Chapter 46 of 100

Chapter 46

15 min read3,788 words

### Chapter 2: The Gambling Official

Early that morning, Li Yi rushed to the provincial advisory office to report for duty.

The Southern Province Advisory Office, which shared the same premises with the Southern Province Cultural and Historical Museum, operated under a dual leadership structure.

Li Yi was brimming with ambition, thinking that a department as important as the military's staff office would surely be a grand establishment. However, upon arriving, he found the entrance deserted, with only a sanitation worker resting at the gate.

He walked through the main gate and reported to the Personnel Department on the third floor. Inside, an elderly official with white hair was leisurely sipping tea and reading a newspaper. Upon seeing Li Yi, he looked up and said, "Young man, are you in the wrong place?"

"I'm here to report for duty!" Li Yi handed over his transfer order and reporting documents.

"Report for duty?" The old man was startled, jumping up from his chair and looking at Li Yi as if he were a strange creature. "You must be mistaken! This is the Advisory Office!"

At that moment, another elderly man walked in. "Old Hu, what's going on?"

"Old Gao, take a look. This young man says he's here to report for duty!" Old Hu shook his head, looking incredulous.

Old Gao took the documents from Li Yi, put on his reading glasses, and examined them carefully. He was also puzzled. "The procedures are correct, and the appointment letter is genuine!"

"Of course, it's genuine!" Li Yi chuckled, thinking the old comrades here were quite amusing.

"Then you must be the fake one!" Old Gao looked at Li Yi seriously, making a startling statement.

Li Yi was confused. "I am who I am, no doubt about it! Look at my ID! And my student card!"

Old Hu and Old Gao studied Li Yi's documents and certificates, becoming increasingly puzzled.

Old Hu said, "Old Gao, the regulations state that one must be over 55 to be hired. What's going on here?"

Old Gao was also baffled. "Why don't we consult the higher-ups?"

"Old comrades, is everything in order? How about this: you keep studying, and I'll go find the office," Li Yi said, shrugging helplessly. He thought, how could such an important department, with such an important personnel section, be guarded by old people?

This place is really too old!

The Advisory Office had four functional departments: the Office, the Advisory Business Department, the Cultural and Historical Business Department, and the Personnel Department. The Personnel Department also had a sign that read "Party Committee Office."

The Advisory Business Department had more people and was divided into two sections. Li Yi searched room by room, gradually feeling a chill. Everywhere he went, he saw elderly people in their fifties and sixties.

Is this a retirement home for old cadres?

Finding the first section of the Advisory Business Department, Li Yi politely knocked on the door. "Hello everyone, I'm Li Yi, the new arrival. I'll be working with you all, please take care of me!"

A dozen or so elderly people were gathered around, watching a game of Go. Hearing Li Yi's greeting, they all looked at him. One of the elders laughed heartily. "Young man, don't tease us old folks. What do you need? Hurry up and finish your business; we still have a game to play!"

Li Yi saw that everyone was of grandpa age and felt quite depressed. He asked, "Is there no one young in the Advisory Office?"

The elder replied, "The Advisory Office is a place for old cadres to engage in activities. Why would we need young people?"

The others all laughed in agreement.

Li Yi walked in, ignoring them. He saw two books on a nearby desk and picked them up. One was a history of the Advisory Office, and the other was the Provisional Regulations for National Civil Servants.

Li Yi first flipped through the civil servant regulations and then read the history of the Southern Province Advisory Office. Now he understood. This place, like the People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, was a place for retired cadres to continue contributing their experience.

In August 1949, the Southern Province was peacefully liberated, and the provincial government was established in April of the following year. The first batch of 60 well-known patriotic figures and former high-ranking military and political personnel who had contributed to the peaceful liberation of the South were appointed as advisors. The Advisory Office was established in June 1950.

At the same time, the Southern People's Military and Political Committee also set up an advisory office. In 1955, when the committee was dissolved, the two offices merged, and the advisors were renamed. As one of the 18 constituent bodies of the first Southern Provincial Government, the Advisory Office played a significant role in the revolution and construction of the South.

Over the past forty years, the provincial government has appointed more than 500 advisors and secretaries, and hired 61 advisors, 30 of whom were personally nominated and recommended by the founding chairman, vice-chairman, and premier. It is one of the largest and most influential advisory offices in the country.

After reading these materials, Li Yi's attitude changed significantly. He thought, it's good that they are all old comrades. I, a young bull, have found a place to hone my patience! In a sense, these old comrades are also a valuable resource of connections!

Li Yi put down the books and went over to watch them play Go.

The two elderly men playing Go were one with white hair and a ruddy, full face, looking spirited and vigorous, and the other was very thin, with black hair but a sallow complexion, coughing occasionally, touching the pieces with his left hand and smoking with his right.

After watching for a while, Li Yi smiled. "The white pieces will win!"

The thin elder was angry. "Why do you say the white pieces will win? The game isn't over yet! How do you know I won't win?"

Li Yi, surprised by his anger, smiled. "Old comrade, your big dragon is about to be captured. Why are you still fighting over a few pieces in the corner?"

The thin elder was stunned. Upon closer inspection, it was indeed true! He reluctantly put down the piece. "Fine! I concede!"

"Ha! To make Secretary Liang concede, that's quite an achievement!" The white-haired elder stroked his beard and laughed.

The thin elder waved his hand. "Just call me Old Liang! Old Gu is truly formidable, still vigorous in his old age! From today on, I'll step down as the Party Secretary of the Advisory Office!"

Li Yi was secretly surprised. Is this how they vie for positions?

Old Gu pointed at Li Yi. "Young man, how about a game?"

Li Yi smiled. "I'm here to work, not to play Go."

Old Gu was displeased. "If you can't play Go, what kind of work can you do? You'd better go back to your studies!"

Li Yi wanted to retort but thought better of it. "How do you know I'm a student?"

"Are you Li Yi?" Old Gu looked at him, his eyes gleaming.

"Yes!" Li Yi was even more confused. No one in the entire Advisory Office knew him, so how did Old Gu know him?

"Then sit down and finish this game!" Old Gu said in a tone that brooked no argument.

Li Yi thought, well, you're the Party Secretary now, the highest authority in the Advisory Office. If you want me to play, I'll play.

He sat down opposite Old Gu and smiled. "If I win, you can't give me a hard time!"

Old Gu was taken aback and laughed heartily. "If you can beat me, I'll give you the position of Secretary!"

Everyone else laughed heartily. Old Liang patted Li Yi's shoulder and said, "Young man, you're truly fearless!"

Li Yi said, "If I win, I don't want your position. I just want a deputy section-level position!"

"Really?" Old Gu asked, focusing intently. "Are you confident?"

"I've studied your moves, Old Gu. I can't say I'm 100% sure, but I'm 70-80% confident!" Li Yi said confidently.

"Good young man! If you really beat me, I'll use my old face to get you a deputy section-level position!" Old Gu shouted. "But if you lose, you must follow my orders! If I tell you to go east, you can't go west."

"Deal!" Li Yi picked up a black piece and placed it on the board with a slap.

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