Sunday.
Early morning.
Huffing and puffing, Dong Xuebin was brushing his teeth in the bathroom at home with a toothbrush in his mouth when the phone he had tossed beside the ashtray in the living room began chirping. He spat out a mouthful of minty toothpaste foam, rinsed his mouth quickly, then hurried out to answer it.
"Hello, who is this?"
"County Chief Dong, it's Xiao Lü."
"Oh, you made it to the Capital City?"
"We got in early yesterday morning. Brother Qian and I saw it was too late, so we didn't call you. We were afraid of disturbing your rest, haha. Thanks for your hospitality yesterday. You picked us up and saw us off, and you treated us to several meals too. The two of us were really embarrassed by it. Next time, it's on us."
"Don't mention it. By the way, about the site selection..."
"We've already submitted the inspection report, but the higher-ups haven't made a decision yet."
"What do you think? Is it pretty much certain?"
"I don't think there'll be any problem, but the final decision still rests with the higher-ups. I can't say for sure either."
"Alright, haha. We didn't get the chance to show you around properly yesterday. Come again when you have time, and I'll take you around then."
"Sure, we'll keep in touch."
"Okay, then that's it."
"Fine, we're going to get some rest too."
After hanging up, Dong Xuebin snapped his fingers. With the words from the inspection team and Academician Chen's assurance, he felt there should be no problem. His eyes shifted as he began thinking about how to take over Science and Technology Affairs. This matter was urgent. He had to settle it before the news got out. Otherwise, once the Chinese Academy of Sciences made its