On the grand armchairs sat two white-haired elders. Naturally, they were Mr. Lawson Sr. and Mrs. Lawson. Mr. Lawson Sr. had a square face and thick eyebrows, exuding an air of great authority—an unmistakable aura of a national leader that was present in every gesture. Mrs. Lawson, a bit younger than the old master, did not have fully white hair yet and was still in robust health. She was clearly different from the average kindly old lady, also radiating the dignity of a senior leader.

The younger generation in the family felt a similar sense of awe toward the old lady.

The Lawson Family, together with his wife and children, stepped forward to bow to the old master and old lady, offering birthday congratulations.

The old master, his face stern, only nodded slightly, which was considered as accepting the blessings from his children and grandchildren.

This was an old tradition in the Lawson family. Among the elder generation of national leaders, Mr. Lawson Sr. was known for his strictness. Even on such a joyful day, he remained unsmiling and serious.

After the birthday wishes, The Lawson Family and Megan Lincoln took their seats to the side, while William Lawson and Helen Lawson stood behind their parents. In the living room, only the second generation had seats; the third-generation juniors could only stand.

Of course, there was one exception—Edward Lawson.

Charles Lawson, the eldest son, sat in the first chair to the old master's left, with his wife Evelyn Duke beside him. Edward Lawson sat right next to Evelyn Duke. The Lawson Family and Megan Lincoln were in the first and second seats to the right. In this arrangement, Edward Lawson was seated above Alice Lawson's spouse, Peter Marshall. But no one had any objections to this seating order.

Edward Lawson was already regarded as the “leading figure” of the third generation in the Lawson family.

After standing for less than two minutes, Helen Lawson seized a chance to slip out and went to chat with her sisters.

The atmosphere in the living room was simply too stifling for Helen Lawson to bear. Her actions, however, did not draw any disapproval from the elders. In a political family like the Lawson family, the expectations for boys were much stricter than for girls.

Politics was a man’s world.

Chapter 4: What Can Save You, My Family?

Mr. Lawson Sr. had two sons and two daughters. William Lawson's eldest aunt, Mary Lawson, and her husband Frank Hudson and their family had not yet arrived.

At such family gatherings, the conversation was essentially a reporting session. The second-generation members of the Lawson family would each report their recent work to the old master and old lady. The old master usually just listened without speaking, but if he felt it necessary, he would offer a few words of guidance.

In the past, when attending such gatherings, William Lawson would escape even faster than Helen Lawson. He had no interest in listening to such dull matters, and was so nervous he hardly dared to breathe.

But this time, William Lawson stood steadily behind his father the whole time, showing no sign of impatience, listening with great focus.

Before long, Mary Lawson, Frank Hudson, and their family arrived. The eldest aunt also had two children, a boy and a girl, both two or three years older than William Lawson. The eldest aunt’s family greeted the old master and old lady, then sat down next to The Lawson Family.

Although there was talk of gender equality, and Mary Lawson was slightly older than The Lawson Family, the seating arrangement in the Lawson family had always been this way: the two sons in front, the daughters behind.

The old master was old-fashioned, and deep down inevitably held distinctions between men and women. Only sons and grandsons were considered the direct heirs of the Lawson family. Daughters and grandsons from daughters were a bit less important, after all, they belonged to other families.

The eldest aunt’s son, Thomas Hudson, was twenty-three and also an impatient type. He usually got along fairly well with William Lawson. Having attended many such family gatherings, he couldn’t stand behind his father Frank Hudson for even two minutes before secretly signaling to William Lawson, suggesting they sneak out together to chat and joke with the younger generation.

Staying in here was suffocating.

William Lawson smiled slightly and gently shook his head.

Today was his first day back in the Lawson family—he couldn’t afford to mess it up.

After signaling for a while and seeing that William Lawson wasn’t budging, Thomas Hudson couldn’t help but leave on his own.

No one cared whether he stayed or left, but Frank Hudson's expression grew a bit darker. By comparison, although Frank Hudson was a brother-in-law, his status in the Lawson family was far below that of Alice Lawson's husband, Peter Marshall. Peter Marshall was younger, and like Alice Lawson, just over forty, but already held a bureau-level position in the Organization Department, a higher rank than Frank Hudson. Frank Hudson worked in a state-owned enterprise and was still only a department head, a middle-level cadre. In an officialdom-oriented country, people naturally looked up to those working in formal state ministries. In the eyes of the Lawson family, Frank Hudson was little different from an ordinary worker.

When Thomas Hudson was young, he was bright and eager to learn, which made Frank Hudson proud for a while, thinking his son would surely have a promising future. But as he grew older, Thomas Hudson became less and less diligent, showing signs of becoming a playboy, which greatly displeased Frank Hudson and left him somewhat helpless.

Those who lack ambition have no status in the Lawson family. Not to mention that Thomas Hudson had a different surname—even if it were William Lawson, the old master's own grandson, if he didn’t measure up, he wouldn’t be favored by the old master either.

As everyone chatted, somehow the conversation turned to the current political climate.

“People out there these days, especially officials, are getting more and more out of hand…” Mary Lawson said angrily. “As soon as they get a little power, they can’t wait to take advantage of the public. Even meetings have to be held at scenic spots… That’s not a meeting at all—it’s just using public money to travel.”