Power and Wealth

The Next Day.

Early in the morning.

Dong Xuebing rubbed his temples as he crawled out of bed, his head pounding. He went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash up. A glance at the clock told him there was no time for breakfast at home, so he grabbed his bag and headed downstairs. His driver, Xiao Wang, was already waiting for him. Dong Xuebing slumped into the back seat when he got in the car. Even though the journey to the office would only take five or ten minutes, he managed to catch a few minutes of sleep to rest.

There was no helping it. The previous night he had been filled with heavy drinking and merriment, lasting until late. Naturally, Dong Xuebing had not held back. So this morning, waking up felt like a struggle. However, he was in good spirits despite the headache. The reason for his satisfaction was the smooth interactions he had the previous night with several County Party Committee members from his faction. This was the biggest gain for him. As a newcomer, the support he garnered was essential. He could implement his vision and truly take control of Jiaolin County with such backing. Otherwise, what kind of leader could he be without support or allies? But now, it was evident that Dong Xuebing had successfully taken the first, most crucial step.

A while later.

County Party Committee Courtyard.

It was time for the morning shift to start. Xiao Wang parked the car steadily in front of the county office building and called out to the sleeping Dong Xuebing, "Secretary, Secretary."

Dong Xuebing opened his eyes groggily. "Hmm?"

"We’ve arrived," Xiao Wang said with a wry smile.

Dong Xuebing glanced around, rubbed his face to wake himself up, and said, "Alright." With that, he grabbed his bag and got out of the car.

"Good morning, Secretary."

"Good morning, Secretary Dong."

"Hello, sir."

People passing by greeted him with respect.

Dong Xuebing shook off his drowsiness and smiled as he greeted them back, then headed to his office. Inside, not only was Su Yan there organizing documents for him, but Meng Hanmei was also present, casually drinking tea on the guest sofa and chatting idly with Su Yan.

"Secretary, you’re here," Su Yan turned her head as soon as she heard the door.

Dong Xuebing smiled. "Good morning. Director Meng, you're here too. Is there something you need?"

Meng Hanmei stood up with a smile. "Just a small matter."

"Alright." Dong Xuebing gestured toward the inner room. "Let’s talk in there." He turned to Su Yan and said, "Xiao Su, could you get me breakfast? I got up late and haven't eaten yet. Anything simple is fine—bread and eggs will do. Just need a bite to get through the morning, haha."

Su Yan nodded, "Sure, I’ll bring it immediately."

Dong Xuebing added, "No rush, thanks a lot."

Meng Hanmei had already gone into the inner room to wait. Dong Xuebing followed her in at a leisurely pace. Since Meng was a female colleague, he didn’t close the door behind him. Today, his demeanor was calm and relaxed. Typically, a new County Party Secretary might feel overwhelmed in their first few days on the job. However, on his very first day, Dong Xuebing had already resolved various conflicts and built alliances. He had made a significant impact in his initial work. This kind of start was unlike anyone else’s, saving him a lot of trouble. Naturally, he could afford to be relaxed and carry out his tasks at his own pace. Otherwise, he would have had no peace of mind if internal conflicts remained unresolved.

Inside the Office.

"You haven't had breakfast yet? If I'd known, I would have brought something for you," Meng Hanmei said casually as Dong Xuebing entered. She didn't stand on ceremony and sat down right away.

Dong Xuebing settled behind his desk. "It's fine. I drank too much last night and couldn't get up this morning. You all, honestly, are quite the drinkers. Next time, I’m not drinking with you," he joked.

Meng Hanmei chuckled, "No way, your drinking capacity is impressive! You were the one who drank the most last night."

Dong Xuebing rubbed his forehead, "That's why I've got a headache today, haha. So, what's the matter?"

Meng Hanmei's expression turned slightly more serious as she got to the point. "There are about three things to report. First, the kids were sent back to the city yesterday. Those who were taken to the hospital are all fine now. Some have already been discharged and picked up by their parents. Next, about County Mayor Zhang Dongfang—he went to the hospital yesterday afternoon and hasn't left since. He’s feeling a bit unwell, with a cold and fever, so he’s staying an extra day for IV treatment. He requested a day off, so some of the work has been temporarily handed over to us. One of those tasks is about the new County Party Committee Courtyard."

Dong Xuebing asked, "Is it completed?"

"It's almost done, just pending the final inspection," Meng Hanmei replied, taking out a brown envelope and handing it to him. "The documents are all here. This project was initially overseen by the former Secretary Li, under the direct management of the County Party Committee. When Secretary Li was transferred, it was handed over to Mayor Zhang. Now that you're here, this responsibility naturally falls back to you. The new County Party Committee Courtyard isn't too far from here; it’s a bit of a drive, but not too far. You can inspect it whenever you have time."

Dong Xuebing flipped through the contents, primarily blueprints and documents he couldn't understand. "Alright, I’ll make a trip over when I can."

After discussing a few more work-related matters, Meng Hanmei stood up to take her leave.

At this point, Su Yan returned with breakfast. She passed Meng Hanmei at the door, exchanged a nod, and then placed the food on Dong Xuebing’s desk. "Will this do?"

Dong Xuebing glanced at it. "You bought this outside?"

"Yes, from the place by the entrance," Su Yan confirmed.

Dong Xuebing grinned, "I was fine with something simple, but you bought quite a bit. Have you eaten? If not, sit down, let’s eat together. I’ve got something to discuss with you."

Su Yan blinked, then took a seat. "Sure, what do you need?"

Dong Xuebing took a bite of a steamed bun, chewed, and then asked, "You know where the new County Party Committee Courtyard is, right?"

"Yes, I visited it twice during the early stages of construction. It wasn’t completed back then, and I haven’t been there since, but I remember the location," Su Yan replied.

Dong Xuebing nodded slightly. "Alright, let Xiao Wang, our driver, know to warm up the car. Once I finish breakfast, we’ll head over to take a look. Keep this to yourself—just the two of us will go. Don’t inform any related departments or anyone else."

Su Yan hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "Understood."

Dong Xuebing acknowledged with a hum and continued eating.

Su Yan went off to call the driver, Xiao Wang.

Before 10 a.m., Dong Xuebing went downstairs. Su Yan opened the car door for him and got in as well. The car then drove off towards their destination, heading into the distance.

Dong Xuebing decided to conduct this surprise inspection not because he was intentionally looking for trouble but because his past work experience had taught him that projects like these often had some hidden issues. Since he hadn’t yet gotten a clear understanding of the situation here, he didn’t want to inform anyone in advance. He only trusted his own eyes and judgment. This project was no small matter; it involved certain political implications, so he had to pay close attention. He wanted to do a "disguised inspection" first to see the actual situation.

If the construction quality was just average and barely passed inspection, Dong Xuebing would turn a blind eye and not make a fuss. But if there were serious issues like significant corner-cutting that could compromise safety, he wouldn’t ignore it. Even if it involved leaders from his faction, Dong Xuebing would hold them accountable. He had suffered enough from similar problems in the past and absolutely despised corner-cutting, bribe-taking, and kickbacks. Playing with the safety of the public and staff was something he could not tolerate. This was why he didn’t even inform Meng Hanmei and only brought Su Yan along—he was worried about discovering issues related to the construction.

"Xiao Wang, are we almost there?"

"Secretary, it's just up ahead. We’re almost there."

"Alright, when we get close, stop the car. Don’t drive in directly. After you park, Xiao Su and I will get out, and you wait for us from a distance."

"Understood, Secretary."

Xiao Wang realized what Dong Xuebing was getting at—he didn’t want the official County Party Committee car to be seen. Anyone with a bit of awareness would recognize the car’s license plate and know who was inside. So, after driving closer, Xiao Wang found a discreet spot to park where they could see the construction site from a distance, but the workers there couldn’t spot them. It was the perfect location.

Dong Xuebing got out of the car and looked toward the site.

Su Yan followed him out, pointing ahead. "It’s over there. I heard it’s already completed. The original plan was to move things bit by bit from the old courtyard in the next few days. After that, the old County Party Committee Courtyard won’t be used anymore."

Dong Xuebing squinted, unable to see clearly. "Alright, let’s go take a look."

Su Yan quickly followed behind him, providing explanations as they walked.

The new location wasn’t close to the old County Party Committee Courtyard—it had taken them twenty minutes by car to get there. The area wasn’t fully developed yet, with limited facilities, giving it a somewhat barren appearance. But there wasn’t much choice; with high real estate prices and land costs exorbitant, securing such a plot for the new County Party Committee Courtyard was already quite fortunate. Many counties didn’t even have the means for this.

There were hardly any people around.

Not a single resident was in sight, just a few scattered construction workers passing by, none of whom gave Dong Xuebing and Su Yan a second glance—they didn’t recognize them.

They arrived.

The front gate was right in front of them.

Dong Xuebing stood still, peering through the gate to look inside. He had intended to quietly check for any signs of corner-cutting because it would be much harder to spot any issues once the final touches were done and everything was cleaned up. But as soon as he took a look, he froze in place, staring in shock for quite a while. Beside him, Su Yan was also taken aback, momentarily unable to process what she saw.

The scene before them was far from what Dong Xuebing had expected—no, it was completely different.

Was this supposed to be the new County Party Committee Courtyard?

What the hell? This place was unbelievably luxurious!

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