A Bumpy Road to Power

"This kid has been lively since she was little, just like a boy, hahaha…"

Seeing the two of them walking in front without the slightest scruples.

Secretary Camden chuckled and gave a little laugh.

Secretary Quincy's expression, however, was especially ugly.

If it weren't for Secretary Camden being present, he probably would've already blown up.

Inside the private room.

A round table.

Secretary Camden and his wife sat in the main seats.

Secretary Quincy and his wife accompanied them.

Mona and Brynn Quincy sat together.

Dirk Carter was tactful enough to deliberately leave a seat between himself and Mona; that way it also looked a bit more proper.

Even so, Brynn Quincy's face was very unsightly; after all, this was his family banquet, and Dirk's appearance made him very unhappy inside.

On their way in.

Mona had already given Dirk a detailed introduction to this crowd.

Her father was indeed the Alexander Camden Dirk had thought of, Executive Deputy Secretary of the Novaria State Commission for Discipline Inspection, a full-departmental-level official.

Her mother, Wanda Griffin, was Party Secretary of Gower District in Prospera City, at division head rank.

Brynn Quincy's father was named Lane Quincy; when he heard this name, Dirk actually shivered a little.

Because the name Lane Quincy was even more familiar.

He was Deputy Party Secretary of the Silverwood City Committee in Novaria State, the number-three figure in Silverwood City, and also Dirk's colleague.

Under these circumstances, running into Lane Quincy was something Dirk hadn't anticipated at all.

To be honest, when he heard the name Lane Quincy, he'd already wanted to find an excuse to leave, but with the arrow already nocked, he had no choice but to let it fly, so he secretly made up his mind: once he sat down, he'd pretend to take a phone call and slip away; otherwise, he really didn't know how he was supposed to deal with Lane Quincy in the future.

As for Brynn Quincy's wife, Hannah Jacobson, that bejeweled woman, she was just a pure housewife.

Mona also told Dirk.

She and Brynn Quincy had grown up together, basically childhood sweethearts, innocent playmates.

The two families had been neighbors back then.

So the parents joked about arranging a "child betrothal," saying they'd get married and become in-laws when they grew up.

When Mona was fourteen, fate began to take a turn.

At that time, Lane Quincy was already County Magistrate of Avon County in Silverwood City.

While Alexander Camden was just a deputy section chief in an ordinary section of the Kingsward District Commission for Discipline Inspection in Silverwood City.

The difference in their positions could be described as worlds apart.

Back then, the two families rarely interacted; once, when Alexander Camden went to Avon County on business and wanted to catch up with Lane Quincy, he was brushed off with a "no time."

In other words, by that point, Lane Quincy already looked down on Alexander Camden.

Unexpectedly, that same year, a major case broke at the state level; they were short on manpower, and Alexander Camden was transferred over.

It was this temporary assignment that gave Alexander Camden his opportunity.

During his time on the special task force, he performed outstandingly and played a major role in cracking the case, and he was retained by the State Commission for Discipline Inspection.

While working at the State Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Alexander Camden advanced at lightning speed; in just a little over ten years, he climbed to the position of Executive Deputy Secretary of the State Commission for Discipline Inspection. Over these same ten-plus years, Lane Quincy's progress was relatively slower.

From his original division-head rank back then to his current deputy-departmental level, he had indeed advanced step by step.

A few months ago.

Lane Quincy suddenly approached Alexander Camden, saying he was there to fulfill that childhood betrothal.

Alexander Camden cared about face and felt embarrassed to refuse outright.

On the surface, he agreed to let the two kids get to know each other.

Mona was very sensible.

She understood her father's predicament.

So she agreed as well.

After interacting with Brynn Quincy for two months, she still hadn't sparked any flames of love; she was just going through the motions out of consideration for face.

A week ago.

Brynn Quincy's parents suggested taking Mona to Serenity State for a trip; after a few days of fun, if neither side had any objections, they'd fix the marriage.

Mona agreed.

Her meeting with Dirk on the train was on the very day her trip to Serenity State with them ended.

As for the engagement.

It was nothing more than a one-sided wish of the Quincy Family; her parents—and she herself—had actually planned to use tonight's banquet to make things clear.

By the time he heard this.

Dirk had already seen the light.

Why did Alexander Camden and Wanda Griffin insist on dragging him into this dinner?

Because with an outsider present.

If the Quincy Family brought up the engagement, they could seize the opportunity to press the matter down.

Perhaps they also wanted to use Mona's apparent fondness for Dirk to needle the Quincy Family a bit, in order to wreck this match.

In any case, whatever their motive.

Alexander Camden intended to use Dirk as a cover for himself.

Likewise, this was also why Brynn Quincy felt such a strong sense of crisis toward Dirk.

After all, he must have been very clear on Mona's attitude toward him.

It was just that none of them knew that Dirk was not only Lane Quincy's colleague, but also a subordinate under Alexander Camden in the discipline-inspection system.

This joke had really gotten out of hand.

Everyone took their seats.

And started making small talk.

Lane Quincy kept circling around the topic of when they'd been neighbors back in the day.

Which had everyone laughing heartily.

Once the dishes and wine were served.

The toasting began in earnest.

Dirk tried several times to bring up leaving.

But seeing how much fun Alexander Camden was having, he ultimately held back and didn't interrupt them.

What was worse, Mona kept putting food into his bowl and actively chatting with him, while Brynn Quincy was instead left out in the cold; this also made Hannah Jacobson, who'd hardly said a word since sitting down, quite unhappy.

She nudged Brynn Quincy several times.

Signaling him to talk to Mona.

But Mona remained in a perfunctory, barely-responding state.

Hannah Jacobson glared at Brynn Quincy.

Then a smile suddenly surfaced on her face; seizing on Wanda Griffin's topic about how young people nowadays were hard to control, she immediately said, "Wanda, I think it's not that young people nowadays are hard to control. It's that they all have their own way of doing things; they're completely different from our generation. Take our Brynn, for example. His father wanted him to sit the civil-service exam back then, but he didn't like it. Later he started his own business, and now his wine business is doing pretty well, isn't it?"

When Wanda Griffin heard this.

She asked, "I've heard Old Quincy mention Brynn a few times before, but never in detail. How big is the business now?"

Hannah Jacobson's face lit up.

She knew this was her chance to show off.

She hurriedly gave Brynn Quincy a push.

Brynn Quincy cast a proud glance at Dirk, as if what he was about to say was meant specifically for him to hear.

"Aunt Wanda, I've already opened two wine shops in Silverwood City, each over three hundred square meters. Also, most of the hotels and nightspots in Silverwood City get their wine supplied by my company. Business is pretty good right now."

"Oh, that's not bad, not bad at all."

Wanda Griffin looked at Brynn Quincy in surprise and gave him a thumbs-up.

This made the arrogance on Brynn Quincy's face swell even more.

As if he were asking Dirk, "What have you got to compete with me?"

"Dirk, you look a few years older than our Brynn. What line of work are you in now?"

Between people, you only see the gap when you compare.

Brynn's success also needed someone to serve as a foil.

Hannah Jacobson's intention was obvious.

She wanted Dirk to back off in the face of difficulty.

Under these circumstances.

Dirk really couldn't reveal his identity.

He smiled and said, "Mrs. Jacobson, I'm just an ordinary civil servant."

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