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

The Provincial Party Committee compound, Office Building No. 1.

Autumn sunlight streamed through the windows of towering ancient locust trees, dappling the clean and solemn corridor. A faint scent of ink and the distinctive, calming aroma of mahogany furniture filled the air. Liu Ming walked on the thick carpet, his footsteps almost completely absorbed. Secretaries and clerks passing by stopped what they were doing, bowed slightly, and looked at him with a complex mix of awe and respect.

No longer the young man who was considered a "troublemaker" when he first arrived in the provincial capital, Liu Ming is now recognized as the "pillar of stability" in Jiangnan Province.

He pushed open the heavy mahogany door.

Provincial Party Secretary Chu Tiankuo stood by the window, his back to the door. Sunlight lengthened his shadow, casting a deep silhouette on the large mahogany desk. Hearing the door open, Chu Tiankuo slowly turned around. His expression no longer held the usual commanding authority, but rather the gratification of an old soldier seeing a victorious comrade.

"You're here." Chu Tiankuo pointed to the chair opposite him. "Sit down and have one last cup of this fine tea from Jiangnan Province with me."

Liu Ming didn't stand on ceremony and sat down directly. He watched Chu Tiankuo skillfully wash the cups and brew the tea, each movement appearing extremely slow, as if he were reminiscing about some fleeting moment.

"Secretary, you called me here today for more than just tea, didn't you?" Liu Ming got straight to the point, his tone still casual yet sharp.

Chu Tiankuo paused slightly, then burst into hearty laughter. He put down the teapot and pulled a kraft paper envelope covered with bright red sealing wax from his briefcase. The words "Organization Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China" were prominently printed in the upper left corner of the envelope, while a striking blue "Top Secret" stamp was in the lower right corner.

"You're still as impatient as ever."

Chu Tiankuo's smile gradually faded, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity. He stood up and walked to Liu Ming. In that instant, the atmosphere in the entire office seemed to become heavier.

"Comrade Liu Ming, what follows is the organization's official message to you."

Liu Ming stopped smiling and stood up solemnly.

Chu Tiankuo slowly unfolded the thin, yet incredibly heavy sheet of paper. He took a deep breath and read aloud in a slightly trembling but extremely powerful voice:

"After careful consideration, the Central Committee has decided that, given Comrade Liu Ming's exceptional ability to coordinate macroeconomic affairs during his tenure in Jiangnan Province, the 'Jiangnan New Deal' he spearheaded successfully reversed the province's economic downturn and achieved explosive growth in high-tech industries. Furthermore, his steadfast stance in the fight against corruption saved the country a huge amount of economic losses, demonstrating extremely high political awareness."

Chu Tiankuo paused for a moment after reading this, his gaze shooting towards Liu Ming like lightning.

"Comrade Liu Ming is hereby transferred to Beijing and appointed as Director-General of the High-Tech Industry Department of the National Development and Reform Commission, and will preside over the daily work of the 'National Chip and Strategic Technology Breakthrough Group'. His administrative rank is officially confirmed as that of a department-level official. This transfer order is effective immediately."

……

A deathly silence fell over the office.

Apart from the ticking of the old-fashioned wall clock, Liu Ming could even hear the sound of her own blood flowing.

Director-General of the High-Tech Industries Department, National Development and Reform Commission.

This position, though only a mid-level one in the power structure of Beijing, holds the power to approve projects and the nation's technological lifeline for the next five to ten years. It is truly a vital national asset.

More importantly, there was that "Strategic Technology Breakthrough Team".

This means that Liu Ming will represent the highest will of the nation to engage in a real, bloody battle with those international giants who are holding us back.

"Director-General level...Director." Liu Ming murmured the title, his eyes becoming deep and sharp.

Chu Tiankuo looked at him, a hint of reluctance flashing in his eyes. He walked to Liu Ming's side and patted him heavily on the shoulder.

"Little Liu, the case in Jiangnan Province isn't even completely closed yet, and people in the capital are already getting restless. Old Master Lin personally contacted me, saying he wants to borrow your sharpest blade to cut through that fog of mystery."

He sighed and pointed to the vast city of Ningzhou outside the window.

"Three months. You only took three months. Not only did you eliminate the cancer that had been lurking for decades like Luo Binwang, but you also revitalized this stagnant province. Tens of millions of people in the province remember your kindness, and those 'umbrellas of ten thousand people' are your source of confidence."

"But once you get to the capital, everything will be different." Chu Tiankuo's tone became extremely earnest. "There, not only are there local bullies, but also real deep-sea crocodiles. You could smash three section chiefs with a single brick. You won't be the 'Director Liu' who has the final say there anymore. The power struggles you face will be comprehensive and the most brutal."

Liu Ming took the transfer order, her fingertips touching the edge of the paper, feeling a cold and hard texture.

He did not show any elation at the promotion.

At that moment, his mind flashed back to the people of Qingyun County who were seeing him off in the rain, to the laboratory lights that shone brightly all night in Ningzhou High-tech Zone, and finally settled on the gentle yet strong portrait of his father, Liu Jianguo.

"Secretary, I understand."

Liu Ming raised her head, her eyes as calm as a deep well. "I used to be a soldier, and a soldier's duty is to obey orders. Now, I'm an officer, and an officer's duty is to guard the country's gates."

"Whether in Jiangnan Province or in the capital."

"Whether we are facing Luo Binwang or those comprador traitors who are even more deeply hidden."

"This knife of mine will only get sharper with each sharpening."

Chu Tiankuo looked at the young man before him, who was not yet thirty, and at the spirit in his brows that was enough to support an era. He knew that the pond of Jiangnan Province could no longer contain this hidden dragon.

Over the past few months, they were nominally superior and subordinate, but in reality, they were close friends despite their age difference. In Liu Ming, Chu Tiankuo saw a kind of childlike innocence that he had longed to possess in his youth but had gradually lost...

"good!"

Chu Tiankuo picked up the warm teacup again, raised it to Liu Ming, and said, "Since that's the case, then I won't keep you any longer. The formalities are already being processed, and I'll have my secretary arrange a car to take your luggage. I won't be hosting a banquet for you tonight. It'll save those old folks from coming here crying and wailing again."

He looked at Liu Ming with eyes full of expectation and blessings.

"Go. The roads in the capital may be slippery, but that's the vast ocean that a roc like you should venture into."

Liu Ming picked up the teacup and drank it all in one gulp.

Slightly bitter.

Sweet aftertaste.

He stood up and gave the old Party Secretary a standard military salute once again.

"Secretary, take care."

He turned around and strode out of the office.

The sunlight shone on his broad shoulders, as if draping him in a golden armor.

window.

Chu Tiankuo watched the tall figure disappear into the distance, and after a long while, he slowly exhaled a long breath. Looking at the clouds faintly visible on the distant horizon, he muttered to himself in the empty office:

"This trip will likely bring about another upheaval."

"From now on, Ningzhou will have no heroes."

"The capital is about to become unsafe."

As Liu Ming walked out of the provincial party committee compound, he didn't look back. He looked up to the north, where an ancient capital stood, bearing witness to thousands of years of Chinese history. There lay his unfinished revenge and his grand ambition to protect the nation.

He touched the heavy transfer order in his arms.

A wild and confident smile curved at the corners of his lips.

"The capital, here I come."

In the corridor behind him, the tea in the cup was still steaming, and his path to the pinnacle of fame had only just begun.

In the distance, Shen Congwen ran over, panting.

"Director Liu, the car is ready. Would you like to leave now, or...?"

Liu Ming smiled faintly:

"Now."