Power and Wealth

Noon.

In the courtyard.

The sun hung high overhead, casting warm light on the stone table, while the sound of mahjong tiles clattering filled the air.

"Come on, let's continue."

"East wind."

"Six Characters."

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"Wait, let me draw one."

"Alright, one bamboo."

"Hehe, I've been waiting for that one bamboo, Game."

"Why do you keep winning? Xiao Bing, why do you always give your mother-in-law the winning tiles?"

"Alright, my son-in-law gave you both a few winning tiles, too, so pay up, hehe."

Initially, Dong Xuebing didn't want to play for money, but Han Jing, Xia Yanzhen, and Ci Lifen seemed accustomed to playing for money, so he had no choice but to join in. Of course, they were playing for fun, and nobody minded losing a few dollars here and there. However, even in this casual game, Dong Xuebing, as the youngest member, didn't dare to win. So, he sacrificed his chances of winning and instead kept giving away winning tiles to the three elders, letting his mother-in-law win a few times, then his aunt, and finally his second aunt. He made sure to take care of everyone. This was more of a test of skill than playing seriously.

He had already lost over a hundred rmb.

Dong Xuebing patted his pockets, but there was no change left.

"What's wrong, out of money already?" Han Jing laughed.

Dong Xuebing said, "Could you change some small bills for me? Ah, you three are too good at playing; I can't keep up; I haven't been able to win a round."

Xia Yanzhen smiled and looked at him, saying, "You've been feeding us winning tiles. No wonder you can't win."

Ci Lifen also said, "I heard that Xiao Bing is good at playing mahjong, but this level..."

Dong Xuebing modestly said, "I'm not that good at playing. I'm far worse than you three."

"It's just that this kid is cunning." Han Jing probably already noticed that Dong Xuebing was throwing the game. She looked at him and said, "If you keep doing this, we won't play anymore. It's not fun."

Xia Yanzhen said, "Xiao Bing, play seriously."

Dong Xuebing chuckled, "I'm playing seriously. It's just that my skills are too bad."

"I don't believe it," Ci Lifen smiled, "In our family, you're the one with the most tricks. You didn't even go to the police academy, just an ordinary college graduate, but you can defuse bombs and beat Senior Xie in chess. I don't believe you can't play mahjong."

Dong Xuebing said, "I really can't. You three are the skilled ones."

Xia Yanzhen said, "You keep feeding us winning tiles. It's not fun."

Han Jing glanced at him, "It's already noon, let's have lunch soon. Let’s play one more round. You have to show some skills in this round, got it?"

"I..." Dong Xuebing said.

"Got it?" Han Jing asked again.

Dong Xuebing smiled bitterly, "Alright, I'll play properly."

Xia Yanzhen smiled, "Show us your skills. Let me see your mahjong skills."

After exchanging some small bills, Dong Xuebing settled the money from the previous round, and then everyone started shuffling the tiles. A new round began.

This time, Dong Xuebing was the dealer. He picked up the first tile and hesitated momentarily after all the tiles were drawn.

Xia Yanzhen smiled. "What's taking so long to play?"

"You all asked me to play properly," Dong Xuebing said, coughing. Then he slowly spread out his tiles and pushed one forward. "Hmm, Heaven's hand."

Heavenly hand.

Han Jing: "......"

Xia Yanzhen: "......"

Ci Lifen: "......"

All three of them were speechless. Even though they knew Dong Xuebing had been holding back and throwing the game earlier, they didn't expect him to be this ruthless. As the three elders focused and looked at the tiles, they realized it was a heavenly hand.

Ci Lifen pointed at Dong Xuebing with a wry smile and said, "I knew this kid could play mahjong. He was pretending just now, saying he didn't know how to play. Look at that. He won all the money back in just one round."

Dong Xuebing hurriedly said, "No, no, let's not play for money in the last round."

Xia Yanzhen asked, "Did you cheat to win?"

"Cough, I just happened to win," Dong Xuebing dismissed.

Xia Yanzhen saw through him, "You've never won before. It's only when your mother-in-law tells you to play seriously that you manage to win. Where did that stroke of luck come from?"

Han Jing shook her head helplessly and then looked at Dong Xuebing. Her eyes filled with satisfaction and fondness as she looked at her son-in-law. "So young, yet so talented. I've never seen anything you can't do. Well, let's not play anymore. Let's eat."

Xia Yanzhen checked the time. "Xiao Ran will be here soon."

"Is Xiao Ran back?" Dong Xuebing asked.

"He came back last night," Xia Yanzhen smiled. "Lately, as soon as the weekend comes, this kid takes a plane back, and then he's out all day on Sunday and Saturday. I wonder if he's seeing someone. But when I ask him, he won't say anything. It's unsettling."

As they were talking, the courtyard door suddenly opened.

Xie Ran walked in alone. "Mom."

Xia Yanzhen looked at him. "Perfect timing, help your brother-in-law with cooking."

After Xie Ran greeted Han Jing and Ci Lifen, he smiled at Dong Xuebing. "Brother-in-law, I'm here to mooch a meal again. I'll help you out."

Dong Xuebing said, "Sure, come on."

In the kitchen, while cooking, Han Jing also came in and looked around. She watched Dong Xuebing chopping and frying vegetables and couldn't help but nod slightly, praising him.

But Dong Xuebing was distracted. Even when playing mahjong, he was... This guy was a typical fan of officials. He had never hidden this fact, so when his mother-in-law mentioned the organizational reform that the Disciplinary Inspection Commission was about to make during the game, Dong Xuebing keenly realized that this was his opportunity. It was the kind of opportunity that wouldn't come again once missed.

Why?

The reason was simple.

Eight supervisory offices are expanding to ten, and the two newly established offices are vacant. While it's easy to transfer personnel from below or from other supervisory offices to fill positions, what about the leadership positions such as office directors, deputy directors, department heads, and so on? There are many vacancies to fill, and each of them is a leadership position. Dong Xuebing, although officially a level-four supervisory officer, is essentially nothing. He doesn't hold any leadership position; to put it bluntly, his level-four status is just transitional. He's constantly thinking about obtaining a higher leadership position. That's what a real level-four leader is like. As for himself, he holds a powerless position, lacking both power and significant responsibilities.

Now, the opportunity has come.

Why can't he strive for one with so many vacancies for level-four leadership positions?

This time, it's an organizational reform, not just a routine adjustment of cadres. In normal circumstances, Dong Xuebing, who has only been at the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection for a few months, wouldn't be promoted even if he had achieved outstanding results. The time is too short, and he hasn't had the chance to prove himself. Even if his grandfather-in-law is a top leader at the Commission, it wouldn't make a difference. There are many factors to consider, and according to normal procedures, Dong Xuebing would need at least two years to transition from his current position to a substantive level-four leadership position. This is relatively fast, especially considering he's only in his mid-twenties. He would need to go through this period of accumulating experience. It's impossible to advance smoothly all the way. However, the organizational reform is different. It's an internal adjustment, a special case, similar to when a county-level city is promoted to a prefecture-level city. The top leaders of the county-level city automatically move up a level, and the same goes for other positions. It's a holistic change unrelated to individual qualifications or other considerations. Even though Dong Xuebing's qualifications and work experience are insufficient, he has a good chance if he seizes the opportunity. There won't be as much resistance as in a regular job adjustment. He feels optimistic about his prospects with his wife's grandfather in a high position.

There's hope.

He must strive for it.

No, not strive. He must seize it with all his might.

Dong Xuebing has this characteristic - he won't let go once he sees a possibility. He'll seize it with all his might. So, even when playing cards, he's been thinking about this matter, considering how to implement it effectively or broach the subject with his mother-in-law. He's not very close to his wife's grandfather, so it's not easy to talk to him. As for his father-in-law, he recently had a big argument over a mistake he made at work, which almost caused a major problem. Dong Xuebing dares not bring it up with him, especially since he's currently ordered to reflect on his actions. Only Han Jing is suitable for this conversation. Dong Xuebing knows his mother-in-law is especially fond of him and easy to talk to. After weighing his options, he realizes he can only discuss it with her.

Even though it's a bit embarrassing to mention, this is a substantive level-four position, and it's a rare opportunity coinciding with organizational reform. Dong Xuebing must fight for it.

A substantive position.

A real level-four leadership role.

Dong Xuebing has been thinking about it for a long time.

If he can get it, he can save two years of struggle.

In a system where a few years can make a big difference in one's political career, being younger means the potential to go further. Dong Xuebing doesn't want to spend two more years in a powerless position in Division Two and another two or three years at a substantive level-four position. If things go as usual, when will it be his turn to shine? How can he catch up with his wife? Hui Lan is already a genuine provincial-level official, and she's the most powerful party secretary. In the next step, she will likely become a deputy minister. Dong Xuebing feels immense pressure and must catch up with his wife immediately. This is the opportunity right in front of him.

This time, he must get it in one go.

Saving two years is saving two years.

Otherwise, if this opportunity is missed, there might not be another chance.