What happened in the meeting room was spread throughout the branch.
Everyone was discussing this incident, and they knew the General Affairs Office will be in deep trouble.
Dong Xuebing, who was playing Minesweeper in his office, was still unaware of this incident until Deputy Branch Bureau Chief Xu Yan called him. She had an unhappy tone, and Dong Xuebing could hear her tapping her desk with her pen. “Are you the one who send the documents for Political Commissar Zhou Guoan’s meeting? I just don’t understand! How can you make mistakes with photocopying? Why is it that only Political Commissar Zhou’s document has mistakes? Why are there pictures of cakes and desserts in his document and not anyone else? Don’t you know that Political Commissar Zhou has diabetes? Xiao Dong, what happened?”
Dong Xuebing felt this was not possible. “Pictures of desserts? There are no pictures in the documents.”
Xu Yan took a deep breath. “There will be an internal reorganization soon, and you still create problems…… That’s all I have to say. You take care of this problem yourself!”
Dong Xuebing put down the phone in a daze.
Ring, ring, ring. Li Qing called. “Political Commissar Zhou called me to his office for a scolding. Xiao Dong ah…… You….. Why didn’t you check through all the documents before you send to the meeting room? How can there be pictures of desserts in the documents? You……. Sighed…… You can’t even complete such a simple task.”
“Director, I don’t know anything about this. I……”
“Don’t need to explain it to me. You have to be responsible for this. Political Commissar Zhou asks you to bring all your staffs to see him in his office. You explain to him yourself!” Li Qing does not want to get involved.
After hanging up the phone, Dong Xuebing becomes pale. In the past, there were also instances when the pages of the documents were messed up or missing pages. But they always prepared a spare set. At most, they were reprimanded by the leaders for a while, and it was no big deal. But this time was different. This was not an important meeting, but it was a crucial time for the leaders because of the upcoming internal reorganization. Also, the dessert pictures were directed to Political Commissar Zhou.
This was life in the government service. Any minor things could blow up the next instant.
Dong Xuebing knew this would not end up well. He opened the door and entered the main office. “Who prepared the documents for Political Commissar Zhou!?”
Tan Limei, Chang Juan, Zhuang Zhi, Guo Panwei, and the rest had been discussing this incident. They had also heard about what happened during the meeting.
Chang Juan immediately explained. “Chief Dong, it’s not me. The documents were photocopied together. All 13 sets are the same, and it is impossible for there to be dessert pictures mixed in it!”
Tan Limei added. “That’s right. We still checked through every set!”
Dong Xuebing was reprimanded by Xu Yan and Li Qing. He was furious and raised his voice. “Then who can explain about the few pictures in the documents? Ah? The pictures appeared in the document by themselves? Or did the pictures dropped from the skies?” Dong Xuebing trust Tan Limei’s work attitude. Chang Juan and Tan Limei should not make any mistakes when preparing these documents. He also checked a random copy before bringing up the documents. How can there be mistakes?
Provoking Political Commissar Zhou? Dong Xuebing dare not to take on this responsibility!
After getting scolded, Tan Limei and Chang Juan felt wronged. “We really checked all the documents!”
“Enough. Follow me. Political Commissar Zhou wants to see us!”
Political Commissar Zhou’s office.
The furious Political Commissar Zhou was sitting behind his desk, looking at those pictures. He had already placed all responsibility on Dong Xuebing. He was already unhappy with Dong Xuebing for his promotion to the Deputy Chief of the General Affairs Office. Guo Shunjie also kept talking bad about Dong Xuebing and told him how disrespectful Dong Xuebing was towards him. Zhou Guoan might not show it, but he was furious inside. He suspects someone was behind this incident because he will be taking over as the position of Branch Bureau Chief. Someone was trying to intimidate him? Who’s the mastermind? Xu Yan, who had been supporting Dong Xuebing? Song Shoujie? Yang Yizhong? Or…… Liu Hua? Zhou Guoan was not sure, but he had to do something to prove he was not someone easily intimidated.
Not long later, Dong Xuebing entered Political Commissar Zhou’s office with the staffs from the General Affairs Office.
“Political Commissar Zhou, we……”
Zhou Guoan threw the pictures on his desk. “What’s these? Tell me!”
Dong Xuebing felt wronged. But this was what had happened, and he could not explain for himself. “This might be our oversight……”
“Oversight?” Bang, bang, bang! Zhou Guoan banged on the table. “Do you know what does State Security means? Do you know what the purpose of the General Affairs Office is? Tell me! How did these pictures of cakes appear in the General Affairs Office? Who is the one that printed these? Ah? Is this the way you all do things?! Not only you all print such pictures in the office, you all still file it together with the documents? As the Deputy Chief of the office, is this the way you supervise your staffs? Give me an explanation!”
This was what Dong Xuebing did not want. Getting blamed for what happened. Zhou Guoan thought he had mixed those pictures among the documents on purposed. Dong Xuebing did not check through all the documents and did not fulfill his responsibility as the supervisor. But Dong Xuebing did not even know Zhou Guoan had diabetes before this incident. “Political Commissar Zhou, these pictures should be mixed in accidentally when we are stacking the documents. I admit this is our oversight. But I can guarantee that this is not a provocation by anyone!”
“What provocation? Ah? I am talking about the working attitude of the General Affairs Office!” Zhou Guoan had assumed that this was all Dong Xuebing’s work. He will not listen to his explanation and started scolding him!
Seeing Political Commissar Zhou’s attitude, Dong Xuebing became more depressed. He had really offended Political Commissar Zhou. God damn it! Why did this have to happen? Damn unlucky!
Tan Limei, Guo Panwei and the rest lowered their heads.
Guo Shunjie looked at Dong Xuebing gloatingly before he lowered his head.
Zhou Guoan then asked a question which all of them do not want to hear. “Who is the one who delivered these documents?”
All of them knew that Political Commissar was finding someone to take the blame.
Dong Xuebing gritted his teeth and replied. “I am the one who sent it to the office.”
Zhou Guoan looked at all of them in the eyes and asked: “Who printed all the documents?”
Guo Panwei and Old Yan looked at Chang Juan and Tan Limei secretly. Tan Limei and Chang Juan turned pale immediately. Both of them do not have any Deputy Branch Bureau backing them. If they offended Political Commissar Zhou, god knows what sort of punishments they will have to face. Even if Political Commissar Zhou let them off this time, what about the next time? If the leader wants to find trouble with you, they could use whatever reasons! Civil Servants were also not iron rice bowls now!
Tan Limei was at the stage where she was going to get married to Zhuang Zhi. If something happens in her work, then……
Chang Juan’s son was still in school. This was the time when she needed money the most. Her salary played a big part in her family’s monthly expenses. If she lost her job, then her family will……
“I’m the one who printed it.”
“Ah?”
Not only Tan Limei and Chang Juan were shocked when they heard this. Even Old Yan, Guo Panwei and Guo Shunjie were shocked. All of them turned and looked at Dong Xuebing!
It was Dong Xuebing who said that. “I am the one who printed the documents.”
Zhou Guoan looked at him and asked: “Who is the one that sorted the documents?”
Dong Xuebing replied: “It was me who sorted the documents.”
“Good! Good!” Zhou Guoan just said this.
Zhuang Zhi, Guo Shunjie, Chang Juan, Tan Limei, Old Yan did not expect Xiao Dong to take on all the blame by himself. He did not even try to push the responsibility to others. Everyone, except for Zhuang Zhi, was more senior than Dong Xuebing. They had experienced all sorts of storms and seen too many incidents of people pushing the blame to others. Whenever shit happens, the leaders will try all means to shift the blame to his subordinates. This was very normal in the Government Service.
But, the was the first time, even for Old Yan, seeing leader taking on full responsibility and blames for their staffs!
Tan Limei and Chang Juan’s eyes were red. “Chief Dong……”
Dong Xuebing did not let both of them continue. “Political Commissar Zhou, I will write a report and self-reflection letter before the end of the day.”
At this moment, Tan Limei and Chang Juan’s tears rolled down their cheeks!
Old Yan and Guo Panwei looked at each other speechless!
Such leaders exist in government service?
Chief Dong’s sense of responsibility was too strong!
