Power and Wealth

Noon.

Lunchtime.

A food truck entered the temporary County Party Committee compound and parked in the yard, where staff began unloading thermal boxes and distributing the meals. In the old County Party Committee compound, the canteen had been outdated, so there had been a period when meals were delivered by food trucks. Back then, meals were delivered directly to various office areas and departments, so no one had to leave their desks. However, due to limited conditions now and the chaotic layout of the rows of houses, everyone had to come out and line up to get their lunch. It was an inconvenience, and although everyone complained, there was no choice but to adapt.

Dong Xuebing also came out.

"Secretary, here's your meal." A staff member handing out meals saw Secretary Dong and immediately grabbed a box to run up to him.

Dong Xuebing waved his hand. "No need, I'll stand in line."

"Ah, uh..." The staff member froze, unsure of what to do. "But..."

"Hehe, everyone else is lining up. I can't cut in line," Dong Xuebing said with a smile, then joined the end of the line. After all, everyone was getting the same meal. This had been something Dong Xuebing insisted on—there should be no difference between the work meals for leaders and staff members. It was a part of his governing philosophy: equality for everyone, without any special privileges for the leaders that would lead to gossip behind their backs. Before, he hadn't had the power to implement this principle, but now that he was the head of the county, he had no reservations and could follow through on his political beliefs.

Grabbing food was no different.

Seeing the county party secretary standing in line just like everyone else, people started discussing among themselves. They were still surprised by his behavior, but there was a sense of warmth and admiration behind that surprise. With a leader like him, they felt secure, and if he could do this, what else was there to complain about? Even their complaints about the temporary County Party Committee compound diminished. In domestic society, people's complaints often don't stem from things being "too good" or "too bad" but from a lack of fairness. When everyone is treated the same, and the environment feels relatively equitable, internal conflicts are reduced, and work efficiency increases. This creates a healthy work environment.

A moment later, several secretaries came out.

Among them were Zhang Dongfang's secretary and the secretaries of other county leaders like Wei Zhixuan. They all came to get food for their leaders and didn't have to line up.

However, Zhang Dongfang's secretary had a sharp eye and immediately spotted Dong Xuebing in the crowd. It wasn’t just his sharp eyesight—after all, Dong Xuebing was the county head, and even though he was in line, the people in front and behind him weren't behaving quite naturally. They seemed nervous, and some of the staff members in line were even sweating, unsure whether to pretend they weren’t hungry and walk away so that Dong Xuebing could get his meal faster. The atmosphere was unique, and Dong Xuebing stood out, almost like a crane among chickens.

"Uh." Zhang Dongfang’s secretary paused.

"What’s wrong?" The other secretaries asked.

Zhang Dongfang’s secretary quietly pointed toward Dong Xuebing. Everyone turned to look and froze for a moment. Since they moved into the new compound, Dong Xuebing hadn’t had lunch there because he was always too busy, so they hadn't seen him queue up for meals. Dong Xuebing hadn’t required anyone else to do so, but by insisting on doing it himself, his actions could still send a powerful signal.

The secretaries wiped the sweat off their faces, not daring to cut in line to get their food. They couldn’t do that—if the County Party Secretary was queuing, how could they possibly skip ahead? That would be disastrous.

So, they discussed it among themselves and decided to go back.

About two minutes later, Zhang Dongfang, Wei Zhixuan, Sun Changzhi, and the other leaders came out one after another to get their meals personally.

"Secretary."

"Secretary Dong."

A few of them greeted him.

Dong Xuebing smiled at them. "You're here."

Zhang Dongfang nodded and, along with the other county leaders, queued up at the back.

Chang Lin laughed heartily. "I smell stir-fried pork. It smells so good!"

"As expected, Old Chang has a sharp nose. I didn’t smell anything," Dong Xuebing joked.

The discipline inspection secretary, Wang Bin, laughed and said, "Secretary, you don't know. Old Chang has a special fondness for stir-fried pork." He turned to Chang Lin and asked, "How long have you been eating stir-fried pork? Aren't you tired of it? When you first came into the office, everyone gave you a reception, and you finished an entire plate of stir-fried pork by yourself. You ate it so deliciously. I fought you for a while, but you only left me a few pieces of chili."

Wei Zhixuan chuckled. "I remember, too. Old Chang's appetite, no one can compare."

Hearing this, Zhang Dongfang and the other leaders laughed kindly, and the atmosphere became quite pleasant.

The most awkward ones were the staff members and junior officials in the middle of the line, stuck between several leaders. Seeing the situation, they all wanted to step aside and make room for the leaders so they could stand together and chat. But as they were about to leave, Dong Xuebing pulled one of them back. Looking around, the other county leaders didn’t let them leave either.

"Where are you going?"

"Stay in line, don’t mess up the queue."

"If you leave now, you’ll have to go to the back of the line when you return, haha."

The leaders had no airs about them, and their words were humorous.

The staff members and junior officials looked at each other, feeling embarrassed, and didn’t leave.

The other government staff watching the scene felt like something had changed since Dong Xuebing arrived in Jiao Lin County. They weren’t sure if it was just their imagination, but it seemed like the county's work efficiency and overall atmosphere had completely changed. The transformation was so drastic, and the most noticeable thing was that even outside of work hours, the county leaders’ faces weren’t as dark anymore. Even during meals, the county leaders lined up just like the staff, and the County Party Secretary paid for his meals and hotel bookings. Though these may seem like small, inconspicuous actions, they gave everyone a sense of positive energy. People weren’t fools—such changes were noticeable, little by little. The work environment felt much more relaxed and comfortable than before.

All of this came from Dong Xuebing.

Dong Xuebing didn’t know whether this was good or bad or if it would significantly impact the country’s development. Some leaders might not like him for it, and some staff might accuse him of showboating. But it didn’t matter. It was fine with him even if it didn’t have any positive effect. He didn’t care how others saw him. Dong Xuebing just didn’t want to disappoint his sense of pride and persistence. That was his governing philosophy.