Power and Wealth

Noon.

Branch Bureau's cafeteria.

The lunch in the cafeteria was stir fry garlic pork and Scrambled eggs with chives. The air was filled with the cooking smell and was slightly choking. After getting a bowl of rice, Dong Xuebing sat down with Tan Limei and Zhuang Zhi at a table near to the window. The most crucial Xu Yan's vote was settled. But it was too early to be happy. If no one else other than Deputy Chief Xu helps him, he will also not be able to compete with Guo Shunjie and Guo Panwei.

The first step was a success. Who should I target next?

There were 4 more days to the meeting. Dong Xuebing must make full use of the remaining time to gather enough votes.

After lunch, they got back to the office. Dong Xuebing analyze the situation. He has two targets in mind. One of them was lowly educated Deputy Bureau Chief Zhong. He was also one of the party committee members and was newly transferred to this branch. It seems that he still has not joined any factions in the bureau and was considered a "neutral" person. Dong Xuebing had heard Chief Yang Yizhong had been objective and never take sides during the past committee meetings. The other was Deputy Bureau, Chief Liu Hua. His connection was with the Ministry of State Security. He was only transferred to this branch temporarily. There were rumors that he will be transferred back in a few months. He is slightly younger and low profile. He had also not raised any objections to any decisions during the committee meetings. He was almost invisible during the meetings.

Yes. It's the both of them!

Dong Xuebing acted immediately. He pulled out his keyboard and start typing. He was writing the speech for Deputy Chief Yang for his next meeting. 3.05 pm. A simple and straight forward draft was completed. Dong Xuebing checked if there were any difficult characters in the draft before printing. He took the printout and went upstairs.

"Didn't I ask Xiao Wang to go? Why are you going to?"

"Chief Yang, I……"

"Get Xiao Wang here immediately! What the hell are you all doing?"

Deputy Branch Bureau Chief Yang's scolding could be heard along the corridor. Dong Xuebing was not surprised and waited from a distance. He waited until a sullen staff member leaves the office. Dong Xuebing straightened his collar and knocked on the door. "Chief Yang, the draft for your speech is ready."

"Oh, it's Xiao Dong." Yang Yizhong attitude towards Dong Xuebing was much better. "I need the script for my speech next month. There is no hurry."

Dong Xuebing pushed the draft forward lightly. "Errr…… I am afraid that the draft is not good enough and wanted to let you vet through it first. If you spot any mistakes, I will be able to amend it."

"The previous speech you wrote was perfect. Fine. Let me take a look." Yang Yizhong took out the few copies of A4 paper and scanned through it. "Hmmm…… hmmm…… Not bad." After a while, he nodded and kept the draft in his drawer. "This is good enough. There is no need to amend anything. I will use this as my speech."

Dong Xuebing immediately said: "Then is there any other documents or information you need?"

Yang Yizhong thought for a while. "Organise and bring me the meeting minute for the no. 3 meeting room. I need all the minutes from the second half of the year."

"Yes, sir. I will bring it to you before the end of the day."

Yang Yizhong laughed. "There is no hurry. Take your time. Oh, your General Affairs Office has two guys with the surname Guo……. I can't remember their names."

Dong Xuebing replied: "Are you referring to Guo Panwei and Guo Shunjie?"

"That's right. Those two guys." Yang Yizhong frowned. "This morning, I called your General Affairs Office to ask for some health promotion data. One person is enough to send this data to me. But why after the first person left, another person delivered the same documents to me again? Both of them still tried to hang around in my office. What kind of efficiency is this? They are just wasting my time! You go back and tell them not to come over to my office again. You will be the one who will deliver documents or anything to me!"

Hahahaha! Serve them, right! Dong Xuebing almost burst out laughing. "Yes, Sir."

Guo Panwei and Guo Shunjie should not have told each other that they will bring the documents to Yang Yizhong. Both of them were eager to show their faces to the leaders and caused this misunderstanding. There were only 3 candidates for the position of Deputy Chief. If Yang Yizhong was unhappy with the both of them, then he will surely support Dong Xuebing! After all, Yang Yizhong was pleased with his work performance after he accidentally found out Yang Yizhong had low education levels. Dong Xuebing had used back that time, and Yang Yizhong did not even know Dong Xuebing knew his secret.

There should be no problem with Yang Yizhong's vote.

2 votes in hand!

The day ended.

Dong Xuebing packed up his things and prepared to go home. From his office window, he saw Deputy Chief Liu Hua. He was about 35 or 36 years old and had a crewcut. He held his briefcase and walked slowly. He was the first person to finish work.

"Chief Liu, are you going back?" Yang Yizhong shouted. "Want to have dinner together?"

Liu Hua turned and saw Yang Yizhong walking out of the grey building. He smiled: "Some other time. I have plans tonight."

Yang Yizhong was not surprised. They exchanged a few words and walked out of the compound.

In the office, after most people had left, Tan Limei laughed and said: "Chief Liu is still so low profile."

Zhuang Zhi asked: "How is he low profile?"

The two Guos had left, and Tan Limei spoke without hesitation. "Are you stupid? Since the day Chief Liu was transferred to the branch 1 year ago, have you ever seen him having a meal with anyone? Have you seen Chief Liu having personal conversations with any other leaders? Every morning, after Chief Liu arrives at work, he will remain inside his office until it was time to go home. He seldom leaves his office. He doesn't even take his lunch in the cafeteria."

Dong Xuebing was listening by the side.

"Also, Chief Liu had never said anything during the Branch Bureau Chiefs and Party Committee meetings. Whenever there was a redeployment of manpower and the Deputies needed to vote and express their views, he will just give an abstention vote. Even when he was pointed out by Chief Yan, he would just give some excuses. He was just here to pass his time and did not want to get involved in anything else." Tan Limei thought for a while and said: "He is also not approachable like our Bureau Chief Yan. During festivals, he will not accept any gifts. Not even a pen or a book."

Dong Xuebing was surprised. "Really?"

It was normal in government agencies for cigarettes and liquor to be given as gifts during festivals, and it was weird to see anyone rejecting gifts.

Tan Limei turned to Dong Xuebing angrily. "Yes! When I was new here, I brought a carton of cigarettes to Chief Liu's house as gifts during Chinese New Year. But Chief Liu doesn't even open his door for me to enter. He just told me to leave with my gifts and shut his door. I was so embarrassed then. Sigh…… Let's not talk about that."

Dong Xuebing nodded and pestered Tan Limei to tell him Chief Liu's address. After he got the address, he returned home.

Dong Xuebing knew that Liu Hua was unapproachable, but he cannot afford to miss this opportunity.

No matter what, Dong Xuebing must pay a visit to Liu Hua this evening.