Power and Wealth

Morning.

Around ten o'clock.

At a construction site in the county town.

Amidst the dusty and smoky air resonated the sharp sounds of machines. Workers wearing safety helmets and surrounded by construction signs were diligently working. This was the site for the dormitory project, and as the overall project commander, Dong Xuebing was inspecting the situation. He came alone today, as Yao Cui had already taken up her position in Qing Shui Township, and he hadn't assigned a new secretary. Therefore, he decided to conduct a surprise inspection on his own.

" Mayor Dong."

"Old Zhou is here too."

"Oh, why are you here?"

"Checking the progress, how is it going?"

"Everything is proceeding smoothly; I'm supervising right now."

"Okay, let's go inside and take a look."

"Sure, put on your safety helmet first; it's dangerous here."

Old Zhou led Dong Xuebing inside, briefly describing the construction process and scope and summarizing the recent developments.

After an hour's tour, Dong Xuebing was satisfied. The progress was good. The projects here were on the right track. All the signed contracts for investment projects were finalized yesterday. The first batch of funds was fully in place, and some projects had even entered the implementation phase and started recruiting. In other words, Dong Xuebing's hands were now secure in the two major areas under his jurisdiction. The political achievements he aimed for were already within reach. Now, he was only waiting for the Chinese Academy of Sciences experimental base project and anxiously awaiting the results. As soon as this project arrived, he could retire with his achievements.

Make a fortune and leave.

While this statement might sound unattractive, Dong Xuebing didn't see any problem. Unlike other officials involved in vanity projects, Dong Xuebing was not the type to accumulate political capital and wash his hands of everything, leaving behind a mess of unfinished projects. He cared about his reputation and didn't want people pointing fingers at him. Dong Xuebing was conscious of his political achievements in Zhen Shui County, all of which were tangible. Whether it was the investment funds or the dormitory project's beneficiaries, they ultimately benefited the ordinary people. His focus was on the practical benefits for the citizens, not just making the government look good on the surface. Moreover, he always believed that being ambitious and striving for advancement was not a problem. On the contrary, if an official had no desire to progress and only wanted to remain stagnant, Dong Xuebing felt they needed to reflect on their motivations. People were ambitious; this drive pushed them forward and made them strive for improvement. If an official lacked the ambition to advance, Dong Xuebing had reason to believe that their dedication to serving the people would also be compromised. This was not a desirable outcome.

People often said that Dong Xuebing was an official enthusiast.

His wife said it, and so did his mother-in-law.

But Dong Xuebing never avoided the topic; he felt there was nothing to be ashamed of. In his view, pursuing advancement was the source of human striving.

Noon.

Almost time for lunch.

Dong Xuebing emerged from the bustling construction site, covered in dirt as if he had just crawled out of a pile of soil. He was extremely dirty.

Ring, ring, ring.

His phone rang urgently.

Dong Xuebing quickly answered when he saw it was Li Xiaona's number, "Hello, Secretary Li."

Li Xiaona's voice was urgent, "Mayor Dong, where are you? I've been calling for half an hour."

"Oh, I'm inspecting the construction site. It was too noisy inside earlier, and I didn't hear. What's the matter, Secretary Li? Is there an emergency?" Dong Xuebing asked.

Li Xiaona said hurriedly, "It's an emergency Party committee meeting. Everyone is waiting for you."

"Oh, something happened?" Dong Xuebing hadn't received any news yet.

Li Xiaona said, "It's about the Chinese Academy of Sciences' experimental base. I don't know why it suddenly fell to our county. They just notified us. Please come back quickly, Mayor Dong."

Dong Xuebing was delighted when he heard it, "Sure, I'll be there immediately."

Li Xiaona said, "Secretary Meng and Mayor Jiang are already in the meeting room. Please hurry."

Dong Xuebing was already walking towards his car, "Okay, I'll be there in no more than ten minutes. I'm very close." He got in the car and stepped on the gas to rush out.

Ten minutes later.

County Party Committee Small Meeting Room.

Seeing the tightly closed door, Dong Xuebing pushed it open, entering the meeting room disheveled with dust flying as the door swung open. Everyone looked at him, and Pu An burst into laughter while Jiang Fangfang smiled slightly. Dong Xuebing, in his current state of disarray, was the perfect description of someone with a dusty and muddy face, making people couldn't help but chuckle. The originally solemn atmosphere of the meeting room immediately lightened.

Meng Rui was on the phone, probably talking to a leader.

Jiang Fangfang looked at Dong Xuebing, "Where did you go?"

Dong Xuebing found his seat and sat down, "Oh, I went to the construction site of the dormitory project. They are laying the foundation there, and the whole place is covered in dirt."

Picking up a cup, Dong Xuebing gulped down some water.

Only Ci Boyang had no relaxed expression; instead, he seemed a bit serious.

At this moment, Meng Rui also hung up the phone and looked at Dong Xuebing, "Mayor Dong, you're here. Let's start the meeting. Just now, Secretary Chen of the City Party Committee also confirmed the matter of the experimental base over the phone. The Chinese Academy of Sciences' planned 503 experimental base is confirmed to be located in our Zhen Shui County. We need to fully cooperate."

Dong Xuebing pretended, "Secretary Meng, when did this happen?"

"An hour ago." Meng Rui glanced at him. "This matter is somewhat sudden. We didn't receive any information beforehand. I later inquired a bit. It seems like the internal meeting of the Chinese Academy of Sciences decided on the location for the experimental base. Mayor Dong, do you know the specific reasons?"

Dong Xuebing feigned ignorance, "I don't know."

Zhang Wanshui also looked at him, "You didn't hear anything in advance?"

Dong Xuebing said, "No, everyone is not clear. How could I have received the news in advance? I was at the construction site just now. I wouldn't have known about this if Secretary Li hadn't called to inform me. "He pretended to be puzzled, "Why did they choose our county so suddenly?"

Jiang Fangfang calmly said, "Whether it's sudden or not is no longer important. The site selection issue has been confirmed. Just now, everyone has already discussed the relevant matters of the experimental base. We will cooperate well, whether for the country's responsibility or the county's scientific and technological development. The completion of this experimental base is of great significance. Earlier, Secretary Meng and I discussed with comrades from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Apart from some confidential matters that need to be supervised by comrades from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the rest of the construction and a series of communication and exchange issues in the future will be our county's responsibility. It's not a light burden, not a light responsibility. I hope everyone will take it seriously."

Jian Xiangrong asked, "I heard the person is arriving soon."

Meng Rui continued, "Comrades from the Chinese Academy of Sciences are already on the plane and will arrive this afternoon. As for the reception work, the Provincial Academy of Sciences will be responsible."

Cui Boyang added, "It's in Qing Shui Township."

Jiang Fangfang said, "At the foot of the Qing Shui Township mountains."

Cui Boyang was somewhat dissatisfied, "Since the specific location is so certain, there must have been a prior investigation."

"It should have been a secret investigation. Otherwise, why would there be no news at all?" Pu An speculated, "Experimental projects are confidential, and site selection work must also be kept confidential."

Interrupting the discussion, Meng Rui said, "Enough about that. Let's talk about the work. Mayor Dong, this task is quite significant now that technology falls under your purview. I heard that you had some health issues a few days ago and proactively handed over some responsibilities, even taking leave to go to the hospital."

When Dong Xuebing heard this, he immediately responded, "Those days were busy with the investment promotion conference, and the aftermath left me exhausted. After several days of treatment and rest, I've completely recovered with no lingering issues. You can rest assured. Regarding the matters related to the experimental base this time, I will do my best to ensure they are handled well."

One moment, he's unburdening himself due to illness; the next moment, he's taking on additional responsibilities. Dong Xuebing's changes were faster than anyone else's.ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ novelenglish.net . Fire(.)nᴇt

Jiang Fangfang looked at him and said, "You've been working hard these past few days."

Dong Xuebing smiled, "It's my duty. We are public servants of the people."

Pu An, Chu Peng, Jian Xiangrong, and others from Jiang's faction chuckled.

Meng Rui's expression remained calm, but his mood was happy and excited overall. He saw a bright future for Zhen Shui County and recognized the political capital he had accumulated. He would benefit from the investment promotion work, and the implementation of the experimental base would be the same. Although the area was under the county government's jurisdiction, as the head of the county party committee, Meng Rui would also bask in the glory. This would undoubtedly become a political achievement during his term. Meng Rui didn't believe Dong Xuebing's claim of being unaware. He knew that Dong Xuebing had cleverly set a trap for Ci Boyang this time, but this didn't fundamentally affect Meng Rui's interests. Therefore, Secretary Meng turned a blind eye to it and even admired Dong Xuebing. If Dong Xuebing had managed to secure the experimental base project in advance by communicating with the Chinese Academy of Sciences during his trip to Beijing, then, if given another chance, Meng Rui would still have agreed to the adjustment of responsibilities between Dong Xuebing and Ci Boyang. If the science and technology portfolio had not been given to Dong Xuebing, he wouldn't have made any effort, and they wouldn't have secured the experimental base project.

"The workload this time is heavy, and the nature of the task is significant," Meng Rui said. "I suggest forming a special team responsible for communicating with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Mayor Dong, the role of the team leader is yours." Since Dong Xuebing was responsible for the science and technology portfolio, it was only natural for him to take on the team leader role.

Dong Xuebing promptly replied, "I will ensure the successful completion of this task."

"This afternoon, arrange the reception for the comrades from the Chinese Academy of Sciences as soon as possible. Alright, the meeting is adjourned," Meng Rui said.

As the meeting ended, many people couldn't help but glance at Dong Xuebing. Many were amazed at Dong Xuebing's energy. If the previous incident involving the central government's allocation of fifty million hadn't made everyone see him in a different light, the recent turn of events added to the mystery surrounding Dong Xuebing's background, and many were secretly intrigued.