Chapter 11: Director of the Party and Government Office

It had only been a day, and at the morning roll call meeting, everyone was stunned when Zhang Zeguang announced Wang Jian's name. Feng Guoqiang was completely taken aback, and Fang Zhiming, who was sitting next to him and was ready to take over, felt as if a bomb had exploded in his head. Liu Yan, who worked in the Party and Government Office, had the same feeling. She had let Fang Zhiming take advantage of her during their wild night, and now her heart was bleeding!

"Comrade Feng Guoqiang will serve as the assistant to the township head, enjoying the benefits of a member of the two committees. Comrade Wang Jian will serve as the director of the Party and Government Office." In the township meeting room, Zhang Zeguang announced the latest personnel appointments to all the township officials.

As soon as the appointment was announced, the meeting room erupted like a pot of boiling water. Almost everyone looked at Wang Jian, who was sitting at the back. No one had expected him to become the director of the Party and Government Office. It was a foregone conclusion that Fang Zhiming would take the position, so how did it suddenly change? What had happened to make Zhang Zeguang change his mind?

Wang Jian was also a bit dazed. He had never thought that the position of director of the Party and Government Office would fall to him. Zhang Zeguang had announced the decision without giving him any prior notice, which was like a sudden attack. At that moment, he tried to remain calm, enduring the gazes from all directions, especially the ambiguous look from Du Xiaobei and the hateful glare from Fang Zhiming.

"Comrade Feng Guoqiang has made great contributions, and I don't need to elaborate on that. I'll just talk about Comrade Wang Jian. Although Comrade Wang Jian has been with us for less than a year, he has worked hard and performed outstandingly. He has been dedicated to the adjustment of the township's agricultural structure, which has been well-received by the higher-ups. Therefore, after the Party Committee's deliberation, it was decided to appoint him as the director of the Party and Government Office. I hope he will remain humble and continue to work hard to do a good job in the Party and Government Office." Zhang Zeguang smiled and explained the reasons for appointing Wang Jian.

The people in the meeting room quickly noticed the phrase "well-received by the higher-ups" in Zhang Zeguang's words. It was clear that this phrase had played a significant role. As for the other reasons, such as his hard work and outstanding performance, they were not the main factors. Everyone knew that Wang Jian must have had some connections, otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to speak boldly in front of the vice-provincial governor.

"Alright, the meeting is over!"

As soon as the meeting ended, people rushed out of the meeting room like a flood. A few people near Wang Jian didn't forget to shake his hand and say, "Congratulations!"

Fang Zhiming stood to the side with a gloomy face, being swept out of the meeting room by the crowd. He was stunned by the stark contrast between reality and his expectations. How could the position of director of the Party and Government Office, which he thought was his, suddenly fall to someone else, especially someone he had always opposed? Was Feng Guoqiang really helping him? Had Zhang Zeguang's previous promises become void?

Wang Jian deliberately stayed behind and did not leave the meeting room. He was waiting for Zhang Zeguang, who was also at the back. He thought it was time for Zhang Zeguang to have a talk with him.

"Comrade Wang Jian, come to my office for a moment," Zhang Zeguang noticed him and called him over.

Li Jiarong, who was standing next to Zhang Zeguang, smiled at Wang Jian, who also smiled back kindly and followed Zhang Zeguang to his office.

In Zhang Zeguang's office, Wang Jian stood respectfully in front of Zhang Zeguang. Zhang Zeguang noticed that Wang Jian had a calm and composed demeanor, like the saying goes, "remaining calm in the face of a collapsing mountain and unshaken by a tiger's roar."

"Comrade Wang Jian, I appointed you as the director of the Party and Government Office despite objections, following the arrangement made by County Chief Liu. Why did I only tell you now? First, I wanted to give you a surprise, and second, I wanted to test your composure and see if you had the resolve to handle big things. If you had lost your composure after the announcement, like Fang Zhiming, I might have rescinded the appointment. Now, it seems you have passed the test. What are your thoughts?" Zhang Zeguang looked at Wang Jian with appreciation. Although he said this, he was secretly thinking that Wang Jian's connections were indeed impressive. If it were a normal person, they would have been overjoyed by such unexpected good news. However, Wang Jian's reaction was very calm and natural, indicating that he had greater ambitions, which were likely due to his connections.

Wang Jian looked at Zhang Zeguang and answered solemnly, "Thank you, Secretary Zhang and County Chief Liu for your cultivation. I have no special thoughts, only the desire to repay your trust and support."

"Good, Comrade Wang Jian, gratitude is the greatest virtue of a person. However, County Chief Liu and I don't need you to repay us. We are doing this for the work. You are a smart person, so I don't need to say more. Work hard, and County Chief Liu might even give you more important tasks. Go and call Fang Zhiming up for me." Zhang Zeguang's purpose was to let Wang Jian know who had recommended him and how he should act in the future. Wang Jian's clear intention to repay his trust made Zhang Zeguang very satisfied, so he didn't say more.

Wang Jian turned to leave, but Zhang Zeguang suddenly smiled and said, "Comrade Wang Jian, I heard that even the provincial party secretary praised you. That's great. If you have more good news like this in the future, be sure to tell me in advance!"

Wang Jian was taken aback. This was the first time he had heard such news, and the mention of the provincial party secretary was shocking. However, he maintained a calm expression and said, "I will, Secretary Zhang. I was a bit rash in the past, but I won't be in the future."

"Alright, you can go now," Zhang Zeguang nodded in satisfaction.

As he walked down the stairs, Wang Jian felt a bit lightheaded, even more so than when he became the student council president. People say that the happiest moments in life are the wedding night and the day of success, and this was indeed true.

Before he reached the door, Wu Lei saw Wang Jian and hurried over to welcome the new boss. The two had once cleaned together, but now their positions had changed dramatically. Wu Lei was a smart person and knew how to adapt to the situation.

"Director Wang Jian, should we have a meeting first?" Wu Lei suggested.

Wang Jian had no ill feelings toward Wu Lei. People like Wu Lei in the Party and Government Office were mainly there to serve the township leaders and had no hope of becoming the director. They just wanted to get more benefits from the office. Now that Wu Lei was reaching out, Wang Jian couldn't push him away.

"Let's put the meeting on hold for now. Secretary Zhang wants to talk to Fang Zhiming. Go and notify him for me," Wang Jian said to Wu Lei at the door.

Wu Lei agreed and went inside to tell Fang Zhiming, "Secretary Zhang wants to see you. Come up right away."

His tone was no longer as polite as before. Fang Zhiming was now the most embarrassed person. He had excitedly told many people about his upcoming appointment as director the night before, but the announcement was not in his favor. He didn't dare to think about how others would view him. Hearing Wu Lei call him, he didn't react for a while. Wu Lei raised his voice, "Fang Zhiming, Secretary Zhang wants to see you. Are you deaf?"

"Oh," Fang Zhiming finally responded and walked out.

"Damn, this guy is so devastated, he's almost like an old man with dementia!" Wu Lei turned to Du Xiaobei and laughed.

Fang Zhiming walked out and saw Wang Jian, who patted his shoulder and said, "Don't lose heart, brother. The road is long."

To Wang Jian's surprise, Fang Zhiming didn't appreciate his gesture and angrily said, "Don't pretend to care!"

Wang Jian shrugged, indicating he had no choice, and turned to walk into the office.

"Director Wang Jian, Director Wang Jian!" Du Xiaobei and Liu Yan called out to Wang Jian almost simultaneously. To his surprise, Liu Yan smiled sweetly at him, as if they were close friends.

"Alright, alright, don't be so formal. Just call me by my name. Calling me Director Wang Jian makes me feel old!" Wang Jian smiled, showing his teeth, which made Du Xiaobei realize he wasn't as serious and rigid as she had thought.

Actually, if Du Xiaobei thought so, she was greatly mistaken. Wang Jian had attracted many female classmates in school not because he was the student council president, but because he was talented, good at interacting with people, and enjoyed making others happy. He had only put on a serious demeanor after starting work, thinking he shouldn't show his emotions as he did when he was a student.

As he spoke, he walked to his desk and sat down. He noticed two cups on the desk, and Du Xiaobei and Liu Yan ran over to pick them up and said, "Director Wang Jian, please have some tea!"

Wang Jian looked at them in surprise and said, "Did you rehearse this?"

"No!" Du Xiaobei and Liu Yan looked at each other and pouted.

Wu Lei laughed and said, "Director Wang Jian, are you overwhelmed by the company of these beauties?"

"Wu Lei, come and help me!" Wang Jian pretended to plead.

"Ha ha!"

Du Xiaobei and Liu Yan finally let Wang Jian off. Although they worked for different leaders, they had a good relationship and often looked out for each other. Liu Yan had not been fond of Wang Jian, while Du Xiaobei didn't take Fang Zhiming seriously. The current situation proved that Du Xiaobei had better judgment, while Liu Yan was shortsighted. When she learned that Wang Jian was appointed as the director, she regretted it deeply. Fortunately, Du Xiaobei persuaded her to change her stance and seek Wang Jian's forgiveness. Wang Jian, being a magnanimous person, didn't hold grudges like Fang Zhiming and didn't mind Liu Yan's past.

After they dispersed, Wang Jian picked up his cup and took a sip of water, frowning in thought. "Fang Zhiming isn't here, so I'll tell you first. Du Xiaobei and Liu Yan will continue to handle the writing of documents. Wu Lei will be responsible for vehicle allocation and material procurement. You must report to me before taking any action, and any matters that need to be reported to the township leaders should also be reported to me first. If you have any personal difficulties that need help, feel free to let me know, and we'll find a way to solve them. In short, the Party and Government Office is a team, and we share both good and bad times, but the premise is to do our work well!"

"Alright!" Wu Lei led the applause, as Wang Jian had given him the responsibility of vehicle allocation and material procurement, which was a good job. It seemed Fang Zhiming would have nothing left to do.

Although Du Xiaobei's responsibilities didn't change, she was happy that Wang Jian was now in charge. Liu Yan, who didn't seem to have gained any benefits, was still glad that she hadn't been stripped of her power like Fang Zhiming. Therefore, they both clapped.

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