In the afternoon, everyone arrived at the office early, but Ji Yang was the last to enter.
After preparing his tea and sitting down, Ji Yang clearly felt the office atmosphere was quite tense.
Some were flipping through newspapers, some were sipping on tea, and some were scribbling something on their notebooks...
Ji Yang also had concerns on his mind as he sat there, thinking about how the beautiful female leader would treat him.
After a period of silence, Wu Guoping was the first to break the stillness.
He smiled and said, "This time, the new team is mostly transferred from outside, aren't they?"
His remark was out of the blue, but everyone understood that he was trying to stir up a conversation about the leadership.
With his lead, the atmosphere in the entire office suddenly relaxed.
Qiu Ling said, "Old Wu, do you have any inside news?" The woman had changed into an outfit that accentuated her figure even more. While not revealing, a man's gaze could easily be drawn to her bosom.
"Qiu Ling, your other half is in the county government, he has more information than I do. Didn't he tell you anything?" Wu Guoping's eyes lingered on her face for a moment before he spoke.
"Just a minor official, what kind of news would I have?" Qiu Ling said, her words tinged with complex emotions.
"Liu, you have a good relationship with the leaders in the county, do you have any news?" Wu Guoping turned to look at Liu Yun.
All eyes in the room shifted to Liu Yun.
This Wu Guoping really isn't very discreet!
Ji Yang had come to see Wu Guoping clearly; this man's lips were loose, no wonder the leaders never put him to use.
The conversation naturally piqued Ji Yang's interest too. He retreated into his thoughts, observing everyone's expressions. Many times, Ji Yang preferred to stay behind a veil of smoke to watch everything unfold, finding it increasingly amusing the more he observed.
Liu Yun picked up a delicate small teacup and took a sip of tea, exuding an aura of intellect and kindness, and a sense of freshness that shone through.
Ji Yang still felt dazzled by her. Although this girl's bosom wasn't as ample as Qiu Ling's, she knew how to dress up, her entire demeanor soft and attractive – likely no man would dislike her style.
No wonder since her arrival in the township, the local young folks liked strolling through the Party and Government Office, and after work, the dormitory where she stayed was the liveliest.
Since coming to the township, this girl had grown rapidly, quickly adapting to the working environment, even daring to crack some dirty jokes with some old ladies.
Ji Yang felt she was cut out for this line of work.
Ji Yang also knew, this woman was not simple, adept at using her advantages to attract leaders, always finding some leaders to report to when she went to the county, and reportedly had quite a good relationship with them.
Ji Yang knew she would eventually be promoted by the leaders.
Liu Yun earnestly said, "I've only met the leaders during meetings, I'm really not close with them. It's Sister Wei, who has always been the deputy director; she is said to have deep connections with the leadership in the county." She knew how to shift the topic.
Everyone's gaze then turned to Wei Wuyin, who had been quite busy lately, probably networking in various ways.
Wei Wuyin said, "Just like you, they are all work-related contacts. I really don't know much about the situation." At this moment, she must have been anxious, being excluded from accompanying the leadership was quite telling.
Listening to their exchanges, Ji Yang remained silent, and no one approached him for conversation, rendering him virtually invisible.
Ji Yang didn't want to draw attention to himself either. He was well aware that someone like him, if remembered with malice or seen as a competitor, would not even have the strength to retaliate, and he had no intention of butting in.
However, Ji Yang had underestimated his office colleagues.
"Ji, your family is from the city, and I've heard that the new Secretary was transferred from there. Do you know anything?" Wei Wuyin turned to Ji Yang.
Ji Yang was surprised and looked at Wei Wuyin, not expecting her to shift the topic to him.
This woman had actually directed the conversation to him!
"Ji!" Liu Yun burst out laughing.
Qiu Ling said, "Not sure if Ji is small or not, why doesn't Liu give it a test drive?"
Everyone laughed again.
Ji Yang's skin had grown thick from his time there; gone were his days of blushing at a joke upon arrival. He smiled and said, "Anyone who wants a test drive, sign up."
Liu Yun gave Ji Yang a sidelong glance, equally unembarrassed.
"Seriously though, your family is in the city, and you went back home recently. Didn't your classmates have any rumors or anything?" Qiu Ling looked at Ji Yang.
"No, my family is just a small worker's household from a company. What news could we have?"
At that, everyone nodded to themselves – Ji Yang really wasn't a match for them.
Wei Wuyin's lips curled into a smile, pleased that she had successfully shifted the topic.
Wu Guoping said, "What a pity for Deputy Secretary Lu!" It was clear that he didn't want to continue the previous topic either.
At his words, everyone fell silent again.
With the recent deaths of the top two leaders, Deputy Secretary Lu Shijie had seemed the likeliest candidate for promotion. Yet, he remained deputy secretary, while a new secretary and mayor, both outsiders, were appointed. It was hard for everyone to believe that he harbored no thoughts about this.
Mr. Ji Yang was also contemplating this matter. During this time, Lu Shijie had managed to rally a number of local officials around him, a likely reason the new leaders hadn't immediately adjusted the cadre.
Ji Yang found Lu Shijie an elusive figure; though ostensibly the third in command, there were times when he seemed to wield the authority of the top leader.
Wei Wuyin had grown close to Lu Shijie in recent days, probably seeing him as a rising star. However, things hadn't turned out as she had hoped, and with Lu Shijie failing to ascend, the security of her own position was now questionable.
Ji Yang understood Wei Wuyin's concerns. Clearly, Lu Shijie would be of no help, suggesting her director position was in jeopardy.
Liu Yun said, "The new leaders are all good, I've heard they are officials who get things done."
Her words were simple, yet a trace of smugness was evident on her face.
Wei Wuyin had clearly bet on the wrong horse, while whether Liu Yun had picked a winner was less certain.
Wu Guoping also said seriously, "For us ordinary folk, serving the leaders diligently is the right way. Little Ji, you're the least experienced here, you still have a lot to learn."
Wu Guoping had always treated himself as an old-timer in front of Ji Yang, and in the past, he didn't hesitate to direct Ji Yang's work.
While everyone was talking, they saw a person standing at the door.
"Secretary Chu!" Wu Guoping jumped up immediately, calling out respectfully.
Though Chu Shuyuan was a beautiful woman, it was her status as secretary that imbued her with a formidable presence.
Chu Shuyuan's gaze swept over everyone before she smiled and said, "There is a meeting this afternoon, and I'm unfamiliar with the personnel here. I'll just pick someone to help keep the records. You there." Her finger pointed at Ji Yang.
Instantly, the office fell dead silent, with all eyes on Ji Yang.
"Alright, Secretary Chu."
Ji Yang stood up quickly.
At that moment, he realized this woman was no simple character; it seemed she had already done her homework on the Party and government office staff before arriving.
Her casual selection of Ji Yang suggested more than met the eye.
Following behind Chu Shuyuan, Ji Yang stayed quiet, and so did she, entering the small conference room without further discussion.
The conference room was already filled with leaders, who appeared weary after coming straight from a restaurant.
As they entered, Chu Shuyuan smiled and said, "I've brought a comrade from the Party and government office to take minutes for the meeting."
Lu Shijie said, "Oh, little Ji. Doesn't the Party and government office have a deputy director? Why not have her record the meeting, isn't she around?" His gaze was on Ji Yang as he spoke.
Chu Shuyuan turned to a middle-aged man and said, "Mayor Cao, Secretary Zhang had his opinions about the cadre here. It's best to adjust the original staff."
Cao Zhongping understood Chu Shuyuan's intentions and discerned the implied reference to the deputy director likely being one of Lu Shijie's people. The Party and government office was Secretary Chu's turf, and he needed her support, so naturally, he wouldn't oppose on this matter and nodded softly, "Secretary Chu is right, we need to make a strong effort to adjust the cadre. We've got some personnel changes to discuss in several departments today; let's handle it all in one go."
There was an unspoken agreement between them.
Typically, as long as the top two agreed, it was unlikely anyone else could oppose.
The outside leaders certainly didn't want Lu Shijie to wield too much power here. They had heard rumors about him rallying a group of officials, and seeing Chu Shuyuan aiming to break up his power, they naturally supported her, each expressing their backing for her views.
Lu Shijie's face turned dark; he understood he had become a target for division.
Previously, Lu Shijie had thought the vacancy should be filled by promoting existing staff. He had rallied many to his side, but to his dismay, the higher-ups appointed outsiders instead, disrupting his plans.
Now faced with the general consensus and lacking the power to push back, he felt helpless.
Chu Shuyuan smiled and continued, "I've looked into the personnel situation at the Party and government office. Comrade Ji has been working here for two years, a graduate from a prestigious university with strong abilities, yet he has not been utilized properly, which is telling. We should be using talented people, especially those who have been overlooked. We need to be more open in using our talent and choose individuals with clean records. If any problems arise with the people we employ, it would be hard to explain to our superiors. I have a suggestion for discussion, to appoint Mr. Ji Yang as the director of the Party and government office."
This woman!
Ji Yang had figured her out; she wouldn't have approached him without investigating his background, and she seemed determined to promote him to the director position of the Party and government office.
It was also a test for Chu Shuyuan to see the extent of her influence.
As Ji Yang pondered the situation, Cao Zhongping smiled and said, "I support Secretary Chu's proposal. Comrade Ji Yang truly has strong capabilities in all aspects."
Discipline Committee Secretary Yan Xingshun nodded, "I agree as well."
Organization Department Chief Huang Yu added, "This comrade is good in every regard, I agree too."
Suddenly, four people had agreed, and nobody wanted to cause offense, so they followed suit.
Ji Yang was stunned, not expecting to rise to his position so suddenly.