Leaving the restaurant, Song Guanchao neither drove nor called for a chauffeur; he took a taxi to the villa area and entered from the underground parking lot.
He found the building where Liu Lanzi lived and went straight up using the private elevator.
In the system, if you want to climb up, there's actually a rather implicit requirement.
That is marital status.
Being single has its advantages, like Song Guanchao, who is single.
Even if people find out about his relationship with Liu Lanzi, it doesn't matter.
He's a single guy, free to be with anyone, nobody can control him.
But being single also has its limitations.
Sometimes leaders might feel that you're not stable if you remain unmarried, and may not prioritize you for certain important positions.
Especially for leading positions in party and government, it's rare for single officials to be promoted.
Marital status makes leaders feel you're stable, and also because higher-ups prohibit being an "exposed official."
