Chapter Summaries

After Dong Xuebin protected Guangming Street Office staff from armed merchants during an illegal-construction cleanup, rumors of his actions spread and the merchants protested at the District Committee. The Discipline Inspection Committee summoned him, and he defended his decision to fight back as Wu Liang began asking for the full account.

• Guangming Street staff spread stories that Dong Xuebin had defeated more than twenty merchants and was the Tiger-Beating Hero.
• Dong Xuebin checked on Zhou Yanru and ordered Peng Gang to pursue and punish the merchants who had attacked their colleagues.
• More than a dozen merchants blocked the District Committee gates and demanded Dong Xuebin's dismissal and punishment.
• While visiting injured staff at District Second Hospital, Dong Xuebin received a summons from Wu Liang and went to the Discipline Inspection Committee.
• Wu Liang criticized Dong Xuebin for injuring ordinary people, while Dong argued that the merchants had attacked his staff with knives and clubs.
• Wu Liang accepted that details might be missing and asked Dong Xuebin to recount what had happened.

Dong Xuebin reported the violent clash during the forced demolition to Wu Liang and blamed Peng Kun for inflaming the crowd and abandoning the Street Office. After Wu Liang ordered action against the attackers, Dong returned to the office and learned Peng Kun’s promotion might be in jeopardy, then received a call from Cao Xupeng, who had heard about the incident from a district leader.

• Dong Xuebin told Wu Liang that armed merchants and residents had attacked the demolition team and said Peng Kun’s intervention had provoked the clash.
• Wu Liang criticized the Street Office’s preparations but said the district would investigate Peng Kun’s conduct and ordered that lawbreakers be detained.
• Dong Xuebin returned to the Street Office, where Zhou Yanru told him Peng Kun was expected to attend cadre training before a likely promotion.
• Cao Xupeng called Dong Xuebin and said Secretary Anshi had asked what kind of cadre Yantai County had recommended to Nanshan District.

After Peng Kun arranged for Nanqi Morning News to publish a one-sided account of the Willow Lane Alley clash, Dong Xuebin faced public backlash and learned the district might punish him. He grew furious and prepared to fight back against anyone who blamed him.

• Dong Xuebin confirmed with Peng Gang that ten illegal merchants had been arrested and the unrest had stopped.
• Peng Kun called a Nanqi Morning News contact after worrying that the clash could jeopardize his upcoming transfer.
• Reporter Liu Gang accused Dong Xuebin's office of injuring more than twenty citizens, and Dong ended the call after challenging his account.
• Nanqi Morning News published Liu Gang's report, omitting the merchants' attack and portraying Guangming Street Office staff as aggressors.
• Zhou Yanru and Qu Yiqiang condemned the report, and Qu recalled seeing Peng Kun dine with newspaper executives.
• Dong Xuebin learned the district might punish him, then vowed not to let his opponents get away with it.

Dong Xuebin learned that district leaders might punish him over a hostile Nanqi Morning News report and suspected Peng Kun had arranged the story to shift blame. Rather than confront the newspaper directly, he asked Su Jia to handle the matter and waited for the City Daily to publish, leaving the outcome unresolved.

• Zhou Yanru, Qu Yiqiang, and Wang Yuling voiced concern about the district's possible punishment, but Dong Xuebin sent them back to work and refused Wang Yuling's offer to seek help from her uncle.
• Dong Xuebin suspected Peng Kun had used the Nanqi Morning News to redirect attention from his own trouble with the Discipline Inspection Committee.
• Dong Xuebin called Su Jia and explained the report and the district's unclear response; Su Jia agreed to handle the matter.
• Dong Xuebin asked Zhou Yanru to bring him a copy of the afternoon's City Daily.
• Rumors that the district would punish Dong Xuebin spread through Guangming Street Office, and the City Daily was published at five o'clock.

Dong Xuebin used a favorable front-page report in the City Daily to protect himself and the Guangming Street Office after Nanqi Morning News criticized their demolition campaign. The district left Dong Xuebin unpunished but gave Peng Kun an internal Party warning, derailing his expected promotion.

• Zhou Yanru brought Dong Xuebin the City Daily, whose front-page article praised his work demolishing illegal structures and omitted the assault allegations.
• Peng Kun realized the City Daily report had thwarted his attempt to shift blame onto Dong Xuebin and feared he would bear the disciplinary pressure alone.
• The district’s rumors of punishing Dong Xuebin faded as officials reconsidered their response to the City Daily’s favorable coverage.
• The district gave Peng Kun a Party warning while issuing no punishment to Dong Xuebin or the Guangming Street Office.
• Peng Kun smashed a cup after learning the warning had cost him his Party school training and expected promotion.

After a gas leak forced Geng Yuehua from her apartment, Dong Xuebin helped her identify the cause and offered her a place to wait. When the airflow slammed her apartment door shut with her keys inside, she had to return to Dong Xuebin’s home in her bathrobe.

• After watching a comedy and returning home, Dong Xuebin noticed Geng Yuehua arrive at the Family Building late at night.
• Dong Xuebin smelled gas coming from Geng Yuehua’s apartment and rushed in as she shut off the main valve.
• Dong Xuebin realized the low gas stove had burned through the hose and urged Geng Yuehua to air out the apartment.
• Geng Yuehua waited at Dong Xuebin’s home while her apartment aired out, then tried to go to her brother’s place to wash her hair.
• The airflow slammed Geng Yuehua’s apartment door shut, trapping her keys inside, and Dong Xuebin invited her back into his home to wash her hair.

After Geng Yuehua’s home became unusable because of a gas leak, she stayed overnight at Dong Xuebin’s residence. Dong Xuebin prepared to sleep in his room while she took the small bedroom, but he discovered that she had left her dark red panties drying in his bathroom.

• Geng Yuehua finished her quick shower at Dong Xuebin’s home and asked to use one of his towels.
• Dong Xuebin offered to give Geng Yuehua the small bedroom and find a hotel, but she insisted he stay in his room while she slept there.
• After turning off the lights, Dong Xuebin noticed Geng Yuehua had used his face towel and folded it back into place.
• Dong Xuebin found Geng Yuehua’s dark red lace panties hanging discreetly behind his shirt and realized she had washed them after her shower.

Dong Xuebin hosted Geng Yuehua after a gas leak left her locked out, and she borrowed his clothes before her parents arrived. The chapter ended with Geng Yuehua telling her parents she had spent the night at the District Committee Family Compound, concealing that she had stayed at Dong Xuebin’s home.

• Dong Xuebin woke up, remembered Geng Yuehua was still at his apartment, and made breakfast for her.
• Geng Yuehua borrowed Dong Xuebin’s phone to call Xin Ke, then asked to borrow his clothes because her parents were coming.
• Geng Yuehua changed into Dong Xuebin’s shirt, trousers, and suit jacket before her parents arrived.
• Dong Xuebin greeted Father Geng and Mother Geng, who remained wary of him.
• Geng Yuehua told her parents that she had spent the night at the District Committee Family Compound and had breakfast at Dong Xuebin’s place.

Dong Xuebin drove his expensive Porsche Cayenne to the Guangming Street Office, surprising his colleagues. Their astonishment reinforced his reputation as a bold and unconventional new director.

• Dong Xuebin found Wang Yuling and Zhou Yanru admiring his Porsche outside their dormitory building and revealed it was his car.
• Dong Xuebin said his mother had given him the Cayenne, and he drove Wang Yuling and Zhou Yanru to work.
• Wang Yuling asked Dong Xuebin for leave to attend a classmate’s wedding, and he approved it.
• Dong Xuebin parked at the Street Office, where staff learned his car was worth around three million yuan.
• The Street Office staff recalled Dong Xuebin’s earlier clashes and concluded that their new director was a thorn among thorns.

Dong Xuebin joined the wedding banquet for Chu Qinghua’s son after learning that Wang Yuling was attending, and his arrival drew attention from officials who had heard about his reputation and his Porsche. The banquet was underway when a relative announced that District Governor Yuehua and Madam Yan had arrived.

• Dong Xuebin heard firecrackers near Peace Street, found Wang Yuling at Chu Qinghua’s son’s wedding, and decided to attend despite having received no invitation.
• Guests recognized Dong Xuebin and whispered about his past actions and his expensive Cayenne as he entered the restaurant with Wang Yuling.
• Chu Qinghua greeted Dong Xuebin and explained that he had been unable to contact him, but Dong Xuebin remained suspicious of the excuse.
• Dong Xuebin spoke with Pan Zhengyi before joining the main table, where he and Wang Yuling congratulated the bride and groom during the toast rounds.
• A relative rushed in and announced that District Governor Yuehua and Madam Yan had arrived.

At Chu Qinghua’s wedding banquet, Geng Yuehua and Madam Yan’s arrival changed the mood at the table, and Dong Xuebin tried to stay out of trouble. The chapter left him blamed for ordering the revolting dish “Woman Forty,” which turned out to be bean dregs.

• Geng Yuehua and Madam Yan arrived at the wedding banquet, surprising Chu Qinghua and the other guests.
• Dong Xuebin learned that Madam Yan was Wang Yuling’s aunt and quietly observed Geng Yuehua assigning work to Pan Zhengyi.
• Dong Xuebin ordered a dish called Woman Forty, mistaking its name for a women’s health dish.
• The other cadres discreetly removed their alcohol glasses while Dong Xuebin was in the restroom, leaving him to quickly drink his wine when the newlyweds offered a toast.
• Dong Xuebin tasted a foul dish of bean dregs, and the waitress revealed that he had ordered it as Woman Forty.

Dong Xuebin accidentally ordered a dish called Woman Forty, embarrassing Geng Yuehua and Madam Yan, then confronted restaurant owner Li Lu when he refused to apologize. Li Lu dismissed Dong’s complaint, and Dong left unaware that Li Lu and Chu Qinghua shared a knowing smile.

• Dong Xuebin realized the tofu-dregs dish he had ordered was called Woman Forty, then drank three glasses to apologize as the banquet fell silent.
• Wang Yuling helped Dong Xuebin explain the dish name as a joke, and Geng Yuehua later left the banquet early.
• Dong Xuebin went to the kitchen and demanded that Li Lu apologize to Madam Yan, but Li Lu blamed him for not reading the menu carefully.
• Chu Qinghua arrived, introduced Dong Xuebin as a street office director, and accepted Li Lu’s promise to remove Woman Forty from the menu.
• Dong Xuebin again demanded an apology, but Li Lu ignored him, so Dong left without seeing Li Lu and Chu Qinghua exchange a smile.

After the embarrassing banquet incident, Dong Xuebin investigated the strained relationship between Guangming Street and Peace Street and concluded that Chu Qinghua and Li Lu had deliberately set him up. He ended the chapter furious and determined to retaliate against them.

• Dong Xuebin returned to the Guangming Street Office and noticed that staff members were alarmed by rumors about the banquet.
• Dong Xuebin questioned Zhou Yanru and learned that Peace Street and Guangming Street had fallen out after Peace Street officers let a murder victim’s body drift across the boundary before reporting the case.
• Dong Xuebin connected the offices’ feud to Chu Qinghua’s behavior at the banquet and suspected that Chu Qinghua and Li Lu had intentionally served him the Woman Forty dish to humiliate him.
• Dong Xuebin slammed his palm on the desk and vowed that Chu Qinghua and Li Lu would pay for scheming against him.

Dong Xuebin reviewed reports on the district’s elderly-care campaign and grew angrier at Li Lu after Li’s Restaurant staged a loud promotion outside the Guangming Street Office. When Li Lu ignored Zhou Yanru’s demand to stop, Dong Xuebin decided to teach him a lesson.

• Dong Xuebin read community reports urging the Guangming Street Office to follow the Peace Street Office’s elderly-care model and resented the directive.
• Dong Xuebin watched Li Lu’s staff set up a stage and speakers outside Li’s Restaurant while he considered how to retaliate for the earlier trick.
• Li Lu held a noisy dish-name quiz that drew residents and disrupted work at the Guangming Street Office.
• Dong Xuebin sent Zhou Yanru to tell Li Lu to stop, while residents also reported the disturbance to Qu Yiqiang.
• Li Lu refused to take down the equipment or lower the volume, and Zhou Yanru returned to tell Dong Xuebin that the restaurant owner would not cooperate.
• Dong Xuebin recognized that the dispute fell under the Peace Street Office’s jurisdiction and resolved to teach Li Lu a lesson.

Dong Xuebin confronted Li Lu over the noise from Li's Restaurant and, after Peace Street officials ignored the complaints, called Liu Chenglong for help. The restaurant's loudspeakers and lights suddenly went out, leaving Li Lu stunned.

• Dong Xuebin called Chu Qinghua to demand that Peace Street handle complaints about Li's Restaurant, but Chu refused to be directed by him.
• After waiting and seeing no Peace Street staff or police arrive, Dong Xuebin drove to the restaurant, where Guangming Street Office staff were arguing with Li Lu.
• Li Lu ignored Dong Xuebin and ordered his staff to hand out another two thousand yuan in spending vouchers and continue the promotion.
• Dong Xuebin called Liu Chenglong, who agreed to make a call, then warned Li Lu that he would stay and match him.
• The restaurant's loudspeakers abruptly stopped and all its lights went out, leaving Li Lu dumbstruck.

Dong Xuebin retaliated against Li Lu by arranging an indefinite power outage at Li's Restaurant, bringing the newly opened business to a standstill. Li Lu learned the outage had no set end date and realized Dong Xuebin was serious.

• The power went out only at Li's Restaurant while nearby businesses remained open, and Dong Xuebin left with Zhou Yanru, Meng Senguo, and Qu Yiqiang.
• The Guangming Street Office staff heard that Dong Xuebin had struck back and celebrated the restaurant's loss of power.
• Li Lu called Peace Street Office and then spoke with Chu Qinghua, who told him to wait and see what happened.
• The Electric Power Company issued a notice saying Li's Restaurant would have no power indefinitely for electrical line repairs.
• Li Lu became furious when he realized the outage could prevent him from running his restaurant for an unknown length of time.

Li Lu’s Restaurant remained without power after Dong Xuebin arranged for the city Electric Power Company to cut its electricity, leaving Li Lu facing mounting losses and unable to use his connections to reverse the decision. After Li Lu’s wife explained that the outage was meant to pressure him into apologizing, he still resisted, though he admitted he could not compete with Dong Xuebin.

• Li Lu argued with the Electric Power Company, but the operator said the restaurant’s lines were under repair and told him he could sue if he wished.
• Li Lu called Peace Street and his other contacts, then learned that a high-ranking city Electric Power Company leader had personally ordered the outage and none of his friends could intervene.
• Li Lu watched customers leave, worried about spoiled food and unprocessed bills, and learned that reserved customers were also canceling their visits.
• Li Lu’s wife blamed him for serving the inappropriate Woman Forty dish at Chu Qinghua’s request and warned him that Dong Xuebin had already defeated powerful opponents.
• Chu Qinghua told Li Lu to wait because the Electric Power Company would not restore power immediately, and Li Lu’s wife concluded that Dong Xuebin would end the outage only after Li Lu apologized.
• Li Lu refused to apologize but admitted that Dong Xuebin might keep the restaurant powerless for days or even a month.

Dong Xuebin let Li Lu’s restaurant remain without power after its owner disrupted the Street Office’s work, then heard Li’s public apology and offer of a vehicle and restaurant vouchers. The chapter ended with Dong inviting Li to his office, leaving the outcome of the apology unresolved.

• Dong Xuebin arrived at the Street Office as staff discussed Li’s Restaurant still being without power and praised his tough approach.
• Zhou Yanru brought Dong food, and he gave her and Wang Yuling expensive cigarettes before allowing Wang to use the office Passat.
• Dong told staff to share his own car and said he would look into the office’s shortage of vehicles.
• When Li Lu arrived that morning, Dong told the gatekeeper to ask him to return at noon.
• Li Lu returned after lunch, apologized publicly for the noise, and offered the office a new Santana and restaurant vouchers.
• Dong invited Li Lu to his office.

Dong Xuebin made Li Lu wait outside his office for over an hour before confronting him about the noise pollution and the wedding banquet dish. Li Lu left the Santana behind, and Dong Xuebin's staff privately began calling him the biggest troublemaker in Nanshan District.

• Dong Xuebin kept Li Lu waiting outside while he handled documents, and Zhou Yanru arrived with materials.
• Li Lu apologized to Zhou Yanru and offered her the Santana, asking her to speak to Dong Xuebin for him.
• Zhou Yanru asked Dong Xuebin about the car, and he agreed to see Li Lu.
• Dong Xuebin rebuked Li Lu over the restaurant's noise and pressed him about the wedding banquet dish.
• Li Lu admitted that Chu Qinghua had hinted the dish should be served, then left the Santana's keys on Dong Xuebin's desk.
• Staff watched Li Lu leave on foot and privately dubbed Dong Xuebin the biggest troublemaker in Nanshan District.

Dong Xuebin tested his reverse ability and discovered that one second sent an object back about one day. After Geng Yuehua returned his suit, he found a pair of dark red lace panties in its pocket.

• Dong Xuebin used his remaining time to reverse a calendar clock for four seconds and saw its date move back about four days.
• Dong Xuebin went downstairs for beer and snacks and spotted Geng Yuehua's official Audi leaving the dormitory building.
• Dong Xuebin met Geng Yuehua on the stairs, and she returned the suit he had lent her.
• Dong Xuebin hung up the suit and discovered dark red lace panties in its pocket.