The Tempting Road to Becoming an Official

"Comrade Chen Fang, the educational standard in Jinde County has always been at the forefront in Wen'an City, which is why the former director, Comrade Pan Youde, was promoted to deputy county head. You are young and highly educated, and I hope that after taking charge of the education system, you will bring a new atmosphere and new heights to the educational sector of Jinde County. Do you have confidence?"

After a flurry of flattery.

Li Xiaomin's tone had clearly softened a lot.

Chen Fang nodded and said, "County Head Li, rest assured, I will do my utmost..."

He hadn't managed to finish his sentence.

A knock on the door interrupted.

"Come in."

The conversation between the two was disrupted, and Li Xiaomin looked displeased.

The door was pushed open.

A middle-aged man walked in.

The man was about forty years old.

He was somewhat overweight, at a glance weighing at least over two hundred pounds.

It could be estimated that the suit he wore required twice the fabric of an ordinary one.

"Just in time, Comrade Chen Fang, let me introduce you, Deputy County Head Pan Youde, who is currently in charge of the education system and also the former director of the county education bureau."

Upon seeing the visitor,

Li Xiaomin hastily waved his hand.

Upon hearing that this person was Pan Youde,

Chen Fang quickly stood up and reached out his hand, saying, "Nice to meet you, Deputy County Head Pan."

On Pan Youde's face was a smile.

However, he did not shake hands with Chen Fang but instead said to Li Xiaomin, "Leader, the education inspection team from the city has arrived."

Upon hearing this,

Li Xiaomin glanced at his watch.

He said, "In that case, Comrade Chen Fang, let's end our conversation here. Today, a delegation from Wen'an City's Education Bureau is coming to Jinde County for an inspection. As the new director, you should join them."

"Alright, County Head Li."

After responding,

Li Xiaomin walked out of the office.

Pan Youde followed closely behind.

Without saying a word to Chen Fang.

It was apparent that he didn't like Chen Fang or perhaps he didn't like the idea of Chen Fang being the director of the education bureau.

At the entrance of the county government building.

A sedan followed by a minibus had already stopped.

Li Xiaomin had just arrived.

The door of the bus behind opened.

The first thing to appear at the doorway was a long leg.

Indeed, a very long leg.

The woman who appeared, apparently about thirty years old and about five feet seven inches tall, was wearing slim-fit trousers that reached her ankles and high heels.

Her upper body was also clad in a slim-fit women's suit.

At the collar, there was also a brooch pinned.

The woman was good-looking.

Her face wore a delicately light makeup.

She had shoulder-length, permed, wavy hair.

The whole person looked elegant and noble, possessing an air similar to that of a female CEO of a corporation.

Upon seeing her,

Li Xiaomin rushed to greet her.

His face lit up with a smile as he said, "Welcome, Vice Mayor Xiao, and her delegation to Jinde County for an inspection. Let's give them a round of applause."

Clapping erupted.

Vice Mayor Xiao?

Could this woman possibly be Xiao Xiao, the Wen'an City Vice Mayor in charge of education?

Chen Fang had read her profile; Xiao Xiao was already 40 years old this year, yet she appeared to be only in her thirties, extremely well-maintained.

Amid the enthusiastic applause,

The inspection team from the bus proceeded to disembark one after another.

This time, the highest-ranking member of the inspection team was Vice Mayor Xiao Xiao.

Apart from her, there were also the Deputy Director of the City Education Bureau, Xu Ting, and other department heads.

On the Jinde County side, besides County Head Li Xiaomin, there was Deputy County Head Pan Youde, who was in charge of education, and some other government officials.

Chen Fang had not officially started his post yet, but he found himself in such a high-profile inspection. Moreover, since few of the leaders present knew him, he had to jostle for a position in the welcoming line; if he hadn't been tall, he probably would have gone unnoticed.

Li Xiaomin chatted with Xiao Xiao for a few moments.

Other leaders also started to chat amongst themselves.

Suddenly.

Xiao Xiao asked, "Governor Li, I heard our county's newly appointed Director of the Education Bureau has already assumed his post. Where is he? Why haven't I seen him?"

Upon hearing this,

Li Xiaomin slapped his forehead and said, "Oh, look at my memory."

Then he turned around and called out, "Comrade Chen Fang, Comrade Chen Fang."

Everyone, upon hearing this shout,

was somewhat baffled.

They had no idea who Chen Fang, whom Li Xiaomin was calling, was.

At that moment, from the back of the crowd, a young man raised his hand and called out, "Governor Li, I'm here."

The others turned their heads towards the sound and now realized that the young man they had been annoyed with and squeezed past, thinking he was in the way, was actually the newly appointed Director of the Education Bureau.

They quickly made way for him.

Only then did Chen Fang walk up to the leaders.

"Comrade Chen Fang, our newly appointed Director of the Education Bureau,"

Li Xiaomin said, introducing Chen Fang to Xiao Xiao.

The moment Xiao Xiao saw Chen Fang, she too paused, not because they knew each other, but because Chen Fang looked quite young, although he was almost thirty, he appeared to be only about twenty-four or twenty-five.

However, her expression quickly returned to normal.

She shook the hand that Chen Fang extended and said, "Comrade Chen Fang, you look very young."

By now, Chen Fang knew who this woman was.

And he had taken her hand.

But he still feigned ignorance and asked Li Xiaomin, "Governor Li, who is this young beauty?"

"What young beauty? This is Comrade Xiao Xiao, the Vice Mayor of Wen'an City."

Li Xiaomin responded.

Upon hearing this, Chen Fang stomped his foot, panic-stricken and remorseful, "Oh... it's Vice Mayor Xiao, look at me... I thought you were some young female CEO of a corporation. Vice Mayor Xiao, I'm so sorry, really sorry."

It was still that same old line.

Flattery always had its effect.

Upon uttering these words,

Xiao Xiao's cheeks flushed slightly.

She laughed and said, "An old woman like me, and still called a young beauty, Comrade Chen Fang really knows how to talk."

"If you are an old woman, Vice Mayor Xiao, what are other women supposed to be?"

Chen Fang's remark made everyone else laugh along heartily.

The smile on Xiao Xiao's face deepened.

This Chen Fang, the more she looked, the more pleasing he became.

Seeing that a few people were still chatting,

Pan Youde came closer.

He whispered something into Li Xiaomin's ear.

Li Xiaomin nodded.

He then asked, "Vice Mayor Xiao, shall we go inside for a panel discussion first, or...?"

Xiao Xiao finally snapped out of Chen Fang's flattery, turned to Xu Ting, the Deputy Director of the Municipal Education Bureau, and asked, "Director Xu, what are the arrangements next?"

Xu Ting glanced at Pan Youde.

He responded, "According to the procedure, we should first visit a school."

"Okay, then we'll go inspect a school. Which school shall we visit?"

Xiao Xiao asked.

Pan Youde quickly stood out and said, "We're going to Jinde County's Seventh Elementary School. It was designated a municipal key elementary school just last year. How about we go to the Seventh?"

"Alright, the guest follows the host, then we'll go to the Seventh."

Xu Ting responded.

The Seventh?

Upon hearing this name,

Chen Fang's heart skipped a beat.

Could it really be such a coincidence?

Out of so many elementary, middle, and high schools in the county, why specifically the Seventh?

"Comrade Chen Fang, come, ride with me. Let's have a chat."

Just as everyone was boarding the vehicles, and Chen Fang was unsure which vehicle to board, Xiao Xiao, already in a vehicle, waved at him.

It was an offer he couldn't refuse.

Plus, no one had arranged a vehicle for him.

Chen Fang obediently got in the vehicle.

This vehicle was similar to a Coaster but wasn't from that brand.

The front half had regular bus seats, while the back had more spacious sofa-style seats.

Xiao Xiao was sitting on one of these sofa seats at that time.

Initially planning to sit randomly,

Xiao Xiao waved him over again and said, "Comrade Chen Fang, come sit here."