A Showering Saga That Disrupted a Poverty‑Fighting Mission
Picture this: it’s late in the evening, a rural roads administrator in Anhui is catching his breath after a stroll over the county’s uneven tarmac. He’s in the shower, the indie bath music still humming, when a crackling phone call comes in. He doesn’t pick up.
The Phone‑Call Fumble
- From 7:31 p.m. to 7:35 p.m., the anti‑graft squad tried to reach the official on his mobile four times.
- Each call was a gentle reminder about the province’s poverty‑relief goals.
- But as he was rinsing away the day, the calls hit a Do‑Not‑Disturb wall.
Why it Matters
China’s ambitious plan is to erase poverty by the close of the decade. Nationwide they aim to drop the rural poor by more than 10 million this year alone – with 2.8 million slated for relocation from “inhospitable areas.” Every frontline cadre is supposed to be on the ball.
So when that official missed out on the conference calls, the watchdog said the ripple went beyond a simple phone mishap – it “hurt the county’s efforts to battle poverty.” A stern warning was fired, condemning the lapse.
Official’s “Shower” Defense
The administrator defended himself: “I was in the shower after a walk; I couldn’t answer. When I tried calling back, the phone was dead.” Even the most reasonable stand‑in might stumble over the inevitable “note that the water‑damage was real.”
What the Party Says
The local anti‑corruption bureau issued a statement: “Winning the fight against poverty is a solemn commitment of our party to the people of the whole country.” They added that this was a political task that needed all hands on deck – and that cadres on the front line should learn from this case.
Public Reaction: A Mix of Humor & Sympathy
- One micro‑blogger riffed, “This is over‑correcting. Let’s not take showers unless we get CCDI permission!”
- Another user suggested, “Gov folks should get waterproof phones to avoid shower disasters.”
- Across Weibo, the incident sparked chatter ranging from “crazy pity” to “classic too-serious–out-of-era.”
Bottom Line: Even in a country where steely determination is the ticket, a splash can cause a splash of political heat. A shower, yes, but let’s make sure the telephone’s waterproof too.
