Chapter Summaries

Dong Xuebin learned that the inquiry into Geng Yuehua might not be pursued without solid evidence, then prepared to investigate a separate bribery case in Nanshan District. Worried about Geng Yuehua, he secretly warned her younger brother after learning she was accused of hiding two million yuan in a bank account.

• Dong Xuebin asked Liang Xuan how far he should pursue the investigation into Geng Yuehua, and she said the response would depend on the strength of the evidence.
• Dong Xuebin asked Zhu Zhu to join him in investigating Deputy District Governor Zhang's bribery case in Nanshan District and told her to choose another team member.
• Dong Xuebin told Xie Huilan that he would be away for several days, and she urged him to think carefully and stay safe.
• Dong Xuebin decided not to contact Geng Yuehua directly and called Geng Xinke instead.
• Dong Xuebin told Geng Xinke about the accusation and the two million yuan account, then urged him to warn Geng Yuehua before the investigators arrived.

Dong Xuebin outlasted Lu Weiguo’s drinking relay despite appearing on the verge of collapse, leaving the room full of fallen cadres. Lu Weiguo realized Dong Xuebin had drunk eleven jin of baijiu.

• Dong Xuebin kept drinking as the cadres on Lu Weiguo’s side collapsed one by one, while Chang Juan and the others urged him to stop.
• When Dong Xuebin said he could drink no more, Lu Weiguo and his cadres provoked him into continuing the relay.
• Dong Xuebin agreed to drink eight cups while each remaining opponent drank one, then downed his cups as the others fell.
• Dong Xuebin clinked cups with Lu Weiguo, who took a sip, choked, vomited, and collapsed.
• Before losing consciousness, Lu Weiguo realized Dong Xuebin had drunk eleven jin of baijiu.

Dong Xuebin visited Qu Yunxuan and learned that a persistent suitor had tracked her home, then told her about his upcoming cadre training. Their awkward conversation turned intimate when Qu Yunxuan let him touch her legs, leaving their relationship still undefined.

• Dong Xuebin returned to his building and found a man with roses looking for Qu Yunxuan, who later explained that the man was her coworker’s brother and an unwanted suitor.
• Dong Xuebin spotted adult videos in Qu Yunxuan’s download list, but she hurried him away from the computer and made an embarrassed excuse.
• Dong Xuebin told Qu Yunxuan that he would attend a half-month district party school training class and mentioned that he had offended the political commissar to secure the spot.
• While they watched television, Dong Xuebin held Qu Yunxuan’s hand and asked her to date him, but she avoided answering and asked about his dirty clothes.
• Dong Xuebin began touching Qu Yunxuan’s thighs, and she scolded him while covering herself between the legs, allowing him to continue touching her legs.

Dong Xuebin took Zhang Longjuan’s last chip to a roulette table after deciding to win back the money she had lost. The chapter ended with him betting the entire chip on number 22, despite only just learning the rules.

• Dong Xuebin returned with one low-value chip and two cents, which he gave to Zhang Longjuan.
• Dong Xuebin proposed playing against Director Wei and Director Leng, who mocked him for having only one chip.
• Dong Xuebin chose roulette after considering the group’s limited funds and asked Zhang Longjuan and the Shen sisters to explain the rules.
• The roulette dealer began the betting round, and Dong Xuebin placed his chip on the single number 22 for a thirty-six-to-one payout.

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.

At the County Party School’s gala, Dong Xuebin turned his scheduled brick-breaking act into a card trick to handle an embarrassing setup. After winning over the audience, he announced that he would now perform Single Hand Brick Breaking, leaving the crowd waiting to see what he would do.

• Dong Xuebin took the stage amid uncertainty about his scheduled Single Hand Brick Breaking act and announced that he would perform a magic trick.
• Dong Xuebin had Su Jia distribute ordinary playing cards to the audience, including Huang Li, Geng Yuchao, Xie Huilan, and other officials.
• Dong Xuebin used BACK to rewind time and correctly named the cards people had drawn, earning applause from the audience.
• After the card trick, audience members demanded the promised brick-breaking act, while Qin Yong urged Dong Xuebin to leave the stage.
• Dong Xuebin announced that the card trick had been a warm-up and introduced his magic performance, Single Hand Brick Breaking.

Dong Xuebin’s classmates discovered that he was both Xie Huilan’s fiancé and the earthquake relief hero, while Xie told him she might be promoted to deputy department level after her training. The chapter left them planning to meet privately that night as they discussed her likely move to the city government.

• After Xie Huilan left the cafeteria, Party School attendees discussed Dong Xuebin as her fiancé and stared at him.
• Han Xinghua asked Dong how he had met Xie Huilan, and Dong explained that he worked at the Guangming Street Office in Nanshan District.
• Director Mei, Director Zhang, and Han recognized Dong as the earthquake relief hero and toasted him for his rescue efforts.
• Xie met Dong on a tree-lined path and told him her successful evacuation work in Yantai County could lead to a deputy department-level promotion.
• Xie said she would likely join the city government to work on post-disaster reconstruction, and she teased Dong about waiting until that night for a kiss.

Dong Xuebin took revenge on Meng Xianglin by making him believe an elevator accident was his doing, though investigators determined the elevator had failed naturally. The chapter left county officials and police unsettled by another seemingly inexplicable accident involving someone who had crossed Dong.

• Dong Xuebin left the elevator before it fell, and Meng Xianglin was rescued shaken and suffering head pain.
• Dong Xuebin told Luan Xiaoping that Meng had been in the elevator and said he deserved to be frightened.
• Meng Xianglin suspected Dong had set him up and called the police.
• Hu Yiguo investigated Dong, questioned witnesses, and reviewed surveillance footage, but found no evidence of tampering.
• Gong Zongwen pointed out that Dong could not have planned the incident, and accident investigators concluded the elevator had failed because of age.
• Liang Chengpeng, Xiang Daofa, Xie Huilan, and others recalled the earlier accident involving Qian Fei and wondered at Dong's reputation as the God of Plague.

After Xiao Dongnan left, Dong Xuebin tried to reassure Fang Wenping and wondered about her relationship with her suitor. The two ended up in bed together, where Dong Xuebin initiated an intimate encounter.

• Xiao Dongnan left after taking a work call, and Dong Xuebin criticized his disrespectful behavior to Fang Wenping.
• Fang Wenping ignored Dong Xuebin and told him to clean the dishes, which he did before she went to shower.
• After Fang Wenping returned from her bath and lay down for a nap, Dong Xuebin joined her in bed and asked whether she liked Xiao Dongnan.
• Fang Wenping told Dong Xuebin to mind his own business and go to sleep, but he initiated an intimate encounter with her.

Dong Xuebin and Xie Huilan gathered the Xie siblings and Xie Jing’s new boyfriend, Sun Kai, at the airport before leading the family group to tWan. On the plane, Xie Huilan took charge of the itinerary while Dong Xuebin remained responsible for safety.

• Dong Xuebin, Xie Huilan, and Xie Hao waited at the airport for Xie Ran and Xie Jing, who arrived with Xie Jing’s boyfriend, Sun Kai.
• Xie Jing introduced Sun Kai to the family, and Xie Huilan and Dong Xuebin welcomed him.
• Sun Kai learned that Xie Huilan and Dong Xuebin held senior official positions, and Xie Jing urged him to continue on the trip despite his surprise.
• Xie Huilan told the group she would control the arrangements and itinerary after they arrived in tWan, while Dong Xuebin handled safety.
• Dong Xuebin agreed to Xie Huilan’s command and told everyone to keep their phones on and contact him if anything happened.

Dong Xuebin told the family how he sank the warship and promised Xie Huilan he would be more careful. Later, Xie Jing revealed to Sun Kai that Dong Xuebin had also been the heroes behind two other famous patriotic incidents.

• Dong Xuebin claimed he had struck a weak spot in the warship, and Xie Huilan ordered everyone to keep the incident secret.
• Wu Er and You You watched the news report about a yacht sinking a warship, without realizing Dong Xuebin had done it.
• Xie Huilan scolded Dong Xuebin for risking himself and her siblings, and he promised to be more careful.
• Xie Jing visited Sun Kai, and they read online reactions to the warship incident and other patriotic exploits.
• Xie Jing told Sun Kai that Dong Xuebin had been the mysterious tourist who took back a cultural relic and the visitor who challenged H Country's Taekwondo gyms.

Dong Xuebin’s intimacy with Qu Yunxuan was interrupted when Xie Huilan walked in, and his attempt to get out of bed reopened his leg wound. After Qu Yunxuan and Xie Huilan treated him, Xie Huilan later gave in to his advances despite his injury.

• Qu Yunxuan indulged Dong Xuebin in bed until Xie Huilan opened the bedroom door and caught them together.
• Qu Yunxuan and Xie Huilan argued briefly over the intimacy, but Dong Xuebin fell from the bed while trying to follow Xie Huilan, reopening his leg wound.
• Qu Yunxuan fetched medicine while Xie Huilan stopped the bleeding, and the two women bandaged Dong Xuebin and helped him rest.
• That night, Dong Xuebin touched Xie Huilan and asked to be intimate; she initially reminded him that she was pregnant and he was injured.
• Xie Huilan agreed to reward Dong Xuebin for helping her at the school, and she climbed onto his lap.

At a shooting range, Wei Nan tried to impress Xie Huilan with his marksmanship, prompting Dong Xuebin to challenge him. Dong Xuebin stunned everyone by scoring five perfect shots at a hundred-meter target with a handgun.

• Xie Huilan discussed investment matters with Wei Nan while Hou Zi negotiated with Lu Dafa, and Dong Xuebin grew jealous of Wei Nan's attention toward her.
• Hu Silian outshot Zhou Zi in their handgun contest, then lost to Wei Nan by seven rings.
• Wei Nan invited Xie Huilan to shoot, and Dong Xuebin stepped in to challenge him instead.
• Wei Nan scored forty-four rings at fifty meters, then Dong Xuebin chose a hundred-meter target and fired five shots in ten seconds.
• The results showed that Dong Xuebin had scored ten rings with all five shots.

Dong Xuebin refused to accept Zhenshui County’s unfair room assignment and decided to book the hotel’s vacant Presidential Suites instead. He left Lu Weiguo and the others stunned by ordering one suite for every member of his group.

• Lu Weiguo insisted that Zhenshui County would receive no additional rooms, while Dong Xuebin and Chang Juan challenged the city’s treatment of the county.
• Dong Xuebin led his group downstairs to the hotel front desk, despite Zheng Dayou’s worry that leaving would cost them access to investors.
• Dong Xuebin learned that the hotel had six vacant Presidential Suites costing 8,888 yuan per day each.
• Dong Xuebin booked all six suites for ten days and told his group to bring their IDs so each person could have a suite.

Dong Xuebin used his BACK ability to get through a dance with Xie Huilan without embarrassing himself, impressing the officials watching. Afterward, Xie Huilan declined further invitations, while Dong Xuebin danced with Hu Silian and then Luo Haiting.

• Dong Xuebin asked Xie Huilan to dance so Ding Li could not invite her, then used BACK to correct his mistakes and keep up with her steps.
• Xie Huilan and Dong Xuebin finished the dance to applause, and Ding Li left the room’s dance floor area in displeasure.
• Xie Huilan turned down an invitation from a young official from the Sports Bureau, and Dong Xuebin stopped worrying that another man would dance with her.
• Hu Silian invited Dong Xuebin to dance, and he used BACK only to correct a few awkward mistakes before they finished.
• Luo Haiting invited Dong Xuebin to dance and carefully led him through simple steps, while he suppressed his growing desire.

On New Year's Eve, Dong Xuebin asked Han Jing to help him transfer to Jiaolin County, hoping to take a county leadership post despite the likely demotion. Han Jing said she would consult his father, while Dong Xuebin privately counted on the county’s future promotion to county-level city to propel him to deputy department level.

• Dong Xuebin watched the Spring Festival Gala with his family while thinking about the future news he had memorized about Jiaolin County.
• Dong Xuebin pulled Han Jing aside and asked whether he could make a lateral transfer to Jiaolin County.
• Han Jing questioned why Dong Xuebin wanted to leave his newly attained post at the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection for an obscure county.
• Dong Xuebin insisted that he wanted to serve at the grassroots and would accept either County Party Secretary or County Chief, even if it meant a demotion.
• Han Jing said she would ask Dong Xuebin's father before deciding whether the difficult transfer could be arranged.

At an emergency Standing Committee meeting, Zhenshui County’s leaders confronted a fiscal crisis after the county ran nearly out of money and both the city and province refused extra support. Jiang Fangfang opposed diverting education funds and proposed seeking ten million from the central government, a suggestion Meng Rui and his allies dismissed as unrealistic.

• Yan Yizhi reported that the Finance Bureau had less than two million left and might not be able to pay county government salaries.
• Meng Rui revealed that neither the city nor the province would provide additional funding, and the committee discussed delaying salaries as a temporary measure.
• Jiang Hai proposed using surplus earmarked education funds to cover the fiscal gap, and Meng Rui supported the idea.
• Jiang Fangfang objected to diverting education funds, insisting that students’ rights had to be protected even if government workers went without salaries.
• Jiang Fangfang proposed applying to the central government for ten million, but Meng Rui and several committee members doubted the request would succeed.

Dong Xuebin returned to the Royal Hotel with a mountain of luxury gifts for Xie Huilan, then shared a private bath with her. The chapter ended with Xie Huilan surprising him with an intimate gesture.

• Dong Xuebin struggled off the tour bus with the many expensive gifts he had bought for Xie Huilan, and Hou Wen and Han Fang learned he had won the lottery several times.
• Xie Huilan took perfume and silk scarves from Dong Xuebin and later gave them to Sister Chen and Secretary Cheng's wife.
• Dong Xuebin returned to the business suite, bathed, and talked with Xie Huilan about her new connections and his tendency to cause trouble.
• Xie Huilan joined Dong Xuebin in the bathtub and joked that she had married him partly to keep him in line.
• Xie Huilan responded to Dong Xuebin's demand for a more flattering reason by surprising him with an intimate gesture underwater.

Dong Xuebin visited Liang Chengpeng's hospitalized mother, then found Yu Meixia and Yu Qianqian struggling to afford treatment and facing pressure from a predatory creditor. He paid Yu Meixia's remaining debt and left the grateful mother and daughter recovering in the hospital.

• Dong Xuebin learned from Qin Yong that Liang Chengpeng's mother had suffered cerebral thrombosis and visited her at the County People's Hospital.
• Dong Xuebin found Yu Meixia hospitalized with a fever and gave Yu Qianqian money to pay for her mother's treatment and bought them a meal.
• A creditor demanded repayment of Yu Meixia's debt and threatened to send her or Yu Qianqian to work at a nightclub.
• Dong Xuebin confronted the creditor, established that Yu Meixia's husband had borrowed four hundred thousand yuan, and arranged to pay the remaining two hundred and ten thousand yuan.
• Dong Xuebin told Yu Meixia the debt was settled, and Yu Meixia and Yu Qianqian knelt and kowtowed to thank him.

Dong Xuebin let Liu Hanqing believe he was too magnanimous to retaliate over the parking dispute, then began investigating Liu’s family and learned Liu might soon be transferred or promoted. The chapter left Dong Xuebin considering how to stop Liu from causing trouble before he left.

• Office One clerks praised Dong Xuebin as upright and magnanimous, while Luo Haiting knew his reputation did not match his real character.
• Dong Xuebin confronted Liu Hanqing about parking across two spaces, then acted as if he was willing to let it go.
• Dong Xuebin asked Luo Haiting to find Liu Hanqing’s father’s exact name and position at the municipal bank.
• Luo Haiting told Dong Xuebin that Liu Hanqing might soon be transferred or promoted, and Dong realized Liu was taking risks because he expected to leave.
• Dong Xuebin offered Luo Haiting the keys to his Porsche Panamera, and she offered to obtain him a Municipal Party Committee Pass.