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

Zheng Desheng's downfall was like a boulder crashing into a deep pool, creating a massive wave that swept across the entire country over the next two weeks.

An unprecedented storm, centered on "anti-corruption through technology" and "anti-corruption through finance," has spread from within the walls of the Forbidden City to every corner of the country.

On countless nights, black cars with special license plates, like silent ghosts, would quietly stop in front of seemingly heavily guarded government compounds and luxury villas.

In the Ministry of Science and Technology, a director in charge of project approval was talking at length about "the importance of introducing advanced Western technology" at a dinner party one second, and the next second he was handcuffed by disciplinary officials who rushed into the private room.

The president of a powerful securities firm had just finished a video conference with Wall Street, plotting how to cooperate with foreign capital to short-sell domestic chips, when economic crime investigators broke in and pinned him to his million-dollar mahogany desk.

Pulling out the radish brings out the mud along with it.

As the investigation deepened, a deeply entrenched network of comprador interests was brutally torn apart and exposed to the light of day.

Hundreds of corrupt officials hidden in key national departments were purged, and thousands of shell companies and front companies involved in the "Blue Shield Project" were shut down. The amount of illegal funds recovered was enough to create another "Dragon Soaring Fund"!

For a time, the entire Chinese government and people were on edge.

Those officials who once believed in "buying is worse than making" and who spent their days thinking about how to cultivate relationships are now all silent, fearing that the sword of anti-corruption will burn their own heads.

But after this intense pain, what followed was an unprecedented rebirth, a rebirth born from destruction.

……

In an ordinary office at the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Li Wei, a young PhD engineer, was revising his "Domestic Inertial Navigation Chip" research and development project report, which had been rejected seventeen times, over and over again with red eyes.

Just yesterday, his immediate supervisor, the old director who always blocked his projects on the grounds of "immature technology and waste of national resources," was taken away.

"Xiao Li, still busy?"

A gentle voice sounded at the doorway.

Li Wei looked up and saw the newly appointed director standing at the door, a smile of encouragement on his face. This new director was none other than the pragmatic classmate from the Northwest whom Liu Ming had befriended at the Provincial Party School.

"Director Wang... Director Wang." Li Wei quickly stood up, somewhat flustered.

"Don't be nervous, sit down." Director Wang walked in, picked up the report on the table that was already full of annotations, and looked at it very carefully.

After a long while, he raised his head, his eyes filled with approval.

"Xiao Li, I've reviewed your proposal. The logic is clear, the technical approach is feasible—it's a good idea!"

Li Wei's eyes instantly reddened.

He spent three whole years working on this "good stuff"!

"But...but our former leader said that the gap between us and the West is too big, and this project...is meaningless."

"Bullshit!" Director Wang rarely swore, slamming the report heavily on the table. "What do you mean 'meaningless'? Our own planes, our own missiles, equipped with a foreign 'heart'—can that be called national defense? It's just a sitting duck!"

He took a deep breath, looked at the young man in front of him who looked somewhat thin from staying up late for a long time, and his tone became extremely solemn.

"Xiao Li, I came here today specifically for this matter."

"Your report doesn't need any further revisions. Deputy Director Liu personally reviewed it last night, and he only wrote four words: 'Fully support!'"

"From today onwards, you, Li Wei, are the chief engineer of the 'National Inertial Navigation Chip' project! Your nearly disbanded team will be expanded into a national key laboratory!"

"As for the money..." Director Wang smiled, took out an official document from his briefcase, and handed it over. "The first batch of special funds for the 'Dragon Soaring Fund,' two billion yuan, will be transferred to your account this afternoon!"

Deputy Director Liu said, "If the money isn't enough, we'll add more anytime! If we don't have enough people, he'll personally go to the Chinese Academy of Sciences to recruit them! There's only one requirement!"

Director Wang stared at Li Wei and said, word by word, "Within one year, I don't care what methods you use, I want to see a beating 'Chinese chip' on our own fighter jets!"

Li Wei stared blankly at the official document, at the familiar yet unfamiliar, flamboyant signature on it.

He felt like he was dreaming.

All the grievances, resentment, and repression of the past three years turned into scalding tears at this moment. He suddenly stood up and gave Director Wang a perfectly standard, yet trembling, military salute.

"Please rest assured, sir! I guarantee the task will be completed!"

……

This unprecedented purge in Chinese politics also shocked the world.

Oval office.

He was furiously slamming a CIA intelligence report to the ground.

"Can anyone tell me! What on earth happened? That damned 'Blue Shield Project,' we've been working on it for twenty years! We've invested hundreds of billions! How could it all be wiped out overnight?"

"Mr. President..." The Secretary of State wiped away cold sweat, his voice hoarse, "According to our information, it's...it's that young man named Liu Ming. He...he not only built a 3-nanometer lithography machine, but also...he also turned all the people we've planted within China against us."

"Liu Ming! It's Liu Ming again!" The president's face turned purple with anger. "Hasn't our technological blockade against China become a joke now?"

The Secretary of State paused for a moment, then said with difficulty, "I'm afraid... it's worse than a joke. Mr. President, just now, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced that their 'Loongson-1' chip will be available for export to 'friendly countries'..."

The president was stunned.

He slumped into his chair, his eyes vacant. He knew that from this day forward, the technological hegemony that Western countries had maintained for more than half a century had come to a complete end.

……

National Development and Reform Commission, Deputy Director's Office.

Outside the window, the first rays of dawn were breaking.

After an autumn rain, the sky in the city took on a rare, crystal-clear blue hue.

Liu Ming opened the window, and fresh air rushed in, carrying the fragrance of earth after the rain. He hadn't slept all night, but he didn't feel tired at all; instead, he felt an unprecedented sense of relaxation and clarity.

He knew that the shadow that had loomed over the country for decades had finally dissipated.

Those once-suppressed, truly idealistic and energetic new generation forces are emerging from this ancient land with unprecedented vitality.

The political and economic landscape of the entire Chinese nation has ushered in an unprecedented period of clarity.

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the office door.

Assistant Xiao Li walked in carrying a steaming cup of soy milk. Her face, which had been gloomy before, was now beaming with a genuine and radiant smile.

"Director, this is your speech at the central meeting this morning. Minister Zhou and the others said it was incredibly inspiring!"

Liu Ming took the soy milk but didn't look at the manuscript. His gaze passed through the large French windows and landed on the majestic city gate tower in the distance.

A bright red sun was rising from the horizon, its golden rays bathing the entire capital city.

The majestic strains of the national anthem could be faintly heard.

A bright five-star red flag rises slowly in the morning sun.

Liu Ming stood by the window, quietly watching this scene.

His mind was clear and bright.

"Director, there's more good news." Xiao Li's voice was tinged with excitement. "Just now, Mr. Ren from 'Shenwei Technology' called personally to say that they have joined forces with dozens of domestic semiconductor companies to establish the 'National Chip Industry Alliance,' and they even sent you an invitation."

"An invitation?"

"Yes, they want to invite you to serve as the Alliance's Honorary Chairman for Life." Little Li's eyes sparkled with admiration.

Looking at the five-star red flag fluttering in the wind, Liu Ming slowly curled up a faint smile on her lips.

"Tell them that this honor belongs to this country."