Office lobby.
Dong Xuebing’s greeting, ‘First Aunt,’ had shocked everyone.
Zhou Yanru was also stunned and wondered what was going on.
Chief Lin’s eyes almost popped out of his sockets. He took a deep breath and swallowed everything he wanted to say.
The jaws of the staff dropped as they looked at them. They were wondering what was going on.
First Aunt is different from the generic way of addressing others as ‘Auntie, Mdm, Uncle, etc.’ Not anyone can call another middle-aged woman ‘First Aunt.’
Dong Xuebing is also surprised. This middle-aged woman is Senior Xie’s second daughter-in-law, and she is Xie Ran and Xie Jing’s mother. He is still angry with Chief Lin and could not understand what was going on. “Why are you here?”
Xia Yanzhen laughed. “I am working here. Didn’t I tell you about it?”
Dong Xuebing exclaimed. “Ah… you are transferred to the Ministry of Civil Affairs?!”
“Oh…. I didn’t tell you about this.” Xia Huizhen suddenly remembers that they had chatted for a while but did not mention her new position.
Dong Xuebing felt this was a coincidence. Minister Xia is the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Deputy Minister.
“Xuebing, the Official business you told me is this?” Xia Yanzhen asked.
“Yes.” Dong Xuebing smiled wearily. “I am here to submit the Role Model Unit application and materials.”
The crowd heard the way Minister Xia addressed Dong Xuebing and knew they were related.
Damn!
Chief Lin is panicking.
WTF is going on?! Why don’t you tell me that you are related to Minister Xia?! You had gotten me into trouble!
The look in everyone’s eyes changed as they looked at Dong Xuebing. No wonder he dares to create a scene at the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
Xia Yanzhen looked around the lobby. “What happened here?”
Xia Yanzhen had asked earlier, and Chief Lin had answered. She is asking again as she wants to hear it from Dong Xuebing.
“Oh, First Aunt. If I knew you were here, I would have looked for you. I came here in the morning, and I was informed Chief Lin was in-charged of this matter. But I ended up waiting two hours to meet him, and he told us this was not under him. He pushed us to the National Respect and Care for the elderly’s model unit Office. The National Respect and Care for the elderly’s model unit office told us this was under the Ministry of Civil Affairs when we reached there and got to come back. In the end, Chief Lin tried to brush us away and claimed we had used the wrong format and wanted us to re-do the application again. The selection had started, and we needed to return to the District to get a new application stamped. We will not have enough time. Moreover, the format is according to the guidelines set by the higher-ups.” Dong Xuebing started complaining. He points to the floor. “Look at these. There is a serious problem with Chief Lin’s working attitude. We had prepared these materials, but he threw it all over the place without looking at it.”
Chief Lin’s face turns pale. He wanted to kill Dong Xuebing on the spot, and he quickly explained. “Minister Xia, it’s not like this. These documents are….”
Xia Yanzhen looked at Chief Lin and interrupted him. “Come to my office later.”
“Minister Xia, I…. Please listen to me….” Chief Lin tried to explain.
Xia Yanzhen did not look at him and patted Dong Xuebing’s shoulder with a smile. “I need to attend to some matters first. Come to my office later. I will get someone to enter the application and materials into the database.”
“Ok. Please carry on with your work.” Dong Xuebing replied politely.
“Alright. Wait for my call. Haha…” Xia Yanzhen said and left the office building.
Dong Xuebing pulled Zhou Yanru aside. “Sister Zhou, let’s sit here and wait.”
“Ok.” Zhou Yanru is looking better, and she looks at Dong Xuebing. After that, she turns to Chief Lin with a smile. She was still surprised to know Director Dong knows a Sub-Provincial (Ministerial) level Leader, and they might even be relatives.
The lobby is quiet, and no one dares to make a sound.
At this moment, a few security guards rushed in.
“Who is it? Where is the person that is causing trouble?”
“Where is he?”
Chief Lin knows he is in trouble after hearing Dong Xuebing address Minister Xia as First Aunt. He had offended Minister Xia, and he is finished. He turned to the guards and shouted. “Go back! No one is causing trouble here!”
“But….” The guards hesitated.
“Can’t you all hear what I said?!” Chief Lin shouted.
The guards exchanged looks and quickly left the lobby.
Everyone knows Dong Xuebing is Minister Xia’s relative. Who still dares to chase him away?
The lobby fell into silence again.
The staff quickly lowered their heads and pretended not to see anything. They know Chief Lin had shot himself in his foot.
The staff, who treated Dong Xuebing and Zhou Yanru impatiently earlier, is panicking. He doesn’t know if Dong Xuebing will remember him and complain to Minister Xia. He clenched his teeth and poured two cups of water before bringing them to Dong Xuebing and Zhou Yanru. “Have some water. You can call me if you need anything else.”
The staff’s attitude changed completely.
Chief Lin felt disgraced when his subordinates bowed down to Dong Xuebing. He wanted to scold that staff, but he didn’t dare. He clenched his teeth and kneeled on the floor to pick up the documents he threw earlier. He arranged the pages properly and walked to the rest area. Although Minister Xia said she would get someone to process the application, he knew it was a warning. He can’t wait for Minister Xia to get someone and got to do it immediately. He went to Dong Xuebing and said. “Err…. We will process the application and enter it into the database immediately. Please… come to my office and wait.”
Dong Xuebing did not move and took out a cigarette. “Didn’t you say the format is wrong?”
Zhou Yanru took out a lighter and lit Dong Xuebing’s cigarette. She did not look at Chief Lin.
Chief Lin smiles. “Please forgive my bad attitude earlier. There is no problem with the materials.”
Dong Xuebing glared at him. “You claimed our format is wrong, and you are telling me there is no problem with it?! Are you treating me as a fool?!”
Chief Lin is cursing in his heart but dares not to show any displeasure. “No… no…. I didn’t check it thoroughly.”
“You think you can get away with a reply like this?!” Dong Xuebing points to his watch. “I had wasted from 9 am to 5 pm. How many hours is it? Just because you did not check it thoroughly, you had wasted so much of our time. Yet, you still dare to throw our documents on the floor?! Who gives you the right to do this?! Ah?! Answer me!” Dong Xuebing points at Chief Lin and gives him a lecture.
Chief Lin did not retort and stood there quietly.
The staff in the office felt amused when they saw Chief Lin getting lectured by a young man. But no one dares to laugh.
Dong Xuebing got tired and thirsty after scolding for a while and took a sip of water.
Chief Lin finally got a chance to speak. “The proper procedure for the National Respect and Care for the elderly’s model unit award application should be sent from the role model unit office. Late submission format is different from normal application and requires an official seal.”
“Don’t tell me all these.” Dong Xuebing knows the way these offices work. If they are willing to accept your submission, they can still enter it into the database even when you don’t have the full set of documents. But if they are lazy, they can find one thousand and one excuses to not do it for you. “Since we are using the wrong format and don’t have all the required materials, I will not submit it.”
Zhou Yanru is laughing in her heart. She knows Director Dong will not let the ones who offended him off lightly.
This guy doesn’t want to submit it now?!
Please…. Don’t make my life miserable….
This is putting Chief Lin in a spot. Minister Xia knows about this, and you don’t want to submit the application now? What will she think of me? After knowing you are her relative and I still did not process your late application?! I will be fired from my job!
“Comrade….” Chief Lin panics. “I am sorry for wasting your time. It’s my fault, and I will process the materials immediately. As for the missing materials, I will get someone to do it for you. Everything is alright.” He did not wait for Dong Xuebing’s reply and walked off with the documents. “Xiao Liu, come with me. Make a copy of these materials. Hurry.”
A staff acknowledged and ran after Chief Lin.
Dong Xuebing looked at him and did not stop him.
Zhou Yanru had encountered similar situations where government agencies pushed her around. This was the first time she saw work efficiency. Chief Lin went upstairs for two minutes and returned to tell them the application was processed. He gave them a copy of the materials and acknowledgment slip for their records. They don’t need to do anything else, as he will get someone to help them with the missing materials.
After seven to eight hours, a simple task that could not be settled was settled within two minutes.
Dong Xuebing had a cold smile on his face as he thought to himself. All these would not happen if you had a better attitude.
