Chapter 4721: Drifting Duckweed in Officialdom

"You, you slippery fellow." Yao Beina rolled her eyes at Zhao Desan, seemingly very dissatisfied. "Now that you've become the acting district head, I want to hear what's truly on your mind."

"Xiao Yao." Zhao Desan stopped in his tracks, looked at Yao Beina, and said with a bitter smile, "What difference would it make if I spoke my mind or not?"

"I just want to hear your personal thoughts. I've always been very worried about Secretary Wu being transferred away. The situation in our district has only just begun to open up; if Secretary Wu is transferred now, it will be a huge loss for Chanba District. I even sent a suggestion letter to the Municipal Committee's email address in the name of an individual Party member regarding the adjustment of the district's leadership team. But fortunately, Secretary Wu hasn't been transferred, and you've been promoted to acting district head. Don't you have any thoughts on this at all?"

Looking at the determined expression on the slightly thin face of the young beauty beside him, Zhao Desan felt a bit surprised. He hadn't expected Yao Beina, a mere secretary, to actually write a letter to a higher-level Party committee expressing a dissenting opinion in the name of an ordinary Party member. Was this an insistence on the basic rights of a Party member, or did it show she was still too young and politically immature? However, the fact that a young woman dared to speak her mind so boldly in the current atmosphere where superiors' words were law made Zhao Desan feel a sense of admiration.

Seeing Zhao Desan looking at her in astonishment, Yao Beina asked, "Do you think I'm too naive?"

"No... no." Zhao Desan collected himself, looked at her with a sincere expression, and said, "I quite admire your courage and your good intentions for the development of Chanba District. Honestly, if it were me, I wouldn't have that much courage. If things went wrong, I'd end up offending people."

Yao Beina sighed softly and said, "When I passed the civil service exam, I remember when I met my university advisor, he gave me a piece of advice that I still remember firmly to this day."

"What did he say?" Zhao Desan felt a bit curious.

"He told me, 'Xiao Yao, you must remember, no matter what kind of official you become, never forget the principles you hold in your heart. Otherwise, you will become like drifting duckweed in officialdom, without your own personality or character, and such an official won't last long.'" Yao Beina repeated the advice her advisor had given her back then.

Drifting duckweed in officialdom? This was the first time Zhao Desan had heard this fresh term, and he couldn't help but ponder it with interest.

"Actually, it's not as grand as you think. I just feel that Secretary Wu has made quite a few contributions to the district's development. And as an administrative secretary, I deal with Secretary Wu often and feel that her character is very good. If she were to be transferred, the new secretary would definitely bring their own people. By then, I wouldn't know what to do. Things in officialdom are just too complicated..." Yao Beina said, shaking her head.

"No matter who the leader is, just do your own job well. Why bother with all that?" Zhao Desan blurted out, causing Yao Beina to turn and look at him.

"District Head Zhao is certainly carefree." Yao Beina giggled, then added, "But that's also true, haha."

"But as a young girl who hasn't been in officialdom for long, having to maintain all kinds of interpersonal relationships everywhere must be quite exhausting when working." Zhao Desan added casually, adopting the posture of someone who had been through it all.

"It's not exactly exhausting..." Yao Beina reached out to catch a snowflake, which quickly melted into water droplets in her palm. She then said softly, "It's just that working in a government agency, I feel like I can't make any real friends. Sometimes I feel very lonely in my heart..."

Watching the usually dignified and noble beauty secretary suddenly look so melancholy, Zhao Desan didn't know what to say, so he just walked along with her in silence.

"Hey, why am I talking about loneliness to a little man like you." Yao Beina suddenly felt she had lost her composure, pursed her lips and smiled, saying, "District Head Zhao, you are at the most triumphant moment of your life right now. Having just been promoted to acting district head, you must be very happy."

"Pfft, the things I've experienced are much more complicated than yours." Seeing that Yao Beina actually considered him a "little man," Zhao Desan couldn't help but blurt out.

"Is that so? Then tell me about it. I'm very interested in your experiences." Yao Beina asked with a smile.

Zhao Desan, of course, wouldn't tell her about his experiences over the years. Just as he was preparing to find an excuse to brush her off, the sound of the "Huluwa" theme song suddenly came from his phone. Hearing Zhao Desan's hilarious ringtone, Yao Beina couldn't help but burst into laughter, saying, "Your ringtone is just too much..."

Zhao Desan chuckled, took out his phone, and seeing it was a call from Wu Min, he quickly gave Yao Beina a wink before answering, saying with a smile, "Sister Wu, what's up?"

"Comrade Xiao Zhao, where are you? Everyone is dining and drinking, why can't I see you?" Wu Min only just realized that Zhao Desan was no longer at the scene, so she called him.

"Oh, I felt a bit dizzy from the alcohol, so I came out to get some fresh air." Zhao Desan lied casually and stuck his tongue out at Yao Beina.

"The reception is about to end. Come back quickly; let's send off District Head Zhao together." Wu Min's tone carried a hint of drunkenness; she had clearly had quite a bit to drink.

"Alright." Zhao Desan agreed, hung up the phone, and said to Yao Beina, "Let's go, let's head back. District Head Zhao is leaving, and the district wants to hold a send-off for him."

"Mm." Yao Beina nodded, and the two returned one after the other.

Upon returning to the reception, Zhao Desan was surrounded by a table of people who insisted on drinking with him to congratulate him on his promotion to acting district head. Zhao Desan, who had originally wanted to keep a low profile, found that he couldn't do so now. He drank quite a bit with the cadres who came to congratulate him with wine glasses in hand. By the time the reception ended, he was truly feeling a bit hazy from the alcohol. As the top leader of the district, Wu Min had naturally been toasted many times, and her face was as red as fire. Amidst the laughter and cheers, Liu Deliang specifically walked over, patted Zhao Desan on the shoulder, and with a hint of regret on his face, forced a smile and said to Zhao Desan, "Comrade Xiao Zhao, congratulations. Work hard in the district from now on; you will definitely have a bright future."

Zhao Desan smiled awkwardly, raised his glass to toast Liu Deliang, and said some standard official pleasantries. Finally, the group sent Zhao Changtian and Liu Deliang off to their cars. After the banquet ended, Wu Min was completely drunk, and Zhao Desan himself was so dizzy he didn't even know how he had been helped to a room at the district committee guesthouse to lie down.

After getting Zhao Desan to the hotel and letting him lie down, Yao Beina left the hotel. Walking out, the snow was falling heavily, and gusts of cold wind made her shiver. Looking at the pitch-black sky and using the light reflected from the snow on the ground, Yao Beina walked along the street toward her home.

On the way home, Yao Beina thought about how Zhao Desan's burly body had pressed against her when she helped him into the hotel room, a feeling that made her heart feel warm. Recalling that sensation, a warm smile bloomed at the corners of Yao Beina's mouth as she walked slowly toward home. Because it was snowing, the district's population was already sparse, and there was almost no one on the street at this time, save for a few customers occasionally sitting in the late-night snack shops by the roadside.

Just as Yao Beina passed the entrance of a snack shop that was still open, a whistle suddenly came from inside, accompanied by lewd laughter. Yao Beina knew it must be the few little hooligans who were eating who had set their sights on her again and were harassing her, so she couldn't help but quicken her pace.

It turned out that at this moment, three or four young men in strange attire were sitting in this small roadside snack shop. Several of them were tilting their heads, eating hot pot while drinking, and whistling at Yao Beina as she walked past the door.

"This woman is a stunner!" one of the yellow-haired ones said with a wicked smile.

"Look at that butt and those breasts, so perky. Damn, what a great body!" A scrawny guy picked up a cup of Erguotou, took a sip, and stared lewdly at Yao Beina, who was walking past the door quickly, with a wicked grin.

"If this woman could let us brothers have a go, that would be awesome, haha..." A fatty said with a face full of lewd smiles.

Hearing the fatty's words, the yellow-haired one turned back and said with a lewd expression, "Fatty, if you can get her, we brothers will pay for your room tonight!"

"Hey, with our looks, how could we get her!" The fatty still had some self-awareness and said with a chuckle.

"Look at your spineless, bear-like appearance!" The scrawny guy glared at the fatty, then said with a devious smile, "If we brothers really want to get that woman, I have a way!"

"What way?" The fatty leaned his head in, waiting for the scrawny guy's follow-up with great interest.

The scrawny guy sneakily looked down at the wine glass on the table, chuckled twice, and said, "Isn't this the way?" ===== CHAPTER 4722 =====