Special forces soldier demobilization: Starting from the county government compound, a meteoric rise

In Ningzhou's commercial landscape, the Nangong Group has always been an undisputed behemoth. But in the face of the labyrinth of power, even a behemoth sometimes has to lower its noble head and crawl through a dog hole smaller than the eye of a pin.

Recently, Nangong Yao has been very anxious.

I was so anxious that even my favorite Blue Mountain coffee tasted like Chinese medicine.

The big data center project she was working on, named "Smart Ningzhou," had been stuck in the final stage of project approval for a full two weeks. This was a mega-project with a total investment of over two billion yuan, and a crucial step for Nangong Group's transformation into the high-tech field. The equipment was ordered, the land was secured, and even the plane tickets for the foreign expert team were booked, but that thin project approval document was like a bird with wings, impossible to grasp no matter how hard she tried.

The crux of the problem lies with the Municipal Development and Reform Commission.

Or, to be more precise, it was in the hands of Qian Wanli, the director of the National Development and Reform Commission, who was known as the "God of Wealth of Ningzhou".

……

At 10:00 AM, at the Municipal Administrative Service Center, at the Development and Reform Commission's approval window.

Nangong Yao was dressed in a smart Chanel business suit and seven-centimeter high heels, with a standard, impeccable business smile on her face. But behind that smile was a patience that was about to explode.

This is the third time she has come in person.

"Oh dear, Mr. Nangong, what a coincidence."

Behind the window, a female clerk wearing thick-rimmed glasses slowly pushed out a project application that was three hundred pages thick, her face carrying a businesslike indifference, and even a hint of barely perceptible schadenfreude.

"Director Qian said that your materials are still not up to standard."

"Unqualified?"

Nangong Yao took a deep breath, suppressing her anger. Her knuckles turned slightly white from pressing hard on the counter. "This is the third version! Last time they said the environmental assessment data was too outdated, so we asked experts from the province to recalculate it overnight; the time before that they said the formatting didn't meet the standards, so we changed that too. What's the reason this time?"

"This time..."

The female clerk rolled her eyes, casually flipped to page eighteen of the application, and pointed to a line of small print.

"Here, Director Qian thinks the 'expected return' calculation model is too optimistic and lacks explanation of risk hedging mechanisms. Also, the 'energy consumption' indicator is a bit different from the official document just issued by the city. Director Qian said that such a large project must be rigorous; even a slight error can lead to huge mistakes, so he wants us to send it back to redo it."

Redo it.

These two words are easy to say, just a few words from the lips. But for a company, they mean dozens of people having to work several sleepless nights, a project delay of another week, and tens of thousands of dollars going down the drain every day!

"Risk hedging? Energy consumption?"

Nangong Yao laughed angrily, her peach blossom eyes flashing with a sharp, cold light. "These standards are all based on national standards! They're even stricter than the national standards! You're just nitpicking!"

"We want to see Director Qian!"

Her assistant, Xiao Zhang, couldn't hold back any longer and shouted angrily.

"See the director?" The female clerk scoffed, picked up the teacup on the table and blew on the foam. "Director Qian is extremely busy and is currently in an important confidential meeting. How could he have time to see you? Go back and revise it. Come back and line up when it's done."

After saying that, she simply put the "Service Temporarily Suspended" sign up to the window, pulled down the curtain, and left Nangong Yao and the others standing outside.

"asshole!"

Nangong Yao slammed her fist hard on the counter, breaking off one of her fingernails.

She knew that this was not a material issue at all.

This is a man-made disaster.

……

Half an hour later, in the office of the director of the National Development and Reform Commission.

Qian Wanli was comfortably leaning back in the large leather boss's chair, playing with two shiny walnuts in his hands, humming an unknown tune.

He was in his early fifties, short and stout, his face as red as a pig's liver from years of alcohol abuse, and his belly so large that his belt could barely be fastened. But beneath this seemingly honest exterior lay a greedy and cunning heart.

"Director Qian, the people from Nangong Group have left."

The secretary knocked on the door and came in, quietly reporting to the director.

"Gone? Heh, quite the temper." Qian Wanli stopped spinning the walnuts, picked up the premium Da Hong Pao tea from the table, took a sip, and a lewd and smug smile appeared on his fat face. "That's Miss Nangong, isn't it? She's used to being fawned over and can't stand the slightest grievance. But here, even a dragon has to coil up, and a phoenix has to crawl!"

"Director, is it going to cause problems if we keep stalling like this?" the secretary asked worriedly. "After all, this is a two billion dollar project. If it falls through, what will happen to the mayor..."

"What are you afraid of?"

Qian Wanli slammed his teacup down, his eyes widening. "I'm doing this for the country! I'm responsible to the people! Who says a project has to pass on the first try? I had her revise the materials to make the project more secure! Even if Mayor Lu finds out, can he say I'm wrong for being too diligent?"

He stood up, walked to the window, and watched the luxury car slowly drive away downstairs, a sinister glint in his eyes.

"Besides, this is a task personally assigned by Young Master Ouyang."

Thinking of the benefits Ouyang Feng promised him at the dinner table last night—a 500-square-meter detached villa in the east of the city, and that "god-daughter" who was said to have just turned eighteen—Qian Wanli felt hot all over and his heart was burning with anger.

"Young Master Ouyang said that as long as we can stall the Nangong Group's project, or drag it out until their funding runs out, that will be a great achievement!"

"That Liu Ming, isn't she arrogant? Doesn't she have connections?"

"I refuse to believe he can extend his reach into my National Development and Reform Commission to manage approvals! My official seal is the law in this small area!"

Qian Wanli touched his bald head, a symbol of power, and grinned maliciously:

"Pass down my message: no matter how they revise it, even if they come up with something amazing, find a reason to reject it! There are plenty of reasons! The font is wrong, the punctuation is incorrect, the paper isn't white enough… make up whatever you want! In short, without my approval, no one can stamp this seal!"

……

Nangong Group Headquarters, President's Office.

The atmosphere was so oppressive it was suffocating.

Nangong Yao leaned wearily against the sofa, rubbing her throbbing temples. The returned application form lay scattered on the carpet, like a pile of useless scraps of paper.

"Mr. Nangong, the bank called again to urge us."

The CFO stood cautiously to the side, his voice low, "Because the project has been delayed, the bank said they need to reassess the risk of the bridge loan we agreed on, and may suspend disbursement. If the funds don't arrive this week, we'll default on our overseas equipment deposit—that's three hundred million!"

"Furthermore, our partners have also sent letters questioning our administrative and public relations capabilities, implying that if things continue to drag on, they will consider withdrawing their investment..."

One piece of bad news after another was like a series of heavy punches, slamming into Nangong Yao's already fragile nerves.

This is an encirclement and suppression operation.

It was a meticulously planned siege against the Nangong Group.

And Qian Wanli from the National Development and Reform Commission was the most crucial and disgusting weapon in this crackdown.

"That old lecher! That old bastard!"

Nangong Yao gritted her teeth, her eyes reddening slightly. She'd been battling in the business world for so many years, what storms hadn't she weathered? But this kind of pure, unscrupulous administrative harassment left her with a deep sense of powerlessness.

It's like you have amazing martial arts skills, but someone has tied your hands and feet and thrown you into a mud pit, leaving you helpless to watch yourself sink.

"Ouyang Feng..."

She murmured that name, wishing she could tear him limb from limb. Of course, she knew who was behind it all. Aside from that petty, vindictive person, no one would be so bored, nor would anyone have the power to instruct a director of the National Development and Reform Commission.

"Mr. Nangong, how about... we go and talk to the city leaders?" the assistant tentatively suggested.

"Who should we talk to? Mayor Lu?" Nangong Yao shook her head with a wry smile. "Even the mayor can't directly intervene in these 'technical' issues of the approval process. Besides, since Qian Wanli dared to do this, he must have already prepared his excuse. If we make a big fuss, we'll be labeled as 'using our power to intimidate' and 'disobeying regulations,' which will make things even more difficult."

This won't work, that won't work.

Are we just going to stand by and watch a 2 billion yuan project fall through? Watch the group's reputation be ruined?

Nangong Yao felt an unprecedented despair. Looking out the window at the bustling Ningzhou, she felt for the first time how cold and unfamiliar the city was.

Just then.

"Knock knock knock".

There was a knock on the office door.

Before she could say "come in," the door was pushed open.

A tall, slender figure walked in, carrying two steaming cups of milk tea.

"What's wrong? Is our Empress worrying about a small business worth billions?"

Liu Ming.

He was dressed casually today, with that signature smile on his face that made you want to punch him but also inexplicably reassured you.

Upon seeing him, Nangong Yao's carefully constructed facade of strength instantly cracked.

"You're still laughing!"

She grabbed a cushion from the sofa and threw it at him, her voice trembling with tears as she yelled, "I'm so worried! That Qian Wanli is a complete scoundrel! A scoundrel! He's holding back my project approval, trying to play word games with me! That bastard Ouyang Feng must have given him a lot of benefits... I... I'm really going to be in big trouble this time!"

Liu Ming caught the cushion with one hand, casually put it aside, walked over, inserted the straw into the milk tea, and handed it to her lips.

"Have a sip of milk tea first, all sweet, to calm your nerves."

"I won't drink it! We're about to go bankrupt, why would we drink milk tea!" Nangong Yao turned her head away, tears streaming down her face.

Liu Ming sighed, put down the milk tea, reached out and gently turned her shoulder, forcing her to look at him.

"Look at me."

His voice was no longer the cynical banter it once was, but had become deep and powerful, carrying an undeniable firmness.

"Yaoyao, remember this."

"In this world, problems that can be solved with money aren't really problems. Problems that can be solved with power aren't really problems either."

"Qian Wanli?"

A cold smile curved Liu Ming's lips, and a hunter's glint flashed in his eyes.

"He's just a fool who climbed up the ranks through nepotism and flattery. Does he think he can use an official seal as a weapon to control us?"

"He wants to play by the rules, so I'll play along."

Liu Ming reached out and gently wiped away the tear stains on Nangong Yao's face, her movements as tender as if she were wiping a rare treasure.

"Don't cry, your makeup will be ruined and you won't look pretty anymore."

"This project won't require you to beg or plead with anyone, nor will it require you to change those nonsensical punctuation marks."

He stood up, straightened his collar, and instantly exuded the sharp aura of a special forces king, making the temperature in the entire office seem to drop several degrees.

"Leave this to me."

"Before sunrise tomorrow, I'll have him personally take the official seal to you and beg you to stamp it."

"and……"

Liu Ming squinted, looking out the window towards the National Development and Reform Commission building. Her voice was as soft as if she were whispering sweet nothings, yet as harsh as if she were issuing a judgment.

"I'll let him know that some people's cakes aren't so easy to get rid of."

"If you move, you'll have to cut off your hand."