Chapter 40: Emphasis

Since that day when Zhu Daodong and Yang Kaifeng "clashed," Zhu Daodong's work became much easier. No one could figure out how he knew that Yang Kaifeng had drunk six cups of alcohol, so no one dared to drink for free anymore. Yang Kaifeng had said firmly that if Zhu Daodong dared to dock his pay, he would slap him.

However, those in the know were clear that on the second day, he quietly found Old Wan in the canteen and made up the 7.2 yuan. With Yang Kaifeng as the first to step forward, no one wanted to be the second. Spending a little money was a minor issue, but losing face was not worth it. Now, Yang Kaifeng rarely eats in the canteen; he either takes his food and leaves or avoids staying in the canteen for long.

During this period, Chen Shuli and Yuan Ping both happened to encounter guests being entertained in the canteen, and the performance of the township officials pleased them. Especially Chen Shuli, who personally handled this matter, was naturally delighted with the results. He was also very satisfied with Zhu Daodong, the executor. Someone had reported to him about the incident with Yang Kaifeng, and he was pleased with Zhu Daodong's bold actions.

He asked Zhu Daodong to write a summary, preparing to discuss the achievements of the anti-corruption campaign at a meeting. Not only did Zhu Daodong complete the summary report, but he also extracted several points and sent them to the county party committee office and the county government office.

Soon, both offices published the information, and Chen Shuli was very happy. He specially called Zhu Daodong to his office and praised him for his good work. Zhu Daodong was appointed by Chen Shuli and was personally arranged to be promoted early. Now that Zhu Daodong was performing well, Chen Shuli felt proud.

"Secretary, should we send a copy to the city newspaper?" Zhu Daodong asked excitedly, confident that with his writing skills, it would definitely be published if sent to the city newspaper.

"If it were something else, it would be fine, but this kind of thing shouldn't be overly publicized. It should be done in moderation, and you'll understand more as time goes on," Chen Shuli waved his hand. If it were before, he wouldn't have said so much, but now he couldn't help but give some guidance.

"Yes." Zhu Daodong didn't ask more, but after a moment's thought, he understood Chen Shuli's meaning. Drinking and eating couldn't be completely banned in government agencies. As far as he knew, the business of the "Haozailai" restaurant had started to improve half a month ago. With policies from above and countermeasures from below, the township officials had shifted their focus. Publicizing this in the county was fine, but if it were to be reported in the city newspaper, and if a journalist were to conduct an undercover investigation, it would not only fail to achieve the desired effect but also cause trouble.

"Have you been reading books on economics recently?" Chen Shuli glanced at Zhu Daodong and asked.

"The country has set a policy centered on economic construction. I studied Chinese literature in college, so I've been reading some books on economics to facilitate future work," Zhu Daodong said. Since setting his next goal, he had specially gone to the city's Xinhua Bookstore and bought many books such as "Economics," "Principles of Economics," "Socialist Economics," "Western Economics," "Marketing Management," "Management," "Financial Management," "Operations Management," and "Economic Management," all related to finance and economics.

In college, Zhu Daodong was a diligent and studious person. Now, reading these books was to broaden his horizons and keep up with national policies for better future work. Therefore, he studied very seriously. Since his hearing had improved, his memory had also greatly improved. He could basically remember the content of these books after reading them carefully once. The next step was to understand and apply them in practice.

"It's good for young people to read more and learn more. Come with me to the county tomorrow," Chen Shuli nodded. Zhu Daodong had a degree, was proactive in his work, and continued to study diligently after joining the workforce. Such people were rare in the entire Shumu Ridge Township. Although he still needed to improve in some areas, he was indeed a good seedling.

"Yes." Zhu Daodong was delighted. Chen Shuli had never taken him along to the county for business or meetings, and this was the first time, indicating that Chen Shuli no longer considered him an outsider.

The township government only had one jeep, which naturally became Chen Shuli's dedicated vehicle. Other township leaders, including Yuan Ping, went to the countryside on motorcycles. In fact, Chen Shuli also liked riding motorcycles, as the roads in the township were not easy to navigate, and motorcycles were more suitable. However, going to the county was different. The road to the county was better, and it was too far. If he rode a motorcycle, he would be covered in dust, making it impossible to go out or attend meetings.

This was Zhu Daodong's first time riding in Chen Shuli's dedicated vehicle. When he got in the car, he opened the rear door in advance, but Chen Shuli walked straight to the front and sat in the passenger seat, which was his habit. Zhu Daodong had no choice but to sit in the back, which was the leader's position. He felt a bit uncomfortable sitting there.

Originally, Zhu Daodong wanted to remind him, but he decided not to speak. After all, saying something might offend Wang Bo, and it was better to be cautious in front of leaders. Later, he specifically looked up some information and was surprised to find that if it were a small car, the seat behind the driver was the most prestigious, but for a jeep, the passenger seat was the most respected.

Today, Chen Shuli was going to the county to run a project. He didn't explicitly tell Zhu Daodong, just mentioning it casually. As a secretary, Zhu Daodong didn't see any related materials, knowing that Chen Shuli might be trying to establish connections and secure the project first.

To advance, one needed tangible achievements. This was true for Zhu Daodong and even more so for Chen Shuli. Zhu Daodong had once "overheard" Chen Shuli's thoughts. He wanted to transfer back to the county, at least to a Class One Bureau as a director, and ideally, to be promoted to a deputy county-level position and return to the county.

"Secretary, are we going to Secretary Wang's place?" Wang Bo asked after entering the county.

Zhu Daodong was surprised. Secretary Wang? As far as he knew, there was only one Secretary Wang in the county party committee, the one Zhang Zhichun and others mentioned, Wang Wenhao. From Wang Bo's tone, it was clear that Chen Shuli had been there before and knew the way.

"Yes, after a while, you can take Xiao Zhu to the Public Security Bureau. I asked when we came, and Director Zhao is in the bureau today," Chen Shuli said casually.

"Secretary, will it delay your business?" Zhu Daodong was surprised that Chen Shuli still remembered this. He had been to the county twice before but hadn't called Zhao Jinhai.

"No problem. You can ask Xiao Wang for my address and come by before 5 PM," Chen Shuli said. He had a home in the county, where his wife worked at the county industry and commerce bureau and lived with their child. Every time he came to the county for business, no matter how busy he was, he would take some time to go home and see his wife and son.

The jeep first arrived at the county party committee compound. Zhu Daodong got out of the car and waited for Chen Shuli to enter the compound before returning to the car. He asked Wang Bo to go to Chen Shuli's house first, just to recognize the door. When they reached the Public Security Bureau, Zhu Daodong told Wang Bo to return quickly, as Chen Shuli might need the car at any time.

Seeing Zhu Daodong politely get out of the car, Wang Bo, sitting in the car, felt that this secretary, Zhu, was not much older than him, but his composure and smoothness were even better than his own.