Since childhood, his mother had never spoken about that man. And Andrew Brooks, being sensible, had never asked. In his limited memories of life, that man was nothing more than a vague shadow.

That man!

Andrew Brooks suddenly recalled the year in his previous life when he had just been admitted to university. A news segment aired on TV, and his mother gazed at the screen, her eyes brimming with tears. But when he tried to get closer to see what that man looked like, his mother slapped him and, like a gust of wind, turned off the TV.

That man!

Andrew Brooks learned the man’s name from his mother’s diary. With his wealth of experience from his previous life, he naturally knew that this man had caught the first wave of college entrance exams after the Cultural Revolution, married the daughter of a high-ranking official in college, and entered politics, rising swiftly through the ranks. Shortly before Andrew Brooks was reborn, that man had already become the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and the Governor of Dongshan Province. Moreover, he was one of the few young provincial and ministerial-level officials in the country, with boundless prospects. Rumor had it in official circles that he had a good chance of entering the central government.

Had his mother gone to find that man?

Andrew Brooks closed his eyes, carefully recalling the fragments of his memory.

Chapter 013: Provincial Capital

However, in his previous life, Andrew Brooks had a deep-seated aversion to that man, and all his knowledge about him was only superficial. He didn’t know where that man was serving as an official at this time. But, based on his understanding of officialdom, that man should currently be in a high-ranking bureau-level or deputy bureau-level position.

If only there were the internet, he could just type in the name on Baidu and find out everything. Unfortunately, computers and the internet were just starting to become popular, and only a few families could afford such luxuries. For a poor family like the An family, it was out of the question.

After thinking for a moment, he hesitated, then dialed Emily Summers’s home number.

“Hello, this is Noah Summers.” On the other end came Noah Summers’s authoritative baritone.

“Uncle Xia, hello, I’d like to speak to Emily.”

“……” Noah Summers said nothing, just called out blandly, “Emily, phone.”

“Hello, who is this?”

“Emily, it’s Little Andrew.”

“Little Andrew, what’s wrong? If something’s happened, just tell me quickly…” Emily Summers said anxiously into the receiver. Seeing Ethan Stone’s disapproving glance, she turned away, pressing the phone tightly to her ear.

“Emily, I can’t explain it all in a few words… Emily, please help me ask Uncle Xia about someone named Chris Brooks, he’s a pretty high-ranking official—where is he now?” Andrew Brooks said hurriedly, then hung up, “I’m in a rush, I’ll wait for your call!”

Emily Summers was completely confused. She didn’t know why Andrew Brooks was asking about this, but she could tell he was really anxious.

She hesitated for a moment, then softly asked Noah Summers, “Dad, do you know a leader named Chris Brooks—which department is he in?”

“Chris Brooks?” Noah Summers frowned. “Why is Andrew Brooks asking about him?”

“Dad, please, I really don’t know, but Little Andrew is waiting for my reply. Don’t ask, just tell me quickly…” Emily Summers stamped her foot impatiently.

“I don’t know which Chris Brooks he’s looking for… but I do know that last year, the Deputy Secretary of the Green Island City Party Committee, Chris Brooks, was transferred to be the Executive Deputy Minister of the Provincial Party Committee’s Organization Department.” Noah Summers said slowly.

Without thinking further, Emily Summers grabbed the phone and dialed back, “Little Andrew, there’s an Executive Deputy Minister named Chris Brooks in the Provincial Party Committee’s Organization Department…”

“Emily, thank you, I have something urgent, I’ll hang up now. I’ll call you when I get back.” Andrew Brooks let out a long breath, hung up, and thought to himself, “It’s him!”

Taking the family’s bankbook from Ashley Brooks’s drawer, Andrew Brooks rushed out the door to the nearby Agricultural Bank. He withdrew two thousand yuan, then took a taxi to the long-distance bus station and boarded a coach heading for the provincial capital.

……

……

By the time he arrived in the provincial capital, the city lights were already twinkling. Getting off at the Tianqiao Bus Station, relying on memories from his previous life, Andrew Brooks hailed a yellow Xiali taxi and headed straight for the Provincial Party Committee’s small family compound at 2 Jiefang Road.

Dongshan Province was an economically developed province on the eastern coast, second only to the southern coast and a few directly governed cities in terms of economic strength. As the reform and opening-up entered deeper waters, the economy was accelerating rapidly. By 1998, the provincial capital, Tiannan City, was already bustling and had the look of a modern metropolis. High-rises stood in close rows, newly built roads crisscrossed the city, and on both sides of the streets, construction sites covered in green safety nets were everywhere, with the roar of cement mixers echoing constantly.

But Andrew Brooks had no time to take in the bustling cityscape. Arriving at the small family compound of the Provincial Party Committee, which he had visited once before, he found himself at a loss again. He guessed that an official of Chris Brooks’s rank would live in the small family compound rather than the larger one for ordinary officials, but where exactly did he live?

The solemn and dignified small family compound was silent, its quiet gate wide open. A military police officer and a security guard stood watch at the entrance, one standing post, the other sitting, guarding the gate.