Chapter Summaries

A high-level meeting chose Sha Ruijin to lead Handong and assigned Lin Yanzhou to become mayor of Jingzhou, despite his father Lin Xingguo’s fears about the province’s political turmoil. The chapter ended with Lin Xingguo calling his son to tell him to prepare for the appointment and come home.

• The meeting’s senior leaders discussed Zhao Lichun’s legacy and decided to keep Handong’s governor in place while replacing its provincial Party secretary.
• The leaders rejected Gao Yuliang and Li Dakang as suitable successors and agreed that Sha Ruijin should take charge of Handong.
• A senior leader proposed appointing Lin Yanzhou as governor, but Lin Xingguo objected because Handong was too dangerous for his young son.
• The leaders compromised by assigning Lin Yanzhou to become Jingzhou’s mayor, where Sha Ruijin could oversee his work.
• Lin Xingguo’s proposal to replace Handong’s executive vice governor with Zhou Mingxian was postponed after an opponent accused him of maneuvering for his son.
• After the meeting, Lin Xingguo called Lin Yanzhou and told him about the Jingzhou appointment and to come home the next day.

Lin Yanzhou learned that his transfer to Handong was meant to test his political judgment while he developed Jingzhou’s economy and avoided disrupting the province’s power balance. After his family advised him to build a foundation before challenging entrenched interests, the minister confirmed that Sha Ruijin would clean up Handong’s political environment while Lin focused on economic growth.

• Lin Yanzhou’s grandparents and parents explained that higher-ups had sent him to Handong to gain experience and test his ability to govern amid entrenched interests.
• Old Master Lin warned Lin Yanzhou not to underestimate people who had risen from humble backgrounds and advised him to cooperate unless they crossed the law’s bottom line.
• Lin Xingguo urged Lin Yanzhou to prioritize Jingzhou’s economic development, build a record of results, and avoid upsetting Handong’s political balance prematurely.
• Lin Yanzhou told his family he would develop the economy and establish rules while stirring up Handong’s entrenched power structure.
• Lin’s grandmother asked that Su Yue remain in the capital, and Lin Xingguo confirmed that she would keep her assignment there and receive a nominal post at the Association for Science and Technology.
• The minister told Lin Yanzhou that Sha Ruijin would focus on political cleanup in Handong while Lin’s core mission was to develop Jingzhou’s economy and stabilize the province.

Lin Yanzhou was appointed Jingzhou’s deputy Party secretary and mayoral candidate, and pledged to stabilize the city and pursue high-quality development. After learning that Lin might be the direct grandson of a powerful Lin family, Gao Yuliang warned Qi Tongwei to clean up anything that could expose him as political winds shifted.

• A senior Central Organization Department official announced Lin Yanzhou’s appointment at a Jingzhou officials’ assembly and described his record of successful local service.
• Lin delivered an unscripted inaugural address, promising to support the municipal Party committee, develop high-tech industries, and address people’s urgent needs.
• Li Dakang welcomed Lin and urged him to quickly help stabilize Jingzhou, while officials speculated about Lin’s family connections.
• Gao Yuliang read a message about Lin’s arrival, and Qi Tongwei said he had heard Lin might come from a prominent family in the courtyard residences.
• Zhao Lichun told Gao that Lin might be Old Master Lin’s direct grandson and warned him to pay close attention to the new mayor.
• Gao decided to attend Lin’s welcome banquet and quietly told Qi Tongwei to clean up everything around him.

At Lin Yanzhou’s welcome banquet in Jingzhou, he deflected political tests from Li Dakang’s allies while signaling that he would scrutinize existing projects and accounts. The banquet ended with an encrypted message warning him that the wind would rise tomorrow and an unexpected surprise awaited.

• Liu Fengming toasted Li Dakang and urged Jingzhou’s leaders to preserve their existing course, implicitly warning Lin Yanzhou not to interfere.
• Lin Yanzhou praised the provincial and municipal leadership, promised continuity alongside improvement, and turned the toast toward Jingzhou’s shared future.
• Zhao Fuwang probed Lin Yanzhou about new projects, but Lin said he would first investigate existing projects and the accounts associated with Wu Xiongfei.
• Gao Yuliang praised Lin’s approach with a pointed warning, and Lin replied modestly while outlining his intent to learn the situation.
• After the banquet, Lin accepted Governor Liu’s invitation to meet in Yanjing and received an encrypted message warning of an unexpected surprise the next day.

Lin Yanzhou began his new post as Jingzhou’s mayor and faced a coordinated refusal by local officials to report to him. After a few revealing visits, he requested records for the city’s government-funded projects, preparing to break the deadlock while awaiting an unexpected surprise.

• Lin Yanzhou rejected locally selected staff, kept his own secretary and driver, and ordered electronic sweeps of his office and residence.
• Rumors about Lin Yanzhou’s distrust of local officials spread through the municipal government, discouraging bureau leaders from visiting him.
• Zhang Yongning reported suspected problems with a project and said Liu Fengming had prevented other officials from reporting to Lin Yanzhou.
• Wen Zhiyuan described being sidelined by Jingzhou’s local cadre circles and said he planned to return to the Ministry of Culture after his temporary posting.
• After a day of near-total silence, Lin Yanzhou asked Qian Yongnian to send him three years of government-funded project records, approval procedures, and audit reports.

Lin Yanzhou reviewed Jingzhou’s project and audit records, then investigated residents’ complaints near the Guangming Peak Project. He ordered medical examinations and a face-to-face meeting with the responsible departments for the next morning.

• Qian Yongnian delivered project lists and audit reports but said that obtaining the Guangming Peak Project materials would take time and require coordination.
• Lin Yanzhou reviewed the budget audit, marked a vague expenditure, and noted a possible opening in his notebook.
• Lin Yanzhou visited a park and learned from an elderly tai chi practitioner that its facilities were neglected and nearby residents blamed the Guangming Peak Project for polluting their water supply.
• Lin Yanzhou instructed Xiao Chen to verify the park’s condition and investigate Jingzhou’s toilet construction work.
• Residents told Lin Yanzhou that their tap water smelled strange and made them ill, and described how government departments had passed responsibility for the contamination between one another.
• Lin Yanzhou ordered free medical examinations for the residents and called an on-site working meeting with the relevant officials and project contractor for nine the next morning.

Lin Yanzhou confronted officials over residents’ polluted tap water and forced them to commit to immediate emergency measures and a full investigation. His decisive intervention won the residents’ applause and drew Li Dakang’s attention to the political signal behind it.

• At a meeting in the community office, district officials, the water company, and the contractor shifted blame for the polluted water while Liu Fengming cited a plan to wait until construction ended.
• Lin Yanzhou drank the murky tap water and challenged the officials to explain why residents had endured it for a year; Liu Fengming admitted the water was unfit to drink.
• Lin Yanzhou ordered emergency water supplies, a pollution assessment, an investigation into responsibility, and project funding, demanding written commitments from those responsible.
• Liu Fengming proposed immediate steps, but Lin Yanzhou pressed for clear deadlines and assigned specific orders to the water company, Environmental Protection Bureau, city, districts, and project headquarters.
• Lin Yanzhou assured the residents the problem would be solved, and they applauded as Chen Mo escorted Luo Yong into the official car.
• Lin Yanzhou received an encrypted message from his father praising the move, while Li Dakang recognized it as a deliberate probe into Jingzhou’s political situation.

Lin Yanzhou inspected pollution in the Qingshui River near the Guangming Peak Project and confronted project staff who tried to obstruct the municipal officials. After he summoned the city’s public security chief, Cheng Du arrived with SWAT officers and secured the scene as Lin Yanzhou got into his car.

• Luo Yong led Lin Yanzhou and Chen Mo to a concealed opening in the construction barrier, where they saw chemical wastewater flowing into the Qingshui River and documented the pollution.
• Lin Yanzhou collected a soil sample, and Luo Yong explained how the former state-owned chemical plant had been brought into the Guangming Peak Project through mixed-ownership reform.
• Project staff and security guards surrounded the group, demanded that Chen Mo delete his recordings, and tried to seize his phone as Wu Jun protected Lin Yanzhou.
• Lin Yanzhou identified himself and ordered Chen Mo to summon Ding Yizhen and Zhao Donglai, then the approaching police sirens interrupted the confrontation.
• Cheng Du arrived with police and SWAT officers, reported for duty to Lin Yanzhou, and secured the mayor as he got into the car.

Lin Yanzhou confronted officials over pollution at the Qingshui River Chemical Plant site, forced a direct response from Ding Yizhen, and ordered immediate cleanup and accountability. He left after setting a two-day deadline for a public meeting, having established Cheng Du as the case supervisor and warned Jingzhou's officials against evasion.

• Cheng Du's SWAT officers secured the scene, and Chen Mo called Ding Yizhen's secretary to summon him.
• Zhao Donglai arrived with municipal police, but Lin Yanzhou ordered Cheng Du's Guangming Branch Bureau to investigate the case under ordinary legal procedures.
• Ding Yizhen arrived and claimed he had not known about the pollution, but Lin Yanzhou demanded he take responsibility as commander-in-chief of the Guangming Peak Project.
• Lin Yanzhou ordered Ding Yizhen to stop the discharge and treat the water immediately, then set a two-day deadline for an on-site meeting and a public remediation plan.
• Lin Yanzhou told Zhao Donglai to maintain order at the meeting and left, while Ding Yizhen angrily confronted the people at the scene.

After Lin Yanzhou ordered a forceful investigation into Qingshui River pollution, officials and project power brokers maneuvered to protect themselves and the Guangming Peak Project. Cheng Du formed a task force to pursue the evidence, while Ding Yizhen and Zhao Ruilong planned to contain the damage and eliminate potential liabilities.

• Ding Yizhen left the scene for a private teahouse, while Zhao Donglai called Li Dakang's secretary and received instructions to follow Lin Yanzhou's demands, preserve stability, and observe procedures.
• Zhao Donglai recognized Li Dakang's guarded stance and worried that Lin Yanzhou had noticed his hesitation, so he urged Cheng Du to investigate swiftly and report directly to Lin and him.
• Cheng Du understood Zhao Donglai's call as an attempt to signal support, then formed a special task force and ordered officers to establish who caused the pollution and how oversight had been bypassed.
• Ding Yizhen angrily complained to Zhao Ruilong about Lin Yanzhou's two-day deadline and public reporting demands.
• Zhao Ruilong proposed stopping the wastewater discharge, staging visible cleanup, and using a report to buy time, while allowing Cheng Du's investigation to remove incriminating people and evidence.

Ding Yizhen and Zhao Ruilong planned to sacrifice corrupt subordinates to protect their core interests, while Lin Yanzhou tightened control over Jingzhou's projects and pressed them to yield. Zhao Ruilong decided they might have to sacrifice senior officials next, and threatened to involve his father if Lin remained unsatisfied.

• Zhao Ruilong persuaded Ding Yizhen to let Cheng Du uncover and punish lower-level officials, while arranging to silence and compensate those who were jailed.
• Zhao Donglai ordered the municipal Public Security Bureau to support Cheng Du's investigation while documenting its cooperation and distancing itself from the cases.
• Lin Yanzhou told Chen Mo to track the people connected to the officials sacrificed in the investigation and directed Ding Yizhen to handle the Dafeng Factory relocation.
• Lin Yanzhou suspended approval of nonurgent projects and investments across Jingzhou until the Qingshui River pollution incident was resolved, requiring his signature for urgent and priority projects.
• Ding Yizhen called Zhao Ruilong in alarm, and Zhao proposed sacrificing officials from the Environmental Protection Bureau, water company, and urban construction company, along with an executive deputy district head.
• Zhao Ruilong warned that if Lin Yanzhou still was not satisfied, he would ask his father to speak with Li Dakang.

Lin Yanzhou’s citywide freeze on new projects forced Jingzhou’s leaders and business interests into a crisis over the Qingshui River pollution investigation. Li Dakang ordered the discipline inspection commission to intervene, while Lin Yanzhou recognized that Ding Yizhen and Zhao Ruilong were sacrificing lesser officials and prepared to test Li Dakang’s response.

• Lin Yanzhou’s suspension of new projects triggered a flood of complaints to Ding Yizhen, who told Zhao Ruilong he could no longer hold out.
• Zhao Ruilong gave Ding Yizhen a list of four officials to hand over and ordered him to leak prepared evidence to Cheng Du.
• Li Dakang denounced Lin Yanzhou’s order but then directed Zhang Shuli to have the discipline inspection commission investigate the Qingshui River pollution and related misconduct.
• Cheng Du received evidence against the municipal environmental protection bureau director and continued pursuing what he believed was a major culprit.
• Chen Mo reported Li Dakang’s intervention, suspicious fund transfers, and Cheng Du’s preliminary report to Lin Yanzhou.
• Lin Yanzhou called the evidence a decisive sacrifice of lesser officials, told Cheng Du to keep digging, and sent Zhang Shuli a copy of the report.

Cheng Du brought evidence from the Qingshui River pollution case to Lin Yanzhou, who sent it to Zhang Shuli’s discipline inspection commission. Zhang’s investigation confirmed serious misconduct among the named officials, but Lin rejected efforts to stop at them and ordered the inquiry to trace the corruption further, beginning a larger political contest.

• Cheng Du reported the new leads to Lin Yanzhou, who forwarded the material to Zhang Shuli.
• Zhang Shuli convened the commission’s leadership, launched a confidential special investigation, and ordered an independent review of possible corruption and official-business collusion.
• Ding Yizhen tried to secure the cooperation of potential scapegoats, then called Zhao Ruilong after learning the commission had entered the case.
• Zhang Shuli reported that the listed officials had committed serious dereliction and accepted business benefits, and recommended placing them under shuanggui.
• Lin Yanzhou approved action against the listed officials but ordered Zhang Shuli to investigate how the projects were approved and pursue any higher-level beneficiaries.
• After Zhang Shuli left, Lin Yanzhou resolved to press his opponents further and uncover their limits.

Lin Yanzhou challenged Li Dakang’s attempt to contain the Qingshui River investigation by suspending funding for most city investment projects and offering to report deeper findings to the standing committee. Under pressure, Li Dakang told Zhang Shuli to expand the investigation while warning him to keep it controlled, and Zhang ordered teams to pursue approvals, financial records, and possible higher-level beneficiaries.

• Zhang Shuli reported Lin Yanzhou’s dissatisfaction to Li Dakang, who instructed him to keep the investigation within bounds and protect Jingzhou’s stability.
• Zhang Shuli ordered the discipline inspection commission to continue investigating the Guangming Peak Project while containing the case’s scope.
• Lin Yanzhou received a report closing the Qingshui River pollution case against several officials and enterprise leaders, with no leads beyond them.
• Lin Yanzhou issued a citywide suspension of approvals and fund disbursements for most major government investment projects pending a special audit.
• Li Dakang challenged Lin Yanzhou over the suspension, but Lin defended it and offered to present deeper investigation findings at an emergency standing committee meeting.
• Zhang Shuli convened the commission’s standing committee and ordered three teams to investigate project approvals, earmarked funds, financial transactions, and possible higher-level protectors.

The investigation into Liu Fengming exposed conclusive evidence of bribery and abuse of authority, while unverified leads also pointed toward Ding Yizhen. Li Dakang kept those leads out of the formal report and negotiated personnel changes with Lin Yanzhou, leaving the leadership contest unresolved.

• Zhang Shuli briefed Li Dakang on the evidence against Liu Fengming and the unverified leads involving Ding Yizhen.
• Li Dakang ordered Liu Fengming's case handled swiftly and severely, but told Zhang Shuli to omit unverified matters from the formal report.
• Li Dakang invited Lin Yanzhou to discuss adjustments to leadership and key municipal department posts.
• Lin Yanzhou recommended Zhao Fujiang, Luo Yong, Chen Mo, and Cheng Du for several positions, including posts in Guangming District.
• Li Dakang agreed to have the organization department assess the candidates and submit a preliminary slate for deliberation.

Lin Yanzhou consolidated his influence in Jingzhou by promoting trusted cadres and drawing attention from officials seeking advancement, while carefully weighing potential allies. Li Dakang observed the growing activity around the new mayor without concern, confident that Jingzhou remained under his control.

• The Organization Department began assessing personnel for possible appointments, and Luo Yong responded by regularly briefing Lin Yanzhou on the Qingshui River investigation and rectification plan.
• Wen Zhiyuan took on urban development and environmental protection, with the Finance Bureau expected to join his portfolio, raising his standing in the municipal government.
• Zhang Yongning’s proposed appointment as Finance Bureau director marked him as Lin Yanzhou’s trusted choice for a powerful post with strong promotion prospects.
• Lin Yanzhou’s promotions and support for trusted cadres prompted some officials to seek closer ties with him, while established departments continued reporting to Li Dakang first.
• Lin Yanzhou kept potential supporters at a distance and focused on strengthening his existing team and observing capable cadres such as Cheng Du.
• Li Dakang heard that Lin Yanzhou’s office had become busier but remained confident in his control and waited to see how officials would respond.

At Jingzhou’s first municipal party standing committee meeting, Li Dakang secured approval for a slate of personnel appointments while Lin Yanzhou saw how thoroughly Li controlled the city’s leadership. The meeting ended with Li reminding Lin that the Guangming Peak Project remained his responsibility and under Li’s watch.

• Zhou Minze presented the cadre reassignment plan, and Lin Yanzhou, Zhang Shuli, Zhou Minzhe, and Li Dakang endorsed the selected candidates.
• Zhou Minze named the proposed appointments, including Cheng Du’s nomination as Guangming District deputy head.
• Sun Haiping questioned whether Cheng Du should move directly into a district government leadership role, but Li Dakang defended the nomination and Sun accepted his explanation.
• The standing committee approved the personnel plan by a show of hands, with only the military subdistrict commander abstaining.
• Lin Yanzhou realized Li Dakang controlled Jingzhou’s standing committee and resolved to build his own influence more patiently.
• Li Dakang told Lin Yanzhou to ensure the new cadres settled in quickly and that the Guangming Peak Project stayed on track.

After securing several appointments, Lin Yanzhou shifted his efforts toward investigating Jingzhou’s state-owned enterprises, while a complaint about the Guangming Peak Project placed Zhang Shuli under pressure. Ding Yizhen and Zhao Ruilong prepared to divert Lin’s inquiry toward old controversies as the investigation and political struggle intensified.

• Lin Yanzhou privately recognized that his new appointees’ support depended on his office and Li Dakang’s approval, then ordered a confidential review of municipal state-owned enterprises and scheduled Jingzhou Urban Investment Holding Group as his first visit.
• Zhang Shuli reviewed suspicious bank transactions connected to former Environmental Protection Bureau Director Wang Bin and received an anonymous complaint alleging compensation fraud during the Guangming Peak Project, naming Ding Yizhen.
• Zhang Shuli asked Li Dakang how to handle the complaint, and Li Dakang told him to proceed according to law and regulations, leaving the decision to the discipline inspection commission.
• Ding Yizhen warned Zhao Ruilong that Lin Yanzhou was examining state-owned enterprises and that discipline inspectors might still be investigating; Zhao insisted Li Dakang’s silence was protective.
• Zhao Ruilong told Ding Yizhen to cooperate with Lin’s survey while withholding anything beyond required information and steering Lin toward old controversies involving Wu Xiongfei’s shantytown project, Ouyang Jing’s Jingzhou City Bank, and Li Dakang’s Dafeng Factory demolition.

Yang Xiaoyan reported the Landscaping Bureau’s repairs and citywide inspections to Lin Yanzhou, who praised her practical work and promised support for officials who delivered results. Lin then discussed Chen Mo’s new role as Guangming District’s executive deputy head and asked him to help select a reliable new secretary.

• Yang Xiaoyan presented Lin Yanzhou with progress reports and photos documenting repairs to parks, children’s facilities, and public toilets, along with a citywide rectification plan.
• Lin Yanzhou praised the bureau’s practical work, approved its use of funds, and encouraged Yang Xiaoyan to establish long-term maintenance.
• Chen Mo told Lin Yanzhou that preparations were complete for the Qingshui River meeting and that Secretary Dakang hoped Lin would attend an investment banquet; Lin declined and asked Yizhen to represent the city government.
• Lin Yanzhou recalled Chen Jie’s years working with him in Linfeng County and praised the county’s development achievements.
• Lin Yanzhou told Chen Mo to focus on his new post as Guangming District’s executive deputy head and personally accompany him when he formally took office.
• Lin Yanzhou asked Chen Mo to carefully vet candidates for his new secretary, including their backgrounds, abilities, and temperaments.

Lin Yanzhou used an on-site meeting to expose the Guangming Peak Project’s responsibility for polluting the Qingshui River and force officials to approve a funded cleanup plan. Ding Yizhen left isolated and humiliated, while Lin warned that further defiance could bring reassignment or discipline.

• Ding Yizhen arrived at the crowded Qingshui River meeting and realized that Lin Yanzhou had assembled officials who largely supported Lin.
• Luo Yong presented evidence that the Guangming Peak Project had illegally discharged wastewater into the river, and Liu Yongning estimated that cleanup would cost about eighty million yuan.
• Wen Zhiyuan, Cheng Du, and Zhao Donglai backed enforcement and cleanup measures, leaving Ding Yizhen without effective support.
• Lin Yanzhou secured agreement on five measures, including shutting illegal outfalls, funding and beginning repairs, supplying residents with emergency water, and publicizing progress.
• Residents applauded as the meeting ended, and Lin told Chen Mo that Ding could be reassigned or face the discipline inspection commission if he continued to resist.