Power and Wealth

As usual, Dong Xuebing practiced on familiarizing his power Back yesterday.

Wednesday morning, after Dong Xuebing woke up, he received a call from Qu Yunxuan over for breakfast.

Someone famous will be visiting Aunt Xuan’s workplace, and she was wearing formal office wear today. She was beautiful with her fair complexion and hourglass figure. Tan Limei and Changjuan were too far away compared to her. Even the prettiest girl in Dong Xuebing’s university could not be compared to Qu Yunxuan’s beauty.

“Aunt Xuan.” During breakfast, Dong Xuebing could not help but praise her. “You are so pretty today.”

But after saying that, he immediately regrets. Why did I mention that?

Qu Yunxuan blushed. She stared at Dong Xuebing and pretended like she was going to hit him: “You want me to hit you?”

Dong Xuebing kept quiet and quickly continued with his breakfast.

“Eat slowly. No one will eat your food.” Qu Yunxuan rolled her eyes and wipe the corner of his lips with a paper napkin. She asked gently: “How was your first day of work yesterday? Aunt Xuan has a piece of advice for you. Watch what you say at work. There are a lot of unspoken rules in the workplace. If you offended any leaders unconsciously, it would be hard for you to carry on working there. So, talk less work more. If you need to bootlick your superiors, then you bootlick them. Do you remember what I said?”

Dong Xuebing replied: “Yes.”

After breakfast, Dong Xuebing bid Qu Yunxuan farewell and left for work.

At the foot of the apartment building, Dong Xuebing met Mrs. Xu and her son. She seemed to be bringing her son out and was flagging for a taxi. When Mrs. Xu saw Dong Xuebing, she battered her eyelid and smiles. “Xiao Bing, are you going to work? How is your work?” Mrs. Xu’s attitude towards Dong Xuebing changed a lot after the latter became a Civil Servant. She was no longer arrogant like before.

Dong Xuebing replied: “It’s fine. Things were slightly busier in the morning, and I have not much work in the afternoon.”

Xiao Dong looked at him with a black face and entered the taxi.

Mrs. Xu also opened the door of the taxi and said: “We will make a move first. Xiao Dong wants to visit the antique market.”

“Bye.” Haha, things change when I entered the government service. I am still not even an official.

With a relaxed mood, Dong Xuebing boarded a public bus to the Western District Branch Bureau. He smiled to the old guard at the guardhouse and entered the compound with some other staff members he did not know. He walked to the grey building and entered the office. After putting his things at his desk, he picked up a broom and start sweeping the office.

In the past, cleaning up the office was Guo Panwei’s duties. He did that was to show how “hardworking” he was to the leaders. But after Deputy Chief Zhou was hospitalized last week, Guo Panwei no longer cleans up the office. Why? Because the leader was not around to see him working. Why should he do it?

“Oh, Xiao Dong? Why are you so early today?” Guo Shunjie walked in with his bag.

Dong Xuebing smiled: “There are no traffic jams this morning, so I arrived early.”

Soon, Guo Panwei and Changjuan entered the office together, chatting.

Tan Limei was the fifth person to arrive, and Zhuang Zhi was the sixth. Old Yan was the last to reach the office.

The workload on Wednesday was much lower than Monday and Tuesday. Dong Xuebing saw that Tan Limei does not need his help, he took a mop and clean the toilet outside the corridor. He also mopped the hallway outside the office. Someone had dirtied the area with spit and melon seeds shells.

While Dong Xuebing was cleaning up, he heard footsteps at the end of the corridor.

He looked up and saw a man in his 50s, walking slowly towards his direction. That man was walking with a slight limp. His left leg could take a bigger step than his right. He looked like he had a mild stroke before. Dong Xuebing knew that this person should be the Deputy Chief Zhou Changchun, who was hospitalized last week. He was the head of this General Affairs office.

Dong Xuebing wanted to leave a good impression with the leader, and he pretended not to see him. He continued to mop the floor diligently.

“You are?” Zhou Changchun asked puzzledly.

Dong Xuebing pretended to just notice him, and he paused for a while, wiping his sweat from his forehead: “Ah…… You must be Deputy Chief Zhou? Nice to meet you. I am just posted to this office. My name is Dong Xuebing, you……”

Zhou Changchun just gave a short reply and entered the office: “Ok.”

“Deputy Chief Zhou, i……” Dong Xuebing thought the leader will ask him some questions, but he just walks past him. He was thinking in his heart, what’s wrong with the leader?

But when Dong Xuebing thought Deputy Chief Zhou was someone very stern and does not speak much, he heard Zhou Changchun greeted the rest of the staff members in a friendly manner. “Thanks for working hard everyone. Haha, did anything important happen when I am in the hospital?”

Tan Limei joked: “Chief Zhou, you still don’t trust us?”

Changjuan also laughed seductively: “That’s right. Chief Zhou, since when did we create problems for you?”

Guo Panwei also walked over to Deputy Chief Zhou: “I will help you brew a cup of tea.”

“Chief Zhou, are you feeling better?” Guo Shunjie asked.

Dong Xuebing was stunned, and he slapped his forehead. He realized why Zhou Changchun treated him so coldly. Everyone in the office addressed him as Chief Zhou, leaving out the word Deputy. Dong Xuebing was the foolish one who greeted him as Deputy Chief Zhou. Although it was just a word, there was a huge difference. People will feel better without the word Deputy. It also shows that you respected that leader. This was an unspoken rule in the government sector. Everyone does this.

Actually, Dong Xuebing also knew about this rule. Grandpa Hu had told him about this in the hospital. But Dong Xuebing did not really pay attention to this. But now, he was accepted into the government sector, and he had offended his direct superior on his second day of work. This was a grave mistake.

Dong Xuebing quickly shouted: “Back!”

……

The surroundings changed.

Melon seeds shells appeared on the clean floor again.

Tap, tap, tap. It was the sound of footsteps.

“You are?” Zhou Changchun pale looking face appeared in front of Dong Xuebing.

“Ah? You must be Chief Zhou?” Dong Xuebing replied energetically. “I am the new staff member. My name is Dong Xuebing. Nice to meet you, Chief Zhou.”

Zhou Changchun smiled and nodded. “You seem energetic. You started yesterday? How are you adapting?”

Dong Xuebing replied: “Thank you, leader, for asking. I had familiarized myself with the work.”

Zhou Changchun patted Dong Xuebing on his shoulders: “Good. Work hard.”

Zhou Changchun’s attitude was totally different now.

Dong Xuebing wiped off the cold sweat on his forehead. So close.