Xu Damao's office is not small, with a desk, several bookshelves and a few chairs, but it still feels crowded when about ten people come in together.
Xu Damao sat down in the chair behind his desk first, while Peng Shitou was about to sit down in a chair next to him.
“There aren’t enough chairs in this office, so it’s not good for anyone to sit or for anyone to not sit. So you’ll all have to stand. It won’t be long, so please bear with it,” Xu Damao said.
Xu Damao's words made Peng Shitou, who was half-squatting and about to sit down, very uncomfortable. Sitting down was not good, but standing up was not reconcilable. Thus, the image of a deputy section chief with his butt sticking out was formed in the minds of everyone in the transportation department.
After hesitating for a while, Peng Shitou, seeing that Xu Damao still wouldn't let him sit down, had no choice but to stand in the room like the others and listen to Xu Damao speak.
“I’m new to the transportation department, and I’m not very familiar with many of the tasks. So, each of you will report on your department’s work and future plans one by one. Let’s start with Lao Peng,” Xu Damao said.
Peng Shitou hadn't expected Xu Damao to target him so specifically from the start, treating him the same as everyone else and requiring him to report to each person individually. He'd always been in charge of the overall situation, with everyone else doing their own work, so what was the point of reporting?
"Section Chief Xu, I've always been in charge of the Transportation Section, so I haven't done any specific work. Let them report." Old Peng didn't dare call him Section Chief Xu anymore.
"So you mean you don't know anything? What's the point of having you as the deputy section chief?" Xu Damao said with dissatisfaction.
"Section Chief Xu, that's not how it works. I meant that the people specifically responsible for the work just need to report. I was in charge of the overall situation before, so their reports were exactly what I needed to report, to avoid duplication."
"Besides, I was the only leader in the department before, and I had to handle all the reporting to higher authorities and other external coordination work. It was impossible for me to manage every aspect of the department's work." Peng Shitou felt that speaking was really difficult today.
"You mean you can't do it by yourself? It's okay. Our transportation department already has two deputy section chiefs. Considering that you can't handle it by yourself, I will apply to the leadership to add a deputy section chief from among the group leaders and section chiefs present."
"Alright, since you have nothing to report, the others will begin their reports."
Xu Damao didn't give Peng Shitou a chance to explain, and directly invoked the section chief's authority. Why is a superior a superior? Because they hold more power and more resources. Xu Damao wanted to prevent the transportation section from becoming stagnant as before.
"Section Chief, let me begin the report. Our General Affairs Office is currently..."
And so, one after another, they began to give their reports. Regardless of what these people were really thinking, at least their reports sounded professional.
"Alright, everyone's reports today have been very detailed, and I've taken notes quite a bit. Let's make a rule that from now on, unless there are special circumstances, we'll have a morning meeting every Monday to briefly summarize last week's work and also discuss this week's key tasks. The meeting can be a little short."
Also, if there are any problems in the department that are difficult to solve, please feel free to report them to me directly. Don't keep them to yourself.
"Meeting adjourned. Those from the General Affairs Office, please stay behind." Xu Damao said.
"Section Chief Xu, wait a moment." Just as everyone was about to disperse, Peng Shitou interrupted, indicating that he had something to say.
"What's the matter, Lao Peng?" Xu Damao asked.
"Section Chief Xu, I used to be in charge of all the work. Now that you're here, I don't need to be in charge anymore. So, I'd like to ask, what areas will I be responsible for?" Peng Shitou asked anxiously.
In a typical department, the head of the department oversees the overall situation, while the deputies are responsible for specific tasks. In this way, all the deputies can manage a part of the work, and their power originates from this.
"Old Peng, I know you have a lot to do, but what can you do as just a deputy section chief? How are we supposed to divide the work? Are you going to share the work with me?"
"Even if you have to work hard, you'll still help me manage everything. Also, if there are other things to do here, you'll have to be there for me." Xu Damao walked over and patted Comrade Peng on the shoulder.
Peng Shitou, however, looked constipated.
It sounds nice to say that you'll assist in management of everything, but with a boss around, it means that nothing you say will matter. Without a clear division of responsibilities, the section chiefs and team leaders below you certainly won't report to you; they'll report directly to Xu Damao, making you just a figurehead.
Peng Shitou gave the team leader a look and walked out with a helpless expression.
Ma Xiaoyun, the director of the general office, is a woman in her forties. She has a kind and honest appearance, but her husband is a workshop director.
"Director Ma, please send me all the documents and materials from our transportation department for the past three years," Xu Damao instructed. For a new official, the simplest way to understand a unit is through its documents.
"Okay, Section Chief Xu. Boss, do you have time tonight? My husband would like to invite you to dinner," Ma Xiaoyun invited.
I don't know if it was a last-minute invitation or if they had prepared in advance.
"Have someone deliver the materials first. As for dinner, let's do it later. I'll treat you two then. I just got back to the main factory these past few days, and I've been quite busy," Xu Damao declined.
On their very first day there, before they even knew anything about the place, they went to eat at someone's restaurant and were taken advantage of without even realizing it.
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In a truck in the parking lot, Peng Shitou and the team leader Qian Dabao sat in the driver's seat and the passenger seat, smoking and chatting.
In the entire transportation department, apart from Xu Damao, no one else had a private office. So if they had any private matters to discuss, they would go outside, while the team members preferred to stay in their vehicles.
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