William Bolton nodded to himself. This David Thompson was no ordinary person. Although he was almost 40 years old now, he still seemed to have room for advancement. Just from the way he handled people and situations, it was clear he was already well-versed in the art of being an official. Young cadres were a sensitive topic these days—if not handled properly, mistakes could easily be made.

“Principal Thompson, you’re too polite! I came today to report to you the reason for my absence, and at the same time, I’d like to make up for it by joining a class to strengthen my studies. What do you think...?” William Bolton said.

“Join a class?” David Thompson was taken aback. He clearly hadn’t expected William Bolton to make such a request and didn’t know how to respond for a moment.

Chapter 0002 Transfer Student

William Bolton smiled sincerely and said, “Originally, this session has already started, so joining midway is a bit unreasonable. But considering that my own work abilities are still somewhat lacking, I feel it’s necessary to strengthen my studies. Also, this is already the last youth cadre training class of the year. The purpose of organizing these classes is to improve the quality of young cadres. There’s also a mandate from above requiring all young cadres in the county to participate in training. I can’t let myself be the black sheep and embarrass the leadership because of personal reasons, right? Principal Thompson, what do you think...”

David Thompson’s eyes lit up. He looked at William Bolton seriously, thinking, “This kid is pretty good! How come I’ve never heard of him before? He’s quite politically mature!”

William Bolton’s words had really hit the mark for him. Achieving a 100% youth cadre training rate was also an honor. When higher-ups came to inspect, it would be a highlight, and it would make him look good as well.

“All right! Little William, the organization welcomes comrades who are eager to improve. I personally have no objections to your request. Since that’s the case, I hope you can study hard in the youth cadre class, earnestly grasp the spirit of the higher authorities, and apply what you learn in your future work, living up to the organization’s training.” David Thompson laughed heartily, his encouragement evident.

William Bolton chuckled inwardly. The matter was finally settled. Since he had nothing else to do at the moment, joining the youth cadre class to expand his network would be quite helpful.

Most of those who, like William Bolton, managed to catch the last session of the youth cadre training class were newly recruited civil servants, most of whom had only passed the exam last year. William Bolton even noticed some brand-new recruits. He could only smile wryly at this—these people must have strong connections behind them; otherwise, there’s no way they’d get such an opportunity so quickly.

In fact, William Bolton had once complained about not having any background himself, but now he didn’t see it that way. Having no background meant he was clean. Getting branded as belonging to a certain faction too early might not be a good thing.

As for the so-called children of high-ranking officials in Yongping County, most of their parents were only deputy division or even deputy section level. Although they seemed to have an advantage early on, who could say for sure how things would turn out in officialdom? If you picked the wrong side, ten or even eight years of hard work could be for nothing.

Compared to his classmates, William Bolton was clearly much more mature. Politically, these people were still inexperienced; some even still had a scholarly air about them. So, William Bolton found it easy to get along with them and quickly integrated into the group, earning a decent reputation.

Of course, there were also a few who looked down on William Bolton. He just smiled at their disdain. In officialdom, subtlety and depth were valued. Wearing your emotions on your sleeve was a sign of immaturity. These young fellows still had a long way to go!

As for the youth cadre class training, William Bolton didn’t just go through the motions—he studied very seriously, always sitting in the front row and taking stacks of notes. He knew this was a valuable piece of political experience. Years later, who would remember he was a transfer student? Attending the party school’s youth cadre class meant you were a key talent being cultivated by the organization, and that trust was more important than anything.

Of course, in his spare time, William Bolton often consulted the teachers. He wasn’t obsequious, but addressed issues directly, with a rigorous and sincere attitude. The teachers all had a good impression of him, and it was clear their evaluations of William Bolton would be positive.

Every day after going home, William Bolton didn’t relax. At that time, the internet hadn’t yet reached every household, but the county government website had already been established. William Bolton used his evenings at the internet café to familiarize himself with the organizational structure of all the departments in Yongping County.

He had memorized the resumes of the leaders of important departments like the county party committee, the organization department, and the county party committee office. He also had a good grasp of the heads of other functional departments.

Although resumes couldn’t tell you everything, William Bolton had, after all, fought his way up from the bottom to a senior position in his previous life. Judging a person’s general background and character from their experience was his forte. He might have to deal with these people in the future, so gathering as much information as possible was essential.

Among all the resumes, the most eye-catching was the new county magistrate, Henry Thompson. With just a glance at his resume, William Bolton was certain—this person’s background was extraordinary. A 31-year-old county magistrate was a rare sight in today’s officialdom!

Henry Thompson graduated from South China Agricultural University. Upon graduation, he entered the Wude Municipal Party Committee Office as a staff member. In less than half a year, he was transferred to the subdistrict office under Yunong District, Wude City, as deputy director, then director, and later party secretary.