Chapter 201 What’s wrong with Director Ming?
With the exception of Xiaolin, dinner was one of the most complete dinners since arriving in Shangzhou. With Shi Ge cooking, the table was overflowing with delicious dishes.
During the meal, the men all drank a bit and were in high spirits. My mother praised Shi Ge, saying that his cooking skills had improved since he came to the provincial capital, and urged him to drink more. Shi Ge said, "Drink as much as you want, I have a day off tomorrow anyway."
I slapped my forehead. I was so busy that I forgot tomorrow was Sunday. We only have four days off a month, and there's no compensatory leave for overtime.
I picked up the pot and said, "My brother-in-law won't drink anymore. He has to look at houses tomorrow morning. Brother Shi, let's have another big drink. After that, Yifan will take you back to have a good rest."
Brother Shi didn't refuse, and we drank to our heart's content.
After taking a shower, I felt dizzy, so I climbed into bed and fell asleep.
I slept soundly that night. The next morning, I woke up to a few missed calls. They were from Shi Ting, Chen Chu, Yi Shu...
I had no choice but to answer them one by one. The tone was basically the same: they'd learned I was in Shangzhou after seeing the Taiyi Temple opening ceremony or the Sun-Chasing performance on TV and finding out who the main characters were. They all asked me why I hadn't contacted them.
I explained that I was new to the job and was completely overwhelmed. I promised to spend more time with them, chatting, and eating.
After hanging up the phone, I carefully analyzed the truth of what these people said. Yishu didn't know, which was understandable because I never post on WeChat Moments. Shi Ting, I half understood. Ever since Master's accident, he seemed to have disappeared. Of course, he didn't post on WeChat Moments either.
Director Shen should have known I was in Shangzhou. Mingbai often contacted him. So, I couldn't help but call Mingbai.
"Director Ming, long time no see."
A voice came from the other end: "Teacher Wan, do you still remember me?"
"Why are you talking like that? I'm just a little out of breath because I'm busy... By the way, you haven't been to the provincial capital for so long?"
The voice on the other end was a little low: "I'm in some trouble."
I was startled and asked hurriedly, "Tell me."
After talking on the phone for half an hour, the situation was roughly like this:
The environmental sanitation of the Zimu Mountain Scenic Area improved year by year, and the provincial department asked the municipal bureau to recommend a comrade for the title of National Advanced Individual. Director Zhang summoned Mingbai to his office for a private discussion, demanding that Mingbai give him the credit for the closed-door management of Zimu Mountain and the corresponding compensation for his work.
I said, "You're under the jurisdiction of the Construction Bureau, and he's under the Urban Management Bureau. How are they connected?"
Ming Bai said: "Our city is carrying out reforms, and the sanitation department has been put back under the Urban Management Bureau. The Urban Management Bureau and the Construction Bureau have been merged, so we are still together."
I said, "It's such a mess. I don't understand it."
Then he continued:
Director Zhang explicitly told Mingbai that the idea had come from him, Director Zhang, and that Mingbai had only done some specific work under the direction of the director. He also instructed Mingbai to be responsible for reviewing the materials of the advanced individuals.
Mingbai quit, saying everyone knew he was the one who came up with the idea. Director Zhang then spread the word, saying he was just trying to help Mingbai out and give him a promotion, and so he acquiesced. Having given Mingbai such a huge advantage, he turned his back on him, fighting for reputation. This kind of person has ulterior motives.
So, now the two of them are at loggerheads, and the leaders above are unable to determine who is right or wrong, so they cancelled this advanced indicator.
Director Ming finally said, "I can't bring you up here, it would be disadvantageous to me. I have no choice but to suffer in silence. Now we are at loggerheads. I've been wanting to talk to you for a long time, but I always pick up my phone and put it down again, let alone contact with others. You go home after work, Master, I'm really a little discouraged."
I tried to comfort him, but for a moment, I felt powerless. I wasn't part of the system, so I couldn't get involved in this kind of thing.
Director Zhang is indeed cunning and shameless. He said that the idea was his own, and no one recorded it, so no one can be the judge.
Besides, he had originally tacitly acknowledged Director Ming's achievements in order to help Director Ming advance his career, but now Director Ming had become Director Ming. In the eyes of others, Ming was the one who would destroy the bridge after crossing it.
I'm worried about Mingbai. If things continue like this, it will be bad for him. It's easy for the head of the department to find trouble with the deputy. They can isolate him first, then find small mistakes he makes at work, magnify them again and again, and then report them to the leaders of the municipal bureau. Maybe Mingbai will even lose his position.
The image of him clearly emerged in my mind. He sent me fish, cured meat, and red envelopes, and promised to hold an event at his place for the Prose Society. In order to borrow money, he took me to see his cousin.
A sense of chivalry fills my heart.
The others could be contacted slowly, but Director Shen was the only one he had to meet. Even if that didn't give Bai Ming some closure, he could still talk to Director Shen about Director Zhang. He was the Director of Finance, and Director Zhang needed him. Having him give Director Zhang the cold shoulder would at least give Bai Ming some closure.
I called Ming Bai again and asked, "Director, I want to ask you something. That year, I did a fortune-telling for Director Shen's daughter and it said that she could get into a 985 or 211 university. What happened to her later?"
"I passed the exam, what's the matter?"
"Take your time, I'll tell you when the time comes."
I called Director Shen again: "Hello, Director, I drank too much last night and missed too many calls. I wanted to chat with you for a while, but the calls kept coming in. Now that I feel a little more relaxed, I want to ask about your daughter's situation."
"Master, I was just about to thank you. But then you just hung up. Thank you for your prediction. It worked as I wished."
"Haha, that's good. I also want to tell you one thing, your daughter had better not have a romantic relationship at school, because her horoscope indicates that she will marry late..."
Before I could finish, he said, "How about this, I'll treat you to dinner. I really want to talk to you."
Actually, I was just waiting for this sentence. So I said, "Okay. Long time no see. I should have reported to you earlier when I got to your place. It's not too late to make amends now."
"I'll contact you later after I've contacted the place."
…
At noon, my sister and brother-in-law returned. They said they had a very pleasant discussion with the other party. The whole family gathered together to listen to my sister's account of the negotiation.
The landlord was a 70-year-old man who owned more than ten shops on that street. His only daughter had gone abroad. He collected rent from the houses and lived a carefree life.
The reason they got along so well was that Gao Xu came in and praised the calligraphy on the wall. The old man asked what was so good about it. Gao Xu said that although the characters looked crooked, they actually had an ancient air, majestic and elegant, and that it took ten years of practice to write them.
This sentence made the old man like Gao Xu. Because the old man was a teacher and had practiced calligraphy for decades, others thought his handwriting was all crooked and ugly. As soon as Gao Xu came in, he touched the old man's sore spot. The old man immediately hugged Gao Xu and said, "You are a real expert."
This was probably the first time my sister introduced her husband in such an excited tone.
I looked at my brother-in-law: "Is this really the reason?"
My brother-in-law nodded seriously.
I said to my sister, "It takes a thousand days to raise an army, but only a moment to deploy it. You'll realize that the bigger the place, the more popular your brother-in-law is, right?"
My sister insisted: "This time, it is indeed his credit."
My dad said, "Have a bottle of good wine."
During lunch, I drink more moderately.
My sister was very excited and said that since the old man was so knowledgeable, she would go back and find Xiaolin as soon as possible to look at the place first, then draw a plan, and start decorating after the New Year.
At this time, Director Shen called and told me that I was having dinner at Sai Jiangnan. He said that after dinner, we could go to the teahouse above the hotel to chat.
Didn't Zuo Qingfen ask me to meet her today? She hasn't contacted me yet, so it's probably just for tea. Anyway, let's prioritize Director Ming's business. I can turn her down. After a few times, she'll get the idea.
Just at this moment, Zuo Qingfen called.
…
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