Facing Er Bao, even though he was still a child, the leader’s secretary showed him the utmost respect.

He stood up and extended his hand, saying, “Hello, Comrade Lin Hairui. My name is XXX, and I’m the secretary to XXX leader. Thank you for achieving such impressive results for our country. On behalf of the leader, the nation, and the people, I want to express my gratitude.”

This was the first time Er Bao had been treated with such seriousness.

He was taken aback for a moment, then quickly reached out his hand. “Thank you, Uncle. I’m a citizen of Nation, and if I have the ability, I’ll definitely strive to bring glory to my country.”

Er Bao felt this was only natural; he had never thought about being an athlete before, but now that he had the capability, he was determined to do it.

Hearing his straightforward tone, the leader’s secretary, who had seen all kinds of people, could instantly recognize the sincerity and earnestness in Er Bao.

He was truly a simple, honest, and strong child.

His desire to bring glory to his country didn’t contain a hint of humility, nor was it just empty words because of his identity.

The secretary smiled warmly, his demeanor very friendly.

Although he was about the same age as Lin Guodong, he looked older due to the stress of his high-pressure job as a leader’s secretary, which required exceptional capabilities.

Meanwhile, Lin Guodong had maintained his youth through years of exercise, and Ning Shu regularly prepared nutritious meals for him, taking him to see traditional Chinese medicine practitioners when needed.

As a result, Lin Guodong looked younger than him.

But at this moment, the secretary smiled gently, looking at Er Bao with the same warmth one would give to their own child.

Perhaps he didn’t even look at his own child with such tenderness; at this moment, he regarded Er Bao as a treasure of the nation, much like a giant panda, a national gem.

“Lin Hairui, come sit over here. Let’s chat, shall we?” The leader’s secretary patted the spot next to him.

“Okay!” Er Bao, unafraid and without hesitation, sat down beside him.

Being in his own home made him even more relaxed.

Ning Shu thought to herself… she shouldn’t expect Er Bao to be as rational as Yi Bao and San Bao.

However, this was Er Bao’s nature; if he were like Yi Bao and San Bao, then he wouldn’t be Er Bao anymore.

“Lin Hairui, you’ve won such a big competition and become a world champion. Are you happy?” The secretary didn’t ask the typical questions that reporters had already covered; he was more concerned about the child himself.

“I’m happy!” Er Bao replied. “Of course I’m happy since I won.”

“Can you describe what this happiness feels like?” the secretary asked.

Er Bao said, “There are two kinds of feelings. One is like watching a movie, where the bad guys are beaten out by the soldiers. The other is that I won, and I can receive rewards! The coach said that when I win, the country will reward me, the government will reward me, and the school will reward me.” As he spoke, he flashed an innocent smile.

The secretary understood the first kind of feeling; it was a sense of national pride.

This child was still young and couldn’t articulate it well, but he understood.

As for the second feeling, the secretary chuckled.

He could also relate, as children need encouragement and rewards.

It’s similar to how one’s own child is rewarded for good grades or how workers receive rewards for completing tasks beautifully.

However, for Er Bao, this kind of achievement definitely deserved a reward. “So, what kind of reward do you want?”

This was also one of his reasons for coming; if Er Bao hadn’t mentioned rewards, he would have brought it up himself. “How about I apply for a stable job for your family as a reward?”

Upon hearing the phrase “stable job,” Ning Shu felt anxious, fearing that Er Bao would agree.

This child was very fixated on making money.

Er Bao thought for a moment and asked, “Can I ask for a different reward?”

The secretary raised an eyebrow, finding the child quite interesting.

Er Bao was completely unafraid of him.

He knew that whether it was his own children, relatives’ children, or even his parents and siblings, everyone was hesitant to speak in front of him, yet this child was completely at ease. “What do you want? If I can do it, I will definitely grant it to you.”

Even when dealing with a child, he couldn’t make promises lightly, especially when it came to a reward for a child’s victory.

Once he promised, he had to deliver.

Ning Shu was curious but also worried about what the child might ask for.

Er Bao hurriedly said, “Can I have a four-wheeled car?”

Ning Shu felt a jolt of surprise.

Although she knew it was impossible—private cars weren’t allowed yet in this era—she still held a glimmer of hope.

Could it be possible?

Hearing Er Bao’s request, the leader’s secretary was almost taken aback.

This child… this reward was really difficult for him to handle.

A four-wheeled car would cost a significant amount of money.

Although it was described as a reward, the expense was considerable.

Moreover, there were not just one but multiple world champions.

If Er Bao received a car as a reward, then other champions couldn’t be treated any less, or it would seem unfair.

The leader’s secretary helplessly replied, “I really can’t do that. Our country currently doesn’t have any spare cars.”

He found his reasoning amusing, realizing how ridiculous it sounded.

If it were any other child, they would surely have switched to a different reward, but Er Bao was clearly not just any child.

He added, “It’s okay if there aren’t any new cars; I’ll take an old one.”

The secretary was left speechless.

This child was proving to be more difficult than any opponent he had ever faced.

In the future, he would let his assistant handle such matters.

He had come in person because the world champion was so young and due to Lin Guodong’s status.

Of course, he was also curious to see what a twelve-year-old world champion was like in real life.

But now…

Ning Shu was well aware that private car purchases weren’t yet allowed, but government rewards weren’t the same as purchasing.

However, it was clear that such an expensive item was beyond the means of a reward.

The policy allowing private car purchases wouldn’t come until the 1980s, and back then, the cheapest car would cost around 50,000 yuan—though she wasn’t entirely sure.

But that 50,000 would be a fortune back then.

Wait a minute… according to the leader’s secretary, was he implying a stable job as a reward?

If a stable job paid 30 yuan a month, then that would total 360 yuan a year.

Given her age, and assuming her salary wouldn’t increase, she could likely work for another 30 years. Multiplying 360 by 30 would yield 10,800 yuan.

So, if a car costs 50,000 yuan, would they have to cover the remaining 40,000 themselves?

Forget it.

She didn’t want to think about it; their family didn’t have that much savings anyway.

“An old one?” This remark left the leader’s secretary silent.

Seeing him quiet, Er Bao assumed the secretary was reluctant to part with an old vehicle, so he added, “How about a broken one?”

Watching the child negotiate like this, the secretary couldn’t help but laugh. “Can you tell me why you want a four-wheeled car?”

Er Bao replied earnestly, “Because when we come here Da Mao and Tie Dan can’t come with us, Is it unsafe for them to go on the train?”

“Da Mao and Tie Dan are our retired military dogs. You know what military dogs are, right? They are dogs that have served and earned merit medals. But even though they have contributed to the country, they’re still dogs and aren’t allowed on trains.”

“When we lived in the military compound, we would leave them with the uncle who took care of military dogs when we returned to our hometown. This time, we moved from the military compound to the capital, and Da Mao and Tie Dan have been separated from us for several days. They were sent to us by the uncle who works in the capital.

“If we had a car, we wouldn’t have to leave Da Mao and Tie Dan behind, no matter where we went.”

The leader’s secretary fell silent again, not expecting that the child wanted a car to bring two military dogs with him.

He held no contempt for military dogs; on the contrary, he had great respect for them.

Before the secretary could speak, Er Bao continued, “You can reward me with a broken car. I can ask the uncle in the military who fixes cars to repair it. He’s really skilled…”

After a pause, Er Bao added, “If your car breaks down in the future, I can also ask him to fix it.”

That was quite persuasive.

At such a young age, he already understood this.

The secretary couldn’t help but be amused.

Ning Shu seized the opportunity. “Comrade, I know that cars are very valuable. This is just one child’s obsession after achieving victory. We don’t want to take advantage of the state. We can pay for it.”

She hesitated a bit and then added, “However, we don’t have enough money. Can we pay in installments? Each month, when my husband receives his salary, we can give half to the state. Of course, just like how banks pay interest on deposits, we’d be happy to pay interest on our installments as well.”

The idea of installments was quite novel. The leader’s secretary couldn’t help but look at Ning Shu.

He thought she was clever, and the concept of paying in installments sparked an idea in him.

As for rewarding a broken car, he didn’t agree or refuse. “Comrade Ning, little Lin Hairui, I will think about this matter when I return and also look into the availability of cars. I’ll come back in a few days with a response.”

Director Ji had been quietly listening. Her eyes widened in surprise.

Wow, this Lin family was impressive, speaking so boldly to the leader’s secretary.

And this car… she couldn’t even dare to dream about it.

From the look on the leader’s secretary, was he really considering a car as a reward?

Even if it were a broken one, it was still a car!

“Thank you, Uncle! You’re such a good person,” Er Bao exclaimed, showing a hearty smile. “Uncle, if two gold medals aren’t enough to earn a car, can you tell me how many I need? I want to win gold medals at the Fourth World Middle School Games, so Da Mao and Tie Dan can ride in the car and go home with us. They’re already 9 years old, and the doctor said they could live for another four or five years!”