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

Knowing that he had been transferred to Shangying Town Central School as vice principal, Ma Guanghui shouted loudly in his office and cursed without restraint.

When Wang Zhikai found out, he wanted to add more firewood, so he called Ma Guanghui to his office.

Ma Guanghui arrived at Wang Zhikai's office. Wang Zhikai closed the door and said with a smile, "Section Chief Ma, please sit down. Why are you so angry?"

Relying on his uncle Ma Chunlan's backing, Ma Guanghui completely disregarded the deputy directors. He plopped down on the sofa and angrily said, "Director Wang, what's going on? I only submitted the statistical report two days late. They want to send me to the township because of this? That's completely untenable. They're trying to use me to establish their authority. They've picked the wrong target. I'm not a pushover, and they won't let me bully me."

Wang Zhikai calmly said, "Section Chief Ma, I did my best to protect you at the Party Committee meeting. But I was outnumbered and couldn't fight against the powerful. I also offended the newly appointed director. I'm afraid I won't have a place in the bureau anymore."

After the meeting, Wang Zhikai spread the contents of the Party Group meeting, asking Ma Guanghui to remember this favor he had done for him.

Ma Guanghui snorted coldly: "If they don't want me here, there are plenty of other places that will. We'll see. I'll call my third uncle later and have them tell the Discipline Inspection Commission to investigate Chen Shi and Huang Ming. If the Discipline Inspection Commission is serious, no one's hands will be clean."

Director Wang, thank you for protecting me at the Party Group meeting. I, Ma Guanghui, will remember this kindness.

"If the disciplinary committee intervenes in the investigation, Chen Shi and Huang Ming will definitely lose their positions. You are the most senior official in the Education Bureau; no one else is qualified to be the director besides you."

Wang Zhikai said sincerely, "Section Chief Ma, I appreciate your kind words. If I become the director, I will immediately recommend you to the county committee for the position of deputy director."

Ma Guanghui took out his phone: "I'll call my third uncle right now and report this matter."

Wang Zhikai quickly said, "Section Chief Ma, there are too many people and too much gossip in the bureau. Tonight, I'd like to invite you and Secretary Ma to dinner at Xiaoyuan Renjia. We can eat and chat together."

Seeing that Wang Zhikai was being so polite and even wanted to treat him to a meal, Ma Guanghui's anger subsided by half, and he called Ma Chunlan.

Ma Chunlan had just finished a meeting and returned to her office when she received a call from Ma Guanghui.

"Radiance, what's wrong?"

Ma Guanghui smiled obsequiously: "Third Uncle, are you free tonight? Director Wang Zhikai of the Education Bureau would like to invite you to dinner."

Ma Chunlan sneered inwardly, "Did they invite you?"

"I have something to do tonight. Please let Director Wang know, and we can talk again when I have time."

When Ma Guanghui saw that Ma Chunlan refused, he felt that he had lost face in front of Wang Zhikai. This phone call was made in front of Wang Zhikai.

With a smile on his face, he said, "Third Uncle, I have something important to report to you, but it's not convenient to say it over the phone. Could you spare some time tonight to tell me?"

Come home at nine o'clock tonight.

Before Ma Guanghui could speak, Ma Chunlan had already hung up the phone.

Ma Guanghui looked embarrassed and forced a smile: "Director Wang, my third uncle has something to do tonight, so we'll reschedule for another day."

Wang Zhikai said expressionlessly, "Then let's reschedule."

After seeing Ma Guanghui off, Wang Zhikai felt he had suffered a huge loss, as Ma Guanghui held no weight in Ma Chunlan's heart.

As a leader in the bureau, Ma Chunlan would not refuse if she cared about Ma Guanghui even a little.

The saying goes, "A local official is more powerful than a distant one"—everyone in the system knows this.

That evening, Ma Guanghui went to Ma Chunlan's house. Ma Chunlan was washing her feet. He didn't have anything to do that night. Wang Zhikai wanted to invite him to dinner, which was nothing more than an attempt to curry favor with him. Wang Zhikai had contacted him before the New Year but he hadn't met him. He knew Wang Zhikai wanted to become the head of the Education Bureau.

Liu Youguang attaches great importance to education. In the past two years, he was fighting with Hu Hai. Now that Hu Hai has fallen, he has become the top leader and his first priority is to reform education.

The person who became the head of the Education Bureau was definitely Liu Youguang's confidant; anyone else thinking about it was just wishful thinking and pointless.

When he heard that Wang Zhikai wanted to invite him to dinner, he promptly refused. He didn't want to get involved with the Education Bureau; wouldn't that just be asking for trouble?

Ma Guanghui smiled obsequiously: "Third Uncle, I'm in trouble?"

"You didn't encounter any difficulties that day," Ma Chunlan said without even glancing at him.

Seeing that Ma Chunlan had finished washing her feet, Ma Guanghui quickly grabbed a towel and wiped her feet.

"Third Uncle, we've really run into trouble this time. Chen Shi and Huang Ming have just taken office at the Education Bureau. Today, at the Party Committee meeting, they dismissed me as the head of the Basic Education Section and transferred me to Shangying Town Central School as the vice principal."

They're making an example of me. They know I'm your nephew, yet they still target me. They don't respect you at all.

I don't want to work in town; I want to stay in the county seat so I can visit you more often.

Ma Chunlan's face darkened as she looked at Ma Guanghui: "Why did Chen Shi and Huang Ming choose you as their target instead of others? Wasn't it you who handed them the knife?"

Ma Guanghui looked aggrieved: "Third Uncle, Huang Ming assigned me to compile statistics on the shortage of teachers for nine-year compulsory education. The statistical report was only two days late. Is it really necessary to make such a big deal out of it and directly dismiss me as the head of the Basic Education Section? Isn't it because he thinks I'm easy to bully and doesn't respect you?"

Ma Chunlan's tone became sterner: "Are you a pig-brain? Don't you have any political sense at all? Who is Chen Shi? He's Secretary Liu's confidant, and Huang Ming is Secretary Liu's secretary. Anyone with a little political sense knows what it means for the two of them to go to the Education Bureau. And yet, you still walk right into the line of fire."

It's not unfair to dismiss you as the head of the Basic Education Section. They've just taken office at the Education Bureau, and their first task is to establish their authority. If you dare to slack off on the first assignment, how will they carry out their work in the future? Will others follow suit?

Chen Shi transferred you to Shangying Town Central School as vice principal, which is already a favor to me; otherwise, he would have transferred you directly to a remote township.

Ma Guanghui lowered his head, not daring to look at Ma Chunlan, feeling very dissatisfied. "I am your nephew, how come you are taking the side of outsiders?"

He wanted to try again: "Third Uncle, I know I was wrong. I promise to complete the tasks they assign me on time from now on."

Could you please give Chen Shi a call and ask him not to transfer me to the town, but at least to the No. 1 Middle School as a vice principal?

Ma Chunlan looked at Ma Guanghui with a serious expression: "How many times have I told you that drinking can lead to mistakes? There must be limits. This time, without a doubt, you drank and forgot what the leader told you."

Going to Shangying Town isn't a bad thing. I only have one request for you: get rid of your drinking habit. The time you quit, the time I'll transfer you back to the county seat.

Ma Guanghui cursed Ma Chunlan in his heart. What kind of person is she? She doesn't help her own people but only helps outsiders. Wait until she retires and see if they still pay any attention to her.

Ma Guanghui left dejectedly, harboring resentment towards Ma Chunlan.

Ma Chunlan watched Ma Guanghui's departing figure with a melancholy expression. The Ma family had no successor. Ma Guanghui was considered an outstanding member of the family, but unfortunately, he was a political novice with no political acumen and could not be helped at all.

He drinks a little every day, doesn't know who he is, and talks about himself to everyone he meets, as if afraid that others won't know him.

Doing this would have brought me unnecessary trouble, but fortunately I was cautious and didn't offend anyone.

Sending him to a rural town, away from the political vortex of the county seat, was a good thing for him.

He's simply not cut out to be a leader.