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

Chen Shi arrived at Xu Ping'an's apartment, where Xu Ping'an was already waiting at the door. He walked over quickly, smiled, and said, "Ping'an, where are we going for drinks tonight?"

"Come with me"

Chen Shi followed Xu Pingan to a black Volkswagen. Xu Pingan opened the door and said, "Get in."

"Is this your car?"

"I just bought it last week, and the license plate only came in yesterday."

Xu Ping'an's family is quite wealthy; this car cost over 200,000 yuan. Even when he was in school, Xu Ping'an's clothes were much more stylish than those of this man from the countryside.

Chen Shi tentatively asked, "You've only been working for a few years, and you already have the money to buy a car?"

"The car was bought by my family. My salary is only enough for my own expenses. I'm just like you, living paycheck to paycheck."

The two chatted idly in the car, which then drifted further and further out of the city. Chen Shi asked, "Ping An, where are we going? We're already out of town."

"Don't worry, I won't cut your kidney. There's a farmhouse restaurant up ahead. It's not crowded during working hours, but it gets busier on weekends. I like quiet places."

Chen Shi knew that a storm was brewing at Hua Man Lou, and everyone was afraid of getting into trouble. It was rare for Xu Ping'an to invite him to dinner at this time.

He was afraid that in the city, with so many people talking, he didn't want to be seen by Hu Hai's men, the county party secretary, and be lumped into Chen Shi's camp to be dealt with together.

What Chen Shi didn't know was that Xu Ping'an's uncle, Xu Sanduo, the secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, warned Xu Ping'an not to take sides, but to proceed steadily and watch the power struggle between County Magistrate Liu Youguang and County Party Secretary Hu Hai.

The car pulled into a farmhouse restaurant, the two got out, ordered a private room, and some barbecue.

Chen Shi wanted some wine, but Xu Ping'an said, "I'm driving, I don't drink, tea will do."

"Ping An, if you don't drink, it's no fun for me to drink alone. Let me have some tea with you."

The two ordered a pot of tea.

The surroundings are very quiet; it's definitely a good place for a heart-to-heart talk.

The two ate and chatted.

Xu Pingan poured tea for Chen Shi: "Old classmate, there are some things I didn't want to tell you, but your background is no secret among the higher-ups."

Chen Shi put down his chopsticks and listened attentively.

"You've been hiding something well, kid. You didn't even tell me the truth. Is Wang Mingzhang, the deputy secretary of the municipal party committee, your uncle?"

Having said all that, Chen Shi gave an awkward smile: "He is my uncle, but the matter is very complicated and cannot be explained in a few words."

"You can't explain it clearly, but the people above have already found out."

Chen Shi nodded. He had expected this. He could only keep it a secret for a while, not forever. It was only a matter of time before they found out.

These big shots have connections everywhere. If they can't even understand this little thing, they won't be able to hold onto their positions.

Xu Pingan took a sip of tea: "The officialdom in Mingzhou is very chaotic. In Chunyang County, the county head and the party secretary are at odds and belong to two different factions. Up to the city level, the municipal party secretary Xiao Chong and the mayor Yang Zhiyuan are also at odds."

County Party Secretary Hu Hai is a man of Mayor Yang Zhiyuan, and County Head Liu Youguang is a man of your uncle. Your uncle and Municipal Party Secretary Xiao Chong are in the same faction; they are in the same trench.

Xu Ping'an sighed: "If you choose the wrong side, at best you'll be reduced to your original state, and at worst you'll face imprisonment."

As your longtime classmate, I suggest you stay out of this. Being the deputy director in Fushan Town is a good option.

Chen Shi laughed and said, "Life is a gamble. If you win, you have everything; if you lose, you become a laughing stock."

Your uncle told you all this, didn't he?

Xu Pingan remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

"I don't have your family background or your uncle's protection. My relationship with Wang Mingzhang is very complicated. To this day, he hasn't acknowledged me or even said a word to me."

I'm sure the bigwigs in the county have all guessed this. If Wang Mingzhang recognized me, how could I possibly be an ordinary police officer in a remote place? I would at least be in the city bureau.

Last year I told you I had an uncle who was the deputy secretary of the municipal party committee, and you would never have believed me, not even if you paid me.

Indeed, Xu Ping'an nodded. You're quite resourceful, kid. It's not easy to take advantage of the situation and become a deputy director.

"I still believe that the bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish. If ordinary people want to make progress, they have to take risks. A stable and predictable path may suit you, but it may not suit me."

"I am grateful to the Mingzhou government for giving me this opportunity; otherwise, I would have spent my entire life in Fushan Town, living out my old age in quietude."

Seeing that Chen Shi had made up his mind, Xu Ping'an said nothing more.

The two started chatting casually, no longer discussing this heavy topic.

On the other side, Liu Youguang and Zhang Xiangdong were having a good meal in a private room in a small courtyard. Liu Youguang lit a cigarette.

"Chen Shi is Secretary Wang's nephew. I have confirmed this repeatedly. Secretary Wang has never acknowledged him. It was Li Nan who asked me to take care of him and use this opportunity to transfer him to the Public Security Bureau, making him a sharp sword in our hands to pierce the heart of our political enemies."

Zhang Xiangdong lit a cigarette as well: "County Magistrate Liu, you think so highly of him, can he complete the mission?"

Liu Youguang chuckled: "It doesn't matter. Let's test him. If he's not cut out for it, we can just send him to Hu Hai as a sacrifice. We won't lose anything."

Zhang Xiangdong truly admired Chen Shi; as a mere security management captain, he was able to challenge Hu Hai, the county party secretary—a futile effort.

He said calmly, "Chen Shi alone has limited strength and is no match for them."

"We should support him when the time is right. I've heard that after the New Year, the central government will issue a document on cracking down on organized crime. This is a golden opportunity. Let Chen Shi stir up trouble first, and then we'll take action."

Zhang Xiangdong nodded: "Chunyang County is going to launch a crackdown on organized crime and eliminate evil forces, to make those corrupt officials bleed a little."

In Chunyang County, there are two major family powers. One is the Chengshi Entertainment Group, represented by Fu Chengcheng, which owns 90% of the entertainment venues in Chunyang County.

His powerful backer is Tian Guolong, the executive deputy county head, and Fu Cheng is his cousin.

The other one is Li Kunyi, from Chengshi Entertainment Group. In their eyes, he is like a younger brother.

Li Kunyi's Yikun Group monopolized all engineering projects in Chunyang County, and all the real estate in Chunyang County was developed by them.

Developers from other places who want to enter Chunyang County cannot do so without Li Kun's approval.

The powerful figure behind them was Hu Hai, the county party secretary.

Liu Youguang tapped the table lightly: "Xiang Dong, who do you think we should deal with first?"

"Let's pick the weakest link first. Let Chen Shi target Chengshi Entertainment Group first, see how he performs, and sharpen his edge so he can deal with Li Kunyi."

Yikun Group is a major taxpayer in the county; affecting one part of it would have far-reaching consequences, so we need to be cautious.

Liu Youguang nodded: "Their hands are all dirty. With these criminal gangs around, Chunyang County has no future."

They are like malignant tumors in the body, and they must be removed. It's better to suffer for a while than to suffer for a lifetime.

I consulted Secretary Wang, and he relayed the message to the provincial authorities, telling us to go all out and that the higher-ups support us.

Hearing Liu Youguang's words, Zhang Xiangdong felt relieved. Without the support from above, it would be difficult to move his subordinates.

If you fail to kill the tiger, you will be killed instead; you must strike a fatal blow.

The two had a few drinks, chatted for a while, and then parted ways.