Zhongjing City Government, Mayor's Office.
10 a.m.
Mayor Ji Mingyang sat behind his desk, dealing with a pile of tasks.
Since starting at 8:30, he had been sitting for a full hour and a half.
During this period, he didn't drink any water, use the restroom, or take any breaks.
This was Ji Mingyang's work habit. In earlier years, he could maintain this state for two hours, but not anymore. After all, he was getting on in years and his body couldn't take it anymore.
As soon as the clock struck ten, the small alarm clock on his desk began to chime.
It was placed there by Zhang Meng as a reminder for Mayor Ji to pay attention to the time.
When the alarm sounded, the office door was pushed open, and Zhang Meng brought in a cup of hot tea.
The tea, brewed with boiling water, was meant to calm and soothe the mind. It was too hot to drink right away and needed to cool down a bit. This cooling time was Mayor Ji's rest period.
