This child has spent some time in the countryside and has probably experienced the hardships of rural life. After all, coming from a big city and being born into such a prominent and powerful family, wanting to transfer back to the capital is quite reasonable.

On this point, Megan Lincoln is more than delighted.

With only one son, who wouldn’t want to keep him close?

“Mom, I do want to come back to the capital. It would be wonderful for the whole family to be together every day... But, not yet. For now, I still need to stay at the agricultural school for further training. Experience at the grassroots level is very important.”

William Lawson replied with a smile.

In officialdom, seniority is everything, especially grassroots work experience—it’s absolutely essential. If William Lawson wants to change himself and the fate of the Liu family, he must take this path.

The Lawson Family frowned slightly, as if considering whether his son’s words were believable. But William Lawson looked completely calm, not at all like he was lying. After all, he was only twenty-two, not even fully twenty-two yet, and it would be hard to fake something like this in front of his parents.

After a moment, The Lawson Family relaxed his brows and said, “Hmm, it’s good to get more experience at the grassroots level. Is this what you wanted to talk to us about?”

The Lawson Family’s tone was already very gentle. Even if it wasn’t complete equality yet, at least he no longer doubted his son’s intentions. The Lawson Family was also genuinely pleased with William Lawson’s transformation.

“No!”

William Lawson shook his head.

“I want to discuss some issues regarding military reform with you.”

“Military reform?”

The Lawson Family’s eyes widened instantly, staring at William Lawson in disbelief.

Megan Lincoln’s eyes also widened.

Did they hear that right?

What on earth is this about!

“Yes, military reform.”

William Lawson nodded, his tone growing even more solemn.

Chapter 8 The Era of Relying on One’s Father

The Lawson Family’s first reaction was to scold him. This was just too far-fetched—a kid just over twenty actually wanted to discuss “military reform” with him, the operations director of a major military district!

But seeing William Lawson’s serious expression, The Lawson Family swallowed the rebuke that was on the tip of his tongue.

This son had already given him so many surprises and unexpected moments today, so why not listen to his “grand theories” and see what he really wanted to do!

“All right, go ahead.”

The Lawson Family said calmly.

As usual, when The Lawson Family discussed official matters at home, Megan Lincoln was supposed to excuse herself. Ever since the great leader passed away, “wives not interfering in politics” had become an unwritten rule among the elite families in the capital. Megan Lincoln was deeply influenced by this. But this time, she didn’t get up. After all, a conversation between father and son couldn’t really be considered official business, right?

Besides, Megan Lincoln was genuinely curious.

“Dad, this is a big topic, and I haven’t fully thought it through. I just wanted to share some of my thoughts with you and see if they might be of some reference value...”

William Lawson spoke slowly, his tone steady, showing no sign of nervousness or panic. Just this composure alone was impressive.

The Lawson Family said nothing.

He was naturally a man of few words; otherwise, the old man wouldn’t have sent him into the military to develop his career.

“The first thing is informatization. If I remember correctly, our army only completely phased out mules and horses a few years ago. Meanwhile, other major military powers in the world achieved army mechanization as early as twenty years ago. Now, they’re all emphasizing the importance of informatization for the military. In future wars, not only will air and sea superiority be emphasized, but information superiority will become even more critical. The United States proposed the Star Wars program in 1983. Although I think this plan is unrealistic—given current technology, it’s impossible to achieve such a flawless defense. Completely avoiding a nuclear strike from a hostile nation is just wishful thinking. So, the main purpose of the Star Wars program is to create a tense atmosphere and drag the Soviet Union down through an endless arms race... However, at least one aspect of the Star Wars program is highly relevant, and that is military informatization. This is absolutely crucial.”

William Lawson spoke unhurriedly.

Discussing military reform with his own father was part of the “grand plan” he had just devised. In his previous life, William Lawson was not a military expert. But with information twenty years ahead of its time, he understood the general direction of global military trends well enough to offer some useful suggestions.

His father’s position was too low; after the old man passed away, he couldn’t hold up the family on his own. When his uncle Charles Lawson and cousin fell from power, The Lawson Family suffered as well, was transferred to a minor post, and retired in frustration.

For an ordinary family, being the operations director of a major military district at the division level would be a very prestigious and powerful position—a true high-ranking official. But in a powerful family like the Liu clan, this position was actually rather insignificant. Besides trying to help his uncle and cousin avoid disaster, it was also necessary to help his own father quickly rise to a higher position.

To make a mark in officialdom, background is absolutely crucial.