Power and Wealth

Chapter 700: Spotlight

Saturday.

Before noon.

Song Qingming knew he must give the Subdistrict Office’s Leaders face after the accident. After all, they are the Leaders of this Subdistrict. He asked his men to pay for that woman’s medical expenses and compensated her 2,000 RMB, hoping to settle this accident. After that, he returned to his factory with his assistant.

On the way to the factory, the assistant asked. “Boss, are we going to ask people to put up the advertisement board again?”

Song Qingming nodded. “The factory is not doing well, and we cannot afford any more losses.”

“But Guang Ming Subdistrict Office….” The assistant felt uneasy. “Their attitude is a bit….”

“Ignore them!” Song Qingming replied. “We had paid the medical fees and compensated that woman. Just do as I say!”

“Yes. I will contact someone now.”

“Get it up as soon as possible.”

……

Song Qingming returns to his office at his factory.

He took out his phone and called Nan Shan District’s Industry and Commerce Bureau Deputy Chief. “Hello, Brother Yan. I’m Qingming. I need your help.”

Deputy Chief Yan asked. “Is it about the advertisement board?”

“You know about it?! There’s a little problem now.”

“Is it not settled yet? What happened?”

Song Qingming frowned. “It’s Dong Xuebing from Guang Ming Subdistrict. I don’t know when I had offended him, and he is making a fuss out of nothing. This is an accident because of the strong wind today. A woman suffered some minor injuries, and I went there immediately to settle it. I met Dong Xuebing at the accident scene, and he demanded I remove all my advertisement boards in Guang Ming District. He also asked his men to check our factory’s advertisement boards application documents.”

Deputy Chief Yang paused. “How did you offend him?”

“How do I know?” Song Qingming replied. “Today is the first time I met him. How do I know what’s wrong with him? He is purposely finding trouble with me!”

“Dong Xuebing does things differently from others. It’s hard to guess what he is thinking.”

“Brother Yan, what should I do now?”

“I had told you to take note of the application process and documents, but you refuse to listen….”

“I will send someone over to submit the documents now. Is it in time?”

Deputy Chief Yan paused for a while. He doesn’t want to get involved in this matter as he doesn’t want to offend Dong Xuebing.

Song Qingming cleared his throat. “Brother Yan, it’s just resubmitting the application paperwork. I will thank you personally after it is settled.”

A few seconds later, Deputy Chief Yan replied. “Alright. Get someone over now.”

Song Qingming tapped on his desk after he hung up. He needs to keep his advertisement boards up, affecting the factory’s sales. His factory is facing difficulties and is raising funds by getting a bank loan. This is the second time his factory is applying for a loan from the bank, and he has not repaid his previous debt. He thought of many ways and used all his connections, hoping to approve this loan. He could not repay his previous loan if he didn’t get another loan from the bank. If the bank wants to minimize their losses and get back their money, they must give him a second or even a third loan. This is Song Qingming’s plan to get the loan approved. If his advertisement boards do not have all the approvals and have quality issues, his loan might not be approved.

Song Qinghua made another call to ensure his advertisement boards were not taken down. He called Nan Shan District Urban Administrative and Law Enforcement Bureau. “Hello, Team Leader Xia. It’s me.”

“Oh, Xiao Song. I was about to call you. I heard that something happens to your factory’s advertisement board.”

“Yes. That’s why I am calling you for help.”

“What is it? You want to remove it?”

Song Qingming told him what had happened. “I am afraid Dong Xuebing will not let this matter rest and forcefully remove all our advertisement boards in Guang Ming Subdistrict.”

Team Leader Xia asked. “Dong Xuebing?”

“That’s right. Do you think I should contact him privately?” Song Qingming is closer to Team Leader Xia than Deputy Chief Yan, and he doesn’t need to hide anything from him. He is a businessman, and he will avoid offending the authorities if possible. He is asking Team Leader Xia if he should offer Dong Xuebing money to settle it.

Team Leader Xia got the hint and shook his head. “Dong Xuebing will not accept it.”

Song Qingming asked. “What should I do then?”

Team Leader Xia replied. “Xiao Song, you should have heard about what is going on in the district. Dong Xuebing has offended many people and is in a bad situation. From what I know, Guang Ming Subdistrict Office had been ostracized by everyone for more than a month. They don’t have any authority, and the District Government is looking for an opportunity to attack them. So, the person who should be worrying is Dong Xuebing and not you.”

Song Qingming laughed. “I feel better after hearing what you said.”

Team Leader Xia had taken many benefits from Song Qingming. “Let me offer you a suggestion. Secretary Wang is going to be discharged. Although I don’t know why Mayor Geng did not go after Dong Xuebing, you should know about Secretary Wang’s relationship with him. If Dong Xuebing insists on going after you, just drag it out and avoid any conflicts with him. Someone else will deal with him.”

Song Qingming laughed. “This is the best advice I have received.”

“Haha…. Stop your flattery.”

“Team Leader Xia, if the Subdistrict Office wants to take down the advertisement board by force….”

“Don’t worry. I will help you to delay it.”

“Thank you.”

Song Qingming felt much better after knowing Dong Xuebing was worse than him. Team Leader Xia’s advice was too late as he had already clashed with Dong Xuebing earlier at the accident site. He could not take back his words, and he asked his assistant to return to the accident site to put up the advertisement board again. The God of Plagues might be infamous, and he had heard many people talking about him. What can he do without authority? Without authority, he is just a nobody. Song Qingming doesn’t think a lowly Subdistrict Office Director can do anything to him.

Afternoon.

Knock… knock…. Zhou Yanru looks terrible when she enters the office. “Director.”

Dong Xuebing has been waiting for her. “Have you checked the wine factory’s advertisement boards’ application documents?”

Zhou Yanru controlled her anger and replied. “I had talked to the District’s Industry and Commerce Bureau, and they say their Leaders are not working today. They can only check the documents on Monday.”

Dong Xuebing is furious. “How can they ask us to wait until Monday? This is urgent.”

“That’s what I said, but they refused to cooperate and gave lots of excuses. I think we might not even get the documents on Monday.”

The District’s Industry and Commerce Bureau refusal tells Dong Xuebing that Song Qingming knows someone with authority there. He will resubmit the proper documents before next week. It will be harder for Dong Xuebing to remove the advertisement boards.

Dong Xuebing’s face changed. “What about the Urban Enforcement Bureau?”

“Director Wang is contacting them, and….”

Deputy Director Wang Yuling knocked on the door and entered. She is looking terrible. “Director, the Urban Enforcement Bureau refused to send their people. They want us to provide the removal paperwork first before they do anything.”

Dong Xuebing thought Wang Yuling would succeed because she is the District Party Secretary’s relative. But she failed.

Song Qingming had used his connections to go against the Subdistrict!

Also, someone in the District Government is trying to make this matter worse. Needless to say, it must be Wang Anshi’s men!

Just like what everyone thinks. Guang Ming Subdistrict has become a weak kitten without any support from the District Government. Other departments will not cooperate with them, and they have been isolated. There’s nothing they can do about it!

News of this incident spreads. Those staff who are working at the Subdistrict felt demoralized. If they can’t even do anything within their Subdistrict, what’s the point of having a Subdistrict Office?

At the same time, many District government staff heard about this incident and watched Guang Ming Subdistrict closely.

Everyone had ignored Dong Xuebing, but that does not mean he is out of the spotlight. He has been under the spotlight since last month. Many people are interested and watch his every movement. For example, news of Song Qingming going against the Guang Ming Subdistrict Office spread almost immediately. This is the first time someone is going against Dong Xuebing after he had offended all the top District Leaders. It will be humiliating if he cannot take down those advertisement boards.

Some staff is watching by the sidelines.

Some Leaders are trying to make matters worse for Dong Xuebing.

This small incident had placed Dong Xuebing in an awkward position. Forcefully remove the advertisement boards? No departments are willing to cooperate with him! Leave those advertisement boards alone? Dong Xuebing will lose respect and his authority!

Once Dong Xuebing showed his weakness, everyone he offended in the past will be going after him.