Easy peasy, my ass!
The next morning, Chen Donglai, who was reporting to duty at the County Guesthouse, looked at the "rickety" guesthouse building, turned around, and asked Deputy Director Li Heling of the Government Affairs Administration Bureau, who was accompanying him on his appointment, "How can people live in a place like this?"
"This is the situation," Li Heling said helplessly. "The County Finance is extremely tight. It's already difficult enough to barely keep the Government Canteen running, and we still have to allocate funds to the Reception Office.
County Magistrate Zangfeng wishes he could stretch every penny into eight. This guesthouse building hasn't been maintained at all since it was built."
Chen Donglai considered himself battle-hardened, but even he couldn't help but take a deep breath at this moment and walked into the guesthouse building with Li Heling.
Fortunately, this three-story "building" was outwardly shabby but inwardly sound; at least the Lobby was relatively clean.
The old Guesthouse Director and the two Deputy Directors stood in the Lobby with the staff. Upon seeing the two leaders, the old Director hurried over to shake hands with Li Heling and Chen Donglai. He then introduced the main leaders and staff of the guesthouse to the two men.
Three guest room attendants, two cooks, two dining hall servers—that was everyone? With only this many people, why were there three Directors, one main and two deputies?
Chen Donglai was shocked by the inefficiency and redundancy at the guesthouse. After finally enduring the reading of the Transfer Order and seeing off the Deputy Director, he quickly found the old Director. "Please give me an overview of the guesthouse's basic situation."
"It was built in '68; it was considered quite a magnificent structure back then," the old Director said with pride in his eyes. "The County Party Committee and County Government Building was only three stories high then. The main issue is that the county has no money. There's money to build buildings, but not to renovate them. Many of the wiring and pipes are aging." As he spoke, the old Director led Chen Donglai toward the Second floor.
"The Second floor has the dining hall, eight Private Rooms, and one Banquet Hall." The old Director opened the wooden door to the Banquet Hall, stirring up a cloud of dust that made the two of them cough for a while. "How about it, magnificent, right? Many County Leaders have held banquets here."
"It's completely ruined," Chen Donglai said expressionlessly, looking at the Banquet Hall covered in cobwebs. He turned his head and asked, "How long have you worked here?"
"I came right after it was built, back when Old Secretary Luo was the Director of the Credentials Committee, in '68. He passed away last year or the year before, I think. His godson is quite accomplished; he's also a County Leader."
The old Director sighed for a moment, offered Chen Donglai a Xue Zhu cigarette, and lit his own. The two found a relatively flat step, sat down on the ground, and smoked together.
"A building from '68, damn it, the same age as me," Chen Donglai sighed deeply. He finally understood why the Yong'an County Party Committee Organization Department had directly appointed him as Director; most people wouldn't even take this leadership position if it were given to them for free. He exhaled smoke. "What's the condition of the Guest Rooms?"
"They're habitable," the old Director stood up and walked outside, Chen Donglai following closely. He pushed open a wooden door that was riddled with holes from woodworms, revealing a relatively clean bed and two wooden chairs. Opening the bathroom door, a faint stench could be smelled.
"We haven't deodorized today; we were hosting the new leader, so perhaps Xiao Zhang was a bit negligent," the old Director rubbed his wrinkled hands and sighed.
"Roughly how many people can you host in a week?"
"About ten people. We get more dining customers, maybe two or three tables a day. The weekly profit is about three hundred," the old Director sighed yet again. "It's not enough to pay their salaries. We've only been paying half-salary for a year or two. Several employees have already resigned."
Chen Donglai fell completely silent, just taking a deep drag of the Xue Zhu cigarette in his hand, then turned and went downstairs. The old Director sighed yet again, and followed Chen Donglai back to the Lobby. The servers and the two Deputy Directors were still standing where they were.
"Deputy Director Bing Nan will be in charge of the guesthouse's daily operations. For dining and lodging, all services will continue as usual." Chen Donglai did not rashly implement any reforms but named an experienced Deputy Director.
He then said to the employees standing in a line, "I will solve the institute's financial problems and strive to make up for the back pay as soon as possible."
...
The Luo Family Compound, East Cross Street, Yong'an County.
"I heard Yaozong say that Commissioner Yue Wangbei from the Administrative Office made the call yesterday," Luo Qiyong, the Director of the County Party Committee Office, lay in a rattan chair, his eyes slightly narrowed, his large belly bulging out like a small hill from a distance. "For a non-Party Commissioner, Yue Wangbei actually pays attention. Hmph."
"Uncle Qiyong, please help me this once! Chen Donglai, this unlucky fellow, has gone too far in bullying people! I have no grudge against him, yet he beat me up until my teeth were nearly knocked out!" Luo Yaozu wailed to Luo Qiyong. "And in the end, he didn't even go to Hualang Township; he's staying in the county seat to disgust me!"
"Why make another enemy?" Luo Qiyong snorted coldly. The new County Party Secretary clearly didn't trust him, and he didn't know how much longer he could remain the Director of the County Party Committee Office... Thinking of this made Luo Qiyong irritable.
His nephew's crying sounded like a mournful cry from a hungry ghost to him. "You should learn more from your older brother Yaozong; he's already a Commissioner Secretary in the Administrative Office at such a young age, and what about you?"
Luo Qiyong was furious. "I don't need to guess to know you were definitely bullying men and women outside again. You're just this kind of trash, alas. Damn thing."
Upon hearing this, Luo Yaozu cried even harder. "When he hit my face, he was hitting your face! He was hitting the Luo Family's face! If he can settle down and be the Guesthouse Director, then everyone in Yong'an will know the Luo Family is declining. By then, even beggars on the street will come and step on us!"
"That's true, alas," said Luo Qizhi, the Director of the County Supply and Marketing Cooperative. "Big Brother, we need to find a way to deal with this brat."
Luo Qizhi also knew that his son had likely been bullying people outside and ran into a hard obstacle. But thinking of his wife weeping over Yaozu's wounds last night, he wished he could eradicate this University student.
He just touched his girlfriend, didn't he? It wasn't like a piece of flesh fell off, was it worth beating him this severely?!
"Big Brother, should we ask..."
"Don't tell Qiyuan yet," Luo Qiyong decisively refused. "If you don't want Yaozu to get beaten again, don't tell him about this yet. I will handle this kid; he won't cause any big waves."
"Yes! Thank you, Uncle Qiyong." Luo Yaozu was overjoyed upon hearing this. His uncle was the Director of the County Party Committee Office; although he wasn't a Standing Committee Member, dealing with a mere Guesthouse Director should be as easy as turning over his hand, right?
When that kid Chen Donglai is locked up, this beauty beside him... Thinking of this, Luo Yaozu couldn't help but swallow. Recalling Ming Yuezhao's long, fair legs, his heart burned with heat, and his mind filled with lewd scenes.
"I should have worked harder to secure the County Party Standing Committee position before Yue Wangbei arrived; now I'm stuck in an awkward middle ground," Luo Qiyong stared at the orange tree in the courtyard, lost in thought. However, since Qiyuan was already the Deputy Secretary of the County Party Committee and Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, it was impossible for him to be promoted to Standing Committee Member.
The Prefectural Committee would certainly not agree to have two brothers simultaneously control the key positions of power in Yong'an County, even if they were only distant blood relatives.
They had already decided to maneuver Luo Qiyuan to the neighboring Shennü County or Huanhuan County. Once he secured the County Party Standing Committee position, the Luo Family would have two Deputy Division Level Cadres. But with the arrival of the new County Party Secretary Yue Wangbei, all arrangements were disrupted.
"I'm afraid there's no hope for this County Party Standing Committee position."
Luo Qiyong sighed and glanced at Luo Yaozu, who was lost in fantasy beside him.
"This idiot, I'm afraid there's no hope for him either."
He sighed again and looked at the orange tree in the courtyard. This tree was planted by his grandfather when he fled from Pingyuan Province to Jiangan and settled in Yong'an.
"This Luo Family..." He thought of Luo Yaozong, who was still serving as Secretary to the Commissioner of the Administrative Office. "...should still have hope."
Having thought this through, Luo Qiyong finally closed his eyes in relief and drifted off to sleep in the embrace of the rattan chair.