Power and Wealth

One day…

Ten days…New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on ɴovᴇl_Firᴇ.ɴet

Twenty days…

In the blink of an eye, a month has passed."

This morning, just as the sky brightened, Dong Xuebing, still in bed, opened his eyes. After stretching lazily, he lingered in bed and turned on the television, which he hadn't watched for a long time. He said "a long time" because he had been busy this month and hadn't turned on the TV for many days. Except for the initial rest to recuperate, the rest of the month was spent in intense and busy work—inspecting the progress of dormitory reconstruction projects, following up on the projects brought in by investment meetings, supervising the disbursement of the first batch of project funds, attending county government meetings, county party committee meetings, and dealing with road repair matters for Mayor Jiang. After running around for so many days, Dong Xuebing had finally completed most of the tasks and could finally take a few days off.

Feeling content, he listened to music and smoked a cigarette.

The rest, after being busy, was indeed enjoyable.

After lazing in bed for more than an hour, Dong Xuebing finally got out of bed. After brushing his teeth and washing up, he ate a hearty breakfast.

After breakfast, Dong Xuebing started making phone calls one by one.

"Hello, Mom, what are you doing? Hehe, yes, I have time today. I'm on vacation for a few days, finally able to catch my breath. I know, I know, I'm fine. I'm paying attention. How's Uncle Yang? Okay, that's good. You also take care of yourself. If you need anything, call me. Oh, yeah, Yunxuan and the child are with you? Let Yunxuan answer the phone. Yunxuan, hehe, do you miss me? Oh, what's there to be embarrassed about? Where's the child? Let me hear my clever daughter's voice. Yo, you're obedient. Kiss Daddy. Do you miss Daddy? What does ‘ya ya ya' mean? Oh, hehe. Dad will try to come back early, and then we'll play. Be good and listen to Mommy, understand? No naughty behavior." The child couldn't talk yet, but Dong Xuebing chattered away.

The call lasted for more than twenty minutes.

After hanging up, Dong Xuebing called Xie Huilan, "Huilan, are you awake? Why are you in another meeting? It's only a few o'clock. Hehe, alright, I know you're busy. You, as the big city mayor, we small citizens, understand. Yes, you can see that I've been in a good mood lately. I mentioned the investment situation in our county to you before, right? That's right. It's all about achievements. How's your stomach? That's good. Have you taken the ultrasound pictures? Is the baby healthy? Good. By the way, remember to buy a radiation-proof suit. Don't sit in front of the computer all day. Take care of yourself. Call me if you need anything."

Xu Yan.

Yu Meixia.

Geng Yuehua.

Zhang Longjuan.

Except for Jiang Fangfang, whom he met at the office yesterday, Dong Xuebing called everyone.

After talking with them, Dong Xuebing realized that the number of people he had to call during his breaks was increasing. Initially, it was only Xie Huilan and Qu Yunxuan. Later, Yu Meixia was added, followed by Geng Yuehua, Xu Yan, and Zhang Longjuan. After returning to the office, he must add Jiang Fangfang to the list. Thinking about this, Dong Xuebing couldn't help but smile bitterly. He felt that he was beyond redemption, too obsessed with beautiful women. Whenever he saw a beautiful woman, he would forget everything else. Well, he had to be careful about this in the future and make a change.

After chatting with them, Dong Xuebing opened the window and leaned on the windowsill to smoke. It also aroused his homesickness, and once again, he thought about the transfer matter. He decided to ask Xie Huilan if it was possible. He knew that Xie Huilan probably couldn't decide herself, but he still wanted to talk directly to his family. Rather than letting his wife pass messages in the middle, it would be better for Dong Xuebing to call himself. He had only been in office for four months, and it might be too early to request a transfer. Extinguishing the cigarette butt, Dong Xuebing thought for a moment. He didn't have much hope, but he still picked up his phone.

Dong Xuebing contemplated for a moment on whom to call, hesitating to contact Xie Huilan's father. Eventually, he decided to call his mother-in-law, thinking she might be more approachable.

Dong Xuebing dialed the number, took a deep breath, and waited for the call to be answered.

"Hello, Xiao Bing," Han Jing answered.

"Mom, good morning," Dong Xuebing immediately greeted.

"Hehe, good. I heard from your wife that you've been busy lately," Han Jing replied.

"Yes, it's been hectic, but luckily I have a few days off now."

"We miss you, both your father and I."

"I'm a bit rushed these two days. Let's forget about coming back for now. I miss you and Dad, too. Oh, by the way, Mom, I want to discuss something. If it's okay, keep it between us, and don't tell Dad."

"So secretive… Go on."

"Well, Mom, I'm considering getting promoted to the Division Chief level. What do you think?"

"I thought you were going to say something big. You kid, are you aiming for an official position?"

"Oh, Mom, it's just that I miss you. If I go back, I'll be closer, and I can spend more time with you and Dad. Also, Huilan is about to give birth, and I'm worried when I'm not with her."

"You've only been in Zhen Shui County for four months."

"Yes, it's short, but I've achieved much at work." Dong Xuebing boasted on the phone, "You really should come here and see. Before, Zhen Shui County was a nationally impoverished county. But since I arrived, I brought in 50 million RMB in funding to ease the county's pressure. Before the dormitory collapsed, I proposed a critical plan to rebuild the family quarters, and I took over as the overall commander of the project. Later, I contacted projects everywhere at the investment fair and brought in two billion investments for the county. Before, even a few million brought into the county was considered good. This is how many times more it is. The road construction project is about to start. Not to brag, Mom, but my presence here has significantly changed our county."

"You kid, stop bragging."

"It's not bragging, Mom, it's true."

"Alright, I've heard about the general situation. Your father and I have never doubted your work capabilities. Well done."

"Thank you for your praise, Mom. Once the promotion is confirmed, I will work even harder."

"Oh, if it's not confirmed, you won't work harder. Alright, I roughly understand. If you bring out another impressive performance, Mom will help you with the transfer back. Otherwise, although you've achieved outstanding results in four months, it's not enough for such a substantial promotion. Mom can't easily speak for you in this case. Understand?"

"You said that."

"I said it."

"Got it."