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

After the swift and decisive action, comes the gentle and pervasive influence of spring.

The collapse of Dingsheng Group and the purge of the medical and education systems were like three resounding slaps to the faces of the deeply entrenched interest groups in Shanghai. The once high and mighty "rules" shattered into pieces before Liu Ming's gleaming blade.

But this is only the beginning.

Destroying the old is for the sake of establishing the new.

In just six months, a series of people-benefiting measures, which the people of Shanghai call "upright governance," have taken root and sprouted in this steel jungle with an unquestionable and uncompromising stance.

The "land king" in the eastern suburbs that Wang Haiba acquired through underhanded means was forcibly reclaimed by the municipal government. Instead of building up high-end villas for the wealthy to display their status, a well-planned and fully-equipped affordable housing project was built on the ground.

Tens of thousands of young talents who had worked hard in Shanghai for years but could never afford a toilet settled down here at a cost far below market price.

"The end is nigh for property speculators!"

This is the exclamation from the most influential financial media in Shanghai in a lengthy report.

With the implementation of strict purchase and sale restrictions and the entry of a large number of affordable housing units into the market, Liu Ming finally slammed on the brakes on Shanghai's housing price war machine, which had been running wild for more than a decade!

Housing prices have stabilized.

The massive amount of capital squeezed out of the real estate and financial bubbles, under Liu Ming's "restructuring and upgrading" strategy, has flowed into the real manufacturing industry and high-tech industries like rivers flowing into the sea.

Those chip factories and precision instrument manufacturers that were once forced to relocate from Haishi to other places to survive have moved back one after another. The roar of machines has once again resounded in the factories of the High-tech Zone.

The technicians who had been repairing appliances in the alleyways after the factory closed down have put on their white coats again, straightened their backs, and walked into the bright, dust-free laboratory.

Shanghai, the Pearl of the Orient that had been held hostage by financial oligarchs for too long, has finally shed its glitz and glamour and is once again shining with the industrial glory of a major national asset!

……

The Bund on the weekend.

A gentle breeze blew across the river, and the afterglow of the setting sun painted the Huangpu River into a shimmering gold.

Liu Ming and Xi Wanqing did not bring any entourage. Dressed in ordinary casual clothes, they looked like an ordinary young couple, holding hands and strolling along the bustling riverside promenade.

Instead of going to those upscale revolving restaurants, they squeezed into a time-honored pan-fried bun shop.

"Boss, half a pound of pan-fried buns and two bowls of curry beef soup, please," Liu Ming said expertly.

"Alright! Please wait a moment!" the plump proprietress replied with a smile.

The shop was crowded, mostly with ordinary citizens who had just finished get off work. They ate steaming hot pan-fried buns, chatted about everyday life, and the air was filled with a down-to-earth and warm atmosphere.

"Hey, have you heard? That 'Sunshine Jincheng' development in our district, which's been abandoned for five years, is going to be handed over to residents next month!" A middle-aged man wearing a hard hat at the next table was so excited that his eyes were red.

"How come I never heard of that! My wife and I almost divorced over this apartment. It's all thanks to Secretary Liu! I heard he gave a direct order: if the developer doesn't raise the money to resume construction by the end of the month, arrest all their bosses and make them work on sewing machines!" A young man next to him gave a thumbs up. "That's a real, capable official!"

"That's right! My grandson is starting elementary school this year, and I was worried about raising the hundreds of thousands of yuan for sponsorship fees. But guess what? That greedy Principal Li was arrested! Now they're implementing transparent admissions, and without spending a penny, my grandson got into the public elementary school closest to our home!" An elderly man with white hair smiled, his wrinkles smoothing out.

"If you ask me, Secretary Liu and Mayor Xi are like living saints sent by God to save the people of Haishi!"

Hearing the simple yet heartfelt praise from the people at the next table, Xi Wanqing's eyes welled up slightly. She turned her head and looked at the man sitting opposite her, enjoying his pan-fried buns.

In this megacity with tens of millions of inhabitants, no one recognizes the top leader who frequently appears on television news. But his name is deeply etched in the hearts of every ordinary citizen.

"Secretary Liu, are you feeling quite proud to hear the people praising you?" Xi Wanqing chuckled and teased in a low voice.

Liu Ming swallowed the food in her mouth and pulled out a tissue to wipe her mouth.

He looked out the window at the ordinary people who were hurrying along but walking with firm steps, and his eyes revealed a deep sense of compassion and responsibility.

"I wouldn't call it pride, only reverence," he said softly. "The common people's demands are actually very simple. They don't ask for great wealth or high status; they just want money for medical treatment when they're sick, for their children to go to school, and for the money they've worked hard to save their whole lives to buy a house to shelter them from the wind and rain. If we officials can't even meet such simple demands, then what's the point of wearing this official hat?"

After finishing their pan-fried dumplings, the two continued their stroll along the Bund.

Suddenly, a rhythmic guitar melody came from the square not far away.

A street performer wearing a baseball cap was holding a beat-up wooden guitar, surrounded by a large group of young people. He wasn't singing popular love songs, but instead belting out an original folk song at the top of his lungs.

That year, the river water was as murky as ink.

A forest of reinforced concrete, a man-eating demon

You're carrying a meager salary, gazing at exorbitantly priced mansions.

Dreams are like punctured balloons, falling in the wind.

The singer's voice, weathered and hoarse, expressed the sorrow and helplessness of countless migrant workers in Shanghai. Many young people in the crowd had tears in their eyes.

But then, the singer's style changed, and the rhythm became more exciting!

Later, a customer wearing a white shirt came.

He kicked those bloodsucking tigers into the river!

They tore down the wall of school district housing and shattered the lock on the difficulty of accessing medical care.

He said, "The city lights should also illuminate your homes!"

He doesn't sing hymns without official documents.

He smashed those filthy shells with his iron fist.

The wind in Mirage is finally no longer bitter.

Brothers, our backbones can stand tall again!

As the music ended, thunderous applause and cheers erupted in the square!

"Great! Well sung!"

"Salute to Secretary Liu!"

"Judge Liu is awesome!"

Countless young people waved their arms excitedly. They didn't know who Liu Ming was, and many had never even seen what he looked like. But they knew that it was that person who gave them hope and dignity to continue living in this city.

Liu Ming and Xi Wanqing stood on the outermost edge of the crowd, quietly listening to this slightly rough but powerful song.

"You're now an idol for young people in Shanghai." Xi Wanqing looked at him, her eyes sparkling.

"I don't need to be an idol." Liu Ming squeezed her hand, turned around, his back to the dazzling neon lights, facing the night breeze blowing from the river, "I just need them to be able to live with dignity in this city."

The night is deep.

Liu Ming and Xi Wanqing returned to their home in the municipal party committee compound.

The study light was still on, and a secret document that had just been sent by the Organization Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was on the table.

That was a personnel transfer notice regarding several local faction members of the Standing Committee in Haishi. Several of Zhao Dehan's confidants were transferred out of Haishi under the guise of "lateral transfers," which were in fact demotions.

The vacant key positions will be filled by young and ambitious officials directly appointed by the central government.

Looking at this document, Liu Ming knew.

In this city, even the last bit of resistance he faced was completely swept away.

"Boss." Tank pushed open the door and walked in, holding a report in his hand. "The latest quarterly economic data is out. For the first time, the growth rate of Shanghai's real economy has surpassed that of finance and real estate, leading the country."

Liu Ming took the report, glanced at it briefly, and then casually placed it on the table.

"understood."

He walked to the window and opened it.

The autumn wind brought a touch of coolness, but also an unprecedented sense of freshness.

He looked at the city that had been reborn in his hands, and at the myriad lights of homes sleeping peacefully in the night.

He knew that the will of the people was with him, and the trend had already taken hold.

Liu Ming's foundation in this city is as solid as a rock, and no one can shake it anymore!

"tank."

"Here, boss!"

Liu Ming turned around, her eyes sharp as knives, and looked north.

That's the direction into the city.

"Go and make preparations." His voice was deep and filled with murderous intent. "The show in Haishi is over. It's time to go back to the city and settle the final accounts."