With power in your hands, everyone around you is a good person
Li Ze followed Secretary-General Qian Yongnian out of the mayor's office, his heart still pounding from having just been chosen as the mayor's secretary.
Neither spoke along the way. Only after they entered the secretary-general's office did Qian Yongnian gesture for him to close the door.
"Sit down, Li Ze." Qian Yongnian pointed to the sofa, then went to the water dispenser himself, made him a cup of hot tea, and handed it to him.
Overwhelmed by the favor, Li Ze practically sprang off the sofa. He accepted the cup with both hands, saying repeatedly, "Secretary-General, I couldn't possibly let you do this. I can get it myself."
Qian Yongnian waved a hand, a kindly smile on his face, and sat on the sofa opposite him. "Sit, sit down and talk. Li Ze, I've treated you well, haven't I? Of all the fine writers in the Municipal Policy Research Office, you were the only one I recommended for this chance to ascend to heaven in a single step."
Li Ze had barely touched the edge of the sofa when those words made him straighten his back again. "Secretary-General, I, Li Ze, will never forget your kindness in recognizing my worth as long as I live! Without your support, I could never have had an opportunity like this. If I have the chance in the future, I'll repay your kindness."
Qian Yongnian interrupted him with a smile. "Come now, we're all comrades. Helping one another is only right. You're talented, you write well, and you handle things reliably. Giving you a hand was only natural. Just remember who gave you that hand." He deliberately stressed the word "who," then leaned forward and lowered his voice:
"Working at the mayor's side is an opportunity countless people can only dream of, but every step is fraught with danger, too. There are a few things I need to tell you."
"You must withstand temptation. All sorts of people surround the mayor, offering every kind of gift. Remember, if you shouldn't take it, don't touch a single cent. Reach out your hand, and your future is ruined."
"Never ask what you shouldn't ask. If the mayor doesn't say anything, act as though you know nothing."
"If you hear something you shouldn't, forget it immediately. Most importantly, stay sharp. Keep your eyes on all six roads and your ears open in all eight directions, but keep your lips sealed. The mayor needs someone who can get things done, knows how to get them done, and understands the proper limits-a service provider, not a researcher from the Policy Research Office. Don't bring that pedantry and scholarly air from policy research into your service work. Your core task is to provide good service and ensure the mayor's daily work runs efficiently. Understand?"
Li Ze's heart surged as he listened, and he nodded repeatedly. "Understood! Completely understood! Thank you for your guidance, Secretary-General. I'll remember every word and will never let down your expectations or your trust!"
"Good. Off you go. Head home early today and get ready. Report for duty on time first thing tomorrow." Qian Yongnian nodded in satisfaction and waved him off.
Li Ze practically floated out of the secretary-general's office. Before he even made it back to the Municipal Policy Research Office, his phone began vibrating madly.
The first call came from a deputy district head who also sat on the district standing committee, a man he had only ever seen in the news. His tone was so warm that he sounded like an old friend of many years. "Section Chief Li! Congratulations on your promotion! Now that you'll be at the mayor's side, do put in a few good words for our district! When are you free for a casual meal?"
Next came the head of a powerful municipal bureau, then a leader he had once had to look up to. Calls arrived one after another, and the message alerts never stopped chiming, every one filled with warm congratulations and veiled attempts to get closer to him.
Half an hour earlier, the people behind those numbers and names were still people he had to approach cautiously for instructions and reports, people he might not even have been able to secure an appointment with.
Back at the Municipal Policy Research Office, the atmosphere was utterly different.
His colleagues, who had never treated him badly as a "longtime rank-and-file staffer" but could hardly have been called warm, now wore broad smiles, their words full of flattery.
The director of the Policy Research Office personally called him into his office and talked with him for a full half hour.
Everything he said, openly or between the lines, amounted to "Don't forget you came from our Policy Research Office," "This is your family home," and "When you're with the mayor, spare more thought for our office's difficulties and accomplishments, and put in a few good words for us."
At the end, the director even patted his shoulder affectionately. "Xiao Li, Secretary Chen is still standing his last watch today, so there's no need for you to stay until closing time. Go home early and get ready. Head in bright and energetic tomorrow morning to serve the mayor!"
An even bigger "surprise" awaited him when he got home from work.
His father-in-law, the office director at the Guangming District Commerce Bureau, had actually come over with his mother-in-law and his younger brother-in-law's whole family. Two bottles of Flying Fairy Moutai stood on the table.
Gone was his father-in-law's usual condescending manner. His face bloomed with smiles as he personally came to greet him. "Xiao Ze, you're home! My goodness, why didn't you tell the family sooner about such wonderful news? Have you told your parents? News this good ought to give them something to celebrate, too!" He automatically overlooked the fact that his own family had previously looked down on the in-laws and discouraged them from visiting often.
His mother-in-law had also dropped her usual airs and become exceptionally warm. She held several beautifully packaged gift boxes. "Xiao Ze, these are bird's nest and donkey-hide gelatin for your parents. Remember to take them along next time you visit, to build up their health. You're busy with work now and have great responsibilities, so you must take even better care of yourself."
The most dramatic change was in his younger brother-in-law.
Previously, with a shell company and a little ready cash to his name, he had boasted so extravagantly at every family gathering that flowers might have rained from the sky. He had barely bothered with his brother-in-law, who wrote documents in a "backwater office with no perks," and had even made the occasional sarcastic jab.
Today, however, he was unusually subdued and humble, calling him "brother-in-law" with boundless affection at every turn. He rushed to fetch his slippers and pour him water, all while saying, "Brother-in-law, if you hear about any city projects in the future, remember your own family."
Li Ze watched this absurd yet real scene unfold before him, then looked at the radiant smile he had not seen on his wife's face in so long. A jumble of flavors filled his heart.
He experienced the truth of that saying deeply and tangibly: the rich have distant relatives even in the deepest mountains; the poor go unheeded even in a bustling marketplace.
The light of power had not even truly shone on him yet. Merely drawing close to its source had already turned his entire world upside down.
For the first time, he felt with such clarity just how immense and tangible the power he was about to hold in his hands was.
Looking at the table laden with dishes far more lavish than those of an ordinary family dinner, Li Zhe had not even had time to speak before his father-in-law, the office director at the Guangming District Commerce Bureau, grabbed him with a smile and insisted on pressing him into the seat of honor that symbolized the head of the family.
"Xiao Zhe, come on, come on! You're the star today. You have to sit here!" His father-in-law's enthusiasm came close to outright dragging and shoving, making him seem like an entirely different person from the man who had always put on airs.
His younger brother-in-law had already deftly opened a bottle of Flying Fairy Moutai, and its rich, sauce-like fragrance instantly filled the air.
He rushed to fill the glass in front of Li Zhe, an almost fawning smile on his face, and affectionately slung an arm around his shoulders. "Brother-in-law! My dear brother-in-law! This is wonderful news! We have to have a few drinks-we're not leaving until we're drunk! From now on, I'll be counting entirely on you to watch my back!"
Surrounded by this sudden warmth, Li Zhe felt uncomfortable all over. He could only force a smile as they pressed him into the seat of honor.