William Bolton secretly laughed to himself, thinking, “As if you’ve ever met me!” But he had to admit, this woman was impressive—she was already trying to sound him out so quickly.

“Is that so? William is one of the outstanding young cadres among us. You’ll have plenty of chances to meet in the future.” Eric Brooks said with a smile.

William Bolton’s heart skipped a beat. There was a hidden meaning in Eric Brooks’s words—could it be that David Thompson had already made a move? Still, he kept a calm expression and simply expressed how honored he was.

At this, Alice Bennett looked a bit puzzled. Eric Brooks’s words were ambiguous, but from what he said, this guy named Zhang must have some background! Could he be a newly promoted cadre? But she already had a good grasp of the new appointees and had never heard of this person.

She couldn’t figure it out for the moment, but as a businesswoman, she keenly sensed that William Bolton was probably not ordinary. If nothing else, whether in his dealings with people or his own bearing, William Bolton was far superior to the average young cadre. So she smiled sweetly and said, “Then I’m truly honored! Today, it’s been a long time since Secretary Foster and Township Head Brooks have come, and these two cadres are also here for the first time. Let me host this meal. It’s just a small token of my respect for all the leaders.”

“How can that be? Little Alice, you’re making us break the rules!” Samuel Foster quickly stood up and said.

But Alice Bennett was clearly very experienced in social situations. With a mix of persuasion and flattery, she made everyone feel respected, and in the end, left Samuel Foster and Eric Brooks with no choice but to graciously accept the free dinner.

“This woman is something else!” Observing all this coldly, William Bolton thought to himself. In reality, when government officials go out to eat, discounts or free meals are meaningless. What really matters is face, and Alice Bennett clearly understood this well. She made every guest at “Xiao’er Villa” feel valued and respected. Not everyone has that kind of skill.

After some small talk, all the dishes were served, and Alice Bennett tactfully excused herself. Before leaving, she glanced at William Bolton, clearly having been left with a deep impression.

“Little William, have you heard any rumors lately?” After a few rounds of drinks, Samuel Foster was the first to speak.

“Rumors? What rumors?” William Bolton asked in confusion.

“Haha, you really are as steady as Mount Tai! Let me tell you, unless something unexpected happens, you might be on the move soon. The Organization Department’s David Thompson personally recommended you!” Samuel Foster smacked his lips and said, “Looks like your time at the youth training class this past month wasn’t wasted.”

“So David Thompson really did make a move.” William Bolton thought to himself. But he didn’t feel particularly excited—he knew that working in the Organization Department would be like walking on thin ice. Even David Thompson himself was being sidelined, let alone him.

But this reaction was interpreted differently by Samuel Foster and Eric Brooks. The two exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other’s eyes. They thought, “This kid is really good at keeping his cool! So young, yet already so shrewd—what a future he’ll have!”

“Little William, you’re really in the spotlight this time! I heard that County Head Clark personally gave instructions for you to be his secretary. After today’s meeting, County Head Clark even came to me to ask about you! I think this is pretty much a done deal. Just go home and wait for the official notice from the organization.” Samuel Foster said.

“The Government Office’s Secretariat?” William Bolton was shocked. This was completely unexpected—not the Organization Department? His mind started racing. It seemed all his previous efforts hadn’t been in vain, and this news might really be true.

Samuel Foster gave a mysterious smile and shook his head. “Not the Government Office—it’s Deputy Director of the County Party Committee Office!”

William Bolton’s heart thudded. He felt a bit confused. How did Deputy Director of the County Party Committee Office become the county magistrate’s secretary? Wouldn’t it make more sense to be the Party Secretary’s secretary? But he keenly sensed there was something complicated here, and wisely didn’t ask further. When things are abnormal, there’s always something fishy.

Chapter 0011: Saw What Shouldn’t Be Seen

Still, no matter what, William Bolton was quite happy inside. Even though he’d seen big scenes in his previous life, hearing this news out of the blue, he couldn’t help but feel excited—his heart was beating much faster.

“Little William, once you’re in the County Party Committee Office, don’t forget about us at Liziping! Deputy County Head Walker’s secretary is also a Deputy Director of the County Party Committee Office, so you’ll probably be at least a deputy section chief.” Eric Brooks chimed in.

William Bolton gave an embarrassed smile and said, “Township Head Brooks, what are you saying? I still have feelings for Liziping—how could I forget? Come on, let’s have a toast to thank the leaders for taking the time to talk to me.” Even though William Bolton tried hard to control his emotions, he couldn’t hide the smile on his face. After all, this good news was just too sudden.

But he wasn’t so carried away as to lose his head. The transfer order hadn’t come down yet—the higher the hope, the greater the disappointment. Besides, this arrangement by the organization was really odd. He’d never heard of the county magistrate or deputy magistrate picking secretaries from the County Party Committee Office. The only explanation was that in Yongping, the Party led everything.

They had a few more rounds. Samuel Foster and Eric Brooks were fine, but James Harris, who hadn’t known about this beforehand, couldn’t hide the envy in his eyes when he heard that William Bolton was going to enter the county committee compound. Of course, there was probably some jealousy mixed in as well.