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

Chen Shi didn't get up until 10 a.m., feeling dizzy. He had drunk a case of beer at the karaoke bar last night.

Go to the bathroom, turn on the tap, take a shower, and clear your head.

As I put on my clothes, my phone rang. I picked it up and saw that it was Liu Youguang calling.

Mayor Liu

"Chen Shi, I've spoken to Lao Xiao, and there are no problems with the highway approval. He said he went to a meeting at the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, and there's a 3 billion yuan poverty alleviation and development project for Mingzhou next year. Go and get it done with him right away."

Chen Shi was overjoyed: "Thank you, Mayor Liu."

After hanging up the phone, I looked through my contacts and found that I had left Xiao Zhiguo's number last night. That old man didn't mention such a big thing at all last night.

They found Xiao Zhiguo's phone number and dialed it immediately.

After a few seconds, the call was connected.

"Hello Director Xiao, I am Chen Shi, the executive deputy county head of Chunyang County. We met last night."

"Chen County, is there something you need?"

"Director Xiao, Mayor Liu mentioned that there's a provincial-level poverty alleviation and development project for Mingzhou next year. I'd like to come and learn more about it. Do you have time?"

"There's a meeting later, come back at 3 PM."

"Okay, thank you, Director Xiao."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Shi was surprised to receive an unexpected bonus: a 3 billion yuan development support project for impoverished counties from the National Development and Reform Commission. Combined with the 2 billion yuan from the county government, that would amount to 5 billion yuan.

He still believes that anything is possible with effort, and that there will always be a solution.

Bored in his room, he wanted to go to Huang Ao to report on his work and try to get Huang Ao's support.

Looking at the time, it's almost eleven o'clock. It's not the right time to go and report on my work.

Thinking of Wang Xincheng, it's been a long time since I visited him. Wang Xincheng, my cousin, is closer to me than Wang Mingzhang, my biological uncle.

Chen Shi took out his phone and called Wang Xincheng.

"Xiao Shi"

"Uncle, are you home?"

"Are you in Minnesota?"

"I came to Minnesota for a meeting."

"I'm here, come over for dinner."

"Okay, Uncle, I'll be there in a bit."

Wang Xincheng hung up the phone. He wasn't home; he was at the company. He said to Song Ya, "Let's go back quickly. Is there any groceries at home?"

"Yes, there is half a chicken. I brought back half a cooked goat when I went back for National Day. It's been in the refrigerator ever since, and I haven't eaten it."

Song Ya asked, "Who wants to come?"

"Xiao Shi called earlier, saying he wants to come over."

The two quickly left the company and drove home.

Chen Shi asked Yang Bin to drive to the mall, buy two bottles of good wine and two cartons of good cigarettes, and go see Wang Xincheng.

Upon arriving at the residential area where Wang Xincheng lived, Chen Shi carried the gifts and told Yang Bin to take care of his own lunch.

Arriving at Wang Xincheng's door, Chen Shi rang the doorbell. Song Yalai opened the door and greeted Chen Shi with a broad smile: "Xiao Shi's here, come in quickly."

Hearing the voice, Wang Xincheng stood up to greet him. Seeing Chen Shi carrying gifts, he said, "Why are you carrying these things? You're a leader now. It's not good if people see this."

Song Ya accepted the gift from Chen Shi. Chen Shi said, "Even leaders have elders. There's no rule against giving gifts to elders."

Wang Xincheng called out, "Please sit down."

Chen Shi sat down in the living room, Song Ya went to the kitchen to cook, and Wang Xincheng poured tea for Chen Shi.

"I went back to see my older sister during the National Day holiday. She's gained some weight; she used to be too thin."

"My mom used to work too hard. Now that we've started our own families, we told her not to farm anymore, but she can't stay idle. She still grows some vegetables. The land that's far from home is all given to other people to farm."

"My eldest sister has finally found happiness after hardship. When you were studying at No. 3 Middle School, I went back home and saw her and her husband selling corn to raise money for your living expenses. It was raining and cold that day, and there weren't many people buying corn. I told them to go back and come back next time there's a market."

My older sister said that if you don't sell the corn, you won't have any living expenses and you'll go hungry. I gave them two hundred yuan as living expenses, but they absolutely refused to take it. It was your aunt who insisted on giving it to them.

The corn couldn't be sold, it was too late, and there were no cars available, so we drove the corn back.

Chen Shi suddenly remembered that it was the first semester of his second year of high school, and it had been raining all day. They didn't have cell phones, and neither did he, so they could only wait at school.

It was almost six o'clock. My mother was soaked to the bone. She brought me some living expenses, saying that my uncle Xincheng had come down from Mingzhou and met them selling corn. They hadn't sold any corn, so he gave them two hundred.

Chen Shi's eyes welled up with tears: "Life was so hard before."

"Now things are great. All three of you siblings are successful. Your sister and brother-in-law own a coal mine and are big bosses. Your brother and sister-in-law work at the power management office. And you are a big leader now."

When we visited your home, we could tell that the villagers respected you and your husband very much.

Song Ya called out, "Xiao Shi, come and eat."

Chen Shi sat down in the restaurant. The table was full of dishes, all of which looked and smelled delicious.

Song Ya used to run a snack shop in Mingzhou, so his cooking skills are quite good.

Wang Xincheng brought over a bottle of good wine: "Xiao Shi, let's have a couple of drinks."

Chen Shi said, "Uncle, there's a meeting this afternoon, so I won't be drinking."

Song Ya chimed in, "Your eldest uncle always drinks a glass of alcohol with his breakfast; he feels uncomfortable all over if he doesn't drink."

"I'm used to drinking it," Wang Xincheng said as he poured himself a glass of wine.

The three chatted as they ate, and Song Ya asked, "Xiao Shi, have you met your aunt?"

"Yes, I saw it, in the municipal party committee compound."

Song Ya said angrily, "This Wang Xiaoya, she is a leading cadre, and she comes to steal our business. In the past year, she has taken away the office supplies supply from several units."

Chen Shi asked, "She started a company?"

Wang Xincheng chimed in: "It's just a shell company, opened using someone else's identity. The office supplies it uses are of very poor quality. Several organizations want to replace it, but their superiors have given the order, so they have no choice but to put up with it."

Song Ya said, "We don't have stable jobs, but she's a leading cadre with a stable income. It's really unreasonable for her to try and steal our business."

Wang Xincheng said coldly, "If she dares to steal our business again, I'll go to her door and yell at her to death. What kind of person is she? She's heartless and doesn't even recognize her own family's business. If she's so capable, she should try stealing from outsiders."

Song Ya chimed in, "Xiao Shi, you don't know, Wang Xiaoya doesn't acknowledge your uncle, looks down on us, and completely ignores us when she sees us."

Chen Shi looked at Wang Xincheng: "Uncle, please talk to my Uncle Mingzhang and tell him to tone it down. Mingzhou is such a big market, everyone should do their own thing. If you are in a supply unit, then they shouldn't cause trouble. If they are in a supply unit, then you should also avoid them."

Wang Xincheng nodded: "Your uncle is busy. I haven't seen him for a year. When I see him, I'll talk to him about it."

"I'll go see my sister-in-law in a few days and talk to her about it." Song Ya was furious when she thought about it. A few days ago, she did some statistics and found that this year's income was more than five million less than last year's.

Wang Xincheng felt it was inappropriate to discuss this with Chen Shi, since Wang Xiaoya was, after all, his aunt, even closer than himself, and he had no way to resolve the matter.

To change the subject, they told Chen Shi to eat more.