Power and Wealth

Chapter 1811

Inside the Room.

It was already afternoon.

Dong Xuebing and Su Yan were sitting face to face. After throwing out this remark, Dong Xuebing keenly observed Su Yan’s expression, remaining silent.

One second.

Two seconds.

Su Yan finally confirmed, “To be your secretary.”

Dong Xuebing laughed, “Yes, are you interested?”

Su Yan was sweating; he didn’t expect Secretary Dong to say this. He was looking for him to be his secretary. Just as he was about to respond, he realized that he had spilled a lot of water from the disposable cup in his hand, splashing it onto his pants. He quickly set the cup down and grabbed a napkin to wipe his pants. He seemed a bit flustered, trying to think of something to say to Dong Xuebing, but ended up stammering, “Am I your secretary?” His mind was quite jumbled, and he hadn’t managed to say a complete sentence.

Dong Xuebing found it amusing and slowly said, “First, clean up the water before we talk.”

“Uh.” Su Yan replied and quickly wiped the water off his pants. He then took a deep breath and forced a wry smile, saying, “Secretary, am I qualified for this?”

Dong Xuebing chuckled, “That’s something you need to ask yourself.”

Su Yan replied, “But I feel like I’m not capable because this job is too important. Not everyone can do it, and I’m afraid of delaying your work.”

Dong Xuebing looked at him and said, “But I think you can handle it.”

Su Yan paused, not knowing how to respond. “I...”

Under normal circumstances, who wouldn’t fight for such a lucky opportunity? Being the secretary to the county party secretary holds immense significance. Anyone in the system knows very well that it’s not just an ordinary position; not only does it come with a rank promotion, but it also brings unprecedented power. Even if the county party secretary steps down or is transferred, if the secretary is very much to the leader’s liking, the secretary is generally arranged for a position before the leader leaves, such as a town secretary or a township secretary. In short, it’s like skipping several years of struggle. The position of a secretary can lead to immediate success. Although Su Yan is young, he has worked in the system for several years; how could he possibly not know these things? Su Yan understood this was a tremendous opportunity—so great that it stunned him. However, he did not lose his rationality. He didn’t immediately agree just because he heard this. He felt that since Secretary Dong could say this to him, it was a sign of trust, and he certainly had to reciprocate that. He couldn’t casually agree because he wanted a promotion; he believed that would disrespect Secretary Dong. He was clear about his abilities.

Dong Xuebing asked, “What’s wrong? Are you unwilling?”

Su Yan hurriedly replied, “No, no! Of course, I’m willing. It’s just that I feel I can’t handle it. My work abilities are limited, and I won’t hide that from you. And there’s also the matter...” He paused. Su Yan looked at Dong Xuebing and asked, “Secretary, may I ask why you chose me?”

Dong Xuebing laughed, saying, “Because I see you get along well with me.”

Su Yan uttered an “uh,” “Is it that simple?”

Dong Xuebing chuckled heartily, “It’s that simple.”

Su Yan spoke frankly, “I have a more impulsive personality, and I’ve had conflicts with people more than once before. The leaders aren’t very satisfied with me, and you...”

Dong Xuebing said, “I don’t know if others are satisfied with you, but I know I am quite satisfied.” With a smile, he said casually, “Xiao Su, um, can I call you that? Even though we might be about the same age, let me call you Xiao Su. Since I’m looking for you today, I’ve already considered it to some extent. You don’t need to feel too much pressure; you don’t have to lay out everything you feel is lacking at once. I can see your strengths and weaknesses. You need to know now that I don’t care how other leaders are; I’m not ordinary. I don’t have so many boundaries in my heart, nor do I have so many obstacles. My perspective on people is different from that of the average person. You say your work ability isn’t good—that’s fine. I’m capable enough. You say your personality isn’t great—that’s also okay. My personality is even worse than yours.”

After hanging up the phone, Dong Xuebing gathered a few files and documents, packed them into his bag, and went downstairs. Once he reached the courtyard, he found an Audi A6L waiting there. The driver had already gotten out and was anxiously waiting for him. This would be the county party secretary’s official vehicle. The driver looked around thirty, slightly older than Dong Xuebing but not by much, and he appeared quite honest.

“Secretary,” the driver straightened his back upon seeing Dong Xuebing, trying to present a lively demeanor in hopes of making a good impression.

Dong Xuebing nodded, “What’s your surname?”

The driver quickly replied, “No need for formality, I’m Ma.”

Dong Xuebing smiled and shook his hand, “Brother Ma, I’ll need your help from now on.”

Dong Xuebing’s politeness flustered the driver and hurriedly said, “No, no, just call me Xiao Ma. Xiao Ma is fine.” He didn’t dare to be called brother.

Dong Xuebing remarked, “It’s just a form of address.”

The driver insisted, “Just call me Xiao Ma; everyone does. If you call me Brother Ma, I can’t accept that.”

Dong Xuebing listened and didn’t push further. He bent down and got into the car. “Alright then, let’s go to the family compound. By the way, it’s not urgent to return right now. Let’s detour around here before heading to the family compound. I’d like to familiarize myself with the area.”

The driver readily agreed, “Sure.”

Inside the car, Dong Xuebing engaged in casual conversation with Xiao Ma. However, Xiao Ma wasn’t very talkative. He might have been nervous or unsure of what to say, perhaps afraid of saying the wrong thing, so he kept his words to a minimum. Dong Xuebing chatted for a while but didn’t learn much, yet he didn’t mind. He enjoyed light banter; it was just his Beijing style. Regarding drivers, he preferred less talkative ones, and he was satisfied with Xiao Ma. He wasn’t too picky.

One hour later.

After circling the area, they finally arrived at the family compound.

The family compound was in pretty good condition compared to the county committee compound. At least the buildings looked newer, and the community environment was nice.

The car stopped.

They reached the building.

The driver turned back and said, “Secretary, this is the place.”

Dong Xuebing looked outside and replied, “Great, thank you. You can head back now.”

The driver seemed prepared, immediately handing over a piece of paper with a series of numbers written on it. “This is my phone number. Whenever you need a car, just let me know. I won’t turn off my phone at night; I’m always available.” Once Dong Xuebing took the paper, he asked, “What time should I come to pick you up tomorrow morning?”

Dong Xuebing thought momentarily and said, “Let’s say eight o’clock. If you want to sleep in a bit, eight-thirty is fine, too. It doesn’t matter. It’s not far from the county committee compound anyway.”

The driver quickly responded, “I’ll be there before eight.”

He certainly wouldn’t make the county party secretary wait for him. Xiao Ma felt that Secretary Dong was too polite and kind to people.