This William Lawson, who used to be the most mischievous, has truly changed a lot after several years of life in the countryside. Just his calm demeanor alone seems to be almost on par with Edward Lawson. And what he says also makes a lot of sense. If it were an average young person, they would definitely talk about how free and unrestrained life is in the countryside, but William Lawson immediately brought up interpersonal relationships.

"You just said that the people below are quite emotional, didn't you?"

Edward Lawson retorted. It seemed he was still somewhat resentful about William Lawson "stealing the spotlight." He just couldn't say too much in front of the old man. Now, with no such concerns, he spoke up.

William Lawson said seriously, "Big brother, it's a fact that the people below have strong feelings. Many of our cadres, especially those at the grassroots level, have a rather serious sense of privilege, which has led to sharp conflicts between officials and the masses."

Edward Lawson also became serious and said, "William, it's good to observe the things around you carefully. But you can't be shortsighted, and you can't always look at social changes with a problem-seeking mindset. I still say the same thing: most of our cadres are good; those who really like to abuse their privileges are just a small handful of bad apples. This is a matter of principle, and you must not be influenced by people with ulterior motives. Especially since you are a member of our Liu family, your identity is sensitive, so you need to be even more careful. Don't let yourself be used by others because of a careless mistake."

A surge of anger rose in William Lawson's heart. Edward Lawson not only regarded himself as the direct heir of the Liu family, but also as the only heir, as if any slightly out-of-line behavior from his siblings would be seen as a threat.

You are the legitimate grandson of the Liu family, so does that make me an outsider?

There was no doubt that Edward Lawson did not want his "successor" status to be challenged in any way, and hoped that all the efforts of the Liu family would be focused on him alone. Of course, after he reached a high position, he would in turn look after his brothers and sisters.

But one thing was certain: he, Edward Lawson, was the heir of the Liu family. As for looking after his younger siblings, although it was his responsibility and duty, the initiative had to be in his own hands.

However, William Lawson quickly suppressed that nameless anger. His past performance had been far too poor, and it was not something that could be turned around in just an hour or two today. If he lost his composure and said something inappropriate, the little bit of good impression he had finally managed to earn would immediately go down the drain. Everyone would still think of him as hopeless.

"Big brother, what you said makes a lot of sense. The bad apples really are just a small handful." William Lawson smiled again, following Edward Lawson's words, then changed the subject and said, "However, this problem can't be taken lightly either. A thousand-mile dike can be destroyed by an ant's nest. Especially if this kind of discontent is exploited by people with ulterior motives, it could develop into a major social problem, and turn into a wave of bourgeois liberalization. We must be on guard."

"A wave of bourgeois liberalization? William, it seems you know a few new terms. But this is something to talk about only here; outside, you mustn't say it casually. This is a very serious political issue, understand?"

This time, it was Charles Lawson who spoke. Charles Lawson turned around and looked at William Lawson, his expression very grave.

Seeing this, everyone was startled. If Edward Lawson was just a "candidate successor," Charles Lawson was the true second-generation head of the family. Other than the old man, he was the most authoritative in the Liu family and held the highest position. When his name appeared in the news, it was listed among the central leaders.

Before William Lawson could reply, Charles Lawson continued, "William, when you work in the countryside, the grassroots cadres and the masses don't pay much attention to what they say, and it's common to casually quote some terms from the newspapers. When you chat with them, it's not a big deal if you're not careful. But once you're back in the capital, you have to be especially cautious and can't speak carelessly. It's very easy for people to seize on your words."

At this point, Charles Lawson was almost stern and harsh.

Everyone was a bit shocked.

Charles Lawson, over fifty years old and a vice-ministerial-level official, had always been particular about maintaining his official demeanor and rarely spoke to people in such a stern manner, especially not to his own nephew at the old man's eightieth birthday celebration.

Megan Lincoln's expression changed; she opened her mouth as if to speak, but William Lawson quietly reached out and held his mother's hand, signaling her not to say anything. If any unpleasantness really broke out at this moment, no matter what, Megan Lincoln would be at fault. Charles Lawson's status as the family head was not just for show—it had real significance.

The Liu family had always had strict rules.

Even if he wanted to put some pressure on William Lawson, there was no way to argue about it on the surface. Moreover, William Lawson felt that Charles Lawson couldn't be so shallow as to think his nephew was stealing his son's thunder and thus rush to defend his son. It seemed, after all, to be a matter of ideological stance.

Rumors outside that Charles Lawson was close to Comrade Grace were not unfounded. Comrade Grace had never cared much about work in the ideological field. Naturally, Charles Lawson followed the same line of thinking.