Power and Wealth

Sunday.

Dong Xuebing woke up early in the morning after he heard the door opening.

Luan Xiaoping entered the room with an angry expression. She gave Dong Xuebing a stare. "I am warning you. You cannot drink anymore in the future. Last night, you addressed your Uncle Yang as Old Yang and even…" She did not continue but was touched by what her son said. "Just stop drinking so much in the future. You hear me?"

Dong Xuebing nodded. "Ok, ok… where's Old Yang?"

"You are still calling him Old Yang?!" Luan Xiaoping said angrily. "Call him Uncle Yang!"

Dong Xuebing laughed. "Alright… I will call him whatever you want me to."

Luan Xiaoping is pleased. "Get up now. Your Uncle Yang is preparing breakfast. I want to help, but he refused. He says he wants you to try his cooking."

Dong Xuebing quickly put on his clothes. "Old Yang is making me feel awkward. Mum, throw my socks over. I will go and help Uncle Yang." Yesterday was the first time they met, and Dong Xuebing is considered a guest. But now, he is considered a junior after he accepted Yang Zhaode and his mother's relationship. It is not right for him to let an elder cook for him.

When Dong Xuebing finished brushing his teeth, breakfast is ready.

"Xiao Bing, have a seat." Yang Zhaode smiled. "Try my cooking."

Dong Xuebing acknowledged. "Sorry for not helping. Alright, I will prepare lunch today. You must not stop me."

Yang Zhaode nodded. "Ok. We can see who can cook better!"

Dong Xuebing sat down and took a sip of the soup. "Ah… your cooking is better than my Mum's. How can I challenge your cooking?" This is not flattery, and it is delicious. He guesses Old Yang should have been cooking for a few decades.

Yang Zhaode laughed. "Good to know you like it. Here, try this."

Drinking can bring people closer, and Dong Xuebing and Yang Zhaode had met for the first time yesterday. But they had drunk twice and are much closer now. Seeing Old Yang and her son joking around, Luan Xiaoping's eyes turned red and felt bliss.

Dong Xuebing got a fright. "Mum, what are you doing?"

Luan Xiaoping quickly wiped her tears. "Nothing… nothing… the wind blew a grain of dust into my eyes."

Dong Xuebing is amused. "The winds are all closed, and there's no wind."

"Yay… yay… yay… you are the smart one." Luan Xiaoping gave Dong Xuebing a stare. "Stop talking and eat your food!"

Yang Zhaode laughed and looked at Dong Xuebing. "Your mother is the highest-ranking officer here. Hurry up and eat, or else the leader will get angry. Hahaha…"

Luan Xiaoping heard this and pushed Old Yang's shoulder lightly.

Dong Xuebing saw everything and felt Old Yang is a good man. He has a good temper, cheerful, and knows how to cheer his mother. His mother is really capable of mesmerizing such a man. It seems that she had gotten Old Yang wrapped around her finger.

Ring… ring… ring… Old Yang's mobile phone rang.

Luan Xiaoping immediately brings his phone over.

Yang Zhaode answered. "Hello… huh? Ok… what time? Hmm… now? Alright. Ok… I know."

After Yang Zhaode hangs up, Luan Xiaoping asked. "Are you going back to your office now?"

"No." Yang Zhaode replied. "It's about the incident not long ago. The City Mayor had removed our City's State Security's Head."

Dong Xuebing is puzzled. "Isn't State Security a direct department to their higher-ups?"

Yang Zhaode laughed. "Even if the City's State Security Head is reporting directly to their higher-ups, it is still a government department. The local government will still have some say in it. The former Bureau Director Tang had not informed the City Government about the State Security's mission several times and had embarrassed the Mayor. Another incident happened earlier, and even the Party Secretary is mad. They reflected this issue to the higher-ups, and Director Tang was transferred to another city."

Dong Xuebing knows the City Mayor and Party Secretary will not see eye-to-eye. To let them report to the higher-ups together, this Director Tang must have pissed them off badly.

"Haha… Let's not talk about this and continue eating." Yang Zhaode said.

After eating, Dong Xuebing did not dare to let Old Yang do the dishes. He quickly grabbed all the dishes to the kitchen to wash them.

Suddenly, Dong Xuebing's phone rang.

Dong Xuebing dried his hands and took out his phone from his pocket. It is Xu Yan. Deputy Bureau Chief Xu was Dong Xuebing's former leader with Beijing Western District State Security. He had asked her to help him get his passport when he went to Korea. But Xu Yan seldom calls him. Did something happen?

"Hello, Chief Xu."

"Xiao Dong, are you working today?"

"No. I gave myself two days off from work." Lots of people are still working at the Investment Promotion Agency even on Sunday.

Xu Yan laughed. "Haha… you had to climb up the ranks quite fast. Times passes quite fast. Just one year ago, you were still with the General Affairs Office, and I go to work with worries every day. I wonder what trouble you will get into… Hahaha… it's already one year, and you are promoted so many times. Now, you are the head of a department and can even give yourself days off from work."

Dong Xuebing laughed. "Chief Xu, I can get to where I am now is all because of your guidance and help. I will never forget you clearing up the mess after all the troubles I created."

Dong Xuebing is really grateful to Xu Yan. She had helped him countless times and supported him when Chief Zhen wants to deal with him. He felt he can never get to his position now without Xu Yan's help in the past.

"Ok. This is what I want to hear from you." Xu Yan laughed. "Now, your Old Leader is facing some problems. Are you willing to help me?"

Dong Xuebing paused for a second and replied. "You don't even need to ask. I will do everything in my power to help you!"

Xu Yan is pleased with Dong Xuebing's reply. Most people will ask what favor she is asking before they reply, but Xiao Dong agreed without hesitation. She knew she had not helped the groomed the wrong person in the past. "Good to hear this. But you might be powerless to help also."

Dong Xuebing asked. "Can you tell me about your problem first?"

Xu Yan sighed. "After you left, my relationship with Chief Zhen got worse. After that, an unpleasant incident happened, and Zhen Anguo and I had officially fallen out with each other. You had helped Panwei got a transfer to your side, right? You should have heard something from him. The General Office Chief had changed, and he is Chief Zhen's man. He doesn't follow my orders, and my power at the Branch's Party Committee is getting smaller. Life is really tough now."

Dong Xuebing frowned and scolded Zhen Guoan. "You are thinking of…"

Xu Yan paused for a few seconds and continued. "I had been asking around and hope to have a change in environment. I heard that your Feng Zhou City's State Security Bureau Chief had been removed by the City's Party Secretary and Mayor, right?"

Dong Xuebing understood the underlying hint. "Yes."

Xu Yan continued. "I heard about the reason. The relationships between your local government and local State Security bureau had soured. Under normal circumstances, the Provincial State Security can just appoint a new Chief to the City. But now, they had to seek Feng Zhou City Government's opinions first, which is out of the norm. I will not beat around the bush. I am asking… if you can help me get a transfer over to Feng Zhou City if that's possible."

Xu Yan's rank is Deputy Director, and Feng Zhou City's State Security Bureau Chief is a Director rank position. It is not a problem for her to take on this position. But to get a transfer from Beijing Branch District Bureau to a City Bureau is too difficult. She has to go through many levels and departments…

"I also know it's quite difficult." Xu Yan smiled. "I am just trying my luck, and I also know some people in the State Security here. It should not be a problem, but the local government… I don't know anyone. Without this opportunity, I will not even consider this." Xu Yan had seen Beijing City's Party Committee's Xie Guobang asking Xiao Dong to sit beside him when he had lunch at their branch. She knows Dong Xuebing has connections, and that's why she is telling him these. She is at her wit's end, and it's tough to continue working with Zhen Anguo. She doesn't want to be suppressed by him as she is only 40 this year. She still wants to be promoted.

This is asking me to help her get a transfer to Feng Zhou City?!

Dong Xuebing felt pressured. "Chief Xu, you think too highly of me. I am only a small leader in a County. How can I influence the City Government?"

Xu Yan laughed. "It's alright if you cannot help. Just treat this as listening to your former leader grumbling."

Dong Xuebing is prideful. Just a few seconds ago, he had agreed to help Xu Yan, and he cannot go back on his words now. "Err… I will ask around for you, but there's no guarantee."

"No matter what's the outcome, thank you."

"What's there to thank? I will do my best to help."

After hanging up, Dong Xuebing knew the only person who can help Xu Yan is Old Yang. He is the City's Organization Department Minister and is in charge of Human Resource.

But Dong Xuebing had said he doesn't need Yang Zhaode's help yesterday… now…

Dong Xuebing is troubled and wonders if Xu Yan knew his mother is dating Old Yan.