In name only: In the name of Zhao Mengsheng's son!

If Sha Ruijin knew what you, Zhong Jianjun, were thinking, he'd be speechless. Me, using my veto power to force you to be promoted to the provincial third rank? Would I even be fit to be the top leader? I originally only had a 60% chance of being promoted to the second rank, but with this veto power, I can arrange my retirement in a couple of days.

Don't you even know who's on the other side? It's Zhao Zhongxin! Don't even mention me, Sha Ruijin; even your second uncle, Zhong Zhengguo, couldn't save you. You're only fifty; you have a long political life ahead of you. Can't you stay in the political spotlight for another two years?

What are you trying to do? Do you think you're Zhao Zhongxin? What are other people's family backgrounds compared to yours? Your family is already quite well-off; they could get you promoted to a ministerial level by 55. What's your rush? Once you're a minister, you still have ten years of political life left. Are you just greedy for this? You're currently at the provincial level (third rank), waiting for Zhao Zhongxin to be transferred so you can finally get promoted to the provincial level (second rank)? Impossible! Do you think your second uncle is a man of his word?

"In that case, on behalf of the Provincial Party Committee and Governor Zhao on behalf of the Provincial Government, I recommend Li Dakang to the Central Committee as the Vice Governor of Handong Province. As for the vacant Executive position, Comrade Zhongxin and I have already discussed it, and Comrade Zheng Minghao, the Secretary of the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee, will take it!"

At this point, Sha Ruijin paused for a moment, then tactically took a sip of water.

Zhong Jianjun was also somewhat upset. "Sha Ruijin, whose side are you on? Why are you doing this? Sigh, I can't even get the third-ranked position in the province, and I don't even have a chance to become the fourth-ranked executive. What are you trying to do, Sha Ruijin? You won't even leave me the fourth-ranked position? I'm going to tell my second uncle about you. You're a dog of the Zhong family! Why won't you help your young master?"

Zhong Jianjun only thought these words to himself. He could tell Zhao Donglai that he was Zhao Zhongxin's dog because he was not afraid of Zhao Donglai. He could also curse Li Kangjian as his Zhong family's son-in-law because he did not care about Li Kangjian!

He might call Sha Ruijin a dog in private, but he wouldn't dare to do it to his face. The relationship between Sha Ruijin and his second uncle is similar to that between Zhao Lichun and Gao Yuliang. It's a cooperative relationship. If Zhao Lichun gains real power, then Gao Yuliang will be like Sha Ruijin and will definitely be loyal. Because if Zhao Lichun gains real power, Gao Yuliang will definitely be promoted to a higher rank!

If he really called Sha Ruijin a dog to his face, his second uncle might actually fly to Handong to teach him a lesson. His second uncle and Sha Ruijin were comrades-in-arms and his first subordinates!

Zhao Ruilong just couldn't see this point. He treated Gao Yuliang, a provincial third-level official, like his own servant and deliberately messed with Gao Yuliang's mentality!

You can be arrogant towards your superiors, but you can't insult them. Sha Ruijin is still the top leader in Handong on the surface. Even Zhao Zhongxin gives Sha Ruijin some face. After all, Sha Ruijin is willing to risk his own future to ruin Zhao Zhongxin's future as well! If the top two leaders cause trouble and destroy Handong, although the central government will favor Zhao Zhongxin, his peak in this life is only the 24th Heaven! He can't go any higher!

What Sha Ruijin paid was only the lives of his entire family and the end of the Zhong family. Because at that point, Zhao Zhongxin knew he couldn't reach the summit, so he wouldn't hold back. He'd chop even the earthworms in the Sha family upright! He'd shake the eggs until the yolks were broken—don't think he couldn't do it. After all, his father, Zhao Mengsheng, was a man of his word!

Therefore, Zhao Zhongxin would not force Sha Ruijin to that point. He is not stupid. As the saying goes, "Leave a way out for others so that you can meet again in the future!"

Sha Ruijin would never go that far, not even if Zhao Zhongxin threatened him! Unless Zhao Zhongxin was already determined to kill him, already determined to kill me, why would I care about that? He'd risk everything to bring down the emperor. Otherwise, he would never do it!

However, Li Dakang suddenly realized something was wrong. Was Zhao Zhongxin setting him up? The provincial party secretary concurrently serving as the secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission—could he really control the Political and Legal Affairs Commission?

Tian Guofu was alright. Although he had a heated argument with Gao Yuliang at the Standing Committee meeting back then, he didn't pursue Gao Yuliang's affairs again after he found out that Zhao Zhongxin was going to help Gao Yuliang.

Even so, Tian Guofu has been sidelined in the Political and Legal Affairs Commission. Even when the public security bureau, procuratorate, and court summon him for a meeting, not all three can attend! They're playing a game of obeying orders but not orders!

Li Dakang couldn't help but think that he had a huge grudge against Gao Yuliang back then. Tian Guofu and the others might still give him some face, but what about him? Of the public security, procuratorate, and judiciary, only Zhao Donglai, his former subordinate, might give him any respect. Li Kangjian? Dean Lin? They wouldn't give him any face at all!

Especially that Li Kangjian, he had a grudge against him, and their names were even similar. To be honest, he really wanted to punch that beast to death. He, Li Dakang, had been domineering in Handong for decades, but he never expected there to be someone even more domineering than him, smoking a cigarette and looking at him sideways? He was about to lose his temper!

Thinking of this, Li Dakang felt a little bitter. It seemed that he was destined to be a deputy. When he was the executive secretary, Zhao Zhongxin would occasionally go down to inspect the provinces, and he could at least be in charge of the provincial government and enjoy holding meetings. But now that he had become the deputy secretary of the provincial party committee, how could he enjoy holding meetings? Even if he had become the deputy secretary of the provincial party committee, it was useless!

It's impossible for Sha Ruijin and Zhao Zhongxin to both be absent from the provincial party committee at the same time, right? Even if they are both absent, would these provincial party committees recognize Li Dakang as a provincial third-rank official?

You want me to admit it? Back then, Li Dakang, you didn't give Gao Yuliang, a provincial leader, any face either, so why should we? You, Li Dakang, set a good example! We've known each other for decades, who's afraid of who? You, Li Dakang, don't follow political rules, so don't talk about us. We're not those delicate queens in the provincial government; we have plenty of means and strength!

You can get past those people in the provincial government because you're a member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee. They only have one member, and he's ranked last. They're just a bunch of high-ranking officials at the vice-ministerial or bureau level. Of course they can't beat you. But we're all members of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, with similar status to you. We've been dealing with you, Li Dakang, for so long. If you're so capable, come and challenge us at the Provincial Party Committee. Isn't what's said on the internet and Douyin quite right?

If you've got the guts, come to No. 80 Zhonghua Road, Yecheng District (the address of the Provincial Party Committee) and let's see who wins! You, Li Dakang, are just a monkey king in the absence of a tiger in the mountains! You think you're more domineering than the ten provincial party committees besides Sha Ruijin and Zhao Zhongxin? We'll beat you to a pulp! Want to hold a democratic life meeting for us? You'd better get a full-fledged position in the ministry first!

If you really made it into the department, we wouldn't be able to handle you. But for now, you're just a high-level vice-minister! We're all high-level vice-ministers. Even if you're awesome, can you take on ten of us? Do you think you're Ip Man of Wing Chun?! (I'd take on ten!)

(I'll start writing Chapter 1 today, and Chapter 2 now. I'll post it as soon as I finish it; otherwise, I'll post it this morning!)