Chapter Seven Opportunity

  That afternoon, Ye Ziqiang, who was washing cars in the motorcade, suddenly received a notification from the team leader that Director Liu of the Bureau of Government Affairs Management had summoned him.

  The Administrative Affairs Management Bureau is a newly established department. This is still the case in Chengdu, learning from and drawing on coastal big cities, it is a municipal-level institution that uniformly manages the logistics affairs of municipal organs and related reception work, under the Municipal Government Office, and the vehicle teams of the Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government are also assigned to the Administrative Affairs Management Bureau.

  Director Liu is his own highest direct superior, but what does he want to see him for? They say that new officials take office and fire three rounds, the new department has just been established and heard that a few days ago the original city government driver was fired, will this time be to expel himself? His wife's factory is not doing well, his own son returned from the army but has not found a suitable job, if he really gets expelled, how can one family's life go on?

  "Director Liu, you're looking for me?" With a nervous heart, Ye Ziqiang arrived at Director Liu's office.

  "Ah, Comrade Zi Qiang has arrived, sit down, please sit down!" Director Liu said warmly.

  The director's name is Liu Guangxian, not yet fifty years old, always smiling, although he is a municipal government official, but he walks in the door of Municipal Party Secretary Wang, otherwise it would not be possible to become the director of this newly established Administrative Affairs Management Bureau, although it is only a department-level position, but it is the one who holds the real power, and there are many people who envy him.

  Ye Zi Qiang seemed to be somewhat perplexed by Director Liu's enthusiasm, but still cautiously sat half on the chair opposite Director Liu, his eyes slightly lowered, waiting for Director Liu's instructions.

  "Has Comrade Zi Qiang been working in the municipal party committee's vehicle team for over ten years now?" Director Liu asked casually, looking at the information about Ye Zi Qiang in his hand.

  Ye Zi's heart tightened, thinking that things were going to go badly, and they had already asked about his years of service. He might really be fired. But despite his worries and fears, he still replied calmly: "Yes, Director, exactly ten years."

  Perhaps seeing his tension, Director Liu laughed and said: "Comrade Ziqiang, don't be nervous. Your work performance has been excellent over the past decade, and your leaders' evaluation of you is not bad either. The municipal traffic police team is expanding, and it's not easy for our bureau to get a spot. I think you're pretty good, would you like to go to the traffic police team for development?"

  Ye Zi was taken aback for a moment, and after careful consideration, he finally understood Director Liu's meaning.

  In the municipal party committee and government, if you can't even get a leadership position as a dedicated driver, then you're completely a marginal person, with no power or influence, barely scraping by on that meager salary. It's been ten years, a full ten years, and Ye Ziqiang has long given up hope of being able to drive for leaders, and staying in the motorcade is basically hopeless.

  The traffic police team, that's a fat job, to say the least. Wearing uniforms on the highway to enforce the law, no driver is not afraid of them, they are dignified and powerful, and the power in their hands is not small, and there are also some gray income from time to time. Compared to this job now, it's a world of difference! I didn't used to think about finding connections to get into the traffic police team, but it's not just about owing people favors, wanting to establish connections without spending tens of thousands of yuan is impossible, and there's no guarantee of success either. This is not something my family can afford, so I can only think about it.

  Now it's like a pie falling from the sky, and it even hits himself. Is all this really true? He wasn't familiar with Director Liu, nor had he ever offered him any gifts or flattery. Would such a good opportunity come so cheaply to him? His mood was like a boat in a typhoon, tossed up by huge waves several meters high, crashing down and then being swept up again, surging and churning, it's simply unbelievable.

  "What, don't you want to go?" Director Liu frowned and said. This quota that was finally obtained from Captain Wang with great difficulty was originally intended for his nephew who had just retired from the army. If it weren't for running into Secretary Wang Peiyuan today, who mentioned this driver whose name he couldn't even remember, and praised him highly. He really didn't know how Ye Ziqiang managed to get himself connected to Secretary Wang's family, but if he let this opportunity slip away, wouldn't that be letting a guilty person go free?

  Nodding! Fierce nodding! Ye Zi's blood was rushing to his head, and his palms were instantly covered in sweat that kept pouring out. He was so excited that he couldn't speak, and his eyes shone with intense gratitude as he stared at Director Liu, nodding repeatedly!

  Director Liu walked around the table again, patted his shoulder and smiled: "Do you know how many people are competing for this job? The driver of the whole bureau is not just idle, many on-duty drivers also come to me, they all want to go to the Municipal Traffic Police Brigade, but I only recommended you, do you know why?"

  Ye Zi Qiang shook his head slightly, looking a bit dazed, but then immediately reacted and said: "Thank you, Director Liu, for giving me this opportunity. Your great kindness, our whole family will never forget, and we will definitely repay your kindness." In his heart, he had already made up his mind that after returning home, he would think of ways to scrape together more money to thank Director Liu, even if it meant selling all their belongings or going bankrupt. What's the point of having money? As long as he gets into the traffic police department, will he still have to worry about not having money?

  Director Liu, of course, understood the implication of what he said. If it were someone else, he would have gone along with it. However, this involved Secretary Wang's shadow, and even if he had a hundred times more courage, he wouldn't dare to compete with Secretary Wang for favors. Although the possibility of being exposed was extremely small, it could affect his future prospects. Even with only a one-in-a-million risk, he wouldn't take the chance. With an official hat, would he still be afraid of not having this bit of money?

  He waved his hand repeatedly and said, "Comrade Ziqiang, although I have always appreciated your work, but in the end it was Secretary Wang of the Municipal Committee who recognized you more, so this time he gave you this rare opportunity. Don't disappoint Secretary Wang's expectations, after going to the traffic police brigade, be sure to study hard and strive for progress as soon as possible!"

  "Ah, Secretary Wang!" Ye Ziqiang was both excited and a little stunned. How did this Secretary Wang remember him, a small, idle driver who couldn't even get a steady driving job?

  "Alright, you go and hand over your current work, I'll give you half a day off this afternoon. Tomorrow morning, you can directly report to Captain Wang at the Municipal Traffic Police Corps."

  As he walked out of the Municipal Government Affairs Management Bureau's office building, Ye Zi Qiang still felt dizzy and couldn't believe all this was real. When he returned to hand over his work to his colleagues, they saw that he looked like he had lost his soul, and thought he had been fired, but no one dared say anything, fearing they would also be implicated and fired, so they just patted him on the shoulder, showing sympathy and helplessness.

  Ye Zi Qiang didn't dare to tell them, fearing that things hadn't been fully settled yet. If they were to spread the word, not only would it make them envious and jealous, but if something unexpected happened at night, it would be disastrous. A person in their 40s should have some composure and no longer be as impulsive and shallow as young people. Some things are already written all over his face.

  Back home, lying comfortably in bed, after thinking for a long time, I finally remembered that it was just the other day when I drove to accompany Secretary Wang's daughter to pick up someone at the airport. Could it be that this opportunity allowed me to gain favor? What luck! Luckily, other drivers were either on vacation or driving, otherwise how could this opportunity have fallen into my own hands?

  For some reason, when he thought of this matter, the figure of that boy who always seemed to be very calm and composed suddenly appeared in his mind. That thin figure somehow gave him an inexplicable feeling of being at the foot of a great mountain.

  Not long after, his wife Chen Fangping, who worked at the municipal textile mill, rushed back home, saw him still sleeping in bed, and didn't even bother to wipe off her sweat. She hastily pulled him up and asked urgently: "They said you've been expelled, is it true?"

  Seeing his wife's anxious look, Ye Zi Qiang, who had originally planned to share the joy with her immediately, suddenly became very depressed and nodded dejectedly on purpose.

  When she saw Ye Zi, Chen Fangping nodded and suddenly sat down, tears streaming down her face. "What's going on? How could you be fired? What will happen to this family?"

  However, the woman's endurance seemed to be much stronger. After being heartbroken for a while, Chen Fangping wiped away her tears and comforted Ye Ziqiang instead: "Ziqiang, don't be sad either. It's just a broken driver, isn't it? If you don't do it, you won't do it. You have hands and feet, and your skills are good. I don't believe you can't find a better job."

  Others say that at the time, she also knew that it's not easy to find a job now. Ye Zi Qiang is already over 40 years old and can only drive, nothing else. In order to get into the city committee's driver team, he not only spent all his family savings but also begged around everywhere, who would have thought that he got fired? What can be done now that things have happened? Men are under a lot of pressure, blaming him again won't help and will only make him more miserable.

  Chen Fangping is not beautiful and not very capable, but she is absolutely a virtuous wife and good mother.

  Not only did he not hear his wife's scolding, but instead her gentle comfort. Ye Zi felt warmth in his heart, with a wife like this, what more could he ask for? He hugged his wife tightly and excitedly said to her ear, "I'm not going to be a driver anymore, tomorrow I'll report to the traffic police department, from now on I'll be a traffic policeman."

  "Ah, really?" Chen Fangping suddenly hugged him and was startled, just about to scold him a few words, but then heard these few sentences, staring blankly at Ye Ziqiang, and the meaning in his mouth came out.

  "Of course it's true." Ye Zi Qiang carefully told Chen Fang Ping the whole story, looking at his wife's pale face due to overwork, he said with great guilt: "Wife, you've suffered for so many years. From now on, I will work even harder and let you live a good life."

  Yezhong said with conviction, Chen Fangping was overjoyed and burst into tears. After a fit of sobbing, she choked back her tears and said: "Heaven is fair, Zhong, this time Wang Shuji helped you unintentionally, you must grasp it tightly, work hard, show all your strengths, and don't lose face in front of Wang Shuji! You are the pillar of our family, you can't fall!"

  Ye Zi nodded heavily and said firmly: "Wife, don't worry, I'll go to the traffic police brigade and work hard. In the future, I'll find an opportunity to solve Xiao Hai's job, and then you won't have to go to work anymore. You've been working hard for so many years, it's time for you to enjoy some happiness. Our family will definitely get better and better."

  Chen Fangping's face lit up with a smile after hearing that, but she still said: "How can that be? We need to save more money for Xiaohai's future marriage! Besides, if the factory finds out you've gone to the traffic police team, they'll take care of me and my work won't be too hard."

  "Just in case, I didn't even tell my colleagues and relatives about the car team. Don't rush to the factory to make a fuss, it's not too late to talk about it after things have settled down."

  "Don't worry, I'm not a big mouth, I know what should and shouldn't be said."

  Watching his wife laughing and chatting, Ye Zi Qiang's head suddenly felt hot, and his hand reached into Chen Fangping's clothes.

  Chen Fangping was startled and quickly grabbed his hand, scolding: "Stop messing around, I sneaked out of the house and still have to rush back to work."

  "Just don't go today, let's just call it a leave of absence!" Ye Zi Qiang seemed unwilling to give up, pulling his wife along as he spoke.

  Chen Fangping saw her husband's passionate eyes, his breathing was a bit heavy, today people encounter happy events and spirits are refreshing, it seems that there is also a surge of infatuation in his heart, so he didn't insist on it, but just smiled and scolded: "You dead ghost, go take a bath quickly, your whole body smells like sweat, stinky to death."