Next day.
Sunday morning.
Dong Xuebing called Cheng Yandong immediately after he woke up. They had exchanged numbers yesterday afternoon.
Ring… ring… ring….
“Hello, Director Dong?”
“It’s me. Team Leader Cheng, have you taken your breakfast?”
“I just woke up.”
“Alright. I want to invite you to our Guang Ming Subdistrict for breakfast, and I have something to tell you.”
Cheng Yandong paused for a second. “…. Ok. Give me the address, and I will take a taxi there.”
Dong Xuebing quickly got out of bed and got ready. After that, he drives to a breakfast shop to wait for Cheng Yandong.
Ten minutes later, Cheng Yandong arrived in a taxi.
“Have you waited long?”
“I had just arrived. Have a seat.”
Both men sat at the table and ordered a few breakfast dishes.
Cheng Yandong wiped his mouth after eating and asked. “Oh, you said you have something to tell me.”
Dong Xuebing nodded. “It is about your jade pendant. Didn’t I say I would help you ask around yesterday? I got a reply.”
Cheng Yandong did not harbor any hopes. “Oh? How is it?”
Dong Xuebing paused for a while and reached into his pocket. He took out a clear plastic bag and passed it to him. “Take a look.”
Cheng Yandong thought nothing about it at first. He had called several places yesterday and got the same replies. Shattered porcelain can still be fixed by covering up the cracks, but it is impossible for jade. Even overseas technologies cannot repair it. At most, they can just glue the pieces together and could not do anything about the cracks. He had lost hope of repairing his late mother’s pendant.
Cheng Yandong took the pendant from Dong Xuebing and noticed something was wrong. He immediately opens the clear plastic bag and takes it out.
One minute….
Two minutes….
Three minutes….
Cheng Yandong took a deep breath. “This….”
Dong Xuebing laughed. “Is this repair alright with you?”
Cheng Yandong is speechless. The pendant is brand new! It looks better than the pendant he was wearing yesterday! Not only were there no cracks, but they also didn’t even show any signs of repair!
Cheng Yandong knows Dong Xuebing can’t get someone to crave a new pendant. The dragon craving cannot be done within a few hours. Furthermore, there are no two jade pendants in the world that are the same. This is his pendant!
“You….” Cheng Yandong is stunned. “How did you do this?”
Dong Xuebing laughed. “I contacted a friend who is researching this field. He has a type of clue that can cover the cracks in jade and make it invisible.”
Cheng Yandong is amazed. “Is this a new technology? How come I have not heard about it?”
“That’s because there are no market demands, and my friend didn’t plan to introduce it. That’s why no one knows about this.” Dong Xuebing made up an excuse. “But this technology is not perfect, and you need to be careful when you wear it. Oh, my friend hopes you can keep it a secret as he doesn’t want too many people to know about it.”
“Don’t worry!” Cheng Yandong replied excitedly. “I will keep it to myself!”
“Haha… thank you.”
“I should be the one thanking you!” Cheng Yandong held Dong Xuebing’s hand. “Director Dong, this is a great help! Thank you! Thank you very much!”
“Don’t mention it.”
“Oh, how much is it? I will transfer it to you now.”
“This is nothing, and how can I receive your money?” Dong Xuebing replied.
Cheng Yandong shook his head. “No! I must pay you. How much is it?”
Dong Xuebing smiles. “It’s alright. You don’t need to stand on ceremony with me.”
“The cost of such high-tech repair techniques must be expensive. I cannot let you pay for me!”
Dong Xuebing refused to accept money from Cheng Yandong after haggling for a while. Cheng Yandong looks at the Porsche parked outside and knows Dong Xuebing doesn’t lack money. He might be wearing a million RMB jade pendant, but he is not wealthy. This pendant is his family’s heirloom, and jade was not worth a lot several decades ago. If Dong Xuebing asks for tens of thousands or a few hundred thousand, he will not afford it. He did not insist and thanked Dong Xuebing again. Dong Xuebing had done a great favor to him, and he owes him.
A few minutes went by.
Both men finished their breakfast. The breakfast shop is located opposite a Guang Ming Subdistrict nursing home.
Dong Xuebing had purposely picked this location. He points at the other side of the road. “Team Leader Cheng, if you have the time, can you help to guide our nursing homes and see if we have any room for improvements?”
Smart people don’t need to be told.
Cheng Yandong immediately understood what Dong Xuebing wanted. “Have your Guang Ming Subdistrict Office submit the application for the Respect and Care for the elderly’s model unit award?”
“I was just appointed the Director and didn’t know about it.” Dong Xuebing asked. “Is it too late for us to apply now?”
Cheng Yandong hesitated for a second. “It’s too late now.”
Dong Xuebing did not reply.
“But I have an extra quota.” Cheng Yandong looks at Dong Xuebing. Since he knows the reason why Dong Xuebing helped him, he felt more comfortable. He is willing to return the favor. If repairing the pendant is nothing for Dong Xuebing, giving Guang Ming Subdistrict the extra spot is nothing. “Alright. You get your people to be ready this morning. We have almost finished our inspection in Ping An Subdistrict, and we will go over to your Subdistrict in the late morning.”
“Ah… thank you.”
“Haha… that’s settled!”
Dong Xuebing sent Cheng Yandong back to his hotel and returned to Guang Ming Subdistrict Office. He is about to get this credit!
Subdistrict Office building.
Dong Xuebing went straight to the Party Administration Office. “Director Zhou!”
Zhou Yanru heard Dong Xuebing’s voice and quickly ran out of her office. “Director, are you looking for me?”
“Inform all the leaders, including those at home, to come to the small meeting room. This is an emergency Work Party Committee Meeting!”
Emergency?!
Did something happen?
Zhou Yanru quickly goes back to her office to contact the rest.
……
Half an hour later.
Small meeting room.
Dong Xuebing has been waiting inside, reading a newspaper.
Zhou Yanru prepared the documents with a puzzled look on her face. Qu Yiqiang, the Secretary of the Disciplinary Work Committee, had arrived. He looked at Zhou Yanru and saw her shaking her head to indicate that she didn’t know what had happened. After a while, Police Station Chief Peng Gang, Deputy Director Yu Rongfeng, and Deputy Director Guo Mingfeng arrived. The other committee members arrived after them, and the last person to enter the room was Geng Xinke. Everyone can tell from Geng Xinke’s puzzled look that he doesn’t know what happened.
“Director.” Zhou Yanru is taking the meeting minutes. “Everyone is here.”
Dong Xuebing put down the newspaper and nodded. “Let’s start.”
Everyone looks at Dong Xuebing. They are waiting for him to tell them why he called for an emergency meeting.
The former Director had never called for an emergency Work Party Committee Meeting during his time at Guang Ming Subdistrict. Mayor Geng had only called for emergency meetings twice when she was working in Guang Ming Subdistrict. Both times were because of major events. That’s why everyone was anxious when they were recalled for this meeting. In Government Service, everyone is afraid of emergencies.
Dong Xuebing knows he doesn’t have time and did not beat around the bush. “The Team Leader of the National Respect and Care for the elderly’s model unit inspection team had found me earlier and wants to inspect our Subdistrict. I think he has the intentions of nominating us to the Central Government.”
This is too shocking!
Even Qu Yiqiang is stunned, let alone the rest!
Geng Xinke, Zhou Yanru, and the rest almost fell off their chairs!
Damn!
You had snatched Ping An Subdistrict’s qualifications!
Yu Rongfeng looks at Dong Xuebing. “Director! This….”
Dong Xuebing calmly replied. “We are not snatching the nominations from our fellow Subdistrict. It is the Team Leader of the inspection team who approached me. This is because he had seen the situation in our Subdistrict during his inspection in Ping An Subdistrict. After all, we are separated by one street. He is satisfied with our work and called me to request to inspect our area. It’s hard for me to reject him.”
Bullshit!
If you had done nothing, why would the inspection team change their schedule?!
Geng Xinke and Zhou Yanru are the only ones who know Dong Xuebing wants to get this nomination. But they thought he was only talking about it and didn’t expect him to really do it!
Damn!
I have never met such a wicked civil servant!
