22: Chapter 22 Small Pit

The next morning, Xu Weidong arrived at the office at 7:15.

He fetched hot water, watered the pothos on the windowsill, and spread out the incoming document register that he hadn't finished organizing the day before.

A thin layer of dust had settled on Deputy Section Chief Pei Xinyan's desk, so he gently wiped it clean with a rag and straightened the pen holder.

At 7:50, Xiao Zhou entered, freezing for a moment upon seeing him wiping the desk.

"Secretary Xu... Weidong, you're cleaning Section Chief Pei's desk?"

"Just a habit."

Xiao Zhou didn't say anything else, lowered his head, and sat at his own desk.

At 8:00 sharp, Deputy Section Chief Pei Xinyan entered.

She paused as she passed her desk; the position of the pen holder had changed. She was used to keeping it on the right, but now it had been moved to the left.

She reached out, moved the pen holder back, sat down, turned on her computer, and said nothing.

At 8:30, she spoke.

"The new guy."

Xu Weidong stood up.

"The data from the counties and districts you organized yesterday was quite good."

"Go to the Statistics Bureau again today and get the comparative data from the same period last year."

"I need three things: the value-added of industrial enterprises above designated size, fixed asset investment, and industrial electricity consumption."

Deputy Section Chief Pei Xinyan paused and added, "Also, tell their Comprehensive Section that from now on, this type of routine data should be submitted before the fifth of every month. There's no need to come and ask for it every time."

"Understood."

Xu Weidong picked up his notebook and left.

Just as he reached the stairs, he saw Brother Chen coming out of the pantry, holding a cup of tea with steam curling up from it.

"Xiao Xu, going to the Statistics Bureau again?"

Xu Weidong nodded.

"Did yesterday's trip go smoothly?"

Brother Chen blew on the tea leaves, his tone as casual as if he were chatting about daily life.

"Section Chief Miao didn't give you a hard time, did she?"

"No."

"Section Chief Miao was very cooperative."

Brother Chen nodded and took a sip of tea.

"That's good. I was worried that if you used the Secretary Section's name, you'd be found out. Section Chief Miao is sharp. If you told her you were from the Comprehensive Section, she would definitely have asked why Section Chief Pei didn't come to ask for it herself."

Brother Chen paused, as if suddenly realizing something, and looked up at Xu Weidong.

"Which section did you tell her you were from yesterday?"

"The Comprehensive Section."

Brother Chen's fingers tightened slightly around the teacup. It was a very subtle movement, almost imperceptible, but Xu Weidong saw it.

"Oh, then you're lucky."

"Section Chief Miao should be in a good mood today, too. Go on."

Brother Chen stepped aside to clear the stairs, and Xu Weidong nodded and walked past him.

The door to the Statistics Bureau's Comprehensive Section was ajar. Xu Weidong knocked three times and pushed it open.

Section Chief Miao was in the same position as yesterday, facing the computer and eating melon seeds.

The computer screen was colorful, not showing a spreadsheet, but a screenshot from some TV drama.

She looked up, saw him, and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, you're back."

"Hello, Section Chief Miao."

Xu Weidong placed yesterday's data table on her desk and said, "I'm here today to ask for the comparative data from the same period last year: the value-added of industrial enterprises above designated size, fixed asset investment, and industrial electricity consumption. I need all three."

Section Chief Miao didn't look at the table; she stared at him for two seconds.

"What did you tell Old Pei when you went back yesterday?"

Xu Weidong paused and said, "Nothing much. I just gave her the data."

Section Chief Miao nodded and said, "She called me last night."

Section Chief Miao put down the melon seeds and clapped her hands.

"She said the college student who came this year is pretty good—efficient and doesn't talk much."

She paused, then added, "It's not easy to get a compliment out of her."

Xu Weidong didn't speak. Section Chief Miao glanced at him and grabbed another handful of melon seeds.

"When I sent someone to deliver the data yesterday, guess how Old Pei reacted?"

"She texted me saying, 'Finally, someone who isn't stupid has arrived.'"

She spat the shells into the wastebasket, a faint trace of a smile on her lips.

Xu Weidong stood there, suddenly remembering what Brother Chen had said in the hallway yesterday morning.

Section Chief Miao and Section Chief Pei don't get along!

They don't get along!

He looked down at the stack of data tables on the desk—black and white, neat and orderly.

"Section Chief Miao, thank you for yesterday's data."

Section Chief Miao waved her hand. "It's just work. You're not doing it for me personally."

She pulled up the data for the same period last year, printed it out, and signed it.

Her movements were efficient, without a single wasted word.

Xu Weidong took the papers, thanked her, and turned to leave.

When he reached the door, Section Chief Miao suddenly spoke up.

"Young man, in a place like the Municipal Committee Office, you should only believe a third of what some people say."

By the time Xu Weidong turned back, Section Chief Miao was already facing the computer screen again, continuing to eat her melon seeds.

She didn't look at him, as if she hadn't been the one to say those words.

"Thank you, Section Chief Miao."

He gently closed the door. At 10:20, Xu Weidong returned to the Municipal Committee Office.

Xu Weidong organized the data tables, stapled them, and placed them on Deputy Section Chief Pei Xinyan's desk.

"Section Chief Pei, the data is complete."

Deputy Section Chief Pei Xinyan picked them up and flipped through them. "Did they say anything at the Statistics Bureau?"

She didn't look up, her pen tip scratching across the document.

"Section Chief Miao said that from now on, this type of routine data should be submitted before the fifth of every month."

Deputy Section Chief Pei Xinyan's pen paused. She looked up and glanced at Xu Weidong.

"Understood."

"Good work."

Xu Weidong walked back to the desk in the corner, sat down, opened the incoming document register, and continued with the part he hadn't finished yesterday.

The office was quiet. Xiao Zhou was typing, the female colleague was on the phone, Deputy Section Chief Pei Xinyan was reviewing documents, and Brother Chen was drinking tea.

At 5:30 in the afternoon, the bell rang for the end of the workday.

Xu Weidong tidied his desk and stood up.

As he reached the door, someone called him from behind.

"Xiao Xu."

He turned around and saw Brother Chen standing up from his seat, carrying that washed-out canvas bag.

"Leaving together?"

"Sure."

The two walked out of the office side by side. There were still a few people working overtime in the hallway, their footsteps echoing softly.

Brother Chen didn't speak, and Xu Weidong didn't either.

They walked out of the office building, crossed the porch, and turned into the small alley leading to the bus stop.

Brother Chen walked in the shade, while Xu Weidong walked in the sunlight.

"Did you get the data smoothly today?"

"It went okay."

Brother Chen nodded. He was walking very slowly, as if he had something to say and was deliberating how to bring it up.

Halfway through the alley, he stopped.

"Xiao Xu, I don't know if I should say this or not."

"Go ahead, Brother Chen."

Brother Chen didn't look at him; he kept his head down, grinding a small pebble on the ground with the toe of his shoe.

"When you went to the Statistics Bureau today, Section Chief Pei said a few things in the office."

"Nothing much, just that young people are still a bit reckless and don't know what's important."

Brother Chen ground the pebble into the crack between the bricks on the side of the road and looked up.

"I'm just reminding you to be more careful in the future."

Brother Chen's expression was very sincere, his eyes filled with the earnestness typical of an old comrade caring for a new colleague.

Xu Weidong looked at him and smiled. "Brother Chen, Section Chief Pei actually complimented me this morning for being efficient."

Brother Chen froze for a moment.

"Is that so?"

"Then maybe I overthought it."

"She received a call this afternoon and was in a bad mood, so she just said a few things off the cuff."

"Don't take it to heart."

"Actually, that's just how Section Chief Pei is—saying one thing to your face and another behind your back."

"She can praise you today and scold you tomorrow."

"Don't look at how she's treating you okay right now; when her nephew fails the exam again next year..."

He didn't finish, cutting himself off.

"Forget it, I shouldn't be saying these things. You're new here, just do a good job."

Brother Chen quickened his pace and walked toward the bus stop.

Xu Weidong turned around and walked in the opposite direction.

"People with different paths cannot make plans together. Sooner or later, there will be an explanation for what happened today."