Chapter 41: Whoever recommends you, I will promote him

  When Zhang Dongfang and others were holding a party group meeting to study the reception plan for Xu Fei, Ye Ming was sitting beside the computer in his dormitory, with his eyes slightly closed, leisurely appreciating the erhu solo "Reflections of the Moon on Two Springs", with an expression of intoxication.

  Two days ago, Zhang Dongfang personally entrusted the deputy director of the office, Xiao Zhihui, to let Ye Ming take a few days off and rest at home for a few days to adjust his mood. At that time, he had already guessed Zhang Dongfang's intention: he wanted to let himself make way for his relative Huan, let Huan intervene in the office secretarial work ahead of time, and then smoothly promote him as the deputy director of the office secretariat.

  After figuring this out, Ye Ming sneered in his heart, but on the surface he remained calm and didn't mention it to Xu Fei. He then spent his days at home in leisure, carefree...

  When the music of "Reflections on the Moon" was being played, Ye Ming's mobile phone suddenly vibrated. He picked it up and saw that the number was Xu Fei's.

  "Director Xu, hello, what instructions does the leader have?"

  "Brother, look at what you're saying. Is there any indication or not between us? Isn't this a bit too much? Let me tell you something: tomorrow I'll be coming to Xinleng County Bureau for an investigation. The reason I've put Xinleng as the first stop for my investigation is mainly because I wanted to take a look at you, and also to pass on some information to your county bureau's leadership team: you're my brother, and I'm specifically here in Xinleng for you. If your county bureau's leaders are perceptive, they should be able to understand my intentions. That way, it'll save me, as the newly appointed top official, from having to personally discuss your promotion with them. Hehe!"

  Ye Ming also laughed twice, and said indifferently: "Director Xu, you're too worried. To be honest with you, since getting to know you, I've indeed thought about making progress. Otherwise, in a unit like the Local Taxation Bureau, if one doesn't have some official position, they really will be looked down upon. It's just that my luck seems not to be very good, and I'm afraid there's still some difficulty with the matter of promotion."

  Xu Fei knew: his ability to rise to the top this time was entirely due to Ye Ming's recommendation and face. Moreover, although Secretary Li did not explicitly tell him, he himself understood that Secretary Li's suggestion to let him take office in K City had certain conditions attached. The condition was: he must quickly promote Ye Ming and let him embark on his official career as soon as possible...

  So, when Ye Ming said that his promotion this time was difficult, Xu Fei immediately said: "Brother, you don't need to worry about this. Isn't your county bureau still without a formal head? I'll tell you: now I have a principle, whoever promotes you in the county bureau, I will promote him! Of course, these things can't be put on the table and said, it depends on who among your current party group members has the highest intuition, who can best understand my intention."

  Ye Ming laughed: "Director Xu, this is an open violation of the Party's regulations on the selection and appointment of leading cadres! However, I am still very grateful."

  He didn't tell Xufei that he was currently on vacation - after all, the purpose of Zhang Dongfang's actions was just a guess. If he really cared about his own interests and wanted him to rest for a few days, now he rashly told Xufei, affecting his impression in Xufei's mind, it would be too unkind...

  At around 9:00 the next morning, Zhang Dongfang received a call from Nie Mai, the director of the Municipal Bureau's office, who was accompanying Xu Fei on an inspection tour. They said they would arrive in over ten minutes and asked him to make preparations for their arrival.

  Zhang Dongfang quickly asked Director Xiao Zhihui to inform the staff of the organ, asking everyone to stand on both sides of the corridor in front of the office building, preparing to welcome Director Xu.

  After all the cadres stood in two rows, Zhang Dongfang kept looking left and right in the middle, occasionally stuffing some cadres who were not standing neatly into the team, and also asked several cadres whose ties were not tied well to retie their ties.

  Finally, he stood at the forefront of the team and said seriously: "Comrades, today is the first inspection of our Xinleng County Bureau by the newly arrived Director Xu of the Municipal Bureau. We must show the spirit of our Xinleng County Bureau cadres being optimistic and enterprising. Next time we applaud, we must be neat and enthusiastic, and let Director Xu feel our enthusiasm and courtesy!"

  More than ten minutes later, Xu Fei's Honda car and another vehicle from the Municipal Bureau office stopped at the gate of the bureau.

  Zhang Dongfang didn't wait for Xu Fei's car to come to a complete stop before he quickly ran over. After the Honda came to a stop, he bowed his head and waist, with a big smile on his face, opened the front door, and warmly called out "Director Xu". Then he took a step back, still keeping his head and waist bent, and made a welcoming gesture towards Xu Fei who was about to get off the car.

  Xu Fei got out of the car and shook hands with each member of the local party committee who were standing around him, very dignified.

  At this time, the cadres standing on both sides of the office building gate suddenly burst into warm applause.

  Xu Fei took a look at the two teams of welcoming crowd standing neatly, and slightly frowned. But soon, he suppressed the slight displeasure in his heart, smiled and walked over, shaking hands with each cadre one by one.

  The county bureau's cadres did not expect Xu Fei to be so young and yet so approachable, actually taking the trouble to shake hands with each of the cadres standing at the gate one by one. A good impression of him arose in their hearts, and the applause grew more and more enthusiastic.

  Xu Fei shook hands with the last one, but didn't find Ye Ming, so he turned his head and asked Zhang Dongfang, who had been following him all along: "Where's Little Ye? Why can't I see Little Ye?"

  Zhang Dongfang was taken aback, rolled his eyes and thought for a moment before realizing that Xu Fei's "Xiao Ye" referred to Ye Ming. He hastily replied: "Director Xu, are you referring to Ye Ming? He hasn't been feeling well the past couple of days, so he's taking sick leave at home."

  "Oh? He's not feeling well? Why didn't he mention this to me yesterday?"

  Zhang Dongfang was startled, staring at Xu Fei with a mixture of shock and confusion. He vaguely felt that something was off: from the tone of Director Xu's voice, it seemed that he and Ye Ming were not in an ordinary relationship! Just now, he had casually told a lie, saying that Ye Ming was ill, but he had never expected that Director Xu would be so well-informed about Ye Ming's situation, and that they had even been in contact yesterday. Wasn't this deceiving his superior to his face?

  At this thought, cold sweat poured down his forehead uncontrollably...

  Xu Fei didn't say anything else, and with a smile and a bow, he said "Thank you everyone!" to the welcoming officials and staff, before leading the way upstairs.

  Zhang Dongfang grabbed Xiao Zhihui's hand before going upstairs and said anxiously, "Xiao Xiao, quickly call Ye Ming and ask him to come to work urgently. Hurry up—"

  Xiao Zhihui quickly took out his phone and dialed Ye Ming's number, but a sweet voice came from the other end: "Hello, the number you dialed is currently unavailable!"

  Zhang Dongfang heard Xiao Zhihui say that Ye Ming had shut down, and the sweat on his face poured down like a waterfall...