Chapter 5

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"Oh! Ye Fan, take a seat!"

What was particularly strange was that Secretary Qin actually nodded at Ye Fan when he entered and managed to force a smile. He even gestured for Ye Fan to sit in a slightly smaller swivel chair opposite him and casually tossed him a Zhonghua cigarette. This series of unconventional actions made Ye Fan feel quite flattered, and he inwardly praised Secretary Qin as a kind, approachable, and considerate superior.

Of course, Ye Fan did not dare to sit there and enjoy Secretary Qin's cigarettes with a carefree attitude. He was well aware of his own capabilities. He quickly bowed slightly to light a cigarette for Secretary Qin, then sat up straight in the chair, looking at Secretary Qin and waiting for him to speak.

"It's like this. Given that you are a top graduate from a prestigious university in our country and were specially recruited by the county committee from Moxiang City, to respond to the county committee and government's call to value talent, it has been decided to give you more responsibilities. This morning, the town party committee members held a temporary meeting and decided to appoint you as the team leader of the Tian Shui Dam Village work group, with the rank of a full section-level official, which is the same level as the heads of various offices, including Director Wang of the Party and Government Office. The team members are Liu Chi and Li Chunshui. If you have any requirements or opinions, you can raise them now."

Secretary Qin said this with a serious expression, having put away his smile.

"What requirements? What requirements could I have? To be promoted to a full section-level position right after graduation, I bet my classmates would be shocked. Even though they found better jobs, they are only ordinary clerks.

Although a full section-level position is the lowest rank in the current Chinese political system and doesn't count as an official, it's quite difficult to get a full section-level position with real power. The heads of various departments in the town are also only at the full section-level. With this good start, if I perform well, I will have a solid foundation to advance to a deputy department level..."

Ye Fan quickly thought this through in his mind and then put on a very excited look, saying, "Secretary Qin, thank you for the trust and care from the leadership. I will work hard and strive to quickly adapt to the role of the work group leader. I will not let down the expectations of the Party, the country, and the town leadership..."

"Good! Young people should have ambition, after all, you are from a prestigious university. However, I still need to remind you that the situation in Tian Shui Dam Village is quite complex, and you need to be mentally prepared. You can get the materials about Tian Shui Dam Village from Director Wang of the Party and Government Office, and he will also discuss some matters to pay attention to with you."

Qin Zhiming had expected Ye Fan to decline or make some difficult requests, but this young man was fearless like a newborn calf, not even blinking as he accepted the task. This made Qin Zhiming's mood greatly improve. He stood up and extended his right hand, affectionately patting Ye Fan's shoulder, making Ye Fan even more excited, almost to the point of nosebleed, feeling like he had seen an absolutely beautiful woman.

Actually, the main reason was that Ye Fan had gone to bed early last night and didn't know anyone in Linquan Town, nor did he know about the situation in Tian Shui Dam Village. Otherwise, he would have been crying and wailing by now, rather than showing his loyalty and enthusiasm to Qin Zhiming with such beautiful words about serving the Party, the country, and the people.

Ye Fan gently closed the door to Secretary Qin's office and could no longer contain his wildly beating heart. He rushed to the bathroom at the end of the building, hid inside, and lit a cigarette, howling loudly. Getting a full section-level position was quite difficult. Ye Fan's father, Ye Chenxi, had worked in the Labor Bureau of Guchuan County for over 20 years and had only recently been promoted to a deputy department-level office director.

"Damn!"

The door of a stall in the bathroom suddenly opened, and a burly man with a faint scar on his face, who turned out to be a police officer, walked out. He seemed to have been enjoying his time but was disturbed by Ye Fan's howling, so he frowned and grunted loudly.

"Um... uh... sorry, sir! I was just thinking of something happy, so... I lost control."

Ye Fan turned around, took a piece of paper to wipe his hands, and quickly offered a Zhonghua cigarette, feeling embarrassed.

"Hmm!" The police officer took the cigarette, glanced at it, and upon seeing it was a Zhonghua, his expression softened. He looked at Ye Fan, who seemed unfamiliar, and asked, "Brother, where are you from? Are you here to do business with the government?"

"Oh! My name is Ye Fan, I'm a newly assigned college graduate." Ye Fan had already calmed down and smiled.

"Ye Fan... Ye... Fan."

The police officer's eyes scanned the bathroom as if he was thinking of something. Finally, he remembered and said with a strange look, "You are the newly appointed team leader of the Tian Shui Dam Village work group, right?"

"Oh! You know too?" Ye Fan was somewhat surprised. He had just arrived this morning, yet it seemed he had already become a celebrity in Linquan Town, which felt quite eerie.

"Hehe! I heard it from Deputy Secretary Cai on the way here," the police officer laughed, looking at the Zhonghua cigarette again. "Brother, my name is Zhao Tieshai, the acting chief of the Linquan Town police station. But I need to remind you, going to Tian Shui Dam Village, you need to be more cautious. Otherwise... hehe, I have to go, I have something to do."

"Be more cautious, what does that mean? Is there some kind of ferocious beast in Tian Shui Dam Village?" Ye Fan watched Zhao Tieshai's retreating back, pondering his cryptic words, and decided to call his father for advice.

Feeling it was inconvenient to make a call in the government office, Ye Fan went outside and found a postal agency to make the call. In 1995, most people were proud to have a pager, and very few could afford a mobile phone, which was then called a "big brother" phone.

Ye Fan briefly told his father about his situation.

Ye Chenxi thought for a moment and said over the phone, "Fan, to be given a full section-level position right after graduation is indeed not simple. However, I suspect there is something strange about Tian Shui Dam Village. You need to understand the situation clearly before you go, or you might suffer a loss."

"Oh! Dad, I understand. It's just a village, what can they do to me? Don't worry!"

Ye Fan hung up the phone, shaking his head, thinking his father was becoming more timid. A village, what to fear!

When he arrived at the Party and Government Office, he saw a round-faced, fat man sitting in a boss chair, who he knew was Director Wang. He had just congratulated him. On the swivel sofa beside him, a man and a woman were sitting, but their faces seemed to be slightly pale, similar to the "black forehead" that fortune-tellers often mention, indicating they were in trouble. The man looked to be around 20 years old, with a lazy appearance. The woman, though not a beauty, wore a light yellow short shirt, giving Ye Fan a particularly "pure" feeling, like a mountain girl. This made Ye Fan's heart inexplicably flutter, reminding him of Li Chunbo's song "Xiao Fang."

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