Henry Clark nodded noncommittally, but his eyes turned to the surging river. Suddenly, half-jokingly, he said, “Little William, your family is from the county town. You must have put in quite a bit of effort to move into the city these past few years, right?”

William Bolton gave an embarrassed smile and didn’t deny it. He knew that now was not the time to pat his chest and say something like, “I’m a brick for the revolution, put me wherever you need me”—that would be pure nonsense. He thought it over seriously before replying, “Yes! I haven’t worried much about it myself, but my parents have. They both teach in Chengguan Town, and my grandparents were both retired workers from the phosphate fertilizer plant. They also live in the county town now. You know how it is with the elderly—they tend to have a bit of a parochial mindset.”

After saying all this, William Bolton let out a long sigh of relief in his heart. This was not an easy question to answer. Boasting was out of the question, but admitting it outright wasn’t good either, so he cleverly shifted the focus onto his family.

At the same time, William Bolton had indirectly revealed his background: his grandparents were workers, his parents were teachers—red roots and pure background, but with no connections or backing. In the small world of Yongping County, he was definitely one of the rare “clean” people.

“Your grandparents are still alive? They must be getting on in years! You should make sure to show them more filial piety when you have the chance. The elderly have only so many days left.” Henry Clark changed the subject again.

Before William Bolton could respond, he continued, “Little William, let’s head to the next stop! Didn’t you mention the cement plant earlier? Let’s go take a look.”

So next, William Bolton led Henry Clark to visit the county’s first and second cement plants, as well as the only phosphate fertilizer plant in the county. Along the way, William Bolton continued to explain everything to him—from the construction of the plants, to product sales, sources of raw materials, and the shareholding structure after the plant reforms. He didn’t leave out a single detail. Henry Clark kept nodding, and the smile on his face grew wider and wider.

After more than three hours of touring, William Bolton invited Henry Clark to visit the youth training class. Henry Clark, who was in high spirits, of course did not refuse.

When Henry Clark’s car arrived at the Party School, David Thompson was already fully prepared. When he first received William Bolton’s call, he didn’t know what was going on, but being always cautious, he made sure not to slack off in his preparations.

When he saw Henry Clark and William Bolton get out of the car together, he even wondered if he was seeing things. How could a township staff member be walking with the county magistrate? Was there something fishy going on here? At that thought, he immediately looked at William Bolton, but was disappointed—William Bolton’s expression was calm and composed, and he couldn’t glean any useful information.

Chapter 0008 County Magistrate’s Inspection

“Hello! Hello! Welcome, County Magistrate, County Head Clark. We’re all very excited that you could take time out of your busy schedule to visit the Party School! The students of the youth cadre class can hardly wait.” David Thompson said with a big smile.

Henry Clark’s expression froze for a moment, and he glanced sidelong at William Bolton. William Bolton quickly stepped forward and said, “County Head Clark, most of the students in this youth training class are recent college graduates. I was worried that, in the rush, there might be some lapses in their reception work, so…”

“You! You! I already said I just wanted to take a casual look. Making such a big fuss isn’t good! This kind of atmosphere is not what we want!” Henry Clark said with feigned annoyance.

William Bolton quickly lowered his head and said nothing, but inside he was delighted. He knew that what Henry Clark said was just for show. When a leader visits young cadres, it’s a big deal—without a bit of ceremony, it just doesn’t feel right. So, when trying to understand a leader’s intentions, you have to learn to see the essence through the appearance. Correctly grasping a leader’s intentions is truly the dividing line that tests whether someone is politically mature.

David Thompson was an old hand in officialdom—how could he not understand the subtleties here? Seeing Henry Clark pretend to be angry while smiling, David Thompson gave William Bolton a deep look and thought to himself, “The younger generation is truly impressive! This young man is not simple!”

After that, Henry Clark naturally gave a speech to the entire youth training class. Many of the students were recent graduates, and for many, it was their first time seeing the county magistrate, so they were all very happy and excited. The atmosphere in the hall kept reaching new heights, and Henry Clark’s mood was also at its peak.

After the speech, William Bolton sensibly did not continue to follow Henry Clark. Now that David Thompson was accompanying him, and with his own unclear status, how could he go in and get involved? So he naturally blended back into the ongoing studies.

“Principal Thompson, the county’s work in training young cadres is quite good! I can see the students are all very enthusiastic—you all deserve a lot of credit!” Henry Clark said as soon as he entered David Thompson’s office, giving his approval.

David Thompson beamed with joy, repeatedly saying he didn’t dare take credit, insisting it was all thanks to the leaders’ attention and that he was just carrying out instructions.

“So, what do you think? You’re the one who interacts with the young cadres the most. Are there any promising talents in this youth training class?”

David Thompson was taken aback—this was a sensitive question, and he really didn’t know how to answer for a moment. But a Party School instructor standing nearby didn’t think too much about it. Seeing David Thompson remain silent, he spoke up: “Yes, there is! That William Bolton in the youth training class is quite good! He’s diligent, hardworking, and has a solid foundation in both theory and practice—a real talent!”