Power and Wealth - C.1573: Are you done talking?

Before noon.

City Committee Building。

Provincial inspection teams and city escort teams walked through the courtyard, stopping and chatting intermittently. Deputy Governor Jia and Director Zhou occasionally exchanged a few words. Then, the provincial staff behind them recorded the inspection content without any pleasantries, just a matter-of-fact demeanor.

After a while, a gust of wind blew.

As the wind blew, a ball of paper and a mineral water bottle rolled over from afar, landing near the provincial comrades.

Sister Gao, who had just left the secretary's office, happened to see this as she walked out of the office building. Originally intending to check on the situation with the journalists and camerapersons, she hurriedly bent down to pick up the paper and bottle, then quickly walked to a trash can in the courtyard to dispose of them before heading towards the TV station comrades.

But the inspection team from the province looked displeased.

Deputy Governor Jia frowned, clearly unhappy.

Director Zhou turned to Xie Huilan, "What does your sanitation work mean? Littering paper and bottles everywhere? This is the compound of the City party committee. How can other places be any better if it's like this here? How do you expect to work like this, especially after we gave you advance notice of the inspection?"

Xie Huilan remained expressionless. "Our work was not up to standard."

The mayor immediately said, "We'll have someone reinspect all the hygiene blind spots."

Deputy Governor Jia furrowed his brows. "What were you doing earlier? Your work attitude is a big problem."

"We didn't inspect carefully enough," Xie Huilan said calmly. "The leadership's criticism is justified, and we will pay more attention in the future."

Deputy Governor Jia pointed in the direction of the cafeteria. "And the cafeteria, I don't even need to go in. You can see for yourselves. The grease on the glass is so thick, and there seems to be a crack. Although this inspection wasn't about sanitation, if we hadn't notified you, you would have been so lax about it. I see this is not just a problem with your sanitation work but also an issue with your work attitude."

The staff behind immediately recorded the leader's instructions.

With just this trivial matter, Deputy Governor Jia and Director Zhou lectured Xie Huilan for ten minutes, and the mayor and other city leaders were also criticized. They all wore stern expressions, and the people from Xiaoxing City could only listen, not daring to speak up, feeling bitter in their hearts. Some didn't even know what had gotten into Deputy Governor Jia today to make him so displeased with them. Others had a more precise idea, probably because of the City party secretary position. Deputy Governor Jia might have some grievances against Secretary Xie, and although this criticism didn't carry much weight, it was mainly directed at Secretary Xie. Otherwise, why would they criticize her for so long?

Xie Huilan listened quietly without expressing any opinions.

Deputy Governor Jia and the others seized upon this issue, escalating the matter.

Upstairs.

Dong Xuebing had been watching; seeing this, he couldn't suppress his anger any longer. "Damn it, you're not done yet?"

No approval for the plane tickets…

two hours late…

And now criticizing my wife.

Dong Xuebing's temper was something. He exploded with rage and immediately opened the door to the secretary's office, striding downstairs.

Many people in the office building saw Secretary Xie being criticized, but they could only watch from the windows.

At this moment, many people saw Dong Xuebing walk out with a dark expression, and they were all stunned.

"Mr. Dong."

"Um, Mr. Dong."

Dong Xuebing ignored their greetings.

Seeing his demeanor, everyone was puzzled about what Xie Huilan's husband was up to. They all looked over; some even leaned against the windows to watch.

In the courtyard.

Dong Xuebing came out.

Sister Gao saw him and was also stunned.

Over there, Deputy Governor Jia and Director Zhou were still criticizing Xiaoxing City's people over the sanitation issue. It seemed like they were picking a fight with them. Deputy Governor Jia said that this inspection didn't include sanitation issues. Now, he was latching onto this, which might seem trivial to others, but to Dong Xuebing, it was obvious that the provincial people were deliberately looking for trouble.

"What should be done about this problem?" Deputy Governor Jia asked forcefully, looking at Xie Huilan.

Xie Huilan said, "We will immediately rectify the sanitation issues in the City party committee compound."

Deputy Governor Jia seemed very dissatisfied with her response. "So you'll only rectify what you find in the City party committee compound, right? So, as I said, there's a serious problem with your work attitude. One step forward, one step back. What kind of work is this?"

Xie Huilan replied, "Then we will launch a city-wide sanitation rectification."

Deputy Governor Jia wasn't pleased with this either. "Why does it sound like I'm forcing you to rectify it?"

Rectifying the City party committee compound wasn't acceptable.

Rectifying the city's sanitation work wasn't acceptable either.

Whatever Xiaoxing City or Xie Huilan proposed, Deputy Governor Jia and the provincial inspection team felt it was wrong, no matter what.

The mayor of Xiaoxing City was getting a bit tired of it.

Other city leaders and staff had varying expressions.

But Xie Huilan kept her trademark expression, calm and unruffled, not showing any anger, as if whatever the other party said didn't bother her.

"Secretary Xie, I think your city…" Deputy Governor Jia pointed at Xie Huilan, intending to say something, but someone interrupted him.

Amidst the stunned gazes of everyone, Dong Xuebing walked up and stood in front of his wife, then looked at Deputy Governor Jia, Director Zhou, and the others and said astonishingly, "Are you done?"

Deputy Governor Jia was taken aback.

Director Zhou was also furious. "What are you doing?"

A provincial cadre behind them shouted, "Who are you? Deputy Governor Jia was speaking, not you!"

Dong Xuebing interrupted them again, looking at Deputy Governor Jia. "I asked you, are you done?"

Deputy Governor Jia had no idea who this person was and why he suddenly appeared to ask if they were finished.

Director Zhou looked at Dong Xuebing and said, "You're quite aggressive. What do you do?"

The people from the province all thought he was a staff member from Xiaoxing City, so they didn't expect him to dare to speak to Deputy Governor Jia like this.

Challenging superiors like this was quite rare.

But Dong Xuebing's tone was even more confrontational. He scanned the faces of the provincial people one by one and said, "It doesn't matter what I do. If you haven't finished speaking, then continue. I'm waiting for you. And if you're done speaking, I'll say a few words. Deputy Governor Jia and Director Zhou can take a break. You've been talking for so long, don't let your teeth get sunburn from all the talking."

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