The game of power begins with the police officers at the local police station.

After checking everything, they found nothing and headed back home.

In the evening, Chen Shi led his team to Chunlai Restaurant for dinner.

After a long day of work, no one wants to work under a boss who doesn't even get a hot meal.

For the next week or two, they searched everywhere but found no trace of Zhang Dong.

The document issued by the Public Security Bureau this time was like a gust of wind; it passed by without leaving anything behind.

There are still no leads on fugitive Zhang Dong.

August has arrived in the blink of an eye, and the Mid-Autumn Festival is a grand festival, a peak time for gift-giving within the system.

Chen Shi and Wang Yanhong had just finished eating. Chen Shi was washing dishes in the kitchen when there was a knock on the door. Wang Yanhong went to open the door and saw Zhang Hu and Xu Mengmeng standing at the door, each carrying two boxes of gifts.

Wang Yanhong called out, "Mengmeng, come in quickly."

The two men entered carrying gifts, and Wang Yanhong called out, "Please sit down."

Zhang Hu asked, "Isn't Chief Chen home?"

"He's washing the dishes. Have you eaten yet?"

"I've eaten," Xu Mengmeng said with a smile. "Director Chen is such a good man. Such a high-ranking leader, and he still washes the dishes for you at home."

Even the highest-ranking leader needs to eat.

Chen Shi came out of the kitchen, and Zhang Hu and Xu Mengmeng quickly stood up. Chen Shi called out, "Sit down quickly. Come to my house to play. If you have anything, take it with you when you leave."

Xu Mengmeng smiled and said, "Director Chen, Zhang Hu said that since it's almost the Mid-Autumn Festival, he's bringing you some mooncakes."

This year, thanks to your care, this is all his gratitude.

Chen Shi glanced at the gifts: two boxes of mooncakes, exquisitely packaged; a box of wine, containing two bottles; and a box of tea.

It is worth around two thousand.

"Don't do it again next time."

Wang Yanhong stood up with a smile. "So what if you accept it? Why pretend? What leader doesn't accept gifts?"

Accepting gifts is not illegal.

Take the four boxes of gifts to your room and put them away safely; it wouldn't look good if someone came and saw them.

During holidays, it's customary for people in the system to give gifts. If you don't accept them, you'll seem out of place. Just make sure you don't put money in the gifts.

With Chen's current abilities, he is not yet at the level to secretly put money in gifts.

Chen Shi sat down, and Zhang Hu quickly offered him a cigarette, respectfully handing it to him with both hands.

Chen Shi took the cigarette, put it in his mouth, and Zhang Hu's lighter was already at his side, lighting the cigarette.

Zhang Hu said sincerely, "Commander Chen, I am your soldier. I will go wherever you point without hesitation."

Chen Shi was very satisfied with Zhang Hu's performance. After being taught a lesson last time, he seemed like a completely different person.

Chen Shi was unaware that this was all thanks to Xu Mengmeng. Both of them came from rural areas and had no connections. If Zhang Hu wanted to get a position, he had no choice but to cling tightly to Chen Shi's coattails.

Xu Mengmeng learned from Wang Yanhong that Chen Shi's uncle was the deputy secretary of the municipal party committee. With such a background, Chen Shi would not stay in the police station for long, and his future career was bright.

As long as Zhang Hu clings tightly to Chen Shi, he could potentially rise to the rank of section chief, let alone deputy section chief.

Wang Yanhong brought out some fruit and asked Xu Mengmeng and Zhang Hu to eat.

After chatting for a while, Zhang Hu and Xu Mengmeng got up and left.

The following evening, Zhang Youcai brought four boxes of gifts to my home.

"Director Chen, it's almost the Mid-Autumn Festival. Thank you for your care. I wish you a happy Mid-Autumn Festival in advance."

"Just come in and sit down, no need to bring any gifts."

Zhang Youcai sat down with a smile, Chen Shi made tea, the two chatted for a while, and then got up to leave.

Over the next few days, Chen Shi's house was filled with gifts.

Looking at the gifts, Wang Yanhong said, "With so many things, you could open a supermarket."

"I have some at home, so I'll take a few boxes and give them to your school leaders."

"As a teacher, my job is to teach my students well; there's no need for me to give them gifts."

"It's never wrong to be too polite. Giving gifts is a must within the system. It doesn't cost you any money. Giving a gift is always better than not giving one. Trust me."

The boss might not know who gave gifts, but he definitely remembers who didn't. The hard, tiring, and difficult tasks will be assigned to those who didn't give gifts without hesitation.

"If everyone's given gifts, who's going to do all this work?" Wang Yanhong asked curiously.

"It's impossible to give gifts to everyone. There will always be a few who don't know how to get along with people. Even if you give gifts to everyone, there are different levels of value in the gifts. If you give something insignificant, the leader will still remember it."

"I just want to teach my books well, why is it so difficult?"

"People live in reality, there's no way around it. If you want to be aloof, don't join the system."

This weekend, I'm going to the county town to deliver gifts to a few leaders.

The gifts for Liu Youguang and Zhang Xiangdong were prepared separately and were worth around five thousand yuan.

For Li Hong's gifts, send him a few boxes of expensive items, no less than a thousand.

As for Huang Ming and Xu Ping'an, just bring a few boxes home and give them to them.

My aunt Li Nan gave me a gift: an expensive thermos to remind her to drink hot water regularly.

She would find this nephew very thoughtful, which is better than receiving expensive gifts from him.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Wang Yanhong went to open it, and Xu Linlin came in carrying two boxes of gifts.

"Director Chen, Yan Hong, I'm sorry to disturb your rest."

Wang Yanhong quickly replied, "No, it's still early. We just finished eating. Cousin, please sit down."

Xu Linlin sat down next to Chen Shi: "Director Chen, it's almost the Mid-Autumn Festival. I'll bring two boxes of mooncakes as a gift for you."

"Sister Xu, you're too kind. We're all family. Just come and sit down. There's no need to bring gifts."

Wang Yanhong brought over some fruit and asked Xu Linlin to eat it.

The three chatted for a while, then Xu Linlin got up and left.

Xu Linlin walked to the entrance of the police station and saw Ma Guoliang walking towards her carrying two boxes of gifts.

"Old Ma, who is this gift for?"

"Come and sit at Chief Chen's house."

"Why don't you come to my house for a visit? My sofa is big and warm."

"I wouldn't dare, I'm afraid your husband will take a kitchen knife and chop me up."

Xu Linlin sneered: "Coward."

Walk away quickly.

Ma Guoliang looked at Xu Linlin's graceful figure and almost drooled. It wasn't that he didn't have the desire, but that he didn't dare to.

He doesn't even know whose woman she is; she's not someone he can lay a finger on.

Ma Guoliang arrived at Chen Shi's house and left two boxes of gifts.

"Old Ma, have a seat."

Chen Shi took a cigarette and handed it to Ma Guoliang.

Ma Guoliang quickly took the cigarette with both hands, lit it, and started smoking.

Chen Shi poured him a cup of tea and said slowly, "Old Ma, about what happened to your cousin Ma Shuang last time, it wasn't that I was being unreasonable, but he stole so many cattle and horses from Longtougou Village, and we have to give the villagers an explanation."

Ma Guoliang quickly said, "He deserves what he got. I acted impulsively because my family asked me to plead for him, and I didn't think too much about it."

Looking back, I'm so grateful to Director Chen; otherwise, I would have made a mistake.

"The fact that you think this way shows that you are a qualified police officer. Everyone has relatives, family and friends, but there must be a bottom line. If someone breaks the law, they must be brought to justice. There can be no cover-up."

"What Chen said is very true. I will keep it in mind from now on."

After chatting for a while, Ma Guoliang got up and left.

After Ma Guoliang left, Wang Yanhong came out of the room. She didn't like to have awkward conversations with people she didn't know well.

"Chen Shi, there are so many gifts at home, take a few boxes back to my parents."

Chen Shi then realized that he had forgotten to send gifts to her parents and his own parents.

"Take a few more boxes home, we can't finish them all, it would be a waste to throw them away."

Wang Yanhong said with a smile, "Then I won't be polite. It will save me the trouble of paying for it and also save me money on gifts."

With a smile on her face and a heart full of joy, she went to get the gift, set it aside, and planned to return it to her parents over the weekend.