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

Chen Shi arrived at his office early in the morning, glanced at the Mingzhou Daily and the Donghai Provincial Party Newspaper, and pondered how to make money.

Just when he was at his wit's end, his phone rang. Chen Shi picked it up and saw that it was Zhang Kai calling. He quickly answered the phone.

Director Zhang

"Director Chen, I have some good news for you. Yesterday I went to Yizhou and met my old high school classmate. He is now the secretary of Zhao Ji, the deputy secretary of the Party Committee and deputy director of the Education Department. He said that the Education Department has a special fund of 1 billion yuan to support education projects next year. This is internal information and has not yet been announced to the public."

Chunyang County is a major impoverished county with lagging education. To meet the educational funding support requirements of the Provincial Department of Education, we need to act quickly. As soon as we hear the news, many other impoverished counties will start their own initiatives, and the competition will be fierce.

The education special fund support project is under the responsibility of Deputy Director Zhao Ji. Go and ask my old classmate for help. Try to pull some strings. Whoever gets there first will have half the battle won. If we can secure the education special fund support project, half the funding for building the school can be covered.

Chen Shi was secretly delighted: "Director Zhang, are you free tomorrow? Accompany me to the provincial department to see your old classmate."

Zhang Kai thought for a moment: "I haven't had time lately, I have to accompany Mayor Wang to conduct research in several counties. I'll just say hello to my old classmate, it's fine, he's a very easy-going person. When you go to Yizhou, just bring him some local specialties."

Zhang Kai's old classmate was named Ding Yi, who was the head of the General Affairs Section of the Education Department's Office. Zhang Kai introduced him to Chen Shi and gave him Ding Yi's phone number.

Chen Shi thanked him repeatedly and hung up the phone. He was then stumped about what local specialties to send as a gift.

Chunyang County is a mountainous area, and its local specialties are all mountain products. Could we send him some mountain products instead?

Chen Shi pondered Zhang Kai's meaning. He said he would send some local specialties. Did he really mean to send local specialties?

It's not appropriate to give money on the first meeting. Giving too much is a crime, and giving too little is embarrassing.

Chen Shi thought about it again and realized that Zhang Kai was only saying the surface meaning, which was to send mountain products. It was the first time he had sent such an expensive gift, and people would not dare to accept it. If things went wrong, he might ruin the whole thing.

Call Yang Xiaobo to the conference room.

"Director Chen, you wanted to see me?"

"Old Yang, go down there and make arrangements to buy some mountain products. They must be genuine wild mountain products, specialties of Chunyang, things that can't be found anywhere else. I'll go to Yizhou tomorrow and take them to the leaders."

Yang Xiaobo went down to make the arrangements.

Chen Shi called Ding Yi.

After waiting for more than ten seconds, the call was finally answered.

Chen Shi said with a big smile, "Section Chief Ding, hello, I am Chen Shi, the director of the Chunyang County Education Bureau. Your number was given to me by Director Zhang."

Ding Yi smiled and said, "Zhang Kai has already told me that this matter cannot be made public. According to inside information, your Chunyang County meets the criteria, but in the entire Donghai Province, there are at least a dozen counties that meet the criteria. We need to hurry up and come to Yizhou to implement this."

"Section Chief Ding, are you free tomorrow? I'd like to come to Yizhou tomorrow."

"Come up first, we'll see tomorrow. We don't know if the boss might have something come up."

Chen Shi readily agreed and hung up the phone.

In the afternoon, Yang Xiaobo delivered the mountain products he had bought to Chen Shi's office. Chen Shi took a look and confirmed that they were authentic, local specialties of Chunyang, and could not be bought anywhere else.

The next morning, Chen Shi took his own car to Yizhou.

Chunyang County is more than 300 kilometers away from Yizhou. It took three hours to drive there.

They arrived in Yizhou around noon. Chen Shi was familiar with Yizhou, so he found a five-star hotel near the Education Bureau and booked a presidential suite for Yang Bin as well.

Leaders are very generous to those around them. Yang Bin was overjoyed to be staying in such a nice hotel for the first time. It's the same job as driving, but the treatment is different when you drive for the bureau chief.

Before, Yang Bin was a nobody at the Education Bureau, but ever since he started driving for Chen Shi, everyone has been very polite to him and greets him warmly whenever they see him.

My wife's long-cherished wish to be transferred to teach in the county town has also been fulfilled. Her salary has increased by five hundred yuan.

After taking a nap, Chen Shi called Ding Yi at 3 p.m.

"Section Chief Ding, this is Chen Shi. I've arrived in Yizhou. Are you free tonight?"

"Director Chen, please rest for a bit. I'm not sure yet. Wait for my call."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Shi waited in his hotel room until six o'clock before receiving a call from Ding Yi.

"Section Chief Ding, can you spare some time tonight?"

"Director Zhao has nothing to do tonight. Come to Xinfu Restaurant now, I'll wait for you here."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Shi asked Yang Bin to drive to Xinfulou.

Upon arriving at Xinfulou, Chen Shi called Ding Yi.

"Section Chief Ding, I've arrived."

"Wait a moment, I'll come out to get you."

After waiting for a few minutes, a man in his thirties came out. Chen Shi recognized him at a glance. He was a member of the system and a minor leader. Who else could it be but Ding Yi?

Chen Shi strode forward, his face beaming with smiles: "Section Chief Ding, hello, I'm Chen Shi."

Ding Yi extended his hand and shook Chen Shi's hand: "I didn't expect Director Chen to be so young. Please come in."

Chen Shi followed Ding Yi to a private room on the second floor. Ding Yi handed Chen Shi the menu: "Director Chen, order whatever you'd like to eat."

Chen Shi smiled and said, "Section Chief Ding, please order first."

Ding Yi didn't stand on ceremony. He took the menu, ordered a few main dishes, and handed it to Chen Shi: "Director Chen, I've ordered all my favorite flavors. I don't know what flavors you prefer, so please order for yourself."

Chen Shi took the menu, ordered two or three items, and called the waiter to bring over a bottle of fine wine.

He opened the bottle and personally filled Ding Yi's glass.

The two chatted for a few minutes, and when the food was served, Chen Shi raised his glass and said, "Section Chief Ding, I'd like to propose a toast to you."

The two clinked glasses and drank it all in one gulp. Chen Shi wasn't familiar with Ding Yi, so to avoid an awkward silence, Chen Shi kept trying to find topics to chat with Ding Yi.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Chen Shi asked Yang Bin to bring the local specialties he had prepared to the private room.

Chen Shi smiled and said, "Section Chief Ding, these are local specialties brought from Chunyang. Chunyang County is a mountainous area with many mountain products. These mountain products can only be found in Chunyang County."

Ding glanced at the mountain produce and said with a smile, "Thank you very much, Director Chen."

Chen Shi was delighted to see that Ding Yi accepted the gift so readily; it seemed he had given the right gift.

The two chatted casually, and Chen Shi wanted to know about the special education fund support projects, but Ding Yi didn't respond and pretended not to understand.

Ding Yi thought to himself, "Young man, you don't know the rules. Do you think we're that close? You think you can trick me into talking by giving me this little bit of mountain produce? No way."

You'll have to bleed a little; my words are worth a fortune.

Seeing that Ding Yi wasn't going to talk about the education special fund support project, Chen Shi didn't bring it up again. Ding Yi glanced at his watch and said, "Director Chen, I have some things to attend to. I'll stop here tonight. Come to Yizhou and have some fun."

Ding Yi was about to pay the bill when Chen Shi stopped him. The waiter said that the bill had already been paid by Yang Bin.

Chen Shi nodded in satisfaction and saw Ding Yi off.

Yang Bin opened the car door, and Chen Shi got in: "Yang Bin, how much did you spend?"

"One thousand and nine"

"Get the invoice, and get it reimbursed when you get back."

The invoice has already been issued.

"Next time you go on a long trip, ask the finance department for an advance of 40,000 to 50,000 yuan. You'll have a lot of social engagements in the future."

"Yes"

Yang Bin used to see himself as a driver, but now he has changed roles. He can no longer see himself as a driver, but as a confidant of the leader. He must do what the leader thinks of in advance, and think of what the leader hasn't thought of, and do it before the leader even thinks of it.