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

In the late autumn of the capital, the wind carried a chilling, knife-like edge.

Layer upon layer of hazy, gray clouds pressed down heavily on the majestic and magnificent architectural complex.

Liu Ming looked up at the huge badge that still gleamed with a majestic luster against the leaden sky.

That was a symbol of power in Kyushu.

It was also the place where his father regretted for the rest of his life.

He tightened his grip on the tactical briefcase, which had been washed until it was slightly faded.

The bag was old. The edges were worn and frayed. It was the only personal item he had brought with him from "Dragon Fang".

He stepped alone into the National Development and Reform Commission building, which was jokingly referred to by outsiders as the "mini-central hub".

The guards at the gate stood ramrod straight, their eyes sweeping over Liu Ming with a professional scrutiny. Liu Ming presented his transfer order. No unnecessary words were exchanged. The guards, confirming its authenticity, stepped aside to let him pass.

……

"High-Tech Industries Division?"

The reception area on the first floor. A woman wearing a dark blue suit and elegant black-rimmed glasses is slowly applying nail polish.

She accepted Liu Ming's transfer order without looking up. The red nail polish on her fingertips was almost blinding.

"The new director?"

She finally raised her head. Her gaze swept over Liu Ming's extremely ordinary dark gray jacket, finally settling on his overly young face, which lacked any "official air."

A flicker of undisguised surprise flashed in his eyes, which quickly transformed into a deep sense of amusement.

"Director Liu, your arrival was quite 'low-key' indeed."

She put down the nail polish, her movements elegant yet carrying an indescribable air of disdain.

"The department is currently holding a business seminar. Deputy Director Zhao instructed that if you come, please rest in the office opposite the archives room first. He will invite you when he is done."

She didn't even stand up.

In this capital city, where even throwing a brick could hit a department-level official; in the National Development and Reform Commission, where the web of power relationships is denser than a spider's web, background is often more important than rank.

Clearly, in the eyes of these well-informed "old-timers," this young director, not yet thirty, who had been transferred from a remote province, was nothing more than a lucky but doomed drowning chicken in this deep pool.

"Will you come and invite me when you're done with your work?"

Liu Ming smiled. He casually took the note with the office number on it, his eyes calm and expressionless.

"Okay. I'd also like to see just how 'busy' this company's business really is."

……

The High Technology Industries Division is located on the fourth floor of the building.

This place should have been the engine for the technological take-off of Kyushu, the most dynamic and efficient place.

However, as Liu Ming walked down the spacious corridor, all she heard was the clinking of teacups and the sounds of laughter and conversation about which horse farm had just received a new thoroughbred.

In the office area, several staff members were sitting together, discussing the stock charts on their computer screens.

On the walls along both sides of the corridor hung various banners proclaiming "Science and Technology Revitalize the Nation." But in Liu Ming's eyes, those words all seemed so hypocritical and ironic.

The air was thick with the aroma of expensive cigars and tea, a scent that spoke of corruption and the decline of power.

Liu Ming walked to the end of the corridor.

There. Near the restroom. Directly opposite the archives.

There were no signs on the door. I pushed it open. A pungent musty smell mixed with the stuffy heat from a lack of ventilation hit me.

"Tick-tock." "Tick-tock."

In the corner of the roof, water was slowly dripping down due to the aging of the heating pipes upstairs.

A desk stood in the very center. The paint on the desk was wrinkled and peeling. One of the chairs seemed to have a shorter leg, wobbling precariously.

The most conspicuous thing was the mountain of old newspapers that hadn't been cleared away yet. Two huge spiderwebs were even spun on them.

This is hardly the director's office.

This is clearly a storage room that has been forgotten for decades!

This is Zhao Ruihu. He's the older brother of Zhao Ruilong, the one Liu Ming kicked into hell in Ningzhou. This is the appetizer prepared for his "boss."

Liu Ming stood amidst the mess, not even putting down her briefcase.

He stared at the dripping hole directly opposite the table, at the two spiderwebs trembling slightly in the shadows.

Outside the window, a clap of thunder flashed. An unusually heavy rainstorm had struck the capital city in early winter.

The rain lashed against the windows, intensifying the musty smell of decay in the dilapidated house.

"Director, what...what are you doing here?"

A timid voice came from the doorway.

Liu Ming turned around. It was a boy who looked to be about twenty-three or twenty-four years old, wearing a faded school recruitment uniform and carrying a thick stack of files.

Judging from his appearance, he was a naive young man who had just joined the company and had been sidelined to do manual labor.

"I am Liu Ming." Liu Ming nodded to him.

"Ah! You must be the new Director Liu?"

The boy cried out in surprise, nearly dropping the file in his hand. His face was filled with fear, and even a hint of indignation at Liu Ming's injustice.

"How...how could they have arranged for you to be here? Deputy Director Zhao clearly said..."

"What he said doesn't matter." Liu Ming interrupted him, her gaze sweeping over the dusty desk.

He stretched out his long, slender fingers and lightly ran them across the tabletop; his fingertips were covered in a thick layer of black ash.

"What's your name?" Liu Ming asked.

"Reporting to the Director, my name is Chen Xiaobei. I just joined the department this year and am currently working in the General Affairs Department... doing odd jobs." Chen Xiaobei lowered his head, his voice somewhat hoarse.

"Xiao Bei, go get me a kettle of water. The hottest water I can get."

Liu Ming slowly pulled out the dilapidated chair and sat down calmly. Although the chair creaked, his upright posture made the dilapidated house seem to instantly transform into an unshakeable steel fortress.

"By the way." Liu Ming's eyes gradually turned cold, and a flash of bloodthirsty sharpness belonging to "Shura" disappeared in the darkness.

"Go tell Zhao Ruihu that I, Liu Ming, thank him for his generous gift."

"Since he feels this place is too cold and needs some warmth."

Liu Ming looked at the desk covered in cobwebs, a chilling smile curving her lips.

He lowered his voice and spoke to his only subordinate:

"Then I'll make this fire burn even redder than the sunset over the capital."