Afternoon
County Committee
In the Secretary's Office
The room was not large, but it had an inner chamber that was reasonably adequate. Overall, it felt a bit shabby. The walls were peeling in many places, and there were so water stains around the windows, possibly from rain leaks. Dong Xuebing did not doubt that the county didn’t intentionally give him a particularly poor office; they wouldn’t do that. So, this was still a relatively decent office. In other words, if even the county secretary's office were in this condition, the offices of other officials and departnts would likely be in even worse shape.
"Secretary, the environnt here is sowhat lacking. Please make do with it," ng Hani said, perhaps noticing Dong Xuebing observing the room.
Dong Xuebing took out a cigarette and politely waved it at ng Hani, not to offer her one but to check if it was acceptable to smoke in her presence. As ng Hani quickly nodded, saying it was fine, Dong Xuebing lit a cigarette, took a few puffs, and said, "It's alright. I don’t feel it’s too bad. It’s fine as long as it’s functional. I’m not too particular. You'll get used to it eventually, haha."
The main points had been discussed, and the necessary introductions had been made.
ng Hani paused, glanced at her watch, and said, "I’m not sure about your plans for the afternoon, so I’ll make it quick and not delay your work."
Dong Xuebing waved his hand, "I don’t have any plans. Go ahead, take your ti."
ng Hani said, "There’s just one last thing—about your driver and secretary."
Dong Xuebing hesitantly replied, "You arrange the driver for . I won’t worry about it."
The driver, especially for a county committee secretary, was a significant and often coveted position. Sotis, the trust in a driver could be higher than that in a secretary, as leaders often rely on their drivers for personal matters, even if they don’t use their secretary as much. It was important to trust the person, and their character had to be carefully considered. Dong Xuebing didn’t even think twice before handing the selection to ng Hani. This already indicated his trust in her.
ng Hani also appeared serious and formal, "Alright, since you trust so much, I will carefully select soone for you. Once I’ve found suitable candidates, I will bring them to you for review."
Dong Xuebing responded casually, "No need to review; just choose soone and let it be."
ng Hani had already shown her intent to align with Dong Xuebing. Naturally, he needed to reciprocate to so extent.
ng Hani nodded slightly and, without further discussing the driver, turned to the next topic, "As for the secretary..."
Dong Xuebing was not entirely clear about the situation. "What happened to the old secretary? Is he still with the county committee office, or has he been reassigned?"
ng Hani said, "The old secretary went to work in a neighboring county with the forr secretary."
Dong Xuebing nodded, "Then recomnd a few candidates for to consider."
ng Hani was well-prepared. She removed her coat and retrieved a manila envelope from the inner pocket. She opened it and pulled out a small docunt stack, handing it to Dong Xuebing. “I took the liberty of pre-selecting so candidates for you. These are individuals I believe are capable and suitable for the role. Most importantly, they are reliable and have clean backgrounds. You can trust them,” she said, implying that these candidates were not affiliated with other factions and had clean connections, ensuring no problems would arise.
Dong Xuebing, appreciating her thoughtfulness, felt an increased sense of trust in ng Hani. He knew she wouldn't take such matters lightly, and if she said these candidates were trustworthy, they likely were. He flipped through the stack of files, reviewing each one. The top candidates had impressive resus and seed very capable. However, Dong Xuebing kept his guard up, not picking soone randomly from the top. Since these files were influenced by ng Hani, who might have placed those with whom she had closer ties at the top, Dong Xuebing preferred to find soone who was familiar with neighboring county work and suited his preferences. He wasn't overly concerned about work capability and was prepared to handle issues himself if needed. A secretary was ant to assist, and Dong Xuebing preferred to be hands-on. He trusted only himself, aside from his parents and wife.
Experience often leads to greater caution. Even Dong Xuebing was no exception despite being new and sowhat headstrong. Having seen many dark sides of things, he preferred to avoid potential issues beforehand if possible. ʀ
He flipped through the docunts:
One page,
Three pages,
Five pages.
Dong Xuebing reviewed the files thoroughly.
He directly eliminated two female candidates. Last ti, he faced pressure but insisted on choosing Yao Cui as his secretary due to their deep trust and long-standing acquaintance. This ti, he felt choosing a female candidate was unsuitable for several reasons: it could impact the perception, and having a female secretary could introduce limitations in certain aspects of work. Dong Xuebing decided to exclude female candidates, and fortunately, only two were in the stack. Additionally, he disregarded older candidates. Age gaps could create communication issues, and Dong Xuebing, being relatively young, found it awkward to manage soone much older, which could be uncomfortable for both parties. Thus, he also ruled them out.
A few candidates remained.
Dong Xuebing reviewed the remaining files again, discarding those he found unsatisfactory. These candidates had good qualifications—young, high education, and solid work experience—but Dong Xuebing knew from years of leadership that resus often present a polished view. Evaluations from supervisors generally highlight positives and avoid criticism. Thus, Dong Xuebing relied more on his judgnt than taking the docunts at face value.
Dong Xuebing examined the candidates’ files critically, and his process was thodical yet deeply personal. He dismissed the first few candidates with a decisive air:
“Not imposing enough—excluded.”
“No official deanor—excluded.”
“Eyes and nose too sharp—excluded.”
To an outside observer, Dong Xuebing's criteria might have seed overly arbitrary, perhaps even a touch superficial. But Dong Xuebing himself didn’t see it that way. He believed that a photograph could reveal much about a person’s character. This wasn’t about superstition or astrology; instead, it was about the subtle hints of one's true nature that could be discerned from their appearance. Unlike the mystical beliefs surrounding facial features or star signs, Dong Xuebing held that true deanor reflected a person’s experiences, environnt, and values—a more reliable indicator of character.
Of course, he acknowledged that mistakes were possible. Nothing in life is absolute, and sotis, a person lacking appearance or deanor might rise to heights. Dong Xuebing knew that even with the best intentions, outcos could be unpredictable. But that was the nature of life. He believed in making decisions based on his judgnt and standing by them, even if they were wrong. This confidence in his decisions was a cornerstone of his robust and fearless nature. Dong Xuebing didn’t seek to be infallible; he trusted his choices.
After thoroughly reviewing the files, he set them aside with a sense of finality. “I’m done.”
ng Hani, observing his reaction, asked, “Do you find any of them suitable? If not, I can introduce them to you. They’re all under my supervision, so I’m quite familiar with them.”
Dong Xuebing inquired, “Are there other candidates?”
ng Hani shook her head. “The others either have problematic backgrounds or deficiencies in work abilities. I didn’t choose them. Do you find these candidates unsatisfactory?”
Dong Xuebing wanted to maintain her enthusiasm and not belittle her efforts. “It’s not that I’m dissatisfied. I know you’ve put in a lot of hard work on this. I appreciate it. However, I had soone in mind for a while now.”
ng Hani looked puzzled. “From the County Office?”
Dong Xuebing nodded. “Yes, from the County Office. Specifically, Su Yan was a deputy section chief in the Secretary’s Office. I’ve t him once and heard about his involvent in the black car incident. He seems promising, though I’m unsure about his exact capabilities. He feels right for .”
ng Hani’s expression grew complex. “You an Xiao Su?”
Dong Xuebing smiled. “Yes, that’s him. Arrange for him to co over. I want to et him.”
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