Impudent mandarin whittled down to size!

There is a prominent mandarin at a Ministry which is handling a service very essential to the public life these days. He is known to be very close to very high authorities in the country. 

Given his close connection to the high and mighty, he did not care for the political authorities in charge of the portfolio. At the latest reshuffle of the top team, his political boss had to take over a new portfolio. By the way, his new political boss happens to a well-seasoned politico toughened by years of experience, and he wanted to streamline the affairs of his Ministry. 

The new political boss convened an official conference of the Ministry high-ups and informed our mandarin to attend it. However, the mandarin said in response that the proposed conference would interfere with an important meeting he had already arranged and suggested that the proposed conference be postponed for another day. The mandarin’s impudent response angered the political boss and he immediately summoned him and asked him whether the meeting he was going to have was one ordered by Number One or Number Two.  When the mandarin replied in the negative, the political boss had angrily told him: “ Fixing times for conferences at this Ministry is my business! I shall not postpone such conferences unless an interference occurs due to my being summoned by the country’s Number One or Number Two. I do not propose to convene conferences at times that suit you either! I am the authority in charge of the portfolio, and it is I who is accountable to the people. Therefore, make it a point to attend the conference  fixed at times and dates I determine…!”

The khaki suited mandarin who got whittled down to his proper size quietly left the scene, according to a story related at a gossip session in the council lobby recently.