Lu Weimin went to register at the Labor and Personnel Bureau on the first floor. In the afternoon, the weather was hot, and the ceiling fans in the office whirred, causing the newspapers and documents on the desks to flutter up and down. A simply dressed little girl was busy sweating as she distributed the documents. In another office, two middle-aged women were chatting idly about the plot of the TV series "Yearning" that was broadcast last night.
Lu Weimin didn't want to disturb the little girl, so he walked to the other office, "Comrade, I have a question."
The two middle-aged women clearly didn't want to be interrupted in their discussion about Liu Huifang's fate and continued their conversation without even glancing at him, "Liu Huifang is really foolish. What can you say when you meet a man like Wang Husheng?"
"That's true. People like Song Dacheng have long been extinct in China. At least I've never met one." The other woman, with an ordinary face and thick lips, sighed, her sparse eyebrows crudely drawn with cheap eyebrow pencils, looking like two black caterpillars on her forehead.
Lu Weimin patiently waited for their discussion to pause before asking again, "Comrade, I have a question."
The short and plump woman, who was still holding a knitting needle, reluctantly said, "What is it?"
"Um, I am a university graduate this year. I want to ask about the allocation and where to register." Lu Weimin smiled.
"Hmm, a newly allocated university graduate?" The short and plump woman sized up Lu Weimin and then nodded, "Xiao Sun!"
The girl next door responded, "I'll help you check. He said he is a newly allocated university graduate. See which township he is assigned to. The allocation plan is in the second drawer of my desk."
Lu Weimin thanked her and went to the next room.
"Are you a newly allocated university graduate?" The girl skillfully took out the allocation notice from a drawer of a desk by the window, "What's your name?"
"Lu Weimin," Lu Weimin replied with a smile.
The girl in front of him had an ordinary appearance but exuded a sharp and efficient demeanor. She had two braids, and in just a moment, the documents in the office had been sorted into several piles. Lu Weimin noticed that each document had a small note, categorizing the issuing agency and the signatory's name, indicating that she was organizing and archiving the documents.
"These past two years, your luck as university graduates hasn't been good. Since last year, all university graduates are generally required to work at the grassroots level. But from your accent, you are from Nantang, right? Where are you from?"
"Yes, my hometown is Weizhuang." Hearing the girl's words, Lu Weimin was unsure if he would be assigned to the countryside. Since last year, the allocation of university graduates in Changjiang Province has been affected by certain factors, and they are all required to work at the grassroots level, with very few staying in county or city agencies unless there is a special need.
"Weizhuang, let me check. Weizhuang had university graduates allocated last year, but not this year. Hmm? Why isn't your name in the allocation notice? What's your name? Lu Weimin? Really not there." The girl searched again but still couldn't find it, "I'm sorry, I'll ask Sister Ma."
"Not there? How can that be? They are all in there." The short and plump woman named Ma put down her knitting needle, stood up, and said, "Xiao Sun, be more careful. What's his name?"
"Sister Ma, really not there. He said his name is Lu Weimin." The girl's face turned red, and she looked annoyed and unwilling to be criticized in front of a stranger.
"Oh? Lu Weimin?" Ma thought for a moment, "This morning, the director of the county party committee office, Zhou, took an allocation notice, saying they wanted to keep one person this year. I wonder if it's you. Let me check."
Ma quickly verified the issue. Indeed, the county party committee office had taken Lu Weimin's allocation notice. Originally, Lu Weimin was assigned to Dongpi Township, but this year the county party committee office needed someone to serve as the secretary for the county party secretary and vice-county magistrate, Shen Zilie, so they selected from the university graduates, and for some reason, they chose Lu Weimin.
The way Ma looked at and treated Lu Weimin changed immediately. Her originally sullen expression turned warm, and she smiled, asking Lu Weimin to wait a moment while she made a call to confirm and then personally escorted him. This made Lu Weimin feel a bit embarrassed.
"Sit down, Xiao Lu." Only after Zhou Yuming disappeared out the door did Xu Xiaochun's gaze return to the young man in front of him, who was quite composed.
Xu Xiaochun had been the director of the county party committee office for three years. Every year, many university graduates were allocated, and most of them were nervous in front of him. A few were arrogant, some pretended to be profound, and some were outwardly strong but inwardly weak, but none of them escaped his keen eyes. It was rare to see someone as composed as this young man.
County Party Secretary and Vice-County Magistrate Shen Zilie needed a secretary.
Originally, a young teacher from Nantang High School was borrowed to the county party committee office to work with Shen Zilie for a year. Shen Zilie neither praised nor criticized him, but when asked about the transfer, Shen Zilie was noncommittal. Xu Xiaochun naturally knew this was a sign of dissatisfaction, so he decisively returned the teacher to Nantang High School.
However, after working with Shen Zilie for over a year, the teacher deserved some recognition. Xu Xiaochun intervened, and Nantang High School gave the teacher a position as deputy head of the political education department.
However, arranging a secretary for Shen Zilie was a bit tricky. Originally, Xu Xiaochun wanted the county government office to find a secretary for Shen Zilie, as he was the vice-county magistrate of the county government. But after the previous experience, the county government office was unwilling to take on this thankless task.
Shen Zilie was dispatched from the provincial propaganda department to the Linyang municipal propaganda department as deputy minister last year and then to Nantang as vice-county magistrate. He had been there for over a year and, according to convention, would return to the provincial government in about half a year. At this point, it wasn't appropriate to assign anyone as his secretary, as the secretary would have to leave with the leader, and it was unlikely that the secretary would be taken back to the provincial government.
Therefore, the secretary might have to continue serving other leaders, and other leaders might not like someone who had served a particular leader, which would affect the secretary's status and career prospects.
"Are you a graduate of Lingnan University?"
"What are your hobbies and strengths?" Xu Xiaochun suddenly asked.
Lu Weimin was taken aback, not expecting this question. He thought for a moment and cautiously replied, "Director Xu, I'm not sure what you mean by hobbies and strengths."
"Hmm, for example, how is your writing, and how is your handwriting?" Xu Xiaochun suddenly smiled meaningfully, "And how is your alcohol tolerance?"
The novel "Qiu Mo" by Er Gen is a must-read for fans of fantasy. No need to say more, it's fantastic.