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

After a deep and passionate exchange, both of them were drenched in sweat. Jiang Yiqiu went to take a shower, feeling satisfied, while Chen Shi lay on the bed, lit a cigarette, and started smoking.

The two grew closer and became intimate.

There's no relationship between a man and a woman that can't be resolved with a good night's sleep. If a good night's sleep doesn't solve it, then have another good night's sleep.

Jiang Yiqiu came out of the shower completely naked and dressed in front of Chen Shi in a very casual manner, just like an old married couple.

Chen Shi sat in the living room waiting for Jiang Yiqiu to touch up her makeup before the two went out together.

"Shall we go out in your private car or mine?" Jiang Yiqiu asked.

"Take your car and get out of here. I let Yang Bin leave work early."

Chen Shi took the keys from Jiang Yiqiu and opened the car door; he hadn't driven in a long time.

Jiang Yiqiu got into the passenger seat and fastened his seatbelt: "Honey, where should we go for dinner?"

"You are familiar with Chunyang, so I'll follow your arrangements."

Jiang Yiqiu thought for a moment: "How about we go eat pickled bamboo shoot chicken?"

"Can"

The two arrived at the mall and headed straight for the food street. Chen Shi felt very hungry, having exhausted his energy earlier.

The two arrived at the sour bamboo shoot chicken restaurant. There weren't many people there tonight, so there was no queue. Chen Shi ordered a 4-kilogram live chicken.

Jiang Yiqiu ordered a few side dishes: "Honey, are you very hungry?"

"I didn't eat much at noon. I used up all my energy earlier, and my stomach is growling."

Jiang Yiqiu blushed: "Who told you to be in such a hurry? We'll have plenty of time after we finish eating and go back."

She stood up: "The pickled bamboo shoot chicken is made by freshly slaughtered animals, so it will take a while. I'll go to the food stalls outside and buy you something to eat to tide you over."

A short while later, Jiang Yiqiu returned with a plate of grilled tofu and placed it in front of Chen Shi.

Chen Shi ate heartily, nodding repeatedly, "This grilled tofu is good."

Jiang Yiqiu ate two pieces: "It's pretty good. I see a lot of people here, so it must taste good."

When it comes to food, the number of diners matters. A place with few customers is definitely not good, while a place with many customers might be good, or it might not be.

The two waited for more than twenty minutes before the sour bamboo shoot chicken was served.

Jiang Yiqiu stood up: "Let me make you some dipping sauce."

Chen Shi picked up his chopsticks and started eating: "No need, the flavor is already quite strong."

Jiang Yiqiu dipped himself in the sauce, and seeing Chen Shi eating heartily, his appetite was whetted, so he started eating too.

The two ate a large rooster, with Chen Shi eating most of it. Jiang Yiqiu asked, "Are you full?"

Chen Shi put down his chopsticks, took a sip of tea, and said, "I'm full."

Jiang Yiqiu stood up to pay the bill, while Chen Shi lit a cigarette and took a puff.

Upon seeing two familiar figures, Xu Pingan and Fu Lin, they recognized each other.

The two men also saw Chen Shi and walked over.

Chen Shi stood up: "Ping An, you guys come and have some sour bamboo shoot chicken too."

"Xiaolin asked me what specialties Chunyang County has. I thought about it for a moment and decided that pickled bamboo shoot chicken would be good, so I brought her here to try it."

Fu Lin smiled and said, "Director Chen, are you dining alone?"

"I came with my girlfriend."

When Jiang Yiqiu returned after paying the bill, she recognized Xu Pingan but not Fu Lin. Standing next to Fu Lin, Xu Pingan couldn't help but glance at Jiang Yiqiu a few more times; her figure was incredibly sexy.

Then look at Fu Lin, he's flat-chested, has nothing to offer, and often lacks interest. Fu Lin even suggested it was a problem and told him to see a doctor.

Xu Ping'an knew that he was a normal man, but he found it difficult to feel the same urges a man might have for a woman when faced with Lin's figure.

Chen Shi smiled and said, "Yi Qiu, you've met Ping An before. Let me introduce you to Fu Lin, Ping An's wife."

Jiang Yiqiu extended his hand: "Hello Fu Lin, I am Jiang Yiqiu, the executive vice principal of No. 1 Middle School, and Chen Shi's girlfriend."

Fu Lin was somewhat surprised that Jiang Yiqiu, so young, was already the executive vice principal. He extended his hand and shook hands with Jiang Yiqiu: "Hello, Principal Jiang."

Chen Shi said, "You guys take your time eating. We've finished. Let's go for a walk."

After Chen Shi and Jiang Yiqiu left, Fu Lin asked, "Jiang Yiqiu is so young, yet he's the executive vice principal of No. 1 High School. Was he promoted by Chen Shi through a special exception?"

The two sat down at an empty table nearby. Xu Pingan said, "I'm not too sure, but the high school has done well in the past two years. This year, they produced a student who got into Tsinghua or Peking University. This is the first time in Chunyang County's history."

"It must be related to Chen Shi. Chen Shi is not the director of the Education Bureau, so Jiang Yiqiu could not have been promoted to executive vice principal."

Xu Pingan poured Fu Lin a cup of tea, and Fu Lin took a sip: "My dad is really something. I've told him several times to promote me to deputy section chief, but he always says the same thing: you have to show results to convince everyone before you can get promoted."

"Dad has his own reasons. He's still young, so there's no need to rush."

"Jiang Yiqiu looks younger than me. Her boyfriend is only the director of the education bureau of a county, yet he promoted her to executive vice principal."

My dad is the executive deputy director of the Organization Department. He's promoted so many young cadres, but he hasn't promoted me.

Xu Ping'an knew his father-in-law well; he valued his reputation and would never do anything against his principles, not even his own daughter.

Xu Pingan could only offer a few words of comfort. Fu Lin looked at Xu Pingan and said, "When are you being transferred to the city? I don't want to be separated from you."

"No rush. It only takes half an hour to get from Chunyang County to Mingzhou. I'll come up to visit you every week."

"There's not much development in the county. You should come to the city. You're currently a deputy section chief. I'll ask Dad to find a way to transfer you to the municipal bureau, or at least promote you to section chief."

Xu Pingan said softly, "Dad probably won't agree. He said last time that he wanted me to gain more experience at the grassroots level."

"He disagreed, so I argued with him. This old stubborn man, what era are we living in? He still clings to the old ways. He won't help his own daughter and son-in-law, but he helps some unimportant people."

Fu Lin said angrily.

Chen Shi and Jiang Yiqiu walked out of the food street. Jiang Yiqiu took Chen Shi's hand and rested his head on Chen Shi's shoulder.

"Honey, come with me to the mall and then we'll go see a midnight movie. We've both been so busy lately, it's been a long time since we've gone out."

Chen Shi smiled and said, "Tonight, my person and my time are all yours. You can do whatever you want."

Jiang Yiqiu looked happy as he pulled Chen Shi to the mall, where they bought two short-sleeved shirts and a dress.

Jiang Yiqiu looked at Chen Shi: "Let's go shopping for men's clothing and buy you two outfits."

"No need, I have plenty of clothes. I bought a few online."

"There are a lot of counterfeit products online, so it's better to buy from a physical store."

"When buying things online, don't be greedy for cheap prices. Buy from the official flagship store to avoid counterfeit products."

"I still don't like buying online. I always feel like something's missing. When I go to a store, I can try on different styles and find the one that suits me best."

Chen Shi asked, "Do you still want to go see a movie?"

Jiang Yiqiu glanced at his watch: "It's 10:30. Let's go see the midnight showing."

Chen Shi grinned mischievously: "Let's watch a thriller, horror, or exciting movie at midnight."

Jiang Yiqiu slapped Chen Shi: "You're so mean, you're always trying to scare people."