Chapter 123: The Gold Buddha

Regarding Xia Dongqiang's actions, Ning Weidong didn't take them too much to heart; he didn't care about Xia Dongqiang's ability or lack thereof.

As for anything else, Xia Dongqiang didn't have much to show for himself either.

In fact, in Ning Weidong's view, the gap between people in terms of so-called ability, or intelligence, is not very large.

What is important is the position, which is to say, circumstances make the hero.

If you are in this position, you can naturally achieve the performance corresponding to this position.

If you are not in this position, saying anything is meaningless.

Arriving at the canteen, he had a private meal with Zhao Ruyi, and after finishing, he used the excuse of digesting to go outside the factory and walk around the block.

This was also an important activity for men and women dating in this era.

Even a woman with Zhao Ruyi's background didn't think there was anything wrong with walking along the roadside in the freezing cold wind.

Ning Weidong, however, felt a bit bored; he would rather have gone back to the office to play ball together.

Waiting until evening, it was already dark when it was time to get off work.

Ning Weidong came to the bike shed downstairs and saw a black cloth bag tied to the back rack of his bicycle.

Scanning his eyes around, he saw Xia Dongqiang standing not far away, keeping watch here to prevent any mistakes.

Meeting Ning Weidong's gaze, he hurriedly nodded and pushed his bike away.

Ning Weidong withdrew his gaze and looked at the bag on the back seat of the bicycle again, feeling a bit amused.

Presumably, there should be more than just Hazel Mushroom inside; there must be other things.

Thinking of this, Ning Weidong was not in a hurry to leave.

He reached out to untie the rope, took the bag down, and turned back upstairs.

"Oh? Section Chief Ning, not off work yet?" Just as he reached the entrance, he ran into a woman from the Factory Office on the second floor who shared an office with Zhao Ruyi.

Ning Weidong said with a smile, "Oh, Sister Wang! I left something in the office."

After exchanging greetings, he went up the stairs and returned to the third floor.

Chen had just come out and was locking the door.

Seeing Ning Weidong, he was also a bit surprised, but he didn't ask too many questions; he just exchanged greetings and quickened his pace to go downstairs.

Chen was very shrewd and understood deeply that one should know what one ought to know, and never blindly pry into what one shouldn't.

Ning Weidong returning after getting off work must mean there was something going on.

If you don't know the situation and blindly push yourself forward, that is just asking for trouble.

Ning Weidong arrived at the office, turned on the light, placed the bag on the table, and opened it to look inside.

At the very top were indeed Hazel Mushroom, strung together in several large bunches with twine.

Taking them out, underneath were two Ginseng wrapped in newspaper, still covered in dirt.

Ning Weidong didn't know how to appraise them well; if it were in the era before he transmigrated, his first reaction upon seeing Ginseng of this size would definitely be to suspect it was fake.

But in this era, and since it was a gift from Xia Dongqiang, he shouldn't be trying to fool him with fakes.

That wasn't all; underneath these two Ginseng, there was actually a box.

Ning Weidong raised his eyebrows and reached out to take the box out.

He thought to himself that this Xia Dongqiang had really gone all out.

Sure enough, opening this box, which looked unremarkable and still carried the smell of dried mushrooms, inside was a Gilded Buddha Statue about a foot tall with an exceptionally exquisite design.

The reason he judged it to be gilded was that such Buddha statues were rarely made of pure gold; after all, financial resources in ancient times were limited, and being able to make a copper-gilded one was already quite difficult.

Furthermore, the value of this kind of Buddha statue did not lie in the material, but rather in its artistic and cultural value.

This Buddha statue looked like it had some age to it; if it were placed in the time before Ning Weidong transmigrated, it would certainly be worth a fortune.

That Xia Dongqiang could produce it was likely because he had obtained it through some means a few years ago and hidden it away secretly.

Ning Weidong reached out to take the Buddha statue out of the box and examined it before his eyes.

A thought flashed through his mind, and he suddenly remembered the "Jade Seat Gold Buddha Principle," but unfortunately, this time there was only the "Gold Buddha" and no "Jade Seat."

What surprised him even more was that one day someone would actually apply the "Jade Seat Gold Buddha Principle" to him.

Ning Weidong then thought of Xia Dongqiang again.

With both Ginseng and a Gold Buddha this time, what exactly did he want? The items were placed here; if there was no ulterior motive, who would give good things to others for nothing?

Ning Weidong looked at the Gold Buddha in his hand and couldn't help but reveal a look of amusement.

He then put the items back into the box and reached out to pick up the phone on the table: "Hello, this is Ning Weidong... Liu Dong? Has Xiao Wei left yet?"

Ning Weidong called the duty room of the Fourth Workshop; Liu Dong answered the phone, and Ning Wei hadn't left yet.

Upon receiving the call, Ning Wei, who was about to get off work, immediately ran over.

"Third Brother, what did you call me for?" Ning Wei panted, having run to the third floor in one breath.

Ning Weidong signaled him to close the door.

Ning Wei turned and locked the door, came to the desk, and seeing the items on the table, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Ning Weidong didn't hide it from him and said calmly, "See that? Xia Dongqiang just gave it to me."

Ning Wei gasped; he didn't understand the two Ginseng, only roughly feeling they were precious, but that foot-tall Gold Buddha, glowing with gold light all over and catching the eye, was truly too soul-stirring.

Ning Wei subconsciously assumed that this Gold Buddha was really cast from gold.

And what shocked Ning Wei even more was that Xia Dongqiang, who usually kept a low profile, could actually be so ruthless when it mattered.

You could call such a person an opportunist or say his motives were impure, but from a realistic perspective, he was simply more likely to obtain opportunities.

Just like now, if there were a position and Ning Weidong were to distribute it, would he give it to Xia Dongqiang or to someone else?

This was obvious.

It was just that Ning Wei didn't quite understand what Ning Weidong meant by calling him over to see these things.

Ning Weidong didn't make him guess and continued, "It's not convenient for me to keep this Gold Buddha here; you find a place to put it away, I'll have a use for it later."

Ning Wei hurriedly agreed, though he felt a bit troubled inside.

Where was he supposed to hide this? It had to be secret, it had to be safe, and he couldn't lose it later.

Ning Weidong didn't care about all that; he trusted Ning Wei's ability to handle things, and in fact, the reason he handed this matter to Ning Wei was that he wanted to be lazy.

The incident with Wang Kaifeng that had just occurred was a reminder that it was best not to keep such things in his own home.

It just so happened that Ning Weidong was just getting started and didn't have a particularly good place, so he simply dumped it on Ning Wei and let him figure it out.

Being a leader has this benefit: things you can't handle yourself or don't want to handle can be dumped onto subordinates.

As for what difficulties the subordinates might have, that is their own business; if there really are any difficulties, they should just overcome them themselves.

However, if you want the horse to run, you have to give the horse grass to eat.

Ning Weidong picked one out from the two Ginseng roots and said, "Xiao Wei, Liushen is in poor health. Take this back, find a doctor, and ask how to consume it. Don't just eat it blindly; be careful not to ruin your health."

Ning Wei was stunned for a moment, seeing that these two Ginseng roots were extraordinary; judging by the size, he feared they were over a hundred years old. Value aside, they were absolutely precious.

Moreover, the fact that Ning Weidong still remembered his mother made Ning Wei even more moved: "Third Brother..."

Ning Weidong shoved the Ginseng over and interrupted, "Don't be all soft and womanly with me; I'm giving it to you, so take it."

This time Ning Wei didn't say anything else, just nodded silently.

After finishing this matter, Ning Weidong finally returned home with a bag of mushrooms and one Ginseng root.

Because he was delayed by more than twenty minutes, he arrived home later than usual.

Yet, just as he entered the courtyard gate, Wang Dama and Shi Xiaonan came out from the room to greet him.

Everyone in the courtyard knew about Wang Kai's matter, so there was no need to cover it up.

Wang Dama rubbed her hands and pleaded, "Weidong, I said the wrong thing during the day. I'm just an uneducated housewife; you are a big person with a big heart, don't hold it against me."

Ning Weidong frowned and glanced at Shi Xiaonan beside her.

Shi Xiaonan looked helpless.

How could she not understand? Wang Dama's words were equivalent to putting Ning Weidong on the spot.

Although most families had started eating at this time, there were still those who were slow or got off work late and were still busy cooking.

There were quite a few people in the courtyard, and with Wang Dama shouting like this, plus the ambiguous content of her speech...

Shi Xiaonan couldn't control it either; she had already told Wang Dama not to play tricks, not to play tricks! If Ning Weidong couldn't outplay a housewife in a hutong, he wouldn't have been able to stand out in a factory as big as Red Star Factory.

But Wang Dama wouldn't listen, and Shi Xiaonan had no way to stop her.

Anyway, Wang Kai was her son; whether he lived or died was up to her own doing.

Ning Weidong frowned and said, "Wang Dama, don't be anxious yet. There were some things I couldn't easily say over the phone during the day. Even if you hadn't come to me tonight, I was planning to find you to talk about it."

Wang Dama was taken aback. She had originally thought Ning Weidong's attitude during the day meant he didn't want to help them; she hadn't expected that there might be some other inside story.

She was suddenly at a loss.

She had spent the whole day calculating in her heart before finally deciding to adopt this attitude, hoping to use the public opinion of the courtyard to force Ning Weidong to help.

Who knew that one sentence from Ning Weidong would overturn the premise of her previous decision? Wang Dama suddenly didn't know what to do.

As a housewife, she lacked the quick wit to adapt, and she immediately went silent.

She looked to Shi Xiaonan for help, but Shi Xiaonan looked away and didn't take the bait at all.

Wang Dama was helpless and gave a dry laugh: "Yes! That... Weidong... this..."

Seeing her stammering, likely with her mind gone blank, Ning Weidong smiled and said, "Wang Dama, don't be anxious. Let me go home and have a bite to eat first, then I'll come to your house and talk to you in detail."

Wang Dama nodded hurriedly; she had no other way and could only listen to Ning Weidong.

Immediately, Ning Weidong nodded to Shi Xiaonan and pushed his bicycle straight back to the East Cross Courtyard.

Seeing that Ning Weidong had left, Wang Dama regained her spirit, glared at Shi Xiaonan, and complained, "What was wrong with you just now? Were you a mute?"

Shi Xiaonan rolled her eyes in her heart and opened her mouth to retort, but they were in the courtyard.

If a daughter-in-law quarreled with her mother-in-law, regardless of who was right or wrong, someone would have to criticize her.

Shi Xiaonan simply didn't take the bait and turned around to go back into the room.

Wang Dama choked and hurriedly chased after her: "Hey, I'm talking to you! Are you deaf?"

Shi Xiaonan walked quickly into the room, and as soon as Wang Dama entered, she immediately said, "What do you want me to say? You said everything, and you even tried to give him a show of force. You're just a housewife, what right do you have to give him a show of force? Do you know who Ning Weidong is? You should ask around. Wang Zipeng from the back courtyard said it himself: the Department Head Wang from the Security Division of their factory this time was sent in by Ning Weidong himself."

Wang Dama was attacked by Shi Xiaonan's rapid-fire words and was speechless for a moment.

In the end, she still held her old stereotypical impression of Ning Weidong; some things cannot be changed just by hearing what others say.

Many people seem unable to understand human speech, living only in their own cocoons, accepting what they think is right and rejecting what they think is wrong.

At Wang Dama's age, this situation is especially common.

She just took it for granted that as an elder in the courtyard, she had the qualifications to manipulate a young person like Ning Weidong.

Shi Xiaonan continued, "Mom, anyway, I've told you everything I should and could say. Wang Kai is your son; I believe you don't want to harm him, and certainly wouldn't harm him. As for the result... leave it to fate~"

Wang Dama blinked her eyes, her lips moved a few times, wanting to say something else, but in the end, she didn't say it, just sat down heavily on a chair.

On the other side, Ning Weidong returned home.

As soon as he entered the room, Ning Weiguo and his family of three were already eating.

In this day and age, there were no mobile phones, and information could not be updated or contacted in real-time. If something happened and someone was late getting off work, they wouldn't wait if they hadn't returned after ten or eight minutes.

Otherwise, no one would know how late they would have to wait.

As soon as Ning Weidong entered the room, Wang Yuzhen put down her chopsticks and said, "Weidong, hurry and wash your hands. We left some food for you in the kitchen; I'll bring it out for you."

Ning Weidong said "Oh," took off his coat, and went to wash his hands.

Ning Weiguo asked, "Why are you back late today? Is there something going on at work?"

Ning Weidong wiped his hands and said, "There's a comrade in the Fourth Workshop whose relative from the Northeast brought some Hazel Mushroom and insisted on giving them to me."

Just then, Wang Yuzhen came out from the kitchen carrying a bowl of food.

Ning Weidong chuckled and said, "Sister-in-law, it's perfect for you to take it to my aunt this Sunday to make some stewed chicken with mushrooms."

Wang Yuzhen didn't act coy; she agreed immediately, then asked, "By the way, Weidong, what exactly is going on with the Wang Family in the front courtyard? Why have they set their sights on you?"

Ning Weidong picked up his rice bowl, stuffed a mouthful of the Two-Rice Meal into his mouth, chewed a few times, and said helplessly, "How would I know? Shi Xiaonan came running to me yesterday to beg for my help in asking around. I considered that we're neighbors, so I should at least keep up appearances. Besides, it's just making a phone call; it's no trouble."

Wang Yuzhen frowned and said, "Weidong, you didn't take any of their money, did you?"

Ning Weidong hurriedly said, "Sister-in-law, how could I do that? Their money is too hot to handle."

Wang Yuzhen nodded. Seeing that Ning Weidong understood the stakes, she didn't dwell on it further: "As long as you're clear on it. That old Mrs. Wang is just like her son—her head isn't very clear. It's best to keep them at arm's length."

Ning Weidong replied, "I know. Shi Xiaonan tried to give it to me yesterday, but I insisted on not taking it." Wang Yuzhen said, "Hurry up and handle this matter; don't let it drag on."

Ning Weidong said, "I'll go over as soon as I finish eating."

Ning Weiguo reminded him, "You're all neighbors. Watch your phrasing when you speak; don't give people a reason to pick faults."

Ning Weidong smiled and said, "Don't worry, Big Brother. Kind, enthusiastic, patient, and sincere—I guarantee he won't be able to find a single fault."

……

After finishing his meal, Ning Weidong didn't even put on his overcoat. He simply tucked his hands into his sleeves and walked quickly to the front courtyard to the Wang Family's place, knocked on the door, and said, "Wang Dama, I'm coming in."

Since Wang Kai wasn't home, there were only two women, Wang Dama and Shi Xiaonan, in the house. He certainly had to be careful to avoid any misunderstandings.

Inside the room, Wang Dama responded and got up to welcome him.

Ning Weidong pushed the door open and entered.

The Wang Family's room was fairly clean, and there was no smell of cooking. Perhaps because of Wang Kai's situation, the two of them hadn't cooked a proper meal, just eating something to fill their stomachs.

The incandescent bulb in the room was quite bright.

The Wang Family's living conditions had been quite good originally. They had all the necessary furniture and appliances, and their various household items and decorations were considered quite exquisite for this era.

Shi Xiaonan worked in the arts, so her natural eye and aesthetic sense were different from the average person.

If not for all these messy affairs, their life would have been truly quite good—at least better than ninety percent of the people in this era.

Unfortunately, there are no "ifs."

The reality was that Wang Kai had been taken to the Police Station, and the marriage between Shi Xiaonan and Wang Kai was on the verge of collapse.

"Weidong, sit down quickly." Wang Dama ushered Ning Weidong to sit on the black-and-white checkered artificial leather sofa, then urged Shi Xiaonan, "Xiaonan, hurry and pour a glass of water."

Shi Xiaonan was obedient enough and went to pour a glass of water for Ning Weidong.

Wang Dama asked impatiently, "Weidong, you said on the phone earlier that it wasn't convenient to talk. What exactly is going on?"

Ning Weidong sighed, looked at Wang Dama, then at Shi Xiaonan: "Wang Dama, Sister Shi, to tell you the truth, when Sister Shi came to me yesterday, I didn't take it seriously. It's just a fight, right? How big of a deal could it be?"

Wang Dama nodded repeatedly, very much agreeing with Ning Weidong's assessment.

Shi Xiaonan, however, curled her lips; she knew there was definitely a twist coming after that.

Sure enough, Ning Weidong continued: "But who would have thought, after I asked a friend at the Police Station, I realized this matter might not be simple."

At this point, Ning Weidong's expression became solemn: "Wang Dama, Sister Shi, think carefully—has Wang Kai offended anyone?"

Wang Dama's expression changed. Among housewives, she was considered somewhat shrewd, and what Ning Weidong said was already quite clear.

Wang Dama asked anxiously, "Are you saying someone is intentionally trying to fix our Wang Kai?"

Ning Weidong glanced at Shi Xiaonan and nodded: "These things are hard to say over the phone." He lowered his voice slightly: "My friend at the Police Station said that someone in a leadership position above them gave instructions regarding Wang Kai's case. Otherwise, if he tried to find a way, and since it didn't cause any serious consequences, it wouldn't be impossible to make some accommodations. But now..."

Ning Weidong shook his head repeatedly with a helpless expression.

Wang Dama looked dazed. It took several seconds for her to come back to her senses, and she hurriedly grabbed Ning Weidong like a life-saving straw: "Weidong! Weidong! You must help Dama. This... what are we going to do?"

Ning Weidong said with a bitter face, "Wang Dama, it's useless to tell me this. We're neighbors, older and younger generations. If I could help, would I not? But I'm just a small Deputy Section Chief, and that's at the factory. My friend at the Police Station is just an ordinary police officer. If it were a minor matter, I could help smooth things over, and it would be fine with just a bit more compensation. But now... someone from above has spoken. If you ask someone to go against their superiors... Wang Dama, how can you expect me to bring this up? Besides, even if I could, they aren't stupid; they wouldn't agree. Don't you think so?"

Wang Dama was speechless. It was indeed the truth. You couldn't expect someone to offend a leader they couldn't afford to cross just to help you. What kind of relationship did they have? They weren't related, so why would they? Let alone neighbors, even real relatives—unless it were your own parents—couldn't help in a situation like this.

Thinking of this, the last shred of hope in Wang Dama's heart was extinguished, and she couldn't help but burst into tears on the spot.

Ning Weidong wasn't surprised and turned to look at the relatively calm Shi Xiaonan.

It wasn't that Shi Xiaonan's psychological resilience was stronger than Wang Dama's, but rather that she was less emotionally invested.

As things stood, the affection between Shi Xiaonan and Wang Kai had grown increasingly thin.

The two had already been living apart.

Once a man is removed from a woman's life for a long time, with no interaction and no influence, it is very easy for the two to completely sever their emotional ties.

Ning Weidong could feel that Shi Xiaonan's overall attitude now was much colder than when he had given her a ride on his bike and Wang Kai had misunderstood.

It wasn't that Shi Xiaonan was heartless; there were many reasons for this coldness—Wang Kai's constant trouble-making, Shi Xiaonan's broadening horizons, and also Wang Dama's influence.

Especially this time, when Wang Kai went out with a kitchen knife, digging his own grave, it left Shi Xiaonan completely speechless; she was just tired and didn't want to deal with it anymore.

With that said, the room fell silent.

Ning Weidong waited for a dozen seconds, stood up, and said, "Wang Dama, Sister Shi, if there's nothing else, I'll head back."

Wang Dama came to her senses and instinctively blocked him: "Weidong, don't go! You can't just ignore this!"

Ning Weidong said earnestly, "Dama, don't worry. We're all old neighbors; I'll definitely do my best if I can help. But this time... as I just said, why don't you think carefully about who you might have offended and try to find a way to resolve it..."

Wang Dama still wanted to make a scene, but Shi Xiaonan couldn't watch it anymore and shouted, "Mom."

Wang Dama choked.

Shi Xiaonan said apologetically, "Brother Weidong, thank you for putting so much effort into our family's matter."

Ning Weidong waved his hand and said, "I didn't really help with anything. Sister Shi, I'll head back then."

Shi Xiaonan replied and saw him to the door, only closing it after watching Ning Weidong return through the Moon Gate of the East Cross Courtyard.

Wang Dama, however, gave a cold snort: "Xiaonan, what did you mean by stopping me just now? You let him go—what are we going to do about Wang Kai?"

Shi Xiaonan rubbed her head, feeling mentally exhausted: "What else could I do? Ning Weidong already made it clear. Our family offended someone, and someone gave instructions. If this problem isn't solved, what can you expect Ning Weidong to do? What kind of relationship do we have with him that would make him risk offending people to help us?"

Wang Dama opened her mouth, slapped her thigh, and said, "Then what are we going to do? By the way, could it be that colleague of yours?"

Last time, when Wang Kai went out carrying a kitchen knife, although he didn't actually cut anyone, they did get into a fight.

Shi Xiaonan frowned and denied it: "No, their family doesn't have that kind of connection. Besides, I went to apologize last time and even paid them one hundred yuan. He promised not to pursue it."

Wang Dama was silent.

Shi Xiaonan said again, "Mom, has Wang Kai offended anyone outside recently? Think about it carefully."

Wang Dama said helplessly, "Other than going to work, he's never home, and when I ask him, he doesn't say a word. If I ask a couple more questions, he gets angry. How would I know?"

On the other side, Ning Weidong returned home.

Ning Weiguo and Wang Yuzhen had already tidied up the room. Seeing him walk in, Wang Yuzhen asked, "What did they say over there?"

"What else could they say? Just told the truth..." Ning Weidong did not hide it and explained the situation about someone reaching out to target Wang Kai.

Wang Yuzhen frowned and said, "Wang Kai is an honest person; he's not someone who stirs up trouble. Who could he have offended?"

Ning Weiguo hit the nail on the head, "He doesn't need to have offended anyone. Who did Wu Dalang offend?"

Wang Yuzhen realized it, her eyes lighting up: "You mean... someone has taken a fancy to Shi Xiaonan!"

Ning Weiguo said, "What else could it be? For someone to reach out over a matter like this, it's definitely not an ordinary person. For such a person, do you think there is anything in Wang Kai's family worth coveting, other than Shi Xiaonan?"

Wang Yuzhen thought about it, and it really was that logic.

She couldn't help but frown; this kind of thing made Wang Yuzhen quite disgusted.

Wang Yuzhen did not reject privilege, because from her perspective, she was already a beneficiary of it, and to keep claiming to reject privilege would be too hypocritical.

It was just that using privilege like this for the sake of a woman made her feel somewhat uncomfortable.

However, uncomfortable as she was, Wang Yuzhen wouldn't jump out to act as a hero just because of this little emotion.

If it were ten years ago, perhaps it might have been possible given her personality, but now, these past ten years had made her experience too many trials.

Ning Weiguo, on the other hand, looked at Ning Weidong and said, "How do you plan to handle the follow-up to this matter? That old woman from the Wang Family will definitely come looking for you again if she has no other choice."

Ning Weidong was also very helpless.

This is the one bad thing about this era; before the collective model had completely disintegrated, these kinds of neighborhood relationships were far closer than in later generations.

Encountering this kind of thing, it certainly wouldn't do for Ning Weidong to completely ignore it; it would have a major impact on his reputation.

Unless he could be like Ning Weiguo, using the opportunity of unit housing allocation to move out, only then could he cut ties with this place after a long time.

This is also why leaders from various units rarely live in such Dazayuan.

Aside from the poor living conditions, these complex neighborhood relationships are also a factor.

All sorts of trivial matters take up too much energy.

Ning Weidong said, "We'll see. But I think this matter ultimately still rests on Shi Xiaonan. As long as Shi Xiaonan gets a divorce, it will probably end."

Ning Weiguo gave a hum; regarding this, his thoughts were much the same as Ning Weidong's.

After finishing this topic, Ning Weiguo said again, "By the way, how is your Correspondence Education going? Don't be half-hearted about it. Can you pass the exam this summer?"

Ning Weidong said full of confidence, "Big Brother, don't you worry. I've been looking at it these past two days, and it doesn't feel very difficult. It'll definitely be no problem."

Ning Weiguo said, "It's good to have confidence. There's been talk from above these past few days; it's best to get the Secondary Specialized School Diploma this year. If you wait until next year... I'm afraid the policy will change."

Ning Weidong nodded solemnly: "Don't worry, I will definitely pass it this year."

The next day, Ning Weidong went to work as usual.

There was no movement from Wang Dama and Shi Xiaonan; it was unknown how the two of them had discussed it.

Anyway, Ning Weidong was happy to have some peace, and as soon as he arrived at the unit in the morning, he started burying himself in his Correspondence Education textbooks.

It was about ten o'clock in the morning when the phone on the desk rang.

Ning Weidong said "Hello," and heard that Xia Dongqiang was coming to report on his work.

Ning Weidong smiled; he had known Xia Dongqiang would come and agreed directly.

A few minutes later, Xia Dongqiang knocked and entered: "Leader, I've taken up your time."

Ning Weidong said with a smile, "Comrade Dongqiang, it is very good that when you encounter problems in your thinking or work, or have your own ideas, you think of coming to report to the organization."

As he spoke, he took a cup, poured a glass of water for Xia Dongqiang, sat down, and said, "Go ahead and speak."

After Ning Weidong sat down, Xia Dongqiang sat down cautiously, placed his hands on his knees, and said, "Reporting to the leader, I always used to hear people say that for a train to run fast, it relies on the engine. I didn't have an intuitive understanding of this phrase, but ever since you arrived, I have finally understood..."

Blah, blah, blah, Xia Dongqiang started talking; it was clear he had prepared a script.

The main point of his speech was also very clear: how good Ning Weidong was, how much he admired him, and that he hoped to follow the leader's footsteps closely and be able to listen to his teachings often.

Throughout the whole thing, he didn't mention a word about the mushrooms he brought yesterday, didn't hint at the golden Buddha or the Ginseng, and didn't make any requests.

Ning Weidong listened; everyone loves to hear flattery.

However, Ning Weidong did not get carried away.

This was not the level Xia Dongqiang should have; if Xia Dongqiang had this kind of boldness and was this good at talking, he would have moved up long ago, and it wouldn't be Ning Weidong's turn to listen to him say these things.

Moreover, from previous contact, although Xia Dongqiang had some petty cleverness, he was far from this level.

It was very clear that someone was guiding him behind the scenes.

Ning Weidong didn't expose it, and he wasn't very curious about who this person was.

If it was just someone casually giving Xia Dongqiang some pointers, to Ning Weidong, they were just a passerby without any significance.

If there was another purpose, this was just the beginning, and there would definitely be follow-up actions; he could wait and see then.

After Xia Dongqiang finished speaking, Ning Weidong was not stingy and gave him full affirmation.

In short, one sentence: I already know your attitude, and I will definitely fully consider you when there is an opportunity, but this is not enough; you must continue to work hard.

It could be seen that Xia Dongqiang was very happy when he left; he originally wanted to stay a while longer, but Zhao Ruyi arrived.

Xia Dongqiang was observant and knew that Ning Weidong and Zhao Ruyi were dating; since he had said what he needed to say, he immediately took the initiative to take his leave.

After Xia Dongqiang closed the door, Zhao Ruyi sat down behind Ning Weidong's desk, looked at the Correspondence Education books on the desk, curled her lips and said, "You're pretending quite well~"

Ning Weidong said, "What do you mean pretending? You try pretending for me. Get up, don't make trouble, it's affecting my studying."

"Look at you~" Zhao Ruyi pouted and didn't move, saying, "Tomorrow is Sunday, where do you want to go?"

The two of them were dating; since it was finally Sunday, they couldn't just go back to their respective homes.

Ning Weidong said, "Where do you want to go?"

Zhao Ruyi had come over on her own initiative, so she likely had some ideas in mind.

Zhao Ruyi said, "Since you love studying so much, why don't we go to the library in the morning? How about we go to Old Mo in the afternoon?"

Ning Weidong hadn't expected Zhao Ruyi to make such arrangements: "Go to the library? You aren't allowed to talk freely there."

Zhao Ruyi rolled her eyes and said, "The library has heating and you can sit down; that's much better than walking the streets outside and shivering from the cold, right?"

"Look at how lazy you are." Ning Weidong didn't have any objections; it was all the same to him anyway: "Then should I ride my bike to pick you up tomorrow morning?"

Zhao Ruyi waved her hand and said, "No need, let's just meet at the library; we'll arrive on time at nine o'clock."

——

Eight thousand words! (End of chapter)