Afternoon.
The sky in the sweltering summer heat seemed to be raining fire, hot air rising from the ground.
Inside the County Chief's Office, the air conditioner blew a refreshingly cool breeze that cleared the mind and soothed the spirit.
County Government Office Director Yao Yi knocked twice on the door. Only after hearing an elegant "Come in" squeeze through the crack did Yao Yi straighten his back and respectfully push the door open. He laid a file flat on County Chief Xie's desk, glanced at Xie Huilan, who was still working with her head lowered, and said, "County Chief, the files for several comrades from the Secretarial Section are all here. If any of them meet your approval, I'll call them over for you to have a look." Every change among the County Leaders meant a reshuffle.
The position of county chief's secretary was especially crucial, and plenty of people had their eyes on it.
Yao Yi had his own little agenda as well. Xiao Wang from the Secretarial Section had a good relationship with his wife. Before County Chief Xie took office, Xiao Wang had repeatedly visited Yao Yi's home, bringing gifts and offering presents, hoping to compete for the vacancy of county chief's secretary. As office director, Yao Yi had the right to make recommendations in this matter, and his words carried considerable weight. What was more, County Chief Xie had been transferred down from the central government and knew very little about Yantai County, making Yao Yi's recommendation even more important. Thus, he had placed Xiao Wang's file on the very first page. Xie Huilan set down her fountain pen and casually flipped through the file. Yao Yi introduced him, "This is Xiao Wang. He's very steady and capable at his work. Though he's young, he's