Chapter Summaries

Dong Xuebin arrived at the crematorium for his own memorial service, but a worker mistook him for a troublemaker and questioned his funeral attire. He reached the crowded Memorial Hall as the ceremony was nearing its end and heard Su Jia praise his life and work.

• Dong Xuebin searched for his memorial service and asked a crematorium worker where it was being held.
• The worker doubted Dong Xuebin’s story, criticized his lack of a wreath and his blue shirt, and warned that he might be turned away.
• Dong Xuebin learned the Memorial Hall was north of the crematorium and headed there in a hurry.
• Dong Xuebin saw wreaths outside the crowded hall and recognized Luo Haiting, Lin Pingping, and others among the mourners.
• Su Jia delivered a eulogy describing Dong Xuebin as a devoted Party member and urging everyone to carry on his work.

Dong Xuebin’s family, friends, and colleagues mourned him at a memorial service after he was presumed dead in a plane crash. As Xie Huilan comforted Luan Xiaoping and was accepted as her daughter-in-law, Dong Xuebin appeared at the hall entrance, having heard everything.

• Su Jia delivered Dong Xuebin’s eulogy as Luan Xiaoping, Xie Huilan, and the mourners grieved his presumed death.
• Luan Xiaoping broke down over losing her son, while Xie Huilan remained composed and supported her.
• Ding Li and Yu Zhengzhi secretly felt relieved by Dong Xuebin’s death while pretending to mourn.
• Xie Huilan told Luan Xiaoping that she and Dong Xuebin had held a wedding, and she called Luan Xiaoping “Mom” until Luan accepted her as a daughter.
• Su Jia called for three minutes of silence, and Dong Xuebin appeared at the entrance after hearing the mourners’ words.

Dong Xuebin returned to his own funeral after surviving a plane crash and drifting at sea, shocking the mourners and ending the service. His family, friends, and colleagues welcomed him back, while Xie Huilan recovered from nearly fainting and the news spread throughout Yantai County.

• Dong Xuebin entered the Memorial Hall during the moment of silence, and Lin Pingping, Luo Haiting, and the mourners recoiled when they recognized him.
• Dong Xuebin explained that he had escaped the plane crash, drifted at sea, and been rescued, then reunited emotionally with Luan Xiaoping, his colleagues, Xie Hao, Yu Meixia, and Yu Qianqian.
• Xie Huilan nearly fainted from not eating, accepted candy from Xie Jing, and reassured Dong Xuebin that she had known he would survive.
• Dong Xuebin and his family ended the funeral, removed the memorial arrangements, and returned the guests' White Envelopes.
• People called their friends and colleagues to report that Dong Xuebin was alive, spreading the news throughout Yantai County.

Dong Xuebin returned alive after a plane crash and found himself attending his own funeral, where he reassured guests and relatives. After learning that Yun Dong had been hospitalized from worry, he called off the funeral and hurried to see her.

• Dong Xuebin greeted stunned mourners at his funeral and explained that he had escaped the plane crash.
• Dong Xuebin spoke with Yang Zhaode, Han Jing, and Xie Guobang, who were relieved he had returned safely.
• Xu Yan called Dong Xuebin and said she was near the crematorium, but declined his offer to join him for lunch.
• Za Xiaoping told Dong Xuebin that Yun Dong had been hospitalized while pregnant and had been worrying about him.
• Dong Xuebin ended the funeral and hurried to visit Yun Dong.

Dong Xuebin returned safely from the plane crash and reunited with the pregnant Zhai Yundong, who had feared he was dead. After learning how his family had suffered during his disappearance, he heard that Zhai Yundong planned to move to Beihe Province and seek work there so she and their child could stay close to him.

• Dong Xuebin arrived at the County People's Hospital, where staff and visitors were stunned to see him alive after the plane crash.
• Dong Xuebin found Zhai Yundong in her hospital room, fed her porridge, and comforted her as she cried with relief.
• Zhai Yundong checked Dong Xuebin for injuries and scolded him for telling her to abort the baby and marry someone else before the crash.
• Zhai Yundong told Dong Xuebin that his mother had fainted after hearing about the crash but had recovered, and that she herself had been deeply distressed.
• Zhai Yundong said she planned to leave the hospital, sell her Auction House, and move to Beihe Province to seek a television-station job near Dong Xuebin.

After returning from the sea, Dong Xuebin spent several days handling funeral-related visits and catching up with family. Sun Shuli then told him that the county had appointed him Director of the Investment Bureau while he was presumed dead, and Dong accepted the arrangement without resentment.

• Za Xiaoping stayed with Dong Xuebin at home, and they talked about his recovery and the people who had worried about him.
• Dong Xuebin explained that he had spent the past few days visiting relatives, leaders, and colleagues, and that he had also arranged replacements for his identification and bank cards.
• Sun Shuli arrived with his wife to visit Dong Xuebin, bringing supplements.
• Sun Shuli revealed that the county Standing Committee had appointed him Director of the Investment Bureau ten days after the plane crash.
• Sun Shuli offered to return the directorship, but Dong Xuebin told him to keep working and said he had no objection to the appointment.

Dong Xuebin learned that his Investment Bureau post had been reassigned and asked Xie Huilan to help him secure a promotion. Xie Huilan said she would look for an opening in a city district, leaving him to wait at home for news.

• Sun Shuli visited Dong Xuebin and confirmed that Luo Haiting had been promoted while he remained director of the Investment Bureau.
• Dong Xuebin told Xiao Ping his post was only temporarily gone, then went to the County Chief's Office to speak with Xie Huilan.
• Dong Xuebin pretended to be angry about losing his position before admitting that he wanted a promotion.
• Xie Huilan rejected Dong Xuebin's requests to become a town Party secretary or Public Security Bureau chief, citing his limited seniority.
• Xie Huilan said she would try to arrange a post for Dong Xuebin in a city district and told him to wait for news.

Dong Xuebin fielded congratulations over rumors of his promotion while discussing his future at the Investment Bureau with Guo Panwei. At dinner with Luan Xiaoping and Xie Huilan, they agreed to hold their wedding early next year, and Dong Xuebin toasted the two celebrations.

• Luo Haiting called Dong Xuebin to congratulate him on the rumored promotion, and he said no transfer had been finalized.
• Guo Panwei pledged to follow Dong Xuebin, but Dong Xuebin encouraged him to stay at the Investment Bureau and work toward becoming Office Director.
• Luan Xiaoping asked Dong Xuebin whether he would ask Yang Zhaode for help with his transfer, and Dong Xuebin refused.
• Xie Huilan arrived for dinner and told Luan Xiaoping that her mother had begun making wedding arrangements.
• Luan Xiaoping suggested they marry early next year, and Xie Huilan agreed to make plans with Dong Xuebin.
• Dong Xuebin raised a glass with Luan Xiaoping and Xie Huilan to celebrate his rumored promotion and their upcoming marriage.

Dong Xuebin spent days studying his ability and discovered that the English word “revere” acted as a new command. He found that it made his remaining time count down, but he could not yet determine what the command reversed.

• With no work and no one around, Dong Xuebin decided to study his ability using an English-Chinese dictionary.
• Dong Xuebin read through the dictionary for two days, searching for new English commands while avoiding words that might trigger his ability by accident.
• On the third day, Dong Xuebin sensed something change when he read “revere” and found that his remaining time was decreasing.
• Dong Xuebin said “Revere,” which stopped the countdown, then used it again while watching a child run outside and saw no change in the surroundings.
• Dong Xuebin spent hours testing “revere” but could not figure out what it did.

Dong Xuebin visited Yu Meixia and reunited with her and Qianqian after returning from Tokyo. He told Yu Meixia that he may have found her biological parents and invited her and Qianqian to meet them at lunch, leaving her stunned and uncertain.

• Dong Xuebin went to Yu Meixia's home and spent time with her and Qianqian.
• After Qianqian left to buy cigarettes, Dong Xuebin and Yu Meixia were intimate, and Yu Meixia cried because she had feared he would never return.
• Liu Chenglong called Dong Xuebin and arranged to meet him for lunch in Yantai County.
• Dong Xuebin asked Yu Meixia whether she had told her family about his call from Tokyo, and she said she had not.
• Dong Xuebin told Yu Meixia that he likely found her biological parents after recognizing her resemblance to a photo and learning their family had lost a five-year-old girl named Tong Tong.
• Dong Xuebin invited Yu Meixia and Qianqian to meet Liu Chenglong at lunch, and Yu Meixia gripped Qianqian's hand without answering.

Dong Xuebin secretly arranged a DNA test to determine whether Liu Chenglong was Yu Meixia’s biological father, and the results confirmed their relationship. Yu Meixia cried with Yu Qianqian and hesitated over whether to reunite with her parents, while Dong Xuebin reassured her and she promised to stay with him and Qianqian.

• Yu Meixia and Yu Qianqian grew nervous outside the hotel and asked Dong Xuebin to confirm their family connection with a DNA test before meeting Liu Chenglong.
• Dong Xuebin met Liu Chenglong, learned he was becoming general manager of the Fenzhou City Electric Power Company, and secretly kept Liu’s drinking cup as a DNA sample.
• Dong Xuebin gave Liu’s cup and Yu Meixia’s hair to Feng Lei, who later confirmed that the samples showed a parent-child relationship.
• Yu Meixia cried with Yu Qianqian after Dong Xuebin told her Liu Chenglong was her father, then asked him about her parents and whether she should meet them.
• Yu Meixia said she would think before deciding whether to see her parents, and later promised Dong Xuebin that she and Qianqian would stay with him.

Dong Xuebin learned that his transfer from Yantai County was imminent and discovered he was expected to become both the Street Office Director and Party Committee Secretary of Guangming Subdistrict in Nanshan District, Fenzhou City. He thanked Xiang Daofa for recommending him, while recognizing that the county secretary mainly wanted him gone.

• Dong Xuebin told Yu Meixia to consider moving with Qian Qian to the city, and she agreed to follow him.
• Cao Xupeng informed Dong Xuebin that the organization had decided to transfer him and that the appointment should arrive soon.
• Dong Xuebin heard from Hu Silian that he was likely to lead Guangming Subdistrict as both Street Office Director and Party Committee Secretary.
• Hu Silian told Dong Xuebin that Xiang Daofa had personally recommended him to the Nanshan District Party Secretary.
• Dong Xuebin visited Xiang Daofa to thank him, and both men exchanged polite remarks despite their mutual distrust.

Dong Xuebin prepared to leave Yantai County for a new post in Nanshan District, while Xie Huilan warned him that he would have to rely on himself there. The transfer order arrived, appointing him Party Committee Secretary and Director of the Guangming Subdistrict Office.

• Xie Huilan returned from meetings and told Dong Xuebin that his lack of connections in Nanshan District would make his new assignment challenging.
• Dong Xuebin and Xie Huilan shared an affectionate moment, and she asked him to stay with her that evening before he left.
• Dong Xuebin spent several days arranging farewell meals with friends and county leaders, often bringing Xie Huilan along to strengthen her connections.
• On June 2nd, Dong Xuebin received the transfer order appointing him Party Committee Secretary and Director of the Guangming Subdistrict Office in Nanshan District, Fenzhou City.

Dong Xuebin arrived in Nanshan District to take office as Guangming Street Office Director and began assessing his new workplace and its political relationships. After meeting the Organization Department Minister and the street office staff, he ended the chapter quietly noting the absence of Deputy Director Wang and the influence of Deputy Secretary Geng Xinke.

• Dong Xuebin toured the Guangming Street area before reporting to the Nanshan District Committee.
• Dong Xuebin tried to meet District Committee Secretary Wang Anshi, but Wang's secretary said he was at a meeting, so Dong went to the Organization Department instead.
• Xue Qingrong welcomed Dong Xuebin and accompanied him to the Guangming Street Office, where he announced Dong's appointment to the staff.
• Xue Qingrong introduced Deputy Secretary Geng Xinke to Dong Xuebin, who noted Geng's apparent importance.
• Geng Xinke said Deputy Director Wang had taken personal leave, and Dong Xuebin quietly resolved to learn more about the street office's relationships.

Dong Xuebin inspected the Street Office and began learning about its leadership after his arrival received a cool reception. Zhou Ynru offered her support and revealed that several powerful officials’ relatives held influential positions there, leaving Dong Xuebin worried about how he could get work done.

• After Minister Xue left, Dong Xuebin inspected the Street Office and noticed that the cadres seemed unwelcoming.
• Zhou Ynru brought Dong Xuebin his luggage, a roster of the leadership cadres, and a key to his new residence, while offering to support him.
• Dong Xuebin learned from Zhou Ynru that Geng Xinke had strong ties within the Street Office and was reportedly District Governor Geng Yuehua’s younger brother.
• Zhou Ynru hinted that Wang Yling was Party Secretary Wang Anshi’s biological niece, and Dong Xuebin worried that powerful relatives would obstruct his work.

Dong Xuebin assessed the political tensions at the Street Office and accepted a welcome dinner hosted by Geng Xinke. At the banquet, Geng’s allies and several absent cadres signaled a challenge, leaving Dong ready to defend his authority.

• Dong Xuebin worried that Geng Xinke, the district mayor’s younger brother, could undermine his authority, then told Geng he would personally pay for a dinner for all Street Office staff.
• Dong Xuebin visited his new apartment with Zhou Ynru and a young staff member, then headed to Shanshui Restaurant for dinner.
• Dong Xuebin met Police Station Director Peng Gang and deputy directors Yu Rongfeng and Guo Mingfeng, whom he suspected were aligned with Geng Xinke.
• At the banquet, Geng Xinke announced that two committee members and a deputy director could not attend, making the room tense as staff watched the new director and Geng.
• Dong Xuebin urged everyone to start eating and inwardly resolved not to let Geng’s show of force intimidate him.

At his welcome banquet, Dong Xuebin faced repeated drinking challenges from Geng Xinke and his allies despite warning them that he could not hold his liquor. After they tried to pressure him into another toast, he decided to answer them by ordering three cases of baijiu.

• Geng Xinke welcomed Dong Xuebin on behalf of the Street Party Working Committee, and Dong Xuebin instead proposed a toast to everyone.
• Dong Xuebin struggled to finish his first glass and told the staff he would not drain any more glasses.
• Peng Gang pressed Dong Xuebin to drink, and Dong Xuebin slowly finished another glass despite reaching his limit.
• Yu Rongfeng and Guo Mingfeng tried to toast Dong Xuebin, while Zhou Ynru stepped in to drink in his place when she could.
• Geng Xinke and Peng Gang joined in pressuring Dong Xuebin to drink, and Dong Xuebin called a waiter to bring three cases of Jin Liufu.

Dong Xuebin faced a drinking challenge from Geng Xinke’s faction and insisted on drinking Baijiu by the bottle. He finished several bottles while Peng Zhou and Yu Rongfeng collapsed, leaving Dong Xuebin still standing but barely conscious.

• Dong Xuebin ordered three cases of Jin Liufu Baijiu after Geng Xinke and the others pressured him to drink.
• Dong Xuebin proposed drinking straight from the bottles, and Peng Zhou drained a bottle before Dong Xuebin slowly finished his own.
• Dong Xuebin called for another round, and Peng Zhou finished a second bottle before collapsing onto the table.
• Yu Rongfeng challenged Dong Xuebin, but he collapsed after nearly finishing a bottle, while Dong Xuebin finished another.
• Dong Xuebin remained upright, swaying on the brink of collapse.

Dong Xuebin turned the Geng Faction’s attempt to pressure him into a drinking contest into a trap, revealing that he had been pretending to be drunk. After drinking six bottles of liquor without showing any impairment, he left the staff stunned and Geng Xinke and Guo Mingfeng passed out.

• Peng Gang and Yu Rongfeng collapsed, while Dong Xuebin continued pretending that he could barely stand.
• Geng Xinke and Guo Mingfeng urged Dong Xuebin to keep drinking, and he agreed to drink three more bottles after Zhou Ynru tried to stop him.
• Dong Xuebin challenged Geng Xinke and Guo Mingfeng to finish the remaining liquor, then drank three bottles in just over eighty seconds.
• Dong Xuebin revealed he was sober and told Geng Xinke and Guo Mingfeng to finish their drinks; Guo collapsed and Geng vomited before passing out.
• Dong Xuebin arranged for an ambulance, paid the bill himself, and directed the staff as they prepared to carry the fallen men out.

Dong Xuebin arrived at the Street Office after secretly using Stop to avoid drinking the liquor at his welcome banquet, and the story of his supposed drinking feat had spread among the staff. His confrontation with Geng Xinke weakened the deputy secretary’s authority, while Zhou Yanru showed that she supported Dong.

• Dong Xuebin told Luan Xiaoping that he was busy settling into his new job, while recalling how he had used Stop to spit out the liquor during the banquet.
• Street Office staff praised Dong Xuebin’s drinking ability as he walked to work, and they greeted him with greater respect when they noticed him.
• Dong Xuebin asked Geng Xinke about his health and the hospitalized directors, then joked that the office should learn to drink less at future gatherings.
• Zhou Yanru brought Dong Xuebin work materials, praised his feat at the banquet, and he thanked her for openly supporting him.
• Dong Xuebin reflected that using members of the Geng Faction to establish his authority had begun to improve his position at the Street Office.