First update today. Urgently asking for Recommendation Tickets to climb the rankings.
Half past ten.
General Office.
Guo Panwei and Guo Shunjie happily followed Zhou Changchun out to handle some business. Tan Limei and Chang Juan, having been assigned by Director Zhou, also went upstairs to Director Li Qing's office to retrieve the Two Important Documents. However, the Confidential Office staff appeared to still be in a meeting, leaving only two people from the Archives. Since documents like these had to be signed for by the relevant leader responsible for receiving them, Tan Limei and Chang Juan followed Director Zhou's instructions and returned the documents to Director Li Qing.
Dong Xuebin was working on the attendance sheet. Seeing them return, he asked sourly, "Delivered them?"
Tan Limei sat down in her chair. "The Confidential Office leaders weren't there. Director Li said to deliver them this afternoon."
Dong Xuebin looked around. Seeing there was no one else in the room, he quietly asked, "Tanzi, do you think my political review still isn't over? Otherwise, why has Director Zhou never sent Zhuangzi or me whenever there are important documents like this? Is he... afraid we'll sneak a look?"
Tan Limei giggled. "I don't know the specific review procedures either. What, are you jealous of Sister Chang and me?"
Dong Xuebin smacked his lips. "Would I? I just feel like the leaders don't really trust me."
"It's not that they don't trust you, it's..." Tan Limei paused, glanced around, then held up the documents and pretended to point something out to Dong Xuebin as she said, "I wanted to remind you yesterday. I think Director Zhou might have a slight issue with you."
Dong Xuebin looked stunned. "No way. I haven't done anything?"
Tan Limei said, "Let me make this clear first, this is just my personal opinion. Look, when you clashed with Guo Shunjie that day, you deliberately didn't say you had gone to Director Zhou's office on business. Instead, you led Guo Shunjie into saying nonsense. Sure, in the end Director Zhou scolded Guo Shunjie, but did you ever think about how your words basically put Director Zhou on the spot? You forced him to reprimand Guo Shunjie. Otherwise, after hearing a subordinate shout outside that Director Zhou's business wasn't as important as his own, if Director Zhou said nothing, where would his authority as a leader go?"
"Damn," Dong Xuebin said as he listened. It really did make sense.
"So even though Director Zhou didn't say anything, he might still feel..." Tan Limei was indeed someone who had spent more than a year navigating government offices. She saw many things far more clearly than Dong Xuebin, a college graduate who had just entered society. "You understand, right? Director Zhou took Guo Shunjie with him when he went out on business just now. That was leadership art: a slap followed by a piece of candy. It showed the director's authority and magnanimity while keeping things from getting too tense with his subordinate. And maybe there was even a warning for you in there."
Dong Xuebin looked deeply grateful. "Tanzi, thank you so much. If you hadn't told me, I'd still be in the dark. I was wondering why Director Zhou's attitude toward me seemed a little different. So that was it."
Sigh, he was still too green.
A fall into the pit, a gain in wit. He had to avoid this kind of thing in the future.
Dong Xuebin analyzed his shortcomings and learned his lesson from this incident. Suddenly feeling a little cold, he walked over to the floor-standing air conditioner and pressed the plus button, wanting to raise the temperature. But whether the button was broken or something else was wrong, it did not respond no matter how long he fiddled with it.
"You have to use some force. Press it hard," Chang Juan reminded him. "The temperature adjustment button has poor contact."
"Why hasn't it been repaired?" Dong Xuebin pressed harder. With a beep, the temperature finally went up one notch. "Good lord, this is manual labor?"
Lao Yan, who was reading the newspaper, chuckled. "We reported it for repairs several times, but there's always some issue. Funding has been tight these past two years, and they never approved a replacement. It's not just this air conditioner. Look, the water dispenser's cooling function is broken too. The Electric Kettle in Director Li Qing's office doesn't shut off automatically after the water boils. We're all just making do."
At that moment, the office door was pushed open from outside. Li Qing, the Full Director of the General Office, walked in. "Director Yan needs someone to move some things. Someone come with me." Director Yan's full name was Yan Liang. He was the branch bureau chief, the true Top Leader, with even more authority than the political commissar.
The moment he heard that Director Yan needed help, Dong Xuebin hurriedly stood up and volunteered. "Director Li, I'll go."
Li Qing looked at him and smiled. "Forget it. Let Xiao Sun go. He's broad-shouldered."
Zhuangzi hurriedly set down his work and followed Li Qing out.
Dong Xuebin gloomily slapped his forehead, feeling his sense of presence growing weaker and weaker.
Meanwhile, in the car returning to Chengxi Branch Bureau, Zhou Changchun casually asked, "What do you think of Little Dong?"
Guo Panwei, who was driving, was slightly taken aback. "Little Dong is too young. His work attitude is good, but he's a little impetuous..." Afraid that Dong Xuebin would compete with him for favor, he did not hold back with his words.
Seeing no change in Zhou Changchun's expression, Guo Shunjie cleared his throat and said, "Director Zhou, I'm not saying this just because I had a conflict with Little Dong. He really is too immature. He only wrote an article that pleased Director Yang, yet look how pleased with himself he is. He doesn't even put you in his eyes. If he hadn't set a verbal trap for me that day, if I'd known you were the one who called him to your office, I wouldn't have..."
Zhou Changchun frowned.
Guo Shunjie stopped talking, secretly delighted. It seemed Director Zhou did have an issue with that kid Dong Xuebin.
Guo Panwei also felt completely reassured. Director Zhou did not value Little Dong that much after all, or he would not have asked them that.
Government cafeteria.
Dong Xuebin, Tan Limei, and Zhuangzi were eating at a small table near the entrance. As he ate, Dong Xuebin considered how to dispel Zhou Changchun's misgivings and earn the trust of the General Office's two leaders. He thought and thought, but could not come up with any good solution. He could not help sighing silently. The system was too complicated. At this rate, when would he ever get promoted? He had to find another chance to prove himself.
Out of the corner of his eye, Dong Xuebin saw Zhou Changchun and Li Qing enter the cafeteria one after the other.
Dong Xuebin quickly called out, "Director Zhou! Director Li!" But perhaps they did not hear him, because neither looked his way. They sat directly at an empty table not far away. Dong Xuebin awkwardly sat back down and quickly shoveled down the food in front of him.
After taking only two bites, Li Qing suddenly remembered something and frowned as he thought back. "Lao Zhou, did I unplug the Electric Kettle in my office?"
Zhou Changchun exclaimed, "I didn't pay much attention when we came out either." Of course, he knew there was a minor issue with Li Qing's Electric Kettle. No matter how long the water had been boiling, it would never shut off unless it was unplugged. "Should I go back and take a look?"
Li Qing said, "Eat first."
Dong Xuebin and Tan Limei both heard their conversation. Dong Xuebin wanted to volunteer, but remembering that Li Qing's office still had important documents inside, he figured Li Qing probably would not let him go anyway, so he could only give up reluctantly.
Suddenly, waves of startled cries came from outside the cafeteria.
Everyone looked outside. "What happened?"
"Fire! The Gray Building is on fire!"
"What?"
"Huh?"
First update today. Urgently asking for Recommendation Tickets to climb the rankings.
Before you continue