Chapter 495: Deng Yunsong, Promoted to Top Position!

Chapter 495: Deng Yunsong, Promoted to Top Position!

On the road from Yongkang to Lishui in Zhejiang, a small car was driving steadily.

The driver was a man in his thirties named Yu Hongchang. Two years ago, he was chosen by the newly appointed mayor of Yongkang (a county-level city) to become his dedicated driver.

In later times, only leaders at the provincial level and above were eligible to have a dedicated car and driver. Leaders below the provincial level did not have this privilege.

Of course, where there's a policy, there's a countermeasure. Such things are not difficult for the elites within the system, but the specifics won't be elaborated here; those who understand will know.

However, it was the 1990s, and the state had not yet imposed restrictions on dedicated cars and drivers for leaders. Not to mention leaders above the provincial level, even many township and county-level leaders had their own dedicated cars and drivers.

Therefore, the mayor of Yongkang, a county-level city, naturally had the right to have his own dedicated car and driver.

Yu Hongchang was naturally very pleased to become the mayor's driver. According to the usual hierarchy, he, the mayor's driver, was second only to the secretary's driver in the driver's team, making him the indisputable second-in-command.

However, while the hierarchy was like this, his leader was a newly appointed official with no roots in the area, and it would be difficult to establish his authority in the short term.

His position as a dedicated driver was closely tied to his leader's status. If the leader was powerful, he would be powerful too. If the leader couldn't establish his authority, his life as a dedicated driver would probably not be easy.

He might even be targeted by other leaders' drivers.

Originally, Yu Hongchang had prepared himself to be humble and yielding.

But what he never expected was that the leader who chose him was not only a big shot but also a high-achieving graduate from Tsinghua University, with very strong work capabilities. After taking office, he quickly established his authority and firmly secured his position as mayor.

From that moment on, Yu Hongchang was completely devoted to this capable leader, and over the past two years, he had been loyal to the leader.

After all, secretaries and drivers are the leaders' confidants. To remain in the leader's favor for the long term, he had to be absolutely loyal, and Yu Hongchang understood this.

His efforts were not in vain. The leader had noticed his performance and slowly gained trust, making him one of the leader's confidants.

At this moment, Yu Hongchang was in a very good mood because his leader had officially become the top official in Yongkang, and he, the dedicated driver, had also risen in status, becoming the undisputed number one in the driver's team.

The feeling of being carried along by a powerful leader was something Yu Hongchang truly enjoyed.

Soon, the car arrived at its destination, which was the residential building of the city's finance bureau. The leader's home was also here, and it was only after gaining the leader's trust that Yu Hongchang learned that the leader's wife was the director of the city's finance bureau, a position equivalent to the leader's.

When he heard this news, Yu Hongchang was deeply impressed and became even more devoted to the leader.

After arriving, Yu Hongchang parked the car and quickly got out to open the car door for the leader.

Deng Yunsong got out of the car and instructed, "Little Yu, come pick me up at seven o'clock tomorrow morning."

Yu Hongchang respectfully replied, "Yes, leader."

After watching the leader go upstairs, Yu Hongchang happily drove off to find a place to eat. As the leader's dedicated driver, he had many hidden benefits, such as being able to go out and eat anywhere, get the receipt, and have it reimbursed.

If Yu Hongchang were greedy, he could make quite a bit of money just from getting receipts reimbursed.

Of course, Yu Hongchang would never take such small advantages. If the leader found out, it would undoubtedly ruin his future.

Even if it angered the leader, he could end up in prison, and that would be the end of it.

When Deng Yunsong arrived home, the meal was already prepared, and his wife, child, and niece's daughter were waiting for him to eat.

The meal was prepared by Deng Ermei, his niece's daughter. He had already experienced his wife's cooking skills when she worked in the Ministry of Finance in Beijing, and for the sake of their health, Deng Yunsong never let his wife cook again.

Just as they were about to start eating, Deng Yunsong smiled and said to his wife, "Want to drink a little?"

Pei Qinghua, who knew her husband well, her eyes lit up and asked, "Promoted?"

Deng Yunsong smiled and nodded, "Yes, it was confirmed today!"

Pei Qinghua was delighted, "That's great! Yongkang is a county-level city, and the top position is a high-level deputy department. Now that you've been promoted, it's like you've put one foot into the department-level category. The next step to become a deputy department will just be a matter of time."

Hearing this, Deng Ermei finally understood what had happened and also joined in the celebration, "Congratulations, Uncle! What kind of wine do you want? I'll go get it."

Deng Yunsong smiled, "Just get the glutinous rice wine we brought from home. It's more comfortable to drink."

Deng Ermei responded and happily went to get the wine.

Pei Qinghua couldn't help but ask, "Husband, have you called your father yet?"

Deng Yunsong replied, "Not yet!"

Pei Qinghua was even more delighted, "After dinner, I'll call your father and tell him this good news, and also call my parents."

"Daddy got a promotion!"

Hearing this, Deng Changding, who was just over three years old, also cheered, even though he didn't understand what a promotion meant, he could tell that his parents were happy.

Pei Qinghua smiled and said, "Lele, you should learn from your father and become a big official when you grow up."

Deng Changding, with his innocent face, asked, "Mom, what is a big official?"

Pei Qinghua explained, "It means being very powerful, just like your grandfather."

Deng Changding's eyes lit up, "Then I want to be a big official when I grow up."

At this moment, Deng Ermei had already brought the wine over and said with a smile, "Uncle Ding, if you want to be a big official, you have to study hard. If you don't study hard, you won't be able to become a big official."

Deng Changding blinked his eyes and said, "Then I will definitely study hard."

Deng Yunsong and Pei Qinghua exchanged glances and saw the joy in each other's eyes.

Both of them were graduates of prestigious universities, so their intelligence was undoubtedly superior to most people. Their son, combining the best traits of both parents, was theoretically destined to be an outstanding individual. As long as he studied hard, his future was promising.

With their spirits high, the couple enjoyed a few cups of wine, and even Deng Ermei joined in with a little.

After they were full and satisfied, Pei Qinghua started making calls to their elders.

First, she called her father-in-law.

"Hello, is this Qinghua?"

The phone was answered by her father-in-law's voice.

Pei Qinghua smiled and said, "Dad, it's me. Have you eaten yet?"

Deng Shirong replied, "Yes, have you all eaten?"

Pei Qinghua said, "We just finished eating. How is your health recently?"

Deng Shirong said, "I'm doing well..."

After a bit of small talk, Pei Qinghua said joyfully, "Dad, I have some good news to tell you."

Deng Shirong asked, "What good news?"

Pei Qinghua glanced at her husband sitting beside her and said with a smile, "Yunsong has been promoted. He is now the top official in Yongkang!"

Deng Shirong was delighted and said, "That's wonderful, this is indeed good news."

Pei Qinghua said, "Dad, Yunsong is right here. I'll let him talk to you."

Deng Shirong said, "Good, give him the phone."

Deng Yunsong took the phone and greeted, "Dad."

Deng Shirong said happily, "Xiao Song, you and your brother are both doing a great job. At your current level, I don't have much more to teach you. Your brother is ahead of you, so if you have any questions, talk to him more often. Your father-in-law has decades of experience in politics, so take the time to learn from him. It will definitely be beneficial for you."

Deng Yunsong said, "Dad, I understand. If there's anything I'm unsure about, I'll consult with my brother or my father-in-law."

"Good, as long as you know what to do."

Deng Shirong then changed the topic, "I also have something to tell you. Your sister Huahua, Shouge, your second sister, and Xiaohua, their internet cafes have all opened. They say business is very good, and the scale of the internet cafes has expanded several times over. Each one now has more than 200 computers, and they make tens of thousands of yuan in cash every day!"

Deng Yunsong exclaimed, "Dad, your business acumen is truly amazing. How are Fuge, Luge, and Lianjie's fast-food restaurants doing?"

Deng Shirong said, "Fuge's fast-food restaurants have also opened several branches. The business is very popular, and it's a sustainable industry. As long as they follow the plan we set, they will definitely grow and succeed."

Deng Yunsong said, "With your guidance, Fuge and the others will definitely succeed."

The father and son chatted for a while longer, and Deng Shirong also talked to his grandson before hanging up the phone.

Pei Qinghua then called her own parents to share the good news.

Although the top official and the second-in-command are of the same administrative level, the difference between them is significant. The top official is the true leader of the region.

Deng Yunsong's promotion naturally caused a stir among his relatives and friends.

After all, Deng Yunsong is only 28 years old. At this age, serving as the top official in a county-level city, while not as impressive as his brother Deng Yunxun, is still a remarkable achievement compared to his peers.

If everything goes smoothly, he might be able to be promoted to deputy department level before the age of 30, at which point he would be considered a rising star in politics.

...

Midday.

Guangzhou.

At the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, a Santana sedan parked in the parking lot.

Sitting in the driver's seat and the front passenger seat were two middle-aged men with a formidable presence. They were the best of the security team at Wuyue Plaza, sent by Deng Shirong to protect his youngest daughter, Deng Yunzhu.

At this moment, Deng Yunzhu was sitting in the back seat of the car, chatting on the phone with her sister-in-law.

Ever since Deng Yunzhu got a mobile phone, she often called her sister-in-law, her older sister, and others, sometimes for over half an hour, and sometimes even more than an hour when she was having a good chat. In modern terms, she was "talking on the phone for hours."

To be honest, while many people had mobile phones at this time, not many were as carefree as Deng Yunzhu, who didn't mind the phone bills.

In this era, phone bills were much more expensive than in the future.

Worse still, mobile phone calls were charged both ways, meaning that both the caller and the receiver had to pay.

A single long phone call from Deng Yunzhu could cost dozens or even hundreds of yuan, which very few people could afford!

Only when both parties didn't care about the phone bills could they have such long conversations. Otherwise, even if you didn't mind the cost, the person on the other end might end the call quickly to avoid the expense, and wouldn't chat aimlessly with you.

Therefore, people in this era would basically only call when they had something to say, and would hang up quickly if there was nothing to discuss. They would even watch the call duration and try to end the call at the 59-second mark to avoid an extra minute's charge.

Because phone calls were charged by the minute, one second was one minute, and 59 seconds was also one minute. Chatting for just over 50 seconds was the most cost-effective.

This kind of frugal calling habit was only understood by those who had experienced it. The younger generations, like the 90s, 00s, and 10s, wouldn't understand because by the time they started using phones, the rates had already dropped, and the double-charging policy had been abolished.

Moreover, QQ was the mainstream communication method back then, and later on, it was WeChat. With the availability of voice and video calls, fewer people made phone calls unless necessary.

While Deng Yunzhu was chatting with her sister-in-law, she saw her younger brother come out of work. She smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, Xiao Heng is out, I'll go have dinner with him first. I'll call you when I have time."

Zhang Xiuping smiled and said, "Okay, I might have to go to Guangzhou in a few days. I'll contact you then."

Deng Yunzhu said, "Sister-in-law, call me when you come."

Zhang Xiuping said, "Sure, I'll contact you then. Let's hang up now."

Deng Yunzhu said, "Okay, see you, Sister-in-law!"

Zhang Xiuping said, "See you!"

When Deng Yunzhu saw Deng Yunheng, the two security personnel in the car had already noticed him.

The security personnel in the passenger seat immediately opened the door and waved to Deng Yunheng, saying, "Young Master Heng, over here."

Deng Yunheng walked over and greeted, "Brother Tao."

Deng Yunheng naturally knew the security personnel assigned to protect his second sister.

At that moment, Deng Yunzhu also opened the car door and called out, "Xiao Heng, get in the car quickly."

"Second Sister."

Deng Yunheng greeted and got into the car.

...

Ten minutes later.

The sister and brother arrived at a restaurant.

While waiting for the food to be served, Deng Yunzhu asked about her younger brother's life and internship situation.

After chatting for a while, Deng Yunzhu smiled and asked, "Xiao Heng, the other day you brought your university classmate and her sister to the internet cafe. I thought your classmate's sister was quite beautiful. Do you have feelings for her?"

Deng Yunheng, who had already made it clear that he was pursuing Feng Yingying, did not deny it when his second sister asked. He nodded and said, "Yes, I do have feelings for her. What do you think of her, Second Sister?"

Deng Yunzhu's eyes lit up. She had only guessed, but she didn't expect her younger brother to admit it. She recalled the beautiful girl she had seen that night and said, "Judging from her appearance, you don't quite match her yet! I don't know much about her background, so tell me more, and I'll give you my thoughts."

Deng Yunheng said, "She is a graduate of Xi'an Jiaotong University, a local from Guangzhou, and currently works at her family's company. She also has an older brother. My classmate told me that her cousin has a good personality. That's all I know for now."

Deng Yunzhu asked, "Is Xi'an Jiaotong University a key university?"

Deng Yunheng nodded and said, "Yes, it is a key university."

Deng Yunzhu said happily, "Xiao Heng, you have good taste. Her family runs a company, so their economic conditions must be good. She is also a beautiful, high-achieving graduate from a key university. She is more than a match for you."

Deng Yunheng smiled and said, "I think she is great too. Apart from not being as handsome, I'm not bad in other aspects! Have I expressed my feelings to her yet?"

Deng Yunzhu laughed and said, "No, you haven't. You are the first in our family to pursue a master's degree, so you are a match for her. Have you expressed your feelings to her?"

Deng Yunheng said, "I sort of have."

Deng Yunzhu frowned and asked, "What do you mean by 'sort of'?"

Deng Yunheng explained, "I haven't directly told her my feelings, but I told her cousin that I like her and asked her cousin to help us get together. So, she definitely knows my feelings now."

Deng Yunzhu understood and asked, "Has she agreed to be with you?"

Deng Yunheng said, "We haven't discussed that yet. But her cousin told me that she is willing to try dating for a while. If I can make her fall in love, she will agree to be with me. If not, there's nothing more to say."

Deng Yunzhu pondered and said, "Does she know about our family background?"

Deng Yunheng said, "I have told her cousin about our family's economic conditions, but I haven't mentioned my second and third brothers' identities."

Deng Yunzhu thought for a moment and said, "It seems this girl has high standards, but that's understandable given her excellent background. If you want to win her heart, you'll need to put in some effort."

Deng Yunheng asked, "Second Sister, do you have any good advice?"

Deng Yunzhu thought for a moment and said, "Since she is willing to try dating for a while, it shows that she doesn't want to miss out on a good match. To make her fall in love, you should stay in touch with her and often invite her out. Love at first sight is rare; most relationships develop over time. You'll figure out how to handle it. I believe in your intelligence and ability to seize opportunities."

Deng Yunheng rubbed his chin and said, "Okay, I'll think about it."

Deng Yunzhu smiled and said, "When you have time, bring her to my hotpot restaurant for dinner. I'll chat with her and try to speak well of you."

Deng Yunheng nodded and smiled, "Sure, I'll bring her when I have time."

"Call me in advance when you do."

"I will."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end