Power and Wealth

Noon.

Lunchtime.

News of Dong Xuebing getting 50 million RMB from the Central Government spread quickly and caused an uproar.

“50 million RMB!”

“Is it true, Old Liu?”

“Did the Finance Ministry give our County so much money?”

“I heard it from the Party Committee people. How can it be wrong?”

“I heard about it too. The money has reached the Provincial Government, and we will get it soon.”

“Our County will have money to develop, and we can get our salaries.”

“Mayor Dong is amazing. So many leaders had gone to the Central Government to ask for funding, and they failed. He has only been there once and got so much money in a few days.”

“Mayor Dong is capable.”

“Yes. He must be capable, or how can he become a Deputy Bureau Chief at his age?”

“No wonder he dares to go against Deputy Secretary Zhang when he returns. He even crashed his daughter’s wedding.”

“That’s right. Secretary Meng and his men cannot do anything to him.”

County Party Committee Building.

Cafeteria.

Dong Xuebing entered the cafeteria to get his lunch.

Many leaders and staff greeted him.

“Mayor Dong.”

“Mayor Dong.”

“Please have my seat.”

Dong Xuebing smiled and waved his hand. He took his lunch and sat at an empty table in a corner. The cafeteria is run down, and the food is average. The leaders eat the same food as the staff, but they have special privileges. He got more meat compared to the staff members. This is the advantage of being a leader; there’s no equality anywhere in the government.

“Oh, Mayor Dong. You are here.”

“Yes. I just reached.”

“Why are you having your lunch so late?”

“I was busy and came out late.”

A few grassroots committee office leaders walked over to greet Dong Xuebing. They chatted as if they were close. The political environment has changed now. Secretary Meng used to have an overall say in the County, and the Jiang Faction was too weak to go against him. All the leaders will try to avoid getting too close to the Jiang Faction. They cannot afford to offend Secretary Meng. However, everything changed after Mayor Dong arrived. He turned things around in a short period. Because of him, the Jiang faction will dare to attack now. The County Commission for Discipline Inspection and United Front Work had joined the Jiang faction, and everyone heard about it.

Of course, the main reason is that 50 million RMB.

Everyone in the County is eyeing the fund.

Every department wanted to increase its budget.

Dong Xuebing had gotten this sum of money.

He is also in charge of the Finance Department.

Even the Finance Department’s No. 1 and 2 switched sides after going to Beijing with Dong Xuebing.

Dong Xuebing has a say on how they will allocate the fund. With the Jiang Faction and Dong Xuebing’s credit getting stronger, everyone starts to suck up to him. Although the Finance department is a good department, the County does not have extra funds to do anything. This resulted in the leader in charge of this department not having the authority.

50 million….

Who is not envious of Dong Xuebing?

“Are you free this evening? I wish to invite you to dinner.”

“Let’s have dinner another time. I just landed and still have not packed my apartment.”

“Sure… sure…. I will arrange for someday when you are free. You must come.”

“Don’t say that. We are not outsiders. Let’s discuss again another time.”

Dong Xuebing finished his lunch and left the cafeteria when another group of County Government leaders stopped him.

These people….

All of them are approaching him because of the fund.

Dong Xuebing shook his head and smiled.

Afternoon.

Executive Deputy Mayor Office.

Dong Xuebing was in a good mood as they would receive the fund soon. This will increase his achievements and give him more say in the County. He should be able to transfer back and get a promotion before Huilan gives birth.

Dong Xuebing smoked a cigarette and enjoyed tea.

He was thinking about how he would spend this 50 million RMB. Although he does not decide this, he has a say in it.

One hour….

Two hours….

Dong Xuebing looked at the time and called Yao Cui.

“Hello, Xiao Yao. It’s me.”

“Are you looking for me, Mayor Dong?”

“The Finance Ministry said the money will be in today. It’s almost the end of the day. Can you check with the Finance Department if they have received the fund?”

“Ok. I will ask them now.”

Yao Cui called after a while.

“Mayor Dong, they say they have not received it.”

“What so late?”

“Do you want me to call and chase them?”

“The money is coming in through the proper channel. You cannot expedite the process. Never mind. Let’s wait.”

Dong Xuebing also wants to hurry but cannot call the Provincial Government leaders.

Dong Xuebing waited for a while more.

Ring… ring… ring…. The phone on his desk rang.

Dong Xuebing snubbed the cigarette and cleared his throat before answering the phone. “Hello, I am Dong Xuebing.”

“Mayor Dong. The money is here.” It was the County Finance Department Chief Yan Yizhi, and he sounded angry.

“Oh, what happened, Old Yan?” Dong Xuebing noticed his tone and got a bad feeling.

Yan Yizhi inhaled deeply.

“Old Yan?” Dong Xuebing frowned. “What happened?!”

“We received a sum of money, but the bank informed us that it is only 5 million RMB.”

“5 million RMB?!” Dong Xuebing was shocked, and his face changed. “45 million RMB went missing?!”

Yan Yizhi replied. “I don’t know what happened, but I am sure something is wrong. I immediately send someone to check the accounts. It’s too….”

“Are Secretary Meng and Mayor Jiang aware of this?”

“I am going to inform them. They should not know about this yet.”

Dong Xuebing wanted to ask Yan Yizhi to hide it from them, but he knew it was useless. He hung up the call and narrowed his eyes. He had announced to everyone that the 50 million RMB would be in. The whole County government leaders know about it. But the 50 million RMB turned into 5 million RMB! It’s ten times lesser! This made him look like a fool.

Dong Xuebing took out his phone and called Xie Guoliang.

“Hello, Eldest Uncle. I am Xiao Bing.”

“Xiao Bing…. I am busy now. Let’s talk later.”

“I will not take up much time. Why did the Finance Ministry’s 50 million RMB become 5 million RMB? Did they make a mistake?”

“5 million RMB?!”

“Yes. We received the fun, and it’s short of one zero.”

“I had signed off that fund. It will not be wrong. It was 50 million RMB when we transferred to your province.”

“Are you saying someone had siphoned most of the funds during the process?”

“This is common. I specifically asked my men to inform your provincial government leaders. They know about the fun and will not dare to take the money. When the fund was transferred from the city to your County, something had gone wrong. Go and check.”

“That means the City does this.”

“Yes. It should be them.”

“They dare to siphon the fund issued by the Central Government?”

“Why not? They are located too far away from the Central Government. Also, they can find all sorts of excuses to stop the money. They can claim to use it for disaster relief, helping the poor, managing the fund on behalf of the County, etc. You must find the fund and try to get it back quickly. Nothing will be left if it passes through other hands.” Xie Guoliang frowned. “Taking away 45 million RMB is too much. Let me know if you cannot handle them. I will call your province’s finance department to pressure them. But I cannot promise anything if your city is determined to keep the fund. There’s not much I can do except to give them some pressure.”

The Central Government is too far away.

Although Xie Guoliang holds a high rank, the grassroots level is too far from him. It’s hard for him to interfere with a city. This area is not the Xie family’s turf and is secluded. They don’t have any connections here.

Dong Xuebing clenched his teeth and said. “I had troubled you for the fund. I will handle this myself. Thank you, Uncle.”

“All right.”

“Bye.”

The office phone rang after Dong Xuebing hung up.

It’s the Finance Department Deputy Chief Chen Xiaomei. “Hello, Mayor Dong. Chief Yan had reported to Secretary Meng and Mayor Jiang. We just discovered that the Provincial Government wired 50 million RMB to us through the City Finance Department. But it became 5 million RMB when it reaches us.”

“So, it’s the City government who took the money.”

“Yes. It’s all recorded.”

It is the City!

Dong Xuebing’s face changed. F**k! You all are too much! Do you think our County is a pushover?!