Chapter 102 1/2

Secretary Huang, found Qiao Wei quite interesting. She was always cheerful every day. Over time,Secretary Huang also quite liked seeing her smiling face.

Secretary Huang, didn’t know about concepts like “positive energy” or “emotional value” in future terminologies, but regardless of whether such concepts existed or not, people naturally tended to like individuals like her.

Moreover, she had strength. The things she wrote were not hollow; they had a sense of substantial power.

No wonder the leaders liked her and valued her.

“Qiao Wei, the secretary is going to the city for a meeting tomorrow, and both of us are going with him.”

“Okay!”

Qiao Wei’s reply was short and crisp, with an upbeat tone.

It made people feel good after hearing it.

Secretary Huang, smiled slightly.

Qiao Wei told Yan Lei. Yan Lei asked, “Will you be back the same day?”

“Yes.”

“What are you going for?”

“For a meeting.”

But usually, people like Secretary Meng wouldn’t just go to the city for meetings. There was a high probability that there would be banquets.

“I forgot to ask Secretary Huang.” Qiao Wei had attended many meetings in the county and had gotten used to it, so she didn’t think of it at that moment.

Yan Lei said, “If there’s drinking at the banquet, tell Secretary Meng that I don’t allow you to drink.”

This was leveraging Yan Lei’s status. Yan Lei and Secretary Meng were peers. If he mentioned it, Secretary Meng would have to help Qiao Wei avoid drinking.

Using her husband as an excuse to avoid drinking sounded helpless, but it was an effective method.

Otherwise, with the culture of drinking at these banquets, a young and pretty female comrade like Qiao Wei would become the target.

Don’t think such situations didn’t exist in this era.

Qiao Wei nodded. “Okay.”

The next day, they took a small car to the city.

After all, a small car was much more comfortable than the military jeep.

The jeep driven by Xiao Zhang had seats like benches at the back, and it wasn’t as comfortable as a sedan.

After the Korean War, the country no longer imported American cars, mainly importing cars from Eastern Europe.

Secretary Meng’s car was a Volga, the best car in the county.

For this meeting, Secretary Meng brought two of his subordinates, Secretary Huang and Qiao Wei. Because Secretary Huang was present, Mr.Pan the official didn’t need to come.

As a female comrade, Qiao Wei naturally sat in the front passenger seat, while Secretary Meng and Secretary Huang sat in the back row.

Qiao Wei fastened her seatbelt as soon as she got into the car.

Secretary Meng chuckled, “Little Qiao, you still wear seatbelts.”

That thing called a seatbelt was just an ornament for people at this time. No one actually wore it.

They didn’t think it was of any use.

Qiao Wei turned and said, “This seat is the most dangerous. When driving, if there is a danger coming head-on, the driver’s survival instinct will turn the steering wheel to avoid the danger, throwing the front passenger side over to cover himself… Ah, not you, Master Li, I mean, it’s about people’s survival instinct.”

Secretary Meng laughed heartily.

“In any case, it’s safer to wear a seatbelt. Since this thing was designed, it must have its purpose.” Qiao Wei persuaded them, “Let’s all buckle up.”

However, the people at this time were not easily convinced. Secretary Meng waved his hand and said, “We’re not as timid as our female comrades.”

No matter how much persuasion there was, it was completely ineffective. Not only did they lack safety awareness, but they were also particularly chauvinistic. Even the driver didn’t buckle up.

Indeed, with few cars on the road at this time, the probability of accidents was indeed very low.

Qiao Wei shook her head helplessly and sat back.

Secretary Meng pointed at her and laughed heartily at Secretary Huang, saying, “Look at her, look at her.”

Secretary Meng was very generous to the subordinates he admired, always warm and kind.

In fact, he was a particularly dominant man. In order not to be disturbed by others or even sidelined by the office director, he delegated authority to his confidants, allowing Secretary Huang to shoulder the responsibility of running the office.

He also valued Qiao Wei for her ability as a propaganda writer.

Now, Qiao Wei and Secretary Huang were considered his two capable subordinates.

Secretary Meng’s speeches and reports were all crafted by Secretary Huang. He was steady, well-versed in everything within the system, and rarely made mistakes. External propaganda and campaigning articles were entrusted to Qiao Wei, whose writing was particularly infectious and suitable for external publicity.

With a clear division of labor between the two, they didn’t interfere with each other, nor did they engage in internal conflict.

Under his appreciation, now when Secretary Huang was occasionally absent from the office, other people would come to seek advice from Qiao Wei.

If Qiao Wei had any ambitions in her career, Secretary Meng could be said to be her patron.

Under such appreciation, Qiao Wei’s initial thought of “living a lazy life and waiting to return to the town” was not feasible. In front of such a dominant leader, slacking off was no longer a matter of whether the leader appreciated her or not; it would offend people.

In the office, Qiao Wei had to give it her all.

They spent the whole day in the meeting.

Each county was vying for resources in the city, bargaining like at a vegetable market.

In fact, not to mention a county in a city, just look at many national-level meetings leaked online from the future, and even meetings at the United Nations, they were all quite similar. In some countries, meetings even escalated into physical fights.

Many leaders were old revolutionaries who had served in the army in their early years, and their education levels were not very high. When arguing, they often raised their voices loudly.

Several times, Secretary Meng banged the table and shouted at people.

In such scenes, the leader had to personally intervene. Qiao Wei couldn’t help, sitting in the back seat, obediently like a primary school student.

At noon, they ate in the canteen together. Secretary Huang and Qiao Wei were in the main kitchen, while Secretary Meng and other county leaders were in the secondary kitchen, not together.

But as expected, there was a banquet in the evening, and Secretary Huang and Qiao Wei also attended.

During the banquet, Qiao Wei was the only woman. She wore a black cashmere coat, with fair cheeks, bright eyes, and a youthful and eye-catching appearance. The leaders couldn’t help but look at her more.

It wasn’t as exaggerated as in the future, but the culture of drinking at banquets was still the same.

Sure enough, someone said, “Is this the new talent you’ve cultivated? I’ve heard of her for a long time.”

Then they wanted Qiao Wei to drink. Not drinking would be disrespectful.

Before Qiao Wei could speak, Secretary Meng directly intervened, “Don’t embarrass the girl. Do you know who she is? She’s a military spouse! She’s loved by someone, that’s Yan Lei! The youngest regiment-level cadre in the military region! Captain Pan from the military region even specifically told me to watch out for her. She’s the first military spouse to work in the county. Don’t make it difficult for female comrades. Ah–“

There was never any alcohol that couldn’t be stopped; it depended on whether the leaders were willing or not.

Secretary Meng was such a dominant person. He not only expressed his own attitude, but also mentioned Yan Lei and Captain Pan.

The rank of a regiment-level officer in the military was equivalent to that of a government administrative official. One by one, they all restrained themselves. Suddenly, they turned into amiable leaders and elders.

They had a peaceful meal.

Winter arrives early, and outside the urban area, there are no streetlights, leaving the surroundings dimly lit.

Secretary Meng, having drunk some alcohol, reclines in the backseat and falls asleep. Secretary Huang, though not drinking, is weary from the day, especially having to attend to the leaders at the dinner table; she too closes her eyes to rest.

Qiao Wei wraps herself tightly in a cashmere coat, gazing at the scenery outside the window.