Chapter 23 – He is not scholarly. He is illiterate! (1/2)

The whole morning, everyone in the office was rushing out the drafts.

Zhou Changchun did not only asked Dong Xuebing to write a draft. To be safe, he asked everyone in the office to draft out a speech, hoping Bureau Chief Yang would be satisfied with one of them.

Dong Xuebing wrote confidently. Although he had not met Yang Yizhong before, from the rejection of Tan Limei and the rest drafts, he concludes that Bureau Chief Yang must be a “scholarly” person since he was so fussy about his speech. So, Dong Xuebing wrote the draft using flowery words. He put in some idioms and references from Classic literature into his drafts.

Dong Xuebing stopped typing at lunch. He looked at his monitor and nodded.

Alright. This should do it. Xuebing…. This is your chance to shine in front of the leader.

Dong Xuebing went upstairs to Yang Yizhong’s office with his speech draft. He took in a deep breath and knocked on the door confidently.

“Come in.”

Dong Xuebing entered the room and saw Yang Yizhong. Dong Xuebing was shocked by his appearance. Yang Yizhong looked nothing “Scholarly” as he imagined. He looks rugged. But Dong Xuebing thought that looks can be deceiving. Maybe he had a “Scholar” living underneath this appearance.

Yang Yizhong frowned, squeezing his thick eyebrows together. “Who are you?”

Dong Xuebing replied politely: “I am Dong Xuebing. I am new to the General Affairs Office.”

“Oh. Is the speech ready?” Bureau Chief Yang stretched out his hand. “Let me take a look.”

Dong Xuebing excitedly passed an A4 paper to him and stood there waiting for praises. He wants to claim this credit, and everyone in the office will look at him differently when he returns.

But in just 3 seconds, Dong Xuebing’s daydreams were shattered. Bureau Chief Yang threw the draft back at Dong Xuebing.

“What are you writing?” Yang Yizhong had a dark expression, and he banged the desk. “Rubbish!”

Dong Xuebing’s face turns green. “Ah?” Have you even read it?

Yang Yizhong shouted: “What is wrong with the General Affairs Office? I just wanted a simple speech. What’s so difficult? Especially you! I wanted you to write a speech according to my topic. What did you write?” Yang Yizhong pointed to the first few lines of the draft. “Knowing honor and stop to achieve prosperity. What are you talking about? Ah? What the fuck are you writing?”

Dong Xuebing weakly replied: “Bureau Chief Yang, you misread it. It is ‘Knowing Honor and understanding shame to achieve prosperity.’”

Dong Xuebing had touched Yang Yizhong’s nerves with that sentence, and he burst out in anger: “What’s wrong?! I only have primary school standard of education and does not know many characters!”

Dong Xuebing was in a daze. Fuck! Was this a joke? This guy was not the “Scholarly” type? Doesn’t he have high expectations of his speeches? Primary school standard? Damn! He was an illiterate and not a scholar!

Oh shit! I am in trouble!

Dong Xuebing knew he had offended Yang Yizhong and immediately shouts: “BACK!”

……

The shouting ceased.

There was only the ticking of the second hand of a clock.

“You are?” Yang Yizhong looked at Dong Xuebing.

Dong Xuebing immediately knew which time it was now. He was relieved and replied: “I am Dong Xuebing. I am new to the General Affairs Office.”

“Oh. Is the speech ready?” Bureau Chief Yang stretched out his hand. “Let me take a look.”

Dong Xuebing will never let him look at his draft. He hides the draft behind his back and thought of an excuse. “I’m sorry Bureau Chief Yang. It is not ready yet. I am here to ask what time is the latest deadline.”

Yang Yizhong frowned impatiently: “Didn’t I say I want it as soon as possible?”

“Sorry for disturbing you. I will go back now.”

Yang Yizhong stood at the window after Dong Xuebing left. He lit a cigarette and stared outside. He had started work early at a chemical factory in the outskirts of Beijing, and then he followed his leader to join the government sector. His education level was very low and does not know a lot of Chinese characters. This was why he rejected all the General Affairs Office speech drafts and did not tell them the reason. How to tell them the real reason? Tell them that he only has a primary school education? He is illiterate? He was too embarrassed to say it. If the General Affairs Office still cannot give him a draft that satisfies him, he will have to look for his old subordinates from the East City Branch to write his speech.

Before Dong Xuebing returned to the office, he threw away his draft. This stupid draft had almost cost him his career. Luckily, he was able to use BACK. If not, it was the end of his life there.

Tan Limei and the rest had returned from their lunch and saw Dong Xuebing entering the office. She asked: “Bing Zhi, how is your draft?”

“Ah? Almost done….”

Guo Shunjie commented sarcastically that he was too eager to perform. Even the seniors of the office could not write the draft, yet Dong Xuebing wanted to try.

Changjuan pushed her keyboard away from her: “I can’t do this. I can’t write anymore!”

Guo Panwei also scratched his head in frustration.

Tan Limei grumbled: “What sort of speech does he want? I had already tried my best.”

Old Yan was the only one that was calm in the office. He was still reading his newspapers relaxingly. As if it was none of his concern.