Before noon.
Finance Ministry.
Waiting area in a side building.
Zhang Hui brought them here and said. “My office is small. Wait here and don’t wander around or talk loudly. A leader will be here for an inspection later. I will check if Chief Qian can et you all after his eting.”
Chen Xiaoi replied. “Yes. We know.”
Yan Yizhi replied politely. “Thank you, Chief Zhang.”
Zhang Hui nodded. “I will not accompany you all as I got work to do.”
Chen Xiaoi quickly says. “Sure. Carry on with your work.”
Zhang Hui turned and said to a young man. “Xiao Zheng, get so water for them.”
“Sure, Chief Zhang.” This young man is a staff mber under Zhang Hui.
Dong Xuebing, Yan Yizhi, and Chen Xiaoi sat on the sofa with a cup of water each. Dong Xuebing turned and asked. “Chief Yan, Chief Chen, do you think we can succeed?”
Yan Yizhi smiled wearily. “I think it’s hard.”
Chen Xiaoi added. “I think so too. My cousin is not in charge of this area, and the possibility is slim.”
Dong Xuebing nodded. “We will try our best to get the fund later.”
Yan Yizhi looked at Dong Xuebing and asked. “Mayor Dong, what if they refuse to help us? We….”
Dong Xuebing drank his water and said. “Our County is almost bankrupt. We must get the fund.”
Yan Yizhi and Chen Xiaoi exchanged looks and did not say anything. They sat there quietly and waited.
Half an hour….
One hour….
Ti passed.
It was almost noon, and no one contacted them.
Chen Xiaoi was used to it, but she was afraid Mayor Dong could not stand it. She said. “Mayor Dong, Chief Yan, I can wait here by myself. You all should go for lunch first. I will call you all if there’s news.”
Dong Xuebing replied. “It’s ok. I am not hungry.”
Yan Yizhi sighed. “It’s the sa everything. We got to wait for hours.”
Chen Xiaoi added. “The longest I waited was from morning till night, and we did not even et the leader.”
Yan Yizhi replied. “Yes. My back pain started from that day.”
Dong Xuebing smiled. It seed like everybody had the sa experiences. He had always waited for almost six hours too.
A few minutes later.
Zhang Hui walked over and said softly. “Chief Qian is free now. Let’s go. I will bring you all to him.”
The three of them got up, and Dong Xuebing’s butt and legs were numb from sitting too long.
An office along the corridor.
Zhang Hui knocked on the door lightly and entered. “Chief Qian, I had brought them there. Sorry to trouble you.”
A plump middle-aged man in his forties sat behind a desk. He was reading a docunt and looked at Zhang Hui after a few seconds. “Alright. Go and inspect the cleanliness now. The leader is coming for an inspection in the afternoon.”
Zhang Hui replied quickly. “Yes. I know.”
Zhang Hui looked at Chen Xiaoi and the rest before leaving the office.
Dong Xuebing, Yan Yizhi, and Chen Xiaoi entered the office and closed the door behind them.
“Sit.” Chief Qian waved his hand. “What is it?” He looked at Yan Yizhi, as he was the oldest among them.
Yan Yizhi did not dare to speak before Dong Xuebing. He turned and looked at Mayor Dong.
Dong Xuebing said. “Nice to et you, Chief Qian. I am Zhen Shui County Executive Deputy County Mayor, Dong Xuebing.”
Chief Qian was slightly surprised as he did not expect the youngest guy among them to be their leader. He looked at Dong Xuebing again and rembered Zhang Hui telling him they were from an impoverished county. Many people had visited the Finance Ministry to ask for money, and he thought nothing of them. This young man should have so background, but this is the Central Governnt. Dong Xuebing’s rank ans nothing here.
Dong Xuebing saw Chief Qian looking at him and said. “Zhen Shui County is a National-level impoverished county and one of the country's most impoverished counties. Our economic condition is terrible, and you should have heard of our situation. I am not going to beat around the bush. We are here to seek assistance from the Finance Ministry. Please help us, or we cannot even pay our staff. We will not have funds for our people’s basic needs, and there will be chaos. Our county is almost bankrupt.”
Damn! It’s the sa story again.
Chief Qian oversees this area and hears the sa story daily. He replied emotionlessly. “You all should seek the City or Provincial Governnts for assistance.”
Dong Xuebing replied. “We went to our City and Provincial Governnt, but they could not help us. We had a severe snowstorm recently, and they do not have money to help us.”
Chief Qian looked at Dong Xuebing. “We also don’t have extra funds to assist you.”
Yan Yizhi added. “Chief Qian, can you give our county so money? Our situation is terrible.”
Chen Xiaoi said. “That’s right, Chief Qian. Please help us.”
Chief Qian shook his head. “Our budget had been planned this year, and we do not have extra funds to help you all. You must be Xiao Zhang’s cousin. He had worked for for around seven to eight years, and I should help him. But our ministry does not have extra funds to assist you all. You should all go back or ask your city and provincial governnts again. Coming to the Finance Ministry is also not the correct procedure.”
Yan Yizhi sighed in his heart and said. “How about giving us two million? Chief Qian, please assist us. Our county will be grateful to you.”
Chief Qian shook his head. “I cannot even give you all two hundred thousand, let alone two million. We are facing a global recession now and need money everywhere.”
Chen Xiaoi plead. “Chief Qian….”
Chief Qian replied. “I am helpless. Just go back.”
Dong Xuebing knew Chief Qian was brushing them off.
Dong Xuebing believes most of the funds were budgeted, but how can the Finance Ministry don’t even have two hundred thousand RMB? He knew how the governnt departnt works. The Finance Ministry can take out twenty million RMB if he has connections or it is an ergency. Chief Qian is unwilling to give them money because he feels the situation is not that difficult.
Dong Xuebing could tell what Chief Qian was thinking and was mad. It was troubleso to co to the Central Governnt Ministries. He would have gone to Xie Guoliang if he had been around and had not helped Xie Jing’s boyfriend. He would not be wasting ti talking to a Section Chief. Do you think you are sobody? However, Dong Xuebing is not as impulsive as before and does not lose his temper. Yan Yizhi and Chen Xiaoi are beside him, and he got to maintain his good image. He can only suppress his anger.
“Chief Qian….” Yan Yizhi and Chen Xiaoi continued to beg him.
Chief Qian got impatient. “Enough! I still got work to do.”
Dong Xuebing got up slowly and said coldly. “Let’s go.”
Chief Qian heard Dong Xuebing’s tone and looked at him. He thought to himself. Even if you are an Executive Deputy County Mayor, you are from an impoverished county. How dare you lose your temper in front of ?!
Chen Xiaoi kept quiet when she saw Mayor Dong get mad. She said goodbye to Chief Qian and stood up with Yan Yizhi and Dong Xuebing.
Suddenly, the door opened.
Chen Xiaoi’s cousin, Zhang Hui, entered and said. “Chief Qian, the Finance Ministry leader, is coming to our level for an inspection.”
Chief Qian tensed up. “Which floor is he on now?”
Zhang Fei quickly replied. “He is in the elevator, reaching our level now.”
Chief Qian asked. “Which leader is leading the inspection?”
Zhang Hui replied. “Minister Xie is back, and he is leading the inspection.”
Chief Qian was slightly relieved. They get nervous every ti a leader cos for an inspection. Still, Finance Ministry First Deputy Minister Xie Guoliang is the nicest among them. He had never lost his temper unless it was sothing serious. “Alright. Tell the rest to get ready.”
“Yes. I will go now.” Zhang Hui replied.
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