Names: Uncle Zhao Mengsheng, Father-in-law Pei Yihong

The atmosphere in the room was a bit oppressive.

No one could have imagined that a bag of soybean seeds would conceal a life-or-death crisis.

Liu Changsheng was very good at reading people and could tell at a glance that Guo Changyi seemed calm, but he still had a knot in his heart.

The old man has spent his whole life dealing with the land and seeds; his heart is pure.

That traumatic experience from back then is something no one can easily get over.

He raised his hand and gently pulled Guo Changyi's arm. "Mr. Guo, after hearing your story, I was deeply moved."

When I was sent to the countryside as an educated youth, I also encountered people who blocked my way and caused trouble. I was really one against three.

We're not that far apart in age, we've both been through tough times, we definitely have a lot in common.

There were two beds in the room.

As they chatted, Governor Liu tricked Guo Changyi into sharing a room with him.

Liu Changsheng slumped onto the bed, burying his face in his hands. "Old Guo, let's talk while we lie down. Forget all that official stuff and meeting stuff tonight. Let's just talk about us old educated youth."

Guo Changyi lay down on another bed.

Two people of similar age lay on the bed, one on each side, staring at the ceiling.

"When we went to the countryside, the conditions were quite tough."

They plant rice seedlings and harvest wheat during the day, and guard the fields and rice fields at night.

There was no electricity in the village, so everyone slept in the dark after dark.

The most interesting thing is that there are many wild animals in the mountains. At night, weasels and rabbits roam everywhere, and you can occasionally hear wolves howling.

Guo Changyi focused on listening, while Liu Changsheng spoke at length.

"When I was young, I was physically strong and very brave."

One night, while carrying food down the mountain, I encountered three idle refugees who blocked my way and tried to steal my food.

I only had a carrying pole in my hand, but I took on three of them by myself, and beat them until they knelt down and begged for mercy.

To put it bluntly, the fighting spirit of those days is something that can't be replicated now.

Upon hearing this, Gao Yuliang chuckled and said, "Governor Liu, that's true."

None of us sent-down youth were spoiled.

Life in the countryside is tough; you can't survive it without some guts and brute strength.

Back when I was in the countryside, I would even get up in the middle of the night to cover the grain.

Being exposed to wind and rain was the norm, and I didn't feel bitter at all at the time.

Looking back now, the experience was a valuable asset.

Guo Changyi turned to the side, the gloom in his eyes slowly dissipating. "Changsheng, Yuliang, I also went to the countryside back then, but I went to the fields to breed seeds and try planting miscellaneous grains."

You are guarding the fields and reclaiming wasteland; in the end, you are all dealing with the land.

Conditions were rudimentary back then; we relied entirely on sheer tenacity to persevere.

Liu Changsheng said half-jokingly, "That's right! Our generation is all tough as nails, hardened by hardship. Compared to the hunger and suffering we endured back then, the difficulties at the grassroots level now are nothing."

Gao Yuliang nodded slightly, quite moved. "Times have changed. Now that the infrastructure and policies are in place, officials are more likely to be hesitant and timid in their work."

To put it bluntly, life has been too good for them; they can't handle hardship anymore.

The three of them chatted away, each contributing their own thoughts. As people of the same generation with highly overlapping experiences, they found common ground and became increasingly congenial.

Li Dakang was the only one who seemed out of place.

He remained expressionless, but inwardly he was ranting and raving.

He fought three against one, confronting the refugees with his bare hands?

In his opinion, Governor Liu was simply getting old and liked to reminisce and boast.

Li Dakang believed in doing practical things his whole life. He was not one to buy into sentimentality or empty talk.

Let alone fighting three against one, given Liu Changsheng's refined and gentle nature, if he had really encountered refugees back then, he would most likely have run away faster than anyone else.

Liu Changsheng, who loved to boast, managed to make his hard times seem wonderful.

Moreover, these old stories of educated youth sent to the countryside are all about reminiscing about past hardships and appreciating present happiness, and have nothing to do with economic construction or project development.

For him, whose mind was filled with GDP and infrastructure industries, it was incredibly boring.

It's like watching a play by blind men—a complete waste of time.

Li Dakang was already exhausted, both physically and mentally. The slow, leisurely conversation of the three people around him was like a lullaby.

His eyelids grew heavier and heavier, his head tilted to the side, and he slept soundly on the table.

The casual conversation continued inside.

Once a person relaxes, fatigue will overwhelm their entire body.

As they talked, their speech slowed down and their voices grew softer.

Sometime later, Liu Changsheng fell silent and drifted into a deep sleep.

Without him.

too tired.

Guo Changyi was also asleep on the other bed.

Qi Tongwei took in the whole scene and draped his coat over the sleeping Li Dakang.

"Teacher, it's late, let's go back to our rooms and rest."

Gao Yuliang stood up. "Okay, Tongwei, see you tomorrow. I didn't expect you to be a hero."

Qi Tongwei walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. "Teacher, you're still the best teacher. Teacher, get some rest. There's something important to do tomorrow."

Two flowers bloom, one branch each.

The No. 1 compound of the Provincial Party Committee.

Sha Ruijin leaned back on the sofa in the living room, a deep melancholy weighing on his face.

I'm feeling a bit irritable.

The fact that I was turned away at Qijia Village tonight is like a tiny thorn stuck in my heart.

A high-ranking official, traveling to the countryside late at night to seek cooperation, was turned away at the door by a scholar who casually said he would not see him.

If word gets out, it will probably become a laughing stock in the officialdom of Handong.

I'm wide awake.

The waters of Handong were far deeper than he had imagined.

Qi Tongwei rose to prominence unexpectedly and achieved remarkable political success, but factional undercurrents were brewing.

The entire officialdom in Handong appeared stable on the surface, but in reality, everyone was fighting their own battles.

To gain a foothold, simply holding power is not enough; one must disrupt the existing order.

Sha Ruijin picked up his phone. "Xiaobai, prepare a few home-style dishes and notify Dong Jianming to come over immediately."

Secretary Bai on the other end of the phone didn't dare to ask any more questions, "Okay, boss."

When a leader invites people for drinks late at night, it's never for leisure; it's to set up a game of chess and make moves.

Less than twenty minutes later, Dong Jianming, the Secretary-General of the Provincial Party Committee, rushed to Courtyard No. 1.

"Secretary Sha, I've arrived."

Four simple home-style dishes on the table.

A full glass of baijiu.

"Sit down, Secretary-General Dong. There's no one else here tonight. Let's have a drink and chat."

Tung Kin-ming slightly bent over and sat down.

In officialdom, it is customary for leaders to be approachable, but subordinates must not be disrespectful.

The two words "discretion" and "measure" are the foundation of one's character.

"Secretary-General Dong, you've been in Handong for many years. People outside say that Li Dakang from Jingzhou likes to run a one-man show?"

Dong Jianming paused for a moment, holding his wine glass. He knew very well that Sha Ruijin was not just chatting idly; he was probing and making plans.

"Secretary Sha, this isn't just idle talk." Dong Jianming nodded slightly. "Since Li Dakang took charge of Jingzhou, he has been strong-willed, decisive, and also domineering and autocratic."

In the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee, he basically calls the shots alone.

Sha Ruijin tapped the table lightly with his fingertip. "Oh, it seems the rumor is true. With Li Dakang as secretary, the secretary is the top leader."

Dong Jianming nodded and continued, "Moreover, Li Dakang particularly values ​​Vice Mayor Ding Yizhen."

Ding Yizhen has extremely high emotional intelligence, is very good at choosing sides, and has a sweet tongue.

He often said, "I'm not the deputy mayor of Jingzhou; I work for Secretary Dakang. I am Secretary Dakang incarnate."

A hidden current surged in Sha Ruijin's eyes.

When he was parachuted into Handong, what he feared most was that local officials would form cliques and establish their own factions, making them impenetrable.

"So it seems no one in Jingzhou can keep Li Dakang in check?"