Power and Wealth

On the Road.

In the Car.

At this moment, Dong Xuebing couldn't care less about how fast Fang Wenping was driving. It didn’t matter; his mind drifted elsewhere, focusing on more important matters.

A few minutes later.

Dong Xuebing suddenly asked, “Did Secretary Li Gui'an have plans for a transfer?”

Fang Wenping replied indifferently, “He’s only been in the position for less than two years and has been doing well. There’s no reason to transfer him. He’s achieved some results during his term, but nothing significant. If you hadn’t come to me and I hadn’t made a call to a friend, do you think you’d be here now?”

Dong Xuebing blinked and said, “Oh, I know you helped me. Didn’t I already say I owe you a favor? I’m just asking if this would’ve happened if I hadn’t come. If you hadn’t made that call, would Li Gui'an have continued working in Jiaolin County without any changes?”

Fang Wenping said, “He probably wouldn’t have been transferred in the short term. The County Party Secretary is the top leader, a crucial position. Generally, they aren’t moved for at least three years.”

Dong Xuebing said, “Oh.”

Dong Xuebing replied, “No reason, just curious.”

As he spoke, Dong Xuebing took out his phone. He went online, checking the official website of Jiaolin County, specifically looking at the leadership profiles. He had done research before, but it was mostly on news and events in Jiaolin County, not the leadership. As he looked, it was precisely as Fang Wenping had said—the previous County Party Secretary was indeed Li Gui'an, and the County Mayor was Zhang Dongfang. It was all written down, clear as day, so there was no mistake. But the more confident he became, the more uneasy Dong Xuebing felt.

What’s going on?

How could this be?

It’s not that Dong Xuebing was making a fuss, but this situation was indeed perplexing. He distinctly remembered seeing a newspaper from a few months into the future, where Jiaolin County was upgraded to a county-level city due to the discovery of an ancient tomb. At that time, the County Party Secretary was Zhang Dongfang—Dong Xuebing couldn’t be wrong. But right now, Zhang Dongfang was only the County Mayor. Dong Xuebing's arrival had altered history. Setting that aside, he asked Fang Wenping earlier to confirm something. As expected, Li Gui'an would likely have remained as County Party Secretary if he hadn't come. Without Dong Xuebing’s intervention and Fang Wenping’s phone call, there wouldn’t have been any plans to transfer Li Gui'an in that version of history. So, how did Zhang Dongfang end up as the County Party Secretary? And within just a few months? The newspaper didn’t specify, but it could have happened in a month!

What exactly happened?

Why was Li Gui'an suddenly transferred in the previous timeline?

Or did Li Gui'an make some mistakes and face some punishment? Otherwise, why would the County Mayor suddenly take over the top position? Such things don’t usually happen.

Dong Xuebing had been navigating the bureaucratic system for years and understood the basic rules. As Fang Wenping mentioned, the County Party Secretary is the top leader and is in a significant position. Generally, unless there’s a significant issue, they aren’t easily replaced. The higher-ups also don’t want to see a county in constant turmoil and transition; stability is the most important thing. The top leader isn’t easily moved. Jiaolin County’s economy is decent—not comparable to the key counties, but still good enough—so it’s unlikely that there was any major issue. This made the transfer of Li Gui'an in the previous timeline quite a mystery, at least to Dong Xuebing. He was in the dark, knowing only the limited news from the future newspaper. He didn’t have the time or means to go forward in time again to get more detailed information, so he was left with no clues.

Dong Xuebing said, “Director Fang.”

"What?" Fang Wenping responded.

Dong Xuebing looked at her. "Does Secretary Li Gui'an have any economic issues?"

Fang Wenping frowned slightly. "I'm not sure. What kind of question is that?"

"I'm just trying to understand. Are you sure there's nothing wrong?" Dong Xuebing asked, uncertain.

"How would I know? I'm not from Jiaolin County," Fang Wenping replied.

"Oh, then forget it. Pretend I didn't say anything." Hearing her response, Dong Xuebing decided not to ask further. After all, why would Fang Wenping know about such matters? She's a deputy provincial-level leader; she wouldn't bother with the intricacies of a small county. She didn't have the time. The only reason she even knew the names Zhang Dongfang and Li Gui'an was likely because of Dong Xuebing's situation—since she was involved in his transfer. That would be strange if she didn’t know anything at all, but her knowledge was likely minimal. 𝐑Ἀɴ𝘰ΒƐʂ

Sigh, Dong Xuebing thought. I really can't figure this out.

Why did the previous County Party Secretary leave?

It wasn’t that Dong Xuebing was overthinking things; he was genuinely concerned about this issue. It might seem unimportant at first glance—whether Li Gui'an left office in the past or now might not seem directly related to Dong Xuebing. But in reality, it was. Dong Xuebing couldn't help but worry: what if, after taking office, he encountered some unavoidable circumstances and ended up like Li Gui'an, either dismissed or transferred? If Dong Xuebing left, the discovery of the ancient tomb and the upgrade of the county to a county-level city a few months later would have nothing to do with him. That was something Dong Xuebing was unwilling to accept—something he absolutely couldn’t allow. He came here, even accepting a lower position, to secure a deputy bureau-level rank. He wouldn’t have the face to return if he didn't achieve his goal. This time, he aimed to secure the position of Party Secretary of the future county-level city, so after hearing Fang Wenping's words, Dong Xuebing felt a bit uncertain.

Ten minutes later.

They arrived at the long-distance bus station.

It was a bit run-down, an old station in a suburban area.

Dong Xuebing took a look and then said to Fang Wenping, "Well, I’m off." "Off" is a Beijing slang word meaning to leave or go.

Fang Wenping barely acknowledged him with a grunt, not even bothering to say goodbye.

Dong Xuebing got out of the car with his luggage, and just as he was about to say something to her through the window, the Range Rover roared to life and sped off.

Dong Xuebing almost kicked the car in frustration. Fang Wenping was infuriated, but what could he do? She was the boss.

He turned and walked towards the station.

Dong Xuebing took a deep breath and pushed the issue with Li Gui'an to the back of his mind. He hadn’t forgotten it, but he couldn't resolve it now. He decided to set it aside and plan to investigate further once he settled in. Dong Xuebing would continue to feel uneasy if he couldn't figure this out.

He had to secure the deputy bureau-level rank within a few months.

The more he valued it, the more he cared.

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