153: Chapter 153 Even Chickens and Dogs Ascend to Heaven (Part 1)

Early the next morning, Deputy Party Secretary Hu Ming drove that semi-new Santana onto the county road.

In the car, he carried a cardboard box containing hanfu apple and hazelnut from Hukuang Township; they weren't expensive items, but they represented the township's sincerity.

They were presentable enough, yet wouldn't cause anyone to make a mistake.

He went to the County Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau first, as the plan for the Rural Revitalization Demonstration Township needed their oversight.

The Bureau Chief's office was on the second floor, at the end of the corridor, with a sign hanging on the door.

When Deputy Party Secretary Hu Ming knocked, a voice called "Come in" from inside. He pushed the door open to find the Bureau Chief leaning back in his chair reading documents, who looked up at him.

"Deputy Party Secretary Hu Ming? Come, come, sit."

The Bureau Chief stood up, walked around the desk, and shook his hand. His attitude was more than a notch warmer than when they had last met.

Deputy Party Secretary Hu Ming had worked in Hukuang Township for so many years and had dealt with various county departments many times. Previously, when visiting the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau, it was good enough to see a Deputy Bureau Chief; having the Bureau Chief receive him personally was something he wouldn't have dared to imagine.

He handed over the plan with both hands. The Bureau Chief took it, flipped through it without looking closely, placed it on the desk, and poured him a cup of tea.

"Hukuang Township has really made a splash this time. A Rural Revitalization Demonstration Township, a Beautiful Village pilot project, and a High-Standard Farmland pilot project—three provincial-level projects landing at once. It's the only one in the whole county."

"Your Secretary Xu is young and promising. If you work hard under him, you have a boundless future."

The Bureau Chief patted his shoulder, his tone as intimate as if he were catching up with an old comrade-in-arms.

Deputy Party Secretary Hu Ming offered a few modest words, saying it was all due to Secretary Xu's capable leadership, and that he was just running errands and doing the grunt work.

The Bureau Chief waved his hand, took a business card from the drawer, and handed it to him.

"In the future, if you have any matters, call me directly; no need to go through the office. Our bureau will fully support the work in Hukuang Township."

"Leave the plan with me; I will review it personally and give you feedback when I'm done."

Deputy Party Secretary Hu Ming took the business card, and the warmth in his heart surged from his chest all the way to his throat.

He had been holed up in Hukuang Township for so many years, and this was the first time he had been treated like someone important by a county-level leader. The business card was printed with the Bureau Chief's name and mobile number—this number wasn't something just anyone could get.

He expressed his gratitude, and his footsteps were light when he left.

The second stop was the Finance Bureau, as they needed to allocate the special funds for the Beautiful Village pilot project.

The Finance Bureau Chief's attitude was even more enthusiastic than the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau Chief's. He personally welcomed him into his office, brewed some high-quality Longjing tea, and chatted for half an hour.

From the usage regulations of the special funds to the development prospects of Hukuang Township, and from Xu Weidong's youthful promise to Deputy Party Secretary Hu Ming's personal abilities—by the end, the Finance Bureau Chief patted his shoulder and said something that made his heart race.

"Deputy Party Secretary Hu Ming, you've worked in Hukuang Township for so many years; you should have been promoted long ago. But it doesn't matter; if you work under Secretary Xu, there will be plenty of opportunities."

"Work hard, the county sees it."

The third stop was the County Natural Resources Bureau, as they needed to coordinate the land use issues for the High-Standard Farmland pilot project.

The Bureau Chief was away at a meeting in the city, so the Deputy Bureau Chief received him. The attitude was equally enthusiastic, calling him "Secretary Hu" at every turn, which made Deputy Party Secretary Hu Ming feel thoroughly comfortable.

The fourth stop was the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau, as they needed to review the planning scheme for the living environment improvement demonstration township.

The Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau Chief happened to be in the office. When he saw Deputy Party Secretary Hu Ming, he was as enthusiastic as if he had met a long-lost brother, pulling him to sit on the sofa, offering cigarettes and pouring tea, and chatting for over half an hour.

When it was time to leave, the Bureau Chief walked him to the elevator, shook his hand, and said something that made Deputy Party Secretary Hu Ming ponder for a long time afterward.

"Secretary Hu, you tell Secretary Xu that Hukuang Township's business is our bureau's business. If you need anything, just say the word at any time."

Deputy Party Secretary Hu Ming returned to the car and laid out the received business cards one by one on the passenger seat.

Four business cards, four mobile numbers, four heavy favors.

In the past, when he came to the county to run projects, it was good enough to see a Deputy Bureau Chief, and if they gave him a business card, it felt like charity.

Today, however, four Bureau Chiefs were competing to give him their business cards, competing to invite him for tea, and competing to say "just say the word at any time."

What was this?

This wasn't because he, Deputy Party Secretary Hu Ming, had ability; it was because Xu Weidong had ability.

These people were only giving him a friendly face for the sake of Xu Weidong; he was very clear about that.

But he didn't care. The face was Xu Weidong's, but the tangible benefits were his own.

With these connections, the work in Hukuang Township would be easier to carry out in the future, and his status as Deputy Party Secretary Hu Ming in the township would be even more secure.

Finally, he went to the County Health Commission—this wasn't in his original plan for today; he had added it last minute.

The Health Commission was on the sixth floor of the County Government building. The corridor was very long and covered with dark carpet, swallowing up the sound of footsteps completely.

When Deputy Party Secretary Hu Ming knocked and entered, the Director of the Health Commission was approving documents. He looked up, saw him, paused for a second, and then smiled.

"Deputy Party Secretary Hu Ming? A rare guest, a rare guest. Sit, sit, sit."

The Director put down his pen, stood up to shake his hand, and pointed to the chair opposite him.

"Your Hukuang Township has been very prominent lately. Secretary Xu is young and promising. If you work under him, you have a boundless future."

Deputy Party Secretary Hu Ming offered a few modest words, placed the hanfu apple and hazelnut he had brought on the desk, and said they were local specialties from the township, not worth much, but he invited the Director to try them.

The Director did not decline and said with a smile that the hanfu apple from Hukuang Township were indeed delicious; he had eaten them last year and had been thinking about them ever since.

The two chatted for a while, from the Rural Revitalization Demonstration Township to the Beautiful Village pilot project, and from the High-Standard Farmland to the living environment improvement.

As they chatted, the Director suddenly asked: "Secretary Hu, where does your wife work?"

Deputy Party Secretary Hu Ming was taken aback; he hadn't expected the Director to ask this. He answered truthfully: "At the County Hospital, as a nurse."

The Director's eyes lit up, the smile on his face deepened, and his tone carried an implication of "that makes sense."

"County Hospital? Which department?"

"Surgery."

The Director nodded, picked up his teacup, took a sip, set it down, and leaned back in his chair. His gaze rested on Deputy Party Secretary Hu Ming's face for a moment, as if he were making a decision.

"Secretary Hu, your wife's name is Director Jiang Xin, right? I have some impression of her. She is a core nurse in the Surgery department of the County Hospital, works diligently, has strong professional skills, and has a good reputation among the public."

"For such a comrade, our Health Commission had already intended to focus on cultivating her. In the next step, we are considering promoting her to Director of the Nursing Department first."

"Of course, this is just a preliminary idea and still needs to go through the procedures. You go back and tell her to work with peace of mind; the organization will not treat a down-to-earth and hard-working comrade unfairly."