Chapter 502: Xu Mengda

Xu Mengda had a demeanor of remaining calm even if Mount Tai collapsed before him; this was something I envied.

I had once thought about learning from him, not showing joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness on my face. But after a while, I nearly suffocated myself. I was born a straightforward person; how could I learn to be deep?

The so-called "rivers and mountains are easy to change, but one's nature is hard to alter"—a person's personality cannot be learned. If you try to learn it, the final result is nothing more than the "Handan walk" or "Xishi's frown."

I regarded Xu Mengda's depth as his cultivation. After all, he was the son of an official family, and the things he had been exposed to since childhood were things that small people like us couldn't even dream of.

"Chen Feng, I heard you specifically requested leave for your wedding?" Xu Mengda's voice wasn't high, but every word and sentence coiled around my heart like a poisonous snake. I knew his power; in the officialdom of Central Province, he was a person who could handle things with ease. Although he wasn't in the system now, there was nothing within the system that he didn't know.

I wasn't surprised at all that he knew about this, so I smiled and said, "Brother Xu, look, didn't I come specifically to invite you?"

Xu Mengda stared at me and sneered, "I can't afford that! What virtue or ability does old Xu have to make a new political star run around and toil so much? If you really wanted to invite me, a phone call would have been enough."

I said earnestly, "It's true, Brother Xu, don't you doubt me."

Xu Mengda didn't take my words and invited me to drink tea.

After a cup of tea, my heart felt warm. Smelling the rich and luxurious atmosphere of the club, my heart began to drift.

"Chen Feng, it's good that you came today. If you hadn't come, I wouldn't have planned to call you." Xu Mengda spoke slowly, unhurriedly, looking like he had everything under control.

I didn't know what his subtext was, so I couldn't respond, only nodding earnestly, looking like I was listening intently.

"This time, you were transferred up, but it wasn't just you alone, you know?" Xu Mengda didn't look at me.

"Who else?" I finally couldn't hold back and pressed him.

"Central Province has thirteen prefectures and cities, and one person was transferred up from each. You are the only county-level cadre, transferred directly from a county leadership position; the others are all young and middle-aged cadres from the municipal committees and municipal governments of various prefectures and cities."

"The province transferred so many people up, what are they trying to do?" I asked nervously. The information Xu Mengda revealed made a trace of disappointment rise in my heart. I had thought I really had the ability to be favored by the leaders, but I didn't expect I was just one of thirteen chess pieces; no one could say what my future fate would be.

"The province transferred you up, naturally there are more important burdens for you to pick up. Of course, not everyone has the opportunity to pick up a burden, and as for who can pick it up, I think opportunities are always reserved for those who are serious."

Xu Mengda's words made my face flush and my heart beat fast, as if a louse were crawling on my face, making me feel itchy and disgusted.

Who is a serious person? Am I? I asked myself!

I am not. I actually requested leave for the sake of personal feelings—is this something a serious person would do? In the face of righteousness and justice, I felt I was so filthy.

"Self-reproach?" Xu Mengda looked at me with a smile and said, "You don't need to reproach yourself. Anyway, the deadline for reporting is tomorrow."

Xu Mengda waved his hand to summon the young girl over, whispering for her to go to the inner room and call someone.

I became anxious and asked in a low voice, "Brother Xu, I didn't commit any mistakes, did I?"

Xu Mengda tapped the tea table lightly and said, "You didn't commit any mistakes, it's just that regarding your leave, I heard the higher-ups are a bit dissatisfied."

Hearing the words "dissatisfied," it was like a bolt from the blue, and I nearly fainted. Who are the higher-ups? It goes without saying. If I leave a bad impression on the higher-ups, my future is basically declared over.

"Can it still be saved?" I asked guiltily.

"What do you think?" Xu Mengda didn't give me an answer. His unfathomable demeanor was like holding a knife and cutting my flesh inch by inch. Although it hurt to the bone, I didn't dare to scream.

"A person's life is determined by heaven!" I deliberately changed to a cynical demeanor. In fact, I was also thinking, at worst, I'll just go back to Suxi and be the Secretary again.

Thinking of Suxi, my heart began to feel warm again. The shadows of Yuebai and the others appeared in my mind like a revolving lantern. Suxi is my final destination!

If the higher-ups are unhappy, let them be unhappy. At most, they'll strip me of my county magistrate hat; they wouldn't drive me off the Earth, would they?

My appearance must have been noticed by Xu Mengda, who threw me a pack of cigarettes and said, "Try it, it's a new product."

I glanced at the packaging; it was indeed a new product, and I hadn't seen this type of cigarette for sale on the market. As for cigarettes, I almost didn't need to buy them anymore; I couldn't finish smoking the various kinds I had.

I remember when Zhu Huayu first brought me several cartons of cigarettes, I criticized her with a dark face, saying she shouldn't accept gifts from others casually. Because the cigarettes she brought were not expensive ones that ordinary people could afford to smoke.

Later, after it happened many times, I became numb. I thought, smoking a few cigarettes doesn't count for anything; it's just a few cigarettes, right? Can it kill anyone?

The pack of cigarettes Xu Mengda threw to me, one look at the packaging, and I knew it wasn't cheap stuff.

People who can smoke cigarettes that haven't circulated on the market yet are not simple people.

I tore open the packaging, pulled one out, and lit it. It was indeed a good cigarette! The taste was mellow and fragrant, leaving a lingering fragrance on the teeth and cheeks!

Xu Mengda watched me enjoying it and smiled without a word.

Just then, the service girl brought someone out. Looking through the light, I was so shocked I stood up immediately.

The person who came out with the girl was the cadre from the Provincial Organization Department who went to Suxi. He saw me too and nodded slightly, which counted as a greeting.

Xu Mengda patted the chair beside him to invite him to sit, and personally poured him a cup of tea, saying, "Brother Jiuming, sorry to bother you."

He pointed at me and said, "You should know Chen Feng, right?"

The person called Jiuming nodded and said, "I know him. Deputy County Magistrate of Chunshan County, Hengyue City, Chen Feng!"

He reached out his hand toward me. I hurriedly stood up, held his hand with both hands, and said emotionally, "Leader, I'm sorry."

Duanmu Jiuming smiled and said, "You're too polite! Too polite."

He was a person with a compound surname; in this day and age, those who still use compound surnames are generally not to be trifled with.

"Little Chen rushed here overnight just to make it in time for reporting," Xu Mengda said with a laugh, "Look at him, his face is full of fatigue."

Duanmu Jiuming was startled upon hearing this and asked hesitantly, "Didn't he request leave?"

"Request what leave?"

"Isn't he getting married? His leave was requested personally by Minister Huang of the Hengyue Municipal Organization Department," Duanmu Jiuming said, looking puzzled, "Marriage is a major event in life; it really shouldn't be taken lightly."

"Brother Jiuming, you're mistaken," Xu Mengda said with a smile, "Chen Feng originally intended to get married, but hearing that the training was about to start, he was afraid of delaying his studies. So, he decided to postpone the wedding. After all, marriage can be done at any time, but this study—once you miss this village, you won't find this shop."

Duanmu Jiuming laughed, "Mengda, you old fox, did you hear some wind?"

Xu Mengda shook his head firmly and said earnestly, "Jiuming, don't wrong your brother. I'm not even in your system anymore; how would I know about your affairs?"

Duanmu Jiuming looked at him in disbelief and said, "Why does it seem like you know better than anyone else!"

Xu Mengda looked terrified and said, "Jiuming, don't scare me! What do I know? This is confidential; how would I know!"

Duanmu Jiuming thought for a while and said, "That's true. This cadre training session is personally overseen by Provincial Chen Shengzhang. I heard that on the first day of school, he will personally take roll call."

The more I heard, the more afraid I became. My two legs felt like they weren't my own, shaking violently. If Provincial Chen Shengzhang personally took roll call and called the name "Chen Feng" with no one to answer, and others said I was at home getting married, what would he think?

I secretly rejoiced that I had come in time, and secretly rejoiced that I wasn't blind.

If I hadn't come to find Xu Mengda this time and had gone straight to He Jiaxiao's place, what would the result have been? In my eyes, Xu Mengda was just a businessman, but after the Suxi relocation activity, I already understood that he wasn't just someone who knew how to make money!

Sure enough, Xu Mengda's few small tricks made me submit to him!

But why did he want to help me? My acquaintance with him was merely a chance encounter. I only knew him through He Jiaxiao, but from his performance, He Jiaxiao had no foothold here. He was at most someone Xu Mengda knew.

"Leader, I will rush to report," I said, my attitude incomparably sincere.

Now I am stepping on someone else's land, with someone else's sky above my head. Although I studied at university here for four years, I have always been a passing traveler in this city. Now that I'm coming back, if I don't pay my respects to the local powers, I won't even know how I died.

"Don't call me Leader," Duanmu Jiuming said with a smile, "Chen Feng, before long, you will become a real leader."

I smiled modestly and said, "Thank you for your cultivation, Leader."

Xu Mengda waved his hand and said, "Chen Feng, don't be so sour. Do as Jiuming says, understand?"

I nodded submissively.

Duanmu Jiuming said, "Just come to the Provincial Party School to report tomorrow morning. I'll be waiting for you at the Party School."

I finally understood the procedure. It turned out that coming to the province this time wasn't about being assigned to a position directly, but first going to the Party School for training and study. And the study time was a full year.

All of this, no one in the Hengyue Municipal Organization Department had told me. My father-in-law, Minister Huang Shan, hadn't mentioned it either. What were their intentions?

I became indignant, but didn't dare to show it on my face, so I had to press my ten toes firmly against the ground, wishing I could kick a hole in the floor.

Duanmu Jiuming was a division-level cadre in the province. A division-level cadre was already a high-level official in our county, but in the province, it basically didn't count as an official.

Seeing that things were settled, Xu Mengda said to Duanmu Jiuming, "Aren't you going to rest? Not going to work?"

Duanmu Jiuming smiled bitterly, "Play three more rounds, win or lose, I'm leaving."

"Lost?" Xu Mengda asked.

Duanmu Jiuming nodded awkwardly.

Xu Mengda beckoned the service girl over and said, "Go, bring me the bag on the study table for Division Chief Duanmu."

Duanmu Jiuming waved his hands, "No need, no need, Mengda, really no need."

He looked at me and said with a smile, "Chen Feng, tired from the journey?"

I smiled noncommittally; the waves rolling in my heart hadn't completely calmed down yet. I certainly understood what their conversation meant, but now, I could only play dumb! I am just a person from the countryside, haven't seen the world, and don't know what you are talking about.

Duanmu Jiuming pretended to decline, but eventually accepted a square bag, bid me farewell, and hurried into the inner room.

Xu Mengda tapped the chair lightly and said, "Chen Feng, don't think I'm helping you. My mentor once said, there is no love without reason in this world, and no hate without reason. If someone helps you, there must be a reason for helping you. Moreover, everything is mutual; if someone helps you today, one day they will have something to ask of you."

I was shocked again, not knowing what kind of trick he wanted to play.

"There is something that needs your help," he said, standing up, stretching, and rubbing his waist, "You go rest first, we'll talk after you're settled." ===== CHAPTER 503 =====