Chapter 22: A Straightforward Person

Li Xiuyuan had only met Wang Zhitao and Li Boyang that very morning. Normally, forming connections between people requires a process, but that’s the way it goes with ordinary interactions.

Some individuals, however, have the gift of accelerating this process, drawing others closer swiftly. This demands a certain charm and the art of conversation.

Li Xiuyuan didn’t possess much natural affinity, but as a newcomer just starting work, he naturally lowered people’s guard to some extent. Coupled with his skillful way with words, he managed to quickly win over Wang Zhitao and Li Boyang with just a few sentences.

Saying something like, “If you don’t come, it would be a loss of face for me” would usually be met with countless ways to decline from seasoned veterans. Yet, Wang Zhitao was only a few years older than Li Xiuyuan, and Li Boyang, though a bit older, was still young.

Moreover, Li Xiuyuan’s words hit the right note. The two exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement.

Having agreed to Li Xiuyuan’s invitation for dinner that evening, the relationship among the three naturally grew a little closer. Li Boyang and Wang Zhitao also shared more information with Li Xiuyuan.

For instance, the county government office consisted of one director and two deputy directors—Director Pang Zhifeng was well known; then there was Director Luo and Director Zhao.

There was no formal position of executive deputy director, but Director Luo was vigorous and in charge of the comprehensive section along with several important departments. He was considered a potential successor to Director Pang.

Director Zhao, a woman, was very kind and regarded as the office’s confidante. She often introduced people to potential partners; in fact, Li Boyang’s wife, a schoolteacher, was introduced by Director Zhao.

Another piece of information was that the county government office did not have a dedicated secretarial department. Instead, the comprehensive section handled general affairs and also served as the secretarial unit. New leaders often chose their secretaries from this section, though it wasn’t a strict rule.

Young people in other departments at the government office also had opportunities.

For Li Xiuyuan, gaining such insights over the course of one meal was quite good. However, when Li Boyang mentioned Director Luo, Li Xiuyuan’s expression flickered as if he had heard the name before somewhere—but he couldn’t quite recall. He didn’t dwell on it.

After the meal, the three returned to the office. The county government office operated on a five-day workweek plus two days, but with long hours—busy times meant no chance for rest.

There was no real lunch break either. If there was no urgent work, one might rest briefly at the desk. On his first day, Li Xiuyuan had it relatively easy.

He mainly reviewed previous work from the county government office, such as speeches by the leadership. Newcomers always had a transition period.

In the afternoon, Qu Hui came by with some tasks. Li Xiuyuan barely had time to demonstrate anything when Wang Zhitao, as if sprung from a seat, immediately stood up and followed Qu Hui out, with Huang Wei tagging along.

As they left, Li Xiuyuan noticed Li Boyang unconsciously sneer, a hint of disdain on his face, though it quickly faded.

Work ended at 5:30 p.m., following the spring-autumn schedule: starting at 8 a.m., a break from 12 to 1:30 p.m., and finishing at 5:30 p.m., a strict eight-hour workday.

Of course, overtime wasn’t counted in that, but thankfully, Li Xiuyuan didn’t have to work late on his first day. Wang Zhitao returned just ten minutes before the end of the day, panting and collapsing into his chair. Huang Wei had yet to return by quitting time.

After work, the three—Li Xiuyuan, Li Boyang, and Wang Zhitao—tacitly avoided mentioning the dinner plan and only hailed a car together after leaving the county government building.

The place Li Xiuyuan chose was a small restaurant not far from home, familiar to all.

“Mrs. Li, I’ve brought two friends to dine. Please prepare a small private room and serve some of our signature dishes, along with two bottles of wine,” Li Xiuyuan instructed as he made the arrangements.

Seated in the private room with Li Boyang and Wang Zhitao, Li Xiuyuan pulled out cigarettes and offered them, which both men accepted without hesitation.

“Brother Wang, where were you this afternoon? You returned drenched in sweat,” Li Xiuyuan began, steering the conversation toward their work that day.

Naturally, they talked about work. Li Xiuyuan’s purpose in hosting the dinner was not to chat about trivial matters but to gather information about their work.

“Oh, I had to get a document stamped. I ran around several departments all afternoon—almost exhausted me,” Wang Zhitao complained.

Li Xiuyuan noticed Li Boyang’s mouth slightly open as if to speak but ultimately remained silent. He knew Li Boyang would surely speak up later in the evening.

Once the dishes and wine arrived, Li Boyang could no longer hold back.

“Looks like our comprehensive section is really busy,” Li Xiuyuan remarked with a sigh.

“Absolutely. When it gets busy, there’s no day or night. My longest stretch was nearly thirty-six hours without sleep—I nearly collapsed at the office. And when hosting inspections from higher-ups, overtime is just routine.

“If you look at the entire county government building, the only departments with lights burning late at night are our two offices and the Development and Reform Commission. Outsiders think working at the county government office is some kind of enviable position.

“But it’s all just a shiny façade. What power do we really have? Above us are section chiefs, above them deputy directors, and above them directors. We’re nowhere near the decision-making,” Wang Zhitao vented.

Just then, the food and drinks arrived, and once the private room door was shut, Li Xiuyuan raised his glass first.

“Brother Li, Brother Wang, I’ll toast you first. I hope to count on both of you plenty in the future,” he said, clinking glasses before downing a shot of about 30-50 milliliters in one gulp.

Immediately, Li Xiuyuan’s face flushed bright red, and he began coughing from the burn.

Wang Zhitao chuckled wryly, “Xiuyuan, you’re too straightforward. You haven’t drunk much before, have you? Baijiu isn’t meant to be swallowed like that. Take it slow.”

“Yeah, slow down,” Li Boyang agreed. Li Xiuyuan was sincere, and that was exactly what he intended.

On his first day, already facing pressure from his superiors, with tight deadlines and heavy tasks, he needed to establish his persona and gain their trust first. Only then could he uncover the real situation and figure out how to solve the problems.

Besides, it wasn’t really deceit—though in his past life in the countryside he had been tested by alcohol, in this new life he rarely drank. It wasn’t a lie, just a fresh start.