At dinner, they were once again in that familiar little restaurant.
His godfather, Gebliev, Wang Ye, and Medvedev sat around the dining table, eating and chatting in a warm, cheerful atmosphere.
No one mentioned the Duma vote that had failed that day, because everything that needed to be discussed had already been discussed in private.
Gebliev merely said that the Kremlin would soon submit a second nomination and asked Wang Ye to urge the Duma to hold another vote.
Wang Ye nodded in agreement, and that was that.
Of the people present, Medvedev held the lowest-ranking position and had the least seniority, so he took on the role of "waiter," pouring tea and serving water for the other three. He was quite busy.
With unspoken understanding, Wang Ye and Medvedev did not act overly familiar with each other here.
The two only exchanged a few words now and then, just as they had before.
His godfather was particularly talkative that day. In high spirits, he chatted with Wang Ye about the economy, people's livelihoods, employment for university graduates, low-rent housing...
His words were full of praise for Wang Ye and the work of the National Economic Committee.
He even joked, "Honestly, I think that if necessary, the position of Premier could be eliminated altogether. With your National Economic Committee around, that would already be enough. Compared to the government, your work is far more efficient!"
Wang Ye quickly waved his hands and said modestly:
"That definitely wouldn't work. The Economic Committee's functions are actually quite limited. We focus on the nation's pillar industries and take the lead on major projects.
The government's work, on the other hand, covers everything. Economic development is only one part of its responsibilities, and not even the most important part.
I've always believed that economic