Chapter 503: Unexpected Encounter

Xu Mengda's half-finished words were like a thorn in my heart; I didn't know what he actually needed my help with. With someone as well-connected as him, would he still need my help?

There aren't many cadres in Central Province who don't know Xu Mengda. Everyone knows he is an elegant person, not only with an enviable family background but also with a very good educational background. Descendants of official families like him generally take two paths: either enter politics or go into business.

After graduating from university, Xu Mengda followed the old routine and entered officialdom, calling the wind and rain in the propaganda system for several years, accumulating a large amount of popularity. Just as he was advancing rapidly with a bright future, who would have expected him to suddenly retreat and take the second path—going into business.

Xu Mengda is a cultured person after all, so his business is naturally in the cultural industry. He owns the largest advertising company in the province, a media company, and it is said he also has an outdoor advertising production company. The three companies are advancing side by side, making the cultural industry in Central Province flourish.

Xu Mengda does culture with an eye on the high-end. For example, the television stations in all thirteen prefectures and cities in the province have cooperation with him. The few minutes before and after the News Broadcast are all Xu Mengda's advertising time. This is prime time, not something money can buy. Xu Mengda being able to take the prime time of thirteen television stations into his arms shows that his ability is extraordinary.

His advertising is a comprehensive layout. For example, from Chunshan County to Hengyue City, and then from Hengyue City to Central Province, the billboards along the highway all come from his company.

Someone once said that Xu Mengda relied on his father, the Propaganda Minister, to make his business so big. There was a lot of disdain in those words. I, however, cannot agree with this view. If Xu Mengda himself didn't have the ability, even if he had a father who was a Beijing official, he might not have achieved today's brilliance.

One would think that someone like him would be overbearing. Yet, he is very low-key, so low-key that one can't tell at all that he is a person with an incredibly rich family background.

Because of this, someone gave him a title, calling him "Young Master Xu" (Xu Shao).

The name "Young Master Xu" reminds people of many allusions. In my view, a large part of the reason Xu Mengda is called "Young Master Xu" is that he is still unmarried.

Only an unmarried man can be called "Young Master" (Shao Ye); a married man's status is immediately labeled, and he should be called "Old Master" (Lao Ye).

Thinking of the awkwardness of Xu Mengda being called "Old Master," I couldn't help but smile slightly.

Young Master Xu asking for my help is, to some extent, a sign of trust.

You have to know that someone like me, who has just stepped down, still has a bleak future. Moreover, my roots weren't deep, and my leaves weren't lush; at most, I was a Deputy County Magistrate of a remote county, with no people and no money. As for the power in my hands, it could only be exercised on my own one-third of an acre, and this power was completely lost after I stepped down.

Thinking about this repeatedly, the fatigue was swept away. Watching the dawn, I was weighing whether to find He Jiaxiao first or go to the Provincial Party School first, feeling hesitant for a moment.

After parting with Xu Mengda last night, I insisted on finding a place to rest myself. Xu Mengda didn't force me, letting me open a room at the Provincial Party Committee Reception House to stay.

Suddenly, there was a bustle of voices downstairs. I pushed open the window and looked down, seeing a group of people standing in the courtyard at the entrance of the Provincial Party Committee Guesthouse, all in suits and leather shoes, looking high-spirited.

From the surface, this group of people seemed to be cadres. I could tell from every gesture they made. For those who are cadres, the first thing to pay attention to is solemnity and seriousness. As long as a person becomes a cadre, it seems they are cut off from laughter. Being serious and not laughing is the label of a cadre.

I struggled with this for a long time and tried to be serious and not laugh, but in the end, I always fell short. Because when facing the common people, I couldn't lock myself in a cage and wear a mask to talk to them.

For example, Zhao Dequan and Qian Youyu—if I were refined with them, they would avoid me from afar. Only when I cursed at them or even used my hands would they feel I was approachable and dare to get close to me.

After watching for a while, I felt bored. Thinking of my aunt Wanru's instructions, I felt it was better to go to He Jiaxiao's unit first and implement my aunt's instructions before doing anything else.

After going downstairs, my eyes caught a tall roll-up banner advertisement in the lobby. My gaze drifted over it inadvertently, and I was instantly frozen, unable to move a step.

On the advertisement was a radiant woman, her eyes flowing with light, holding a microphone and singing loudly.

The woman was Xue Bing, and above her head was a line of text: "Xue Bing Solo Concert." Looking below, the organizer was the Provincial Party Committee Propaganda Department, and the undertaker was Central Province Tianjing Cultural Communication Company.

I wasn't surprised at all that Xue Bing was holding a solo concert. She was a golden phoenix herself; in the past, she just happened to land in a chicken coop. Now that she was perched on a phoenix tree, holding a solo concert wasn't a big deal.

What surprised me was the undertaker. Wasn't this Tianjing Cultural Communication Company Xu Mengda's company?

Xue Bing holding a concert, and the advertisement being able to reach the Provincial Party Committee Guesthouse—this was something ordinary people couldn't hope to achieve.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of a car horn. I looked up and saw an imported minibus slowly stopping at the entrance of the guesthouse lobby.

The group of people standing in the courtyard followed, starting to board the bus one by one.

I didn't look at them, preparing to walk around the bus and drive to He Jiaxiao's unit myself.

Just as I reached the side of the bus, a person who was boarding turned and saw me, calling out to me loudly.

I followed the sound and found it was a cadre from a neighboring county, who seemed to be at the same level as Huang Qishan, a County Youth League Committee Secretary. I had met this person once before; we had seen each other at a meeting in the city.

People are familiar, but I couldn't remember the other party's name, so I had to stand still and smile awkwardly.

He walked over and asked in surprise, "County Magistrate Chen, aren't you coming with us?"

I blurted out, "Go where?"

He looked at me strangely and said, "Aren't you going to report to the Provincial Party School?"

My heart skipped a beat, but I couldn't show my panic, so I had to laugh it off, "Wait a moment, wait a moment, I'm going."

He smiled suspiciously and asked me, "County Magistrate Chen, you don't remember who I am, do you?"

I continued to laugh it off, "How could that be! I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare."

He reached out his hand toward me, shook my hand lightly, and said, "My name is Deng Hanyuan, the former Youth League Committee Secretary of the neighboring county. County Magistrate Chen is truly a noble person who forgets things easily; you certainly don't remember who I am."

I smiled, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare, Secretary Deng, how could I not remember you."

These polite words on the surface are basically bullshit; I generally don't take these things to heart.

But after he said his name, I couldn't help but shudder. His name was Deng Hanyuan; what was his relationship with Deng Hanyu? There wouldn't be such a coincidence in the world, both surnamed Deng, with only one character different in their names. If I didn't make the connection, it would show I had no level. Moreover, this person named Deng Hanyuan came from the neighboring county where Deng Hanyu's father was the County Magistrate.

The minibus was urging him to board. Deng Hanyuan pulled me and said, "Let's go, or else people will say we don't follow discipline again."

I couldn't refuse, so I had to follow him onto the bus. Just as I sat down, a person who looked like a team leader started taking roll call.

Everyone was called, except for me. Deng Hanyuan got anxious and asked, "Is that everyone?"

The team leader looked at the list in his hand and said suspiciously, "That's everyone."

"That's not right." Deng Hanyuan stood up from his seat, walked to the team leader, and pointed to my name on the paper, "Chen Feng's name was missed."

The team leader laughed, "Didn't you see the note? He's at home getting married."

As soon as the words fell, a burst of laughter erupted on the bus.

Deng Hanyuan said anxiously, "Getting married? Isn't he right here?"

He pointed casually, and the eyes of everyone on the bus looked over in unison.

The team leader let out an "Eh" and asked strangely, "You are Chen Feng?"

I nodded. I wasn't afraid of the collective gaze of the bus. I had been in a leadership position for several years and had attended so many meetings. Every time I attended a meeting, wasn't I stared at by collective gazes?

"Why did you come?" the team leader was still asking strangely, scratching his head, muttering, "How did they handle things? Making such a mistake over such a small matter."

I stood up and said, "It's nothing, it's nothing. I also received a temporary notice, canceling the wedding."

"Is that so?" the team leader asked suspiciously, reaching out to shake my hand, "I am from the First Cadre Division of the Provincial Organization Department, my name is Mei Hua. I am responsible for your study this time; you can just call me Little Mei from now on."

He smiled politely and turned to tell the driver to start the bus.

I accompanied him with a smile and said, "Leader Mei, you've worked hard."

Mei Hua waved his hand and said, "What kind of leader am I? I'm just a Section Chief; there are plenty of you whose rank is higher than mine. You are the leaders. I'm just a waiter, serving you."

I immediately changed my address, "Section Chief Mei, you've really worked hard."

It takes an hour from the Provincial Party Committee Guesthouse to the Provincial Party School. The Provincial Party School is in the suburbs, a place with beautiful scenery. I had been there when I was in university, and at that time, standing at the gate of the Provincial Party School, I secretly made up my mind that I must strive to come here for further study in this life. Because I knew that no one who walked out of here was simple.

This dream had turned to ashes when I graduated, and for a period of time, I even degenerated to the point of just wanting to find a job to make a living.

Now that time has passed, thirty years east of the river, thirty years west. I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep, but my heart was churning with waves, feeling a thousand emotions.

"Tonight, everyone will participate in the concert together; it's hosted by the Provincial Party Committee Propaganda Department for everyone," Mei Hua broke the silence on the bus, stood up, and arranged, "Today's schedule is: in the morning, everyone reports and settles into accommodation. In the afternoon, provincial leaders will come to visit everyone, and in the evening, provincial leaders will have dinner with everyone. After dinner, we will return to the city together to attend the concert performance."

There was a round of applause on the bus, and I followed along.

Mei Hua suddenly stopped talking, looked at me, and asked, "County Magistrate Chen, I heard the protagonist of this concert is from your Chunshan County."

Before we were officially appointed to new positions, according to the rules, everyone still addressed each other by their past official titles.

I shook my head and said, "I'm not very clear."

Mei Hua laughed, "You, the parent official, are not competent. A celebrity came out of your county, and you're not clear about it?"

I was speechless for a moment. It was true; if I said I wasn't clear, others would blame me for being incompetent. If I said I was clear, and he asked me to tell a story later, what should I say?

I laughed dryly, "For these cultural matters, we have specialized leaders responsible for them. I didn't manage the cultural front in the past. I'm really sorry."

Mei Hua didn't continue to press, saying to everyone, "Let me tell you, I'm responsible for cadre training several times a year. To be honest, I've never seen a Provincial Governor personally participate in the opening ceremony. You are lucky this time."

Everyone applauded again, looking high-spirited.

I had things on my mind and followed them in applauding, but I couldn't be happy at all. ===== CHAPTER 504 =====