Power and Wealth

Afternoon.

Inside the office.

Dong Xuebing and Lan Xuewen sat together, chatting while drinking tea, intentionally deepening their relationship.

"Sister Huilan gave birth."

"Yeah, she's done with her postpartum recovery."

"My dad mentioned it. I was thinking of going to congratulate her, but I heard that Sister Huilan was staying at Grandpa Xie's villa, so I didn't dare to intrude."

"Well, mainly because Grandpa isn't in good health, and Huilan just gave birth, so she's not feeling well. That's why we didn't invite everyone or organize a banquet. We feel a bit embarrassed about it. We'll see later when the baby reaches one month or a hundred days. But now that Huilan has taken up her new position in the local government, she's quite busy. It seems the banquet might not happen."

"Sister Huilan has risen in one step, becoming the City party secretary. But it's also her strong abilities; she deserves the position. I'm not surprised at all. You probably don't know, but we all lived in the scompound and played together when we were kids. Back then, our parents often said, ‘Look at Xie Lan. She's so smart.' Sister Huilan has been intelligent since she was young and greatly influenced when we were kids."

They chatted for a bit.

A few minutes later.

Lan Xuewen said, "You've just arrived, so you may not be familiar with your colleagues and subordinates."

Dong Xuebing nodded slightly, "This department is quite bloated, and the waters are deep. I'm not very clear about it."

Lan Xuewen continued, "Then I'll be straightforward. I've had a lot of interactions with Department Two of the Eighth Office, so I know a bit more about it. Director Yin is relatively modest and has the kind of personality where he wants everyone to get along. I believe you've noticed that. Director Yin is known in the compound as a very kind person. But don't be fooled by his appearance. This is just how he interacts with colleagues. When handling cases, he's not someone who will trade favors easily. He's earnest, handles cases swiftly, strictly following the regulations, and is not afraid of offending people."

Dong Xuebing nodded.

Lan Xuewen continued, "Director Yin's background isn't very prominent; he's a self-made man. Of course, when I talk about background, I mainly mean his family background. Director Yin is quite close to the director of the Eighth Office. As for your colleague Zhang Dongliang, he's a cadre at the Section Chief level. Although his rank is average, his father is a local City Party secretary. As for his father's faction, it's not at the level of the central government but rather within the province. I don't know many details, so I won't elaborate. And there's Sun Zhaobang from your department, the chubby one. He's also at the Section Chief level, and someone in his family is the deputy minister of a ministry. His position is relatively weak, and I won't mention it. Then there's He Zhou among your colleagues, with the highest rank as a deputy division chief-level inspector. His background is more complicated; he's a relative of a former deputy minister-level leader in a powerful department. Although that leader has retired, their friendship and connections still exist. People from He Zhou's family also serve as directors in sdepartments."

Lan Xuewen spoke slowly.

Dong Xuebing listened attentively. He knew this information was critical, so he didn't miss a word and kept it all in his mind.

In the end.

Dong Xuebing asked, "What about Han Fei?"

Lan Xuewen replied, "In terms of background, she has the strongest connections within Department Two. Don't be fooled by Han Fei's usual demeanor. Her father is a cadre at the Central Organization Department, Bureau Two, the director of the local cadre bureau. He's also a Central Organization Department committee member, holding significant power. Han Fei is also an only child."

Dong Xuebing nodded heavily. He wondered how someone with Han Fei's personality could remain within the system. Now he understood. Dong Xuebing also started to grasp why Yin Cheng'an, the head of Department Two, treated these individuals with such deference. Perhaps Yin, known for his excellent temperament, was aware of their backgrounds, giving them sleeway out of respect for their elders.

This was the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, after all. There wasn't a single simple person inside.

Dong Xuebing asked, "What faction does Han Fei's father belong to?"

Lan Xuewen pondered for a moment and shook his head slowly. "It's uncertain. Her father didn't cfrom an aristocratic family; he climbed up gradually. And at their level, it isn't easy to discern affiliations. After all, the matters involved are too complex. I don't know much about it. They probably only have a clear understanding of themselves. Han Fei's father's relationship with our Xie family has always been average—neither particularly good nor bad. That's all I know."

Not everyone in the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection had a strong background. The members of their petition office were few, and many officials cfrom ordinary families, including quite a few from rural backgrounds. However, the First to Eighth Departments were highly crucial, so the people inserted there were naturally outstanding in ability or background. As a result, this situation had emerged. While many had influential backers, Lan Xuewen also knew that compared to Dong Xuebing's backing from the Xie family, the backgrounds of people like Sun Zhaobang and He Zhou were negligible. While they might be seen as second-generation officials by ordinary people, in the eyes of the Xie family, they were just ordinary folks. Even Han Fei, with the most substantial background among them, didn't mean much in front of Xie Huilan and Dong Xuebing. This was the fundamental reason hardly anyone knew about Dong Xuebing's background after he took office—not due to ignorance but because they were not on the slevel. The top leaders of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection knew about Dong Xuebing, but with their status, they wouldn't make any fuss about it.

After digesting the information for a few minutes, Dong Xuebing understood the situation. "Thank you, Old Lan."

Lan Xuewen smiled. "Let's not stand on ceremony. We'll have plenty of opportunities to interact in the future. Let's exchange phone numbers and keep in touch."

"Hehe, sure." Dong Xuebing exchanged numbers with him.

"I should get going now. You're busy," Lan Xuewen bid farewell.

Dong Xuebing politely escorted him to the office door. After Lan Xuewen left, he closed the door and returned inside. Unbeknownst to him, Department Two was a gathering place for many talented individuals. However, this didn't directly concern Dong Xuebing. Backgrounds were backgrounds, but they were all mid-level backgrounds, with little connection or conflict with the interests of the Xie family. There might not even be any interaction. The disparity in status was quite significant. Dong Xuebing was prepared to be his own "leisurely prince." He would avoid worrying about unnecessary matters and enjoy a few months of peaceful life. He now believed that this was better than anything else.