Chapter Summaries

Dong Xuebin declined a hotel Mercedes so his delegation would not look wealthy while seeking funds at the Ministry of Finance. He and his colleagues reached the ministry late because of traffic, and Chen Xiaomei's cousin Zhang Hui told them the official they hoped to meet had gone to a meeting.

• Dong Xuebin refused the hotel’s offer of a Mercedes and told the waitress he might borrow a car another day.
• Yan Yizhi and Chen Xiaomei discussed the hotel’s refusal to charge them for their drinks and cigarettes, then met Dong Xuebin in the lobby.
• Dong Xuebin, Yan Yizhi, and Chen Xiaomei took a taxi to the Ministry of Finance, where traffic delayed their arrival until after ten.
• Chen Xiaomei called her cousin Zhang Hui, who came out and said Director Qian had gone to a meeting because they had arrived late.
• Zhang Hui led the delegation to the ministry gate, where Dong Xuebin, Yan Yizhi, and Chen Xiaomei registered before entering.

Dong Xuebin sent Zhai Shun, Old Hong, and Zhang Longjuan away while he headed alone to the research institute to rescue Zhong Lizhen. Afterward, Zhai Shun reported Dong’s extraordinary abilities to his superior, who said no government or military unit had sent him.

• Dong Xuebin killed four soldiers hidden in a vehicle with four pistol shots, convincing Zhai Shun and Old Hong that they would only hinder his rescue attempt.
• Dong urged Zhang Longjuan and the others to leave, promised to try to rescue Zhong Lizhen, and watched to ensure no soldiers pursued them.
• Zhai Shun, Old Hong, and Zhang Longjuan escaped in a car sent to collect them, while Dong set off alone toward the research institute.
• Zhai Shun contacted his superior and described Dong’s combat skills and marksmanship, but the superior said the higher-ups and military had sent no one.

Dong Xuebin spoke with Xie Jing about Sun Kai’s new teaching job and left for home. Xu Yan visited him, thanked him for standing up for her, and gave him several outfits she had sewn herself.

• Xie Jing told Dong Xuebin that Sun Kai had come to the Capital City for a school outing and was settling into his teaching job.
• Dong Xuebin reassured Xie Jing that he had not meddled further in her parents’ stance toward Sun Kai, then took a cab home.
• Xu Yan visited Dong Xuebin and explained that she had skipped picking up Chao Chao because she did not know how to tell him about his father.
• Xu Yan thanked Dong Xuebin for confronting Wang Sen, while warning him not to take such risks again.
• Xu Yan gave Dong Xuebin several outfits she had made herself and asked him to try them on.

At Xie Ran and Fang Shuiling’s engagement banquet, Dong Xuebin became a focus of attention as guests congratulated him on his expected promotion. Half a month later, Jiaolin County became a city and Dong Xuebin was appointed its Municipal Party Secretary, while he resolved to keep climbing higher.

• Dong Xuebin and Xie Huilan arrived at Xie Ran and Fang Shuiling’s engagement banquet and greeted the Xie and Fang family elders.
• Dong Xuebin helped Xie Ran and Fang Shuiling receive guests as Chen Guo and Minister Qian congratulated him on his expected promotion.
• Prominent guests sought Dong Xuebin out, making him a focal point of the banquet and prompting him to reflect on his career.
• Half a month later, the State Council approved Jiaolin County’s conversion into a city and appointed Dong Xuebin Municipal Party Secretary of Jiaolin City.
• Dong Xuebin resolved to continue advancing his political career and make his name remembered.

Dong Xuebin brought Zhong Lizhen back to Capital City after rescuing her from America, using Stop to get them out of the airport unseen. As they took a taxi into the city, Zhong Lizhen asked him to keep what happened on the plane secret.

• Dong Xuebin woke in the cargo hold and realized he had been holding Zhong Lizhen in an intimate position while they slept.
• After the plane landed, Dong Xuebin used Stop to carry Zhong Lizhen through the airport and hide in an office area until time resumed.
• Zhong Lizhen woke and asked how they had reached Capital City, while Dong Xuebin explained that he had come alone and wanted nothing in return.
• Dong Xuebin and Zhong Lizhen agreed to go together to buy clothes and take a taxi into the city.
• In the taxi, Zhong Lizhen told Dong Xuebin not to tell anyone about what happened on the plane, and he agreed.

Dong Xuebin appeared dangerously drunk at the banquet, but he kept demanding that the Municipal Investment Bureau and county officials drink with him. He left most of the guests collapsed, though he was still standing and pushing the banquet onward.

• Chang Juan and Gong Na tried to take Dong Xuebin away, but he refused and demanded that everyone drink a full glass together.
• Lu Weiguo and the other guests drank with Dong Xuebin, and more than a dozen people, including Chen Mingming, collapsed or went to vomit.
• Dong Xuebin remained standing and challenged the Municipal Investment Bureau cadres to drink another glass, leaving most of them unable to continue.
• Dong Xuebin fell but climbed back up, then pressured Ma Yanfen and the Yangli County staff to drink with him.
• Ma Yanfen and the remaining Yangli County staff collapsed after drinking, while Dong Xuebin continued to insist that the banquet go on.

Dong Xuebin kept Jiang Fangfang awake with his advances, and she eventually agreed to let him have his way with her once so they could both rest. The chapter ended with Dong Xuebin pinning Jiang Fangfang beneath him and beginning to ravage her.

• Dong Xuebin kissed Jiang Fangfang while they lay together, and she calmly held him when he asked.
• When Dong Xuebin still could not sleep, Jiang Fangfang kissed him repeatedly, but he grew more aroused and tried to push things further.
• Jiang Fangfang noticed Dong Xuebin was not trying to sleep and told him to stop, while he admitted that being beside her kept him awake.
• Jiang Fangfang got out of bed briefly, then returned and told Dong Xuebin to finish quickly so they could rest.
• Dong Xuebin climbed on top of Jiang Fangfang and began ravaging her.

After Dong Xuebin recovered the stolen cultural relics, Sun Hai tried to claim the case and its credit for Zhangze City, then had Dong arrested when he resisted. Dong Xuebin was locked in a small room at the city Public Security Bureau, furious and determined not to let the matter end there.

• Sun Hai arrived at the waterfront, confirmed the relics had been recovered, and praised Brother Xu and Xiao Wang before learning Dong Xuebin had killed the criminals.
• Brother Xu accepted praise for solving the case, while Hou Qing declined to claim credit and Dong Xuebin recognized her efforts.
• Dong Xuebin asked to escort the cultural relics to the provincial authorities, but Sun Hai ordered them taken to the Zhangze City bureau instead.
• Dong Xuebin accused Sun Hai of stealing Yantai County’s credit, blocked the Accord, and fought off one officer before others pointed guns at him.
• Sun Hai ordered Dong Xuebin taken in for questioning, and Brother Xu stayed silent as police cuffed and escorted him to the city bureau.
• Dong Xuebin was locked in a dark, bare room while Boss Wu was taken elsewhere, and he vowed the dispute was not over.

Dong Xuebin took the Zhenshui County team to Meihe City's Investment Conference and assigned staff to handle the county's preparations. He found their booth relegated to a distant, shabby spot, apparently by order of Deputy Mayor Hua Li, and left furious.

• Dong Xuebin called Zhang Longjuan to confirm her plans to attend the Investment Conference, and she promised to come after arranging her schedule.
• Dong Xuebin assigned Cheng Yujie and Xiao Hong to handle investors and inspections in Zhenshui County while the rest of the team went to Central Park.
• Dong Xuebin's team arrived at the park and began setting up their booth as he went out to buy breakfast.
• Dong Xuebin found Zheng Dayou and the others arguing with a staff member over Zhenshui County's booth location.
• Dong Xuebin saw that Zhenshui County had been given a distant, poorly equipped booth and suspected Deputy Mayor Hua Li had arranged it.

Dong Xuebin let the others believe he was an inept Mahjong player while losing nearly ten million dollars, then promised to win the next hand. As the hand reached its end, he declared a self-draw despite not having drawn the tile he needed, leaving everyone stunned.

• Song Yuhu won five consecutive hands as dealer, and Dong Xuebin's chips fell from more than forty-six million dollars to just over thirty-eight million.
• Zhang Longjuan and the Shen sisters urged Dong Xuebin to play more carefully, but he said he would start winning once he became dealer.
• Dong Xuebin returned to the table and said he would win the next hand, while Old Zhou warned Song Yuhu not to get careless.
• Dong Xuebin continued discarding unusual tiles, but Song Yuhu and Director Wei both waited on winning tiles as the hand progressed.
• Dong Xuebin drew the Three of Characters instead of the Nine of Tiao he needed, then slapped his tiles down and declared a self-draw.

Dong Xuebin learned from Qu Yunxuan’s parents that she was pregnant and had kept the news from him. Unable to reach her and fearing the child was not his, he left Yantai County for Beijing to confront her and learn the truth.

• Luo Haiting flirted subtly with Dong Xuebin while reporting on work, and he let their ambiguous interaction continue within limits.
• Dong Xuebin failed to reach Qu Yunxuan and called her parents, whose unusual questions made him suspect something was wrong.
• Father Qu told Dong Xuebin that Qu Yunxuan was pregnant and had refused to say whether the child was his.
• Dong Xuebin told Luo Haiting and Guo Panwei he was returning to Beijing, then rushed out to find Qu Yunxuan.

Dong Xuebin welcomed the investors and opened Zhenshui County’s Investment Signing Conference. Zhang Longjuan endorsed the county’s opportunities, and Dong Xuebin invited interested investors to sign agreements.

• Dong Xuebin greeted the arriving investors, and Matt thanked him for carrying him to the hospital when he was sick.
• Chang Juan and Chen Yunsong returned from the city, and Chang Juan described arguing with officials who accused Zhenshui County of poaching investors.
• Chang Juan learned that successful results could bring large bonuses and went to help check contracts.
• Secretary Meng and County Chief Jiang opened the conference with speeches, followed by Zhang Longjuan’s argument that Zhenshui County’s undeveloped market offered investors room to grow.
• Dong Xuebin announced that the signing conference had begun and directed interested investors to the signing area.

Dong Xuebin settled into the Municipal Party Committee family compound and spent an evening cooking and reconnecting with Xie Huilan. After dinner, they shared an affectionate bath and went to the bedroom together.

• Dong Xuebin drove groceries to the Municipal Party Committee family compound and admired the apartment overlooking the river.
• Dong Xuebin cooked dinner for Xie Huilan, who returned from work and asked about his giving Aunt Wang's family three million and driving away Xiao Shan's boyfriend.
• Xie Huilan offered to wash the dishes, but Dong Xuebin took over and did them himself.
• Dong Xuebin and Xie Huilan kissed on the sofa and agreed to spend the night together after she reminded him not to drink her breast milk.
• Dong Xuebin carried Xie Huilan into the bedroom after they bathed together.

Huang Shizhong learned that Huang Tingting and her friends had been expelled after he refused to drop his effort to blame Dong Xuebin. He discovered the county leaders had ordered the punishment because Dong Xuebin was engaged to County Chief Hui Lan and Yu Qianqian was County Chief Xie's goddaughter.

• Huang Shizhong coached Huang Tingting on what to tell the police and planned to protect her from a disciplinary record.
• Huang Shizhong and Huang Tingting learned that the school had expelled her and the other students involved.
• Huang Shizhong summoned the No. 1 High School Principal and angrily demanded an explanation for the expulsions.
• The No. 1 High School Principal told Huang Shizhong that the punishment had come from above and reminded him that Yu Qianqian was Director Dong's goddaughter.
• The No. 1 High School Principal revealed that Dong Xuebin and County Chief Hui Lan were about to marry, leaving Huang Shizhong stunned by the county's connection to the case.

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.

After Anna signed a 61-million-yuan contract, Dong Xuebin stayed at the venue during lunch to answer investors’ questions and keep the remaining contracts secure. Sharing boxed lunches with his staff helped him earn Director Xu’s trust, and the chapter ended with them signing an eight-million-yuan deal that brought total investment to 69 million yuan.

• Anna signed a contract worth 61 million yuan, and Meng Rui and other county officials greeted her.
• Dong Xuebin stayed at the venue while his staff went to get lunch, answering investors’ questions and securing the signed contracts.
• Dong Xuebin’s staff returned with boxed lunches and ate with him, and Director Xu and several other investors joined them.
• Director Xu decided to accept Dong Xuebin’s proposed contract terms and introduced his son, who would help oversee the project.
• Dong Xuebin and Director Xu signed an eight-million-yuan contract, raising total investment to 69 million yuan and nearly meeting the county’s target.

Dong Xuebin took a private minibus from the provincial capital to Jiaolin County and watched its operators mistreat passengers before demanding an extra highway fee. When Su Yan identified himself as a deputy section chief from the Jiaolin County Party Committee, the ticket seller offered to waive only his fee, leaving the other passengers pressured to pay.

• Unable to find an official bus leaving soon, Dong Xuebin paid a hundred yuan to board a private minibus bound for Jiaolin County.
• Dong Xuebin chose a seat beside a young man, and the overcrowded bus set off with passengers sitting on stools in the aisle.
• The bus jolted along, and Big Man rudely snapped at an elderly passenger and a middle-aged woman who complained about the ride.
• After the bus entered the highway, Big Man stopped it and demanded an additional ten yuan from each passenger for highway tolls.
• Su Yan showed Big Man his Jiaolin County Party Committee ID and asked him to go easy on the passengers, but Big Man offered to cover only Su Yan's fee and demanded payment from everyone else.

Dong Xuebin, Xu Yan, and Yu Meixia drank wine and played cards in Xu Yan’s bedroom, with the losing players removing clothes. As the rounds continued and their drunkenness deepened, the three became increasingly undressed.

• Dong Xuebin carried a reluctant Yu Meixia into Xu Yan’s bedroom after Xu Yan invited them to share the bed.
• Xu Yan returned from her shower, and the three drank red wine together in the bedroom.
• Xu Yan proposed playing Fight the Landlord, and the losers agreed to remove a piece of clothing.
• Xu Yan lost the first two rounds and removed her pajama top and pants.
• Dong Xuebin won the third round, and Xu Yan and Yu Meixia each removed a piece of clothing.
• The three kept drinking and playing, shedding more clothes as the rounds went on.

After the Investment Conference, Dong Xuebin spent his day off visiting Yu Meixia and discussing possible work and a move to Fenzhou City for her and Qian Qian. He stayed with Yu Meixia for the day and left their relationship more intimate.

• Dong Xuebin called Yu Meixia and arranged to visit her at home.
• Dong Xuebin learned that Qian Qian was at a school sports meet and that Yu Meixia was unemployed and had few friends.
• Dong Xuebin suggested that Yu Meixia apply for Neighborhood Committee work in Fenzhou City and considered moving her and Qian Qian there.
• Dong Xuebin and Yu Meixia became intimate, and he agreed to stay with her until evening because Qian Qian missed him.

Dong Xuebin struggled to manage Xinhua News Agency reporters who kept searching for faults during their visit to Yantai County. When a local troublemaker accused the Investment Bureau of corruption and assault in front of the reporters, Dong Xuebin finally lost his temper and confronted them.

• Li Shengbin repeatedly diverted the inspection schedule and scrutinized unfinished projects, angering Dong Xuebin and Cao Xupeng.
• Li Shengbin insisted that the group eat at the Investment Bureau, so Dong Xuebin called Luo Haiting to arrange a lavish meal.
• Luo Haiting warned Dong Xuebin that Wang Shaoyan had caused a scene at the bureau entrance, and the arriving officials found him lying on the ground before a crowd.
• Wang Shaoyan told Li Shengbin that the Investment Bureau had beaten him and withheld his promised fifty-thousand-yuan commission, accusing its staff of corruption.
• Li Shengbin and Wang Na questioned Wang Shaoyan while Wang Ting took notes and Li Shengbin photographed the scene and the bureau sign.
• Dong Xuebin cursed at the reporters for taking pictures, shocking the people around him.