Power and Wealth

Chapter 1807

Afternoon.

County Party Committee Office Building.

It was still lunchtime. Meng Hanmei, the Director of the County Party Committee Office, accompanied Dong Xuebing inside. In reality, Meng Hanmei was always a step behind Dong Xuebing, not leading the way but pointing with her mouth and fingers, never exceeding Dong Xuebing’s pace and maintaining a half-step distance. This showed respect and indicated Dong Xuebing’s status to those who didn’t know him.

“Secretary.”

“Secretary Dong.”

“Director Meng.”

“Secretary Xuebing.”

There were various forms of address.

Some people had already seen Dong Xuebing from the window earlier, while others, even if they hadn't seen him before, could tell from Meng Hanmei’s and Dong Xuebing’s positions what was happening. Everyone greeted them with smiles and lively expressions, likely trying to make a good impression on the new county party secretary. With Secretary Li Guian being reassigned, disrupting the previous harmony and situation, there was bound to be a period of adjustment and stabilization. However, a new county party secretary also presented an opportunity. With the new secretary arriving, everyone naturally wanted to present their best selves. Even if they couldn’t leave a good impression, they certainly didn’t want to leave a bad one. Even though no one knew what the situation in the county would be like, under the new, young secretary, those with a bit of political acumen would not neglect this opportunity and would certainly show their best spirit.

Meng Hanmei stayed on the sidelines. When ordinary people greeted Dong Xuebing, she would not say anything. However, when encountering slightly higher-level officials or those with whom Meng Hanmei had a good relationship, she would introduce them, especially when Dong Xuebing appeared to be in no rush.

The Deputy Minister of the County Organization Department, the Deputy Director of the County Party Committee Office, and others were introduced, helping Dong Xuebing become familiar with the people and environment.

Dong Xuebing had no objections. Although he might not remember everyone, having some impression was still beneficial, and he maintained a gracious demeanor.

More than ten minutes later.

Upstairs, in the Secretary’s Office.

Meng Hanmei was the first to push open the door. “Please come in, " She said. She stepped aside to let Dong Xuebing enter and then carefully closed the door.

Dong Xuebing looked inside.

Meng Hanmei proactively said, “I’ll get you a glass of water.”

Dong Xuebing smiled, “Sister Meng, you don’t need to be so polite.”

“It’s my job. Also haha, don’t call me Sister Meng. It’s too much. Just call me Old Meng, or Hanmei is fine,” Meng Hanmei said as she went to the water dispenser to get hot water and place it on the table.

Dong Xuebing said, “You’re older than me, so it’s better to call you Sister Meng. Otherwise, I don’t know if you’d feel uncomfortable. I definitely would.”

Meng Hanmei wasn’t sure how to respond, “You’re too polite.”

Dong Xuebing’s way of speaking was like this. In the past, Beijing elders often used “?” (you) when speaking to younger people, even if they were only a few years younger. This can be considered polite but reflects a regional language style. Meng Hanmei probably wasn’t used to it. Although Dong Xuebing was much higher in rank—he was the top leader, while Meng Hanmei was the last in the party standing among the eleven members of the County Party Committee—she might not be accustomed to it. Despite this, she likely felt pleasantly surprised, which also shows Dong Xuebing’s respect for her.

Dong Xuebing sat behind the desk. “Please, have a seat, Sister Meng.”

“Alright.” Meng Hanmei smiled and took a seat across from him. Remembering something, she removed her coat, pulled out an envelope from inside, and handed it over. “Here are the keys to the staff dormitory, some office keys, and the car keys. I labeled them so you can tell them apart.”

Dong Xuebing opened it and saw that each key had a white tape with neatly written characters. “Oh, your handwriting is nice.”

Meng Hanmei smiled, “It’s just scribbling.”

Dong Xuebing replied, “Thank you for your trouble.”

Meng Hanmei immediately said, “It’s part of my job. Don’t be too polite; it’s only natural. If you need anything in the future, just let me know.”

After exchanging a few words, Dong Xuebing had already picked up many signals from Meng Hanmei’s words. They were signals that Meng Hanmei wanted to align with him. Considering the situation, Meng Hanmei probably didn’t have many other choices. She couldn’t have opposed Secretary Li and County Chief Zhang Dongfang before, and now she is suddenly siding with Zhang Dongfang. Even if she wanted to align with Zhang Dongfang, she might not be sure if Zhang Dongfang would accept her. Even if Zhang Dongfang did accept her, he might use her as a tool and not take her seriously. This would be a problem in the system, so Dong Xuebing wasn’t surprised and felt quite relieved.

The County Party Committee Office Director might seem like the lowest-ranking leader in the County Party Committee, but having that vote in the Standing Committee is crucial. It’s a matter of influence. Regardless of size, having that vote would benefit Dong Xuebing’s work. Dong Xuebing naturally needed a lot of support as someone new to the position. If Meng Hanmei had aligned with County Chief Zhang Dongfang or other local factions, it would have been difficult for Dong Xuebing to handle. This is the County Party Committee; Dong Xuebing couldn’t allow his back to be exposed to other factions. Any potential betrayal at a crucial moment would be disastrous. He would have to deal with it, regardless of whether it was a beautiful senior sister. However, such matters weren’t simple. If Dong Xuebing were the county chief, he could easily replace an uncooperative County Government Office Director, and no one would question it. But it was different for the County Party Committee. The office director typically becomes a member of the Standing Committee. This role is different. Unless Dong Xuebing had absolute influence or strong connections in the city, replacing an uncooperative major secretary wasn’t straightforward, especially since the city had some reservations about Dong Xuebing and the county hadn’t yet figured out the situation.

So, Dong Xuebing was very satisfied with Meng Hanmei’s attitude.

This result was what Dong Xuebing wanted. Meng Hanmei’s attitude saved him a lot of trouble and made him feel at ease.

“I’ll introduce you to the environment here,” Meng Hanmei said with a wink.

Dong Xuebing was eager to hear it, although he had some understanding already. “Sure.”

Meng Hanmei said, “Our county’s population is approximately…” She briefly summarized the population, economic development, urban construction, and subordinate towns. Her language skills were clearly quite good, and it seemed she had either done some preparatory work or written notes beforehand because she spoke smoothly and without hesitation. Even someone as articulate as Dong Xuebing could only offer general praise; he couldn’t recall such detailed and precise figures.

At this point, Dong Xuebing felt Meng Hanmei’s strong intentions more clearly. It was almost certain that she was trying to align with him and had put much thought into gaining his trust and favor. Dong Xuebing received the signal.

For over half an hour, Meng Hanmei continued her introduction, describing the county environment, the location of the staff dormitory, and some traffic conditions.

Dong Xuebing was already somewhat familiar with the information, having done his homework beforehand, but he did not interrupt her. Instead, he listened attentively and nodded occasionally.

When handling the keys, Meng Hanmei had removed her coat, revealing a low-neck knit sweater. Although the color was beige and not particularly fashionable, the style of the sweater was quite good. Her collarbone was visible, and a thick cleavage was apparent when she slightly bent over to drink from the cup. Coupled with her carefully chosen casual jeans and tall boots, Dong Xuebing couldn’t help but take another look. Meng Hanmei dressed with sophistication—not overly flashy or seductive but very mature and charming. As for the most attractive feature about her, Dong Xuebing thought it was her hair. Meng Hanmei’s hairstyle was an elaborate updo. Dong Xuebing often styled Hui Lan and Yun Xuan’s hair, so he knew how challenging such styles could be. Meng Hanmei’s hair was meticulously arranged, with each strand in its proper place, giving it an exquisite and mature feminine quality.

It was beautiful.

Very pleasing to the eye.

Dong Xuebing enjoyed this feeling. After all, he was new to a completely unfamiliar environment and naturally hoped to have more attractive women around him. This had nothing to do with his position as a leader but was a personal appreciation for beauty. Others often questioned Dong Xuebing’s nature, but he saw nothing wrong with it. Beauty was beauty. He didn’t think there was anything to avoid or be ashamed of. That was just his temperament. As for some leaders who appeared virtuous on the surface but were likely different behind closed doors, Dong Xuebing thought that was too hypocritical. He didn’t believe it. Even if you were of a higher rank or held more power, it was impossible not to appreciate beautiful women or enjoy visual pleasure.

It’s just human nature.

No matter what others believe, Dong Xuebing did not. Everyone has an inherent yearning for beauty.