Official title: Refused to stay at the university, started his career in a rural town.

After signing the last document, Ding Guoxing screwed on the pen cap and leaned back in his chair.

It was already dark outside the window, and he stared at the ceiling for a while.

Something's not right, nine out of ten things are not right!

Since Yang Fan went to Jingzhou last weekend, he's been like a completely different person.

In the past, the Party Secretary would inquire about everything, big or small, and he would make sure to understand the background and consequences before signing anything.

Now things are really messed up—except for documents that require the secretary's signature and review, everything else is pushed onto him.

"Old Ding, you decide on this one."

"Old Ding, you handle that."

"Old Ding, you've been in this government office for a while now, why are you asking me about something like this?"

It's been a week.

Yang Fan went to the village every day, squatting on the ground smoking with Lao Geng, the village secretary, standing in the walnut grove gesturing with villager Wang Defa, and chatting with tourists in the picking area. His notebook was filled with dense notes.

The office lights stay on until the wee hours every night, and I have no idea what they're writing.

This week, not a single day has seen anyone leave work earlier than him, this township head who's like a nuclear-powered donkey. It's truly baffling! I wonder what he's been thinking about all day.

What kind of situation is this?

Ding Guoxing picked up his enamel mug and took a swig. He was already busy enough, and he was still using his brain. Had he even considered me?

He's been in Qingping for almost half a year. In these six months, he's been chasing after and implementing everything that pops into Yang Fan's head—the harvest festival, the service-oriented government, the first-contact responsibility system, and the time-limited completion policy—to the point that his old bones are almost falling apart.

I went back to my home in the county town on Saturday, collapsed into bed and slept. I didn't want to move during the day and just lay there. My wife said sarcastically, "You still remember this family? I thought you transferred your household registration to Qingping."

Ring ring~

The phone rang.

Ding Guoxing reached for the microphone and glanced at the clock on the wall—6:20.

At this hour, all the bureaus in the county have already closed for the day. Who would still be making phone calls to the office?

"Hello, this is Ding Guoxing. Who is this?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

"The nation is thriving."

Ding Guoxing's back straightened instantly, almost springing up. The chair legs scraped against the ground, making a screeching sound.

"Mayor Cheng!"

Cheng Licheng is the Vice Mayor of Ningzhou City. He is not a member of the Standing Committee and ranks relatively low. He is in charge of agriculture, rural affairs, and poverty alleviation.

Ding Guoxing spent two years in the office of the Municipal Agriculture Bureau. At that time, Cheng Licheng was the director of the Agriculture Bureau and was later promoted to vice mayor. Of course, his uncle and Cheng Licheng were old classmates.

Cheng Licheng played a crucial role in Ding Guoxing's transfer from section chief of the Agriculture Bureau to township head of Qingping.

Cheng Licheng's voice was unhurried, "How's things going in Qingping?"

"Very good, very good." Ding Guoxing stood, not daring to sit, the microphone pressed to his ear. "Mayor Cheng, how are you feeling? I heard you had back problems last time—"

"It's an old problem," Cheng Licheng interrupted him. "Guoxing, I have a question for you."

"Please speak."

"Did your Party Secretary Yang go to Jingzhou last weekend?"

Ding Guoxing was taken aback.

"Yes, yes, I went. I heard he left early Saturday morning and came back Sunday night." He paused.

"I brought a large stack of materials with me when I went there, which were probably a draft of the concept of a service-oriented government."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

"Hmm." Cheng Licheng's voice was devoid of emotion. "Did you know that Liu Xiangdong, the Minister of the Municipal Party Committee's Organization Department, also went to Jingzhou last weekend?"

Ding Guoxing's fingers tightened around the microphone.

Liu Xiangdong? Deputy Director of the Organization Department of the Municipal Party Committee, Director of the Second Cadre Division, at the level of a full-fledged division chief.

What does his going have to do with me?

"Mayor Cheng, this..."

"I've been looking through the materials about your service-oriented government concept these past couple of days." Cheng Licheng seemed to have no intention of letting him continue.

"The complaint rate in the picking area has dropped by 90%, and the shipment volume of mountain delicacies has increased by 11% year-on-year."

Ding Guoxing's Adam's apple bobbed.

Cheng Licheng changed the subject. "Liu Xiangdong might be about to make a move."

Ding Guoxing's mind went blank.

Liu Xiangdong is the deputy director of the municipal party committee's organization department, a position equivalent to a division chief. Where could he be moved to? Promoted to deputy director-general level? No, the chances of him being directly promoted to deputy director-general level from this position are very slim!

That means sending people down to the county level—to become county party secretaries.

"Mayor Cheng, you mean Minister Liu...?"

"I didn't say anything." Cheng Licheng's voice was as calm as if he were reading a document.

"What do I, a vice mayor ranked low, know about the personnel adjustments in the Organization Department? I heard that Liu Xiangdong was also an outstanding student of Handong University."

???

If this were an anime scene, Ding Guoxing would definitely have a few question marks popping up above his head.

Old boss, what are you talking about? Why are you rambling on and on?

He paused.

"Guoxing, while you're in Qingping Township, remember to do your job well and also maintain good relationships with your colleagues!"

Ding Guoxing's throat tightened. "...Yes."

"Hang up."

Click, the phone hung up.

Ding Guoxing held the microphone and stood there for a long time without moving.

He slowly put the microphone back down and sat back in his chair.

Then I opened the drawer, took out a notebook, and unscrewed the pen cap.

He's a slow thinker, so he developed a habit of writing down every single instruction from his superiors that he didn't understand immediately.

Yang Fan went to Jingzhou, and Liu Xiangdong also went to Jingzhou; both were outstanding students from Handong University.

His former boss said the service-oriented government concept was very good, and Liu Xiangdong paid close attention to it. Liu Xiangdong was about to take action.

The pen tip paused briefly on the paper.

Is Yang Fan going to be taken away by Liu Xiangdong? If the Party Secretary is to be promoted, it wouldn't be unreasonable for me, the township head, to fill the vacancy!

He raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through walls, staring at the office across the stairs, in the same spot as his, where the light was still on.

Two years have passed since Yang Fan was promoted to section chief.

How much has Qingping accomplished? Apple bagging, the Mountain Delicacies brand, Xiaoguan Tea, Hengtong's 60 million yuan investment, the harvest festival, and the service-oriented government—any one of these is solid material that can be written into the archives.

The key point is—two years of experience as a section chief. According to the regulations for the selection and appointment of cadres, a section chief needs more than two years of service to be promoted to deputy director level.

Yang Fan has now been here for exactly two years.

Ding Guoxing suddenly stood up.

The chair almost tipped over. He reached out to steady it, but couldn't. The chair wobbled a couple of times before finally settling down.

He paced around the office a couple of times, then stopped, then paced back a couple more times.

If Yang Fan were to leave, if he were to follow Liu Xiangdong to a new place, then the position of secretary of Qingping Township would be his opportunity to advance to a substantive deputy director-level post!

His heart was pounding.

It is only natural for the township head to take over from the party secretary.

He was the deputy secretary of the Qingping Township Party Committee and the township head. With the top leader gone, it was only natural for him to take over. The prerequisite was that Yang Fan recommended him when he left, and his former superior also had to say something.

Cheng Licheng's last sentence, "Maintain good relationships with colleagues," suggests that Yang Fan is probably the only person in Qingping Township who would call him a colleague.

He pulled a lighter from his pocket, tore off the page from which he had just written down the leader's exact words, and lit it with a snap.

The flame licked at the edge of the paper, the handwriting curled, turned black, and then turned to ash. He stared at the ash falling into the ashtray for a long time.

Then he pushed the ashtray to the corner of the table, picked up the signed expansion plan for the picking area from the table, and calmly pushed open the door and went out.

Secretary, it's me, Ding Guoxing, here!