Chapter 83

"Secretary Xu?" Xiao Yuanhang was taken aback upon hearing this. Wasn't it Minister Xu? How did he become Secretary Xu? Could he have been promoted to Secretary in just a few days?

Guo Xiaoquan, clearly seeing Xiao Yuanhang's confusion, explained with a smile, "You thought Secretary Xu was the Organization Minister, right? He was indeed the Organization Minister before, but a month ago, he was promoted to the Deputy Secretary in charge of economic affairs. However, there hasn't been a suitable candidate for the Organization Minister position, so he is still temporarily holding that role. I believe a suitable candidate will be found soon."

"Oh!" Xiao Yuanhang nodded and then asked, "Director Guo, how is Secretary Xu's son, Xiaohu?"

Guo Xiaoquan said with great gratitude, "Train Conductor Xiao, we really owe you a lot that day. The ambulance was called in time, and Xiaohu was immediately operated on upon arrival at the hospital. The chief surgeon later said that if Xiaohu had been brought to the hospital 10 minutes later, he might have suffered a perforation, which could have endangered his life!"

"Oh," Xiao Yuanhang exhaled deeply upon hearing this, "These are all things I should have done. It's good that Xiaohu is fine!"

Guo Xiaoquan said, "You can't say that. After the incident, we consulted some knowledgeable people about the standard procedures for railway operations. Under normal circumstances, if there is a critically ill passenger on the train, the train conductor only needs to prepare a passenger record and hand over the passenger to the nearest county-level station or a third-class station. However, you managed to notify Shuncheng Station to call an ambulance without stopping the train, which saved time for the rescue. If you had followed the standard procedure, we would have had to find an ambulance in Shuncheng, and it would have taken more than 20 minutes, not just 10. In that case, Xiaohu would have been in danger. Therefore, you are Xiaohu's savior, and Secretary Xu specially arranged a family dinner to express his gratitude."

Xiao Yuanhang said, "Director Guo, you're exaggerating. I just did what I should have done. The leaders are so busy, should I disturb them?"

Although Xiao Yuanhang really wanted to go and hoped to build a good relationship with the high-ranking officials in the city, he had to feign reluctance on the surface. Normally, he would say, "The leaders are so busy, I won't disturb them," but he phrased it as a question: "The leaders are so busy, should I disturb them?"

Guo Xiaoquan, who had worked with the leaders for a long time, was a shrewd person and could easily see through this. However, Xu Wenbo had given him a strict order to bring Xiao Yuanhang to the dinner tonight, indicating that Xu Wenbo genuinely wanted to thank Xiao Yuanhang. Who wouldn't want to get close to a high-ranking leader? It was natural for Xiao Yuanhang to have such thoughts, and Guo Xiaoquan didn't mind at all.

Guo Xiaoquan said, "There's no such thing as disturbing. Even if the leaders are busy, they still have time for a meal. Besides, Secretary Xu had already arranged this in advance and instructed me to make sure you come tonight."

"Oh," Xiao Yuanhang looked at Guo Xiaoquan with a puzzled expression...

Guo Xiaoquan said, "I accompanied Secretary Xu and his wife to Shuncheng to take care of Xiaohu for seven days. After Xiaohu was discharged from the hospital, Secretary Xu and his wife sent him to his grandparents. Since Secretary Xu only took three days off and Xiaohu's illness delayed him for so many days, he hurried back to Guhe. As soon as he returned, he asked me to contact you and invite you for a meal. I inquired at the train segment and learned that you were on duty today and would be back, so Secretary Xu set the dinner for today and asked me to wait for you early in the morning. Therefore, you must come tonight."

At this point, if Xiao Yuanhang were to refuse again, it would be excessive. He nodded and said, "Since Secretary Xu is so enthusiastic, I will definitely be there on time tonight."

Seeing that Xiao Yuanhang had agreed, Guo Xiaoquan smiled and said, "Train Conductor Xiao, where do you live? I'll come to pick you up in my car tonight."

This time, Xiao Yuanhang didn't refuse. He thought for a moment and said, "Director Guo, just come to the front of the Tiedong Street Office. My home is not far from there."

Xiao Yuanhang thought that the batch of pine seeds would arrive in a few days, and he would be at the warehouse during his five days off. Mentioning the Tiedong Street Office would make it easier for Guo Xiaoquan to find the location, and it would be convenient for both sides.

Guo Xiaoquan said, "Alright, I'll be there at 5:30 PM."

The Xu family was small. Xu Wenbo had only three children, and he was the youngest. His older brother Xu Wendong had been in the military and had two daughters. His sister worked in a military hospital and had a son and a daughter. Xu Wenbo had only one son. Although his sister also had a son, he was of a different surname, so the grandparents cherished this grandson very much. They would have him visit them regularly, no matter how far away. When Xiaohu had this accident, the grandmother was so heartbroken that she cried and refused to let her daughter-in-law Qin Jie take care of the child, insisting that he stay with her.

Xu Wenbo was well aware of the importance of his son Xiaohu to his parents. He was the hope of the third generation of the Xu family and the only one who could carry on the family name. Xiao Yuanhang had saved time for his son's rescue, making him a true savior. This was a huge favor for Xu Wenbo!

Xu Wenbo also knew that Xiao Yuanhang's enthusiasm must have had a purpose. If the trip had been a routine one, he would not have contacted Xiao Yuanhang again. However, since Xiao Yuanhang had saved his son, he had to repay this favor!

He considered several times how to repay this favor, but since Xiao Yuanhang worked in the railway system, which had no direct connection to his work, it was difficult to find a suitable way. If Xiao Yuanhang worked in the local government, he could have arranged a promising position for him and then, based on his abilities and potential, he could have helped him further. But these were all hypothetical scenarios.

In the end, he decided to compromise. Since Xiao Yuanhang worked and lived in the railway residential area, the police department was the most frequent point of contact with the city. Matters like household registration and minor disputes often required interaction with the police station. He decided to introduce Xiao Yuanhang to his trusted deputy police chief, Ma Wanli, and his secretary, Guo Xiaoquan. If there were any issues with the police, Xiao Yuanhang could contact Ma Wanli, and for matters involving city departments, he could contact Guo Xiaoquan, of course, on the condition that it did not violate any principles. This would partially repay the favor.

Xiao Yuanhang returned home, took a bath, and had a nap. When he woke up, it was almost 11 AM. He told his father that he had something to do and wouldn't be home for lunch or dinner, then went to Tiedong Street. When he arrived at the large office, he saw Wang Dahai and over ten brothers eating.

Xiao Yuanhang couldn't help but ask, "Dahai, why are you eating so early today?"

Wang Dahai swallowed the food in his mouth and came over, saying, "Brother, I went to the cargo area this morning to find Uncle Liu. He said our goods have arrived, and he will find a vehicle to deliver them this afternoon. So I called all the brothers to come and eat quickly so we can unload the truck later."

Xiao Yuanhang was very pleased to hear this. The arrival of this batch of goods would bring in a substantial profit. He said to Wang Dahai, "Is there any food left? I haven't eaten yet!"

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PS: Thank you to the readers "Yuming Yang," "Shuyou 1211...," "Shuyou 1209...," and "Long Shao LL1" for your support!