Power and Wealth
Chapter 1911 – Embarrass?
The scene was lively.
The people from Jiaolin County and the investors had already “taken over” the corner of the airport.
Everyone was chatting and laughing. The atmosphere was wonderfully warm. Of course, all of this was thanks to Dong Xuebing’s efforts. He had taken over the responsibilities of the commerce bureau and was actively welcoming the investors. Even the commerce bureau staff were at a loss for how to interject because Secretary Dong seemed to handle everything himself. Dong Xuebing warmly recognized every investor who came out of the gate—he knew their names, companies, business projects, and even some of the investors’ Q1 performances and net earnings. It seemed like he had been following them for a long time, giving many investors a feeling of warmth and creating a particularly positive impression of Jiaolin County. Everyone appreciated being respected, and for a county leader like Dong Xuebing, who was incredibly busy every day, to take so much time to acknowledge them was already a significant show of respect. It also made the investors feel the sincerity behind Jiaolin County’s investment conference.
A great success from the start.
The county’s commerce bureau staff were also very excited.
The work of the commerce office is somewhat different from other government departments; it involves more personal interaction. Human relationships and communication are heavily weighted within it. Under Dong Xuebing’s leadership, Jiaolin County made a crucial first step toward success.
“Secretary Dong is amazing.”
“Not just amazing.”
“Exactly. His work capacity is beyond belief.”
“How could he possibly remember all that, especially the ones not even on the list? We didn’t even have the information ready here. Secretary Dong…”
“Well, that’s why he’s the Secretary.”
Many county staff were deeply impressed. Secretary Dong’s ability to remember people today—without a cultural show or flashy setups—would likely have attracted quite a few investments. It was rumored that Secretary Dong had worked in the commerce office for many years. Now, it seemed, that was indeed the case—just a few words with people revealed his professional caliber. Everyone knew that quickly building relationships with investors, knowing each one, and taking a tailored approach was basic but effective. Yet, few county officials could do what Secretary Dong did because you can’t expect a county’s top official to memorize hundreds of names over three days or remember all their performance reports. No leader would do that. Only someone with Secretary Dong’s talent could.
In an instant, the eyes of the commerce office staff from Jiaolin County towards Dong Xuebing changed—they were deeply impressed. It was clear why he was the county’s Secretary while they were merely civil servants. Initially, some of the junior officials in the commerce bureau were skeptical of Dong Xuebing. Why did he deserve his position when he was so young? But now, no one doubted him. He had proven to everyone with his actions.
What others couldn’t do, he could.
What others couldn’t accomplish, he could.
This was why, over many years in his career, even when others questioned his work style, his sources of wealth, and his personality, not one leader ever questioned Dong Xuebing’s work capability. Not one.
It was almost eleven o’clock.
Lunchtime was approaching.
After a few whispered words from Zhang Dongfang’s secretary into his ear, Zhang Dongfang nodded. He excused himself from the investor he was talking to across the room and walked over to Dong Xuebing, saying, “Secretary Xuebing.” He gestured to his watch. “It’s about time; other flights won’t arrive. Why don’t we all go back to our county for lunch?”
Dong Xuebing replied, “You come along too.”
“I have to stay here; I still have a batch of guests this afternoon,” Zhang Dongfang said.
Dong Xuebing nodded, saying, “Alright, let Secretary Wei lead the way back then. It’s getting late, and the journey back will take some time, so we shouldn’t delay everyone’s lunch.”
Zhang Dongfang nodded and arranged it.
“Everyone, please go back to our county first. We’ve arranged a bus for you all, a regular coach, a bit modest, haha, so please bear with it if it’s not fancy. Don’t hold it against us,” Dong Xuebing said with a smile.
“Secretary Dong, you’re being too polite.”
“Oh, aren’t we going together?”
“Brother Dong, you still have people to pick up. I haven’t talked enough with you yet, haha.”
Dong Xuebing laughed, “I must pick someone up; I can’t return yet. But I’ll be back in the county this afternoon. Bro Liu, we can chat then.”
The people from the commerce bureau couldn’t help but smile. Well, in less than an hour of conversation, they were calling each other brothers already. Secretary Dong truly has a knack for building relationships.
Moments later, the investors, led by Deputy County Secretary Wei Zhixuan and a few Commerce Bureau staff, exited the airport and got on the bus.
Some investors were still chatting with Dong Xuebing through the windows as they boarded the bus. Dong Xuebing almost stayed by their side from start to finish, handling everything. As soon as the bus left, he took a deep breath, quickly grabbed the bottled water that Su Yan brought, and gulped it down. He cleared his throat—his voice was slightly hoarse after that intense hour of speaking, often relying on his unique ability to quickly review and recall every investor’s profile.
“Any more water?” Dong Xuebing asked, his voice rough.
Su Yan didn’t have any left and hurriedly searched around.
At that moment, Zhang Dongfang walked over with an unopened bottle of water in hand, offering it to him. “I have one here. I haven’t opened it yet.”
“Thank you.” Dong Xuebing took it with a polite nod and quickly drank half a bottle, his throat finally feeling a bit better.
Zhang Dongfang said, “You’ve worked hard, Xuebign.”
Dong Xuebing smiled, “It’s nothing. The rest is up to you guys now.”
“Don’t worry, we won’t mess up such a good start,” Zhang Dongfang said, then glanced at the remaining people from the commerce bureau, his expression turning stern. Some staff had tested Zhang Dongfang’s patience earlier, but now that they were gone, he had some words for the commerce bureau. He was not happy with how they performed today. “How many times did I tell you all not to mess up? And look at what you’ve done—chaos! Now, even Secretary Dong has to step in to fix your mistakes. Aren’t you embarrassed?”
The commerce bureau staff lowered their heads, a bit ashamed.
While Secretary Dong, a highly busy leader, managed to do so well, their specialized staff in the commerce sector were making mistake after mistake, not even remembering the basic profiles of the investor companies. It was indeed hard to justify.
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