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

Zhong Jianjun also harbored resentment towards Sha Ruijin. "If you had just pushed me to get into the provincial third tier earlier, I'd be Zhao Zhongxin's successor now! I could be the governor directly!" he thought. "He's so eager for advancement. Now look what happened, Li Dakang got off easy!"

Moreover, you, Sha Ruijin, and Zhong Jianjun have also received the news. You might be in for a bad time. Even if you don't, after you retire, I can advance further in my position as governor and become the top leader of the province before I turn 55, all because you refused to push me forward!

But Zhong Jianjun had no choice. He had complained to his second uncle, Zhong Zhengguo, about Sha Ruijin, but Zhong Zhengguo scolded him harshly, saying that Sha Ruijin was his subordinate, not his subordinate, and that he should learn to respect others. Being too successful at a young age is not a good thing!

But Zhong Jianjun still retorted, saying that Zhao Zhongxin had also been advancing in rank every two years over the years, so why couldn't he? Upon hearing this, Zhong Zhengguo almost laughed out of anger!

Why compare yourself to others? If your second uncle had the same status as Zhao Zhongxin's father, I would have achieved the same success too. Others have made political achievements, but what about you? Since arriving in Handong, you seem to have been possessed by Zhao Ruilong, the son of our political enemy Zhao Lichun! Your brother-in-law has started the Shanshui Manor and even taken over the real estate business. What exactly are you trying to do?

Zhong Zhengguo racked his brains but couldn't understand why his heroic elder brother would have such a son. He had absolutely no political acumen! What was he thinking, letting Sha Ruijin give Li Dakang his veto power to make him a provincial leader? Sha Ruijin and I begged and pleaded to give him that 60% chance of getting the position, and you want him to veto it? He can forget about getting the position; he might not even be able to keep his ministerial post now!

You're in a defensive alliance with others, and you expect them to just quit and give up their political careers? Are you out of your mind? Do you even know what two powerful positions mean? They're worth more than ten ministerial-level positions! You're only 50. Can't you just steadily build up your seniority in Handong? Sha Ruijin will be promoted in a couple of years if he can, and if not, he can retire. I guarantee you'll become governor! How many years does Li Dakang have left in his political career? By the time he retires, you'll be 55. Can't you just take over as usual? Why the rush? What are you comparing yourself to Zhao Zhongxin for? In five or six years, Zhao Zhongxin will be about the same age as your second uncle!

Even if we give you all the resources, you'll always be one level below Zhao Zhongxin. What do you have to compare yourself to? Just compare yourself to Sha Ruijin! Sha Ruijin was 58 when he became a ministerial-level official, what more do you want?

So Zhong Zhengguo's words woke Zhong Jianjun up, and he realized that he and Zhao Zhongxin could never catch up. However, it was good for him that Zhao Zhongxin was gone. At least his second uncle had arranged for him to be a provincial third-class student, which was good. Sha Ruijin would also be gone in two years, and he could also make progress!

Moreover, being the deputy secretary of the provincial party committee and the secretary of the municipal party committee of Jingzhou, the provincial capital, is incredibly prestigious. It's much more comfortable than being the secretary of the discipline inspection commission!

However, Zhao Zhongxin was quite opposed to Zhong Jianjun's idea. Li Dakang's concurrent position as Secretary of the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee was because Li Kangjian could only become Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission within the provincial party committee. Since Li Kangjian held a higher-level position and hadn't served as the top leader of a county-level party committee, it was inconvenient for Zhao to directly promote him. After all, there were certain political rules governing this.

Qi Tongwei is different. Although he was also transferred from one department to another, he has already served in that department for three years. He can directly become the secretary of the Lüzhou Municipal Party Committee and then enter the provincial party committee. The son of the original Lüzhou Municipal Party Committee Secretary, Governor Liu, can become the secretary of the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee!

So Li Kangjian became the Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, Zhao Donglai became the Secretary-General of the Provincial Party Committee, Qi Tongwei became the Secretary of the Luzhou Municipal Party Committee, and you, Zhong Jianjun, like Tian Guofu, will continue to serve as the Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and concurrently the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission!

Don't worry, Zhao Zhongxin from the Political and Legal Affairs Commission has already made arrangements. I guarantee you'll be in trouble. Your orders won't reach the Political and Legal Affairs Commission! The Political and Legal Affairs Commission is full of my people!

So when Zhao Zhongxin told Sha Ruijin about this idea, he immediately stopped in Bengbu. "You, Young Master Zhao, still hold grudges, huh? Tian Guofu is in the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, and as the nominal leader of this Handa Gang, the people in the Political and Legal Affairs Commission might give him some face, at least they won't directly argue with him!"

You're letting Zhong Jianjun become the nominal leader of your Han University gang? The Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission? Look at those people in the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, won't they all turn into villains? Won't they all bang on the table and attack you, Zhong Jianjun, during meetings?!

You're the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, that's true, but so what! We don't listen to your orders, what can you do about it? Try to fire me? We're all vice-ministerial level cadres, centrally managed cadres, do you have stronger backing in Beijing than us? Huh? You're at the provincial level, deputy provincial level, provincially managed cadres, but our Han University clique has Li Kangjian, the Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, Qi Tongwei, the Secretary of the Luzhou Municipal Party Committee, and Zhao Donglai, the Secretary-General of the Provincial Party Committee! The Secretary of the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee, the Executive Vice Governor, five people, five votes, come on, let's all confront each other! I'm not afraid of you, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee! Don't give me that bastard talk! Damn it, Zhong Jianjun!

The Handong University clique is terrifyingly large. Even if you have Sha Ruijin, a provincial-level official, as your backer, we're not afraid of you. Everyone in Handong knows that our Handong University clique is Zhao Zhongxin's Handong University clique! If you come to the provincial party committee for free fighting, we'll all follow you!

Li Kangjian stated!

"Come out and fight me one-on-one if you dare, Zhong Jianjun!"

Zhao Donglai stated!

"Hehe, let's have a friendly match at the provincial committee. I'll be the substitute, and we'll have a tag team battle. Whoever loses is out!"

Qi Tongwei also stated!

"We will absolutely not lose face, we will definitely be spirited, and we will definitely do a great job!"

Zhong Jianjun!

"???"

"What are you trying to do? Is there no law or order? Are you trying to imitate Zhao Zhongxin's boxing style?"

Zhao Zhongxin stated!

"This is what my soldiers do! You believe I'll beat you up, Sha Ruijin—no, your second uncle Zhong Zhengguo—and you'll still say this is a wrestling competition organized by the provincial party committee!"

Sha Ruijin shook his head at Zhong Jianjun's ecstatic expression. "What are you fantasizing about? How did you offend this Young Master Zhao? Do you think you can become Li Dakang, the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee? You should just go and be the honorary leader of the Handong Gang. That would be nominally the head of the biggest power in Handong!"

Actually, the person who felt the most upset wasn't Secretary-General Qian! It was Tian Guofu in the CPPCC. He was like, "Hey buddy, Zhao Zhongxin, what are you doing? I just left the Provincial Party Committee a few days ago, and you're already going back to Beijing. Are you targeting me? What did I do wrong?"

(This is the first chapter today; I'll start writing the second chapter now!)