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

When Chen Shi arrived at work that morning, he saw a document issued by the Discipline Inspection Commission: Lei Liangping was dismissed from public office and expelled from the Party, and his criminal activities were transferred to the judicial authorities for trial; Wang Zhikai was also dismissed from public office and expelled from the Party, and his criminal activities were transferred to the judicial authorities for trial.

Wang Zhikai's embezzlement case involved many people, but the Discipline Inspection Commission did not investigate it, and only dealt with Wang Zhikai and Lei Liangping.

Chen Shi took out his phone and called Qin Xiaoming. It took a few seconds for the call to connect.

Director Chen

Chen Shi smiled broadly and said, "Minister Qin, are you free this morning? I've come to report to you on some work."

Qin Xiaoming glanced at the work schedule: "Director Chen, come here."

"Okay, Minister Qin, I'm coming right now."

Chen Shi asked Yang Bin to drive to the county committee.

Chen Shi arrived at the Organization Department. Qin Xiaoming's office was on the same floor as Huang Xin's office.

Huang Xin came out of the office and bumped into Chen Shi. Thinking of that night when Chen Shi forcibly kissed her, she glared at Chen Shi.

Chen Shi smiled and said, "Minister Huang, who made you angry? Why are you so irritable?"

Huang Xin had intended to go to the restroom, but turned back to her office and closed the door. She felt conflicted; she couldn't see Chen Shi, yet she longed to see him, but when she did, she felt a nameless anger rising within her, a desire to vent on him.

Chen Shi arrived at Qin Xiaoming's office and gently knocked on the door. Qin Xiaoming called out, "Come in."

Chen Shi pushed open the door and entered, smiling as he said, "Minister Qin."

Upon seeing that it was Chen Shi, Qin Xiaoming stood up and said, "Director Chen, please sit down."

Chen Shi sat down, and Qin Xiaoming poured him a cup of tea.

Chen Shi said, "Minister Qin, I saw the disciplinary documents issued by the Discipline Inspection Commission this morning regarding the punishment of Wang Zhikai and Lei Liangping. These two bad apples have made a mess of the Education Bureau. Our Education Bureau supports the Discipline Inspection Commission's punishment of them."

"Director Chen, the Education Bureau is so large, it's normal for it to have two corrupt officials. Do you have a suitable candidate for the vacant deputy director position?"

"Minister Qin, I've come here to report on this matter. Yang Xiaobo, the director of the Party and Government Office of the Education Bureau, is a person of strong Party principles, conscientious and diligent, and has performed outstandingly during his work. He is a suitable candidate for promotion to deputy director of the Education Bureau."

Qin Xiaoming took a sip of tea: "Director Chen, you recommended Yang Xiaobo from the Party and Government Office. The Organization Department will consider it carefully. Later, we will arrange for someone from the Cadre Section to assess Yang Xiaobo. If he passes the assessment, the Organization Department will recommend him to Secretary Liu."

"Thank you, Minister Qin."

After exchanging a few words, Chen Shi got up and left.

In her office, Huang Xin watched Chen Shi's departing figure, her mind filled with the image of him forcibly kissing her that night. Suddenly, she felt a little hopeful that Chen Shi would kiss her again.

Her cheeks flushed red, and she patted them. "Huang Xin, what are you thinking? Chen Shi has a girlfriend. You're being a third party."

You are such a proud person, how could you become a third party? You must forget Chen Shi and stay away from him.

Huang Xin was in a very irritable mood and unable to concentrate on her work, pacing back and forth in the office.

Dong Xuexi arrived at the Education Bureau from Fushan Town around 10 a.m., parked his car, and went to Yang Xiaobo's office.

Director Yang

Yang Xiaobo saw that Dong Xuexi seemed like a completely different person, having abandoned his aloofness and truly entered officialdom.

He stood up to greet him: "Old classmate, please have a seat."

Dong Xuexi sat down, and Yang Xiaobo poured him a cup of tea.

Dong Xuexi said, "Director Yang, are you free tonight? I'd like to invite you for a couple of drinks."

"I don't know if Director Chen has any plans for tonight. If not, I'll decline all other social engagements and have a couple of drinks with you."

"Okay, let's tentatively settle on Hejia Courtyard." Dong Xuexi asked, "Director Yang, is Director Chen in his office?"

"Director Chen went to the county committee and hasn't returned yet. Did you call him when you came up?"

"not yet"

Yang Xiaobo looked at Dong Xuexi and said, "Before you come up, you should call Director Chen in advance. He has something to do. Otherwise, you'll have made a wasted trip. Fushan Town is so far from the county seat. It will take two days to go back and forth."

Dong Xuexi understood Yang Xiaobo's meaning: when reporting to the leader, they should not launch a surprise attack, but give the leader time to prepare.

Calling in advance is also a way to show respect to your superiors.

"Thank you for the reminder, Director Yang. I'll call Director Chen right away."

Dong Xuexi took out his phone and called Chen Shiba.

On his way back from the county committee, Chen's phone rang. He saw it was Dong Xuexi calling and answered it.

Principal Dong

Dong Xuexi smiled broadly and said, "Director Chen, I'd like to report to you on my work. Are you available this morning?"

"Have you arrived at the Education Bureau?"

"I'm at the Education Bureau, in Director Yang's office."

"Once I get to the Education Bureau, why bother making a phone call? I'm going back to the Education Bureau now, and you can come over later."

After hanging up the phone, Dong Xuexi came to report on his work. It must have been Yang Xiaobo who told him that he was going to be promoted to the position of acting principal of Laoyan Town Central School.

Chen Shi returned to the Education Bureau, and Dong Xuexi waited for more than ten minutes before arriving at Chen Shi's office.

Director Chen

Chen Shi looked up at Dong Xuexi: "Principal Dong, please sit down."

Dong Xuexi sat down in the reception room, and Chen Shi came over and poured him a glass of warm water.

Dong Xuexi said, "Director Chen, I've come to report on the progress of the construction of Qinghe Village Primary School. The main structure of Qinghe Village Primary School will be completed by the end of the month, followed by interior decoration and road paving. According to the construction schedule, it should be completed by April or May next year."

Chen Shi looked at Dong Xuexi: "Principal Dong, while you were down there, did you conduct any on-site investigations of basic education?"

Dong Xuexi thought to himself, this is Chen Shi's test of me. Fortunately, I was prepared. He is a man of action and does not like to sit in the office and issue orders.

"Director Chen, I was just about to report to you on the situation of basic education in Fushan Town."

Fushan Town has 22 administrative villages and 115 natural villages. Each of the 22 administrative villages has its own primary school. Among them, the primary schools in 12 administrative villages are dilapidated buildings. The number of students is as high as less than 100 and as low as only 30. There are five teachers, four of whom are substitute teachers and only one is a full-time teacher who also serves as the principal.

The students are all left-behind children, and most of the teachers are substitute teachers with seriously low quality and teaching level. These administrative villages are generally too far from the town, and regular teachers do not want to teach in these primary schools. When they are assigned, they try every means to transfer to the town.

Parents who can afford it will not leave their children to study locally; they will at least send them to the town school, and those with better conditions will send them directly to the county seat.

Dong Xuexi paused here, and seeing that Chen Shi did not intend to speak, he continued.

"I conducted on-site investigations of 22 administrative villages, compiled the data, and put forward some of my own opinions. Please give me your instructions, Director Chen."

Dong Xuexi took out the documents from his briefcase, stood up, and handed them to Chen Shi with both hands.

Chen Shi took the documents and said, "Sit down."

Dong Xuexi sat down: "Based on the actual situation, I suggest that it is unnecessary to set up a primary school in every administrative village in Fushan Town. Instead, we should concentrate the schools of several nearby administrative villages together. I have learned that some county towns have concentrated their schools in the town. This makes it very difficult for left-behind children to go to school. Their parents are not at home, and the town is far away. Their grandparents are too old to pick them up and drop them off at school."

The children are relocated to nearby administrative villages, where they can board at school. Teachers provide strict supervision, and they can go home once a week, walking back to school to reduce their academic burden.