Chapter Thirty: Apologizing to the First Lady

The director of the Planning Bureau did not hold a very high position, so he had no idea that Huo Hanshen had arrived in Sea City.

"If I had announced my arrival in advance, how else would I have discovered that even a lowly captain of the urban management squad could hold such absolute sway in today's Sea City?"

Huo Hanshen sneered, his gaze fixed on the director with icy intensity. "Just because you are his uncle, you think you can act like a local warlord?"

The words caused the director to break out in a cold sweat, his entire body trembling. "It is all my fault for failing to discipline my nephew properly, which led to him becoming so lawless! It is my mistake! Please, forgive me!"

With that, he bowed deeply toward Huo Hanshen.

Hmm... he was truly cut from the same cloth as his nephew.

"Do you think I am the one you should be apologizing to?" Huo Hanshen narrowed his eyes slightly. "The people you should be apologizing to are the common folk who have been bullied because of your abuse of power!"

Perhaps truly incensed, Huo Hanshen's expression was terrifying at that moment. The atmosphere in the room grew heavy and suffocating.

"Those who eat the ruler’s grain must be loyal to the ruler’s work. As officials, you live off the taxes paid by the people, so you should be working for the people!"

The director nodded repeatedly. "You are right to reprimand us!"

Seeing his useless nephew still standing there like a statue, the director, overcome with frustration, slapped the back of the young man's head. The nephew finally snapped out of his daze and began nodding frantically as well.

"So, do you understand now who you should be apologizing to?" Huo Hanshen asked coldly.

The director immediately turned toward the uneasy restaurant owner and hurried to offer his apologies: "I am terribly sorry! You have been harmed because we failed to do our jobs properly!"

Seeing this, the nephew also bowed repeatedly, apologizing: "I’m sorry! It was all my fault! I was in the wrong!"

The restaurant owner, suddenly the recipient of bows and apologies from both men, was left baffled and overwhelmed. How had things suddenly spiraled into this? His mind was a complete blur. To him, these were high-ranking figures he usually dared not offend, the kind against whom he would never dream of resisting, no matter how arrogant they were. Yet here they were, acting so humbly to beg for his forgiveness.

The owner felt a complex mix of emotions—part joy, part trepidation. Eventually, he tremblingly accepted their apologies. Seeing the owner accept, the director felt a small sense of relief; not daring to ask for more, he bowed to Huo Hanshen once more.

"I am truly sorry for disturbing you. We will take our leave now."

With that, the director quickly hauled his troublemaking, foolish nephew away. They left in a hurry. He didn't even dare to hope that he wouldn't be dismissed from his post; he would be grateful enough if the President didn't have him punished!

After they had gone, the restaurant owner finally let out a long sigh of relief. He turned to look at Huo Hanshen, realizing that the man who had stood up for him must be someone of great importance.

He rushed to thank Huo Hanshen: "Thank you so much, sir!"

Huo Hanshen waved a hand dismissively. "It has nothing to do with me; I didn't do much. It was my wife who felt the injustice and stood up for you."

The implication was clear. The owner immediately understood and turned to Xu Xu, his face beaming with a fawning smile: "Thank you so much! Miss Xu, if you hadn't spoken up for me today, I wouldn't have known what to do! Tell you what, from now on, your meals here are on the house! Anything you want to eat, I’ll treat you!"

Seeing the owner’s mix of gratitude and sycophancy, Xu Xu felt quite complicated. Everything had happened so fast, and ended so quickly, that she hadn't even processed what was happening before Huo Hanshen had resolved it. However, she could not accept free meals.

"Forget the free meals; it’s not easy for you to make a living," Xu Xu said, waving her hand. "Let’s go. I’ve had enough." In truth, she was too shaken by the incident to continue eating.

"Alright." Huo Hanshen replied. He tidied up the items on the table, and the two of them left the restaurant together.

No sooner had they stepped outside than Xu Xu straightened her face and looked at Huo Hanshen. Seeing her change in demeanor, Huo Hanshen blinked. "Wife, is there something you want to say?"

"What do you think?" Xu Xu stared directly at him, her tone sounding like an interrogation. "Huo Hanshen, are you hiding something from me?"

Huo Hanshen parted his lips: "I..."

"Think carefully before you speak!" Xu Xu narrowed her eyes slightly. "Leniency for those who confess!"

Seeing her serious expression, Huo Hanshen couldn't help but chuckle. Just as he was about to speak, Xu Xu began to analyze the situation on her own.

"You aren't just some ordinary civil servant, are you? And you’re definitely not a temporary worker!" Xu Xu huffed, looking like a detective hot on the trail. "How could a temporary worker in a government office force the Planning Bureau to back down with just a word? So, your true identity is..."

She looked at him, the words practically on the tip of her tongue. Judging by her mouth, it seemed the prefix "President" was coming.

Huo Hanshen raised an eyebrow, thinking she had likely guessed most of it. He decided to stop hiding and nodded to admit the truth: "You guessed right. Actually, I am the newly appointed President..."

"Wow! Just as I thought!" Xu Xu’s eyes widened, her exclamation cutting him off. "You really do work in the Presidential Office!?"

Huo Hanshen: "......?"

Hmm? Things didn't seem to be going quite the way he had imagined.

"If you work in the Presidential Office, then everything that just happened makes perfect sense!" Xu Xu clapped her hands, analyzing with earnest focus. "So, when you were fiddling with your phone, you were actually reporting the situation to the President's secretary?"

Huo Hanshen: "Um... well..."

Should he say yes or no? He hadn't expected his wife to conjure up such an elaborate explanation.

"Alright, you're actually quite impressive!" Seeing him hesitate, Xu Xu assumed she had guessed correctly. "Even if you aren't a permanent employee, working in the Presidential Office—even as a temp—is still amazing! Just like this time, you whispered a few words in the right ears and had such a huge impact! Who knows, maybe you'll be able to influence even more people in the future!"

Listening to her comforting words, Huo Hanshen couldn't help but grin.

"So..." He leaned in closer to her and lowered his voice, "Do you know how to whisper in the right ears?"

Xu Xu started to reply subconsciously: "Of course I am..."

Two seconds later, she stopped abruptly, realizing the true meaning behind his words, and her face flushed crimson!

Xu Xu... that lecherous man, he was being improper again!