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墨書 Inktalez
Lin Xiao had been busy all morning, finally clarifying the matters that needed to be addressed from the previous week and compiling a brief report to submit to the County Chief, Li Hao. After listening to Lin Xiao's report, Li Hao briefly skimmed through the submitted situation report and asked about the likelihood of securing several key projects.
Lin Xiao opened the detailed project list in her hands and reported in detail. Based on past years' experiences, there were several projects with high probabilities. The water conservancy project, for instance, received funding every year at a specific time, with strict audits ensuring that the money was used appropriately. Another project had a relatively small budget that would not exceed ten thousand. The Development and Reform Bureau mentioned they would run it by the Provincial Government again this month.
As Li Hao listened to Lin Xiao's report, he found the work much clearer than before. There were some issues he needed to address, but he couldn't go into every detail. This required his secretary to be perceptive and able to anticipate what else he might want to know. This was what set Lin Xiao apart from other secretaries; she made his job easier.
As Lin Xiao was about to leave, she heard the County Chief instructing her to have Bai Guangqiang come by in the afternoon.
At three o'clock, Bai Guangqiang knocked on Lin Xiao's door, holding his notes and report materials. "Lin Ren, is anyone in with Li County Chief?"
Lin Xiao stood up and knocked on Li Hao's office door. After hearing a response from inside, she opened the door slightly and said softly, "Secretary Bai, you can go in now."
After stepping out, Lin Xiao closed the door behind her and made herself a cup of tea. She lightly tapped on the County Chief's office door three times and waited two seconds before pushing it open. She placed the cup of water in front of Bai Guangqiang and took Li Hao's glass to refill it.
Lin Xiao's office was diagonally across from Li Hao's office door, which was usually left open. Anyone entering or exiting the County Chief's office would inevitably pass by her door, allowing her to keep track of whether there were guests inside.
Bai Guangqiang spent about an hour in Li Hao's office. When he came out, he greeted Lin Xiao as he passed by. "Lin Ren, I apologize for what happened last time regarding Gengxu Town."
Lin Xiao smiled politely and replied that it was all part of work; there was no need for Secretary Bai to worry about it.
As five o'clock approached and work was about to end for the day, Lin Xiao received an unexpected visitor who specifically came to see her. Li Hong arrived with a staff member from the Women's Federation to pay a visit. "Lin Ren," he began, "I heard about your heroic rescue during the incident in Gengxu Town last time. On behalf of the people of Gengxu Town, I want to thank you."
Internally, Lin Xiao felt a dislike for officials like Li Hong who only came around when they needed something—smooth-talking yet insincere. "Li Zhenzhang," she replied politely, "you’re too kind; it’s all part of my job."
Once Li Hong finished with his pleasantries, he got straight to the point. "This is our compensation for you from Gengxu Town; please forgive our staff for their oversight."
As he spoke, the staff member from the Women's Federation placed a document bag under Lin Xiao's desk. Before she could say anything further, Li Hong and the staff member quickly bid farewell and left.
Since the office door was open, Lin Xiao didn't want to make a scene and chose not to chase after them. She picked up the document bag from the floor and opened it to find a set of summer clothes from a well-known local women's brand called Yu Rao, along with an invoice slip—likely included in case she wanted to exchange them if they weren't to her liking.
Lin Xiao thought about how neither Li Hong nor Bai Guangqiang had bothered to call her with an apology regarding the incident in Gengxu Town even after a month had passed since it occurred. Yet here she was on her first day back as secretary for the County Chief—not only receiving apologies but also compensation.
After returning to work, Lin Xiao realized that even without that messy incident, Li Hao never intended for her to serve as his secretary long-term.
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