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

The beef hot pot was delicious. Chen Shi ate three plates of beef, while Jiang Yiqiu and Shen Xiaorong didn't eat much beef or side dishes, leaving a lot of food uneaten.

Jiang Yiqiu looked at Shen Xiaorong: "Xiaorong, take the leftovers back with you. We can't waste them."

Shen Xiaorong smiled and said, "I don't cook, Principal Jiang, you should take it back."

Chen Shi then said, "Ask the waiter if we can get a refund."

Calling the waiter over, Chen Shi asked, "Can we return the side dishes we can't finish?"

The waiter said, "I'm sorry, the side dishes are served separately and cannot be returned. You can take your bag home and enjoy them at your leisure."

Jiang Yiqiu said, "Bring two bags, we'll pack them up."

The remaining side dishes were all packed up and Chen Shi took them back to the car.

Chen Shi accompanied Jiang Yiqiu and Shen Xiaorong shopping at the mall and felt very tired. He decided he shouldn't put the two of them together in the future.

We shopped in the mall for over an hour, and it wasn't until 11 o'clock that we went to see a movie.

Upon arriving at the movie theater, Jiang Yiqiu said, "Honey, let's watch a romance movie, 'A Kiss for a Lifetime'."

The promotional photo reads "A kiss to ring in the new year."

Chen Shi looked at Shen Xiaorong: "Xiaorong, what do you want to see?"

"Let's not watch romance movies, they're not suitable for children. Let's watch horror movies, they're thrilling and exciting."

Jiang Yiqiu chimed in, "Watching horror movies on New Year's Eve is inappropriate. Let's watch romance movies instead. Xiao Rong, you'll be eighteen after the New Year and will be going to university soon. Dating is inevitable, so let's experience it in advance."

"Principal Jiang, are you saying I can start dating now?"

"We can't talk about it now, but we can look around. We can talk about it when we go to university and find someone suitable."

"I don't want to talk about it, and I don't want to watch romance movies; it'll affect my studies."

When the topic of studying came up, Jiang Yiqiu admitted, "There don't seem to be any horror movies showing on New Year's Eve?"

Chen Shi glanced at it: "No horror movies are showing."

Shen Xiaorong smiled and said, "As long as it doesn't affect your studies, you can watch whatever you want."

Jiang Yiqiu chose to watch a comedy.

Chen Shi wasn't interested in watching movies, so he fell asleep in the theater. When he woke up, the movie was almost over, and he didn't even know what movie it was.

After leaving the movie theater, the mall was deserted. Chen Shi drove Jiang Yiqiu and Shen Xiaorong home.

After the New Year's Day holiday, as 2014 began, rumors circulated within the system that Liu Youguang was going to be transferred to the city as vice mayor.

Liu Youguang's transfer will affect many cadres, including Chen Shi. He was Liu Youguang's confidant, and it's hard to say whether he will be given important responsibilities after Liu Youguang's departure and the appointment of someone else as the county party secretary.

After New Year's Day, Liu Youguang did not stay in the county but went to the provincial party school for training. Zhang Xiangdong took charge of the county party committee's work.

Chen Shi arrived at Zhang Xiangdong's office. Too many people wanted to see Zhang Xiangdong; he was in charge of the work of the county party committee and the county government.

Zhang Xiangdong looked at Chen Shi: "You have five minutes to report on your work."

Chen Shi gave a brief work report and then asked the question that concerned him most: "County Chief Zhang, why did Secretary Liu suddenly go to the Provincial Party School for training? Is he going to be transferred?"

"Don't pry into organizational matters; go back and do your job well."

Zhang Xiangdong looked at Chen Shi: "Is there anything else? If not, hurry up and leave."

Chen Shi left the office feeling uneasy.

The next morning, I went to Yizhou to attend a class at the Provincial Party School. The classroom was empty; not a third of the students were there.

Ding Yi and his group of four did not come, nor did Huang Xin.

After class, Chen Shi called Liu Youguang.

"Xiao Chen"

"Secretary, I'm here to give a lecture at the Provincial Party School. Are you at the school? I'd like to come and report to you on my work."

"I'm in my dorm, come over here."

Chen Shi arrived at the dormitory and found Liu Youguang's single room. When Liu Youguang saw Chen Shi, he smiled and said, "Little Chen, please have a seat."

Chen Shi sat down: "Secretary, why did you suddenly go to the Provincial Party School for training?"

Liu Youguang lit a cigarette and took a puff: "I don't know either. It was a last-minute notice from the Organization Department. It was a training organized by the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department. The top leaders of more than a dozen counties across the province all came for the training."

After the training is over, I will most likely be transferred to the city as vice mayor. Don't tell anyone about this.

Chen Shi's worst fears came true: Liu Youguang was transferred, so who would succeed him as the county party secretary?

"Secretary, now that you've been transferred to the city, who will take over as the Party Secretary of Chunyang County?"

"This is an organizational matter; nobody knows about it."

Liu Youguang checked the time: "It's getting late, let me take you to eat."

Chen Shi followed Liu Youguang and rode in his private car to Lao Huang's farmhouse. Chen Shi was very surprised that there was a Lao Huang's farmhouse in Yizhou.

Liu Youguang noticed Chen Shi's surprise and explained, "Old Huang's farmhouse restaurant is run by Old Huang's son. The fish soup isn't as good as Old Huang's; it's not quite there."

"Why isn't Lao Huang in Yizhou? He could be running the business with his son. Business in Yizhou would definitely be better than in Chunyang."

Liu Youguang explained, "Old Huang has worked in Yizhou for half his life. He is from Chunyang County. In his old age, he wants to return to his roots and retire in Chunyang. He'll be idle anyway, so he'll open a farmhouse inn to pass the time."

Chen Shi thought of Lao Huang's relationship with the former provincial party secretary. Many senior executives in Donghai were promoted by the former provincial party secretary. When Liu Youguang came to Yizhou, he would always eat at the farmhouse restaurant run by Lao Huang's son.

His transfer to the city as vice mayor must be related to the former provincial party secretary.

Chunyang County's economy ranks near the bottom in the entire Mingzhou region; it's a notoriously impoverished county. How could he possibly be the one promoted to county party secretary?

Once Liu Youguang turns fifty, his chances of being promoted to deputy director level are virtually zero if he isn't promoted soon.

As soon as the car stopped, Chen Shi quickly got out and opened the car door for Liu Youguang.

As Liu Youguang got out of the car, a middle-aged man came out and, upon seeing Liu Youguang, jogged over: "Secretary Liu, you've arrived. Would you like to sit in the same private room as before?"

"Anything is fine, come to a farmhouse, I'll leave it to you."

Chen Shi looked at the middle-aged man and noticed that his features resembled those of Old Huang; he must be Old Huang's son.

Chen Shi and Liu Youguang followed the middle-aged man into the private room.

The middle-aged man pulled out a chair, and Liu Youguang sat down, looking at Chen Shi: "Xiao Chen, let me introduce you. This is Lao Huang's son, Huang Zhang, the owner here."

Chen Shi shook hands with Huang Zhang: "Hello, Mr. Huang. My name is Chen Shi, and I am the director of the Education Bureau of Chunyang County."

"Director Chen, hello." Huang Zhang said with a smile.

Liu Youguang said, "Same as always, start with a pot of fish soup and a few special side dishes to go with the drinks."

Huang Zhang left the private room, went to the kitchen to make arrangements, brought out a bottle of good wine, and filled it for Liu Youguang and Chen Shi.

The waiter brought over the fish soup, and Huang Zhang served two bowls of fish soup to Liu Youguang and Chen Shi.

Liu Youguang smiled and said, "Xiao Huang, go ahead and get busy. We wouldn't dare ask you, our boss, to serve us."

"It is my honor to serve Secretary Liu. I would like to propose a toast to you."

Liu Youguang picked up his wine glass, the two clinked glasses, and drank it all in one gulp.

Huang Zhang filled Liu Youguang's glass to the brim, then filled his own, and raised his glass: "Director Chen, I'd like to propose a toast to you."

Chen Shi stood up, but Huang Zhang quickly said, "Director Chen, please sit down, there's no need to stand up."

Chen Shi smiled and clinked glasses with Huang Zhang before Huang Zhang left the private room.