and different dates, mostly entertainment news from Deep City. After looking through them for a few moments, Wang Yuanshan lost interest.
One English-language newspaper, however, caught his attention.
It carried a report from Harbor City: the illegitimate son of a certain Harbor City tycoon had been burned to death in a cinema in Deep City funded by his father. The Harbor City media were speculating that the tycoon’s second wife was responsible.
Wang Yuanshan had no interest in disputes among Harbor City’s wealthy families. What concerned him more was the cinema fire in Deep City.
At the time, it was because of that fire that Deputy Director Fang had entrusted him with the important task of capturing the spy.
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He had even made a special trip to the police station afterward and submitted a report to the central authorities.
Wang Yuanshan shifted his gaze without betraying anything.
Deputy Director Fang was a man of sparse emotions, someone rarely moved by anything. Though he appeared gentle and easygoing on the outside, inwardly he was utterly impartial and hard-faced—one might even call him cold-hearted.
In short, he was certainly not the kind of person who, upon seeing a fire, would abandon an urgent mission and rush off to save people out of sheer passion. Even if he went to help, he should have sent his assistant—himself—instead of going personally.
Wang Yuanshan fell into thought. Could it truly be as the people in the department rumored—that Deputy Director Fang had some connection with Harbor City?
“Is there something else?”
Fang Shenzhai noticed that Wang Yuanshan had not yet left and asked in a low voice.
“Ah? Oh, yes. The matter you asked me to handle last time has been taken care of. The timing was perfect. The proposal for commercial housing from last year has finally been implemented, and I registered a place for you—a two-bedroom apartment with a living room. The surroundings are excellent.”
Wang Yuanshan returned to his senses and answered.
“Thank you for your hard work. Once I’ve moved in with my mother, we can return to headquarters.”
“It was nothing. It was only what I ought to do!”
Wang Yuanshan gave a broad, rather foolish grin.
—
“Aunt Fang, the new home Deputy Director Fang bought for you is just ahead.”
Wang Yuanshan turned the steering wheel left and drove onto a new street still under development. On both sides of the road, neatly divided plots waited for the winning companies to begin their new construction plans.
“See those new buildings? These are the first batch of commercial housing in Deep City—and a pioneering project for the whole country. They were built through cooperation between Deep City’s first real-estate company and merchants from Harbor City.”
Wang Yuanshan was so excited that one might have thought the apartment belonged to him.
“Look, Auntie. The design is completely different from the homes we used to have. It has a real Harbor City flavor.”
His animated tone amused Fang’s mother.
“They are indeed rather different.”
Fang Shenzhai sat silently in the back seat with his eyes closed, resting. He had no interest in their conversation.
“Why does this whole street look deserted?”
As Fang’s mother continued looking around, she suddenly noticed that something was amiss.
The car had just reached the building, and Wang Yuanshan stepped on the brakes with some embarrassment.
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“This is a pioneering project for the whole country, after all. The first phase had only one hundred and eight apartments, and they were all snapped up in three days. Deputy Director Fang was simply lucky enough to draw a winning lot. Someone like me couldn’t even get one.”
“But don’t worry. This will definitely become a bustling district in the future. I asked around about the area next door—they’re planning to build an international tower there, more than a hundred stories high!”
“And construction on the second phase is about to begin. It’ll be much livelier around here later on!”
By the time Wang Yuanshan finished speaking, he could not help feeling wistful. Unfortunately, because of national policy, these apartments were several times cheaper than those in Harbor City. Many people who had fled across the border had fought to buy them while they were still nothing more than blueprints. In the end, the apartments had to be sold by lottery.
His own luck had been poor. He had not been blessed with Deputy Director Fang’s fortune, so naturally there had been no place for him.
Fang Shenzhai frowned but ultimately said nothing.
Ever since he had gone abroad to study, his mother—a widow living in the village—had endured even more gossip and condemnation. In the second year of his studies, she was driven out of the village and survived only with the assistance of her younger sister.
After his mother had lived at his aunt’s home for three years, Fang Shenzhai completed his studies and returned. Once he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he brought his mother to the house assigned to him in the capital.
But his mother could not adapt to the capital’s climate. No matter what he said, she insisted on returning to Deep City. Taking advantage of this business trip, Fang Shenzhai had brought her back.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs only assigned housing in the capital. As the central government had introduced the concept of “commercial housing” the previous year, Fang Shenzhai had considered buying a home.
He spent half his savings to purchase this newly built apartment.
“Mom, let me do it!”
Fang Shenzhai stopped his mother from trying to carry the luggage.
“That’s right, Auntie. You rest. Deputy Director Fang and I can handle it.”
“You two boys…”
The wrinkles at the corners of Fang’s mother’s eyes blossomed with laughter.
“Eh? Who’s that?”
Suddenly, Fang’s mother noticed a figure behind a tree.
Fang Shenzhai followed her gaze, and his fingers abruptly tightened.
For a moment, he was dazed. The figure’s running posture looked far too much like hers.
When someone is carved into the depths of your heart, even a blurred silhouette is enough to recognize them at once.
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