Nominal: Who isn't a son-in-law?

Provincial Party Committee Building No. 2.

The car was parked outside the yard. It wasn't raining here, and the ground was very dry.

"Uncle Liu, why are you already tidying up?"

Looking through the car window at the busy staff inside and outside the courtyard, Chu Shijun frowned.

The old governor is still here, and you're already cleaning up? What kind of talk is that?

"It's alright, this is what I ordered, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow to move in," Liu Changsheng said with a smile. "You'll have to take good care of the flowers and plants in my yard. If you don't know how to take care of them, then let Comrade Yuliang do it; he's an expert."

"You, oh,"

Upon learning that this was Liu Changsheng's order, Chu Shijun didn't say anything and instead invited, "Come on, Uncle Liu, let's come down and have a get-together."

"No, you talk to Comrade Yuliang. I have some things to take care of."

Liu Changsheng said tactfully.

"Hehe, okay then. After the meeting tomorrow, I expect some colleagues will come to me to report on their work."

As Chu Shijun got off the car, he said.

Liu Changsheng understood what he meant: his own people could just go up and report on their work tomorrow, and that was also what he needed to explain.

……

After watching the Audi drive away, Chu Shijun looked towards the No. 2 building of the Provincial Party Committee.

Zheng Yu, who was standing nearby, asked, "Governor, shall I go take a look?"

"Okay, go report to the Organization Department later. Your house should have been allocated, so go and get ready. Come to Building No. 3 next door tomorrow," Chu Shijun nodded and took his briefcase.

"Yes, Governor."

After Zheng Yu finished speaking, he immediately walked into the courtyard.

Chu Shijun glanced at it and then walked toward Building No. 3, which was not far away.

At this moment, Gao Yuliang and Wu Huifen were already standing in the courtyard.

"Teacher Gao, Teacher Wu."

When Chu Shijun saw the two, he smiled and went to greet them. He reached out his hand halfway, then simply stepped forward and hugged them.

Gao Yuliang and his companion were also all smiles, looking at Chu Shijun as if he were their son.

"Shijun, why didn't Qianqian come?"

"Qianqian will be coming in a couple of days. She's probably shopping with Fangfang right now. I'm here empty-handed, just waiting for her to bring me a gift," Chu Shijun said with a smile.

"Just showing up is enough; why bring a gift?"

Wu Huifen pulled Chu Shijun's arm and walked towards the house. "You must be exhausted after sitting on the plane for several hours. You talk to your teacher Gao while I go prepare the vegetables and cook dinner."

"It's still early, Teacher Wu, no rush."

Chu Shijun quickly said,

"Hehe, let your teacher Wu go ahead and get busy. She hasn't seen you for more than half a year, so she'll have to cook a big feast. I heard you were coming today, so I went to buy groceries early this morning."

Hearing Gao Yuliang's words, Chu Shijun had no choice but to give up.

The two went to the living room and sat on the sofa. Wu Huifen made tea and then went to the kitchen.

……

"Shijun, now that you've arrived in Handong, has the game begun?" Gao Yuliang asked softly.

"Incomplete,"

Chu Shijun shook his head.

"Oh? Tell me about it."

"It should be said that the chessboard was set up and the pieces were started a few years ago," Chu Shijun said with a smile. "When I was in Beijing, I met with former Party Secretary Zhao Lichun and we played a game together."

"Place the pieces at the center?"

Gao Yuliang narrowed his eyes.

"No, it's like a protective shield."

"Teacher Gao, I think former Party Secretary Zhao Lichun should also be able to see that I placed your Heavenly Yuan long ago, but he can only surround it, not kill it."

"Hahaha"

Gao Yuliang laughed loudly and shook his head, saying, "You, you, you're still keeping it from me by Fangfang's father-in-law."

"But with your arrival, shouldn't I, this pawn at the center position, give way?"

Chu Shijun shook his head. "No, you are still at the Heavenly Origin level and cannot be moved for now!"

"And I have never been a pawn, not before, not now, and never will be!"

What a spirited and domineering presence!

Looking at the student in front of him, whose position was even higher than his own, Gao Yuliang was filled with emotion.

He knew that he had already surpassed the vast majority of people on the chessboard.

"Shijun, how do you think former Party Secretary Zhao Lichun views this situation now?"

Gao Yuliang asked.

"He won't move, but I think the chess game I left behind has already been overturned, scattered like stars, blooming everywhere," Chu Shijun said calmly.

"This is not a good situation!"

Gao Yuliang handed him a cigarette, lit one for himself, and leaned back on the sofa.

"It's difficult, but we have to do it, Teacher Gao. The flowers and plants in your yard should have been thriving, but one day they got infested with bugs. Don't you have to get rid of them? Are you just going to watch them greedily suck the nutrients from the plants and grow fat and bloated?"

Gao Yuliang was silent for a few moments, then nodded and said, "We have to sweep them up, but we need to be careful with the methods. We can't let the insects get impatient and start attacking and biting randomly. If they bite the roots, it will cause trouble."

"Let it circulate in the wind. If it still doesn't move, spraying it with insecticide is necessary. Taking precautions will prevent damage to the roots."

Chu Shijun took a drag of his cigarette and said.

"Hehe, alright, it seems you're quite the expert at growing flowers. Let's discuss it further later. I have quite a few flowers and plants outside my yard. Come, Shijun, have some tea. Fangfang brought this from the capital."

The two served tea, and the conversation ended there.

……

Just before lunchtime, Qi Tongwei and his family arrived.

Upon seeing Chu Shijun, Qi Bingqian immediately ran over, "Hello, Uncle Chu!"

"Haha, you've grown taller again. In two more years, you'll catch up with your two older brothers."

Chu Shijun patted Qi Bingqian's head.

"Of course! I want to eat more, grow stronger, and become a general alongside my brother Yunfeng!"

Qi Bingqian straightened his body again.

"If you want to be a general, just being tall isn't enough; you have to keep up with your studies," Chu Shijun patted his shoulder. "Go watch TV; dinner's coming up soon."

After speaking, he opened his arms to welcome Qi Tongwei and his wife.

"Tongwei, Sister Lu."

"Your Majesty."

Qi Tongwei and Liang Lu, their faces beaming, embraced Chu Shijun one after the other.

"Shijun, why didn't Qianqian come with you?"

Liang Lu asked.

She has to wait two more days.

Chu Shijun smiled and asked, "Sister Lu, how is Uncle Liang's health?"

"Great, with Bingqian by my side, I'm full of energy every day," Liang Lu said with a smile.

"That's good. I'll go see Uncle Liang in a couple of days."

Chu Shijun nodded.

At this moment, Wu Huifen walked over from the kitchen, carrying dishes and placing them on the dining table, saying, "What are you all standing there for? Come and eat."

……

After dinner, in the study, Chu Shijun looked at Qi Tongwei and asked with a smile, "Director Qi, are you getting impatient waiting for the Vice Governor?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Tongwei gave a wry smile, "How can I not be anxious? But you have a plan, so just follow your plan. I'm willing to work for a few more years."

"Working for a few more years would be a waste of his talent."

Chu Shijun smiled and said, "I will bring up the matter of cadre appointments at the meeting after Secretary Sha returns."

"What about Director Tongwei's position?" Gao Yuliang looked over.

"I was worried that you wouldn't be able to keep things under control while I was away, since it's too far to do anything. Now that I'm here, it's the norm for a department head to be promoted to a vice-provincial level. As for the others," Chu Shijun looked at the two of them, "Hehe, let's wait and see."

"I'm not worried about that," Gao Yuliang nodded. "The main thing is our relationship. All three of us, teacher and student, hold high positions, and the political implications are different."

"Teacher, Shijun, I've become the vice-governor and still hold the power of the Public Security Bureau, but can't the procuratorate and the court also have their say?" Qi Tongwei said.

"You see, Teacher Gao, wasn't I right when I said I'd have Secretary Liang Qunfeng mentor Tongwei more?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Tongwei recalled those difficult years.

After graduating from school, I went to the office of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of Handong. I did everything, and Liang Qunfeng always asked me to do it. If I didn't do it well, I would be scolded. I worked overtime every day, writing and reading reports. It took more than two years before I was finally let go.

But looking back now, he finds those years so sweet.

"That's right. You scolded Lao Ji quite badly that day. Although he is eager to retire, I can tell that he has connections with people in Beijing. I just don't know who they are. But with Secretary Sha coming, he will probably have to rely on him. Otherwise, he can't handle the pressure from you as the governor," Gao Yuliang said.

"It's from the Zhong family."

Chu Shijun pointed it out.

"Xiao Ai's family?"

Gao Yuliang frowned.

"That's right, Professor Gao. Sha Ruijin and I came down together this time. He was recommended by the Zhong family. It seems like we have the same mission, but it's hard to say what will happen later. We might not even make it to the later stages."

Chu Shijun lit a cigarette. "You may not know, but over in Bianxi, the Zhong family and the Zhao family have already started fighting. I heard about it in the capital. Zhong Mingren was so angered by Zhao Dagong that he ended up in the hospital."

"The nephew of the second branch of the Zhong family and Zhao Lichun?" (Fictional world)

"good."

Chu Shijun nodded. "So, when the time comes, Sha Ruijin, whom we in Handong have chosen, will probably put in a lot of effort. If they don't win back some ground, where will the Zhong family put their face?"

"Bianxi, Handong, Ling..." Gao Yuliang shook his head, "It really is happening everywhere, everyone's vying for power!"