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

On Friday afternoon, Chen Shi received a call from Qin Jiang.

"Qin Suo"

"Director Chen, have your sister-in-law come to work at the power management office next Monday. Arrange for her to work in the logistics department."

"Thanks, let's grab a couple of drinks tonight."

"I'll drink again next time. I have to go back to the county town after get off work; I have some things to take care of at home."

"Okay," Chen Shi said, hanging up the phone. Qin Jiang was efficient; he had gotten things done by Friday, just like what he had discussed on Monday night.

Pick up your phone and call Chen Xing to cheer them up.

The call was answered quickly.

"Xiao Shi"

"Brother, are you home?"

"Just arrived. I was checking the power lines in the next village today, so I went home early."

Chen Xing's face was beaming with smiles. He loved this job. It was close to home, and he earned a decent living. He no longer had to leave his hometown to work on the coast.

"My sister-in-law's work schedule has been arranged. She'll be going to work at the power management office on Monday morning. Let her know so she can get ready."

Chen Xing was overjoyed. He had never imagined that one day he and his wife would be both employed.

He repeatedly said, "Okay."

Wang Xiufen, who was holding the child beside her, asked, "What's wrong? Why are you so happy?"

After hanging up the phone, Chen Xing said with a smile, "Xiufen, Xiaoshi has secured your job. You can start working at the power management office on Monday."

"That's great!" Wang Xiufen beamed with joy. She never imagined that one day, someone who hadn't even graduated from elementary school would be able to get a government job.

She handed the child to her mother-in-law, saying, "I need to get ready for work."

Chen Xing exclaimed, "What's the rush? We don't start work until Monday, there are still two days left. We can pack tomorrow."

Wang Xiufen was very excited: "What do you know? You should have prepared earlier."

Wang Guihua was overjoyed to receive the child. She never imagined that one day, three members of her family would be able to eat government-provided meals.

The youngest son is a leader; it's like a dream come true.

Chen Yanshi was smoking welding fumes. In the past, his family was nothing in the village, dirt poor. But in the last two years, they have had a stroke of good luck. His youngest son became a leader, his second son got a job at the power management office, and now his daughter-in-law is going to get a job at the power management office, and even his son-in-law is an administrator at the power management office.

As I walked out, all the prominent people in the village greeted me with smiles and offered me cigarettes. The village head's family, in particular, used to ignore me, but now they were incredibly hospitable. Anyone who didn't know better would think the two families were old friends.

Chen Yanshi is very satisfied with his current life. He has enough to eat and wear, and his children are doing well. He believes it must be because his parents are buried well, and a monument should be erected for them.

In rural areas, if things don't go well, people blame their ancestral graves, digging them up and reburying the dead in a better feng shui location. If things go well, it's also thanks to the ancestral graves, and a tombstone is erected immediately.

Chen Yanshi coughed lightly, his inner joy still showing on his wrinkled face.

"Xiaoxing, your name is Xiaoshi. Come back when you have time. Your grandparents' graves are well-preserved. The reason you are so successful now is all thanks to your ancestral graves. A monument should be erected."

Chen Xing also agreed that a monument must be erected. The whole family, except for the parents, all work for the government, so it must be the blessing of their ancestral graves.

"Okay, when Xiaoshi has time, call him back to discuss erecting a tombstone for my grandparents."

Chen Yanshi nodded in satisfaction.

Wang Xiufen came out of the room, looked at her mother-in-law Wang Guihua, and then at her father-in-law Chen Yanshi. She said excitedly, "I have a bold idea. I can get a job at the power management office. My parents are not yet sixty, so they can also get jobs there. I'll tell Xiaoshi. That way, our whole family can work at the power management office and take care of each other. At most, we can finish building the house in a year."

She was in a good mood, feeling that she had great taste and had chosen Chen Xing at first glance among many suitors.

She felt she hadn't married the wrong person. Chen Xing was now a permanent employee with a stable income, and although she was a temporary worker, she believed that one day she could also become a permanent employee.

The three of them were stunned when they heard her words. "Your idea is too bold."

The power management office is not a nursing home where anyone can go in.

Chen Yanshi tapped his pipe: "Your mother and I are both over fifty, why would we want to work at the power management office?"

Chen Xing looked at Wang Xiufen and said, "Aren't you overjoyed? How old are your parents? Do you really think the power management office is your family's property?"

"What are you thinking? If the parents go to the power company, who will take care of the two kids and the land?"

"Are you stupid? How much money can you make farming this small plot of land? It's still less than a month's salary at the power company. As for the two kids, bring my mom over to take care of them. I'll give her a thousand a month, and I guarantee she'll be willing."

Wang Guihua quickly said, "Don't make things difficult for Xiaoshi. It must have taken a lot of effort to get you in. We're both old, and we won't be able to stay for many years anyway, so don't make things difficult for us."

Wang Xiufen said with a dissatisfied look: "Mom, we should earn money one year at a time. Xiao Shi has such a good relationship with Director Qin. What's wrong with getting his own family members arrested?"

As the old saying goes, "If a man doesn't look out for himself, he'll be damned by heaven and earth."

In the past, she would have scolded her mother-in-law, saying that the old couple had no skills and hadn't built a decent house, always fearing danger.

She had to be more discreet because she had raised a good son, and dared not openly criticize her mother-in-law. From the moment she married into the family, she had never taken Wang Guihua, her mother-in-law, seriously.

Chen Xing glared at Wang Xiufen: "Wishful thinking! You really think the power management office is your own backyard, where you can let anyone in whenever you want?"

Seeing that all three of them objected, Wang Xiufen gave up the idea.

"I'm also thinking about my family. If I don't want to go, then forget it, pretend I didn't say anything."

She went back angrily to pack her clothes.

Chen Shi pondered that Qin Jiang had helped him twice, so he had to show some appreciation; he couldn't just make empty promises without giving anything concrete.

He picked up his phone and called Huang Ming.

The call was answered quickly.

Chen Shi smiled broadly and said, "Secretary Huang."

"Is Commander Chen in the county town?"

"No, come up tomorrow. Are you familiar with the director of the power supply bureau?"

"Is there something you need?"

"Well, I wanted to invite the director of the power supply bureau to dinner, but I'm not familiar with him, so I thought of you."

"I know the director of the power supply bureau quite well. If you want to invite him to dinner tomorrow night, I'll ask him if he's free."

"Okay, thank you."

Are you alone?

"There's another one, Qin Jiang, the director of the Fushan Town Power Management Office, who was mainly the one who introduced him."

"Okay, I'll ask."

After hanging up the phone, being able to get closer to Qin Jiang and their bureau chief was considered to have delivered something tangible.

Huang Ming called soon after.

Chen Shi quickly answered the call: "Secretary Huang"

"Director Chen, I asked him for you. He's free tomorrow night, so we can have dinner together."

"Thank you. Are you free tomorrow night? We can't get this dinner party going without you as the middleman."

"I will make time tomorrow night to bring it to you."

"Thanks, see you tomorrow night."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Shi called Qin Jiang again.

"Chen Suo"

"Chief Qin, I'm going to the county town tomorrow too. I've made plans with your bureau chief and Secretary Huang to have a couple of drinks together tomorrow night."

Qin Jiang was overjoyed and quickly said, "Okay, I must pay for this."

"It's my treat, how can I let you pay the bill?"

"If you're one of us, don't try to take it from me."

"We'll see who buys it then."

The two of them burst into laughter.