Name: My father is Zhao Dehan, and I hope he will become a dragon!

At exactly 12 o'clock, the groundbreaking ceremony began.

The emcee announced loudly, "Please welcome Governor Liu Guoquan, Secretary Li Dakang, Deputy Secretary Gao Yuliang, and Vice Governor Zhao Dehan to lay the foundation stone for the Nanhu Industrial Zone!"

Four people stood side by side in front of the foundation stone, holding gilded shovels.

Li Dakang took the lead, wielding a shovel, sending dust flying. He proclaimed loudly, "One shovel of earth today, a towering building tomorrow!"

Liu Guoquan followed closely behind, his movements steady: "Industry revitalizes the nation, science and technology strengthen the country!"

Gao Yuliang, with his third shovelful of water, still smiled and said, "Government and enterprises working together for common development!"

With his final shovelful of earth, Zhao Dehan declared with unwavering resolve: "Starting from Nanhu, a new life begins in Handong!"

"Snap! Snap!"

The flashes came one after another, and the sound of shutters fell like raindrops.

This moment was captured on the front page of the Handong Daily: "Handong unites as one, embarks on a new journey from Nanhu – Handong takes a crucial step towards high-quality development."

……

……

The night was as dark as ink, and the provincial party committee compound was quiet and still.

Zhao Dehan pushed open the door, a hint of excitement still lingering between his brows.

Besides attending the groundbreaking ceremony, she also inadvertently gained access to Liu Guoquan's political resources.

If the Nanhu project is successful, it's no exaggeration to say that Zhao Dehan could have his probationary period canceled early and be promoted to executive director before becoming vice governor.

In the living room, Zhao Chongming was leaning back on the sofa, flipping through a "White Paper on the First Phase of Investment Promotion in Nanhu Industrial Zone." When he saw his father return, he closed the document and handed him a cup of warm tea.

"Dad, what's going on today? Is it Sha Ruijin?" Zhao Chongming asked, his tone knowing.

"Um."

Zhao Dehan sat down: "He said he had something to do in the afternoon, but his words were loaded with meaning—he said that Nanhu was 'my test paper,' and if I succeeded, I would be a hero, if I failed, I would be..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Chongming interrupted Zhao Dehan: "He's not happy."

"almost!"

Zhao Dehan nodded: "I, Li Dakang, Governor Liu, and Gao Yuliang appeared together at Nanhu, the four of us holding a lively groundbreaking ceremony, while he, the provincial party secretary, sat in his office. Tell me, how did he feel!"

Zhao Chongming chuckled: "That old fox Gao Yuliang isn't there to show his support; he's there to watch the show. He'd love for us to fall out with Sha Ruijin so his Han University gang can catch their breath."

"more than!"

Zhao Dehan said, "I should say that I have attracted Sha Ruijin's attention. I have been getting too close to Governor Liu recently, taking over his team, integrating the list of 84 people, and forming the 'Zhao Family Team' - in Sha Ruijin's eyes, this is not unity, but setting up a separate faction."

"Dad, you've got a pretty sharp eye for things now!" Zhao Chongming smiled. "So, what are your plans next?"

Zhao Dehan frowned: "I'm thinking, should we slow down? Should we bide our time and not upset Sha Ruijin?"

"impossible."

Zhao Chongming was resolute.

He stood up, walked to his father, and spoke in a steady and powerful voice:

"Dad, get this straight—the central government sent you here not to be a compliant vice governor, but to clean up the mess in Guangming District! If you fail to complete the mission, you'll be sent back to Beijing in a year, and you won't even be able to keep your vice-ministerial rank."

Zhao Dehan was stunned, only then remembering that he still had a headband on his head.

Zhao Chongming continued, "But what about Sha Ruijin? Whether you succeed or fail, he won't lose anything. If you succeed, he'll be a wise and discerning secretary; if you fail, he'll still be the top leader of Handong, completely unscathed."

He paused, his gaze sharp: "Therefore, you have no way out, only forward. It's not that you want to fight for power, it's that circumstances are forcing you to take it!"

Zhao Dehan was stunned, and after a long while, he sighed, "But if Sha Ruijin really sees me as a threat..."

"Of course he'll be wary."

Zhao Chongming sneered: "But as long as Nanhu can achieve results, land prices in Guangming District will rebound, and the workers of Dafeng Factory will live and work in peace and contentment—he will have no choice but to rely on you. Are you kidding me? Do you think these achievements are only yours, Zhao Dehan's, achievements, but also Li Dakang's, and also Sha Ruijin's? All you need to do is make Sha Ruijin understand that he must tolerate your faction and must rely on you to boost the economic construction and development of Handong Province!"

In the end, Sha Ruijin didn't do anything to the secretariat. If Gao Yuliang backed down, the Han University gang could have stayed.

Conversely, as long as the Zhao family group doesn't make Sha Ruijin feel like they're an obstacle, Sha Ruijin has no reason to deal with the Zhao family group.

Zhao Chongming sat back on the sofa, his tone suddenly softening, yet becoming even more resolute:

"Besides, don't forget—you're only forty-seven. Li Dakang is over fifty, and Gao Yuliang only has three to five years left. If he doesn't get promoted, he'll have to retire. Governor Liu will leave next year. How long Sha Ruijin will stay in Handong is also an unknown; maybe three years, maybe ten. In terms of age, you'll outlast him!"

Zhao Dehan's eyes lit up: "A pairing of Sha and Zhao?"

"It's also possible to go even further!"

Zhao Chongming shrugged: "When the time comes, who will take over from Handong? Li Dakang is definitely not suitable, and even if Gao Yuliang doesn't recognize the problem, he's already retired to the second line. It'll have to be you—an executive vice governor with achievements, a team, and popular support!"

A light gradually appeared in Zhao Dehan's eyes.

Zhao Chongming added one last sentence, soft yet thunderous: "So, don't even think about hiding it. You need to make everyone in the Zhao family group clearly realize that Zhao Dehan is a rising political star in Handong Province. Only by following you can they have a future."

He paused, then continued, "Don't worry about upsetting Sha Ruijin. If he's unhappy, so be it. You, sir, have a clear conscience!"

……

……

It was late at night, in Gao Yuliang's study.

Qi Tongwei sat opposite Gao Yuliang, listening to Gao Yuliang's analysis.

After a long silence, Qi Tongwei exclaimed in surprise, "Teacher, you said Sha Ruijin is dissatisfied with Zhao Dehan? But didn't he agree to unfreeze the list today? And even let Zhao Dehan do whatever he wants..."

Gao Yuliang gently put down the "Zizhi Tongjian" in his hand, looked up at him, and said with a hint of disappointment that he could not hide: "Tongwei, you still only see the surface."

Qi Tongwei scratched his head.

Gao Yuliang continued, "What does Sha Ruijin want? He wants to control the order in Handong. But what's happening now? Zhao Dehan is clearly not very obedient. Otherwise, why didn't he go to the Nanhu Industrial Park? Today, the second and third leaders of the provincial party committee, plus the top leader of Jingzhou City and a vice governor, all went. He didn't go himself. Do you think he's happy about that?"

Qi Tongwei pondered, "So... he was sidelined?"

"No!"

Gao Yuliang shook his head: "Li Dakang will definitely obey, but he also has his own little schemes!"

Sitting back in his chair, Gao Yuliang said, "Now, what we need to do is to tear this rift even bigger."

Qi Tongwei's eyes lit up: "How do we do it?"

"It's very simple."

A cold smile crept across Gao Yuliang's lips: "Spread the word—say that 'Secretary Sha has reservations about the Nanhu project, believing it to be risky, time-consuming, and with uncertain returns. He even privately said that the government had previously broken its promises, 'land in Guangming District won't sell for ten years.'"

Qi Tongwei was taken aback: "This...can it really work? What if Sha Ruijin refutes the rumors?"

"He won't."

Gao Yuliang stated confidently, "The higher the position, the more taboo it is to publicly explain. If he comes out to clarify, it will only make things worse. Besides, why should he explain? Wouldn't it be better to give Zhao Dehan a warning?"

Qi Tongwei finally understood, his eyes lighting up with excitement: "So what are our benefits?"

Gao Yuliang held up three fingers and said, slowly and deliberately:

"First, sow discord between Sha Ruijin and Zhao Dehan. If Zhao Dehan believes the rumors, he will suspect that Sha Ruijin is secretly hindering him; if Sha Ruijin senses that Zhao Dehan is harboring resentment, he will also tighten his support—if the two suspect each other, the alliance will collapse."

"Second, it undermines confidence in Nanhu. What investors fear most? Policy inconsistency. If word gets out that 'the provincial party secretary is not optimistic,' who would dare to invest in Nanhu? Land won't sell, projects will stall, and Zhao Dehan's achievements will be in vain."

"Third, regardless of success or failure, Zhao Dehan will be embarrassed. If Nanhu fails, he will be out of a job; if Nanhu succeeds, the outside world will only say: 'Zhao Dehan did it under pressure from the Party Secretary'—and it will be a slap in the face for Sha Ruijin.'"

Qi Tongwei suddenly felt as if he had opened the door to a new world: "Teacher, brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

Gao Yuliang didn't laugh, but gave him a deep look, his tone suddenly turning cold: "Remember, these words didn't come from our mouths. Let a few financial people in Jingzhou write 'insider information' on the internet, and let a few bosses at the dinner table 'accidentally' spread the word—the wind should blow naturally, and the fire should be lit silently."

Qi Tongwei nodded repeatedly: "Understood! I'll arrange it right away!"