The Secretarial Handover
Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Li Ze got up without a sound.
He deliberately changed into a meticulously pressed dark suit, put on a sober tie, and checked himself repeatedly in the mirror to make sure nothing was amiss.
His wife was still sound asleep. The unpleasantness of the previous night seemed not to have affected her sleep; perhaps, to her, her husband's "caution" was merely a passing bout of affectation.
Li Zhe did not wake her. He washed up quietly, picked up his briefcase, and prepared to leave.
He had only just reached the ground floor when he found his father-in-law standing there, seemingly waiting specifically for him.
"Xiao Ze, it's your first day. Don't be late. I'll drive you to work. You need to leave a good impression on your superior! Work hard!" He patted Li Ze on the shoulder.
"Dad, I know. You don't need to drive me. I'll take the bus. Having you drive me would actually look bad." After declining, Li Zhe headed toward the bus stop.
Chen Mo had sent him a message the previous night saying that he would still be picking up Lin Yanzhou today and telling him to meet him directly at the office. His father-in-law thought he was going to pick up Mayor Lin; offering him a ride was nothing more than an attempt to show his face in front of the mayor.
He strode toward the bus stop. This had been his habit for years, and even though his status was different today, he did not want to draw undue attention by taking a taxi to the municipal government.
Yet when he reached the residential compound's entrance, he unexpectedly saw a black official sedan parked quietly by the roadside.
The window rolled down, revealing the face of a staff member from the municipal government's General Office.
"Section Chief Li, get in. The secretary-general sent me to pick you up. It's your first day working at the mayor's side-we can't have you delayed." The staff member greeted him with a smile.
"Please thank the secretary-general, and thank you. I'm sorry for all the trouble." Li Ze hurriedly expressed his thanks, opened the door, and got in.
The car headed smoothly toward the municipal government building. When it drove into that compound symbolizing the heart of power in Jingzhou, his life would change completely.
He drew a deep breath. Whatever lay ahead, there was already no turning back.
He had to keep going, and he had to strive to walk steadily and upright.
At the very least, no matter what the future held, he still wanted to preserve that Li Ze who had come out of the countryside, wanting only to earn his living through his writing talent. This was the last line he held within himself.
At seven forty that morning, the car arrived at the municipal government building.
After getting out, Li Ze straightened his suit and headed to the floor where the mayor's office was located.
The office door was already open, and Chen Mo was inside, busy with the final preparations.
He adjusted the air-conditioning temperature and checked every document on the desk. Everything appeared perfectly in order.
"Good morning, Division Chief Chen." Li Ze stood at the door and greeted him respectfully.
Chen Mo looked up. "You're here, Section Chief Li. Good, let's make the most of the time and run through everything."
Without a single unnecessary word, Chen Mo went straight to the point. First, he indicated the water dispenser and tea cabinet in the corner.
"Memorize the boss's preferences. The first brew every morning must be pre-Qingming Longjing, with the water temperature kept strictly at eighty-five degrees."
"The water in that silver thermos has been left to cool specifically for this. Use that to brew it. As for the amount of tea leaves"-he precisely indicated a small pinch with his fingers-"this much. Better too little than too much. Pour off the first infusion quickly. It's mainly to awaken the leaves and release the aroma. The boss will smell it while it's hot and take a small sip."
"After that, come in to top it up every thirty to forty minutes. You can raise the water temperature to ninety degrees. In the afternoon, if the boss looks tired, he may switch to ripe pu'er, brewed a little stronger to perk him up."
"But unless he explicitly instructs you, don't change his cup on your own. Use this cup. It must be washed absolutely clean, without the slightest trace of limescale or any odd smell."
He walked over to the air-conditioning controls. "Keep the temperature at twenty-six degrees, winter or summer. Every morning, you must open the windows at least twenty minutes in advance to air the room out. Make sure there are no odd smells and the temperature is just right when the boss walks in."
Next, he pointed to the desk. "First thing every morning, these two sets of documents take top priority: on the left is Yesterday's Important Developments Briefing, compiled by the General Offices of the municipal Party committee and municipal government; on the right are the internal-reference editions of the Jingzhou Daily and the Handong Daily. They must be placed within the easiest reach on the desktop."
"Arrange the other documents awaiting approval by urgency and importance, from top to bottom and left to right. The boss's fountain pen, notebook, and memo paper must not be moved even a fraction from their positions."
He checked his watch. "The boss's driver is Master Liu. I've already sent his number to your phone. Starting tomorrow, you'll need to set out at least forty minutes before the boss. First go to the drivers' office to meet Master Liu and check the vehicle's condition, then go together to pick the boss up at his residence. On the way, you can discuss the day's general schedule and road conditions with Master Liu."
As he spoke, steady footsteps sounded out in the corridor.
Chen Mo immediately fell silent and signaled with his eyes for Li Ze to stand properly. Lin Yanzhou appeared in the doorway.
"Good morning, boss!" "Good morning, Mayor!" Chen Mo and Li Zhe spoke almost simultaneously.
Lin Yanzhou gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.
He walked straight to the desk and immediately spotted the materials on Sun Liancheng, delivered by the Organization Department the previous night and placed in a conspicuous position.
He sat down, picked up the materials, and began reading intently, his brow slightly furrowed, as though he meant to dissect every word thoroughly.
Seeing this, Li Ze immediately recalled Chen Mo's instructions. He quietly went to brew the first cup of Longjing, carefully following the specified water temperature and requirements. Then, holding his breath and practically walking on tiptoe, he gently set the teacup down neither too close to nor too far from Lin Yanzhou's hand.
Lin Yanzhou gave no sign of acknowledgment. All his attention seemed focused on the materials in his hands. Chen Mo and Li Ze exchanged a glance, then both quietly withdrew.
About ten minutes later, without raising his head, Lin Yanzhou said in a low voice, "Chen Mo, come in for a moment."
Chen Mo immediately pulled open the office door.
"Boss, you wanted me?"
"Yes."
Chen Mo walked briskly into the inner office and gently closed the door behind him.
Sitting in the secretary's room, Li Ze recalled Chen Mo's instructions and began familiarizing himself with how the various materials in the outer office's filing cabinets were classified and filed.