Power and WealthChapter 63 – The thing Liu Hua wants badly!
Evening.
Dong Xuebing carried a big bag of cosmetics out of GrandPacific Mall and took a bus to a housing estate in the Western District. DongXuebing knew that if he were to show up unexpectedly empty-handed, it would notlook nice on him. This was why he needs to get some gifts along the way. SinceLiu Hua does not accept cigarettes and alcohol, then he can only give Liu Hua’swife some cosmetics. He hopes he will not be rejected.
The housing estate was not big and have approximately 7 to 8buildings.
This was not the housing assigned to the families of theState Security agency, and there was no need to register before entering theestate. There was only a security guard standing outside, collecting parkingfees.
Dong Xuebing used his hand to tidy his hair and was about toenter the estate. But as he was about to enter, he saw a familiar figure fromthe corner of his eyes. It was Guo Shunjie. He was walking out of the housingestate carrying a bag of apples, and he looks gloomy. Dong Xuebing knew that heshould be here to visit Liu Hua.
Dong Xuebing quickly steps away from the entrance and hidebehind a tree.
Guo Shunjie was in a bad mood. As an old-timer in theGeneral Affairs Office, he knew that Liu Hua does not accept gifts. Liu Hua didnot even take his apples and asked him to leave. Huh? Could it be that Liu Huasaw the envelope with 10,000 RMB under the apples?
Guo Shunjie was pissed, but he got over it after a while. IfLiu Hua did not entertain him, then Liu Hua will also not side with Guo Panwei.This will do it. As long as Liu Hua continues to be the ‘abstention vote’ ofthe committee meetings, then Guo Panwei will not be able to win him. He will bethe next Deputy Chief of the General Affairs Office!
Dong Xuebing walked out from behind the tree as Guo Shunjiedisappeared from a distance. He hesitated for a moment, but still walk into theestate.
Unit 1, level 5.
Dong Xuebing took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell ofunit 501.
Ding Dong, Ding Dong. The door opened, and Liu Hua asked:“Who are you looking for?”
Dong Xuebing was nervous and immediately say: “Chief Liu,you might not know who I am I am Dong Xuebing from the General AffairsDepartment. I had wanted to pay you a visit during the October holidays, butDirector Li’s office caught fire and I was injured and hospitalized.” DongXuebing mentioned his credit for saving the precious documents from Li Qing’soffice. He wanted to see if Liu Hua knows about him.
Liu Hua looked at Dong Xuebing blankly and nodded.
Seeing Liu Hua not saying a word, Dong Xuebing smiledembarrassedly and lifted the shopping bag he was carrying. “This is for aunty.It is not anything costly. Please accept it.” Dong Xuebing opened the shoppingbag to show him. Although from Liu Hua’s age, his wife should be at least 10years older than Dong Xuebing. But Liu Hua was a leader, and it was not wrongto address his wife as aunty.
Liu Hua frowned and replied. “Thanks for the gift, butplease take it back.”
Dong Xuebing was not giving up so easily. “Chief Liu, I......”
“Take it away.” Liu Hua pushed Dong Xuebing’s hands awayimpatiently.
Dong Xuebing sighed in his heart. Seem like it will not bean easy task to pull Liu Hua over to his side. Sighed...... I am too naïve to thinkthat giving some gifts to Liu Hua’s wife will let me get closer to him. It wasnot so simple to get his favors. He did not even let me into his house.
Sighed...... What should I do now?
Dong Xuebing knew that it was impossible for Liu Hua to nothave any desires. Everyone will wish to have something they wanted. If only heknew what Liu Hua wants......
For example, Yang Yizhong wanted status and does not wantothers to know that he did not know a lot of Chinese characters. This was whyDong Xuebing was able to write his speech and let Yang Yizhong have a favorableimpression of him.
For example, Zhou Changchun. He likes to play shares andwants to be respected. When Dong Xuebing helped him to play stocks and gave himrespect after he retires, Dong Xuebing was nominated by him to take over hisposition. Li Qing needs to escape the responsibility of his office fireincident. This was why he had a favorable impression of Dong Xuebing when DongXuebing helped him to retrieve the important documents from the fire. Xu Yanwants to win over her rival. So, when Dong Xuebing helped her win the soccermatch, she trusted him.
But...... What does Liu Hua want?
What should I do to know what he wants badly?
Ring, ring, ring. Liu Hua’s phone, in his pocket, rang.
Liu Hua looked at the caller display and answered: “Hello?Brother-in-law? Oh...... I am at home... Really? Is dad the one who says this or isit mom? Ok...... Which day? Fine... Ok... Yes...” He held his phone with one hand andtook out a small notebook with the other from his pocket. He wrote something inhis notebook and said: “Ok. I have jolted it down. I still have something to donow. Bye.”
Dong Xuebing stared at the notebook in a daze.
People will forget things when they were busy. Many leadershave the habit of taking notes to prevent forgetting their task. Thesenotebooks were essential to them. It was like their personal diary and will typicallynot let others see its contents.
Will Liu Hua records what he really wanted in that notebook?
Possible! If Liu Hua likes to play shares, then he willdefinitely record the share prices and codes in that notebook. If Liu Hua hassomething that is troubling him, it might not be recorded in the notebook. Butfrom the tone and things he recorded, one should be able to guess it. If DongXuebing was able to know what Liu Hua needed, then he will know what to do.
After hanging up the phone, Liu Hua looked at Dong Xuebing.“Is there anything else?”
It was almost impossible for others to look into theirleaders’ privacy.
But for Dong Xuebing, this was not a problem.
Dong Xuebing immediately snatched the notebook from LiuHua’s hand!
Liu Hua was shocked and shouted: “What are you doing?!”
Dong Xuebing ignored him and start to flip that notebook.
“How come the General Affairs Office have such people? Fine!I will remember you!” Liu Hua did not try to take back his notebook and startto make a phone call. “Hello, is this Chief Xu? Is there someone by the name ofDong Xuebing in your department? You should see what he is doing now! Hesnatched my notebook without my permission......”
Dong Xuebing closed the notebook and shouted: “BACK!”
......
The scenes changed!
“Ok. I have jolted it down. I still have something to donow. Bye.”
Liu Hua kept his phone and asked: “Is there anything else?”
Dong Xuebing replied politely: “Sorry to disturb you today.”
After leaving the estate, Dong Xuebing recalled what waswritten in the notebook.
There was nothing important written on the last page. LiuHua only wrote dinner on the 15th at Wangfu Restaurant, needs to buybeansprout and spinach after work. Meeting at 2 pm, etc. Dong Xuebingremembered a critical word on the second last page of the notebook. Lion Head!
15 pages from the last page: These few years I had let TianTian suffered. I must treat her better in the future.
10 pages from the last page: Tian Tian had searched all overBeijing, and no one was willing to sell. She really wanted the Lion Head. 4sixes Lion Head.
8 pages from the last page: Buy Lion Head for Tian Tian.
7 pages from the last page: Buy a Lion Head for next month’swedding anniversary. 46.
5 pages from the last page: There are only 10 days left.Must get a 46 Lion Head!
The second line of the page, 3 pages from the last page:Today I must go there again! I don’t believe that I cannot find it!
The first line of the page, 2 pages from the last: There isno more time. First thing after work. Lion Head!
Tian Tian should be Liu Hua’s wife, and Liu Hua should besearching for a wedding anniversary gift for his wife. But Dong Xuebing wasconfused. Lion Head? What the hell was that? Wasn’t Lion Head a dish’s name? AuntXuan had just cooked this dish a few days ago. It was just minced meat madeinto a meatball and cooked with cabbage. What’s so difficult about making thisLion Head? Dong Xuebing also know how to cook this dish. What’s 46? 4 sixes?Damn! There was no way for a table full of people to finish 46 Lion Head. Also,who will give their partners food on their wedding anniversary?
It should not be that Lion Head dish!
Dong Xuebing was deep in thoughts, thinking what this LionHead means.
Suddenly, Dong Xuebing stopped in the middle of the pavementand slapped his forehead!
Dong Xuebing ah, Dong Xuebing...... you had worked part-time atthe antique market for so many years! Are you dumb? You don’t even know what aLion Head is?
Dong Xuebing finally figure out what Liu Hua wanted!
Beijing people like to collect walnuts, and Lion Head wasthe most expensive category of walnut. The 4 sixes written in the notebook didnot mean forty-six or 6666. It was a jargon in the walnut collectors’community. It stands for 4.6 cm in length.
This means that Liu Hua wanted to find a pair of 4.6 cm LionHead walnuts as a gift to his wife on his wedding anniversary!
Dong Xuebing should be happy to figure this out. But he wasfrowning and troubled.
Lion Head was the top tier collector’s item in the Walnutcollection. It was in the same category as the Tiger Head and Scholar Hat, butit was more valuable. A pair of 40mm Lion Head was already scarce. 44mm and45mm Lion Head were even harder to find, and it cost more than 10,000 RMB for apair!
Liu Hua wanted 46mm Lion Head?!
46 and 45 were entirely different. You might not even findone 46 mm walnut in two walnut trees, let alone a pair. It was too difficult!
Even if someone owns a pair of this 46 Lion Head, they willalso not sell it!
Damn! Where can I find a pair of 46mm Lion Head?
Translator’snotes: Didn’t know that walnuts can fetch such high prices in China.
Tips ongift-giving in China.
Tripadvisorreview on Beijing’s Grand Pacific Mall
Lion Head(Food)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion%27s_Head_(food)
Somearticles on Walnut collecting
BeijingAntique Market
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beijing_Antique_Market
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