"Xiaoling, to be honest, if you were a man this time, your chances of becoming the Director of the Ming City State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission would be really slim. The reason is simple: the head position at the Ming City State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission is a lucrative post, and too many people have their eyes on it. However, now that you are a woman, your chances have become one hundred percent."
Chen Feng said with a calm expression.
"Why a hundred percent? As far as I know, the Chinese political arena has always been unfriendly to women..."
Li Hongling was stunned.
"Chinese society, just like foreign countries, is a patriarchal society. In a patriarchal society, especially in the political arena, it is indeed very unfriendly to women. However, China today is not the China of the past. Although Chinese society still discriminates against women and is not very friendly to them, society is becoming more civilized. Even bad things are done more civilly than before. Just like discrimination, it existed in the past and still exists. But it's not as blatant as it was before. Now, the discrimination and unfriendliness towards women in the Chinese political arena are all done in a veiled manner..."
Chen Feng patiently explained.
"Brother Feng, I still don't quite understand."
Li Hongling replied with a bewildered look.
"It's normal that you don't understand, you haven't been in the political arena. Let me explain, put simply, it's that the current Chinese political arena, in order to let people outside the Chinese political arena, or people in the Western political arena, know that the Chinese political arena does not discriminate against women, they deliberately let some leadership positions in the Chinese political arena be held by women. The reason for doing this is not because they truly don't discriminate against women, but mainly to put on a show. If women want to occupy half of the leadership positions in the political arena, that is absolutely impossible. In the final analysis, this society is still a patriarchal society. Since it is a patriarchal society, the Chinese political arena cannot give power to women. Do you understand this explanation?"
Chen Feng said with a faint smile.
"Brother Feng, I think I understand. You mean that I am becoming the Director of the Ming City State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission not because I am so capable, but because there are too few female leaders at the level of the Chinese political arena, so they put me in this position to show people outside the Chinese political arena, or people in the Western political arena, that the Chinese political arena does not discriminate against women, and some leadership positions are held by women. Brother Feng, I suddenly thought of a question: Is it also because of this principle that a small number of political big shots in the Chinese political arena are not party members? It's not that non-party members are so powerful, but rather that the Chinese political arena is putting on a show for others. The Chinese political arena is not a fascist dictatorship, not a situation where one group controls everything, and non-party members can also become political big shots. Of course, whether it's women or non-party members, they can become political staff, but they absolutely cannot enter the core layer of the Chinese political arena, and their numbers will definitely not be the majority!"
Li Hongling said thoughtfully.
"You got it right, one hundred points."
Chen Feng said with a smile.
He was very happy in his heart. From Li Hongling's answer, he could see that Li Hongling had some talent for the political arena.
"Then when do I start my duties?"
Li Hongling asked tentatively.
"Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? So soon?"
Li Hongling was stunned.
This was different from what she had imagined.
In her imagination, political positions were truly hard to come by.
Every time there was a civil service examination, tens of thousands of people competed for one position, which was even more difficult than the Gaokao in China.
This time, such a powerful civil service position as the head of the Ming City State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission was obtained in less than a day?
It was too fast?
She had heard people say that even a small section chief was something that most people in China might not be able to obtain in a lifetime.
"Xiaoling, you are now a part of the Chinese political arena. You should be familiar with the hidden rules of the Chinese political arena. For example, why the position of the head of the Ming City State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, which you mentioned, could be decided so quickly. It's not that the position of the head of the Ming City State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission is so bad or that no one wants to take it, so they rushed to let you take it. In fact, the position of the head of the Ming City State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission is very sought after. Because this position involves astronomical amounts of money. Since it involves astronomical amounts of money, who wouldn't be envious? Generally speaking, the more sought-after a position in the Chinese political arena is, the harder it is to obtain it quickly. It requires passing through several rounds of competition for political connections. Whoever has greater connections gets it. This time, for the position of the head of the Ming City State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, I directly fought for it from the provincial level. Once the provincial level agreed, you naturally became the head of the Ming City State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission very quickly."
Chen Feng patiently explained.
"Brother Feng, with your explanation, I understand. It means that your connections in the provincial capital are strong, and others have to step aside. By the way, after I become the head of the Ming City State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, what should I do first?"
Li Hongling asked seriously.
"Attend a banquet."
Chen Feng replied directly without any prevarication.
"What? Attend a banquet? Brother Feng, isn't this too much? You haven't even officially started as the head of the Ming City State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, and you're already starting to enjoy yourself? Isn't this a bit too fast to degenerate?"
Li Hongling was stunned.
"Xiaoling, you've misunderstood. The main purpose of letting you attend the banquet is not for you to eat, drink, and have fun. It's mainly so that you can get to know some of the important political figures in Ming City through social networking at the banquet. If you are not familiar with the political figures in Ming City, it will be difficult to complete your tasks at the Ming City State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission in the future."
Chen Feng explained.
"Brother Feng, I'm sorry. This is my first time entering the political arena, so I don't understand many things."
Li Hongling gave an embarrassed smile.
"It's very normal. No one is born to be able to thrive in the political arena. There's always a time when one is inexperienced. Just learn more, and you'll become proficient."
Chen Feng comforted Li Hongling.
After a period of comfort, Chen Feng and Li Hongling had a good time.
When women are nervous, the best way to relieve their tension is to have a good time with them.
After the enjoyable time, the woman's tension completely disappeared.
In the evening, Chen Feng personally took Li Hongling to a banquet in Ming City.
The name of the banquet was the Ming City Political System Mid-Autumn Tea Party.
The slogan said "tea party," but in reality, it was a banquet, an expensive banquet.
A dish cost thousands of yuan.
Of course, the price wouldn't be written on the plate, only a few hundred yuan.
Li Hongling glanced around the banquet and had only one feeling.
Being a civil servant was much more enjoyable than being a businessman.
Power was undeniably greater than that of businessmen.
And the money wasn't any less than that of businessmen.
Not to mention anything else, just looking at the banquet at hand, a dish costing thousands of yuan, which businessman would be willing to spend it?
"Brother Feng, this table of dishes alone must cost at least fifty thousand yuan. Who will pay for it? Later."
Li Hongling quietly asked Chen Feng.
"Since it's the Ming City Political System Mid-Autumn Tea Party, of course it's funded by the Ming City treasury. What's wrong?"
"Brother Feng, what I'm thinking is that with so many people, if they eat a meal costing thousands or tens of thousands, it's understandable and easy to reimburse. But right now, a table of dishes alone costs over fifty thousand, and with so many tables, the total comes to over a million. If they spend a million just on food, how can these expenses be reimbursed? If we submit the reimbursement request, won't the higher-ups severely reprimand us?"
Li Hongling asked with a look of confusion.
"Xiaoling, don't worry, what you're worried about will absolutely not happen."
Chen Feng explained with a smile.
"Why won't it happen?"
"Because the standard for banquets at higher levels is even higher than ours. For our over one million, theirs might be five million. As long as the name on the reimbursement request is written more impressively, for example, this banquet can be described on the reimbursement form as a special gathering to encourage and reward the hard work of colleagues in the Ming City political system throughout the year. With such a description, the higher-ups will also find it difficult to say much. Also, there is such an unwritten rule in the Chinese political arena: it is very difficult to handle so much expense for one person. But it is very easy to handle it for a group of people, as the law does not punish the masses."
Chen Feng patiently explained.
"Brother Feng, what should I do next? Should I go to each table to toast?"
Li Hongling asked tentatively.
"According to the wine table culture of the political arena, that's how it's done. However, it's best that I take you to toast."
"Why? Are you afraid they will get me drunk? Brother Feng."
Li Hongling asked with confusion.