Afternoon, around 5 pm.
Lui An City Party Committee family quarters. Old Yang’s apartment.
Dong Xuebing was carrying his daughter and playing with her when his phone rang. It was an unknown number.
“Hello, I am Dong Xuebing.” He answered.
“Xuebing, it’s me. Hou Qing.” A woman replied.
Dong Xuebing smiled. “Sister Hou. Is this your number?”
“Yes. Haha…. I had to ask around to get your number.” Hou Qing replied.
Dong Xuebing said. “Oh, I forgot to exchange numbers with you. I still need to thank you for this afternoon.”
Hou Qing laughed. “I did not do anything. You don’t need to thank me.”
Dong Xuebing replied. “You were a great help when you asked those officers not to arrest me. If I clash with the officers, the incident would be worse.”
“I only asked them not to get themselves into trouble. Our station’s officers are no match for you. They cannot subdue you even if they bring the whole team.”
“Stop…. I am not that good.”
“Stop being modest. I had seen your fighting skills.”
“Oh, are you looking for me?”
“Do you have time for dinner later?”
“Err….” Dong Xuebing looked beside him. “I planned to have dinner at home.”
Hou Qing replied. “You should be returning to work tomorrow, right? It’s difficult to meet you, and I do not want to let you go so easily.”
Dong Xuebing smiled. “Alright. Tell me the place.”
Hou Qing gave Dong Xuebing an address. “6 pm. See you there.”
“Alright. See you later.”
After hanging up, Dong Xuebing looked at his mother and Yang Zhaode. “Uncle Yang, Mum, I am going out.”
Luan Xiaoping looked at him. “Who are you meeting?”
Dong Xuebing replied. “Hou Qing. Lui An City Public Security Bureau’s Deputy Chief.”
Yang Zhaode laughed. “Xiao Bing…. You have many friends. I heard about Xiao Hou. She is quite capable.”
Dong Xuebing explained. “I met her once on a mission. It was a short time, and we were undercover for the Provincial Museum break-in case. Her identity was exposed, and I saved her. That’s how we know each other.” They were life and death friendships.
Yang Zhaode nodded. “It’s good to have more friends.”
“I am not having dinner at home.” Dong Xuebing replied.
Luan Xiaoping was unhappy. “I didn’t see you so busy most of the time. How come you are so busy during New Year? You can’t even have a meal at home peacefully.”
Dong Xuebing knew his mother missed him, and it’s been a while since they had met. It was not easy for him to visit, and she wanted to spend more time with him.
“Err….” Dong Xuebing scratched his head.
Yang Zhaode said. “Let him go. At his level and position, he needs lots of socialization. He might even need to socialize every day. It’s not up to him to decide.”
Luan Xiaoping retorted. “When did he socialize before?”
Yang Zhaode was surprised. “Xiao Bing does not socialize with his colleagues?”
Dong Xuebing smiled. “Very seldom.”
“How is it possible?” Yang Zhaode exclaimed. “When I was at your level, I never got to have dinner at home. I got to socialize with colleagues, businessmen, leaders, etc. It had become part of my job.”
Luan Xiaoping explained to Dong Xuebing. “When working in Beijing State Security, he offended his unit’s top leader, Chief Zhen. After that, he arrested the County Party Secretary’s relative when he was working in Yan Tai County. After he was posted to Nan Shan District, he created lots of trouble for his District Party Secretary. In Fen Zhou City, he had offended the City Party Secretary because of Yunxuan’s incident. Who would want to socialize with him besides a few closer colleagues?”
Luan Xiaoping was telling the truth. Dong Xuebing could return home on time every day because he offended too many people, most of whom were his superiors. People would think twice before talking to him. Only a small portion of people are willing to interact with him.
It was embarrassing, and Dong Xuebing was reluctant to admit it.
Yang Zhaode understood and was amused. “Xiao Bing is taking a different path. Be surrounded by enemies, yet he can still get promoted. This proves his capabilities, and I believe he will have a bright future.”
Luan Xiaoping smacked her lips. “Stop siding with him. Hmph!”
Dong Xuebing is not Yang Zhaode’s son, and the latter cannot reprimand him like his son. It would strain their relationship.”
Dong Xuebing argued. “Mum, can you don’t embarrass me?”
“You don’t allow me to talk about what you did?! Which government leader offend so many people? Just count the people you offended since you joined the government. It should be more than a hundred. Other leaders will try to get along well with their colleagues and leaders. You?! Why can’t you do the same as others?” Luan Xiaoping stared at Dong Xuebing. “Go ahead. I don’t want to care about you anymore. What time are you coming back?”
Dong Xuebing replied. “I am not sure.”
Dong Xuebing’s mother should be still mad about this afternoon’s incident, and he doesn’t dare to argue with her now.
Yang Zhaode immediately laughed and changed the subject. “Xiao Hou is a late bloomer, and she rose up the ranks these two years. You must not think lightly of people like her. Try to stay close to her.”
Dong Xuebing nodded. “I know, Uncle Yang. How about I invite her to your place for a meal another time?”
Yang Zhaode smiled. “Ok. I also wanted to chat with her. I have read her files, and she’s quite good. She also has a clean background.”
Clean background means Hou Qing has no backing, and Old Yang was trying to pull her over to his faction. Old Yang and Luan Xiaoping were new in Lui An City, and it’s good to have more help. With Dong Xuebing’s relationship with Hou Qing, it should be easy to get her on Yang Zhaode’s side.
6 pm.
A restaurant in Lui An City central.
Hou Qing was waiting at the entrance when Dong Xuebing arrived. She had changed from her uniform and wore a coat and suit pants.
Dong Xuebing quickly got out of his car and walked toward her. Hou Qing was one rank above him and was much older than him. She does not need to stand at the entrance to receive him and could wait inside. He guessed she might find out about his relationship with Old Yang. Many people at the estate saw what happened; someone might have told her after she left.
“Sister Hou.”
“You are here.”
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“I just reached.”
“Let’s go in. I will foot the bill.”
“Let’s wait for a while more. Eh? They are here.”
Dong Xuebing turned and saw a car stopped by the roadside. It’s Deputy Mayor Zhou and two other men. They should be Lui An City’s leaders.
Deputy Mayor Zhou smiled at Dong Xuebing. “Xiao Bing, you are here.”
“Mayor Zhou.” Dong Xuebing greeted.
Hou Qing introduced the other two men. “This is Chief Liu of the Finance Department, and this is our City Court’s Chief Justice Li.” She turned to them. “This is Dong Xuebing, Director Dong.”
Dong Xuebing could tell the two men were deputies from Hou Qing’s introduction.
Chief Liu extended his hand for a handshake. “I had heard great things about you, Director Dong.”
Dong Xuebing smiled awkwardly. “Please don’t say that. I am only notorious.”
Hou Qing laughed and thought to herself. You know yourself well.
Hou Qing can joke with Dong Xuebing because of their relationship, not Chief Liu and Justice Li. “Of course not. Director Dong, you are so humble. You saved many lives during the earthquake, and our Courts even set up a team to learn and study what you did.”
This was not flattery.
When Dong Xuebing was buried under the rumbles, everyone thought he was dead. Many units conducted work meetings to learn from his actions. But after he suddenly ‘returned’ to life, these meetings stopped.
They exchanged pleasantries and entered the restaurant.
Deputy Mayor Zhou held the highest rank and sat in the main seat.
Soon after the dinner started, Dong Xuebing realized he was the main person at the table. Deputy Mayor Zhou ate for a while and left after receiving a call. Chief Liu, Justice Li, and Hou Qing chatted and drank with him. A while later, a few more leaders joined.
Dong Xuebing was not used to such dinners. It’s been a while since he socialized with others.
Most of the staff and leaders at Dong Xuebing’s workplaces would try to avoid him when they saw him. It’s been a while since so many people surrounded him during dinner.
Of course. Dong Xuebing knew it was because of Old Yang.
