Thursday morning.
Ring, ring, ring... Ring, ring, ring...
Dong Xuebin, who was brushing his teeth in the bathroom, answered the phone. It was Vice County Chief Zhao Xinglong calling.
"Little Dong, the County Party Committee Dance is being held again tonight. Did you know?" Zhao Xinglong asked.
Dong Xuebin tossed his toothbrush into the cup. "A dance? I hadn't heard anything about it. I've been out handling business with the lower levels these past couple of days."
"It's the dance held once a month, proposed by Secretary Xiang to enrich the cadres' cultural life and strengthen communication among comrades." Knowing that Dong Xuebin had only been in the county for a year, Zhao Xinglong explained, "It was stopped when Secretary Chang was in office, but Secretary Xiang proposed restarting it after the New Year. Tonight is the first one, so it'll be fairly grand. Secretary Xiang, County Chief Xie, and quite a few leaders from various departments will attend. If your bureau has nothing pressing, go represent the Investment Bureau tonight. It'll be a good chance to get in touch with leaders from the various departments, and it'll help with your work."
Dong Xuebin gave a wry smile. "County Chief Zhao, I don't know how to dance."
"Heh heh, it's not like you have to dance. If you can't dance, then don't."
How could it be that simple? What if someone invited me to dance and I said no? Wouldn't that embarrass them? That'd be offending people. After hanging up, Dong Xuebin helplessly returned to his room to change, grabbed his bag, and headed out. Xiang Daofa really knew how to make a fuss. Whether it was that Cadre Spring Festival Gala or this dance, he really valued these kinds of events. Couldn't he do something useful with all that