Chapter 45: Work Arrangements

March 1, 2012. Early morning. The capital.

The first light of dawn broke with a pale blue tinge, and the early spring air carried a crisp, biting freshness.

The building that symbolized the nation's economic lifeline stood quietly in the morning mist.

At precisely nine o'clock, not a second off, a figure appeared outside the door of the Personnel Division of the National Development and Reform Commission.

Li Yifei wore a dark suit, the collar of his white shirt neatly pressed.

After a brief pause, Li Yifei raised his hand and rapped his knuckles against the heavy wooden door: "Knock, knock, knock." The sound was clear and restrained.

"Please come in," a gentle yet crisp female voice echoed from within.

Li Yifei pushed the door open and stepped inside. The personnel office was spacious and bright, with rows of neatly arranged filing cabinets. The air was thick with the scent of paper and printer ink.

Behind a desk, a middle-aged woman in administrative attire with a sharp, astute demeanor looked up. Tao Yi, forty-two years old, Director of the Personnel Division.

Li Yifei had done his homework before coming: Director Tao had worked in the Commission for over seven years, possessed deep-rooted connections, and her husband served as the Executive Vice Governor of a major economic province.

Wearing a carefully measured expression of respect, Li Yifei nodded slightly. "Hello, Director Tao. I am Li Yifei, here to report for duty today. This is my reporting notice." With that, he handed over the document stamped with a vibrant red seal.

Tao Yi took the notice, her gaze inevitably lingering on Li Yifei for a fraction of a second longer.

The young man before her stood tall and straight, his demeanor exuding both scholarly grace and a restrained, resolute toughness.

A fleeting question crossed her mind: Is this the young man for whom several powerful ministries fought tooth and nail? His appearance was certainly striking, but in this ultimate melting pot, true gold must be tested by fire.

Maintaining a poker face, she quickly verified the notice and put on a professional smile. "Hello, Comrade Yifei! Welcome to our ranks.

From now on, we are colleagues fighting side by side. If you need any help with work or life, feel free to come to me anytime."

"Thank you, Director Tao! From now on, I will be working under the guidance of you and the leaders.

Being new here, I'm unfamiliar with many things. If there's anything I don't handle well, please do not hesitate to criticize and correct me." Li Yifei responded with a smile, maintaining a humble posture.

His observant eyes had caught a subtle shift in Tao Yi's expression the moment he walked in—her seemingly enthusiastic smile had been accompanied by a swift, brief scanning of his person as she took the notice, her eyes flickering imperceptibly;

Tao Yi's fingers, resting on the edge of the desk, had also tapped unconsciously after he finished speaking.

These tiny gestures, like undercurrents beneath a calm surface, silently conveyed the director's inner appraisal.

People who had soaked in the corridors of power for years often used speech as a mask. For such individuals, Li Yifei knew he must listen to their words while closely watching their actions.

Tao Yi handled matters with great efficiency. She picked up the internal telephone and gave a few instructions; shortly after, a staff member entered to guide Li Yifei through the specific procedures: filling out forms, collecting his work pass, cafeteria card, keys, and two sets of brand-new uniforms.

The suit he wore seemed a bit conspicuous here, and the staff member reminded him that he could change into the uniform later.

Once the paperwork was completed, Tao Yi stood up. "Let's go, Comrade Yifei. I'll take you to the Department of Comprehensive Affairs. Director Zhang is waiting."

Walking down the long, thickly carpeted corridor, the doors to the offices on both sides were mostly closed, though occasionally someone hurried past carrying a thick stack of documents.

The air here was permeated with an atmosphere of tension and urgency. This was one of the source points of national policy, where every decision carried the weight of mountains.

Li Yifei silently followed behind Tao Yi, absorbing the solemnity and haste of the surroundings.

They arrived before a door bearing the nameplate "Director's Office of the Department of Comprehensive Affairs." Tao Yi raised her hand and knocked: "Knock, knock, knock." The sound remained clear and restrained.

"Come in!" A booming, resonant, and authoritative male voice rang out.

Tao Yi pushed the door open, wearing a warm smile. "Director Zhang, sorry to disturb you. This is the new comrade, Li Yifei, who is officially reporting for duty today. I've brought him to you.

Just let the Personnel Division know if there's anything else you need us to coordinate." Her pace was moderate, striking the right balance of respect.

"Alright, thank you for your hard work, Director Tao," Zhang Aigao, the Director of the Department of Comprehensive Affairs, said, looking up from behind his desk. He was around forty-eight or forty-nine years old, with hair neatly combed without a single strand out of place, a square face, and a gaze that was steady yet brimming with competence.

His gaze swept past Tao Yi and landed on Li Yifei, carrying a mixture of scrutiny and a trace of imperceptible curiosity. Was this him? The "triple-degree PhD" and storm-stirring "hot commodity"? In person, he looked even more energetic than in his photograph.

Thoughts spun rapidly through Zhang Aigao's mind, but his expression remained impassive.

No matter how high one's academic credentials, in this place, ultimate reliance was placed on solid, tangible capability. He hoped Li Yifei could translate this impressive diploma into equally solid professional skills.

"Director Zhang, I'll head back first then," Tao Yi said tactfully, pulling the door shut gently behind her.

Now, only the two of them remained in the spacious, simply yet solemnly furnished office.

One wall was lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves crammed with heavy policy compilations, yearbooks, and professional volumes;

The wide desk was piled high with documents, neatly sorted and categorized, bearing testimony to the heavy workload.

Skipping excessive pleasantries, Zhang Aigao gestured to the chair opposite him. "Sit down, Comrade Yifei."

Li Yifei sat down as instructed, his back straight, hands resting flat on his knees, his gaze calm as he looked at Zhang Aigao.

"Starting today, you are my assistant," Zhang Aigao said, cutting straight to the point. "The nature of our department's work is quite unique, and the Policy Research Office is the core of the core.

Many of the documents you handle and information you access relate to the national economy and people's livelihood, involving the bigger picture."

He paused, his gaze sharpening. "Confidentiality discipline is the first sword hanging over our heads, and a high-voltage wire! At any time and in any place, you must keep this string taut! You must engrave this into your mind."

"Understood, Director Zhang! I will strictly adhere to all confidentiality regulations and disciplinary requirements," Li Yifei answered decisively, his eyes unwavering.

"Good." Zhang Aigao nodded slightly, relatively satisfied with his attitude. "As for your specific work, Division Chief Wang Heng will show you the ropes. He is in the outer office." He pressed a button on the internal phone. "Wang Heng, come in for a moment."

Shortly after, a middle-aged man of medium height, wearing black-framed glasses and a very serious expression, knocked and entered. "Director, did you call for me?"

His name was Wang Heng, a division chief in the Policy Research Office of the Department of Comprehensive Affairs. Having worked here for over a decade, he was a capable right-hand man assisting Zhang Aigao with daily affairs and project reviews. He was forty years old.

"This is the new comrade, Li Yifei, my assistant. Take him to get familiar with the environment, arrange his workspace, and give him the basic workflow and recent materials he needs to understand.

Tasks have been heavy lately, and everyone is very busy. Arrange for him to get up to speed as soon as possible." Having given concise instructions, Zhang Aigao lowered his head and plunged back into the pile of documents before him.

"Understood, Director," Wang Heng acknowledged, turning to Li Yifei. Without much expression, his tone was strictly businesslike. "Comrade Li Yifei, follow me."

Li Yifei stood up, bowed slightly toward Zhang Aigao once more, and followed Wang Heng out of the director's office.

Outside was a spacious open-plan work area where sunlight poured in through large windows.

Seven or eight desks were neatly arranged. Everyone was buried in documents or staring at computer screens, with only the clicking of keyboards and the rustling of paper breaking the slightly oppressive atmosphere.

Wang Heng walked straight to an empty desk near the window and pointed at it. "This will be your desk from now on. Go ahead and settle your personal items."

Li Yifei walked over. The desk was clean, equipped with a computer, telephone, document rack, and basic stationery. He put down the uniform he had just collected along with his few personal belongings.

Standing nearby, Wang Heng swept his gaze across the office. "Our research office currently has eight people, plus you, myself, and the director." His tone was steady as he introduced them one by one:

"Near the door is Sister Liu (Liu Xiaoyun), responsible for document dispatch and circulation; she's the 'general manager' of our office."

"Next to her is Xiao Zhao (Zhao Yang), mainly handling information briefs and some meeting minutes."

"Opposite him are Xiao Sun (Sun Wei) and Xiao Li (Li Zhe), focusing on regional policies and planning."

"By the window in the back is Xiao Chen (Chen Fang), responsible for macroeconomic monitoring and analysis."

"Next to her is Xiao Zhou (Zhou Min), assisting me with auxiliary work on project reviews."

"And Xiao Wang (Wang Hai), who is out today; he mainly tracks investment policies."

As they were introduced, the colleagues named all looked up, casting looks of curiosity, friendliness, or routine professional courtesy toward Li Yifei, nodding in acknowledgment. "Hello!" "Welcome!"

Li Yifei responded to each with a smile: "Hello, Sister Liu!" "Hello, Comrade Zhao Yang!"... His demeanor was modest and proper.

Having finished the introductions, Wang Heng pushed up his glasses and said to Li Yifei, "Get settled and familiarized with the environment first.

A moment later, I'll have Xiao Zhou bring over the office's basic rules and regulations, materials on recent priority tasks, and a few important policy compilations for you.

Tasks are piling up and everyone is spinning around in a rush; make sure you thoroughly digest these materials and get into the groove as quickly as possible.

If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me or consult the other colleagues."

His words carried the steady composure typical of a veteran bureaucrat, along with a trace of scrutiny and a "let's wait and see" reserved attitude toward a newcomer.

"Understood, thank you, Division Chief Wang! I will familiarize myself with everything as soon as possible," Li Yifei replied with a sincere tone and nod.

Without saying more, Wang Heng turned and walked back to his desk further inside.

Li Yifei pulled out his chair and sat down, casting his gaze around the place where his new journey was about to begin.

Outside the window lay the slightly hazy early spring sky of the capital and the silhouettes of distant high-rise buildings.

Inside the window were stacked documents, focused colleagues, and the low humming of keyboards.

The air was thick with an invisible sense of pressure and responsibility.

He smoothed out his brand-new uniform and hung it in the small cabinet beside his desk. Then, he turned on the computer and waited for it to boot up.

Li Yifei's gaze fell upon the empty document rack, and he thought silently to himself that soon, it would be filled with various files marked "Confidential," "Internal," and "Urgent."

That grand ideal written on paper would begin right from this ordinary desk, blending into endless meetings and the consideration of every microscopic decision.

The road ahead was long, but the first step had already been taken.

Li Yifei took a deep breath, quietly waiting for the "welcome gift" that was about to arrive.