Zhang Ruoming and his wife, Li Qing, stood at the gate, glancing at the main road leading to the residential area from time to time. Both of them were excited, anxious, and expectant.
He should be here soon. Zhang Ruoming looked at his watch. It had been more than ten minutes since Chen Xing called him. At this time, there wouldn't be any traffic jams in the city, so Chen Xing should be here soon.
Yes, he should be here soon. Li Qing nodded, looking back and forth on both sides of the road. Perhaps it was because she wanted her husband to succeed, but she was even more anxious than him. This was a chance for her husband to make a meteoric rise. As long as Chen Xing became the mayor of Nanzhou City and was willing to help her husband, her husband wouldn't have a meteoric rise, but at least he would be in a better situation than he was now.
As the couple spoke, a car approached from afar. When the car was close to the neighborhood, it slowly stopped. The couple couldn't open their eyes from the car's light. When they saw the car approaching, they subconsciously walked over. When they saw that it was Chen Xing, Zhang Ruoming was so happy that he forgot himself. Chen Xing, you're still the same. You haven't changed at all. You're much younger than when I saw you on TV, just like before.
As Zhang Ruoming spoke, Li Qing nudged him with her elbow. Zhang Ruoming came to his senses and smiled awkwardly. He was now facing Chen Xing, the mayor of a city, not just a university classmate. Him calling Chen Xing 'you brat' was a little disrespectful to Chen Xing.
I haven't changed much, but aren't you the same? I heard that your son already knows how to buy soy sauce, but you're still as young as ever. Chen Xing got out of the car and patted Zhang Ruoming's shoulder. He didn't mind Zhang Ruoming's way of addressing him. There was no need to be so formal between classmates in private situations.
After graduation, he didn't have any achievements. He couldn't establish a career and could only get married early. Zhang Ruoming smiled bitterly. I can't compare to you, Mayor Chen. You're the one with a successful career.
Ruoming, if you speak like that, then I won't be happy. There's no need to be polite between us classmates. If you call me Chen Xing, I'll feel more comfortable. Chen Xing smiled and shook his head. He glanced at Li Qing and nodded slightly. This must be your wife.
Yes, this is my wife, Li Qing. Zhang Ruoming looked at his wife with tenderness in his eyes.
Hello, Mayor Chen. Li Qing also hurried to greet Chen Xing. Her voice sounded slightly nervous.
Ruo Ming, why is your wife acting like you? Both of you should change it. We're not in the workplace, so there's no need to be so formal. Just call me by my name. That way, I'll feel more comfortable hearing it. Chen Xing smiled and waved his hand. He was very easy-going.
Chen … Zhang Ruoming's mouth almost couldn't stop moving. Looking at Chen Xing from head to toe, Zhang Ruoming's heart was filled with emotions. Chen Xing still looked like the same Chen Xing, just that there was something different about him. Not only did he give off an amiable vibe, but he also possessed an irresistible charm. After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Ruoming said in a carefree manner, "I'll still call you Chen Xing then. I'll call you Mayor Chen in the workplace.
"That's right. You shouldn't be so distant in private." Chen Xing nodded with a smile.
After asking the driver to wait downstairs, Chen Xing followed Zhang Ruoming and his wife upstairs. They entered Zhang Ruoming's two-bedroom and one-living room home. Chen Xing roughly looked at the house and smiled. "Not bad. It's a very warm family."
"That's all I can do. I can't be rich, but I'm content with a little bit of wealth." Zhang Ruoming nodded with a smile. He had always been the kind of person who didn't care about anything, but he was also a bit nationalistic. Therefore, he was destined to be unable to fight for anything in his unit. He was just a director and had a stable job as a civil servant, so he lived like this. For Zhang Ruoming, this kind of life was actually very comfortable.
It's good to have this kind of mentality. "Your realm is much higher than mine. It seems that I'll have to learn from you in the future." Chen Xing glanced at Zhang Ruoming with a smile. Li Qing was busy making tea, and Chen Xing didn't stop her.
"Chen Xing, you're flattering me. My realm is far lower than yours. It's nothing more than a self-comforting mentality." Zhang Ruoming smiled bitterly and sat upright. He still couldn't let go of himself in front of his old classmate.
"City Mayor … Chen Xing, please have some tea." Li Qing used both hands to place a cup of tea in front of Chen Xing, calling him by his name. Li Qing's expression was awkward, not only because she couldn't let it go, but also because this was the first time she had addressed him by his name. Li Qing felt very strange. Thinking about how she was able to sit together with the mayor and call him by his name, Li Qing felt very proud. She thought that if she were to go back to the office and tell her colleagues who liked to show off, they probably wouldn't believe her and would think that she was bragging. However, she wasn't someone who liked to show off, so she couldn't bring this matter to the office.
Chen Xing took a sip of the tea and looked at Zhang Ruoming. "Ruoming, you're working in the city's statistics bureau now?
Yes, I met the recruitment of local civil servants after I graduated, so I signed up for the exam. I accidentally passed, and I've been cooped up in the unit until now. I don't have much prospects. Hehe, I'm a person who likes to live a comfortable life. I'm satisfied as long as I have enough to eat and wear. Unlike my other classmates, I heard that many people in our class have come out to explore the world, and some of them have made great achievements. " Zhang Ruoming smiled bitterly. He only got in touch with Huang Ming a few days ago, and only now did he know that Huang Ming had opened his own hotel. For Zhang Ruoming, who received a fixed salary, this was really surprising. He didn't expect his former classmate to have such achievements.
Some people succeeded, but there were definitely some who failed. Not everyone could succeed in their career, or else there wouldn't be so many people fighting for a job as a civil servant. Most people still hoped for a stable life. Chen Xing smiled, then suddenly thought of something. Chen Xing took out a document from his bag. This was submitted by your statistics bureau, right? As an insider, let me take a look and see if it's real.
Zhang Ruoming took the document from Chen Xing's hands, and after a careful look, his expression became strange. This was last year's Nanzhou City's GDP statement, cash flow statement, balance sheet, and other national economic balance statements. He was the one who made these forms last year, so he couldn't be more familiar with the data. Now that he was looking at this document, many of the economic data was clearly made up. Others might not be able to tell, but an expert like Zhang Ruoming could see through it with a glance.
Thinking back to a few days ago when Wang Huachuan asked him to work overtime and make a new form, the corner of Zhang Ruoming's mouth couldn't help but twitch. Could it be that Chen Xing wanted this information, and Wang Huachuan lost the file, so he made him do it at the last minute? He didn't pay attention to Wang Huachuan at the time, and he didn't know who Wang Huachuan found to make these forms, but it ended up in Chen Xing's hands.
Did you see any problems? Chen Xing glanced at Zhang Ruoming. He wasn't good at statistics, but that didn't mean he could be easily fooled. He could more or less see something fishy in these forms.
Some of the data was a little ridiculous. Zhang Ruoming shook his head and smiled. Chen Xing, if you want a more detailed one, I'll give you one in a few days. It's fine if you don't look at this one.
What's going on? Was this made up by your statistics bureau? Chen Xing frowned.
This was made up by someone from our statistics bureau, but that person definitely isn't in charge of this area, so this form doesn't have much reference value. Last year's relevant economic data forms were made up by me. If our department didn't lose the file, this one should be my handiwork. Zhang Ruoming smiled. When it came to work, Zhang Ruoming seemed a little more confident. Li Qing looked at her husband's expression and sighed in her heart. It wasn't that her husband was incapable, he was just buried. The system was the place with the most talents, but it was also the place where the most talents were buried.
How could such an important file be lost? I think the relevant leaders in your department are very incompetent. Chen Xing said casually, but if these words fell into the ears of the leaders in the statistics bureau, who knew how many people would feel like they were sitting on pins and needles.
A few days ago, Deputy Director Wang of our department asked me to work overtime to make a new copy of last year's form. I didn't reject him at that time, and I even argued with him the next day. I said that he didn't know where the original form went, and that he wanted us to work overtime for his mistake. I wouldn't do it. Haha, if I knew it was you who wanted it, I would've just taken his anger and made a new one. Zhang Ruoming smiled.
Aren't you afraid of your superiors making things difficult for you if you don't get along well with them? Chen Xing glanced at Zhang Ruoming with a smile.
It's not that I'm going against him on purpose, but that Deputy Director Wang is a little too much. Not only does he always skip work, but he also often forgets his work. He can even lose some important documents, and then let our subordinates take the blame for his mistakes. This isn't the first time something like this has happened. Chen Xing, you know that I'm a straightforward person, so I just argued with him.
What, how can someone like this stay in a leadership position? Don't the main leaders in your department have any objections?
Who dares to object? That Deputy Director Wang's father is the bureau chief, and he has the final say in the department. No matter how many mistakes he has made, no one dares to point them out. In fact, they even have to suck up to him. Ruoming's department evaluates outstanding people every year, and he's the one who often misses work for no reason. Li Qing, who was standing to the side, was also impatient and spoke out in an indignant tone. She also wanted to complain about her husband's injustice. Now that there was such an opportunity, she wanted to complain about Wang Huachuan. That Deputy Director Wang only graduated two years ago. I heard that when he graduated, he almost didn't even get his diploma because he failed too many subjects. It was only because of his father's friendship with the school's leaders that he was able to get his diploma. Such a person, just four years after graduating from school, he's only 26 years old this year, yet he's already the Deputy Director of Ruo Ming's Bureau's National Economic Planning and Accounting Department.
Who told you to talk so much? Zhang Ruoming nudged his wife and complained. No matter how many mistakes Wang Huachuan has made, there's no need to rush to complain to Chen Xing. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. That's why he didn't directly say that Wang Huachuan is the son of the bureau chief. So what? Saying so much to Chen Xing at the first meeting might have the opposite effect.
I'm speaking the truth. Isn't Wang Huachuan the son of the bureau chief? Didn't you say it before? Many people in your department are secretly discussing whether your bureau chief is preparing to train his successor and wants to pass his position to his son. Li Qing mumbled softly. It seemed like she was protesting against her husband, but in fact, she was saying it for Chen Xing to hear.
If you have something to say, it's better to be honest. Chen Xing looked at the couple and smiled.
Zhang Ruoming laughed dryly. He didn't know what Chen Xing was thinking after hearing this, so he changed the topic. Chen Xing, logically speaking, the bureau originally submitted a copy of this information to the municipal government office. The municipal government office should also have a file. Why did they suddenly ask the statistics bureau to submit a copy at the last minute?
When Zhang Ruoming mentioned this, Chen Xing was also stunned. Now that Zhang Ruoming mentioned it, it wasn't hard to guess that this information might have been submitted by the Municipal Government office at the last minute. This was a little strange.
Chen Xing frowned and didn't speak for a moment. It seemed like a small matter, but it more or less showed the complicated situation of the Municipal Government. It seemed like a calm lake, but under the surface was a turbulent undercurrent.
Chen Xing, I'll go to the office tomorrow and quickly make a new copy. I'll give it to you in two days. I did last year's copy, and I still remember most of it. It'll be fast to make a new copy. Zhang Ruoming realized that he seemed to have asked something he shouldn't have.
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