Chapter Summaries

Fang Shuiling met Zhang Dongfang and the Jiaolin County delegation to help with their application to withdraw county status and establish a city. She arranged dinner with Director Li Xiao through one of her contacts, leaving Zhang Dongfang unsure whether her casual approach would succeed.

• Zhang Dongfang told Sun Lihan that the young woman Dong Xuebin had contacted was on her way to the Baohong City Beijing Liaison Office.
• Fang Shuiling arrived, introduced herself to Zhang Dongfang and the others, and learned they needed to meet Director Li Xiao about their application.
• Fang Shuiling proposed inviting Li Xiao to dinner and chose a club where she had a membership.
• Fang Shuiling called Uncle Zhang, asked him to contact Li Xiao, and arranged for him to join them at the club.
• Fang Shuiling told the delegation that Li Xiao would probably come after work, while Zhang Dongfang and the others remained uncertain about her methods.

Fang Shuiling took Zhang Dongfang and his colleagues to an exclusive Capital City club while they waited to meet Director Li Xiao about Jiaolin County’s plan to become a city. Li Xiao rushed over as soon as he learned she wanted to see him, leaving Zhang Dongfang and Sun Lihan stunned by her influence.

• Fang Shuiling brought Zhang Dongfang, Sun Lihan, Xu Zhuang, and the others to the luxurious Leisure Club and secured them a private room without using her membership card.
• Fang Shuiling told the club staff to send Li Xiao to their room when he arrived.
• Zhang Dongfang called Dong Xuebin, who assured him that Fang Shuiling could handle the matter if anyone could.
• Fang Shuiling ordered food and offered her guests the club’s other amenities while they waited.
• Li Xiao hurried to the club and introduced himself to Fang Shuiling, prompting Zhang Dongfang and Sun Lihan to realize he was the Director Li they had been waiting for.

Fang Shuiling brought Li Xiao to meet Zhang Dongfang and his colleagues about Jiaolin County’s application to become a county-level city. After Li Xiao gave cautious assurances, Fang Shuiling threatened to ask her grandfather, Premier Fang, to intervene, prompting Li Xiao to guarantee the approval.

• Li Xiao arrived at the dinner, and Zhang Dongfang recognized him as the official who had declined their earlier invitations.
• Boss Chen welcomed Fang Shuiling and added dishes to the meal at no charge.
• Fang Shuiling introduced Li Xiao to Zhang Dongfang, who explained that Jiaolin County wanted an update on its application to establish a city.
• Li Xiao said the application looked promising but would need to pass through several levels of review and could take one to two months.
• Fang Shuiling said she would ask her grandfather, Premier Fang, to intervene if the outcome was uncertain.
• Li Xiao hurriedly promised to personally oversee the process and guaranteed that Jiaolin County’s application would be approved.

Fang Shuiling secured Li Xiao’s guarantee that Jiaolin County would be upgraded to a county-level city, then left Zhang Dongfang and the others stunned when they learned she was Premier Fang’s granddaughter. The chapter ended with Li Xiao and Zhang Dongfang wondering who Fang Shuiling meant by “Brother Dong.”

• Li Xiao panicked when Fang Shuiling threatened to contact her grandfather, then guaranteed that Jiaolin County’s status upgrade would be approved.
• Zhang Dongfang, Xu Zhuang, Sun Lihan, and the others realized Fang Shuiling was Premier Fang’s biological granddaughter and understood why Li Xiao had rushed to help her.
• Fang Shuiling returned to her meal while Zhang Dongfang thanked her and stopped addressing her casually as Xiao Ling.
• Fang Shuiling said she had helped because Brother Dong asked her to, leaving Li Xiao and Zhang Dongfang curious about Secretary Dong’s connection to her.

After Fang Shuiling helped Zhang Dongfang and his colleagues with Jiaolin County’s approval, Xu Zhuang accidentally spilled tea on Chen Family’s Sixth Child and was surrounded by his companions. Fang Shuiling arrived and challenged Sixth Child over the confrontation.

• Li Xiao left the dinner, and Fang Shuiling praised Dong Xuebin while Zhang Dongfang and Sun Lihan tried to understand her connection to him.
• Xu Zhuang left to use the restroom after drinking and failed to return for several minutes.
• A woman told Fang Shuiling that Xu Zhuang had spilled tea on Chen Family’s Sixth Child, who had grabbed him and refused to accept his apology.
• Fang Shuiling and the others found several young men surrounding Xu Zhuang in the corridor.
• Chen Family’s Sixth Child’s companions relaxed when they learned Xu Zhuang had come with Fang Shuiling.
• Fang Shuiling arrived and asked Sixth Child why he was causing trouble for her.

Fang Shuiling protected Xu Zhuang from Chen Family's Sixth Child by revealing that Xu and his companions were Dong Xuebin's colleagues. Chen Family's Sixth Child backed down and left, giving Dong Xuebin face.

• Chen Family's Sixth Child demanded that Xu Zhuang be taken away after Xu stained his clothes, while Fang Shuiling offered to pay and asked him to stop.
• Fang Shuiling stood in front of Xu Zhuang and told Chen Family's Sixth Child that Xu and Zhang Dongfang were her friends.
• Fang Shuiling warned the youths that Xu and his companions were Dong Xuebin's colleagues, sent to the Capital City on business.
• Chen Family's Sixth Child recognized Dong Xuebin's name and decided to let Xu go, then led his group out of the club.

Chen Family's Sixth Child and his group left the clubhouse after recognizing Dong Xuebin and avoiding a confrontation. A young man explained that Dong was as dangerous to provoke as Fang Wenping and Xie Huilan, and that they would soon be connected to Fang Shuiling through marriage.

• Chen Family's Sixth Child left the clubhouse with his group and angrily discarded his tea-stained shirt.
• A teenager questioned why the group had backed down from Dong Xuebin, and Chen Family's Sixth Child rebuked him for not knowing who Dong was.
• An older young man revealed that Dong Xuebin was Xie Huilan's husband, leaving the teenager surprised.
• The older young man compared Dong's reputation to Fang Wenping's and Xie Huilan's and warned that provoking him meant provoking all three.
• The older young man said Fang Shuiling was expected to marry the Xie Family's eldest son, which would bring the families together.

After learning that Xu Zhuang was Dong Xuebin’s colleague, Chen Family's Sixth Child backed down rather than risk provoking Dong Xuebin. The chapter leaves the sheltered teenager learning why the powerful families feared Dong Xuebin’s reputation and recklessness.

• A teenager argued that Chen Family's Sixth Child should have punished Dong Xuebin’s colleague, but a young man told him to learn who Dong Xuebin was first.
• The young man explained that Fang Shuiling and Chen Family's Sixth Child held far less influence than Fang Wenping and Xie Huilan.
• The young man recounted how Dong Xuebin had stormed into the Municipal State Security Bureau, beaten a leader, and faced guns without flinching.
• Chen Family's Sixth Child had recognized Xu Zhuang as Dong Xuebin’s colleague and decided not to touch him, saying he would give Brother Dong respect.
• The young man explained that even powerful family heirs feared Dong Xuebin because he was unpredictable, formidable, and willing to disregard the consequences.

After Chen Family's Sixth Child left the club, Fang Shuiling stopped the owner from firing the server and explained that Dong Xuebin's name had made the young men back down. Zhang Dongfang, Xu Zhuang, and Sun Lihan were left wondering what kind of influence Secretary Dong had in the Capital City.

• Fang Shuiling and her group returned to their private room after Chen Family's Sixth Child and his companions left.
• The club owner apologized and threatened to fire the server, but Fang Shuiling insisted the girl had done nothing wrong and should keep her job.
• Xu Zhuang apologized to Fang Shuiling for causing trouble, while she told the group that Dong Xuebin's name had deterred Chen Family's Sixth Child.
• Zhang Dongfang, Xu Zhuang, and Sun Lihan wondered how Dong Xuebin had gained such influence, and Sun Lihan took his name to heart.

After Chen Family's Sixth Child left, Xie Hao rushed in with friends to protect Fang Shuiling and learned that Dong Xuebin had scared Chen away. Xie Hao then revealed Dong Xuebin's powerful connections, leaving Zhang Dongfang and Sun Lihan stunned by the identity of his father-in-law.

• Xie Hao burst into the private room with several friends, ready to confront Chen Family's Sixth Child for upsetting Fang Shuiling.
• Fang Shuiling explained that Chen Family's Sixth Child had left after she named Dong Xuebin as her colleagues' superior.
• Xie Hao and his friends sat down to eat with Fang Shuiling, Zhang Dongfang, and the others, while Xie Hao promised to help if she ever needed him.
• Xie Hao told Zhang Dongfang that Dong Xuebin had once stormed the Municipal State Security Bureau and beaten one of its leaders.
• Xie Hao revealed that Dong Xuebin's father-in-law was the Municipal Party Secretary, and Zhang Dongfang and Sun Lihan realized he meant Xie Guobang.

Dong Xuebin managed Jiaolin County’s work while Zhang Dongfang and Xu Zhuang secured the county’s approval to establish a city in the Capital City. When they returned, their new knowledge of Dong Xuebin’s reputation and powerful connections changed how they regarded him.

• Dong Xuebin directed staff to keep the ancient tomb closed, raise teacher salaries, and monitor investment projects while he handled the County Government’s workload.
• Fang Shuiling told Dong Xuebin that her engagement banquet with Ran-ge would take place the following month, and he promised to attend.
• Zhang Dongfang and Xu Zhuang returned to the compound, where Wei Zhixuan and other cadres learned that their effort to establish a city had succeeded.
• Zhang Dongfang and Xu Zhuang met Dong Xuebin and thanked him for his support, including connecting them with Fang Shuiling.
• After hearing stories about Dong Xuebin’s exploits and learning of his family connections in the Capital City, Zhang Dongfang and Xu Zhuang became more respectful and wary of him.

Dong Xuebin secured permission to add two deputy director positions to the County Party Committee Office ahead of Jiaolin County’s planned upgrade to a city. He began filling his allotted posts by inviting his longtime subordinate Guo Panwei to transfer over, hinting that the position would bring more than an ordinary lateral move.

• Dong Xuebin asked Meng Hanmei whether the County Party Committee Office could add two deputy directors, and she said the city might object before the county’s upgrade was approved.
• Dong Xuebin contacted Baohong City and received approval to prepare additional leadership posts in advance.
• Dong Xuebin discussed the quotas with Zhang Dongfang, who proposed candidates and took only a small share.
• Dong Xuebin called Guo Panwei and offered him a Zhengke-level deputy director position in the County Party Committee Office.
• Guo Panwei immediately agreed to transfer, and Dong Xuebin hinted that the move would bring an unexpected benefit.

Dong Xuebin called former colleagues Guo Panwei, Chang Juan, and Luo Haiting to recruit them for new positions in Jiaolin County. He left Luo Haiting expecting a county or district leadership post once the county’s application to become a city advanced.

• Dong Xuebin called Chang Juan and offered her a deputy director position in the County Party Committee Office, and she agreed after he hinted that a better opportunity might follow.
• Dong Xuebin invited Luo Haiting to join him as the top leader of a county or district once Jiaolin County’s planned upgrade created a suitable post.
• Luo Haiting realized that Jiaolin County was applying to establish a city and agreed to follow Dong Xuebin’s arrangements.
• Dong Xuebin made seven or eight more calls to arrange transfers for Guo Panwei, Chang Juan, and others.

Dong Xuebin prepared for Jiaolin County’s coming conversion into a county-level city by bringing former subordinates into the County Party Committee Office. Guo Panwei and Chang Juan arrived unaware that the change could soon promote them another rank.

• Xie Huilan asked Dong Xuebin to reserve two Zhengke Level positions for people she planned to transfer after the city upgrade, and he agreed.
• Ci Lifen asked Dong Xuebin to receive her old classmate’s son in a Fuchu Level position after the restructuring, and he agreed.
• Su Yan told Dong Xuebin that new deputy directors Guo Panwei and Chang Juan had arrived, and Dong summoned them to his office.
• Dong Xuebin introduced Guo Panwei and Chang Juan to Meng Hanmei, who began arranging their work in the County Party Committee Office.
• Meng Hanmei told Guo Panwei and Chang Juan that Jiaolin County would become a county-level city and that cadres would generally be promoted one rank, leaving them stunned and delighted.

Dong Xuebin welcomed his longtime colleagues Guo Panwei and Chang Juan to dinner at his home after they arrived to take up their new posts. As they celebrated their impending promotions and recalled their years working together, they reflected on Dong Xuebin’s rapid rise through the system.

• Dong Xuebin told Zhang Dongfang he planned to take several days off soon to help with his wife’s younger brother’s wedding, and Zhang approved.
• Guo Panwei invited Dong Xuebin to dinner, but Dong asked him and Chang Juan to eat at his home instead.
• Guo Panwei and Chang Juan brought local specialties and cooked dinner for Dong Xuebin, who opened a bottle of Moutai for them.
• The three toasted Dong Xuebin and thanked him for helping them secure promotions as the county awaited approval to become a city.
• Dong Xuebin, Guo Panwei, and Chang Juan reminisced about their early days together and discussed how far Dong Xuebin had risen in five years.

After learning that Zhang Longjuan was pregnant with his child, Dong Xuebin reflected on his tangled relationships and hurried to Qingxi Province to apologize to Xu Yan. Xu Yan reassured him that their relationship was consensual, leaving Dong Xuebin with no resolution beyond her comfort.

• Zhang Longjuan told Dong Xuebin that she was nearly three months pregnant with his child.
• Dong Xuebin decided to apologize to the women in his life and booked the earliest flight to Qingxi Province.
• Dong Xuebin informed Zhang Dongfang that he had to leave, then rushed to the airport with Xiao Wang.
• After landing, Dong Xuebin called Xu Yan and went to visit her at the Provincial State Security Bureau's Family Compound.
• Dong Xuebin apologized to Xu Yan for the trouble his relationships had caused, but she told him not to blame himself because their relationship had been consensual.

Dong Xuebin settled Xu Yan’s return to the Capital City and offered Zhang Longjuan’s unborn child his company shares as he traveled toward Zhenshui County. He learned that Yanbei County would come under Jiaolin City’s jurisdiction after Jiaolin’s restructuring, and he began considering how to remove Yang Gang and fill his post.

• Dong Xuebin asked Xie Guojian to help Xu Yan transfer to the Capital City and secure a promotion through the new Security Committee.
• Dong Xuebin told Zhang Longjuan he intended to transfer his twenty percent company stake to her unborn child, though she did not agree.
• Liang Na, Yanbei County’s deputy secretary, invited Dong Xuebin to dinner, prompting him to ask Meng Hanmei about her call.
• Meng Hanmei and other contacts confirmed that Yanbei County would be placed under Jiaolin City’s jurisdiction once Jiaolin County became a city.
• Dong Xuebin decided he would seek Yang Gang’s removal and began weighing who should take over his position, ruling out Luo Haiting.

Dong Xuebin visited Jiang Fangfang in Zhenshui County and offered to bring her to his area as its top leader. Jiang agreed to the transfer, and Dong also promised to arrange medical care for her mother.

• Dong Xuebin returned to the County Party Committee compound, where many former colleagues greeted him warmly.
• Dong Xuebin visited Jiang Fangfang and offered to arrange treatment for her mother in the Capital City.
• Dong Xuebin told Jiang Fangfang that he wanted her to lead the county in his area after its upgrade and promised to support her governing decisions.
• Jiang Fangfang agreed to go with Dong Xuebin.

Dong Xuebin finished his visit with Jiang Fangfang and traveled to Beihe Province to see old friends, stopping first at Geng Yuehua’s family home. He was welcomed by the Geng family, while people in the neighborhood nervously wondered whether the infamous “plague god” had returned to cause trouble.

• Dong Xuebin arranged help for Jiang Fangfang’s mother, said goodbye to Jiang Fangfang, and asked Pu An for a ride to the provincial capital.
• On the plane, Dong Xuebin sent Fang Wenping an apology and promised to visit her later.
• After landing in Beihe Province, Dong Xuebin went to the Guangming Street family compound to see Geng Yuehua and called Geng Xinke when she did not answer.
• Dong Xuebin bought fruit and headed upstairs after Lin Pingping and Geng Xinke invited him in; neighbors recognized him and worried about his return.
• The Geng family welcomed Dong Xuebin, thanked him for saving Geng Yuehua from cancer, and Geng Xinke went to make tea.

Dong Xuebin visited the Geng family and agreed to bring Geng Xinke to Jiaolin after the county became a city, offering him a Fuchu Level position as his secretary. The family accepted the plan while Geng Yuehua was still in the bathroom.

• Dong Xuebin discussed Jiaolin's pending county-to-city upgrade with the Geng family, and Mother Geng compared his success with Geng Xinke's stalled career.
• He Suien, Zhong Zhengwei, and other Fenzhou City contacts called Dong Xuebin after hearing he had returned.
• Lin Pingping asked Dong Xuebin to help transfer Geng Xinke to Jiaolin, and he offered him a Fuchu Level secretary position once the upgrade was approved.
• Geng Xinke accepted the offer, and Lin Pingping said she would take their child and go with him if necessary.