Vоlumе 1 Сhарter 2: First Mееting
Nоt lоng аfter, the offiсе door оpenеd.
Liu Каngming stооd аt the dооrwау, chatting аnd laughing, as he resреctfullу gеsturеd fоr thе pеrsоn bеhind him to entеr. “Сountу Magistratе Mеng, these arе the оther twо сomradеs from our administrаtivе dерartment.”
Аs hе finishеd sрeaking, а tall, wеll-built young mаn walked intо the offiсe.
Shu Miaо аnd Jiаng Qing immediаtеly stood uр, bowing thеir hеads in unison аnd greeting, “Нellо, Соunty Мagistratе.”
Shu Miaо thоught tо herself that this must be the new countу mаgistrate, Meng Yuсhuаn. He was vеrу tall and had a perfect physique.
He wore a black administrative jacket with a Party emblem pinned on the left chest. Black trousers hugged his straight, long legs, and a black watch adorned his left wrist. His back was ramrod straight.
She quickly glanced up at his face, her eyes flickering with a hint of admiration.
He had sleek, jet-black short hair styled in a side-parted, swept-back look.
His forehead was broad and square, his eyebrows thick, wide, and straight. His eyes were deep and bright, his nose bridge high and prominent, and the contours of his face were perfectly defined.
Shu Miao had only heard that he was young, but she hadn’t expected him to be so handsome, with an extraordinary aura that radiated integrity.
Meng Yuchuan nodded at the two, offering a polite smile before resuming a serious expression.
Two other people followed behind him, both dressed in black.
Shu Miao recognized one of them—a leader from the county government.
The other she didn’t know, but she assumed he must also be a leader from the county government.
Liu Kangming introduced the two of them one by one to Meng Yuchuan.
Meng Yuchuan gave a faint nod, his dark eyes lingering subtly on Shu Miao for a few seconds, a flicker of movement in their depths.
Shu Miao was wearing a white blouse that day, paired with a black midi skirt and a pair of black leather shoes.
Her skin was exceptionally fair and delicate, like a pristine blanket of snow in winter.
Her long hair was neatly combed and tied into a high ponytail, simple, tidy, and full of vitality.
During yesterday’s meeting, Liu Kangming had asked them to dress as formally as possible today to appear more spirited.
After the introductions, Liu Kangming, all smiles, led Meng Yuchuan out of the office to visit the next department.
Shu Miao and Jiang Qing both let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Jiang Qing plopped down into her seat and sighed, “The new county magistrate is so young and handsome, and his overall demeanor is top-notch.”
“He does seem a bit serious, but that’s how leaders should be. Otherwise, how could they lead others?”
Shu Miao nodded in agreement.
She hadn’t expected Meng Yuchuan to be so handsome either, but what was most captivating was his aura.
It was just that his presence was overwhelmingly strong. Even though he appeared approachable, Shu Miao still felt immense pressure in front of him.
But then again, it made sense. Someone in such a high position needed an imposing presence to command respect.
After Meng Yuchuan finished inspecting each department, Liu Kangming led him to the conference room and asked him to offer some guidance on their unit’s work.
Shu Miao and Jiang Qing went to the conference room to serve tea.
When they entered, Meng Yuchuan and the two county leaders were already seated.
Liu Kangming and several deputy directors sat beside them, beaming with smiles.
Not daring to delay, Shu Miao and Jiang Qing immediately began pouring water.
Jiang Qing whispered, “Xiao Shu, I’ll pour the water. You go ahead and serve the tea to the county magistrate first.”
Shu Miao nodded and replied softly, “Okay.”With both hands, she placed the cup in front of Meng Yuchuan, her tone and attitude extremely respectful: “County Magistrate, this is your tea.”
Meng Yuchuan turned to look at her, his deep eyes like stars in the night sky, particularly captivating. The corners of his lips lifted in a gentle smile: “Thank you for your trouble.”
Shu Miao felt overwhelmed by the unexpected honor—how could she dare claim it was any trouble to pour water for the county magistrate?
She immediately replied: “No trouble at all, no trouble at all.”
Due to her nervousness, she repeated it twice.
Meng Yuchuan turned away, resuming his official, businesslike demeanor.
The meeting lasted over an hour, ending just as it was almost time for lunch.
Liu Kangming spoke with a somewhat ingratiating tone: “County Magistrate Meng, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to guide our work.”
“It’s almost lunchtime now—why don’t we have a meal together?”
Liu Kangming was merely extending a polite invitation, fully convinced that Meng Yuchuan would not join them for a meal.
In the several months since he had arrived in the county, Meng Yuchuan had inspected so many units, yet never once stayed for a meal.
Still, it was necessary to ask—otherwise, it would seem they lacked proper manners.
To his surprise, Meng Yuchuan’s response the very next second left him stunned: “Alright, then I’ll trouble you, Director Liu.”
These words shocked not only Liu Kangming but also the two accompanying county leaders.
They had accompanied the new county magistrate on inspections to many units, and each time he had declined their invitations to dine.
What was different today? The two exchanged a glance, somewhat puzzled.
But curiosity aside, as subordinates, they only needed to carry out their leader’s decisions without further questions.
The leader surely had his own considerations.
Liu Kangming froze for a second before his face lit up with delight.
He had heard from leaders of other units that County Magistrate Meng never stayed for meals during inspections.
Now, he was actually willing to dine with them—surely this meant he was very satisfied with their unit’s work and held them in high regard.
A sense of pride swelled in his heart, all thanks to his own wise leadership. Instantly, his confidence grew significantly.
He immediately replied excitedly: “No trouble at all, no trouble at all. It’s only what we should do.”
Meng Yuchuan gave a faint nod, his expression unchanged.
Suddenly, he turned to look at Shu Miao and Jiang Qing, who were standing to the side, and said calmly: “These two comrades have also worked hard. Let them join us.”
Shu Miao and Jiang Qing exchanged a glance, both shocked.
After speaking, Meng Yuchuan looked back at Liu Kangming, who immediately replied with a smile: “Of course, of course. Xiao Jiang, Xiao Shu, you two come along later.”
Shu Miao and Jiang Qing quickly nodded.
Liu Kangming cheerfully led Meng Yuchuan and the two county leaders out, with several deputy directors following behind.
Jiang Qing and Shu Miao trailed at the very back, intentionally walking slowly to wait for the next elevator.
Jiang Qing excitedly grabbed Shu Miao’s arm, her deliberately lowered voice still unable to contain her excitement: “Xiao Shu, the county magistrate is really considerate—even inviting us along for a meal.”
Shu Miao was also surprised. She hadn’t expected Meng Yuchuan, as the county magistrate, to remember to invite two junior staff members to join him for a meal.
He truly was approachable and down-to-earth, without putting on airs.
But could they, two junior clerks, really eat comfortably at a table full of leaders?
Thinking this, she sighed: “Sister Jiang, even though the county magistrate invited us, with a whole table of leaders, will we be able to eat anything?”The excitement on Jiang Qing’s face instantly faded by half. “You’re right. This whole table will be filled with leaders, and we’re just junior staff. We probably won’t even dare to pick up food.”
The elevator arrived just then, and the two stepped inside.
Jiang Qing let out a long sigh, wearing an expression of resignation. “Forget it, let’s not worry about it. The county magistrate personally gave the order—we can’t back out now anyway.”
“When the time comes, we’ll just keep quiet, keep our heads down, and focus on eating. For everything else, we’ll play it by ear.”
Shu Miao nodded in agreement.
Although Jiang Qing had been in the system for many years, this was her first time sharing a table with the county magistrate.
Even with her usually steady mindset, she couldn’t help feeling a little nervous.
As for Shu Miao, there was no need to even mention it. She had only recently started her job, and the highest-ranking leader she had ever seen up close was their department head.
Now, about to dine at the same table as the county magistrate, her heart was already pounding with nerves.