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

The spring breeze was warm and gentle in the first conference room of the Ningzhou Municipal Party Committee today.

A red banner with white lettering reading "Ningzhou City Fourth Quarter Economic Work and International Marathon Summary and Commendation Conference" hung high above the stage. The officials below were all beaming, their hushed whispers barely concealing their elation. The data was simply too impressive. The dazzling achievement of ranking first in the province's GDP growth rate acted like a shot of adrenaline, sending these local officials, usually overshadowed by the provincial capital, into a frenzy of excitement.

Feng Jiang sat in the main seat, holding a teacup and gently scraping the floating leaves.

He looked at the spirited Mayor Lu Chen sitting beside him, then glanced at Liu Ming, who remained calm in the front row. This iron-fisted secretary, whose word was law in Ningzhou, was now filled with mixed emotions. He had to admit he had truly misjudged him this time. He had thought Lu Chen's marathon was a wasteful and impractical project, and that Liu Ming's sharp blade was only suitable for cutting through the mess of anti-corruption in the High-tech Zone. Who would have thought these two brothers, working together quietly, had unleashed a powerful move, managing to revive the stagnant situation of this old industrial city of Ningzhou!

"Comrades, this time Ningzhou has truly made a name for itself in the whole province!"

Feng Jiang put down his teacup and tapped the microphone, his deep voice echoing in the spacious conference room. The entire room fell silent instantly, everyone straightening their backs. Feng Jiang's gaze swept across the room before finally settling on Lu Chen.

"First of all, I want to apologize to Mayor Lu Chen. I had reservations about the marathon project before, thinking that taking too big a step could easily lead to problems. But as it turns out, Mayor Lu's vision is more far-sighted and his perspective is broader than mine! Ningzhou not only hosted a grand event but also won a battle to turn its economy around!"

These words moved everyone present.

For the top leader of the municipal party committee to publicly bow his head and admit his mistake to the second-in-command—what kind of magnanimity and courage does that require? This is also the most terrifying aspect of a regional governor—he is extremely pragmatic. As long as you can boost the economy, he's even willing to personally lead your horse and set off your stirrups. Lu Chen was also stunned. He quickly waved his hand and said a few words of humility, but the triumphant joy in his eyes could not be concealed.

Then, Feng Jiang abruptly changed the subject, his sharp eyes fixed on Liu Ming below the stage.

"Of course, Mayor Lu deserves half the credit for this achievement, but it wouldn't have been possible without the courage and dedication of one of our young cadres here." Feng Jiang suddenly burst into laughter—a hearty, genuine laugh. "Comrade Liu Ming! Stand up and let everyone see you!"

Liu Ming stood up with composure, buttoned his suit jacket, and bowed slightly in greeting.

"Look how young he is!" Feng Jiang pointed at Liu Ming, showering him with praise. "When he first came to the High-tech Zone, I asked him to crack down on organized crime, and he did a fantastic job. Later, I asked him to attract investment, and he directly brought in a German giant worth 10 billion! Now, he's organized a city marathon, and he's single-handedly propelled Ningzhou's GDP to the top of the province!"

Feng Jiang stood up and excitedly slapped the table.

"I used to think he was a dagger, but now I see he's more than a dagger! He's a lucky charm for Ningzhou! With him around, how can Ningzhou's economy not take off? The Municipal Party Committee has decided to award the High-tech Zone Management Committee a major commendation for their outstanding contribution to this marathon!"

Thunderous applause instantly filled the conference room. Countless fervent, envious, and even jealous gazes were focused on Liu Ming. Everyone knew that after today's meeting, Liu Ming's position in Ningzhou would be unshakeable. He was not only Lu Chen's protégé but also a favorite figure fully recognized by the border region.

Whether it's "The Return of the Condor Heroes" or "The Number One Ruthless Man," he is now the most dazzling supernova in Ningzhou's officialdom.

……

After the meeting ended, the crowd in the corridor gradually dispersed.

Just as Liu Ming was about to go to Lu Chen's office to report on the next steps of the High-tech Zone's planning, Shen Congwen, the Secretary-General of the Municipal Party Committee, quietly called him from behind. With that enigmatic smile typical of a high-ranking government secretary, Shen Congwen handed Liu Ming an unsealed manila envelope.

"Secretary Shen, what is this?" Liu Ming weighed the envelope in her hand and felt it was rather light.

"Director Liu, this is a priceless treasure." Shen Congwen lowered his voice and whispered in Liu Ming's ear, "It's a confidential document sent by the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department during the meeting just now. Because it's of such a high level, it went directly through Secretary Feng's inside line."

Liu Ming raised an eyebrow and pulled out the paper from the envelope.

It was an admission notice for the provincial Party School's training program for young and middle-aged cadres. But on the edge of the notice, there was a line of extremely messy yet vigorous handwritten annotation in red and blue pencil: "This young man is capable of great things; he should be given special attention and nurtured." It was the handwriting of Chu Tiankuo, the top leader of the Jiangnan Provincial Party Committee!

This means that Liu Ming has not only established himself in Ningzhou, but his name has also truly entered the vision of the highest power center in Jiangnan Province, and has been prominently listed as number one on that thick list of provincial and ministerial-level reserve cadres.

But this also means danger.

Because Luo Binwang, the deputy secretary of the provincial party committee, that venomous snake lurking in the shadows, would absolutely not stand idly by and watch the son of his father's killer rise to prominence so easily. This notice from the Party School was both a ladder to heaven and a death warrant; countless sons of powerful figures and local bullies in the provincial capital were sharpening their knives, waiting for him to jump into that deeper dragon's den and tiger's lair.

"It seems that some people in the province are really getting restless and want to find out my background in advance." Liu Ming stuffed the notice back into the envelope, and the sinister face of Luo Binwang appeared in his mind.

Shen Congwen pushed up his glasses and patted his shoulder meaningfully.

"This was personally selected by the top leader of the provincial party committee. Brother Liu, you've got another registered letter coming in from the province. The waters in the provincial capital are about to run even deeper. Are you, the dragon crossing the river from Ningzhou, ready to stir up some trouble?"

Liu Ming turned to look at the vast map of Jiangnan outside the window, a wild smile playing on her lips.

"Shallow waters can't hold true dragons; the deeper the waters, the more fun I have."