Bao Hong City, City Party Committee Compound
After the Deputy Minister of the Organization Department, Ma Wei, finished his work, he and Dong Xuebing went downstairs together. A car was already waiting in the yard. They got into an Audi A6, sitting in the backseat, and waited for Ma Wei’s signal before the driver started the car.
"Secretary Dong," Ma Wei said, turning his head.
Dong Xuebing smiled and replied, "Yes, go ahead."
Ma Wei asked, "How are you adapting to the environment here?"
Dong Xuebing answered, "I’m adjusting well. It’s quite good here."
Ma Wei pondered for a moment. "You were transferred from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection’s supervisory office. This place is far from comparable to that. It's just a small city."
Ma Wei quickly responded, "It’s not that we doubt your capability. Since the organization has made a decision, there are certain considerations from the organization’s side. We’re just chatting casually."
Considerations from the organization
This implies that while you must follow the organization’s decision, there’s still some skepticism about you.
The conversation wasn’t going well, and Dong Xuebing stopped discussing it. He had already anticipated the city's cold reception and wasn’t surprised. Dong Xuebing didn’t care much about the attitudes of the city or province. As long as no one tried to undermine him, he was indifferent. Dong Xuebing wouldn’t care if they were city leaders or provincial officials if they didn't take him seriously. He wasn’t interested in confronting them unless necessary. After all, he came to Jiaolin County for an opportunity to advance, not to pick fights. If he offended the city, many future matters would become complicated, and Dong Xuebing was well aware of the consequences.
The car arrived in Jiaolin County and slowly headed toward the County Party Committee compound.
Since the Organization Department had sent Dong Xuebing to assume his position as County Party Secretary, Ma Wei was supposed to make a call to notify the county ahead of time. Usually, when a new official is appointed, a call would be made to inform the local authorities for a proper welcome. Even if Dong Xuebing were a deputy county head, informing the local government in advance would still be standard procedure. However, Ma Wei didn’t make the call or give instructions, as if he had forgotten about it, casually chatting with Dong Xuebing about other topics.
Dong Xuebing noticed this but chose not to mention it. It was inappropriate for him to bring up the lack of notification, such as reminding Ma Wei that he forgot to inform the county to come out and greet him.
He didn’t bring it up.
It wasn’t something he could say directly.
Dong Xuebing pretended not to notice and continued making small talk.
The driver seemed to have realized the issue with the phone call. He had likely frequently accompanied Ma Wei to send officials to their new posts. As they approached, the driver hesitated and frequently glanced back as if he wanted to say something to Ma Wei, but seeing that the two leaders were engrossed in conversation, he felt it inappropriate to interrupt. Р’
When the car arrived, it went directly into the County Party Committee compound.
Dong Xuebing couldn’t help but glance outside. This County Party Committee compound was the most dilapidated Dong Xuebing had ever seen. The office buildings were in a terrible state, even worse than the national-level poverty-stricken counties like Zhenshui. Many parts of the buildings had visible cracks, resembling dangerous structures. It was unclear when they had been built or if they had been affected by earthquakes, but it looked pretty dire.
Ma Wei seemed to sense what Dong Xuebing was thinking and said, “The buildings are a bit old and somewhat dangerous, but a new County Party Committee compound is already under construction. I don’t know when it will be completed, but someone will report to you once you take office. Let’s go. It’s time to get out of the car.”
The new County Party Committee compound
Yes, this building is uninhabitable. What if something happens?
Dong Xuebing got out of the car with Ma Wei and continued to look around.
Ma Wei suddenly realized something and said, “Oh, no one came out to greet us. What’s going on?” Then he paused and said, “Oh right, I forgot to call and notify them.”
Dong Xuebing smiled and said, “No need for a reception. I’m fine coming here on my own. Formalities are unnecessary.” His words conveyed that Ma Wei’s presence was redundant; he could handle things independently.
The city does not value Dong Xuebing.
Dong Xuebing was naturally reflecting this back. He wasn’t trying to confront the city leaders but wanted to convey his attitude to Ma Wei, the Deputy Minister of the Organization Department. It was a message that even though he was young, he wasn’t to be underestimated. Dong Xuebing was aware of the city’s stance and wasn’t someone who could be easily pushed around. He respected Ma Wei and was courteous due to his position, but Dong Xuebing wouldn’t care about who was involved if he pushed too hard.
Ma Wei glanced at Dong Xuebing.
Soon, around twenty or so people began to emerge from the dilapidated office buildings, clearly leaders. At the forefront was the county mayor, Zhang Dongfang. Behind him were some county party committee members, and further back were key county officials.
They must have seen the car through the windows and rushed out, but Dong Xuebing had to wait in the yard for two or three minutes. Usually, such an oversight wouldn’t happen for an official taking office, as they should have been greeted immediately. However, no one had notified them, and they didn’t even know whether Dong Xuebing was arriving in the morning or afternoon, which caught them off guard.
Dong Xuebing thought he might have overestimated things. While other officials might not have been informed, County Mayor Zhang Dongfang should have known. Zhang Dongfang might have had a good relationship with Ma Wei and the city, and Ma Wei’s actions might have been intended to give Dong Xuebing a bit of a hard time.
Anything was possible.
Thinking about this, Dong Xuebing instead found himself more excited. He welcomed the challenge.