Chapter 1959

"I'm in the office, sorting out documents with Director Yang Mei," Zhang Zhiqiang answered.

"Oh, I see." Director Sun's tone seemed a little disappointed. "Then once you've finished sorting the documents, come to my office for a bit."

"Alright, I'll head over once I'm done." Zhang Zhiqiang was a little puzzled inside, wondering what Director Sun wanted with him.

After hanging up the phone, he continued sorting the documents. After a while, Director Yang Mei returned.

"Director Yang, you're back." Zhang Zhiqiang looked up and greeted her.

"Mm." Director Yang Mei nodded, glanced at the documents on the coffee table, and said, "Nicely sorted." She offered the praise.

"Thank you, Director Yang." Zhang Zhiqiang said the words, but in his heart he was still thinking about Director Sun's matter from earlier.

After a while, Director Sun's secretary came over and called Zhang Zhiqiang to Director Sun's office. He was a little nervous inside, not knowing what it could be about.

Walking into Director Sun's office, he found only Director Sun sitting inside alone.

"Xiao Zhang, please sit," Director Sun said, pointing to a chair.

After Zhang Zhiqiang sat down, Director Sun looked at him and said, "Something happened at the bureau this morning, and since it involves your office, I wanted to have a talk with you."

Zhang Zhiqiang said a little nervously, "Please go ahead, Director Sun."

"This afternoon," Director Sun said, looking at Zhang Zhiqiang seriously, "I hope you can tell the truth and help the bureau investigate the matter clearly."

I'm just a little intern—how could I possibly know the truth? And I don't have any evidence either! Zhang Zhiqiang thought to himself, but didn't dare show it on his face. He hesitated for a moment, then could only say, "Director Sun, I haven't been at the office long, and I've been working under Director Yang Mei the whole time, so I don't really know much about her affairs."

"Then what do you think should be done about this?" Director Sun asked, looking at Zhang Zhiqiang.

Zhang Zhiqiang said hesitantly, "I'll make the decision later." He thought to himself that if the bureau could find evidence proving Director Yang Mei had a problem, she might face corresponding punishment.

"Mm, you're right." Director Sun nodded. "We'll investigate this matter as quickly as possible. But you also need to watch your words and actions, and don't get involved in this." She urged him.

"Alright, Director Sun." Zhang Zhiqiang agreed out loud, but inside he was wondering what he should do. He knew that as an intern, he simply didn't have the ability or the standing to get involved in this matter. But he also knew that this matter would have a huge impact on Director Yang Mei and the office—if handled poorly, it could affect the working atmosphere and the relationships between colleagues. As Zhang Zhiqiang left Director Sun's office, his mind kept going over what had just happened. He didn't know how the bureau would handle the matter, or what kind of outcome Director Yang Mei would face. He only hoped the bureau could handle it fairly, and not let anyone suffer unjust treatment.

After returning to the office, Zhang Zhiqiang noticed the atmosphere was a little tense. The colleagues were all busy, seemingly all paying attention to Director Yang Mei's matter. He didn't want to get involved, but he also didn't want to affect the working atmosphere or the relationships between colleagues.

Director Yang Mei looked very calm—she kept handling work matters, seemingly unaffected by the incident. Zhang Zhiqiang didn't know how she managed it, but he felt she was truly worthy of admiration.

After a while, Director Sun's secretary came over and called Zhang Zhiqiang to Director Sun's office. He was a little nervous inside, not knowing what it could be about.

Walking into Director Sun's office, he found that besides Director Sun, there was also an unfamiliar gentleman sitting inside.

"Xiao Zhang, please sit," Director Sun said, pointing to a chair.

After Zhang Zhiqiang sat down, Director Sun introduced, "This is Bureau Chief Wang from the bureau. He has some questions he'd like to ask you."

Zhang Zhiqiang said a little nervously, "Hello, Bureau Chief Wang."

"Hello, Xiao Zhang." Bureau Chief Wang looked at Zhang Zhiqiang and said, "I heard you're a new intern and don't know much about our bureau's affairs yet. I'd like to know—what's your view on Director Yang Mei's matter?"

Zhang Zhiqiang hesitated for a moment, then spoke honestly: "I'm just an intern, so I don't know much about Director Yang Mei's matter. But I think the bureau should first investigate whether the contents of the report letter are true before making any decision."

Bureau Chief Wang nodded and said, "Your attitude is very objective, fair, and responsible. We'll investigate this matter as quickly as possible." He asked again, "Then what do you think we should do about Director Yang Mei if the contents of the report letter turn out to be true?" Zhang Zhiqiang hesitated for a moment, then answered seriously, "If the contents of the report letter are true, I think Director Yang Mei should be given corresponding punishment based on the severity and scope of impact of the matter. At the same time, the bureau should also strengthen the management of other staff to prevent similar incidents from happening again."

Bureau Chief Wang nodded, then asked, "And if the contents of the report letter aren't true?"

Zhang Zhiqiang thought for a moment, then answered, "If the contents of the report letter aren't true, I think the facts should be clarified publicly to restore Director Yang Mei's reputation. At the same time, the bureau should also investigate the whistleblower to uphold the principle of fairness and justice."

After hearing him out, Bureau Chief Wang was silent for a while. Then he said to Zhang Zhiqiang, "Your attitude toward this matter is very objective, fair, and responsible. I hope you can keep this attitude and help us handle this matter well."

Zhang Zhiqiang nodded and said, "I will, Bureau Chief Wang."

Afterwards, Bureau Chief Wang talked with Zhang Zhiqiang some more about work matters. He felt Zhang Zhiqiang had a lot of potential and was very earnest and responsible, and hoped he could keep working hard in the future and achieve even better results.

As he left Director Sun's office, Zhang Zhiqiang felt very gratified inside. He felt his answers had earned the bureau chief's recognition and support, which would be a great help for his future work and development. At the same time, he also deeply realized the responsibility and accountability of an intern at work, and became clearer about his own career planning and direction.

After returning to the office, Zhang Zhiqiang found his colleagues still busy. He didn't mention what had just happened to anyone, but inside he was thinking about what he should do to better complete his own work and contribute to the office's development. Over the next few days, Zhang Zhiqiang maintained a high level of work enthusiasm and sense of responsibility. He learned as much as he could about the Nongye Bureau's business, and actively helped Director Yang Mei and other colleagues handle various tasks.

At the same time, he also kept a close eye on the progress of Director Yang Mei's matter. Although the bureau hadn't publicly disclosed any information, from the colleagues' chatter he could feel the impact the matter was having on the entire office.

One evening, Zhang Zhiqiang received an email from Director Sun, inviting him to her home as a guest. He hesitated, unsure whether he should go. But Director Sun mentioned in the email that this gathering was of a personal nature and that work matters wouldn't be discussed.

In the end, Zhang Zhiqiang decided to go. He carefully prepared a small gift to express his sincerity and gratitude.

Director Sun's home was located in a quiet little community, with a beautiful environment and a warm atmosphere. Director Sun warmly welcomed Zhang Zhiqiang and personally led him to a seat in the living room.

During the chat, Director Sun talked about her family and personal life, which made Zhang Zhiqiang feel very comfortable and at ease. He also talked about his own work experience and educational background, which made Director Sun understand and trust him more.

As the gathering was about to end, Director Sun suddenly brought up Director Yang Mei's matter. Zhang Zhiqiang hesitated for a moment, then answered Director Sun's questions truthfully. He talked about his own attitude and views on the matter, and also about his respect and gratitude toward Director Yang Mei.

After hearing him out, Director Sun was silent for a while. Then she said to Zhang Zhiqiang, "You are a very responsible person who knows how to step up. In handling this matter, you should follow your own inner thoughts and principles. At the same time, you also need to protect your own interests and safety."

As he left Director Sun's home, Zhang Zhiqiang felt very grateful and gratified. He understood his own career path and direction, and his beliefs and resolve were strengthened. He decided to keep working hard to learn and grow in his future work, and to contribute his strength to the development of the Nongye Bureau.

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