Chapter Summaries

Dong Xuebin woke beside Fang Wenping to news that an English delegation would visit Jiaolin County, but he declined to return to the office and prepare immediately. After Fang Wenping rejected a gift-bearing visitor, Dong Xuebin massaged her while she checked work messages, and they remained together at her home.

• Su Yan told Dong Xuebin that an English delegation would visit Jiaolin County on Monday and asked him to return to oversee preparations.
• Dong Xuebin said he could not come back that day and told Su Yan they could discuss the visit on Monday.
• Fang Wenping rejected Lao Zhou's attempt to visit with gifts and complained about the local culture of gift-giving.
• Dong Xuebin offered to make breakfast and then massaged Fang Wenping's shoulders and waist as she read messages on her phone.

Dong Xuebin stayed at Fang Wenping’s home after they spent the night together, and their flirtation led to them having sex again. The chapter ended with Dong Xuebin holding Fang Wenping by the hair as she stopped resisting.

• Dong Xuebin and Fang Wenping got up late, showered, and ate a simple breakfast he had cooked.
• Dong Xuebin asked when he should leave, and Fang Wenping told him he could stay or go as he pleased.
• While they watched television, Dong Xuebin stroked Fang Wenping’s thigh and asked whether he had finished inside her the night before; she said it was her safe period.
• Dong Xuebin and Fang Wenping began having sex again on the sofa.
• When Fang Wenping tried to change positions, Dong Xuebin grabbed her hair and pulled her head back, and she stopped struggling.

Dong Xuebin worried that Fang Wenping would punish him for grabbing her hair during their encounter, but he apologized and helped her rest. As they watched the news, Fang Wenping warned him to keep his county cautious while the Baohong City investigation’s impact continued.

• After showering, Dong Xuebin returned downstairs and apologized to Fang Wenping for grabbing her hair.
• Fang Wenping’s legs gave way when she tried to stand, so Dong Xuebin carried her upstairs and settled her in bed.
• Dong Xuebin waited on Fang Wenping and asked her for political advice while they watched news about the Baohong City investigation.
• Fang Wenping told Dong Xuebin that his county should keep its heads down until the investigation’s impact had passed.
• Dong Xuebin continued touching Fang Wenping as they talked and privately guessed that she had a hidden masochistic streak.

Dong Xuebin and Fang Wenping spent the morning together, then ate lunch before Fang Wenping learned that the English delegation had arrived early. As she left to meet them, she reminded Dong Xuebin to keep their encounter secret.

• Dong Xuebin quietly left Fang Wenping to sleep and prepared food while she rested.
• Fang Wenping woke around midday, asked Dong Xuebin to cook more, and ordered him to wash the sofa cushions and her bedroom sheets.
• Dong Xuebin and Fang Wenping ate the meal he prepared, finishing all three dishes and the soup.
• Fang Wenping received a call saying the English delegation had arrived early and learned that they might stay in Dong Xuebin's county on Monday.
• Fang Wenping dressed to leave and told Dong Xuebin not to answer the house phone, touch anything, or open the curtains.
• Before leaving, Fang Wenping used Dong Xuebin's promised favor to make him swear not to tell anyone about their encounter.

Dong Xuebin returned to work in good spirits and learned that the England Exchange Group would arrive that evening, requiring a rushed, high-standard reception. He assigned preparations to Meng Hanmei and Zhang Dongfang, and agreed to welcome the group with the county leaders.

• Dong Xuebin arrived early and reviewed the documents Su Yan had organized, while Su Yan reported that the Provincial Investigation Team was withdrawing and that the county had largely escaped punishment.
• Meng Hanmei asked Dong Xuebin about the Old County Party Committee Compound renovation, and he gave her full authority to manage the work and secure funding.
• Zhang Dongfang informed Dong Xuebin and Meng Hanmei that the England Exchange Group would arrive that evening and that the city expected a high-standard reception and a forum with local entrepreneurs.
• Dong Xuebin tasked Zhang Dongfang with gathering entrepreneurs and Meng Hanmei with arranging hotel rooms, meals, English banners, and vehicles.
• Dong Xuebin agreed to join Zhang Dongfang and other county leaders in welcoming the exchange group that night.

Dong Xuebin and Jiaolin County officials scrambled to change the reception plans for the England exchange delegation, then waited outside a restaurant as the delegation failed to appear. They learned the delegation had changed its dinner plans again and would arrive in the county later that night.

• Meng Hanmei told Dong Xuebin that the England delegation wanted Republic cuisine instead of the planned Western meal, forcing the county to find a new restaurant at short notice.
• Dong Xuebin informed Zhang Dongfang and Wei Zhixuan of the change, and Zhang Dongfang recalled the staff who had put up the original banners.
• Meng Hanmei secured a banquet hall, and Jiaolin County officials and invited entrepreneurs gathered outside to welcome the delegation.
• After the delegation failed to arrive, Dong Xuebin told Meng Hanmei to call and ask about the delay.
• Meng Hanmei learned that the delegation had decided to dine with the city instead, though it would still stay in Jiaolin County and arrive before eight.

After the foreign guests canceled their dinner at the last minute without notifying Jiaolin County, Dong Xuebin furiously berated Deputy Director Niu over the phone and led the officials and entrepreneurs into the restaurant to eat without them. He and Zhang Dongfang apologized to the entrepreneurs, who reassured them that they did not blame the county.

• Meng Hanmei learned from Deputy Director Niu that the foreign guests would skip dinner in Jiaolin County and only come later to stay overnight.
• Dong Xuebin took Meng Hanmei's phone and angrily cursed Deputy Director Niu for leaving county leaders and invited entrepreneurs waiting without notice.
• Deputy Director Niu threatened to report Dong Xuebin to the City Discipline Inspection Committee, but Dong Xuebin dared him to report higher and ended the call.
• Dong Xuebin told everyone to eat without the foreign guests, and the county officials and entrepreneurs followed him into the restaurant.
• Dong Xuebin and Zhang Dongfang apologized to the entrepreneurs for the wasted wait, and the entrepreneurs said they understood and blamed the foreign guests instead.

After the Foreign Guests failed to arrive as expected, Dong Xuebin ordered the county to cancel their hotel rooms and bill the city for the dinner. The chapter left Meng Hanmei and the other officials stunned as Dong Xuebin refused to arrange any accommodations for the guests.

• County officials and entrepreneurs discussed Dong Xuebin's earlier outburst and complained about the Foreign Guests and the city officials accompanying them.
• After dinner, Meng Hanmei prepared to check the hotel rooms reserved for the Foreign Guests.
• Dong Xuebin ordered Meng Hanmei to cancel every reserved room and said the county would not pay for the guests' accommodations.
• Dong Xuebin told Meng Hanmei to send the dinner bill to the city and demand reimbursement from Deputy Director Niu.
• Meng Hanmei hesitated, but Dong Xuebin insisted that she carry out his orders.

Dong Xuebin left the reception after canceling the hotel arrangements, while Deputy Director Niu and the England exchange delegation arrived late to find most of Jiaolin County’s investors and officials gone. Deputy Director Niu berated the remaining county officials, but Zhang Dongfang and Meng Hanmei pushed back, leaving the conflict over the delegation’s treatment unresolved.

• Dong Xuebin returned to the Family Compound, where he drank tea on the terrace to calm his anger.
• Meng Hanmei refused a staffer’s suggestion to enlarge the reception lineup, saying Dong Xuebin’s anger had already made his position clear.
• Deputy Director Niu’s convoy arrived nearly half an hour late, after Zhang Dongfang and the Jiaolin County officials had waited in the cold.
• Deputy Director Niu criticized the small reception team and demanded to know why Dong Xuebin was absent.
• When the interpreter asked for the investors, Deputy Director Niu learned they had left, and Meng Hanmei reproached him for making them wait for hours without notice.

Jiaolin County’s leaders confronted Deputy Director Niu over the Foreign Guests’ repeated delays and his refusal to acknowledge the county’s grievances. The English delegation left without meeting local investors, and Meng Hanmei demanded reimbursement for the wasted dinner while refusing to arrange their hotel.

• Deputy Director Niu demanded that Jiaolin County contact its entrepreneurs and arrange a meeting with the Foreign Guests.
• Wei Zhixuan told Niu that the entrepreneurs would not come because the foreigners had broken their appointment and damaged their trust.
• Zhang Dongfang, Wei Zhixuan, Meng Hanmei, and Dong Xuebin’s side united in refusing to accommodate Niu’s demands.
• The Englishmen heard the dispute, climbed into their vehicles, and told the interpreter they would skip the investor meeting and rest at a hotel.
• Meng Hanmei said the county had canceled the hotel booking and handed Niu the dinner bill, demanding that his side reimburse it.

After the municipal government office and foreign guests mistreated Jiaolin County’s delegation, Dong Xuebin learned what had happened and prepared a retaliatory move. He sent Su Yan to reserve every vacant room at the county’s best hotels, leaving the city’s visitors with nowhere to stay.

• Meng Hanmei explained that Dong Xuebin had paid the 13,000-yuan meal bill himself, and Deputy Director Niu angrily rejected the receipt.
• Deputy Director Niu apologized to the foreign guests while criticizing Jiaolin County, so Zhang Dongfang, Wei Zhixuan, and the county delegation left.
• Meng Hanmei reported the incident to Dong Xuebin, who told the county officials to return to work as usual the next day.
• Dong Xuebin summoned Su Yan and ordered him to reserve every vacant room at six or seven decent hotels, using Dong’s bank card to pay.

Dong Xuebin ordered Su Yan to book every room in the county’s better hotels with his own money, hoping to force Deputy Director Niu and the Foreign Guests to leave. By the time they tried several hotels, every room was gone, leaving them furious and without accommodation.

• Dong Xuebin decided to reserve the county’s hotel rooms himself so Deputy Director Niu and the Foreign Guests would be forced to leave.
• Su Yan instructed Director Wang to contact the hotels and arrange the bookings, promising to pay the full bill.
• Deputy Director Niu arrived at a hotel and tried to book ten suites, but the receptionist said all the rooms had just been taken.
• Deputy Director Niu apologized to the dissatisfied Englishmen and moved them to another hotel.
• Deputy Director Niu and the Foreign Guests tried several hotels, but none had any rooms left.

Dong Xuebin arranged for Jiaolin County’s hotels to deny lodging to the Foreign Guests, forcing them and Deputy Director Niu’s city delegation to return to the city. The County Leaders learned that Dong had booked the remaining rooms with his own money and were stunned by the likely cost.

• Su Yan told Dong Xuebin that one hotel refused to accept payment, and Dong understood that the owner was supporting his plan.
• General Manager Sun called Dong Xuebin and said she would not charge for the rooms at her hotel, citing solidarity against the Foreign Guests.
• Deputy Director Niu failed to find the Foreign Guests suitable lodging in Jiaolin County, and they refused to stay at a small inn.
• Deputy Director Niu took the Foreign Guests and city officials back to the city after they threatened to report the failed exchange.
• Zhang Dongfang, Meng Hanmei, and Wei Zhixuan learned that Dong Xuebin had booked all the remaining rooms in the county’s sizable hotels and wondered how much he had spent.

Dong Xuebin’s costly move to drive away the Foreign Guests caused an uproar across Jiaolin County and prompted an angry call from Vice Mayor Wang Cheng. Dong defended himself by recounting the municipal team’s failures and inventing an explanation for booking the hotels, leaving Wang with little room to answer.

• Zhang Dongfang, Wei Zhixuan, and Meng Hanmei were stunned that Dong Xuebin had spent several hundred thousand to book every major hotel and drive off the Foreign Guests.
• News of Dong’s actions spread through Jiaolin County, where cadres and Civil Servants reacted with a mix of approval and concern.
• At home, Dong relaxed while expecting the city to punish him for the incident.
• Vice Mayor Wang Cheng called and berated Dong after the Foreign Guests complained to the Municipal Party Secretary.
• Dong argued that Deputy Director Niu had mishandled the visit, describing how county entrepreneurs and veteran comrades had been left waiting and then scolded.
• Dong claimed he had canceled the hotel bookings to save public funds and had booked rooms for private investors who could not arrive; Wang recognized that Dong was lying but could not match his verbal skill.

Dong Xuebin refused to contact the foreign guests after they skipped their planned exchange forum, while they complained to the city and province about his treatment of them. Municipal Party Secretary Qian Litao ordered an investigation into Dong and said he should receive at least a Party warning, leaving Dong facing disciplinary action.

• Dong Xuebin told the County Party Committee Office deputy director to focus on Jiaolin County’s work and not contact the foreign guests unless they reached out first.
• The foreign guests and City Government Office staff stayed away from Jiaolin County and reported their complaints to the city and province.
• Qian Litao learned that the foreign guests were still in the city and had no plans to leave until their complaints were resolved.
• Qian Litao spoke with Director Yan, who told him to handle the matter as he saw fit.
• Qian Litao ordered the City Discipline Inspection Committee to investigate Dong Xuebin and set a minimum punishment of a Party warning, with removal from office possible if further issues emerged.

Dong Xuebin insisted on collecting his lunch at the back of the queue with county staff, reinforcing his principle that leaders and ordinary employees should be treated equally. His example prompted other County Leaders to line up too, and the chapter ended with staff noticing a warmer, more relaxed atmosphere in Jiaolin County.

• Dong Xuebin refused special delivery and joined the end of the lunch line with everyone else.
• The staff felt reassured by Dong Xuebin's example, and their resentment toward the temporary compound eased.
• Zhang Dongfang's secretary noticed Dong Xuebin in line and returned without collecting meals for the leaders.
• Zhang Dongfang, Wei Zhixuan, Sun Changzhi, Chang Lin, and the other County Leaders came out and joined the queue.
• The County Leaders chatted with staff and stopped junior employees from leaving their places to make room for them.
• Staff observed that the county's work atmosphere had grown more relaxed since Dong Xuebin arrived, while he remained committed to his governing style regardless of others' opinions.

Dong Xuebin received an angry call from Fang Wenping over his treatment of foreign guests and argued that he had done nothing wrong. Fang Wenping warned him that Baohong City’s Discipline Inspection Committee was sending investigators, and Dong Xuebin prepared to face them.

• Dong Xuebin finished lunch in his temporary office and answered Fang Wenping’s call.
• Fang Wenping berated Dong Xuebin for cursing at city officials and snubbing foreign guests, saying the incident had caused trouble for her reception work and drawn attention at a provincial meeting.
• Dong Xuebin defended his actions, saying the foreigners had repeatedly broken their promises and mistreated the county delegation.
• Dong Xuebin and Fang Wenping argued over the phone until Fang Wenping threatened to handle the matter strictly by the book.
• Fang Wenping told Dong Xuebin that someone from Baohong City’s Discipline Inspection Committee would investigate him, and he braced for their arrival.

The City Discipline Inspection Committee arrived in Jiaolin County to investigate Dong Xuebin over the dispute with the Foreign Guests, while Dong Xuebin worried that a punishment could derail his promotion prospects. Director Zhang questioned Meng Hanmei, who defended the county’s actions and challenged the committee’s one-sided investigation.

• The City Discipline Inspection Committee arrived without warning and announced that it would interview county cadres and staff about the Foreign Guests incident.
• Dong Xuebin learned of the investigation and privately worried that a Party warning or removal from office could cost him his promotion opportunity.
• Zhang Dongfang called the Municipal Party Committee and learned that the investigation concerned Dong Xuebin, though the city also signaled its dissatisfaction with Zhang Dongfang’s conduct.
• Director Zhang told Wei Zhixuan that the committee would question other people first and speak with Dong Xuebin last.
• Director Zhang questioned Meng Hanmei about Dong Xuebin’s alleged cursing and the canceled hotel reservations, but she denied knowing about the cursing and explained that the Foreign Guests had disrupted the county’s plans.
• Meng Hanmei challenged Director Zhang for focusing on Jiaolin County’s actions while ignoring the Foreign Guests’ and Deputy Director Niu’s role in the dispute.

The City Discipline Inspection Committee struggled to obtain evidence against Dong Xuebin from Jiaolin County’s leaders, but a nervous clerk described his phone call and other conduct. With enough information to characterize some complaints, Director Zhang moved to question Dong Xuebin.

• Director Zhang questioned Meng Hanmei and then Zhang Dongfang about Dong Xuebin’s phone call and the canceled hotel reservations, but neither gave him useful testimony.
• Several Jiaolin County leaders gave the investigators vague answers, while a recently hired clerk’s nervous reaction drew their attention.
• Under questioning, the clerk recounted Dong Xuebin’s curse at Niu and what happened afterward.
• Director Zhang prompted the clerk about Dong Xuebin’s alleged verbal and physical violence, and an inspector recorded the clerk’s acknowledgment that Dong had spoken harshly to staff.
• The investigators pressed the clerk about possible bribery tied to the hotel reservations, but he said he knew nothing, and Director Zhang decided they could now talk to Dong Xuebin.

Dong Xuebin faced a City Discipline Inspection Committee investigation over his clash with city officials and the hotel arrangements for foreign guests, but refused to back down. Just as Zhang Ping threatened a disciplinary decision, Vice-Governor Fang Wenping arrived at his office.

• Dong Xuebin considered asking Fang Wenping for help but decided against calling her.
• Zhang Ping and other City Discipline Inspection Committee officials questioned Dong Xuebin about cursing at city officials and canceling the foreign guests’ hotel reservation.
• Dong Xuebin admitted what he had done and argued that his personally funded hotel reservation was outside the committee’s jurisdiction.
• Zhang Ping ended the questioning and told Dong Xuebin to await a disciplinary decision.
• Fang Wenping arrived at the county compound and entered Dong Xuebin’s office, where Zhang Ping recognized her as the provincial vice-governor.