Afternoon.
Subdistrict Office.
Dong Xuebing enters the cafeteria after lunch hours. He is starving.
“Do you all still serve lunch?” Dong Xuebing asked at the counter.
The Chef quickly replies. “Director, you still have not eaten?”
Dong Xuebing nodded. “I had some work to do. It’s fine if there’s no more food.”
“We still have.” The Chef replied. “But it’s cold. Let me heat the food first.”
Dong Xuebing waved his hand. “Don’t bother. I don’t mind. Just give me a serving. Thank you.”
“Ok. Please wait for a while.” Although the cafeteria had been outsourced, everyone working there knows this young man is the highest-ranking officer at the Subdistrict. The cafeteria staffs have a good impression of Dong Xuebing because he is polite and respectful towards everyone. Even when he said he didn’t mind eating cold food, the Chef still asked his assistant to heat the dishes quickly before giving them to Dong Xuebing.
Dong Xuebing sat by the windows and ate slowly. He is thinking about how he will face the upcoming 8.0 earthquake.
Food feels tasteless when Dong Xuebing has something on his mind. He is starving, but he doesn’t have an appetite. He puts down his chopsticks and looks around. He is the only person in the cafeteria, and the kitchen staff is resting at the back. He took out his phone and called Yang Zhaode.
Ring… ring… ring….
Dong Xuebing took a mouthful of vegetables while waiting for Yang Zhaode to answer.
“Hello, Xiao Bing.” Yang Zhaode answered cheerfully.
“Uncle Yang, are you busy?” Dong Xuebing swallowed his food and asked.
“No. I just finished lunch and am resting in my office.”
“Can I take up some of your time? Err…. I have something to ask you.”
“Haha…. Did someone provoke you again?”
Dong Xuebing is speechless. “No. It’s not about that.” He organized his words in his mind and said. “It is about earthquakes.”
Yang Zhaode paused for a second and laughed. “Why are you asking about earthquakes?”
Dong Xuebing replied. “I can’t stop thinking about it. A friend from an overseas National Earthquake Administration told me that there’s a high possibility of a major earthquake happening in Hebei Province in the next few years. You should know the devastating damage from earthquakes, and I felt our City should take precautions to prevent high losses and death tolls. Uncle Yang, I hope you can raise this issue to the City’s Party Committee and discuss ways to lessen the damages from a major earthquake.”
Yang Zhaode is speechless. “An earthquake is going to happen in Hebei Province? Is this a medium-term earthquake forecast?”
Dong Xuebing doesn’t know what that means and replied. “I think so.”
“Huh? What do you mean? I have not received any news about this. The Province’s Earthquake Administration will have reported it to us if there’s a forecast. But we have not received anything.”
“Ah… there’s nothing wrong to take some precautions.”
“Xiao Bing, you should know that I am from the Organization Department. How am I going to bring up about earthquake precautions to the Party Committee?”
“But you are also a City Party Committee member. Anything that concerns the City concerns you.”
“Let me put it this way.” Yang Zhaode helplessly reply. “There’s nothing to hide from you. Although overseas are more advanced in forecasting earthquakes than our country, the medium-term forecast and short-term forecast are not 100% accurate. Also, our National Earthquake Administration had not issued any earthquake warnings to Hebei Province. I don’t know where you got this information, but it must be a rumor that cannot be trusted.”
Dong Xuebing is getting frustrated. “Uncle Yang, you never know what will happen in the future.”
“You are too pessimistic. How can there be an earthquake suddenly?”
“Didn’t earthquakes happen suddenly without warning previously? Who knows what will happen?”
“Xiao Bing, what’s wrong with you today?”
“I am worried. Our City is densely populated, and it will be devastating if a major earthquake happens.”
“Don’t worry. Nothing will happen.” Yang Zhaode reminded. “Luckily, you told me about this. Remember, you must not tell others about this. If not, this is considered spreading earthquake rumors, and you might be charged for it. I am not joking with you.”
“Uncle Yang! Can you bring it up during your Party Committee meeting?”
“It’s not that I don’t want to help you. I will help you if it is about your work issues, but earthquake….”
“What if an earthquake happens?”
“What if it doesn’t? I am confident that this will not happen.”
Knock… knock… someone knocked on Yang Zhaode’s door. “I have a visitor. Xiao Bing, stop thinking about this.”
Du… du… du… Yang Zhaode hangs up.
Dong Xuebing threw his phone on the table and continued eating his lunch. He thought for a while and called Xie Huilan.
Xie Huilan giggled when she answered. “Hello?”
“What are you doing?”
“Haha… make a guess.”
“How do I know what you are doing? Reading reports?”
“Almost. I am writing a speech for tomorrow.” There’s some rustling of papers in her background. “You need my help?”
“How do you know I need your help?”
“You can’t hide anything, and I can tell from your face. It’s the same for your voice too. Tell me about it. What trouble have you created again?”
Dong Xuebing is speechless. Why are you all keep assuming that I had created trouble? Am I a troublemaker? Hmmm…. Fine…. I admit I create some troubles, but you all should not keep talking about it. “I am not in any trouble. I want to tell you something. Do you know about earthquakes? I am not referring to the earthquakes within the government sector. I am talking about the real earthquakes.”
Xie Huilan laughed. “Do you think I know about it?”
Dong Xuebing replied. “Even a three-year-old kid knows about earthquakes. How can you not know about it?”
“Since you know I know about it, why are you asking?”
“Hehe…. Are you trying to pick a fight with me? I am trying to talk to you nicely. Sister Xie… Huilan… Comrade Xie… can you be more serious? I am talking about a serious matter now.” Dong Xuebing doesn’t want to argue with her. “I heard from a friend that a major earthquake might happen in Hebei Province soon. It will be an earthquake measuring more than 7.0 on the Richter scale. You should know the destruction of a major earthquake, and I hope you take precautions. Yan Tai County must be prepared, or it will be too late when it happens.”
“Are you drunk?”
“What are you talking about? I still have not finished my lunch.”
“Then why are you talking about earthquakes? I have not received any information. You must not believe in these rumors.”
“I would rather believe it than regret later.”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“My mind is very clear. Just tell me that you will get Yan Tai County to take precaution.”
Xie Huilan paused for a second. “We have been focusing on economic developments, but we had not forgotten about earthquake precautions. Isn’t this enough? I don’t see the need to focus on earthquake precautions now. It will be a waste of resources, and it will be formalism.”
“Why is there no need to take precautions? Is the County ready for an 8.0 earthquake?”
“We are not prepared for an 8.0 earthquake. But how do you know an earthquake is happening? Did you hear it from someone else?”
Dong Xuebing doesn’t know how to answer Xie Huilan. He can’t explain how he knows about it. “Just be prepared! Do you think I will harm you?”
“This is not about whether you are harming me or not. As the head of a County, I cannot waste precious resources on a rumor. Let’s stop talking about this, ok?”
“Sister Xie!”
“Haha…. Even if you call me Mum, I will not entertain you.”
Dong Xuebing is mad after hanging up the call. Xie Huilan doesn’t believe him and what she said made him angrier.
Dong Xuebing took a deep breath and is not giving up. He immediately calls Geng Yuehua.
Geng Yuehua answered. “What is it?”
Dong Xuebing went straight to the point. “It is about earthquake prevention. Mayor Geng, can our District conduct an earthquake prevention exercise? It would be best if all Subdistrict Offices could conduct such exercises. I heard from a friend in the Earthquake Administration that an earthquake is going to happen in our Hebei Province….”
Geng Yuehua interrupted. “No!”
“Yuehua! Listen to me….”
“I have no time for your nonsense! Bye!”
“Damn! I am not drunk!”
Du… du… du…. The other party hangs up.
Dong Xuebing slapped his forehead and put down his phone. He doesn’t know what to say.
Yang Zhaode doesn’t believe him.
Xie Huilan doesn’t believe him.
Geng Yuehua doesn’t believe him.
These people are the closest to him, and if they don’t believe him, no one will believe him.
Dong Xuebing knows he cannot blame them. If anyone told him to take earthquake precautions yesterday, he would kick him out!
But a major earthquake is going to happen soon!
Dong Xuebing had tested FORWARD, and the earthquake will surely happen in about one month!
Dong Xuebing has no mood to continue eating. He stepped out of the cafeteria and looked at the bustling buildings outside. He narrowed his eyes. He can’t convince Yang Zhaode and the rest to take precautions, but he can get Guang Ming Subdistrict prepared. He can still make the decisions here. Even if no one believes him, he must still do his best. He must protect the residents of his Subdistrict.
He must try his best to save everyone.
Let’s start with Guang Ming Subdistrict and forget about everything else now.
