11: Chapter 11 Be My Secretary

Qin Ruoxi smiled slightly and then said, "I want you to be my secretary."

Upon hearing Qin Ruoxi's words, Xiao Bei felt a shock in his heart, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

He frowned slightly, his tone carrying a hint of hesitation: "Mayor Qin, is... is this really appropriate? I'm not even at the deputy section level yet. If I become your secretary directly, won't it cause unnecessary gossip? After all, Director Yan and his people..."

Qin Ruoxi chuckled, her eyes revealing a touch of sharpness and confidence.

She walked slowly to stand in front of Xiao Bei, crossed her arms, and said, "That is exactly the effect I want. Don't they like playing petty tricks behind my back? Then I will openly and honestly tell them that you are my person. I want to see what kind of tricks they can come up with now."

Xiao Bei still had some concerns and said in a low voice, "But if this happens, you might face even greater pressure. Director Yan and the others will definitely make an issue of this, and they might even go to the higher-ups..."

Qin Ruoxi interrupted him, her tone carrying a trace of disdain: "Pressure? When has Qin Ruoxi ever been afraid of pressure? The more they want me to back down, the more I will face the challenge head-on. Xiao Bei, you are the person I have chosen, and I believe in your ability. You don't need to worry about these things; you just need to do your job and stand on my side."

She turned and walked back to the desk, tapping her fingers lightly on the surface. Her tone carried a hint of disdain: "Since I, Qin Ruoxi, have come to Canglan City, I have no intention of leaving easily. The more they want to force me out, the more determined I am to stand my ground."

Xiao Bei was silent for a moment, weighing the pros and cons in his heart. He knew that this move by Qin Ruoxi undoubtedly pushed him into the limelight, but it also signified her trust in him.

He took a deep breath and said slowly, "Mayor Qin, since you trust me this much, I will definitely not let you down. It's just... Director Yan and his side will likely not give up easily."

Qin Ruoxi snorted coldly, a flash of sharpness in her eyes: "Director Yan Jinghui? He is nothing more than a watchdog. His real master hasn't even appeared yet. Rest assured, they won't dare to come at me openly. At most, they will use some petty tricks behind my back. And you—" She paused, looking directly at Xiao Bei, "You must be my eyes and ears, and help me keep a close watch on their every move."

Xiao Bei nodded and said solemnly, "I understand, Mayor Qin. I will do my best to assist you and will never let you down."

Qin Ruoxi smiled with satisfaction and sat back in her chair, her tone lightening a bit. Then, she took a file out of the drawer: "Very good. This is the Municipal Government Office's recent work priorities and information on some important projects. Go back and study it carefully; you will officially take office tomorrow. Remember, your position is critical. You not only need to help me handle daily affairs but also keep a constant watch on the movements of those people."

Xiao Bei took the file and nodded: "Mayor Qin, rest assured, I will familiarize myself with the work as soon as possible."

Qin Ruoxi smiled slightly and said, "I believe in your ability, but you should prepare yourself mentally. Starting tomorrow, your life won't be very easy."

Xiao Bei smiled and nodded: "I understand. Since I have chosen this path, I will not back down."

Qin Ruoxi nodded and waved her hand: "Alright, go back and prepare. Report to my office at eight o'clock tomorrow morning sharp."

Xiao Bei stood up and said respectfully, "Alright, Mayor Qin, then I will leave now."

He turned and walked out of the office, gently closing the door behind him, but his heart could not calm down for a long time. He knew that from this moment on, he had officially been drawn into the power struggle among the upper echelons of Canglan City. And Qin Ruoxi was clearly intending to use his hand to break the current stalemate.

Meanwhile, in the office of Director Yan Jinghui of the Municipal Government Office, Director Yan Jinghui was sitting at his desk with a terrifyingly gloomy expression. He had just learned that Qin Ruoxi had appointed Xiao Bei as her secretary; this news hit him like a heavy hammer, striking his heart hard.

"Qin Ruoxi! You are slapping me in the face!" Director Yan Jinghui growled through gritted teeth, the teacup in his hand creaking as he squeezed it.

He stood up abruptly and paced back and forth in the office, the anger in his heart burning brighter and brighter. Xiao Bei was just a small section clerk, yet he had suddenly become the mayor's secretary, and this happened without any notification to him at all. This was simply an insult to Director Yan Jinghui!

"No, this matter absolutely cannot end like this!" Director Yan Jinghui stopped in his tracks, a flash of malice in his eyes. He quickly picked up the phone on the desk and dialed a number.

A low and authoritative voice came from the other end of the line: "Hello, what is it?"

Upon hearing this voice, Director Yan Jinghui immediately switched to a respectful tone: "Leader, something has happened! Qin Ruoxi just appointed Xiao Bei as her secretary. This clearly shows she intends to go against us!"

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment, and then the voice said coldly: "Xiao Bei? The guy we arranged at the drinking party last time?"

Director Yan Jinghui nodded quickly, his tone carrying a hint of anxiety: "That's him! Qin Ruoxi is deliberately slapping me in the face, and she is also demonstrating against you! She is completely tearing off the mask now!"

The person on the other end sneered and said, "A fine Qin Ruoxi indeed, she doesn't play by the rules at all. To think she could come up with such a damaging move. But with this arrangement of hers, we are truly at a disadvantage. Although a female leader appointing a male secretary is easily gossiped about, it is ultimately a private matter. Because of this, the photos we took before are now useless."

Director Yan Jinghui was stunned and asked: "Leader, what do you mean by that?"

The person on the other end snorted coldly: "Why are you so stupid? Qin Ruoxi is not married. Even if she finds a boy toy, it's not a big deal. If we try to make an issue out of the photos of the two of them, wouldn't our intentions be directly exposed? How would you explain where the photos came from then?"

Upon hearing this, Director Yan Jinghui suddenly realized and said: "Damn it! Qin Ruoxi is killing a thousand enemies while suffering eight hundred losses herself!" Immediately, he realized he had used profanity and quickly apologized, "I... I'm sorry, Leader, I wasn't cursing you."

The person on the other end was silent for a moment, then instructed: "Enough, now is not the time to worry about that. Since Qin Ruoxi dares to do this, it means she is prepared to go head-to-head with us. Your task now is to keep a close watch on her and Xiao Bei's every move, especially their interactions, to see if you can find any dirt on them."

Director Yan Jinghui nodded quickly, his tone carrying a hint of urgency: "Leader, rest assured, I will definitely keep a close watch on them. However... since that kid Xiao Bei has become her secretary, our future actions might be affected!"