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

The next morning, Chen Shi and Zhang Xiangdong returned to Chunyang County from Mingzhou. Chen Shi went back to the Education Bureau to do his job. At this time, stability was more important than anything else.

After waiting for half a month, Chen Shi received a call from the Organization Department, asking him to come in for a talk.

Chen Shi was overjoyed, finally getting to hear from the Organization Department. When he got home from get off work, Jiang Yiqiu saw Chen Shi's happy face and asked, "Did something good happen today?"

Chen Shi countered, "Am I making it that obvious?"

Jiang Yiqiu smiled and said, "It's practically written all over his face."

"I received a call from the Organization Department today, and they want to talk to me tomorrow afternoon."

Jiang Yiqiu asked with delight, "The candidate for executive deputy county head has been decided?"

"I don't know yet."

"The Organization Department called you in for a talk, it must be about this."

Jiang Yiqiu cooked a few dishes that Chen Shi liked, and poured two glasses of red wine.

"Today is a day to celebrate. Congratulations on becoming a candidate for executive deputy county head."

"We can't tell anyone outside; we have to keep a very low profile."

"I won't say a word outside."

As they ate and chatted, Chen felt the warmth of home. When you experience hardship, someone shares the burden with you; when you succeed, someone shares the joy with you. This is the meaning of home.

Chen Shi arrived at the Education Bureau early in the morning, his mind filled with thoughts of what questions the Organization Department would ask him, and how he could prepare in advance.

Chen Shi now enjoys reading history, and recently he has been reading "Records of the Three Kingdoms". When Sima Yi learned that Cao Shuang was going to take Emperor Cao Fang hunting, he endured for many years and decided to launch a coup.

Sima Yi sent someone to check on his two sons. Sima Shi was fast asleep, while Sima Zhao did not sleep all night.

When the messenger returned and reported back, Sima Yi said that Sima Shi was capable of great things, while Sima Zhao still needed to be trained.

When faced with major events, mindset is very important; one should remain calm and composed.

Chen Shi reminded himself that it was just the Organization Department talking to him; he was just an executive deputy county head, and there was no need to act so absent-minded.

Keep a calm mind and be adaptable to changing circumstances.

Chen Shi stopped thinking about the meeting with the Organization Department and went about his business.

Chen Shi worked until 11 o'clock, then asked Yang Bin to drive to Mingzhou. They arrived in Mingzhou at 2 o'clock. Chen Shi went directly to the Organization Department to wait. The Organization Department had called many people in for talks today. Chen Shi thought he had arrived early, but when he arrived at the Organization Department, there were already five or six leaders from various counties waiting.

It was Chen Shi's first time visiting the Municipal Party Committee's Organization Department. He didn't know anyone there, so he could only wait in the waiting room.

Chen Shi thought to himself, "No matter where you are, you need to know someone. It's easier to get things done if you have connections."

Chen Shi was notified that the meeting would be at 3 PM, but he didn't get to speak until 4:30 PM.

The person he was talking to was Fu Changshan, the deputy minister of the organization department. The two were acquainted, and Chen Shi greeted Fu Changshan with a smile.

The interview is just going through the motions, involving declaring family and personal information, etc.

After the conversation ended, Chen Shi left the Organization Department at 5:10 PM.

Chen Shi did not stay in Mingzhou and went straight back to Chunyang County.

Back in Chunyang, Chen Shi maintained his composure and waited for half a month until mid-April when the candidates for the main leadership of the Chunyang County Government were officially announced.

County Mayor candidate Zhang Kaizhi, Executive Deputy County Mayor candidate Chen Shi, Deputy County Mayor candidates Gao Rong, Song Yun, Zhao Xuhe, Li Hong, and He Xiaopeng.

When Chen Shi saw the list of candidates, he felt relieved.

Gao Rong, Song Yun, and Zhao Xu are all deputy county heads and are re-elected. The newly added candidates are Chen Shi, Li Hong, and He Xiaopeng.

The main leaders of Chunyang County government include one county head, five deputy county heads, and He Xiaopeng, the director of the Water Resources Bureau. He is just a participant in this election, which is a competitive election with one more candidate.

Chen Shi and Li Hong are both Zhang Xiangdong's men, and the county magistrate and executive deputy county magistrate are both candidates, so there is no suspense.

There were five candidates for deputy county head, and four were to be elected, leaving the outcome uncertain. However, those within the system knew that the candidate ranked last was just there to make up the numbers.

After the list of candidates was announced, Gao Rong invited Zhang Kaizhi to dinner at a farmhouse restaurant that evening.

Zhang Kaizhi walked into the private room with a gloomy face. Gao Rong greeted him with a smile: "County Magistrate Zhang."

Gao Rong quickly pulled out a chair, and Zhang Kaizhi sat down. Gao Rong then called the waiter to serve the dishes, opened a bottle of fine wine, and poured a full glass for Zhang Kaizhi.

Zhang Kaizhi looked at Gao Rong: "County Chief Gao, what's going on? Didn't you promise before that you would collect dirt on Chen Shi and report him? Why haven't you made any progress and instead made him a candidate for Executive Deputy County Chief?"

Gao Rong's smile vanished, his face turned ashen, and he sighed deeply: "County Chief Zhang, Chen Shi is very low-key. The wedding was not held in the county town, and he didn't invite a single person."

Lately, he's just going to get off work and coming home. He doesn't go to dinner with anyone, and he doesn't invite anyone to dinner either. There's no way to find anything wrong with him.

"Didn't anyone give him a gift during the Spring Festival?"

Gao Rong shook his head: "During the Spring Festival, Chen Shi was not in the county town. He ran to Yizhou and hid, refusing to see anyone."

"Does he not accept gifts, or does he not give them either?"

"I had people keep an eye on him. He only gave gifts to Zhang Xiangdong, which amounted to about two thousand yuan. He didn't give any gifts to other county officials."

Gifts worth around two thousand yuan are commonly accepted; there's no violation of regulations, and we can't exploit that.

Zhang Kaizhi was still unwilling to give up. He was willing to let anyone become the executive deputy county head, but not Chen Shi. He was very dissatisfied with Chen Shi and wanted to get rid of him.

A mere section-level cadre dared to disrespect me, becoming the executive deputy county head and then the executive director, and he still dared to oppose me.

"Wasn't he having his wedding in his hometown? He's the director of the education bureau, there must have been at least a couple hundred tables. Why didn't you report it?"

Gao Rong looked at Zhang Kaizhi: "Chen Shi didn't hold a banquet at home, but his wife's family held one, with only about thirty tables. He hasn't gone back yet. Even if this is reported, it won't do anything to Chen Shi; it won't affect him at all."

Zhang Kaizhi's face was gloomy: "Chen Shi is young, but he is very sensible in his actions. We underestimated him."

Gao Rong raised his glass: "County Chief Zhang, I'd like to toast you. In the future, if we're looking for more dirt on Chen Shi, we'll just hold off. But when we do, we'll crush him and leave him no chance to recover."

Zhang Kaizhi picked up his glass, clinked it with Gao Rong's, and the two drank it all in one gulp.

Zhang Kaizhi put down his wine glass, and Gao Rong quickly poured him more.

Zhang Kaizhi said, "Gao County, you haven't been promoted to the Standing Committee yet. I'll find a way to recommend you for the Standing Committee. As long as you crush Chen Shi, you can smoothly take over as the Executive Deputy County Head."

"Thank you for your guidance, Zhang County," Gao Rong said, raising his glass. "I'd like to toast you."

Zhang Kaizhi picked up his wine glass, clinked it with Gao Rong's, took a sip, and put the glass down. He was contemplating the new political landscape of Chunyang County.

In the Standing Committee, Zhang Xiangdong is the secretary, and Huang Kun, the director of the County Party Committee Office, Qin Xiaoming, the deputy secretary of the County Party Committee, Huang Xin, the head of the Organization Department, and Chen Shi, the executive deputy county head, are all Zhang Xiangdong's people.

Xu Sanduo, the secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, and Ma Chunlan, the secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, are both centrists; they listen to whoever is in charge.

As the county head, I was powerless and isolated. At the Standing Committee meeting, only the propaganda minister was one of my people.

On the county government side, Chen Shi, Song Yun, and Li Hong are all Zhang Xiangdong's men. He only has Gao Rong and Zhao Xu, who have been deputy county heads for many years and are as stable as an old dog, and he doesn't offend anyone.

Secretary Zhu Ming gave himself a chance to prove to him that in Chunyang County, you need your own leadership team to have a voice.