Nominal: My senior brothers are all big shots

In Luhai City, in front of the ruins of the Huaqiang Chemical Plant, someone placed a bouquet of flowers. The bouquet was small, containing a few white chrysanthemums wrapped in old newspapers, and placed on a stone block outside the police cordon.

There was no signature, no message, but everyone who passed by knew that it was for those who died in the explosion.

Fu Yu stood at the entrance of the Hongliu Town Police Station, holding the transfer order in his hand, looking at it over and over again. The order stated that he was reinstated to the rank of section chief and transferred to the Municipal Public Security Bureau's Narcotics Control Detachment as deputy detachment leader.

Qian Xinming stood beside him and patted him on the shoulder: "Old Fu, it's time to go back."

Fu Yu didn't move. He gazed at the distant, rolling mountains, his voice soft: "Xinming, my wife and my daughter, they can't see this anymore."

Qian Xinming remained silent for a long time before saying, "But they will be happy."

Fu Yu folded the transfer order and put it in his breast pocket, the closest place to his heart. He turned and strode towards the car parked at the door.

The ruins of the chemical plant in Luhai City were finally leveled. Several excavators worked simultaneously, their iron arms swinging, and the rubble collapsed with a deafening roar, raising clouds of dust. Workers, wearing hard hats, cleared away the last fragments from the ruins. An older worker squatted on the ground, digging through the broken bricks with his hands, and picked out a twisted iron plate. The words "Huaqiang Chemical Plant" were still faintly visible on it. He set the plate aside, intending to sell it as scrap metal.

A young worker nearby said, "Master, keep this as a souvenir."

The old worker shook his head, his voice hoarse: "Commemorate what? Commemorate those fifty-two lives? This place shouldn't exist."

The metal plaque was thrown into the scrap metal pile, mixed in with the twisted steel bars and broken concrete, making it impossible to distinguish one from another.

A few months later, the appointment document from the Organization Department of the Central Committee arrived. The political landscape of Ningwan Province was like a chessboard that had been rearranged, with the empty spaces being filled one by one.

Mu Huaiyuan was appointed as the deputy secretary of the provincial party committee. Mu Huaiyuan was in his early fifties, with a thin face, wearing silver-rimmed glasses, and speaking slowly and deliberately. He was parachuted in from a central ministry, without local connections or historical baggage. Chen Haitao met with him in his office and talked for an hour.

The position of mayor of Jiangwan City was given to Chen Jichuan. Chen Jichuan was forty-two years old, tall, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, and spoke with a strong voice.

He was Chen Zhengbang's son and Lin Feng's apprentice-nephew. When the news reached Lu Hai, Lin Feng was in his office reviewing documents. Li Haidong pushed open the door, a smile on his face: "Secretary Lin, good news! Secretary Chen has been appointed mayor of Jiangwan City."

Chen Jichuan served as the Party Secretary of Yicheng City in southwestern province for the past few years, and his transfer to the position of Mayor of Jiangwan City is a further step in his career.

Lin Feng looked up, paused for a moment, and then laughed: "This kid has risen fast enough." He picked up the phone and dialed Chen Jichuan's number.

The phone was answered after two rings; the voice on the other end was young and strong: "Uncle-Master! You're incredibly well-informed!"

Lin Feng smiled and said, "Jichuan, congratulations. Jiangwan City is the provincial capital, and being the mayor is not an easy job. When you get there, you need to stay calm, listen more, observe more, and learn more. Don't rush into anything."

Chen Jichuan said, "Don't worry, Uncle-Master, that's what my father told me too. He said I should learn more from you."

Lin Feng said, "Your dad is just being modest. Alright, I won't keep you any longer. Let's get together another day."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Feng leaned back in his chair, a smile still lingering on his lips. His nephew had become the mayor of the provincial capital; his uncle, Lin Feng, couldn't be too bad off.

The vacancies in Luhai City are being filled one after another. People from the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department came several times to conduct investigations, interviews, and public announcements, completing a full set of procedures before the new leadership team was finally finalized.

Lin Xiaotang, deputy secretary of the municipal party committee and acting mayor, is 45 years old, with short hair, sharp eyes, and speaks crisply and decisively.

She was originally the executive vice mayor of a neighboring city, where she served for six years at the deputy provincial level, primarily in charge of the economy, and had a very good reputation.

Lin Feng met her briefly in his office. Lin Xiaotang pushed open the door, her steps quick, her handshake firm: "Secretary Lin, Lin Xiaotang reporting for duty."

Lin Feng gestured for her to sit down and poured her a cup of tea: "Mayor Lin, how much do you know about the situation in Luhai?"

Lin Xiaotang took the tea, placed it on the table, and didn't drink it: "I know a little. The Huaqiang bombing case, the downfall of Yongsheng Group and Hengfa Group, and those officials who were placed under investigation. Luhai is a mess right now, but it's also a good opportunity. Only a mess can produce results."

Lin Feng laughed: "You're quite direct."

Lin Xiaotang laughed too: "I wouldn't dare beat around the bush with you."

Lin Feng nodded: "Okay, then I'll get straight to the point. You'll be in charge of Luhai's economy. Upgrade industries, optimize the environment, and attract investment. I won't interfere; just go for it. Let me know if you need any support."

Lin Xiaotang stood up: "Thank you for your trust, Secretary Lin."

Jiang Yizhou, the deputy secretary of the municipal party committee, was brought down from the provincial level. He was 48 years old, wore glasses, was very polite, and spoke with perfect eloquence. He had worked in policy research at the provincial level for more than ten years and had a solid theoretical foundation, but he lacked grassroots experience.

Lin Feng's assessment of him was "usable, but needs to be worked out."

Other vacancies were gradually filled. New faces appeared on the political stage of Luhai, including vice mayors, bureau chiefs, and heads of districts and counties. Some were transferred from other places, some were promoted from the grassroots, and some returned to their original posts.

Fu Yu was one of them. He returned to the Municipal Narcotics Control Division, put on the police uniform he hadn't worn for many years, and stood in front of the mirror for a long time. The uniform was a bit tight, his belly was bigger than it used to be, and his hair had turned quite a bit whiter, but his eyes were still the same as they had been back then.

Qian Xinming stood behind him and said, "Old Fu, welcome back."

Fu Yu didn't turn around, but simply gave a soft "hmm".

After the chemical plant ruins were leveled, the land remained empty for a long time. Some suggested building a park to commemorate those who died. Others suggested building a school so that children would remember this history. Still others suggested building nothing and leaving it empty as a lesson.

Finally, the city decided to build a factory. Not a chemical plant, but a new energy battery factory.

Lin Feng said at the Standing Committee meeting: "The best way to commemorate those who have died is not to erect a monument, but to enable the living to live a good life."

No one objected.

On the day construction began, the sun shone brightly. Lin Feng stood at the edge of the construction site, watching the excavator dig the first shovel of earth, and recalled what it was like when he first arrived in Luhai a year ago. Back then, this place was a wasteland, the air thick with the pungent smell of chemicals, and even birds wouldn't fly over it. Now, the wasteland had been leveled, and the foundation for the new factory was being dug out bit by bit.

Standing beside him, Lin Xiaotang said, "Secretary Lin, once this factory is built, it will create jobs for two thousand people."

Lin Feng nodded without saying a word.

In the distance, a group of workers were setting up temporary sheds. They wore hard hats and work clothes; some were carrying bricks, some were mixing cement, and some were climbing up and down scaffolding. Lin Feng watched them and suddenly said, "Mayor Lin, tell me, what do the people want?"

Lin Xiaotang thought for a moment: "Live and work in peace and contentment."

Lin Feng nodded: "That's right. To live and work in peace and contentment. To have a stable home, a secure life, work to do, money to earn, children to go to school, and the elderly to see a doctor. It's that simple."

He paused, then said, "We cadres are here to do these things for them."

Lin Xiaotang remained silent. On the construction site, the roar of machinery rose and fell, drowning out all other sounds. In the distance, the city skyline gleamed golden in the sunlight.