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

The next morning, Chen Shi returned to Chunyang County, took a nap at home, and went to work in the office in the afternoon.

Huang Ming arrived at the office: "Director Chen, you've worked hard. You just got back from a business trip and came straight to work without taking a break."

Chen Shi said with a relaxed expression, "The Education Department's special education funding support project will soon be officially announced. We need to hurry up and try to secure the funding. If we don't get the Education Department's special education funding support project, we won't be able to solve the funding problem for building three key high schools. We'll have no choice but to go to Secretary Liu and resign, admitting our incompetence."

Huang Ming then realized that he was already bound to Chen Shi, sharing both glory and ruin.

"Director Chen, do you need my help to go to Yizhou to visit the Education Department? It must be very tiring for you to do it alone."

Chen Shi looked at Huang Ming: "Do you know any leaders in the province?"

Huang Ming shook his head: "No."

"Without you, you wouldn't be able to run at all," Chen Shi wanted to say. "There are no influential leaders in the province, so you can't even find the gate to the temple."

"I'll take care of this. You should focus your attention on bidding for the project. The construction of the three key high schools is equally important."

Huang Ming then asked, "Director Chen, the project bidding opens tomorrow morning. Do you have any further instructions?"

Chen Shi said with a serious expression, "This bidding process is of utmost importance. We cannot cancel the bids. Canceling the bids would waste another month, and we don't have much time to waste."

The winning company must be capable; we cannot allow companies that are all show and no substance to win the bid.

There are three bidding sections. As long as the bidding companies are capable, one company can win the bid.

The bidding process will be completed in April, and construction of the school will officially begin in May.

Huang Ming understood Chen Shi's meaning: all three bidding sections should be awarded to Donghai Zhencheng Group.

"Director Chen, I understand. The bidding will be opened tomorrow morning. Would you like to come and take a look at the site?"

"I won't go to the site. You need to be strict with the screening process; it's a matter of our political lives."

Huang Ming took out his notebook and wrote down Chen Shi's instructions. After chatting for a few minutes, Huang Ming left.

The Education Bureau's reconstruction of three key high schools is the largest project in Chunyang County, and everyone's attention is focused on the Education Bureau.

This project would rank in the top ten in Minnesota.

After the project bidding was completed, Huang Ming received countless phone calls, including calls from relevant leaders in the county and leaders in the city to inquire about the matter. Behind each of these calls was the bidding company.

Huang Ming gritted his teeth and gave the same answer: follow the tender documents.

Three days later, the bidding results were announced, and Donghai Zhencheng Group won all three bids.

The company in Mingzhou failed to win a single bid, and Yizhou Chengxin Group also failed to win a bid. Upon learning of this result, Yi Feng angrily went to Chunyang County and met Zhang Kaizhi at the hotel.

With a look of dissatisfaction, he said, "Chen Shi and Huang Ming colluded and let Donghai Zhencheng Group win all three bids."

There must be some kind of transfer of benefits involved.

Zhang Kaizhi calmly asked, "Do you have any evidence?"

"What evidence is needed? Such a large project, with three sections, and the same company winning the bid is problematic in itself."

I had previously learned about Donghai Zhencheng Group; they had no intention of participating in the bidding in Chunyang County at all. Wan Xirong, for some unknown reason, suddenly decided to bid in Chunyang County. It was a last-minute decision, and their project manager was notified at the last minute.

Zhang Kaizhi asked, "Does Donghai Zhencheng Group have any leadership support in the province?"

Yi Feng remained silent. He didn't know if there was a high-ranking leader behind Donghai Zhencheng Group.

Zhang Kaizhi continued, "Know yourself and know your enemy. Without investigation, you have no right to speak. If Donghai Chengzhen Group has the support of provincial leaders, this matter should end here."

Chen Shi heard that he was working on a special education funding project from the Education Department and frequently went to Yizhou. It's quite normal that they were able to make connections.

From what I understand, Chen Shi didn't like money or beautiful women; he craved power and wanted to rise through the ranks. He was an avid official.

"Donghai Zhencheng Group was able to acquire Chen Shi; there must have been some promise made to him by a high-ranking leader."

Yi Feng thought to himself, "Who among you who are pursuing an official career isn't obsessed with power? It's just that some people want everything, eating their fill from head to tail, leaving nothing behind."

He wanted beautiful women, money, and power.

Chen Shi is quite a character. Coming from a rural background, he doesn't like money and resists temptations. He has a strong sense of self-control.

Then there's Huang Ming, who delivered the money to his home and then returned it to him. These two people left him with a deep sense of frustration.

Money and beautiful women, which are usually foolproof, backfired on these two.

Yi Feng couldn't swallow this insult and was determined to find evidence of Chen Shi's collusion with Donghai Zhencheng Group to bring Chen Shi down.

"Secretary Zhang, I will go down to investigate, search for evidence, and report Chen Shi directly to the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection."

Zhang Kaizhi cautioned, "The key is to investigate whether Donghai Zhencheng Group has the support of provincial leaders."

Yi Feng nodded. He was going to make things difficult for Chen Shi, and he wouldn't let Chen Shi have an easy time either.

"Secretary Zhang, Chen Shi is just a lowly bureau chief. He doesn't respect you at all. Last time I invited him to dinner, you were still there, and he just walked away. He doesn't take his superiors seriously at all."

A hint of displeasure flashed across Zhang Kaizhi's face. Chen Shi dared to disrespect him; he would find an opportunity to teach him the consequences of offending his superiors.

He said in a deep voice, "President Yi, Chen Shi is not a lone commander. Besides the support of Liu Youguang and Zhang Xiangdong, Mayor Wang Mingzhang is his uncle."

Yi Feng smiled and said, "I heard that Wang Mingzhang doesn't even acknowledge this nephew of his from the countryside. I wonder what methods Chen Shi used to win Li Nan's favor and get involved with Liu Youguang."

Yi Feng grinned mischievously: "Are Chen Shi and Li Nan having an affair?"

Zhang Kaizhi asked, "Where did you get this information from?"

"Secretary Zhang, you said earlier that we should know ourselves and our enemy. I'm here in Chunyang County to work on a project for the Education Bureau. I need to investigate Chen Shi, the top official in charge of this project."

This news is almost certainly true and reliable.

Zhang Kaizhi remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, "Wang Mingzhang may not have recognized Chen Shi as his nephew before, but things are different now. Chen Shi deserves some credit for Wang Mingzhang's succession as mayor."

Chen Shi's crackdown on organized crime in Chunyang County caused a major upheaval in the county's officialdom, and even a minor upheaval in the city's officialdom.

Having such a capable nephew, anyone would want to take him on. Chen Shi was able to get money from the Municipal Education Bureau and the Municipal Finance Bureau without Wang Mingzhang's help; he wouldn't have gotten a single penny that way.

Yi Feng took a sip of red wine, his face full of disdain: "Even if he has Wang Mingzhang backing him, as long as the evidence is conclusive, I can report him directly to the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, and Wang Mingzhang won't be able to protect him."

Zhang Kaizhi looked at Yi Feng: "The evidence must be real and able to withstand investigation. Don't make baseless accusations. If you don't act, then don't act at all. But if you do act, then use a deadly move."

Yi Feng nodded: "Secretary Zhang, rest assured, we will not act rashly without absolute certainty."

The two clinked their wine glasses and finished their drinks.