In name only: The land of Handong, I shall rule its fate.

Li Dakang is in a bad state!

At his repeated requests, Lin Zhiyuan had no choice but to let Lao Zhang take him back to the municipal party committee compound where he lived alone.

Yes, just one person!

When Ouyang Jing went to take up her post in Donghai, Li Jiajia went with her.

After the incident involving Gao Zhiwu and Wu Huifen came to light, Li Dakang, belatedly realizing that he had violated the avoidance principle again, dismissed his cousin and nanny Xingzhi overnight.

"Secretary Dakang, if you feel unwell, just call me or Secretary Jin to take you to the hospital."

Lin Zhiyuan looked helpless.

He truly hadn't expected that a few words could frighten the arrogant and self-important overlord of Jingzhou to such an extent.

"I'm fine."

Li Dakang forced a smile. What difference did it make whether he went to the hospital or to the provincial or municipal party committee? How could a powerful figure like him let outsiders see him in such a disheveled state?

Fine!

Lin Zhiyuan is gone.

His inspection tour of Jingzhou will continue, including visits to the petition office, government service platform company, ride-hailing platform company, domestic new energy vehicle production line, TSL factory, and two subway lines.

It took four days to investigate the current situation in Jingzhou, and I also checked on the recovery progress of Qiu Tianhen and Hou Liangping.

It was a relaxing and carefree time, a rare moment of leisure.

But some people are very unhappy!

Office of the Provincial Party Secretary.

"Comrade Zhuang Chi, here to report on your work again?"

Sha Ruijin looked at the middle-aged man in a suit and tie opposite him, and almost couldn't keep up the smile on his face. This Gou Dongxi had come eight times in five days.

Except for the first day.

The work report was fairly complete, but what was the rest of it? It was just like being a contractor; when the client made some demands, a slightly modified version of the proposal was quickly submitted again.

Moreover, regardless of how they begin, all so-called work reports eventually circle back to the same point:

They openly or subtly expressed their difficulties in attracting investment and their need for assistance.

At first, considering that the other party was a vice minister, they arranged for him to be given priority in the meeting. But later, unable to tolerate it any longer, the grizzly man directly instructed Xiaobai to put him at the very end.

But this thing is like a leech; once it's on, you can't get rid of it.

Despite his obvious dislike, he stubbornly put on a brave face and plopped down on the sofa in the waiting area before eight o'clock in the morning, until Xiaobai called him in.

Then, after much difficulty, they finally managed to get rid of them.

Yo hoo!

I came over again in the afternoon, still sitting in my usual spot.

"Secretary Sha, I have made revisions to the suggestions you made this morning. Please take a look."

Zhuang Chi had a friendly smile and a silly air about him, which made him easy to trust, but he was utterly despicable in the eyes of the gerbil.

"Hmm, the revisions are quite good."

He gave a perfunctory critique of the rat poison, then, without even looking, casually pointed to the other side, "Here, here, and here, all of these can be modified."

Why point randomly?

Because the gerbil poison team already knew the plan by heart, they practically knew it by heart.

Why point out the modifications even though you know Zhuangchi is coming?

If things don't change, Zhuang Chi will immediately go into "crying poor" mode; he's already experienced that kind of pressure firsthand.

"Secretary Sha, have some tea to cool down."

Tong Li came in carrying a cup of freshly brewed chrysanthemum tea and offered words of comfort.

"Tong Li, this can't be a good thing."

The rat poison was so painful he clutched his face. He was relieved for today, but tomorrow never comes. "Lin Zhiyuan is one thing, but how can those people in the provincial government faction be so shameless!"

When he was serving in Hanjiang and Bohai, every cadre was upright and proper in front of him. But when he arrived in Handong, he ran into a group of bandits and hooligans.

Isn't it said that the more economically developed a place is, the higher the average quality of its people?

"Forehead!"

Tong Libang massaged his shoulders and neck with gerbil oil, which helped him relax. "It might be related to Secretary Zhao Lichun."

"He served as governor of Handong Province for eight years and provincial party secretary for ten years. He was domineering and could be described as 'those who obey me prosper, those who oppose me perish.' Especially in the later years, cadres who were in different camps suffered a lot of suppression. Governor Liu and several vice governors of the provincial government all went through this."

"To gain a foothold, one must be resilient enough."

Is that resilience?

fart!

They're clearly shameless and brazen.

The evil Zhao Lichun!

He's been gone for four years, and the things he left behind are still causing him trouble.

"Secretary Sha!"

Tong Li considered his words carefully and then comforted him, "Actually, in my opinion, it's not a bad thing that Governor Zhuang is able to come and join us."

Sha Ruijin naturally knew.

Although he is not a member of the Standing Committee, a vice governor in charge of commerce and foreign affairs is a mid-to-high-level position among vice-provincial officials, especially in the current situation. But the question is, is he really a sincere ally?

They're clearly after the resources he has; once they've used them, they'll pack up and leave immediately.

Scumbag!

"Secretary Sha, this is unavoidable. The provincial party committee is responsible for the overall strategy and personnel, while the provincial government is responsible for project implementation and finance. Even when investing in prefecture-level cities, the provincial government is still involved."

Tong Li comforted him, "Since it's all the same to give it to anyone, why not give it to those who come close? Consider it a waste of money to buy a horse's bones."

"We can give it to him little by little, like a carrot hanging in front of a donkey. As soon as he makes any move, we stop."

"All the world's hustle and bustle is for profit."

"Over time, they will naturally become our people; if that doesn't work, we can try to sow discord between Governor Zhuang and Executive Director Lin."

"It is true that the provincial government system is strong and well-equipped."

"But our organizational structure is pyramid-shaped, with fewer positions at the top. Even if the provincial government faction occupies the majority of the upper levels, it's not enough for their subordinates to share, so there will inevitably be favoritism and disfavoritism."

"Secondary relationships are all connections we can cultivate."

However, after hearing Tong Li's suggestion...

Sha Ruijin's face grew even more bitter. He was indeed tempted and wanted to take action to test the effectiveness of this divisive tactic and make the provincial government faction suffer the consequences.

But the prerequisite is that he has to have it!

Most of the resources he has at his disposal come from the support of the Qin family and his adoptive fathers, but now his father-in-law has taken over any projects that are of any value.

"Secretary Sha, could it be...?"

Tong Li felt the stiffness in his subordinate's body and immediately realized what was happening.

"I approached Elder Kang and the others, but they didn't agree. They even scolded me, asking if I was trying to force them to resign, and withheld all the resources."

Gerbillon collapsed to the ground, his last ounce of energy seemingly dissipating in the wind.

"Old Qin! Old Qin, this is going too far."

Tong Li was so angry that he was trembling.

That was a project jointly funded by several companies, taking advantage of Sha Ruijin's appointment as the head of Handong. It wasn't just the Qin family's resources; even the projects outside of Senmei were funded by Kang Lao and his group.

"Gerberosicides must be stopped immediately!"

A glint of ruthlessness flashed in Tong Li's eyes as he advised, "Your current situation is already very bad. If you don't have the resources to break through in Hanbei, your superiors... your superiors might really consider..."

"I know."

Sha Ruijin looked conflicted. "Right now, it's all internal stuff. But if Lin Zhiyuan is brought in, I'll be a traitor colluding with outsiders. At that point, I'm afraid even Elder Kang and the others won't tolerate me."

"Wait a little longer!"

"I'll go back to Beijing during the Chinese New Year."