395: The triumph of an ordinary person

Seeing her husband acting a bit unusual, Zhang Yan asked in confusion, "Zhisheng, what's wrong with you today? We don't have any guests, and it's not a holiday, so why did you buy such a lavish spread of food and wine?"

"Aren't you working this afternoon?"

"Hengzi gave me the afternoon off. Wife, let's sit down and talk while we eat!"

As Li Zhisheng spoke, he picked up a bottle and poured wine into two glasses.

Zhang Yan sat down beside Li Zhisheng, feeling somewhat bewildered, and asked again, "Hubby, what exactly is going on today? I feel like you're acting strange. Did something happen?"

"A world-shaking event has happened for our family, and it's a very good thing."

Li Zhisheng said with a beaming smile.

"Oh, stop keeping me in suspense, hubby. Tell me what good thing happened. What's worth you being this happy and spending so much money?"

Zhang Yan asked with some urgency.

"Wife, do you know? I'm about to become a regular employee, a formal police officer. Don't you think this is a great event worth celebrating?"

Zhang Yan was stunned. After a few seconds, she reached out and touched Li Zhisheng's forehead, saying in confusion, "You don't have a fever. Why are you talking in your sleep in broad daylight?"

"Hubby, I don't mean to look down on you, but you're forty years old this year and only have a middle school diploma. Why would the Public Security Bureau make you a regular employee?"

"It's fine even if you work as an Auxiliary Police Officer for the rest of your life, as long as you can retire in the future. Don't play this kind of joke on me."

Seeing that his wife didn't believe him, Li Zhisheng hurriedly said, "Wife, I didn't believe it was true at first either, but it's really happening. How could I joke with you about this?"

"Before I came home, I just met with our Director of the Public Security Bureau."

"Do you remember at the beginning of the year when I saved those students?"

"How could I forget? You were covered in scrapes, spent three days in the hospital, and rested at home for another week!"

"You couldn't have been promoted to a regular position because of that, right? That happened over half a year ago. If they wanted to promote you, they would have done it long ago. Why wait until now?"

Zhang Yan argued.

"The turning point for this matter wasn't at the Municipal Public Security Bureau, but with our Municipal Party Secretary."

"I didn't expect our Secretary Lin to have noticed that incident from back then. Today, in front of our Director, he praised me profusely."

"Our Municipal Public Security Bureau is about to recruit an additional one hundred and twenty officers, and Secretary Lin specifically gave instructions to our Director."

"I am the only special case who gets to become a regular employee directly without taking the exam. Since my education level is low, the Bureau will even enroll me in a correspondence junior college and pay for my tuition."

"Wife, don't you think this is a grand event worth celebrating?"

Speaking of these details, Li Zhisheng was still quite excited.

"Hubby, is everything you said true? Secretary Lin really noticed you and even specially approved your promotion to become a formal police officer?"

Only now did Zhang Yan believe it was all real, but she still couldn't help confirming it. She was even more excited than Li Zhisheng.

The reason she felt this way was that since they had been married, Li Zhisheng had always worked as an Auxiliary Police Officer. His income was low, and they lived a very tight life.

Even her maternal family and other relatives looked down on them, gossiping behind their backs that Li Zhisheng was destined to be a temporary worker for the rest of his life.

However, she knew her husband loved this job, so she had always endured the pressure and the judgmental looks without persuading him to change careers.

In the blink of an eye, the couple had reached middle age. Now, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Once Li Zhisheng became a police officer, he would be a civil servant. Those whispers and looks of disdain would immediately vanish. How could she not be happy and excited?

"Everything I said is true. We aren't dreaming."

Li Zhisheng said in a firm tone.

Having received a definitive answer, two lines of tears immediately flowed down Zhang Yan's face. She wiped her tears with one hand while picking up her wine glass with the other.

"Hubby, congratulations on your hardship ending and happiness beginning. Let's have a drink together."

Seeing his wife's reaction, Li Zhisheng's eyes also turned red. He knew how hard it had been for her.

In the past, for the sake of his wife and child, he had considered changing careers a few times. However, he had a dream of being a police officer since he was a child and loved working in this field, so he eventually abandoned those thoughts.

Now that his dream had finally come true, he raised his glass and said with tears in his eyes, "Wife, our hardships have ended together."

"If it weren't for your silent support behind me all these years, I wouldn't be where I am today. I toast to you."

The couple clinked their glasses and downed the small serving of White Liquor in one gulp.

Zhang Yan put down her glass and said, "Hubby, we can never repay Secretary Lin's great kindness! How about I set up a Longevity Tablet for Secretary Lin?"

"Wife, are you so happy you've become confused? Secretary Lin isn't even thirty yet. Setting up a Longevity Tablet for him is like cursing him. Who sets up a tablet for a living person?"

"I really did say the wrong thing out of happiness. We must always remember Secretary Lin's great kindness."

The couple happily drank, ate, and chatted, processing this monumental good news.

Meanwhile, after Lin Zifeng finished lunch, he returned to his Office and went to the lounge in the back.

Once in the lounge, he called Li Yanran, and she quickly answered.

Li Yanran's sweet voice immediately sounded from the receiver. "Zifeng, are you on your lunch break?"

"Mhm, I just finished lunch. Where have you all reached?"

"We're eating at a service area! The staff our company sent to the Yushu City branch arrived a couple of days ago."

"Our group this time is traveling light. We just have two cars and six people."

"We should arrive in Yushu City around three o'clock. We'll go to the branch Office first."

"I've already contacted your Mayor Xu in advance. We'll arrive at your Municipal Government promptly at five o'clock for a brief meeting and to attend the welcome banquet you're hosting. We'll start formal cooperation talks tomorrow."

"Although I really want to see you the moment I arrive in Yushu City, I have to endure it so our relationship isn't exposed."

"However, no matter what you have to do, you must belong to me tonight."

"When the time comes, I'll have Xiao Liang stay overnight at the branch Office. You're coming with me to the new residence I bought."

"I bought two residences in Yushu City in total. One is public, where I'll usually stay, and the other is our secret residence. In the future, only the two of us will know about it."

Li Yanran had thought of everything so thoroughly that Lin Zifeng had no way to refuse her.

The two chatted on the phone for a few minutes until Lin Zifeng faintly heard Li Dongliang's urging from the other side, and then they hung up.

After hanging up, Lin Zifeng took a nap with a face full of anticipation.