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

The jeep sped along the highway, its tires making a monotonous, rhythmic hum as they rolled over the asphalt.

The scenery outside the window rushed past; the rolling green hills, the low-rise houses, and the huge newly erected "GG" signs were all gradually left behind.

Finally, a blue boundary sign that read "Have a safe journey" flashed by.

Once you cross this line, you'll be in Ningzhou City.

The car was quiet, with only Lei Tie's hand gripping the steering wheel, his knuckles slightly white from the force. He would occasionally steal a glance at Liu Ming in the passenger seat through the rearview mirror, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Liu Ming noticed his gaze, but he didn't say anything.

He rolled down the car window and lit a cigarette.

A gust of wind blew in, ruffling his hair and dispersing the smoke. He turned his head and took a deep look at the small county town behind him, whose outline was almost indistinguishable.

That was his first stop after leaving the military.

It was also the first real battlefield in his life.

two months.

In just sixty days.

He rampaged through the china shop like a bull, turning this stagnant, filthy little place upside down.

Fight against bullies, eliminate corrupt officials, establish authority, and attract investment.

He rose from a lowly archives clerk to the position of deputy county head.

The journey has been thrilling and fraught with danger.

But in Liu Ming's current recap, all of this was actually just...

"Warm-up exercises".

"Oh."

A playful smile suddenly appeared on Liu Ming's lips. He silently said to himself:

**[System Notification: Congratulations to player Liu Ming for successfully clearing the "Newbie Village" dungeon – Qingyun County.]**

**[Clearance Rating: S-Rank (Perfect)]**

**[Achievements: Beloved by the People, Nemesis of Corrupt Officials, Infrastructure Construction Maniac.]**

**[Unlock new map: Ningzhou City.]**

That's right, the beginner village.

This is Liu Ming's definition of Qingyun County.

Here, whether it's the arrogant Nine-Fingered Qiang who only knows how to act tough, the cunning Gou Tianming who only knows how to play dirty tricks, or the self-proclaimed all-powerful local tyrant Li Yuankui, everyone is a force to be reckoned with.

In Liu Ming's eyes, they were all just level one or two monsters and elite monsters at the entrance of the newbie village.

Their methods were too rudimentary and crude.

It's either a direct attack with knives, or a clumsy attempt to frame someone.

To deal with an opponent of this caliber, Liu Ming doesn't even need to use his brain much. He can rely on the hard skills he honed in the army, plus a little bit of information advantage, to launch a devastating attack.

It's like a max-level character returning to the starting village with top-tier gear.

One cut for 999, as easy as chopping melons and vegetables.

It was fun, but it really wasn't very challenging.

"Brother Liu, what are you thinking about?" Lei Tie finally couldn't help but speak, breaking the silence. "Are you... a little reluctant to part with him?"

"Reluctant to part with it?"

Liu Ming withdrew her gaze, flicked off her cigarette ash, and the smile on her face became somewhat indifferent.

"Old Lei, we soldiers call the world our home. What is there to be reluctant to leave behind?"

"I'm just thinking that the road ahead might not be so easy."

Upon hearing this, Lei Tie's expression also turned serious.

He recalled Old Fan's parting words.

"Yes," Lei Tie sighed. "The city is not like the county. Qingyun County is just a small pond with lots of turtles. But Ningzhou... that's a real mighty river, full of crocodiles that eat people without spitting out the bones."

"Crocodile?"

Liu Ming sneered and flicked the cigarette butt out the window. The tiny, crimson flame traced an arc in the air before being instantly extinguished by the wheels of the car behind.

"Crocodile is not scary. At worst, we can skin it and make a belt."

"What's terrifying are those water ghosts hiding underwater, unseen by you, yet ready to drag you down and drown you at any moment."

Ningzhou.

That was the political, economic, and cultural center of Jiangnan Province.

It is a place where the province’s top elites gather, as well as where the most complex entanglements of interests converge.

Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Committee of the Communist Youth League.

This seemingly leisurely but actually marginalized position was the first test prepared for him by those "water ghosts".

They wanted to use this "boiling frog" method to wear down his sharpness, exhaust his patience, and slowly turn his sharp knife into a piece of useless scrap iron, making it rust and dull.

If it were an ordinary person, they might have truly resigned themselves to their fate and succumbed to despair.

pity.

They encountered Liu Ming.

He was the "Shura" who survived for three whole months in the Amazon rainforest with just a dagger.

"Old Lei."

Liu Ming suddenly spoke, her voice as calm as a deep pool of water.

"Um?"

"Once we get to the city, you shouldn't always be following me around. You're the police chief, and your battlefield is in Qingyun County. Things have just settled down there, and they can't do without you."

"How can that be?" Lei Tie exclaimed anxiously. "I promised to give it to you..."

"Let me finish speaking." Liu Ming interrupted him, her gaze fixed straight ahead. The undeniable pressure emanating from her made Lei Tie instinctively shut his mouth.

"I'm more agile when I wade into the deep waters of the city alone."

"You stay in Qingyun and take good care of the home for me. That's the greatest support you can give me."

"As for me..."

Liu Ming squinted at the steel jungle in front of him, its menacing outline already emerging from the morning mist—Ningzhou City.

Skyscrapers stand side by side, and traffic flows endlessly.

Behind every window there, perhaps a pair of prying eyes are hiding; behind every smiling face there, perhaps a murderous knife is hidden.

But he did not back down because of fear.

On the contrary, his blood was slowly boiling.

It was the excitement of meeting a worthy opponent, the desire to step into a higher-level battlefield.

After spending so much time stomping noobs in the beginner village, my skills are almost rusty.

Now, it's finally time for our max-level characters to challenge high-difficulty dungeons.

"Old Lei, speed up."

Liu Ming's voice became deep and powerful, like a bugle call before a charge.

"Now that they've set the stage for me, I have to go and... put on a good show."

"I'd like to see how deep this pool really is."

"I, the dragon crossing the river... am still more formidable!"

Lei Tie turned his head and glanced at Liu Ming.

The young man's profile was resolute, as if carved by a knife and axe. His once calm eyes now burned with two eerie flames, radiating a sharpness capable of piercing the heavens!

firm.

Resolute.

Fearless.

Lei Tie felt a jolt throughout his body, and a surge of heroic spirit welled up within him!

"Alright! Hold on tight!"

He floored the accelerator, and the Jeep roared to life, like an arrow shot from a bow, hurtling headlong into the chariot...

A place of fame and fortune called "Ningzhou"!