Chapter 20: Snobbery

Zhang Jun had carved out a slice of the meeting time originally allotted to Fang Jianwen and gifted it to his good friend, Liu Zhengjie. This was partly because Fang Jianwen lacked an understanding of the unwritten rules, but it was also a display of Zhang Jun exercising his own authority.

Fortunately, Zhang Jun only gave Liu Zhengjie ten minutes. A leader’s time was precious; if everyone were given ten minutes, they wouldn't be able to meet many people in a day. Leaders were human, too—they needed to rest, use the restroom, and occasionally attend meetings, go on business trips, or deliver reports.

Since the government leadership team had been streamlined, the previous eight vice governors had been reduced to just four. Each vice governor now oversaw a much wider array of portfolios, resulting in increased power and doubled workloads. Take Ma Hongqi, for example. Though he ranked near the bottom in the provincial government and was in charge of relatively minor departments, he managed a staggering number of bureaus: education, science and technology, civil affairs, culture and tourism, health, radio and television, sports, and medical insurance. Each category corresponded to a provincial-level unit, which in turn oversaw various district, municipal, and county-level branches. If he truly tried to manage every detail, even a man with the legendary abilities of the Monkey King would find it impossible to be everywhere at once. Therefore, leaders had no choice but to focus on the big picture and delegate the rest.

Who could gain an audience with a leader and who could not was all arranged by the General Office and the secretaries. There was, however, another type of visitor: those summoned by the leader himself, such as Fang Jianwen. These summons were generally of two types—either someone was being called in to be commended for a merit, or they were being called in to be reprimanded for a mistake. It was unclear which category Fang Jianwen fell into.

Zhang Jun served him a cup of tea and studied him for a few moments. He thought the man looked less like a vice-department-level official and more like a university professor.

"Director Fang, did you teach before?" Zhang Jun asked.

Fang Jianwen seemed a bit nervous. Holding the teacup in his left hand, he kept wiping his sweating right hand on his trousers. At the question, he adjusted his glasses and replied, "Yes, I was a doctoral supervisor. I entered the Education Department with a formal establishment position, and thanks to the trust of my superiors, I was appointed to this post. How did you know?"

"There is a certain quality about you, Director Fang—the elegance that comes from a life of books." Zhang Jun, having stolen some of his time, offered a few words of flattery in return.

Unexpectedly, this comment touched a nerve and stirred up a well of bitterness in Fang Jianwen. He gave a wry smile. "Sigh! 'A scholar is useless in the face of adversity.' I am not suited for officialdom! I have been a failure at it. If time could turn back, I wish I were still at the university, teaching and nurturing students."

Zhang Jun didn't know what he had been through, but he felt a sense of empathy and shared melancholy. At that moment, Liu Zhengjie emerged. With his backside already halfway out the door, his head was still wedged in the gap like an ostrich. He kept offering apologetic smiles, repeating, "Governor Ma, thank you for your time! Goodbye!"

Seeing that there were outsiders present, Liu Zhengjie didn't say much to Zhang Jun, though he gave him a wink and made a gesture indicating a phone call. "Secretary Zhang, thank you. I won't take up any more of your valuable time. Goodbye."

Zhang Jun wished him a safe trip and then invited Fang Jianwen to go in. When he returned after brewing more tea, he could hear Fang Jianwen being reprimanded. Ma Hongqi’s expression was stern, his tone severe, and his wording sharp; he was tearing Fang Jianwen apart. Even in the two minutes Zhang Jun spent inside, Ma Hongqi did not stop his critique, showing that he was granting Fang Jianwen absolutely no face. Fang Jianwen was drenched in sweat; the once articulate professor and doctoral supervisor now stood there like a schoolchild who had done something wrong, incapable of offering a single word in his own defense.

Zhang Jun, unaware of the underlying cause, stepped out once he finished topping off the tea. When a leader was in discussion, his role—even if he was nearby—was to act as if he were mute; this was the professional standard for a secretary.

The next person scheduled for an audience had already arrived. He pointed to his watch and reminded Zhang Jun, "Secretary Zhang, my time is up."

Zhang Jun replied calmly, "The leader is still in a meeting. Why don't you go in?"

The man’s expression froze, and his attitude shifted immediately. He offered a conciliatory smile and said, "I'm sorry, Secretary Zhang. I will wait."

Not long after, Fang Jianwen emerged, his head hanging low like a frost-bitten eggplant. He didn't even greet Zhang Jun, leaving with a dazed and distracted expression. Zhang Jun directed the next visitor to enter.

Time quickly passed until 5:30 p.m. Zhang Jun saw Ma Hongqi out to the entrance of his villa. He knew better than to step past the boundary unless invited; he would never overstep his limits. Ma Hongqi had no further instructions, meaning Zhang Jun was free for the evening.

After leaving the guesthouse, Zhang Jun received a message from Jiang Changxing: "Secretary Zhang, are you free now? I have booked a private room at the West Warm Pavilion and ordered food and wine. I am awaiting your arrival. If you need a car, I am at your disposal at any time."

As the deputy director of a provincial hospital, Jiang Changxing’s rank was not low; even without a vice-departmental title, he at least held a full-division rank and enjoyed "hospital-level" benefits. Yet, he treated Zhang Jun with such deference simply because of the seat he occupied. No matter who sat in that secretary’s chair, they would always receive such sycophancy.

When Zhang Jun saw it was the West Warm Pavilion, he felt a bit of resistance, as he didn't have a good impression of the place. However, since the host had already booked the room and the banquet, refusing or asking for a change of venue would only make him seem pretentious.

He rode his bicycle to the West Warm Pavilion. The entrance was packed with various cars and motorcycles. Many people had arrived by bicycle as well; after all, in this era, the bicycle remained the primary mode of transportation for the average citizen.

However, the security guard at the door clearly judged people by their appearance. Seeing Zhang Jun arrive on a bike, he acted with a haughty air, pointing at him and shouting, "Hey, you! Yes, you! How are you parking? Go park over there in the bicycle shed!"

Zhang Jun looked around and asked, "Where is the bicycle shed? I parked at the entrance last time I was here, and isn't there plenty of space right next to the others?"

The guard puffed out his chest and gestured dismissively. "Over there! Don't you see it's full here? It's the weekend, and there are a lot of people dining! Park over there!"

It was a case of a shop bullying its customers. There were clearly plenty of empty spots, but the man was simply making things difficult for him, refusing to let him park. Once a person at the bottom of the ladder gains even a sliver of power, they will exercise it to the fullest extent to make life difficult for others.

Zhang Jun couldn't be bothered with him and walked straight inside. The guard was stunned for a moment, then pointed at his back and shouted, "Hey, you! Why aren't you listening? Hey, did you hear me?"

Seeing that Zhang Jun ignored him and treated his words like a breeze, he became enraged, rushed forward, and reached out to grab Zhang Jun’s shoulder.

Zhang Jun spun around abruptly, locked eyes with him, and said with a commanding air, "What are you doing? Are you trying to start a fight?"

His voice was full and authoritative, which caught the guard off guard. But the guard quickly regained his composure and pointed outside. "There aren't enough spots on the weekend; go park your bike over there!"

Zhang Jun sneered, "If you want it parked there, go do it yourself! Aren't you a security guard? Isn't it your job to valet the guests' vehicles?"

The guard chuckled mockingly. "Oh, you ride a bicycle, yet you think you're something special? You want someone to valet your bike? Forget an Audi, you could at least show up in an Alto!"