Inside the General Office
After Section Chief Lee left the room, the office fell into a heavy silence.
Director Zane rubbed his forehead with a worried frown, his eyes scanning the speech topic in his hand.
After a moment, he looked up and glanced around the room.
"It's pretty much the same topic as last time. Bureau Chief Yates didn't say he had any specific requirements.....hmm, Tammy?"
Tammy, who had never complained about work before, looked at him pleadingly. "Director Zane, please spare me."
Zane tried to encourage her. "You've always been in charge of writing drafts. You're a university graduate; how can writing a simple speech be difficult? I can't possibly ask Old Quinn to write it, can I?"
Tammy sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Director Zane, you know how demanding Bureau Chief Yates is. Last time, Paul, Jane, and I did nothing for two days except write the draft he assigned. We wrote five or six versions, but the Chief didn't use a single one. He even lectured me until I cried. I... I just can't."
Zane insisted gently but firmly. "Bureau Chief Yates said that because he has high expectations for you. This time, put more thought into it."
Tammy lowered her head helplessly.
"Alright then. I'll try again."
Zane looked at the others. "Paul, Jane, Jack, you all write a version too. Put some effort into it. We need options."
Jane quickly interjected, waving her hands. "Leader, my writing is really not good. Bureau Chief Yates definitely won't like it."
Even Paul, who usually loved to fawn over leaders to gain favor, was hesitant this time. "Director Zane, I'm afraid my writing skills won't impress the Chief either. Look....."
Jack followed up. "Director Zane, I also..."
Zane was getting angry. He pounded the table hard.
"Look at you all pushing and shoving responsibility! What kind of behavior is that? Huh? No matter how difficult it is, you have to do it. It's all for work! Hurry up and write it. Try to get the draft ready for Bureau Chief Yates by tomorrow."
Truth be told, Zane was also scared of Bureau Chief Yates. Last time, the draft from the General Office had failed to satisfy him. As a result, not only were the staff members scolded, but Zane and Lee ,the Director and Deputy Director were also lectured, which was humiliating.
So this time, hearing that Bureau Chief Yates wanted a draft again, Zane was extremely distressed and didn't know how to muddle through.
After Work
Johny Lee curiously caught up with Tammy as she was leaving. "Tammy, wait. Let's walk together."
Tammy sighed listlessly. "Which bus do you take?"
"Bus 46." Johny walked out of the compound alongside her. "What's wrong? Is the speech draft really that hard to write?"
"It's not that the writing is hard. If it were any other director, I could handle it myself. But Bureau Chief Yates is different. He... he..."
Only after Tammy's explanation did Johny understand the full picture.
Bureau Chief Yates was the Deputy Bureau Chief of the sub-bureau, holding a deputy-division administrative rank. Because Yates had only been transferred from the East City sub-bureau a few days ago, Tammy and the others didn't know his preferences well. They only knew that this Deputy Chief had a terrible temper, often yelled at his subordinates, and was a perfectionist when it came to written drafts.
He simply didn't think much of ordinary writing. The people in the General Office had been scolded mercilessly because of this recently.
Johny chewed on Tammy's words, deep in thought.
The Next Day
The first thing Director Zane did upon entering the office was to ask about the drafts.
Tammy said with little confidence, "It's written, but I can't guarantee it will pass the Chief's scrutiny."
Paul, Jack, and Jane had similar expressions, all lacking confidence.
"Hmm." Zane smacked his lips nervously. "Then send them over and see what Bureau Chief Yates says."
Johny looked up from his desk with interest, watching Tammy, Jane, and Paul leave the office as if they were marching to their execution.
While they were gone, Johny opened several Word documents on his computer and carefully studied sample speech drafts he had downloaded from the internet last night.
From the formatting to the refinement of sentences, Johny had learned a lot in a short time.
One minute...
Five minutes...
Ten minutes...
Jack was the first to return.
"Director Zane, Bureau Chief Yates said what I wrote was too messy and lacked structure."
Then came the dejected Paul. "Director Zane, the Chief said... said..." Perhaps the words were too unpleasant to repeat. "The Chief told me to rewrite it from scratch."
Jane followed behind with a grim expression. "Mine wasn't good either."
The last one to enter the room was Tammy. Everyone immediately turned their eager gazes to her. "How was it?"
Unexpectedly, Tammy didn't even reply. She walked to her desk, sat down, buried her face in her arms, and began to sob.
Her shoulders shook as she wiped away tears. Zane understood immediately. She hadn't passed either, and she had been lectured harshly.
Alas, how did this happen? A single speech draft has stumped everyone?
If this continued, wouldn't the higher-ups think that the General Office had no competency at all?
Ring, ring, ring....
The phone in Zane's small office rang. He hurried back to answer it.
"Hello... oh, oh, Bureau Chief Yates... Yes... Ah... Is that so... I understand, I understand... But we... Then... Then I'll have them write again... Mm... Mm... Don't worry... Mm..."
Outside, Samson (Moose) was gently comforting the teary-eyed Tammy.
Zane rubbed his forehead in frustration and walked out slowly. "Bureau Chief Yates said that the Municipal Bureau meeting has been moved up to tomorrow. So, no matter what, we must have a finalized draft today."
He looked at his defeated staff. "Everyone, put in more effort. Follow the Chief's line of thinking. See if the previous drafts weren't on the right track, and revise them."
Tammy cried, "But Director Zane, I wrote it exactly as he instructed!"
Jane added, "Director, we really tried our best. We just don't know what he wants."
Zane sighed deeply. "I know it's not easy for everyone, but the task assigned by the higher-ups must be completed.
Everyone, think of a way. Is there anything we can do?"
Everyone lowered their heads. Not a single person spoke. The silence was deafening.
Zane frowned, just about to say something in a firm tone to force them into action, when Johny Lee suddenly stood up slowly.
Zane looked at him, surprised. "Oh? Johny has an idea?"
"Uh, it's not really an idea." Johny smiled awkwardly, trying not to look arrogant. "Director Zane, if there's really no other way... how about I give it a try?"
"You?" Zane was startled. "Can you write speech drafts?"
Johny didn't want to speak too confidently, otherwise it would leave a frivolous impression. "A little."
"Alright, then you give it a try!"
Zane didn't have high expectations for Johny, the newcomer. So many skilled writers in the General Office hadn't caught Bureau Chief Yates' eye, so a rookie like him was even less likely to succeed. He assigned the task with the mindset of "treating a dead horse as if it were alive"...a desperate last resort.
But Johny felt a surge of adrenaline.
This is my chance!
A golden opportunity to turn things around!!