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

Tian Guangming has been suffering from insomnia lately. Since the town held a mobilization meeting for the land acquisition for the expressway half a month ago, Party Secretary Li Yuezhong has repeatedly emphasized that each village must complete the land acquisition for the expressway within fifty days, and village cadres who fail to complete the land acquisition should resign voluntarily.

Unfortunately, the highway passes through the outskirts of Qinghe Village, occupying a large amount of land and passing by a cemetery. The cemetery is the ancestral burial ground of the Tian family, with more than 30 ancestral graves. The highway occupies five ancestral graves, which must be relocated. The others are near the highway, and it doesn't matter whether they are relocated or not.

When the news spread, the Tian family, a prominent clan in Qinghe Village, had several members who were doing business elsewhere. Upon hearing this, they returned to consult a geomancer to see if the highway passing through the ancestral graves would affect the feng shui of their family's ancestral graves.

The geomancer shook his head upon seeing the burial site. He explained that the highway running through it severely damaged the feng shui of the cemetery, which would have an extremely negative impact on future generations. Not only would the burial site fail to produce officials or wealthy individuals, but it would also affect offspring, resulting in a sparse population of descendants.

In rural areas, people tend to believe in the feng shui of ancestral graves. If someone does well, they attribute it to the ancestral graves and erect a monument. If someone does poorly, they blame the ancestral graves for not being buried properly and want to relocate and rebury the dead.

When the geomancer said this, the Tian family members all came to find Tian Guangming, insisting that the highway should not pass through the cemetery. Their attitude was firm, and no matter what he said, no one listened to him. This concerned their descendants for generations to come, and no one would compromise.

To make matters worse, the highway also encroaches on the graves of Chen Shi's grandparents, whose tombstones were erected just a few years ago. The geomancer said that this is the best feng shui site in Fushan Town, and that it will produce a provincial-level official.

Everyone is watching and waiting. If Chen Shi's ancestral graves are not moved, the graves on the hill will not be touched.

After thinking about it for many days, Tian Guangming decided to go to Li Yuezhong and report the truth. If he forced the Tian family to move their ancestral graves and something happened, he would be a sinner to the Tian family and would be ashamed of his ancestors.

Being a village party secretary is no easy job; anyone can take it. He's prepared to resign.

The land acquisition issue wasn't a big problem. He did several major things in Qinghe Village: he paved the roads, he brought running water to every household, and he raised money to build the Qinghe Village Primary School.

In Qinghe Village, apart from Chen Shi, he had the highest prestige, and no one dared to contradict him.

When it comes to relocating graves, feng shui is a very mysterious thing, invisible and intangible, and no one can explain it clearly.

If the ancestral graves are moved, everyone will live in peace and no one will blame you. But if something happens, they will blame it on the relocation of the ancestral graves and hate you to death. It's an unsolvable situation.

Tian Guangming thought about it all night, got up early, couldn't sleep, washed his face, and asked his son Tian Xiaojun to drive him to town.

Tian Xiaojun yawned: "Dad, what's the rush? It's only a little past seven. The town government doesn't start work until nine. Let's go around eight."

Tian Guangming paced back and forth in the living room, hands behind his back: "What do you know? Go and wait for the leader early, let him see our enthusiasm for our work. Whether you can do the things the leader assigns well is one thing, but first you have to let the leader see your work attitude."

Tian Xiaojun got up to wash up, took the key to open the car door, and looked at Tian Guangming: "Dad, you've had a lot more gray hair lately. Don't worry about moving the grave anymore. At worst, you can quit being the village party secretary and ask Li Yuezhong to resign."

The cemetery on the hill is where the Tian family's ancestral graves are buried. Why offend anyone? Even if Chen Shi comes, there are over a hundred Tian families in Qinghe Village. If they don't agree to relocate the graves, there's nothing he can do. Who dares to forcibly relocate them? Our Tian family isn't to be trifled with. We'll go directly to the municipal party committee and the provincial party committee to petition until they dismiss him, the executive deputy county head.

Tian Guangming, sitting in the passenger seat, said: "You can say these things to me, but don't say a word about them outside. Without Chen Shi as a leader outside, how could the roads be built to every household? How could the tap water be connected? How could the schools be built?"

"It's very beneficial for the village to produce a deputy-department-level cadre. Chen Shi is still so young; he'll at least reach the provincial-level in the future."

Tian Xiaojun started the car and drove off.

"I heard that the highway was built under Chen Shi's supervision. The highway encroached on his family's ancestral graves, and everyone is watching to see if he will move them or not. Leading cadres should take the lead."

Tian Guangming said sternly, "Don't mention a single word of these things outside."

Tian Xiaojun stopped talking and drove silently.

When I arrived at the town government, it was only 8:30, and there wasn't a soul in sight.

Tian Xiaojun parked the car: "Dad, let's go have breakfast first, and then come over later."

"You go eat, I have no appetite. I'll wait outside the secretary's office first."

Tian Guangming got out of the car and waited at the entrance of the secretary's office on the third floor of the government office building.

Starting at 8:50, town officials arrived at work one after another, and greeted Tian Guangming when they saw him.

At 9:10, Li Yuezhong arrived at the office door, and Tian Guangming hurriedly went to greet him: "Good morning, Secretary."

"Old Tian, ​​you're here so early, is something the matter?"

Li Yuezhong pushed open the office door, and Tian Guangming followed him in: "Secretary, I'd like to report to you on the situation regarding the land acquisition for the highway."

Li Yuezhong said, "Sit down."

Tian Guangming sat down and chatted with Li Yuezhong for a bit. Seeing that Li Yuezhong was in a good mood, he then reported on the land acquisition situation for the highway.

"Secretary, the expressway passes through the outskirts of Qinghe Village. According to statistics, it occupies more than 20 acres of land. Land acquisition is easy to solve. Once the expressway is built, it will be much more convenient for the elderly in the village to go to the county town for medical treatment and for the children to go to school in the county town."

Li Yuezhong looked at Tian Guangming: "Old Tian, ​​you are very capable. I have always had high hopes for you. I want you to set an example for other villages in this land acquisition for the expressway. After all, the construction of the expressway is mainly overseen by County Chief Chen. He is from Qinghe Village. Don't let County Chief Chen hold you back."

Tian Guangming had already thought of a way to report his work: start with the good things to please the leader and get recognition for his efforts, and then talk about the difficulties.

On the way here, he wanted to report on the matter of the ancestral graves in the cemetery first. But after hearing what Li Yuezhong said, he decided to change his strategy and not talk about the ancestral graves in the cemetery first, but talk about the matter of Chen Shi's ancestral graves first.

With a troubled expression, he said, "Secretary, I'm afraid I can't set a good example. The highway passes by the ancestral graves of Chen County's family. The graves were only erected a few years ago. At that time, Chen County was the deputy director of the police station. He came back home to oversee the construction, and I even brought village committee cadres to help."

At the time, the geomancer said that this was the best feng shui site in Fushan Town, and that a provincial-level official would emerge from there in the future.

Chen County has only been in power for a few years, yet he's risen from deputy director of a police station to executive deputy county head.

Li Yuezhong's tone became more serious: "Old Tian, ​​you are a party member and cadre, how can you believe in these feudal superstitions? Several counties in Mingzhou are now promoting cremation, and in a few years, the entire city will be implementing cremation."

"You can say this to my face, but you can't say it outside; it would damage the image of Party members and cadres."

Tian Guangming repeatedly agreed, though he didn't say it aloud.

Li Yuezhong continued, "I'm going to the county later to report to County Chief Chen. I'll talk to him about this."

Go back and get this done as soon as possible. The highway is encroaching on the villagers' land; make them sign off on it. We'll have a meeting next Monday, and I'll make you a role model.

Tian Guangming broke out in a cold sweat; thankfully, he hadn't mentioned the Tian family's ancestral graves on the burial mound.

I like the game of power, starting with the police officers at the local police station.