"Ah, you haven't eaten yet."

Lily Grant said anxiously.

Henry Foster gave a wry smile and said, "There's no time."

The Party Secretary of the prefectural committee was waiting for him in the office!

Lily Grant hurried into the kitchen, grabbed two apples, and handed them to her son, telling him to eat them in the car to stave off his hunger a bit—better than nothing.

Just as he was about to leave, William Foster suddenly called out to him and said in a deep voice, "Remember, when you see Secretary Grant, don't speak carelessly. Just explain your own issues clearly."

Henry Foster nodded, "Yes, I understand."

Watching Henry Foster leave the house, Lily Grant asked worriedly, "Old Fan, will it be alright?"

William Foster looked grave, gently shook his head, and let out a long sigh.

How could it be alright?

It was past eight in the evening when the jeep finally arrived at the prefectural committee compound.

Henry Foster smiled and bid farewell to the driver. Out of habit, he looked up and saw that the offices at both ends of the third floor of the committee building were still lit. Both Gavin Grant and Mason Parker had not yet rested.

Henry Foster slowly climbed the wooden stairs and arrived at the door of Gavin Grant's office at the east end of the third floor.

"Director Lee."

Charles Lee looked up at Henry Foster, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

No one could have expected that this young man before him had now become the focal point of the Yan Hua prefectural committee compound.

"Come with me."

After a moment, Charles Lee nodded and led Henry Foster into Gavin Grant's office.

The layout of Gavin Grant's office was roughly the same as Mason Parker's, but the office supplies were more upscale. The chair was a modern swivel chair, and the guest area had faux leather sofas, which looked more luxurious than the wooden sofas in Mason Parker's office.

Party Secretary Gavin Grant sat upright behind his desk, exuding an air of authority.

Gavin Grant was nearly sixty, of medium build, and was the old-school type of cadre who placed great importance on official demeanor and authority.

"Secretary Grant, Henry Foster is here."

About two meters in front of Gavin Grant's desk, Henry Foster stopped, bowed slightly, and said respectfully, "Secretary Grant, hello!"

Gavin Grant nodded slightly and grunted, openly sizing up Henry Foster. Although Henry Foster had been working at the committee office for over two months, this was the first time Gavin Grant had met him. Of course, strictly speaking, Henry Foster had seen Gavin Grant many times, but that didn't mean Gavin Grant had seen Henry Foster.

Gavin Grant hadn't expected that one day he would spend two whole hours in his office just to wait for a young staff member who had only been working for two or three months.

Charles Lee withdrew.

Gavin Grant didn't ask Henry Foster to sit. He just looked him over for a while before slowly asking, "Your name is Henry Foster?"

"Yes, Secretary Grant."

Henry Foster nodded, neither arrogant nor servile.

Just now, while Gavin Grant was sizing him up, he was also observing Gavin Grant, though his gaze was less direct.

"You've got some nerve."

Gavin Grant frowned slightly, sounding a bit displeased.

Even though Henry Foster's gaze was somewhat concealed, Gavin Grant was still very dissatisfied. Ever since he became a leading cadre, in all these years—except for those years of great turmoil—no subordinate had ever dared to look at him so rudely.

This Henry Foster really doesn't know his place.

It's true that the young are fearless, but once you've entered the government office, you have to follow its rules. If young people aren't put in their place, they'll never understand how deep the waters run in the committee compound.

"Please instruct me, Secretary Grant!"

Henry Foster immediately withdrew his gaze and said calmly.

"Hmph! Still pretending to be confused? Tell me honestly, who put you up to this? You dared to casually change Mason Parker's article and even submit it to the provincial newspaper. Do you know what kind of mistake this is?"

Gavin Grant's face darkened, and he snorted coldly.

"Secretary Grant, I think you've misunderstood. I didn't change Secretary Parker's article. I only helped Secretary Parker make a clean copy. The article published in the provincial newspaper was reviewed by Secretary Parker."

Henry Foster answered without hesitation.

On the way here, Henry Foster had already thought about how to respond to Gavin Grant's questions.

"Henry Foster, you must be loyal to the organization. What kind of attitude is this? Huh? Arguing!"

Gavin Grant became angry, lightly slapped the table, and shouted.

He truly hadn't expected Henry Foster to dare lie to his face. How outrageous! Who did he think he was, and who was Henry Foster?

Utterly preposterous!

Henry Foster pressed his lips together and said nothing.

"I'll ask you one more time: who put you up to this?"

Like everyone else, Gavin Grant didn't believe that such a bold act was Henry Foster's own idea. He had to find out who was behind him. With someone like that hiding in the committee office, Gavin Grant couldn't feel at ease.

"Secretary Grant, no one put me up to it, and I didn't change Secretary Parker's article. I was only responsible for delivering the manuscript!"

Henry Foster sneered inwardly and replied calmly.