Your life is related to me

Author: Nong Yun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: The dense raindrops weave the earth and space into a chaotic tapestry. The rain has been falling for several days, and even inside the room, one can feel the thick humidity. Mei Bing felt uncomfortable and stood up, turning her sore neck. Long hours of working at a desk had given her mild cervical spondylosis. As she rotated her neck, she walked to the window and opened the tightly closed curtains. Cool raindrops swept past with the wind, and she took several deep breaths of fresh air, wishing the rain could cleanse her entire being! Not the terrible cervical spondylosis, Mei Bing loved rainy days very much. The rain could wash away the trees, flowers, and the unevenly arranged buildings, and it could also cleanse one's mood. What fascinated her most was the tranquility of rainy days. The gentle rain was like a protective screen, cutting off the hustle and bustle of the distant city. Outside the window stood a row of neatly trimmed evergreen trees. Through the trees were two lush green lawns, with two flower beds scattered among them, planted with blooming roses and chrysanthemums that never faded. The layout was strict and orderly, like faint ink and color paintings on a lacquer plate, even cleaner and more elegant after being washed by the rain. At the corner of the lawn, several osmanthus trees were planted. By August or September, their fragrance would be intoxicating. Under Mei Bing's watch, the roses and chrysanthemums gradually sprouted, grew stems, bloomed buds, and finally blossomed. She needed green grass and red flowers to temporarily free herself from the computer and the endless documents and materials. Although she had been appointed as the deputy director of the Personnel Department and should have moved to the south-facing director's office, she insisted on staying in her original position. She deeply cherished this north-facing office that she alone enjoyed. Though small and rarely exposed to sunlight, the view outside the window was bright and spacious, with a lush green belt. Even on rainy days, the scenery outside was enough to lift her spirits. The Provincial Committee compound was indeed becoming more beautiful!
The phone rang. It was Yu Jie, her husband. "Mom just called and said Tingting hasn’t been eating well these past two days. Let’s go check on her at noon." Yu Jie said. Tingting was their precious daughter and also the pearl in the palm of Mei Bing’s parents. She was taken to her grandparents’ house after weaning and had been living there ever since, only returning home on weekends to reunite with her parents.
"I might not be able to go back this noon," Mei Bing hesitated. Most of the morning had passed, and she had only finished half of the materials on the desk. She was set to leave the next day.
"What’s wrong? Are you going to work overtime again?" Yu Jie sounded unhappy on the phone. When she was a secretary, Mei Bing couldn’t control her own schedule because the leaders were always busy. It was difficult to gather them for meetings to discuss matters, so the Secretary’s office meetings were often held during off-hours or rest time. Now that she had just joined the Personnel Department, she was still working overtime frequently. Yu Jie was dissatisfied, and Mei Bing felt deeply apologetic. She owed her family too little. Often, Yu Jie would cook waiting for her, but by the time she returned, the food would be cold. Even if she was found, she would either say to wait a bit longer or apologize for not coming back. Who would be happy with a wife like that?
"How about you go check first?" Mei Bing suggested.
"Mom spoils Tingting too much. She’s picky about food and doesn’t eat properly, so she’s a bit frail, but it’s not like there’s anything seriously wrong."
"No! You haven’t been there for several days. Mom asked what you’re busy with." Yu Jie couldn’t help but complain again. "That’s your parents’ house. People outside don’t know, and they might think I’m their son. You’re the daughter-in-law." Yu Jie and her father-in-law taught at the same university but lived in different school districts. Her in-laws often relied on him to run back and forth for things. Her parents, especially her mother, frequently criticized Mei Bing for this. Faced with her parents’ dissatisfaction, Mei Bing had also blamed herself, but she mostly made light of it in front of them: "He doesn’t have a fixed schedule, so he has time. I can’t help it."
One reason was lack of time, and another was that she didn’t want her mother to work too hard. Whenever they went back, her mother would always add two extra dishes. If they came back and didn’t eat at home, her mother would be even happier.
Yu Jie would mostly have to come back alone because there was food waiting for her at home.
"Let’s go back together in the evening. I still have classes in the afternoon," Yu Jie’s tone softened.
"Alright." She would be leaving in two days to inspect the leadership team of Dongyuan Group, which would take about a month. It was also time to visit her parents.
"I won’t go back this noon," Mei Bing said.
"Understood." The voice on the other end of the phone sounded a bit unhappy.
After hanging up, Mei Bing returned to her seat and continued to immerse herself in the background materials about Dongyuan Group. Dongyuan Group was one of the largest conglomerates in the province, a large enterprise that engaged in the mining, selection, refining, and processing of non-ferrous metals, as well as construction materials, real estate, and insurance. Established over twenty years ago, the company had gone through a tough entrepreneurial journey, weathering storms and ups and downs to grow from a municipal-owned enterprise into a large provincial-owned key enterprise.
Three years ago, nearly half of the original leadership team of Dongyuan Group had stepped down, and only two deputy directors were appointed, leaving the team incomplete. Chairman Li Hao not only held the position of general manager but also served as the party secretary in charge of daily operations. Over the past three years, the Provincial Committee’s organizational department had proposed several plans for the leadership team of Dongyuan Group, but none had been approved. Dongyuan Group was one of the few gems in the hands of the Provincial Committee and Provincial Government leaders. Its recent low-cost expansion had not only boosted its strong development momentum but was also hailed by the media as the "Dongyuan Model." The construction of the leadership team at Dongyuan Group naturally involved the nerves of the Provincial Committee and Provincial Government leaders and all parties concerned. They repeatedly emphasized caution and stability, insisting that the new team’s formation should be beneficial to the company’s development. A good team could save an enterprise, while a divided one could easily collapse a thriving one. There were too many examples of this. The Provincial Committee leaders were anxious, and the organizational department was also in a headache.
Sending out cadres worried about their integration, while internal selections lacked suitable candidates. The company had grown too rapidly in recent years, leaving many things unfinished, including the training of reserve talents. However, for such a large group, an incomplete leadership team would not only affect the company’s healthy development but also be unacceptable both internally and externally.
This time, the Provincial Committee and Provincial Government had decided to complete and strengthen the leadership team of Dongyuan Group, requiring the Provincial Committee’s organizational department to submit a plan and form a joint investigation team with the Provincial Committee’s Enterprise Work Committee to conduct the investigation.
This joint investigation team was also a product of the existing system. The leadership team of Dongyuan Group was directly managed by the Provincial Committee but indirectly supervised by the Provincial Committee’s organizational department, while its party affairs were under the leadership of the Provincial Committee’s Enterprise Work Committee. Among the leadership team of Dongyuan Group, apart from Li Hao, Mei Bing didn’t know any of them. Even Li Hao was only vaguely familiar with her, perhaps not even that. To be precise, she had once attended one of his reports. A year ago, out of respect, Li Hao had come to the Enterprise Work Committee to report on his work. Mei Bing, as a secretary in the Secretary’s office, had attended and taken notes. After the banquet, she had made an excuse to leave home. It was hard to say whether Li Hao had seen her or if he still remembered her now.
In the eyes of ordinary people, the position of a secretary could connect and weave many networks. But Mei Bing was not good at this. She didn’t concern herself with matters outside her work scope and didn’t associate with the company’s people outside of work, especially a company as thriving as Dongyuan Group, which she kept her distance from. This wasn’t to show off her self-righteousness. Social occasions and polite exchanges were more exhausting for Mei Bing than any other task.
What she couldn’t stand was being forced to drink at dinner. She was a gentlewoman, quiet and elegant, and usually didn’t drink alcohol, but at banquets, whether out of the host’s hospitality or to liven up the atmosphere, everyone wanted her to have a drink. To get her to drink, one senior leader stood beside her for ten minutes, while another used the exchange of conditions to sing long passages of Peking Opera, trying to break her resistance, but in vain. Some rougher men sometimes tried to force her to drink under the influence of alcohol, which only led to her turning them down firmly. Every time she encountered such scenes, Mei Bing felt an inexplicable sense of sorrow. She wished she could run home immediately. She even doubted whether she had chosen the wrong career. Yu Jie had also said she wasn’t suited for politics, and she had once thought about changing careers, but the idea had died before she could formally propose it.
She still clearly remembered a conversation she had with Secretary Zhang Wang after he heard this news: "You’re a good secretary, and your work is outstanding. Not everyone is born to be in politics. Everyone needs a process to adapt. But remember, you can never avoid conflicts, and you must learn to solve them with clever methods." Secretary Zhang Wang’s words gave Mei Bing great inspiration. In recent years, she had indeed made significant progress in this regard. She no longer confronted things head-on but gradually learned to be as gentle as silk. However, she still disliked such occasions and tried to avoid unnecessary social engagements. Although she had worked in the Enterprise Work Committee for many years and held an important position, she knew fewer corporate CEOs than some young people who had only worked in government agencies for two or three years.
The leadership of the Work Committee decided to include Mei Bing in the joint investigation team, which excited and puzzled her. She had just joined the Personnel Department and was now participating in such an important investigation. It was undoubtedly the organization’s trust in her. However, many people were familiar with Dongyuan Group, including the other two directors in the Personnel Department, who should have been more suitable for this work.
Secretary Zhang Wang’s long talk the day before yesterday had resolved her doubts but also made her feel the heavy pressure. Secretary Zhang Wang’s opening line was straightforward and serious: "Mei Bing, Dongyuan Group is a large provincial enterprise, and the Provincial Committee leaders place great importance on its leadership team. Normally, we should have someone more familiar with Dongyuan Group participate in the investigation team. But why did we ultimately choose you? Do you know the reason?"
"Is it because you want me to learn from the organizational department’s colleagues through this investigation and quickly familiarize myself with the business?" Mei Bing guessed aloud, but she knew it wasn’t that simple. She was too familiar with Secretary Zhang Wang’s character. He was a person who handled heavy matters lightly. If it were just that, he wouldn’t have taken the time to call her in for a private talk.
"It’s one of the reasons," she replied.
Secretary Zhang Wang lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. "How much do you know about Dongyuan Group?" he asked calmly as he looked at Mei Bing.
"I’m not very clear. The organizational department gave me some materials this morning, but I haven’t had time to read them carefully."
"Let me give you a brief introduction." Amid the faint smoke, Secretary Zhang Wang led Mei Bing into the past and present of Dongyuan Group. Dongyuan Group gradually took shape in Mei Bing’s mind.
As the conversation neared its end, Secretary Zhang Wang evenly tapped the ash from his cigarette and said slowly: "The current situation at Dongyuan Group is. Li Hao is one of the founders of the company, and the other members of the current leadership team were all trained by him. He is a very capable person, and his connections with the Provincial Committee are extensive, with a good reputation there. However, recently, the company’s disciplinary committee has received a letter from a citizen accusing him of being autocratic, building up personal prestige within the company, and implementing a patriarchal management style, leading to many decision-making mistakes. This could be venting from a few individuals who lost out during the company’s reforms, but we can’t rule out its authenticity. The reason you’re chosen is that you’re not familiar with them."
Mei Bing understood and became nervous. She looked at Secretary Zhang Wang’s steady eyes and wanted to say something but held back.
"I trust you’ll complete the task excellently!" Secretary Zhang Wang said.
"Alright, let’s wait and see."
"Let’s wait and see" was her usual phrase, and Secretary Zhang Wang couldn’t help but smile at her nonchalant tone.
After returning from Secretary Zhang Wang, Mei Bing began to review the materials. The Provincial Committee’s organizational department had made thorough preparations for this investigation, and the materials were comprehensive but dry and full of clichés. Mei Bing patiently chewed on them. Fortunately, the investigation team would still have a meeting tomorrow, so she could ask questions if anything was unclear.
Arriving at the sixth-floor conference room of Dongyuan Group’s headquarters, Mei Bing checked the time. It was already 10:20, twenty minutes later than the scheduled time. The conference room was rare and round, not large, but its furnishings and decorations were undoubtedly first-class. The large round table made of red wood and the matching red and black rotating leather chairs, set against the green floral carpet, were both luxurious and elegant. The ceiling seemed unprocessed, but upon closer inspection, it was a new material made into an overhead ceiling of the same size as the original, paired with advanced lighting technology, making the entire conference room spacious and bright without being glaring. The walls were covered with three-dimensional floral wallpaper in a milky white color. The windows were large, occupying nearly one-fifth of the circle. On both sides of the windows were two unique decorative shelves following the wall’s curve. Though not much was displayed, one could sense the price matching the’s status.
Led by Xiao Min, the Minister of the Party and Work Department of Dongyuan Group, Mei Bing and her three companions entered the conference room. There were already five people seated inside. Four sat around the round table, while the fifth sat in a chair behind them, holding a stack of notes, likely a secretary preparing to take minutes.
When Mei Bing and her group entered, the five people in the room stood up