Sima Yanan felt little surprise or excitement at the news. The outcome had been inevitable from the moment Ma Baojin and Feng Zhihong fell into the trap and fled.
The two local tyrants had dominated Sitong Township for nearly a decade, making their names even before the Xie family of Yangcheng. Yet they still could not escape the Public Security Director's merciless crackdown.
First, he crushed the Xies of Yangcheng; then, he wiped out the Ma-Feng Nest.
In barely half a year in office, he had eradicated the criminal gangs notorious both within and beyond Yangcheng! He had courage and brains in equal measure. She truly wanted such a capable subordinate!
Seeing the eager gleam in Sima Yanan's eyes, Shan Wenxu could not help smiling. He knew what she was thinking. Soldiers were easy to find; a great commander was not!
He thought back over his own progression, from ignoring Zhou Yi to opposing him, from merely playing along to being won over, until he finally began treating him with genuine sincerity.
"Outstanding" was no longer enough to describe Director Zhou's abilities! If he insisted on using it, he would have to add qualifiers such as "truly," "exceptionally," or "extraordinarily."
Then a very practical question would confront both him and Sima Yanan: how could a man stand between heaven and earth and languish beneath others forever?
Given Zhou Yi's abilities, coupled with his status as the Provincial Party Committee Secretary's future son-in-law, he was very likely to surpass both Shan Wenxu and Sima Yanan in his official career!
That was precisely why Shan Wenxu no longer regarded Zhou Yi as merely a subordinate, but treated him almost as a friend.
If Sima Yanan failed to recognize that, not only would she fail to get what she wanted, she would drive