Power and Wealth
Chapter 1571 – Secretary’s Husband’s Charm
Morning.
Clear and refreshing.
City Committee Office Building.
Dong Xuebing was escorted into the lobby by a group of people, and he also held himself a bit more upright, appearing somewhat reserved. Not that he looked down on anyone, but his wife was a local leader, the Secretary of the City Committee. As her husband, Dong Xuebing naturally needed to uphold her dignity and face. Acting the same as before wouldn’t be appropriate, so he needed to carry himself differently. Dong Xuebing had been in the system for three years now and had learned a lot, becoming accustomed to these fluctuations in identity.
Inside the building.
A female staff member also heard the Secretary’s words outside and was extremely surprised. Seeing Dong Xuebing enter the lobby, she hurriedly greeted him.
“Mr. Dong.”
“Yes.”
“Please follow me. I’ll show you the way.”
“Heh heh, alright, thank you.”
“Not at all, please this way.”
The female staff member quickly took two steps to press the elevator button, then politely turned to Dong Xuebing, her face smiling gently.
There were also a few other staff members nearby who heard the conversation outside. But by the time they came to their senses, someone had already gone to receive him. They hesitated momentarily, feeling a bit regretful that they missed an opportunity, and glanced somewhat enviously at the female staff member who escorted Dong Xuebing. After all, this was the husband of the Secretary of the City Committee, almost no different from the Secretary herself. If they could leave an impression on him and casually inform the Secretary later, perhaps a promotion would come their way. So, who wouldn’t want to interact more with leaders and their family members?
Ding.
The elevator arrived.
The female staff member hurriedly let Dong Xuebing go in first. As they entered, she pressed the button for the top floor.
The door closed.
The female staff member felt a bit nervous and hesitated for a moment, but she mustered up the courage to speak: “Mr. Dong, provincial leaders will be inspecting today and arriving soon. Secretary Xie’s office may be empty. Do you need anything or your usual tea? I can prepare it for you.”
Dong Xuebing smiled, “Thank you, but don’t bother.”
The female staff member wanted to say something, but didn’t know what to say, her face turning slightly red.
Dong Xuebing found her amusing and asked, “I just arrived yesterday by plane. The environment here seems nice. Your work here must be quite comfortable with mountains and water, right?”
The female staff member immediately smiled, “Yes, the air here is good, suitable for living.” After a pause, she asked, “Are you staying here permanently this time?”
Dong Xuebing replied, “Not permanently. I have a study exchange opportunity in another place in a few days. I’ll be going with Hui Lan. We’ll be back after that.”
After exchanging a few casual words, the elevator arrived.
With a ding, the door opened, and the two of them walked out.
“That’s Secretary Xie’s office over there,” the female staff member said politely. “Shall I pour you a cup of tea?”
Dong Xuebing glanced around the corridor. It was quiet and empty. He nodded, “Sure, thanks.”
There was a door with a sign indicating the Secretary’s office. After Dong Xuebing pushed it open, he sat on the sofa for guests in his wife’s office. The room was spacious, with good lighting, exuding a pleasant atmosphere. The female staff member followed in, bustling about to prepare tea, and even found some fruits and melon seeds from somewhere. A few minutes later, Dong Xuebing asked the female staff member to leave, and he sat there sipping his tea.
But before his seat even warmed up…
Knock, knock, a gentle knocking sounded.
“Please come in.”
“Mr. Dong, hello.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m Wang Liang from the City Committee Office. Just call me Xiao Wang.” He was a man in his thirties, holding a fruit plate that looked very beautiful. The watermelon slices were cut artistically, similar to those fruit plates in kt. He placed the fruit plate on the coffee table before Dong Xuebing and said, “Please help yourself. The provincial leaders will arrive soon, and Secretary Xie may not return shortly. Let me know if you need anything, and I’ll be at your service.”
Dong Xuebing smiled, “Thank you.”
“You’re too polite, it’s my duty.”
Seeing that Dong Xuebing didn’t say anything further, Wang Liang took the initiative to leave, gently closing the door behind him.
Just as he left, someone else arrived.
Hearing the knock on the door, Dong Xuebing put down the toothpick he had just used to eat the watermelon, chewed and swallowed it, then looked up and said, “Please come in.”
Outside was a middle-aged woman who was not yet forty. She was quite attractive, with the typical delicate and gentle appearance of someone from the South.
The beautiful woman blinked skeptically after entering, “Excuse me, is Secretary Xie here?”
Dong Xuebing gestured downstairs, “She’s in the courtyard, I suppose.”
“You must be Secretary Xie’s husband.” The beautiful woman quickly smiled, “Hello, I’m Gao Jie from the Propaganda Department, mainly responsible for the television station.”
Dong Xuebing smiled, “Hello, Sister Gao.”
“I can’t afford to be called Sister.” Gao Jie said quickly, “Just call me Old Gao.”
Dong Xuebing said, “If you need to see Hui Lan about something, you might have to wait a bit. I don’t think she’ll have time right now with the leaders coming to inspect.”
“I need to consult Secretary Xie about something.” After thinking momentarily, Gao Jie looked at the chair opposite the sofa, “Can I wait here for a while?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you.”
“This isn’t even my office, heh, no need to thank me.”
Gao Jie sat opposite Dong Xuebing. She was probably a cadre herself and wasn’t reserved. “Mr. Dong, can I have a cup of tea?”
“Please.” Dong Xuebing made a gesture of invitation.
Gao Jie poured him a cup first, then poured herself one.
Dong Xuebing understood the situation. Since she knew his surname was Dong, she probably heard Hui Lan’s words just now and knew that Hui Lan was directing tasks in the courtyard, waiting to receive the provincial leaders. However, Gao Jie still came knocking, obviously not to see Hui Lan but to see him, Dong Xuebing.
“You just arrived here, right? Are you getting used to it? The air here is humid, which might not suit people from the north.” Gao Jie took the initiative to start a conversation, chatting with Dong Xuebing.
Idle chatter is still chatter.
Having a beautiful woman to chat with was also enjoyable.
Dong Xuebing chatted with her intermittently, occasionally laughing.
Dong Xuebing knew the intentions of these people very well. They weren’t here for him but for Hui Lan, the Secretary of the City Committee. They wanted to establish contact with Hui Lan through him, hence the polite treatment. Dong Xuebing couldn’t help but smile wryly. With his wife’s rise to power, he was treated as a hotcake. In the past, no one paid him this much attention. During his previous appointments, people either feared him or kept their distance when they saw him from afar. It was pretty amusing to think about.