Power and Wealth

Inside the Room.

It was already afternoon.

Dong Xuebing and Su Yan were sitting face to face. After throwing out this remark, Dong Xuebing keenly observed Su Yan’s expression, remaining silent.

One second.

Two seconds.

Su Yan finally confirmed, “To be your secretary.”

Dong Xuebing laughed, “Yes, are you interested?”

Su Yan was sweating; he didn’t expect Secretary Dong to say this. He was looking for him to be his secretary. Just as he was about to respond, he realized that he had spilled a lot of water from the disposable cup in his hand, splashing it onto his pants. He quickly set the cup down and grabbed a napkin to wipe his pants. He seemed a bit flustered, trying to think of something to say to Dong Xuebing, but ended up stammering, “Am I your secretary?” His mind was quite jumbled, and he hadn’t managed to say a complete sentence.

Dong Xuebing found it amusing and slowly said, “First, clean up the water before we talk.”

“Uh.” Su Yan replied and quickly wiped the water off his pants. He then took a deep breath and forced a wry smile, saying, “Secretary, am I qualified for this?”

Dong Xuebing chuckled, “That’s something you need to ask yourself.”

Su Yan replied, “But I feel like I’m not capable because this job is too important. Not everyone can do it, and I’m afraid of delaying your work.”

Dong Xuebing looked at him and said, “But I think you can handle it.”

Su Yan paused, not knowing how to respond. “I…”

Under normal circumstances, who wouldn’t fight for such a lucky opportunity? Being the secretary to the county party secretary holds immense significance. Anyone in the system knows very well that it’s not just an ordinary position; not only does it come with a rank promotion, but it also brings unprecedented power. Even if the county party secretary steps down or is transferred, if the secretary is very much to the leader’s liking, the secretary is generally arranged for a position before the leader leaves, such as a town secretary or a township secretary. In short, it’s like skipping several years of struggle. The position of a secretary can lead to immediate success. Although Su Yan is young, he has worked in the system for several years; how could he possibly not know these things? Su Yan understood this was a tremendous opportunity—so great that it stunned him. However, he did not lose his rationality. He didn’t immediately agree just because he heard this. He felt that since Secretary Dong could say this to him, it was a sign of trust, and he certainly had to reciprocate that. He couldn’t casually agree because he wanted a promotion; he believed that would disrespect Secretary Dong. He was clear about his abilities.

Dong Xuebing asked, “What’s wrong? Are you unwilling?”

Su Yan hurriedly replied, “No, no! Of course, I’m willing. It’s just that I feel I can’t handle it. My work abilities are limited, and I won’t hide that from you. And there’s also the matter…” He paused. Su Yan looked at Dong Xuebing and asked, “Secretary, may I ask why you chose me?”

Dong Xuebing laughed, saying, “Because I see you get along well with me.”

Su Yan uttered an “uh,” “Is it that simple?”

Dong Xuebing chuckled heartily, “It’s that simple.”

Su Yan spoke frankly, “I have a more impulsive personality, and I’ve had conflicts with people more than once before. The leaders aren’t very satisfied with me, and you…”

Dong Xuebing said, “I don’t know if others are satisfied with you, but I know I am quite satisfied.” With a smile, he said casually, “Xiao Su, um, can I call you that? Even though we might be about the same age, let me call you Xiao Su. Since I’m looking for you today, I’ve already considered it to some extent. You don’t need to feel too much pressure; you don’t have to lay out everything you feel is lacking at once. I can see your strengths and weaknesses. You need to know now that I don’t care how other leaders are; I’m not ordinary. I don’t have so many boundaries in my heart, nor do I have so many obstacles. My perspective on people is different from that of the average person. You say your work ability isn’t good—that’s fine. I’m capable enough. You say your personality isn’t great—that’s also okay. My personality is even worse than yours.”

Upon hearing this, Su Yan replied, “I’m just afraid of causing you trouble, so…”

Su Yan indeed lacked confidence in himself. Dong Xuebing had already noticed this when they interacted in the unmarked car.

Dong Xuebing smiled lightly and said, “If trouble arises, it arises. What’s the big deal? Others may fear trouble, but Dong Xuebing doesn’t.”

Su Yan felt excited as he said, “Secretary!”

Dong Xuebing chuckled and asked, “Just tell me if you want to come.”

Hearing Secretary Dong say this, Su Yan felt moved and immediately responded, “Okay, I’ll come. I guarantee I won’t disappoint you!”

Dong Xuebing replied, “Good. Then wait for news when you get back. The organization department might talk to you in the next couple of days. They should give you a position as the deputy director of the county committee office. Still, it won’t be at the full section chief level—just a temporary deputy section-level transition for now. Also, you can come report to me directly tomorrow.” He pointed to his current position. “Starting tomorrow, this will be your office. I’ll go to the inner office. Um, it’s probably your first time as a secretary, right? You can ask me or someone else if you don't understand anything. You don’t need to be so formal with me. The more we interact, the more you’ll get to know how I operate. I’m not one for many rules; just be a bit more casual. It’s fine.”

Su Yan stood up and said, “Understood, Secretary.”

Dong Xuebing nodded, “Good, then let’s leave it at that for now.”

“Well, you get busy. I’ll head back now.” Su Yan turned and exited the office.

Dong Xuebing glanced at him with a smile, then picked up the phone to call Meng Hanmei. “Hello, Director Meng, I’ve talked with Xiao Su, and it’s settled. Please inform the organization department so they can expedite the process. Xiao Su will start coming here tomorrow.”

Meng Hanmei responded immediately, “Okay, I got it.”

Dong Xuebing continued, “You prepared all the documents in the drawer, right?”

Meng Hanmei replied, “Yes, they’ve all been prepared. It might be unnecessary, but you…”

“Unnecessary? I need it. Thank you, Sister Meng. I’ll head home now to tidy up and review the documents to familiarize myself with the work here. If anything comes up, just call me,” Dong Xuebing said.

Meng Hanmei replied, “Alright, I’ll have the driver wait for you downstairs.”

“I’ve already arranged it.” Dong Xuebing was surprised by her efficiency.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Meng Hanmei added, “Just arranged it. I wanted to take a look and review it first, but if you need the car, I’ll have him come over. If you think the driver is fine, then it’s good. If you think he’s unsuitable, I can arrange for someone else.”

Dong Xuebing said, “That’s fine. There’s no need to fuss about it.”

Meng Hanmei replied, “Are you leaving now? I’ll go downstairs, too.”

“No need, Sister Meng. You take care of your business. You need to keep an eye on things here so that I can head back alone. No need for you to send me off, haha.” Dong Xuebing responded.

“Well, alright then.” Meng Hanmei didn’t say much more.

After hanging up the phone, Dong Xuebing gathered a few files and documents, packed them into his bag, and went downstairs. Once he reached the courtyard, he found an Audi A6L waiting there. The driver had already gotten out and was anxiously waiting for him. This would be the county party secretary’s official vehicle. The driver looked around thirty, slightly older than Dong Xuebing but not by much, and he appeared quite honest.

“Secretary,” the driver straightened his back upon seeing Dong Xuebing, trying to present a lively demeanor in hopes of making a good impression.

Dong Xuebing nodded, “What’s your surname?”

The driver quickly replied, “No need for formality, I’m Ma.”

Dong Xuebing smiled and shook his hand, “Brother Ma, I’ll need your help from now on.”

Dong Xuebing’s politeness flustered the driver and hurriedly said, “No, no, just call me Xiao Ma. Xiao Ma is fine.” He didn’t dare to be called brother.

Dong Xuebing remarked, “It’s just a form of address.”

The driver insisted, “Just call me Xiao Ma; everyone does. If you call me Brother Ma, I can’t accept that.”

Dong Xuebing listened and didn’t push further. He bent down and got into the car. “Alright then, let’s go to the family compound. By the way, it’s not urgent to return right now. Let’s detour around here before heading to the family compound. I’d like to familiarize myself with the area.”

The driver readily agreed, “Sure.”

Inside the car, Dong Xuebing engaged in casual conversation with Xiao Ma. However, Xiao Ma wasn’t very talkative. He might have been nervous or unsure of what to say, perhaps afraid of saying the wrong thing, so he kept his words to a minimum. Dong Xuebing chatted for a while but didn’t learn much, yet he didn’t mind. He enjoyed light banter; it was just his Beijing style. Regarding drivers, he preferred less talkative ones, and he was satisfied with Xiao Ma. He wasn’t too picky.

One hour later.

After circling the area, they finally arrived at the family compound.

The family compound was in pretty good condition compared to the county committee compound. At least the buildings looked newer, and the community environment was nice.

The car stopped.

They reached the building.

The driver turned back and said, “Secretary, this is the place.”

Dong Xuebing looked outside and replied, “Great, thank you. You can head back now.”

The driver seemed prepared, immediately handing over a piece of paper with a series of numbers written on it. “This is my phone number. Whenever you need a car, just let me know. I won’t turn off my phone at night; I’m always available.” Once Dong Xuebing took the paper, he asked, “What time should I come to pick you up tomorrow morning?”

Dong Xuebing thought momentarily and said, “Let’s say eight o’clock. If you want to sleep in a bit, eight-thirty is fine, too. It doesn’t matter. It’s not far from the county committee compound anyway.”

The driver quickly responded, “I’ll be there before eight.”

He certainly wouldn’t make the county party secretary wait for him. Xiao Ma felt that Secretary Dong was too polite and kind to people.