Chapter Forty-Four: The Matter of Adjusting People

  Sitting in You Zhi Bing's car, they arrived at the countryside. Ye Ping Yu meant to invite them for a meal, but You Zhi Bing said: "Little Ye, we won't eat here anymore. If you have the chance to come to Beijing and find us, I see that your family isn't very wealthy. So, I have 20,000 yuan here, take it, consider it as giving it to your grandfather again!"

  As soon as he saw him, he took out 20,000 yuan and gave it to him. Ye Pingyu resolutely refused, saying: "Brother You, I can't take this money. Although my family is not rich, life will get better and better. Moreover, I work in the countryside, and my hometown is not rich. I also want to make a bit of effort. If I let myself become rich first, and other ordinary people are still poor, such wealth would be unworthy of my identity as a rural cadre. So, you'd better take the money back, I won't take it!"

  Ye Pingyu's ambition was high, but he didn't want to take the money from Feng Xiyao. After thinking for a moment, Feng Xiyao said to him: "Ye Pingyu, this money is actually not for you, it's for your grandfather. If you want to develop the economy here, we'll help you again in the future, but for now, just take the money!"

  After glancing at Feng Xi Yao, Ye Ping Yu said: "If you can help us develop our economy, I'll be very happy, but this money I really can't accept. If my grandfather knew about it, he wouldn't want it either. You didn't earn this money easily, how could I possibly take such a huge sum from you?"

  You Zhībīng smiled and said, "Actually, this isn't a huge sum of money, it's just my usual pocket change. Don't worry about it too much, let's just say I'm lending it to you, okay? Your grandfather helped out my dad before, and now we're good friends, so helping each other out is pretty normal, right? You don't have a cell phone, so this money is like letting you buy one. It'll be more convenient for us to stay in touch!"

  Twenty thousand yuan is a huge sum of money in Ye Pingyu's eyes, but it's just pocket change for You Zhongbing. At that time, mobile phones had just started to become popular, and most people were still using those BB machines hung on their waists. Ye Pingyu didn't even have one of those, as nobody in the countryside used mobile phones. So You Zhongbing thought about giving him money to buy a phone for convenient contact in the future.

  Ye Pingyu had never seen a mobile phone until he met You Zhongbing, and only knew what it looked like then. He had only seen those big, cool pagers that people held in their hands, the kind that Cao Dafu was using now, and which mid-level cadres in the countryside were also using - ordinary people couldn't afford them. Now, hearing You Zhongbing offer to give him money to buy a mobile phone, he waved his hand repeatedly: "You can't use a mobile phone in the countryside, it's too showy. Our office has a telephone, we can contact you with that."

  "Young Ye, don't you think we're sincere in offering you money?"

  As soon as Yu Zhi Bing got angry, Ye Ping Yu hastily said: "Yu Ge, I didn't mean it that way!"

  "It's not what I meant, just take it. In the future, come to Beijing often and look for me, if there's anything, tell me, between us two, don't be polite, I hate it when others are polite."

  Ye Pingyu just now actually wasn't being polite, he really didn't want to, but now... there's no choice, can only take the money, otherwise You Zhongbing will get angry, this is really frustrating.

  Feng Xi Yao smiled and said: "Ye Ping Yu, my second brother is like this, he likes to be straightforward, you just take it, let's keep in touch often, and when there's a chance, bring your grandfather to Beijing with you, and let my dad and him get together!"

  Ye Pingyu had no choice but to say: "I'll bring my grandfather to find you when I have the chance, and I'll take that money then. You shouldn't be angry, Tourge, I wasn't being polite just now!"

  "You're welcome, I wasn't really angry. Just take the money and we'll leave first. You stay here and work hard, if anyone bullies you, just tell me and I'll deal with them!"

  Ye Pingyu smiled and said: "This won't work, you've seen my skills before, Yóu Gē. If someone really wants to bully me, I can take care of him!"

  "Haha! What I meant was the bullying you receive in official circles, for example, if some secretary or county head wants to bully you, just tell me and I'll let Uncle Ping know, he'll help you deal with them!" You Zhongbing said casually, but actually, his understanding of official circles wasn't deep.

  After listening, Ye Pingyu could only laugh and express his gratitude. The county party secretary and the county magistrate were still far away from him, would they come to bully him specially? Impossible!

  With 200,000 yuan in hand, You Zhi Bing and Feng Xi Yao reluctantly bid him farewell and drove away. As he watched Feng Xi Yao's distant gaze disappear into the distance, he couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions, unsure if he would ever see them again.

  As he watched their sports car speed away, Ye Pingyu looked down at the 200,000 yuan in his hand and couldn't help but think that this was several years' worth of income for his parents, yet it was just pocket money to them. What kind of concept was this?

  After a moment's thought, Ye Pingyu's face broke into a smile again. With two hundred thousand yuan, he was now a millionaire, a big shot!

  Thinking about it, Ye Pingyu felt a bit beautiful. He put the money away safely and didn't directly enter the county government compound. Instead, he ran to the bank in the countryside to deposit the money, leaving 2,000 yuan for expenses. He still owed Chang Fang's money, which needed to be returned to her.

  After saving the money, Ye Pingyu returned to the government compound in his hometown. Chang Fang and Zhao Yan saw him come back and hurried over to greet him. After glancing at them, he took out the money from his pocket and returned it to Chang Fang. She was unwilling to accept it, so he coaxed her that it was reimbursement money, don't refuse for nothing. As soon as Chang Fang heard it was public funds, she naturally accepted with a smile.

  Now Ye Pingyu had a considerable amount of money in his pocket, one was the two thousand yuan from You Zhongbing, and the other was the three thousand yuan borrowed from the finance department to buy cigarettes and wine, which added up to five thousand yuan on him, giving him a sudden feeling of being a small local tyrant, completely incomparable to before, after becoming the director of the party and government office, things were different.

  The next day, Cao Dafu saw him, and the expression on his face was even more rich. Ye Pingyu asked him about transferring Wang Qiang to the Party and Government Office, but unexpectedly, when he mentioned this matter, Cao Dafu's face became solemn. After thinking for a moment, he said: "Little Ye, let's not mention the transfer of Wang Qiang. The Party and Government Office is currently short-staffed. I think we can borrow Xiao Zhou from the Finance Bureau to come over. Xiao Zhou is relatively flexible and suitable for working in the Party and Government Office. What do you think?"

  As soon as Cao Dafu disagreed with transferring Wang Qiang to the Party and Government Office, Ye Pingyu knew that something must have changed, but he didn't know what the reason was. Wang Qiang is a relatively honest person, indeed not as agile as Xiao Zhou, but Wang Qiang is closer to him and more down-to-earth in doing things, so he wanted Wang Qiang to come over. Although Xiao Zhou is agile, he is quite annoying. Now that Cao Dafu wants to transfer Xiao Zhou over, it shows that he has a good impression of Xiao Zhou. Since he has made this decision, what else can he say?

  Ye Pingyu thought for a moment and did not express any objection. He had just become the director of the Party and Government Office, and everything still had to listen to Cao Dafu's arrangements. He couldn't suddenly show such great autonomy, and the Party and Government Office was not yet his own territory. He could not forcibly request that Wang Qiang be transferred over.

  After Cao Dafu finished discussing the matter with him, Xiao Zhou, also known as Zhou Lei from the Finance Department, came to the Party and Government Office to report for duty. He looked very respectful, addressing him as Director Ye one after another. Chang Fang and Zhao Yanan did not expect that he would be transferred to the Party and Government Office.

  This kid not only harassed her, but also harassed Zhao Yanan, and like Liang Jun, thought about good things. Now that Liang Jun is gone, he didn't expect him to be transferred over, it's really a narrow road for enemies.

  But now is not the time for Niu Zhencai and Zheng Zhishun to be in power, now in power is Ye Pingyu, he came here alone, no one followed him, even if his ability is great, it's useless, let's see how long he can stay here.

  Everyone was very cold to Zhou Yue, and Ye Pingyu, as the leader of the party's political office, had a slightly better attitude towards him due to work considerations. Now Zhou Yue was also very respectful to him, and he smiled when he saw Chang Fang and Zhao Yanan, but the more he did so, the more it caused their disgust.

  A Zhou Yue was called over, and the number of people in the party and government office was finally sufficient. Ye Pingyu, the director of the party and government office, gradually got into his role. Although Cao Dafu and Zhao Yuangong were not on good terms, he insisted that everything should be done for work, without taking their conflicts seriously. After working for a period of time, everyone was very satisfied. Originally, people thought he was too young to take on this heavy responsibility, but in fact, they were wrong. The party and government office worked very smoothly, much more organized than during the Niu Zhengcai era, making all parties very satisfied.

  Xiao Jianzhong, after Ye Pingyu became the director of the Party and Government Office, contacted several classmates in the county seat to prepare for a congratulatory gathering. As a staff member of the Secretariat of the County Committee, he had the charisma to rally others. Other classmates were working in various bureaus directly under the county government and couldn't compare with Xiao Jianzhong. So when they heard that Xiao Jianzhong was organizing everyone to have dinner together, they all readily agreed.

  After making the arrangements, Xiao Jianzhong called Ye Pingyu and invited him to come to the county town. As soon as he heard that he really wanted to gather his classmates together for dinner to celebrate for him, Ye Pingyu still felt surprised, thinking that Xiao Jianzhong was just casually saying it.

  "Alright then, I'll treat everyone to a meal when the time comes, and we can all have a good feast!" Ye Pingyu said with a smile.

  Xiao Jianzhong smiled and said, "You think I really want you to treat me? We're here to celebrate for you, of course we'll be the ones treating you. After we've treated you, if you want to show your gratitude or whatever, then you can treat us!"

  What was said earlier was just a joke, now that we're going to celebrate Ye Pingyu in the county town, of course, we can't let Ye Pingyu pay for it, this is a matter of etiquette. Xiao Jianzhong organized this gathering, he will naturally have a way to foot the bill, no matter what, he won't let Ye Pingyu come all the way to the county town to pay for everyone's meal, just based on this point, Ye Pingyu thinks that this person is still worth befriending.