Chapter 1503: One smile erases all enmity
The next day.
The transfer order had come down.
In the morning, Dong Xuebing arrived at the office early. After entering his own office, he began to leisurely pack his things, put them into a small cardboard box, organize documents, and label them with the departments they needed to be handed over to.
A few months.
Not too long, not too short.
Dong Xuebing had developed quite an attachment to this place. Although he had eagerly awaited a promotion and transfer back, he felt reluctant to leave now that the moment had arrived. He evaluated his work achievements and various aspects during his tenure in Zhen Shui County. After some contemplation, he scored eighty out of a hundred, considering himself entirely satisfactory. His work achievements were undeniable; he had always performed exceptionally well, seldom making mistakes. Dong Xuebing was most satisfied with his personal growth over the past half year. After experiencing many things, he became more composed and no longer impulsive. Well, at least he had toned down a lot. Dong Xuebing considered this progress. He taught him a lot during his six months here, laying a solid foundation for his future development. So, Dong Xuebing was thankful for this place, grateful to the people of Zhen Shui County, whether they loved him or not, whether they hated him or liked him. In short, it was a myriad of emotions.
Knock, knock, knock.
The sound of knocking on the door.
Secretary Zhang Feng entered, " Mayor Dong, oh, packing up?"
Dong Xuebing smiled, "Secretary Zhang, you're here so early. I thought I was the only one in the office."
"No, Secretary Meng is here too. When he saw your car, he asked me to come and fetch you," Zhang Feng said.
"Okay, let's go then," Dong Xuebing didn't dawdle anymore, putting down his things and following Zhang Feng out of the office and into the Party secretary's office.
Inside.
Secretary Zhang closed the door and left.
Only Secretary Meng Rui and Dong Xuebing remained behind the desk.
"Xuebing, please have a seat. Let's chat," Secretary Meng Rui said with a smile.
"Sure," Dong Xuebing sat down and noticed that Secretary Meng Rui had changed how he addressed him.
Meng Rui looked at him, somewhat regretfully, and said, "Actually, when I received the notice from above, and the leaders from the Organization Department asked for my opinion, I hesitated for a long time. Do you know what I wanted to say at that time? I wanted to tell the City Organization Department and the county Party committee not to transfer you. But in the end, I nodded. Xuebing, I'm about twenty years older than you. After this transfer, we'll be at the same level. But let's not talk about rank or position, just age. I should be considered your elder."
Dong Xuebing nodded, "Of course."
Meng Rui continued, "You're about to leave. There are some things that I may not have the chance to say anymore. Before you go, I want to criticize you a bit. You, kid, have a powerful personality. You're ambitious, emotional, and straightforward. These qualities are good. They're strengths. But when placed within the system, especially in your case, in certain specific situations, these may not necessarily be strengths. They often become your weaknesses."
Dong Xuebing sighed, "I admit that it's true."
Meng Rui pointed at him, "If you continue like this, you'll suffer sooner or later. Take when you first took office, for example. How many troubles did you cause? You dared to challenge even the city leaders and would turn hostile at the drop of a hat. Look at how many people you've offended in our county. Sometimes, you've exasperated me. Your mouth can be infuriating. Several times, you almost gave me hypertension."
Dong Xuebing coughed, "Well, I'm young and hot-headed. You shouldn't compare yourself to me."
Meng Rui chuckled, "But it's strange. Your foul temper and stubbornness make you unparalleled in terms of work capability. I've been in politics for nearly twenty years, and I've never seen a young person as capable as you, not among our peers nor us old folks. Look at how Zhen Shui County was before and after you arrived six months ago. It's like night and day. Yesterday, I talked to County Mayor Jiang, and I think what she said was spot on. We old folks who've been running Zhen Shui County for so many years, what achievements have we made for the people? We should all feel ashamed. So, you're someone I both love and hate. That's my evaluation of you. I feel like kicking you out when I'm angry, but now that you're really leaving, I suddenly feel reluctant."
Honestly, Dong Xuebing hadn't expected Meng Rui to speak to him suddenly in such a manner. For a moment, he was moved. "It's my fault. I tend to get fixated on things and am unwilling to back down. Many things aren't simply choosing between option A or option B. I tend to argue my point and rarely consider things from others' perspectives. I'll pay more attention to this in the future. Secretary Meng, if I've offended you in the past, please don't hold it against me."
Meng Rui waved his hand, "In fact, there are many issues in how we've handled things and communicated with each other."
"It's mostly my fault."
"Hehe, it takes two to tango."
Over the past six months, Dong Xuebing and Meng Rui have experienced many conflicts, differences, and even conflicts more than once. But now, as they spoke, they both smiled slightly and with one smile, they erased all enmity. The various grievances of the past seemed to vanish.
"When's your flight?"
"I drove here, so naturally, I'll drive back. My car is quite expensive; I can't just leave it here. But there's no rush. I'm planning to leave next week. I specifically requested some time off. I'll be reporting to my new position a month later. These days, I'll treat everyone to a meal individually. Thank you all for your help over the past six months."
"Is the handover of work going well?"
"It's almost done."
"Okay, let's meet tonight. I'll book a hotel, and we'll have a meal. Consider it a farewell party for you."
"No need for you to spend money. Haha, I'll book the hotel."
"I said I'll treat you, so don't argue with me. You don't need to worry about it. Just show up. This meal must be on me. First, it's to bid you farewell, and second, to thank you for your contributions to Zhen Shui County," Meng Rui said.
Dong Xuebing was pleasantly surprised, "That's too kind of you."
Meng Rui stood up, smiling, and patted Dong Xuebing on the shoulder, "You, a cadre at the Division level, not yet twenty-six years old. I don't know how many people will be shocked if this gets reported. I'm increasingly curious to see how far you, kid, can go."
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