Recommended reading: The latest chapters of Nightfall (:../book/4964/)
That afternoon...
District Committee Office Building.
Knock, knock. Dong Xuebin lightly knocked on the door to the secretary's office.
"Come in," a young voice said. The Power of Time and Wealth 525
Twisting the doorknob, Dong Xuebin walked in. "Is Secretary Wang here? I'm here to report on my work."
There was only one young man in the room—the same fellow who had received him yesterday. He was not very old, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with narrow eyes and thin brows, and an unremarkable face. Dong Xuebin now knew that he was Wang Anshi's secretary, surnamed Zang, and was said to be highly trusted by the district party secretary. Secretary Zang looked up at Dong Xuebin without standing. "You're Director Dong from the Guangming Street Office, right? Have a seat. You may have to wait a while."
Dong Xuebin took out a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes and offered him one. "Want a smoke?"
Secretary Zang waved him off without a word, lowering his head to scribble away at some document.
Seeing how cold his attitude was, Dong Xuebin did not smoke either. He put the cigarettes away and sat on the sofa. The man had not said whether Secretary Wang was in, so all he could do was wait.
A few minutes...
Ten minutes...
Twenty minutes...
Ring, ring, ring. The telephone on the desk rang.
Secretary Zang cleared his throat and answered. "Hello. Director Meng? Mm-hmm, please wait a moment. I'll check." He set down the phone and went out. More than ten seconds later, he returned, picked up the receiver, and said, "Secretary Wang is free now. The secretary asked you to come over. All right, goodbye."
Dong Xuebin frowned. "Secretary Zang."
Secretary Zang glanced at him. "I already informed him.