[Urban] Made in China - 1-3

[Synopsis] Foreword: Dear readers, the purpose of placing this article here is to let you first see the erotic version of "Made in China." This article has deeply shocked me. It is erotic, yet it transcends the category of erotic literature. Let's tentatively categorize it as an erotic novel set in officialdom. I'll also borrow the recently popular "Made in China" advertising to enter CNN in the United States, to promote our national prestige and invigorate our national spirit. I will place Mr. Zhou Meisen's work "Made in China" later, which will have a slight visual impact on you. Now, please enjoy two "Made in China" articles with different styles. Different people will have different opinions. This is also my creative move as a literary moderator. I just hope that you will feel happy after reading it and that you won't accuse me of making things up... "

Made in China" (Erotic Version)

Chapter 01

At 10:00 AM on August 22, 1998, at the Pingyang Municipal Party Committee's Flood Control Work Summary Meeting and Post-Disaster Reconstruction Mobilization Meeting held at 10:00 AM, Gao Changliu wept when he heard the provincial leaders announce that Comrade Tian Liye was awarded the title of martyr. He spoke for the people of Tianli Village, and also for those villagers who lost their homes in the flood.

When Mayor Wen Chunming, who was presiding over the meeting, announced that Gao Changhe would speak, he didn't react for a moment. Liu Yiru, the director of the municipal party committee office sitting next to him, nudged him, and Gao Changhe came back to reality.

In his speech, Gao Changhe highly praised the spirit of sacrifice of the people of Weiyan Township, and emphasized that in order to do a good job in post-disaster reconstruction, leaders at all levels should personally take charge and ensure the supply of reconstruction materials, feed, and seeds. At the same time, he also severely criticized the bureaucratic style of those who did not care about the lives of the people and the lives of the masses.

Liu Yiru was a little uneasy. Although Secretary Gao did not name names, she felt that everything he said was aimed at her daughter, Jinhua. Jin Hua had gone too far in dealing with the Daming Company issue, and Liu Yiru had criticized her. However, judging from Gao Changhe's words, it seemed he was trying to blame Tian Liye's death on his daughter (if it weren't for his daughter's complaint, the old Party Secretary Jiang Chaolin wouldn't have gone to the Provincial Party Committee to find Secretary Hua Bo, and Tian Liye wouldn't have returned to the Municipal Party Committee). Liu Yiru's mind was in turmoil. For her daughter's future, she had been careful in everything she did, trying to please everyone, but she hadn't expected things to turn out this way. After the meeting, Liu Yiru mechanically nodded to the departing township and county heads, her mind preoccupied with her daughter's situation.

Gao Changhe indeed harbored a great deal of resentment towards Jin Hua. Because of Jin Hua's complaint, he had been scolded by the old Party Secretary, putting him in a very passive position. He secretly thought he should transfer Jin Hua to a position as the head of the Municipal Women's Federation or some small bureau, since the work in Lieshan County was too important, affecting the city's economy, and he couldn't ignore it.

Back home, Liu Yiru immediately called her daughter. Jinhua was also full of grievances, angrily saying she'd rather quit being the acting county head. Liu Yiru spent a long time persuading her daughter before she calmed down.

Liu Yiru also realized that her previous frequent visits to the former Party Secretary were a mistake. After all, Gao Changhe was now the Party Secretary of Pingyang, and she should visit him more often to help her daughter. Thinking of this, she quickly ate a few bites of food and rushed to the Red Mansion.

In the afternoon, Gao Changhe accompanied the provincial leaders to Weiyan Township in Jinghu City to inspect the disaster situation. He felt very heavy-hearted. After seeing off the provincial leaders, he felt extremely tired and asked the waiter to bring him a plate of fried rice. After eating, he leaned back on the sofa fully clothed and took a short nap.

When Liu Yiru came in, Gao Changhe was lost in thought, inexplicably thinking of Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Xinxiang. He had only met this beautiful female reporter a few times, but she had left a deep impression on him, to the point that he had once experienced a wet dream—his first time since getting married. When he woke up and saw the empty bedside, he even wondered if he should transfer his wife to live with him.

Liu Yiru gently knocked on the door, and Secretary Gao immediately snapped out of his reverie, hurriedly saying, "Please come in."

He saw that it was Liu Yiru

, the director of the Municipal Party Committee Office, who entered. Gao Changhe still relied on Liu Yiru. When he first arrived, seeing her meticulously arranging all the work and paying attention to every detail, he felt somewhat uncomfortable and touched. But as time went on, he gradually adapted and felt he couldn't do without this office director.

He had even considered whether the recent complaint from Jinhua was instigated by Liu Yiru; if so, he would have to consider Liu Yiru's transfer.

Seeing Liu Yiru enter, Gao Changhe immediately realized she must have come about his speech that morning, and he felt a little wary.

He politely said, "Director Liu, is there something you need?"

Liu Yiru had a lot to say but didn't know where to begin, so she politely said, "I noticed you've been working too hard these past few days, so I've asked the guesthouse to prepare some nutritious meals for you to help you recover."

Gao Changhe tried to sit up, but somehow his neck felt stiff, so he struggled and lay back down on the sofa.

Upon seeing this, Liu Yiru immediately came to his side and gently began to massage him.

Gao Changhe felt extremely comfortable. Rationally, he felt this was inappropriate, but psychologically he wanted to enjoy it a little longer, so he closed his eyes.

Liu Yiru gently massaged his shoulders; Gao Changhe was indeed very tired.

Feeling comfortable, Gao Changhe couldn't help but sigh softly.

During the gentle massage, Gao Changhe vaguely returned to his childhood, when his mother would gently massage him after every game of ball.

What happened next, no one could remember how it happened...

At 9 pm on August 22, 1998, the Pingyang Municipal Party Committee Guesthouse gradually darkened as darkness fell.

Under Liu Yiru's rhythmic massage, Gao Changhe slowly entered a semi-sleep state. Liu Yiru slowly sat on the sofa, placed Gao Changhe's head on her lap, and gently stroked his hair and shoulders.

Because of the friction on his genitals from wearing trousers, Gao Changhe's sleep was restless. He dreamt again of his intimacy with the female reporter…

Seeing Gao Changhe's breathing become increasingly rapid, and his trousers bulging between his legs, Liu Yiru realized something and blushed slightly. In all these years, this was the first time she had been so close to a man, especially her superior. She tried to lift her superior's head, but her legs had been pressed down for so long that blood rushed to her thighs. She felt a heat in her groin, as if someone was touching her sensitive areas. Her lower body quickly became wet, and she suddenly felt a strong sexual urge, a sense of emptiness in her body, a longing for something to fill it…

So she freed one hand to touch her private parts, while gently patting Secretary Gao with the other.

Secretary Gao dreamt again of returning home, seeing his wife, and the two embracing and kissing. He turned over and suddenly embraced Liu Yiru, his mouth right next to her breast, gently sucking on it.

Director Liu also closed her eyes, enjoying this moment of pleasure. Slowly, the two embraced and kissed each other.

Whether dreaming or awake, Gao Changhe reached his hand under Liu Yiru's skirt and into her panties, which were already soaking wet. Liu Yiru also stroked Gao Changhe's penis. She was no longer thinking about the leader or the secretary; she only knew she wanted it, that her lower body craved this penis.

Liu Yiru pulled off her dress, her full breasts slipping out of her bra, her bulging lower abdomen heaving rapidly. She pushed down her panties, revealing her dark, hairy genitals.

Gao Changhe's hand slipped into her vulva, his other hand squeezing her breast. Liu Yiru couldn't help but moan.

This mature woman's moan further stimulated Gao Changhe's sexual center. He had woken from his dream, but he simply couldn't control himself; after all, he hadn't been with a woman for months.

He lifted her waist, making Liu Yiru stand with her head facing the sofa, her buttocks sticking out. Her large labia were covered in hair, with drops of vaginal fluid clinging to them. The labia were bright red from engorgement. The white buttocks, dark pubic hair, and red labia created a lewd and alluring scene.

Gao Changhe could no longer restrain himself; he pulled out his penis and thrust it into her plump, fleshy opening.

Liu Yiru felt a jolt, a sudden fullness filling her lower body. She swayed her buttocks, moaning softly, feeling as if she were floating on clouds.

Gao Changhe felt his penis sink into a warm, wet cave, being deeply squeezed, as if many hands were kneading it, or as if many mouths were sucking it. He couldn't control himself anymore, and with a few violent thrusts, he let out a cry, and a thick stream of semen shot into Liu Yiru's plump vagina.

Feeling Secretary Gao's thrusts quicken, Director Liu felt as if countless tiny insects were crawling inside her body. All the hair on her body stood on end, her vagina tightened and tightened, and her mind went blank. When Secretary Gao's semen shot in, she was already in a semi-conscious state.

After ejaculating, Gao Changhe silently looked at the white flesh in front of him and suddenly felt sorry for Liu Yiru.

Chapter 2

On the evening of August 22, 1998, at 11 p.m., Liu Yiru returned home to the Pingyang Municipal Party Committee dormitory compound. It was already 11 p.m. On the way, she had been in a state of excitement and despondency.

When she woke up from the semi-conscious state of orgasm, she saw that Gao Changhe was already dressed and sitting on the sofa reading documents. Looking down, she saw that her breasts were completely exposed from her bra, which had slipped down to below her breasts. Her panties were completely off, hanging by one leg. Her pubic hair was covered in fluid, and she didn't know if it was hers or Gao Changhe's. She blushed furiously and shook her head vigorously, trying to prove that she wasn't dreaming.

After confirming that she wasn't dreaming, the first thing she did was quickly cover her chest with her hands, as if the wetness wasn't hers and that the exposure wasn't a big deal.

When Liu Yiru was fully dressed and facing Gao Changhe, about to say something, Gao Changhe waved her to sit down, handed her a cup of tea, and sighed, "I know you came to see me because of my speech this morning, right? To be honest, I'm planning to change Jinhua's location. There are too many problems in Lieshan, and I'm afraid she can't control them."

Liu Yiru calmed down. She straightened her skirt, put her legs together, and resumed the posture of an office director reporting to the municipal party secretary.

“I know you have a problem with Jinhua, that you think she’s the old secretary’s man and that she’s been hiding the truth from you. But Jinhua really wants to do her job well. And look, such a big case in Lieshan County—she didn’t report it when the old secretary was in office, but she reported it to you as soon as you took office. That shows she still wants to get closer to you.”

“Not to me, she should get closer to the organization,”

Gao Changhe pointed out.

“Yes, yes, she should get closer to the organization,”

Liu Yiru echoed.

Gao Changhe nodded, having to admit that Jin Hua had been quite principled in dealing with the corruption of Geng Zijing, the former secretary of the Lieshan County Party Committee. Moreover, with both the county's leadership and administrative bodies in disarray, leaving only Jin Hua, transferring him would indeed hinder progress. Thinking of this, Gao Changhe said, "Well then, I'll reconsider Comrade Jin Hua's job."

Liu Yiru, who had worked in the office for decades, was well-versed in the art of speaking to superiors. She nodded, "You should get some rest; I'll head home now."

Back home, Liu Yiru felt a burning sensation between her legs. Thinking about it carefully, she realized that at only 50 years old, she hadn't had sex in years.

She couldn't help but think of her husband, Jin Zilie. Jin Zilie had been the deputy secretary-general of the provincial government and was considered a candidate for secretary of the Pingyang Municipal Party Committee, but tragically, he had died of alcohol poisoning at a provincial government New Year's gathering.

Later, after Jiang Chaolin became the Party Secretary of Pingyang City, he once remarked to Liu Yiru with emotion, "If Lao Jin were still here, I should be working alongside him."

Thinking of her deceased husband, Liu Yiru couldn't help but sob softly.

After crying for a while, she felt a little better. Looking at her watch, she saw it was already eleven o'clock. Remembering that she had to accompany comrades from the Provincial Propaganda Department to Jinghu City the next day, Liu Yiru got up and went to the bathroom to take a shower.

In the bathroom mirror, she saw a slightly overweight 50-year-old woman with a lot of excess fat on her abdomen and large, sagging breasts. As the hot water cascaded from the showerhead, Liu Yiru felt a wave of comfort. She couldn't help but recall the feeling of fulfillment she had experienced when Secretary Gao penetrated her. Lost in thought, she felt a heat rising between her legs, and her hand involuntarily moved downwards…

At 11 PM on August 22, 1998, in the government dormitory of Lieshan County, Pingyang City, Jin Hua, the acting county head of Lieshan County, Pingyang City, was also awake. She had just received a call from her mother, and felt deeply aggrieved. She had wholeheartedly wanted to do her job well, but her new supervisor had criticized her without naming her, even going so far as to accuse her of not caring about the lives of the masses. She really didn't want to continue working there; she even thought about leaving with Chengping back then, ending it all.

Cui Chengping was her college classmate, and the two had been living together since school. Jin Hua had even secretly had an abortion once. After graduation, Chengping gave up the opportunity to stay in Beijing and came to the provincial capital with Jin Hua.

Chengping was assigned to the Provincial Party Committee Propaganda Department, while Jin Hua was assigned to the Provincial Government Organization Department. Later, Chengping responded to the organization's call to go to Tibet for aid work, and Jin Hua wanted to go too, but Liu Yiru dissuaded her. Jinhua and Chengping had agreed that Chengping would return in two years, also as a deputy director-level official, and would have a three-bedroom apartment, where they would get married.

However, it wasn't Chengping who returned, but… During a rural assignment, Chengping died in a car accident; his body tumbled into the Yarlung Tsangpo River, disappearing without a trace.

Losing Chengping, Jinhua was a changed person, remaining silent at work. Fearing that working in the provincial capital would cause her constant grief, the organization transferred her to Houwazi Township, Lieshan County, Pingyang City, as deputy township head. This was partly to give her concrete work and alleviate her pain, and partly to cultivate her as part of the third tier of talent. Upon

arriving in the township, Jinhua devoted herself entirely to her work. Using her connections in the provincial government, she secured favorable policies for the township, increasing its output by 20%. A year later, she was unanimously elected township head, and two years later, she was elected deputy county head of Lieshan County.

Jinhua was diligent in her work and lived a simple life, earning her the nickname "Nun County Head" from newly assigned college graduates in the county government.

Over the years, Jinhua had completely forgotten that she was a woman, and had no romantic feelings whatsoever.

After being criticized by Secretary Gao without being named at the meeting today, she suddenly felt very vulnerable and longed to lean on a strong shoulder. She picked up Chengping's photo and silently murmured, "Chengping, Chengping, how wonderful it would be if you were still here. Why didn't you take me with you?"

She fell asleep kissing the photo.

At 11 PM on August 22, 1998, in the Xinhua News Agency's Lugu dormitory in Beijing, it wasn't just Liu Yiru and her daughter who couldn't sleep. Xinhua reporters Li Xinxiang and Bai Ling also spent a sleepless night.

Li Xinxiang, a graduate student in the Journalism Department of Renmin University, was once hailed as the university's most beautiful girl. It's said that because so many students from other universities asked her out on weekends, Renmin University's graduate students spontaneously organized a campaign to defend her.

After graduation, she stayed on to teach, and her classes were always packed. Not only male students, but even female students liked to look at her, finding her charming.

It is said that once, a high-ranking official, a vice premier, read one of her reports on the current system and reforms and remarked, "Such a sharp-eyed and talented comrade shouldn't be teaching in schools; she should be sent out to conduct more research, providing more references for our reform work."

The next day, leaders from the Xinhua News Agency's Human Resources Bureau, carrying instructions from the State Council leadership, came to the National People's Congress, and thus Li Xinxiang was transferred to Xinhua News Agency.

Upon arriving at the agency, rumors spread that a beautiful woman had arrived. Some veteran reporters would flock to her side, even at lunchtime in the canteen, surrounded by eager observers.

At Xinhua, Li Xinxiang produced a series of impactful reports, many of which were submitted as internal reports for guidance. Gradually, all the provinces knew of the beautiful and talented reporter Li from Xinhua. Wherever she went, the propaganda minister would carefully accompany her, fearing any mishap that could lead to serious consequences.

Over the years, Li Xinxiang saw through the men in officialdom, even developing a dislike for men, and to this day remains aloof and self-pitying.

This trip to Pingyang was partly at Tian Liye's invitation through Bai Ling, and partly to travel and relax; she hadn't intended to write anything. Unexpectedly, upon arriving in Pingyang, she encountered the Pingyang Steel Rolling Mill issue. Her professional instincts led her to seize this clue and write "A Report on the Investment Black Hole at the Pingyang Steel Rolling Mill."

During her days of interviews in Pingyang, Tian Liye and Hu Zaoqiu accompanied her. Their carefree and humorous style intrigued her; she hadn't expected such lively characters to exist in the Chinese officialdom. The three of them ran around together, eating snacks, which reminded her of her university days.

She was also deeply impressed by Gao Changhe. Unlike some of the officials she interviewed, who were single-mindedly focused on climbing the ranks and desperately trying to curry favor with her, a powerful figure, he was quite indifferent to her, only arranging for Tian Shuaizi to accompany her. This made her slightly disappointed, considering that Li Meimei was always personally received by the top leader wherever she went. She was very curious and wanted to extract some material from this mid-century cadre to write about the experiences and life of this middle-aged leader.

She had just returned from a major city in the south today—where shoddy flood control facilities had been discovered, and she had been assigned by her supervisor to investigate. Then she received a call from her friend Bai Ling: "Girl, you're finally back! Don't make any plans tonight, I'm coming to your house."

"Oh, is your chairman abroad again?"

Li Xinxiang asked with a laugh. Bai Ling's husband, Cheng Kun, was the chairman of a listed company and was often away from home.

"Don't mention him. I'll bring two bottles of wine tonight, let's have a good drink, just the two of us." That

evening, Bai Ling really did come with two bottles of wine.

"Xinxiang, I'm getting a divorce from Cheng Kun. I'm staying here tonight."

Bai Ling said this as soon as she entered.

"What? You're so impulsive! Let's eat first."

After three drinks, Bai Ling was a little dizzy. "Xinxiang, let me tell you, men are all the same."...

It turned out that Bai Ling had returned home early from an interview, only to find Cheng Kun embracing a minor celebrity...

Later, the two talked about Tian Liye and both started crying again.

Li Xinxiang was also a little drunk. She hugged Bai Ling and sighed, "Why are there so few good men?"

Bai Ling thought of her first love from college and cried even harder. She hugged Li Xinxiang tightly, and the two of them held each other face to face.

Slowly, as their breasts touched, a strange feeling rose between their bodies, and the two beauties couldn't help but kiss.

Their tongues explored each other's mouths, their hands gently caressed each other's breasts, and their four legs intertwined.

The two of them slowly retreated to the bed, and Bai Ling kissed down Li Xinxiang's neck, chest, and lower abdomen. Li Xinxiang moaned, encouraging Bai Ling to continue.

Bai Ling's tongue finally touched the honey source and plunged in without hesitation.

Li Xinxiang arched her back, stimulated, and she also launched an attack on Bai Ling's honey hole.

At 9:00 AM on August 24, 1998, Jin Hua, the acting county head of Lieshan County, summoned the heads of the Industry and Commerce Bureau, the Government Administration Bureau, and the Labor Protection Bureau to his office as soon as he arrived at work to inquire about the progress of the poisoning case involving workers at Daming Company. The Industry and Commerce Bureau leader reported that the factory had been sealed off, and they were requesting relevant departments to conduct an asset assessment, which had already been submitted to the provincial authorities. Other leaders also provided updates.

At that moment, the phone rang; it was Liu Yiru calling. Jin Hua waved his hand, and the bureau chiefs left.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

"Jinhua, I need to tell you, tomorrow afternoon at three o'clock, Secretary Gao will accompany Deputy Director Gao of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection to your place to replace Sun Yadong. You should find an opportunity to apologize to Secretary Gao."

"No, he might as well remove me."

"Oh dear, what time is it and you're still saying this? Let me tell you, Secretary Gao initially had this idea, but after my intervention, he changed his mind. But you must make sure to give the leader a way out. Let me tell you, Gao Changhe has a bright future. I think he'll be transferred to the provincial level sooner or later. Listen to your mother, try to get closer to Secretary Gao. By the way, I'll go with him tomorrow." After hanging

up the phone, Jinhua pondered, wondering why her mother's tone sounded a little different.

At this moment, Section Chief Li from the Secretariat knocked on the door and came in, saying that they had received a notice from the city that Secretary Gao and Deputy Director Gao of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection would come to Lieshan at three o'clock tomorrow afternoon, stay overnight in Lieshan, and leave for Jinghu at nine o'clock the day after tomorrow.

Jin Hua nodded absentmindedly, indicating she understood. She didn't know what Secretary Gao would bring her tomorrow…

Chapter 3.

At 8:00 AM on August 25, 1998, in the Provincial People's Congress office building, Jiang Chaolin, the newly appointed deputy director of the Provincial People's Congress, had to admit, after this massive flood, that he was not as good as Gao Changhe in dealing with Tian Liye. Moreover, through communication, they deepened their understanding of each other. They were both working for the reform and opening up of Pingyang City, acting out of public interest, and out of loyalty to the Party's cause.

With their minds aligned, Jiang Chaolin felt he should do what he could to help Gao Changhe and contribute to Pingyang. A few days ago, he led a team to a brother province for inspection and study, and he specifically conducted research on the issue of tax collection by escorts. As soon as he got to work today, he dialed Gao Changhe's number.

"My old squad leader, checking up on me so early?"

Gao Changhe chuckled on the phone.

“Changhe, let me tell you, Wen Chunming mentioned to me before that you planned to tax escorts. At that time, I clearly expressed my opposition. This time, during our inspection of other provinces, we found that they have indeed taken the lead in some areas. I think you can also conduct some research and reconsider this issue.”

"What? Secretary Hua Bo doesn't agree? I'll talk to him. Remember, it's just paid companionship service. You're not allowed to do anything reckless."

At 8:30 a.m. on August 25, 1998, at a meeting of the Pingyang Municipal Party Committee, Gao Changhe briefly told Mayor Wen Chunming about the old secretary's phone call. "Great!"

Wen Chunming said, "This flood has strained the city's finances everywhere. It's time to increase revenue and cut expenditure."

Considering that he would be spending a few days in Lieshan and Jinghu, Gao Changhe made some work arrangements. Before the meeting ended, he said, "As you all know, due to the flood control work, the adjustment of the leadership team in Lieshan has been temporarily put on hold. This time when I go to Lieshan, I plan to conduct an assessment of the county's main leaders. Please also consider the reassignment of the two sets of leadership teams in Lieshan."

At 3 p.m. on August 25, 1998, Gao Changhe and Liu Yiru arrived in Lieshan County in one car and several comrades from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection arrived in another car at the Lieshan County Government compound.

Upon arriving at Acting County Head Jin Hua's office, Gao Changhe introduced them and then solemnly told Jin Hua, "This time, Old Gao and his team are, in principle, responsible to the Municipal and Provincial Discipline Inspection Commissions. Their identities must be kept confidential. There shouldn't be any receptions. They should arrange their own food and lodging; the county shouldn't interfere."

Jin Hua nodded, indicating her understanding. Since Secretary Sun's incident, she had implemented strict security measures for the working group members.

After giving his instructions, Old Gao from the Discipline Inspection Commission went to find the working group members to gather information and begin his work.

Only Liu Yiru, Jin Hua, and Gao Changhe remained in the room, and the atmosphere became somewhat somber.

Jinhua broke the silence, "Secretary Gao, I want to apologize to you. I made a serious mistake regarding the Daming Company issue."

Gao Changhe waved his hand, "Jinhua, you're a veteran Party member. You should know the Party's organizational discipline. How could you irresponsibly report your work to your superiors!"

Liu Yiru saw that Gao Changhe's words were somewhat stern, and Jinhua's face turned red. Worried that her daughter might say something like "I won't do it," she quickly interjected, "Secretary Gao was criticized by the old secretary because of your report, but he didn't mention you. You must strengthen your political awareness in the future and learn from Secretary Gao."

Gao Changhe realized his words had been a bit harsh and softened his tone: "Jinhua, as the main leader of the largest county in the city, you must prioritize the overall situation. Since the Party has entrusted you with such important work, you must do it well. Okay, let's not talk about that anymore. Tell me, where are you treating us to dinner tonight, you big county head?"

Jinhua smiled, "Tonight, at the small restaurant in the county hotel, with the main leaders of the county's People's Congress and CPPCC in attendance."

"My dear county head, I'll save you the trouble. Tell them to cancel tonight's reception. I heard from Tian Liye that your local snacks are quite good. Tonight, you can treat me to snacks."

Liu Yiru, seeing Secretary Gao repeatedly referring to "my county head," understood the situation and quickly said, "How can we let you eat snacks on the street? Our Jinhua is quite skilled. Why don't we go to Jinhua's house tonight and she can show you her skills?"

"Okay, I'll eat at your place tonight."

After saying that, Gao Changhe suddenly realized that the word "eat at your place" was a bit ambiguous and couldn't help but look back at Jinhua. The female county head's face turned red again.

At 4 PM on August 25, 1998, Li Xinxiang sat in front of her computer in the Xinhua News Agency building near Xuanwumen, Beijing. She had been stunned for a while, unable to continue writing her series of reports about the rolling mill. Every time she wrote about it, she thought of Tian Liye, and then of Bai Ling, and of the frenzy of the night before.

That night, under the influence of alcohol, she and Bai Ling were both wildly excited. Lying on the bed, they felt an intense desire for each other.

When Bai Ling's tongue penetrated her, she almost went mad. Over the years, she had been surrounded by men, but none had given her the stimulation of Bai Ling's tongue.

She moaned loudly, encouraging Bai Ling to go deeper, her hands rapidly kneading Bai Ling's breasts and between her legs.

When Bai Ling turned her head, presenting her own vulva to hers, she, like Bai Ling, used her tongue to give her pleasure.

Bai Ling's mons pubis was swollen, her engorged labia opening and closing, enticing her. She parted the slit with her hand, her small tongue darting inside.

As Bai Ling's tongue rhythmically moved in and out, she felt her vagina spasm, and streams of vaginal fluid gushed out.

At the same time, she felt Bai Ling's vagina tightly sucking on her tongue.

Li Xinxiang then placed her tongue on Bai Ling's hardened clitoris, licking it incessantly, savoring the exquisite sensation.

Bai Ling's tongue also gently touched her swollen clitoris, and she felt the tingling sensation throughout her body growing increasingly unbearable. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore, pushing Bai Ling away, getting up, grabbing an empty wine bottle from the table, and inserting it into her juicy vagina.

Bai Ling also used one hand to part her slit, and with the other hand, vigorously thrusting in and out of her vagina.

The two faced each other, like looking in a mirror; the other's wanton appearance only amplified their sexual stimulation.

Debussy's music, accompanied by the moans of two stunningly beautiful women, echoed in the room…

Thinking of this, Li Xinxiang couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion. "Ring…"

The phone rang, interrupting her reverie. It turned out that the higher-ups were taking her investment in the Pingyang steel mill very seriously; the leaders of the commune had sent her back to Pingyang to further investigate the existing system.

Hanging up the phone, Li Xinxiang thought of Gao Changhe again.

At 9 PM on August 25, 1998, a family dinner was underway at the Lieshan County government dormitory with Gao Changhe and his daughter, Jinhua.

All three were quite excited from drinking. "Hey, Jinhua, look at you, so young and you don't even dress up properly, dressed so old-fashioned,"

Gao Changhe slurred.

"I'm in the county; I have to consider the impact of my clothes. Besides, all my nice clothes are underneath,"

Jinhua said, her eyelashes trembling slightly on her flushed face.

"Hmm? Let me see what nice clothes you have,"

Gao Changhe said, like an older brother.

"No way,"

Jinhua said coquettishly.

Seeing this, Liu Yiru, the office director, knew she should leave. "You all drink first, my old lady is going to bed."

"Let me see..."

Gao Changhe, like a child playing house, grabbed Jinhua. Jinhua struggled a few times but couldn't break free, so she simply leaned against Gao Changhe's chest.

"Look, look."

He really did unbutton his shirt himself.

Two full breasts were tightly stretched inside a black lace bra, rising and falling like a pair of little white rabbits.

It turned out that although Jinhua dressed rather old-fashionedly, a girl's nature is to love beauty. Last time she went abroad for a business trip, she secretly bought a set of high-end lace lingerie to wear occasionally and make herself look pretty. Later, she heard that the old secretary had brought back seeds from abroad, and she felt guilty for a while.

Gao Changhe's crotch immediately hardened. He hadn't expected this seemingly serious female county head to be so sexy in a black lace bra.

Jinhua sensed the change in Secretary Gao's lower body. She tried to escape Gao Changhe's embrace, but felt weak all over, and instead pressed herself even closer to him.

Gao Changhe looked down at the young female county head; her delicate face was fair with a rosy glow, a fine layer of sweat hung on her neck, and her snow-white breasts rose and fell slightly. He couldn't resist lowering his head and kissing her.

Jinhua, like a schoolchild, silently endured it, her arms wrapped around Gao Changhe's waist.

The two kissed passionately for a while, then Gao Changhe freed his hands and pulled Jinhua's skirt down to her feet.

The female county head's snow-white body was thus revealed.

One breast protruded from her bra, the small nipple trembling, her transparent thong already damp, and the black garter belt had snapped open to one side. Gao Changhe lowered his head, took the small nipple into his mouth, and reached into her panties, exploring her hidden paradise.

"No..."

Jinhua gasped, her body limp as she collapsed onto the sofa.

Her thighs were spread wide, her small panties already nestled between her thighs, sparse pubic hair trembling as if inviting something.

Gao Changhe impulsively ripped open Jinhua's panties, pulled out his penis, and forcefully thrust inside.

"Ah..."

Jinhua's buttocks swayed, matching the thrusts of his penis, murmuring, "Ah...want...want..."

After thrusting for a while, feeling he couldn't get enough leverage on the sofa, Gao Changhe lifted Jinhua, making her kneel on the sofa, and thrust into her from behind.

Jinhua tightly closed her legs, twisting her body, feeling each of Gao Changhe's thrusts reach her uterus. She braced herself on the sofa with one hand, rapidly rubbing her clitoris with the other, shouting loudly; her long-suppressed sexual desire was finally aroused.

Next door, Liu Yiru heard her daughter's moans and couldn't help but recall her brief physical contact with Secretary Gao last time; her heart pounded. Although the time she spent with Secretary Gao that time was short, it brought her to an unprecedented orgasm, and she really wanted to experience it again. As she thought about it, she felt a warm flow from between her legs, so she pressed one hand against her large breasts and inserted the other hand into her vulva, fantasizing about being fucked by Secretary Gao...

Gao Changhe did not expect that Jin Hua, who seemed so quiet, would go so crazy. He thrust a few more times, felt tired, pulled out his penis, and sat on the sofa, panting heavily.

Jinhua, her eyes closed, was lost in the pleasure of sex when she suddenly felt her body go empty, as if she had fallen from heaven to earth. Opening her eyes, she saw that the secretary had left her body. Lost in her own world, she knelt beside Gao Changhe's legs and began licking his still-wet penis.

Gao Changhe closed his eyes; due to the alcohol, he wanted to ejaculate but couldn't. So he grabbed Jinhua's breasts and vigorously rubbed them.

The pain from Gao Changhe's pinching only fueled her desire. She sat up on Gao Changhe's lap and began to move up and down with abandon.

As Jinhua's vaginal muscles tightened, Gao Changhe felt a surge of power building within his body. He remained motionless, letting it accumulate. Finally, feeling his urge to erupt, he shoved Jinhua away, turned her around, and began stroking his penis with his hand. Facing Jinhua's face, he let out a low growl, and a thick stream of white fluid gushed onto the female county magistrate's face…

Meanwhile, Liu Yiru, also lost in her fantasies of Gao Changhe's ministrations, collapsed upon hearing that growl. She felt utterly conquered by Secretary Gao.

She sat there, stunned, her mind a jumble of emotions.

It was unclear whether it was Gao Changhe himself, or the power he wielded, that brought him to a sexual climax…

At 11 PM on August 25, 1998, in the provincial party committee dormitory, Gao Changhe's wife, Liang Li, was still sitting blankly on the sofa, absentmindedly watching the boring romantic drama…

Chapter 4:

At 9 AM on August 26, 1998, on the Lieshan-Jinghu highway, Gao Changhe, the secretary of the Pingyang Municipal Party Committee, accompanied by Liu Yiru, the director of the municipal party committee office, went to Weiyan Township, Jinghu City to inspect the post-disaster reconstruction work.

From the moment he got into the car in Lieshan, he remained silent, leaning back in his seat with his eyes closed. Liu Yiru tried several times to start a conversation, but seeing Secretary Gao's serious expression, she swallowed her words.

Gao Changhe knew that Liu Yiru must have known about his affair with Jinhua the previous night, but he wasn't worried. His encounter with Liu Yiru at the Red Mansion had indeed occurred in a semi-conscious state; he vaguely remembered dreaming of Li Xinxiang. After the incident, when he saw Liu Yiru again, he didn't feel anything was amiss, only that Liu Yiru was pitiful.

During his time in Lieshan, he had actually been acting somewhat recklessly under the influence of alcohol. He knew perfectly well that Liu Yiru would do anything for her daughter's future. In fact, he had been attracted to Jinhua from the first time he met her, by her voluptuous figure and the unique aura of a professional woman, and had always treated her like a younger sister. Jinhua's behavior this time surprised him greatly. He hadn't expected this seemingly virtuous and upright woman to be so sexually adventurous. He even thought that he would definitely have the chance to taste her wonderful peaches again someday.

At the same time, Gao Changhe was also deeply reflecting on the events of the past few days. The consequences of power being unchecked were truly terrifying. It seemed that, in light of the Geng Zijing incident in Lieshan County, a self-examination should be conducted among all party members in the city.

Thinking of this, he opened his eyes. "Notify everyone that an enlarged meeting of the Party Committee will be held tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM in the municipal party committee conference room. All the heads of cities, counties, townships, departments, and bureaus should attend."

Liu Yiru took notes, somewhat puzzled. What was going on?

On the evening of August 26, 1998, at 9 PM, Liang Li left the hospital in the provincial capital, feeling utterly miserable.

These past few days had been the pre-menstrual period, and her sexual desire was always particularly strong during this time. However, Gao Changhe had been gone for months, only returning briefly a few times before leaving again. For Liang Li, who was at the peak of her sexual desire, this was infuriating.

Today was her husband's birthday, and she had taken leave early at 3 PM, bought a cake at a bakery, and rushed to the hospital.

Her brother, Liang Bing, who had apparently finished a social engagement somewhere, arrived at the hospital reeking of alcohol.

Upon seeing Liang Li, he glared at her, "Look what your husband has done! A broken air conditioner, is it really necessary? Go downstairs and see, in the villas of the township and town heads, there are seven or eight air conditioners—which one did they buy themselves?"

Liang Li retorted angrily, "Take your anger out on him, don't come at me."

With that, she slammed the door and left.

She was incredibly annoyed. Yes, with Gao Changhe gone, she had to run errands for everything at home, big and small. She worked during the day, then had to take care of her grandfather at night, and when she got home, she was alone in her empty bed. She really didn't know when this would end.

"Sister Liang,"

a greeting interrupted her thoughts. She realized she had unknowingly returned to the entrance of the provincial party committee dormitory. It was Xiao Liu, the new guy assigned to the office. He'd only been there a few days, living in the provincial party committee dormitory. He was 1.8 meters tall, clean, and walked with a brisk pace, seemingly full of energy.

"Oh, Xiao Liu, why aren't you out on a date?"

Liang Li joked. Xiao Liu's girlfriend was his college classmate, also assigned to the provincial capital.

"Sister Liang, watermelons are being distributed this afternoon. I got one for you and left it in the dormitory. Let me help you carry it up."

"No need, it's quite heavy. You keep it for yourself."

Liang Li replied and went upstairs.

Back home, Liang Li took off her suit, changed into a loose nightgown, washed her face, plopped down on the sofa, and turned on the TV.

"Knock, knock,"

Liang Li opened the door and saw Xiao Liu standing there, sweating profusely and carrying four or five watermelons.

"Oh dear, look at you, put the watermelons in the kitchen."

Liang Li quickly beckoned Xiao Liu in. "Go, go to the bathroom and wipe your sweat, I'll get you some soda."

Xiao Liu came out of the bathroom and saw Liang Li leaning against the sofa, her hair casually piled up behind her head. Because of the heat, the top two buttons of her nightgown were open, revealing a deep cleavage. She was intently watching TV.

He mechanically picked up a can of cola and sat down opposite her, deeply attracted by Liang Li's mature beauty.

Liang Li chatted with Xiao Liu while watching TV. Suddenly, she realized Xiao Liu wasn't answering. She turned her head and saw that he was staring at her intently.

She looked down and saw that the hem of her nightgown was open, revealing her panties and a tuft of dark hair.

"Damn it."

She quickly covered her nightgown, her face flushing red.

Xiao Liu couldn't suppress his impulse and rushed forward to hug her.

"What are you doing? Get out of here, I'm going to call for help!"

Liang Li's voice was so weak that even she couldn't believe it.

Xiao Liu hugged her tightly, burying his head between her breasts, his erect penis pressing against her crotch. The

pungent smell of Xiao Liu's masculine sweat made Liang Li dizzy; her long-suppressed desire surged forth, and she couldn't help but lower her head to kiss his hair.

Encouraged, Xiao Liu gripped Liang Li's buttocks tightly with both hands, and began his assault from above. He knelt down and, through her underwear, lightly kissed between her legs.

The fishy, premenstrual scent of a mature woman intoxicated him; his tongue deftly slipped inside her underwear. Liang Li gripped Xiao Liu's hair tightly with one hand, while the other braced herself against the sofa to prevent herself from collapsing. Xiao Liu used his hands to pull Liang Li's underwear down to her knees, his tongue slipping into her slightly parted vulva. Liang Li let out a soft, comfortable moan.

Xiao Liu stood up, picked up Liang Li, and carried her into the bedroom.

As soon as he put her on the bed, she hooked her arms around his neck and murmured to him, "Can we last longer?"

Xiao Liu nodded, turned his head to his feet, and continued to explore Liang Li's juicy, ripe vulva. Liang Li also took Xiao Liu's penis into her mouth and began to lick it noisily.

Liang Li's vaginal fluids and Xiao Liu's saliva had made her private parts incredibly wet, even soaking the sheets.

Liang Li felt as if a small hand was frantically scratching between her legs, making every hair on her body stand on end. Her nipples were hard, and even the slightest touch from Xiao Liu sent shivers down her spine. She couldn't help but plead, "Come on, hurry...come on..."

Xiao Liu rolled over, knelt on the bed, spread Liang Li's two white thighs, and began thrusting into her already parted vulva. He felt his penis being enveloped, wet, warm, and soft, like falling into a bottomless pit, a feeling that made his muscles tense and relax.

With each thrust, Liang Li's full breasts swayed up and down. She breathed heavily, her hands gripping Xiao Liu's arms tightly, afraid of suddenly losing him.

Xiao Liu's thrusts grew increasingly rapid and violent. Each contact between his penis and her vagina propelled Liang Li a step closer to heaven. She heard Xiao Liu's breathing quicken, and the flesh between his legs was being pulled in and out. She cried out urgently, "No, no... no..."

It was too late. Xiao Liu abruptly pulled out his penis, stroking it with his hand while panting heavily. Liang Li quickly rubbed her clitoris, cooperating with Xiao Liu. After a moment, she felt a warm rain pouring onto her hands, legs, and... her heart...

At 8:30 a.m. on August 27, 1998, the daily routine meeting between the secretary and mayor of Pingyang City was held at the Pingyang Municipal Party Committee building.

Before 8:30, Mayor Wen Chunming entered the room carrying a cup. Upon seeing Gao Changhe, his first words were, "You're finally back."

Gao Changhe's heart tightened; what had happened again? Before he could ask, Wen Chunming began to complain: "You know, that reporter Li is still fixated on the Pingyang Steel Rolling Mill matter. It's good you're back; you can try to appease her. I'm hiding."

Only then did Gao Changhe realize that Li Xinxiang had come to Pingyang again.

At the enlarged meeting of the Municipal Party Committee at 10:00 AM, Gao Changhe looked at the sea of city, county, and township bureau chiefs below the stage: "Comrades, who gave us this power? It was the people. Our power is to serve the people..."

A hush fell over the audience...

Chapter 5

, August 28, 1998, 9:00 PM, Pingyang International Hotel. Li Xinxiang had been in Pingyang for two days and clearly felt Mayor Wen Chunming's coldness and hostility towards her. Gao Changhe was constantly running around, making her work progress very difficult.

Before leaving Beijing, the editor-in-chief called her to his office and conveyed two key points: first, to thoroughly investigate the loss of state-owned assets caused by systemic flaws; and second, to summarize the experience gained from the merger of the Pingyang Rolling Mill and Dongfang Steel Group in transforming and revitalizing state-owned enterprises in distress.

She thought that with her previous interview experience, this work would be a breeze. However, upon arriving in Pingyang, she discovered that the work wasn't so easy. Last time, she had Tian Liye accompanying her, but this time the mayor was uncooperative, the Party Secretary refused to meet with her, and she was turned away at the factory. Two days had passed without any progress.

Looking at the flashing neon lights outside the window, and realizing it was the weekend, yet she was stuck in unfamiliar Pingyang, she felt very frustrated. She even considered buying a plane ticket for the next morning to return to Beijing and relax.

On a whim, she dialed Gao Changhe's cell phone: "Secretary Gao, hello, this is Li Xinxiang... Yes, I'm in Pingyang. I'd like to discuss some issues with you over the phone... What, you're in Pingyang? Then I'll come find you... Come over, okay, I'll wait for you at the bar in the Guomao Hotel."

Hanging up, Gao Changhe was slightly surprised. He had planned to send a colleague from the Municipal Party Committee's Propaganda Department to invite Li Xinxiang over on Monday to exchange views on some issues, but unexpectedly, she had come to him first.

Gao Changhe went outside, intending to call his driver, but looking at his watch, it was so late. He thought for a moment, then left the guesthouse and hailed a taxi to the Guomao Hotel.

Entering the hotel lobby, Gao Changhe felt a sense of unease, like on a first date, and couldn't help but feel nervous. He quickly went to the restroom, squeezed out a few drops of urine, and before leaving, he glanced back at himself in the mirror.

Li Xinxiang was already waiting for Gao Changhe at the bar. The bar was crowded, and two Filipino singers on stage were energetically covering some classic English oldies.

Li Xinxiang found a quiet corner, ordered a glass of red wine, and wore light makeup and a suit. Her hair was loose, making her look both mature and charming. Several businessmen at the next table frequently gestured to her, hinting that they wanted to buy her a drink. She smiled and waved her hand in refusal. As

soon as Gao Changhe entered the bar, she saw him and quickly stood up to beckon him over.

After the waiter brought their drinks, Gao Changhe joked, "Reporter Li, you look really beautiful tonight."

Li Xinxiang retorted, "Aren't you, Secretary Gao, quite dashing too?"

After saying that, they both laughed.

Li Xinxiang told Gao Changhe some things that her supervisor had instructed her to do before she came. Gao Changhe also explained things on behalf of Wen Chunming and relayed the opinions of Secretary Hua Bo of the Provincial Party Committee to her, while promising to fully cooperate with her work in the future. After

finishing their business, the two chatted.

"You're always so late going home, aren't you afraid my sister-in-law will have something to say?"

Li Xinxiang asked playfully. …

“And you, you're not getting any younger, why haven't you found a good family to marry into?”

“Nobody wants to marry me.”…

Their conversation slowly became ambiguous, as if they understood something from each other’s eyes.

“Ugh.”

Gao Changhe turned around and saw those people winking at Li Xinxiang. He glanced at his watch. “It’s getting late, let’s go.”

Li Xinxiang nodded. From the bar to the elevator, neither of them spoke.

The elevator arrived, Li Xinxiang got in, pressed the floor button, and nodded to Gao Changhe. “Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

Watching the elevator doors slowly close, Gao Changhe felt a sense of loss.

With a “ding,” the elevator doors opened again. “Come on in and sit for a while.”

Li Xinxiang’s voice was hoarse.

“Lovetimer, lovetime…”

The Filipino singer’s song echoed into the hotel lobby.

As the guest room door slammed shut behind them, Li Xinxiang and Gao Changhe’s lips were already pressed tightly together.

Li Xinxiang's lips parted slightly, her tongue darting out, as she tightly embraced Gao Changhe. Gao Changhe felt two soft mounds of flesh pressed against his body. He kissed her deeply while pulling her shirt out from under her skirt, frantically unbuttoning it. Li Xinxiang cooperated, twisting her body to fling her shirt off.

She fumbled to unbutton Gao Changhe's pants. A hot little hand gripped Gao Changhe's penis tightly, gently stroking it.

Gao Changhe pinched her breasts open with two fingers, and his other hand cupped her breasts from the front. Her

pear-shaped breasts felt heavy in his hands, the two rosy nipples like ripe cherries, waiting for him to taste them.

Gao Changhe lowered his head and gently bit them. Li Xinxiang felt a slight pain, a tingling sensation spreading from her nipples throughout her body. She shivered slightly, letting out a soft "Ah," and her body went limp.

Gao Changhe led her to the bedside, gently placed her on it, and removed her skirt.

Her two beautiful legs, accentuated by the stockings, appeared exceptionally straight. The stockings slightly sank into her thighs, and her semi-transparent panties were damp with the love fluid secreted from her vulva—she was simply breathtaking.

Gao Changhe couldn't resist pulling down her panties, spreading her legs, and burying his head deep inside her.

A faint fragrance wafted to his nose, truly living up to his name. He gently parted her pink labia with his hand, his tongue sliding over the protruding, mysterious spot.

"No..."

Li Xinxiang's breathing grew more rapid. She pulled on Gao Changhe, gesturing for him to hurry up and get on top.

Gao Changhe quickly took off his shirt and trousers and climbed onto Li Xinxiang's body.

Whether it was nervousness or fatigue from days of work, Gao Changhe suddenly found his penis had gone soft. He quickly straightened up, rubbed it a few times with his hand, and when it felt hard again, he climbed on top, but as soon as he touched her opening, it went soft again and he couldn't penetrate her at all.

After this happened twice, Li Xinxiang also felt that something was wrong. She opened her eyes and saw Gao Changhe kneeling between her legs, staring at her private parts while masturbating himself. She immediately understood, quickly sat up, and whispered, "Don't rush, let me do it."

As she spoke, she took Gao Changhe's penis into her mouth, her hand gently rubbing her clitoris.

Gao Changhe felt Li Xinxiang's teeth gently biting his glans, her tongue trembling slightly against his urethral opening. He instantly felt warmth, moisture, and stimulation. His waist went limp, and he felt his penis throb twice before ejaculating into her mouth.

Looking at the liquid dripping from Li Xinxiang's lips and her disappointed eyes, Gao Changhe suddenly felt very inferior.

Li Xinxiang nestled beside him, comforting him, "It's okay, you're probably just too tired. Get some sleep."

Yes, Gao Changhe really felt exhausted, his eyelids heavy, and he unconsciously fell asleep in Li Xinxiang's arms.

In the middle of the night, Gao Changhe was awakened by the swelling in his genitals. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the naked Li Xinxiang beside him, wearing only stockings. For a moment, he didn't realize where he was.

Because of the incomplete ejaculation the previous night, he felt his penis swollen, numb, and erect, which was very uncomfortable.

Gao Changhe instinctively grabbed her breast with one hand and explored the forbidden area between her legs with the other.

In her dream, Li Xinxiang dreamt of a mouse crawling into her body through her vagina, and she involuntarily closed her legs tightly.

As fluid slowly seeped from Li Xinxiang's opening, Gao Changhe turned to the side and inserted his penis into Li Xinxiang's honey hole from behind.

Li Xinxiang was stimulated awake. She arched her back, bringing her private parts closer to Gao Changhe, and rubbed her breasts with both hands.

After thrusting back and forth for a while, Gao Changhe felt he wasn't getting enough, so he lifted Li Xinxiang's waist, making her buttocks stick up, and stood on the ground. Her

white thighs, dark pubic hair, and red labia, outlined by the lines of her stockings, looked incredibly lewd.

Because Li Xinxiang's vaginal fluid was abundant, Gao Changhe's penis slid in easily. He thrust hard, trying to regain the face he had lost last time.

Li Xinxiang felt waves of force coursing through her body from Gao Changhe's penis. Her vagina felt as if it were under a spell, hot, tingling, and throbbing, an itch that reached her very core.

"Faster, harder, harder... ah..."

Li Xinxiang murmured.

Having already ejaculated once, Gao Changhe's penis was numb. Li Xinxiang's cries gave him immense satisfaction; wasn't this exactly what he had dreamt of so many times?

He turned Li Xinxiang over again, hoisting her legs onto his shoulders. Li Xinxiang used her hands to part her labia, guiding him into her body once more.

He felt her vagina tighten and loosen, deeply sucking his penis, while the walls surrounding it felt like countless tiny hands were kneading it, a feeling of complete comfort washing over him.

The pleasure slowly accumulated, nearing its peak, and he couldn't help but increase his speed.

Li Xinxiang had already reached her third orgasm. She felt completely drained, barely clinging to life only to Gao Changhe's penis.

“Oh…oh…faster…”

She felt Gao Changhe was about to ejaculate, “Don’t pull out, don’t…”

She tightly hugged Gao Changhe’s waist, preventing him from pulling out. Gao Changhe’s waist tightened, his penis thrust a few times inside her, and with a whoosh, his semen shot straight into the depths of Li Xinxiang’s honey hole.

Li Xinxiang cried out “Ah ah” from the heat, her nails digging into Gao Changhe’s back.

At 9:00 AM on August 31, 1998, the Lieshan County government had been busy all weekend.

On Friday, she received a call from the director of the Industry and Commerce Bureau, saying that Jin Fangzhong, chairman of Daming Company, had returned to Lieshan. She immediately notified the leaders of relevant departments to hold a meeting overnight to discuss the handling of Daming Company. Early the next morning, the relevant departments cornered Jin Fangzhong at the factory. Facing the solemn Chinese national emblem above the heads of the law enforcement officers, Jin Fangzhong trembled, knelt on the ground, pleaded guilty, and actively cooperated with the government’s work.

After negotiations, a preliminary agreement was reached on the medical treatment and compensation for the injured workers, as well as the renovation of the factory's equipment. Jin Fangzhong initially provided 2 million RMB for the injured workers' initial medical expenses and was fined a huge sum for violating labor laws and other relevant national laws. As

soon as she arrived at work that morning, Jin Hua called Gao Changhe to report the matter.

"Good, good, you must act according to the law and do a good job of comforting the injured workers. Also, when I went to Jinghu this time, Hu Zaoqiu complained to me again. Shut down those paper mills of yours immediately."

Hearing Gao Changhe's charming voice, Jin Hua couldn't help but recall that crazy night.

Gao Changhe had awakened the dormant sexual desire within her, allowing her to experience the pleasures of womanhood once more. That night, Secretary Gao had completely conquered her; she was willing to pay any price for Gao Changhe, even becoming his mistress or concubine.

At 4 PM on September 1, 1998, Gao Changhe, who was attending a commendation meeting for spiritual civilization in the municipal government conference room, received a phone call from his wife, Liang Li: "Don't you care about this family anymore? You don't take care of the elderly, and you don't care about the young..."

It turned out that their son, Gao Qiang, who was boarding at a middle school in the provincial capital, had been caught peeping into the girls' restroom by classmates. The teacher notified the parents to come to the school, and Liang Li felt too ashamed to go.

After hanging up the phone, Gao Changhe felt heavy-hearted; he owed his wife, his son, and his family far too much. (12-02 Chapter 06)

At 9 AM on September 4, 1998, in the Pingyang Municipal Party Committee office building, Liu Yiru followed Gao Changhe to his office immediately after the morning meeting.

"Secretary Gao, Hongda Group is introducing a production line and is going abroad for inspection. They want to invite a city leader to lead the team. They've given the city two spots for overseas trips. What do you think..."

"Let Lao Wen go. He's always focused on industry."

"Mayor Wen said he'll never go abroad for inspection again in his life. One rolling mill is enough."

"Heh, that Lao Wen. By the way, let Jinhua go too. Their county is planning an electrolytic aluminum project. Let him go and see what's going on."

"Then...which spot?"

"We'll see."

Speaking of Jinhua, Gao Changhe remembered that the leadership team in Lieshan County wasn't complete yet, so he invited the head of the municipal organization department to come and check on the cadre department's assessment of the candidates for the Lieshan County leadership team.

A moment later, the organization department head knocked on the door and came in carrying a large file folder.

"Secretary Gao, based on your instructions at the last municipal standing committee meeting, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of the county-level cadres in Pingyang City. Twelve individuals met the criteria outlined in your speech; these are their resumes."

Gao Changhe flipped through a thick stack of documents in front of him. "I've only been in Pingyang for a short time and am not very familiar with the cadre situation. What is your organization department's opinion?"

The Organization Minister looked at Gao Changhe's face, pondering the true meaning of the Secretary's words. Was he genuinely seeking his opinion, or was it a case of "democracy first, centralism later," or perhaps a sham democracy disguised as centralism? Based on his years of experience in organizational work, he

knew that all previous leaders had firmly controlled the appointment and removal of cadres. Thinking this, he cautiously said, "We just compiled a list according to your specific requirements..." Gao Changhe waved his hand to interrupt him, "I understand. Put the materials here; I'll take a look."

After a while, seeing that he still hadn't left, Gao Changhe asked, "Is there anything else?"

"It's like this, before you came to Pingyang, Wang Dehe, the director of the Municipal Light Industry Bureau, came to my house. He wanted to transfer, and when he left, he left 20,000 yuan. I... I was confused for a moment and didn't report it to the organization."

The Organization Minister, sweating profusely, took out 20,000 yuan in cash from a document bag. "This money has always been a worry of mine. After listening to your speech at the enlarged meeting of the Municipal Party Committee last time, I learned a lot. I admit my mistake to the organization, and I am willing to accept the organization's punishment."

Looking at the money in front of him, Gao Changhe thought of that chubby director. Before he came to Pingyang, this guy had come to his house with his brother-in-law, Liang Bing. "You should hand the money directly to the Discipline Inspection Commission. Think back again, are there any other similar incidents? Write down what happened and await the organization's punishment."

Gao Changhe was at his wit's end. The leadership of Lieshan was still in jeopardy, and now this matter had come up in the hands of the city's Organization Minister. If Wang Dehe hadn't gotten into trouble, would he have voluntarily returned the money?

What troubled him wasn't just this. That day, when he received Liang Li's call, Gao Changhe was extremely shocked. He could hardly believe his ears. His son, Gao Qiang, was still a child in his eyes, yet he had actually spied on the girls' restroom. He realized the seriousness of the problem.

He dialed the number Liang Li had left, and the person who answered was Gao Qiang's homeroom teacher, Ms. Wu. Ms. Wu asked him to come to the school, saying that she needed to talk to the parents about some issues. Gao Changhe made an excuse that he was too busy with work and didn't have time to wait. Ms. Wu became angry on the phone: "You parents always use being busy with work as an excuse. Do you even care about your children? Do you even know what your children are thinking...?"

Hearing Ms. Wu's stern tone, Gao Changhe said with shame, "Yes, yes, I'll go, I'll definitely go."

He checked his schedule for the next few days and finally agreed with Ms. Wu to go to the school

on September 10th. On the afternoon of September 10th, 1998, in the provincial capital, Gao Changhe greeted Wen Chunming, saying that he was going to the provincial capital to take care of some personal business, without giving any further explanation.

After lunch, he set off for the provincial capital.

Upon arriving, seeing he had some time to spare, he went to the provincial party committee to collect some subsidies from the previous months. He had intended to report to Secretary Hua Bo, but unfortunately, the secretary was meeting with the president of Asia Cooperation Group. So, he went to the office of Ma Wanli, the deputy secretary of the provincial party committee and secretary of the provincial discipline inspection commission.

Before entering the office, he made sure to turn off his cell phone. For some reason, he felt a deep sense of awe for this incorruptible secretary of the discipline inspection commission.

He briefly introduced to Secretary Ma the self-examination and self-correction activities currently underway among party and government officials in Pingyang City. Seventeen officials had already turned in various items and money, totaling over 3 million yuan. Furthermore, the official who had twice turned in money to the provincial discipline inspection commission had been located.

Secretary Ma praised his previous work and mentioned that, since the municipal discipline inspection commission secretary, Sun Yadong, was still in a coma, the provincial party committee was considering assigning an official to temporarily take charge of Sun Yadong's work. Although Gao Changhe felt somewhat uncomfortable, he expressed his support for the provincial party committee's decision.

After leaving Secretary Ma's place, Gao Changhe decided to visit the old secretary again, so he headed to the Provincial People's Congress.

Jiang Chaolin was delighted to see Gao Changhe, "Why did you decide to visit this old man today?"

"I've been wanting to see you for a while, old squad leader,"

Gao Changhe replied, seeking the old secretary's opinion on issues such as the staffing of the Lieshan leadership team. The two also discussed the issue of taxes on escort services, with Jiang Chaolin introducing some practices from other provinces. Gao Changhe said he would send a city-level leader to investigate when he had time.

Leaving the People's Congress, Gao Changhe checked his watch; it was already past 5 pm. He remembered the important reason he had come to the provincial capital that day.

At 6 pm on September 10, 1998, Wu Xianxian from the Provincial No. 1 Middle School had called several times, but the phone was always switched off. She was furious. Today was Teachers' Day, and the school was closed for the afternoon; she was the only one waiting for Gao Qiang's parents in the teachers' office.

She hadn't thought much of the last call and had scheduled it for today. She wanted to ask when they would arrive, but the phone was off, and she began to doubt whether Gao Changhe would actually come. Looking at the empty teaching and research office and listening to the ringing phone, she felt a deep hatred for those officials.

Wu Xianxian had only been assigned to the provincial No. 1 High School a year after graduating from teachers' college and had never independently taught a class before. Because Gao Qiang's homeroom teacher was hospitalized with a perforated stomach, the principal arranged for her to temporarily act as the homeroom teacher

. However, on the very first day of school, Gao Qiang's incident occurred, greatly shocking her. She never imagined that such a thing could happen at this key provincial high school. When Gao Changhe ran upstairs, panting, and knocked on the door, he was somewhat incredulous when he confirmed that the person in front of him was indeed Teacher Wu. In his memory, teachers were all bespectacled, refined, and their clothes were covered in chalk dust. The young woman before him was youthful and beautiful, tall, with a sweet face, and dressed in fashionable clothes; she looked like a celebrity.

He coughed lightly to hide his surprise.

Teacher Wu brought Gao Changhe a glass of water. She noticed his surprise and chuckled inwardly. Gao Changhe didn't seem like a municipal party secretary to her; he seemed more like a shrewd and capable scholar. She didn't know he had actually published a book.

"The main

reason I invited you here today is to talk to you about Gao Qiang's problem," Teacher Wu began.

She discussed the physiological and psychological characteristics of middle school students, the necessity of parental education, the influence of current films and television shows on teenagers, and some unhealthy habits among students. Gao Changhe hadn't expected that this seemingly young teacher, Teacher Wu, would have such a profound understanding of youth education and the work of teachers.

In Pingyang City, it was always Gao Changhe who spoke, and everyone listened respectfully. This time, Teacher Wu spoke for over an hour, and Gao Changhe could only nod.

Gao Changhe said sincerely, "I know Gao Qiang's matter has had a very bad impact. Should I apologize to the girl's parents?"

"No need."

Teacher Wu's expression was a little unnatural. "He was spying on... me!"

Looking at Teacher Wu's shy appearance, a despicable thought arose in Gao Changhe's mind, and he even envied his son a little.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you."

If he had known, Gao Changhe would never have come.

"It's normal for boys to be curious about the opposite sex at this age. Didn't you go through that age too?"

Wu Xianxian found Gao Changhe's bewildered appearance quite amusing.

To ease the awkward atmosphere, Gao Changhe said half-jokingly, "Teacher Wu, I'm not working in the provincial capital right now, and his mother has to take care of his grandfather. She really doesn't have time. How about I entrust Gao Qiang to you?"

Wu Xianxian also said half-jokingly, "Okay, how will you repay me?"

"Easy, what do you want in return?"

"I want to be the municipal party secretary."

Wu Xianxian spoke freely.

"Haha, then I'll give it to you."

Gao Changhe thought to himself, if you really become the Party Secretary of the city, won't you charm the whole city?

The two felt they got along very well, and before they knew it, it was getting dark. Hearing Wu's stomach rumble, Gao Changhe snapped out of it. "Oh, we were chatting too much! Come on, let me treat you to dinner, as an apology for Gao Qiang."

Mentioning Gao Qiang reminded Gao Changhe of his voyeuristic tendencies, and he couldn't help but glance between Wu Xianxian's legs. Wu Xianxian sensed something, blushed, and quickly stood up.

Because she stood up too abruptly, she twisted her ankle and cried out, "Ouch!" as she sat back down.

"What's wrong?"

Gao Changhe asked quickly.

"I twisted my ankle,"

Wu Xianxian said, tears welling in her eyes.

Seeing Wu Xianxian's pitiful, tearful appearance, Gao Changhe's heart skipped a beat. "Don't move, let me see."

Wu Xianxian shyly took off her socks. "I injured my foot when I was practicing dance, so I transferred from the art department to the Chinese literature department at the Normal University,"

she explained.

"They're all swollen, should we go to the hospital?"

"It's okay, it's just a habit, my mom always rubs them for me."

"Then I'll rub them for you, tell me if you rub too hard."

Gao Changhe picked up her cute little feet and gently rubbed them.

Watching this man, the municipal party secretary, squatting in front of her feet, Wu Xianxian felt a strange mix of emotions, a sense of satisfaction. Gao Changhe's warm hands rubbed her delicate feet incessantly, making her feel very comfortable, and she unconsciously closed her eyes.

Gao Changhe got tired of squatting and wanted to change his position. When he looked up, his eyes were right under Wu Xianxian's skirt.

He wanted to turn his head away, but his eyes wouldn't let him.

Wu Xianxian had two fair thighs, and a few pubic hairs peeked out from the edge of her cotton panties. Gao Changhe suddenly felt an urge to pull down her panties and see what was underneath.

His rubbing unconsciously expanded from her feet to her calves.

Wu Xianxian felt the change in Gao Changhe's technique, but she was immersed in the comfortable feeling and didn't say anything.

Gao Changhe's hands slowly moved upwards, touching her knees, gently sliding his hands along Wu Xianxian's knees. He heard her breathing gradually become heavier. Looking up, he saw Wu Xianxian's eyes were tightly closed, her chest rising and falling slightly, and fine beads of sweat appearing on her nose.

Gao Changhe's penis grew harder and harder, almost making him stand up. He couldn't control himself and finally reached his hand deep into Wu Xianxian's thighs.

Gao Changhe's hand slowly moved along the edge of her panties, seemingly undecided whether to go in or not.

"Hoo," Wu Xianxian exhaled deeply, twisting her body, spreading her legs wider, but her eyes still remained closed.

Gao Changhe's fingers finally slipped inside. The cotton panties were slightly damp, clinging tightly to Wu Xianxian's inner thighs. He used his thumb to pry them open, while his other fingers explored inside. Suddenly, he felt Wu Xianxian's body tremble. He knew he had found the right spot, so he gently tapped on that small protrusion with his index finger.

Wu Xianxian felt waves of stimulation emanating from her core, spreading to her scalp, making her feel weak all over, as if she were floating.

Neither of them spoke, neither uttering a sound, both afraid to break the current state of affairs.

Gao Changhe clearly felt the honey-like fluid slowly seeping from Wu Xianxian's vulva, wetting his fingers. So, he applied slight pressure and plunged his fingers into Wu Xianxian's body.

Wu Xianxian desperately bit her lip to suppress a moan, but the trembling of her body and the flow of lustful fluid from her vulva betrayed her true desires.

Gao Changhe first used one finger to move back and forth inside her vagina, then two, then three, and finally, he formed his entire hand into a cone shape and thrust it into Wu Xianxian's flesh.

Hearing Wu Xianxian's heavy breathing beside him, feeling his fingers tightly gripped by the vaginal walls, and seeing gushes of fluid gushing from her vaginal opening, Gao Changhe could no longer hold back, and a stream of fluid sprayed into his crotch.

After a long while, Wu Xianxian opened her eyes, "Hmph, neither of you, father and son, is any good!"...

Chapter 7

, September 10, 1998, 10:00 AM, Pingyang Municipal Party Committee Office Building. Gao Changhe postponed all the meetings that morning.

After days of travel, he felt a bit weak in his back and legs; time really does catch up with you. Back when he first married Liang Li, they practically ate sex like it was food, three times a day. Sometimes, if they met in the office during the day and no one was around, they would even grope each other.

Thinking of Liang Li, Gao Changhe felt very guilty. He had only been away from her for a few months, and he had already been having affairs with other women, and not just one or two. Yesterday, he had returned to the provincial capital, planning to stay home for the night, but then Teacher Wu's incident happened. He knew Liang Li would definitely want him when he got home, and given his condition at the time, it was unlikely he could, which would surely arouse her suspicion. So he simply rushed back to Pingyang that night. His underwear, stained with semen, clung tightly to his crotch, wet and cold, making him very uncomfortable the whole way.

These past few days had left him feeling both ashamed and intrigued. Each person he'd had physical contact with gave him a different feeling, and he was somewhat captivated by it. Gao Changhe even sometimes questioned whether his behavior still met the standards of a Communist Party member.

He didn't know how other leaders in his position handled their relationships with women; in the past, he, Gao, had only ever been intimate with Liang Li.

In the provincial government, Gao Changhe was widely recognized as a model husband. He came to work on time, went home on time, and even bought groceries on his way home. Many female colleagues said, "If only our husbands were half as good as Gao Changhe." Hearing this so often, Gao Changhe began to believe he was indeed doing a good job. However, in the last two years, Liang Li's sexual needs had grown increasingly stronger, leaving him somewhat overwhelmed. So, he would occasionally use excuses like social engagements to escape in the evenings.

In reality, he would just stay in the office at night reading, writing short articles, submitting them to various tabloids, and at most having a few drinks with colleagues before heading home around that time. Unlike others who would go singing and taking a bath after drinking, he always thought those things were boring.

Gao Changhe was always principled in his official duties and personal conduct, whether as the municipal party secretary in the provincial capital or the deputy secretary-general of the provincial party committee. Perhaps this was one of the reasons why Secretary Ma Wanli nominated him to be the party secretary of Pingyang City. At the time, the old secretary, Comrade Jiang Chaolin, strongly recommended Wen Chunming, and even talked with comrades from the provincial party committee's organization department for more than nine hours about it.

Gao Changhe knew that Wen Chunming must be full of resentment, and he was mentally prepared for Wen Chunming not to cooperate. As it turned out, he was overthinking it. Mayor Wen's resentment was only verbal; he was still actively cooperative in his work.

"Changhe, the Municipal Tourism Bureau..."

Thinking of Old Wen, Old Wen pushed open the door and came in. "Oh, you don't look too good. Were you too tired when you got home yesterday?"

Wen Chunming said with a mischievous grin.

"No, I rushed back last night. What happened at the Tourism Bureau?"

"Well, the Municipal Tourism Bureau wants to organize a Golden Week tourism promotion event in Beijing. They heard from somewhere that you and Director Zhou of the Beijing Municipal Tourism Bureau are classmates from the Party School, and they want you to lead a team to build connections and promote our city's tourism brand."

"Nonsense! I don't have time to go."

"They said that in foreign countries, presidents and prime ministers personally promote tourism events..."

Gao Changhe was speechless. "Since you, Boss Wen, have asked, I'll go. But let's make it clear, I'll just pick them up and come back. They can handle the rest of the work themselves."

"Of course, I'll have them prepare your plane ticket right away."

Wen Chunming left smugly.

At 8:00 AM on September 13, 1998, at Pingyang International Airport,

the monotonous announcement, "The flight to Beijing is about to take off. Passengers, please take your carry-on luggage and present your tickets and boarding passes before boarding..." echoed in the VIP lounge.

"Secretary Gao, this way please."

The airport's general manager personally came to see Gao Changhe and his entourage off.

"You go first, I need to make a call."

Gao Changhe politely shook hands with the general manager. After they had walked away, Gao Changhe dialed Li Xinxiang's number.

"Hmm..."

Li Xinxiang's voice was sleepy and languid.

"It's me, it's Gao Changhe."

He thought to himself, "This lazy cat. "

"Where are you? I thought you'd forgotten me."

Li Xinxiang perked up immediately.

"I'm going to Beijing right away."

"Great, I'll come pick you up."

"No need, I'm going with some colleagues from the Tourism Bureau."

Gao Changhe lowered his voice.

"I don't care, I just want to see you."

Li Xinxiang pleaded.

"..."

"How about this, don't make any arrangements for tonight, I'll treat you to a welcome dinner."

Seeing that Gao Changhe didn't answer, Li Xinxiang took a step back.

"Okay, that's settled then, I'm boarding the plane."

Gao Changhe felt a warm glow in his heart.

4 PM, September 13, 1998, Beijing Tourism Building, Beijing Tourism Bureau, Director Zhou's office.

"Changhe, I haven't heard from you since you graduated from Party School, what brings you to see me today?"

Director Zhou shook Gao Changhe's hand.

"I've been wanting to come, but I really haven't had the time."

Gao Changhe said, introducing the comrades who accompanied him.

"Hehe, I heard you went from being the Secretary-General of the Provincial Party Committee back to the Municipal Party Secretary."

Director Zhou nodded one by one.

"I was the Deputy Secretary-General."

Gao Changhe corrected, being very careful about this in front of his subordinates.

Then Gao Changhe explained the purpose of his trip and asked Director Zhou to take good care of Pingyang.

Director Zhou waved his hand, "No problem. The Tourism Bureau is holding a meeting with all travel agencies these next few days to discuss tourism issues during the Golden Week holiday. I'll let Director Chen of the Domestic Tourism Department know in a bit."

Gao Changhe quickly said, "Thank you."

Old Zhou laughed heartily, "Old Gao, it's been so long! Tonight, I'll treat you to a meal, firstly to welcome you back, and secondly to celebrate your return to Kuaikuai."

Gao Changhe hesitated, "How can I let you treat me? But I'm only away for a short time this time; I'll be back tomorrow. Tonight, I need to visit some old comrades from Pingyang, so I'm afraid..."

Director Zhou expressed his understanding, "Of course, of course. You should have been visiting more often."

Gao Changhe felt a little ashamed, "Old Zhou, next time I have time, I'll treat you to a proper drink."

Saying this, he turned to his subordinates and said, "Tonight, your task is to keep Director Zhou company."

His subordinates had been in officialdom for many years, "Don't worry, Secretary Gao, if we don't keep Director Zhou company, you can dismiss us."

Gao Changhe cupped his hands in farewell and quickly took his leave.

In the taxi back to the hotel, Gao Changhe eagerly dialed Li Xinxiang's cell phone. "It's me, I'm done."

"Great! I'll come find you later. Where are you staying?"

"Wangfu Hotel."

"You're such a corrupt official, always so 'corrupt',"

Li Xinxiang teased.

"No, it's a designated unit for their tourism system,"

Gao Changhe quickly explained.

"Hehe, tell me what you want to eat?"

"You."

In the taxi, Gao Changhe didn't say much.

Li Xinxiang chuckled, "I'll let you eat your fill later. By the way, you guys are so corrupt all the time, you're tired of all the delicacies. I think we should have vegetarian today. There's a vegetarian restaurant near Dengshikou."

Gao Changhe nodded, "You're the leader today, I'll follow your orders."

On the evening of September 13, 1998, back in Beijing, Gao Changhe took a shower, lay down on the bed, and idly flipped through channels on the remote control. Before long, he fell asleep.

"Ding-dong!" He didn't know how much time had passed when the doorbell woke him up. He scrambled to his feet, not even bothering to put on his shoes, and ran to open the door.

To his surprise, besides Li Xinxiang, another beautiful young woman stood outside.

Seeing Gao Changhe's somewhat dazed expression, Li Xinxiang quickly explained, "This is my best friend, Bai Ling. She heard you were here and insisted on seeing what you look like."

Gao Changhe hurriedly said, "I know you, Tian Liye's classmate, the class beauty."

Bai Ling, ever the chatterbox, added, "No wonder Xinxiang kept talking about Secretary Gao after returning from Pingyang. Hmm, he really is quite handsome."

Gao Changhe awkwardly said, "Don't listen to her nonsense, come in quickly."

As soon as he turned around, Li Xinxiang and Bai Ling burst into laughter. Gao Changhe was somewhat bewildered, but when he looked in the mirror, he found it funny himself. It turned out that he had gone to bed with wet hair after showering, resulting in his hair standing straight up at the back of his head, forming a "Mohawk" hairstyle.

The three of them chatted and laughed.

After chatting for a while, Li Xinxiang exclaimed, "Stop talking! I'm starving!"

So the three of them went to the restaurant.

At the restaurant, Bai Ling smiled and handed the menu to Gao Changhe, "Please take a look, leader."

Gao Changhe glanced at it; Beijing's prices were really high. The vegetarian dishes were several times more expensive than the actual meat dishes, and he couldn't help but worry that he didn't have enough money.

"Secretary Gao, Xinxiang said that Mirror Lake where you live is beautiful, and the fish and shrimp are especially fresh."

Gao Changhe remembered the purpose of his trip to Beijing. "Yes, you should go and see it sometime. I'll host you, but you have to give me a good talking-to when you get back."

"No problem, and I'll also praise you, my good secretary, right, Xinxiang?"

Bai Ling giggled and hugged Li Xinxiang.

Li Xinxiang put a piece of 'fish' into her mouth, saying, "You're so frivolous, even eating can't shut you up."

After finishing the meal, Gao Changhe gestured to the waiter to settle the bill, but Li Xinxiang stopped him, saying, "We agreed to treat you to a welcome-back dinner. Besides, if you weren't a corrupt official, you should save your two yuan salary for cigarettes."

Gao Changhe was speechless; spending over a thousand yuan was no small sum for him.

Outside, Li Xinxiang asked, "Where to?"

Gao Changhe said, "Whatever you guys say."

Bai Ling said, "Let's go to a bar. If we go to a nightclub, with just the two of us, Secretary Gao will be too embarrassed to call a prostitute, and he'll feel uncomfortable."

Gao Changhe tapped her forehead, "You're such a chatterbox."

Gao Changhe hadn't been to Beijing for several years and felt that the city had changed a lot.

The bars lining the streets of Sanlitun, teeming with men and women, gave him a glimpse into another way of life.

Li Xinxiang and Bai Ling naturally each linked arms with one of Gao Changhe's, and surrounded by these two beauties, watching the passersby turn their heads, Gao Changhe felt a sense of satisfaction.

Li Xinxiang and Bai Ling were clearly regulars at the bars; as soon as they entered, every waiter vied to greet them. Bai Ling, however, seemed indifferent, leading them directly to a table. "Old Gao, we're not in the official business today. Xinxiang and I are treating you. After we finish here, we'll go to another one. We absolutely have to drink to our hearts' content."

The bar was noisy and filled with smoke, with a small band playing energetically on stage. Gao Changhe quickly relaxed, blending into the atmosphere and chatting and laughing with his two female companions, his hands occasionally gesturing to one or the other.

The late summer/early autumn night, with its gentle breeze, brought a lazy, indescribable comfort. When they emerged from the fourth bar, all three were a little drunk, supporting each other and humming the tunes played in the bar. Everyone was happy.

"Let's...let's go to my place and...let's have some more drinks,"

Bai Ling suggested. Neither Li Xinxiang nor Gao Changhe objected, and the two of them walked with a light, almost floating gait, finding it very amusing.

On the way home, Bai Ling excitedly gave directions haphazardly, "Left turn, no...no, right, keep right,"

and finally, after a long struggle, they arrived at her villa on Airport Road, and the driver finally breathed a sigh of relief.

As soon as they entered, Bai Ling vomited all over Gao Changhe. "I'm so sorry, I'll go find you...your husband's clothes."

Li Xinxiang found Gao Changhe's soaking wet clothes amusing. "Heh...you just take...take it off, and...that'll be fine."

"I'll take...take it off."

Gao Changhe clumsily tried to pull down his underwear and pants, but he lost his balance and fell to the ground. He reached out and grabbed Bai Ling's skirt, pulling it down. "I'm...I'm sorry, I...I didn't mean to."

Bai Ling was pulled down by him and fell down as well.

"Why...why are you sleeping on the floor? Take me...take me with you when you sleep."

Li Xinxiang said, squeezing next to them, grabbing Gao Changhe's penis with one hand and Bai Ling's breast with the other.

Gao Changhe tried to stand up, but his legs wouldn't obey him. He felt the alcohol he had just drunk boiling inside him, finally concentrating between his legs, burning like fire.

Suddenly, he felt a cool sensation from his penis. Bai Ling felt better after vomiting and sat up, taking Gao Changhe's penis into her mouth.

Li Xinxiang tried to push her away, "You...you let me have a couple of...a couple of bites."

Bai Ling wouldn't let her, so she simply lay on top of Gao Changhe, sticking her buttocks out and carefully tasting it. Seeing no other way, Li Xinxiang squatted in front of Gao Changhe and began sucking on his fingers.

Gao Changhe felt completely relaxed, as if he were floating in mid-air. He held Bai Ling's breast tightly with one hand, while the other hand groped between Li Xinxiang's legs, feeling as if his fingers were entering a honey pot.

Bai Ling got tired of sucking and sat up, groping for Gao Changhe's penis, trying to insert it into her vagina. She tried twice but couldn't get it in. It turned out she hadn't taken off her panties. In desperation, she ripped one side open, revealing a pair of imported designer panties, only one side hanging on her leg.

She grabbed Gao Changhe's penis without hesitation and shoved it into her vagina. Gao Changhe, lying on the ground, suddenly felt his penis tighten and heat. Looking down, he saw Bai Ling straddling him, moving up and down like a horse, her breasts heaving with each movement.

At that moment, Li Xinxiang sat on Gao Changhe's chest, facing him, kneading her breasts. Gao Changhe slightly raised his head, burying it between her snow-white legs, passionately kissing her dripping vulva.

The two beautiful women, one in front and one behind, faced him, stimulating Gao Changhe's veins to the point of bursting.

Bai Ling squatted, pressing her clitoris tightly, cooperating with the movements. She felt waves of pleasure surging within her, but at the crucial moment, she always fell just short. She stopped moving, letting her body tightly envelop Gao Changhe's penis, while simultaneously turning Li Xinxiang around and thrusting her tongue into her mouth.

Li Xinxiang turned around, her buttocks facing Gao Changhe. Gao Changhe gently lifted her buttocks with both hands, his tongue moving in and out of her several orifices.

Li Xinxiang felt itchy all over from Gao Changhe's licking, and she couldn't hold back any longer. She rolled over, "Ah, fuck me..."

Gao Changhe got up and lifted her up, thrusting his penis into her dripping, wet vagina. Bai Ling was behind him, vigorously licking his thighs, scrotum, and anus.

Li Xinxiang was in ecstasy. The alcohol and pleasure made her dizzy, and she cried out ecstatically, "Harder...so hard...ah..."

Gao Changhe tensed up at her cries. He quickly pulled Bai Ling over and made her bend over as well, then thrust in without restraint. He thrust vigorously, sharing pleasure and pain equally between the two of them. Listening to each other's moans, both beauties gradually reached their climax. They used their fingers to fill the emptiness left by Gao Changhe's penis when it left. When Gao Changhe's penis entered again, Bai Ling felt completely overwhelmed. Her limbs went weak, and a surge of heat gushed out from her body as she collapsed to the ground, moaning.

Bai Ling's gushing sensation sent a chill down Gao Changhe's spine. His scalp tingled, his breathing became rapid, and he quickly inserted his penis into Li Xinxiang's honeyed slit.

Li Xinxiang, as if she had waited a lifetime for this life-saving penis, would never let it leave again. She tightly closed her vulva, feeling the vibrations from the impact. The stimulation surging from the tip of her honeyed slit made her teeth chatter slightly, and her whole body trembled. She clenched her teeth, remaining conscious, fully enjoying this wondrous feeling. The involuntary trembling and spasms of her vaginal walls made her lose control. "It feels so good!"

she sighed deeply, collapsing to the ground as well.

Watching the two beautiful women before him, legs spread wide, revealing their wet, usually well-hidden honeyed slits, moaning shamelessly, Gao Changhe suddenly felt like God.

He knelt on the ground, stroking his own penis with his hand, watching the semen spurt out. He moved the hand, making sure the semen sprayed evenly onto both of them.

Chapter 8

On the morning of September 15, 1998, the Pingyang Municipal Party Committee... "Ge Xiaolan, female, 35 years old, member of the Communist Party of China, postgraduate degree, has served as township head, township party secretary, county head, and is currently the director and deputy party secretary of the Pingyang Municipal Bureau of Statistics. This comrade..."

Looking at the thick report submitted by the organization department regarding the candidates for the Lieshan leadership team, Gao Changhe's gaze lingered on Ge Xiaolan's name.

At a work meeting, this big-eyed female director had left a deep impression on him. Unlike others who carried a notebook while reporting, grunting and glancing at the notebook after each sentence, she delivered a string of numbers in one breath, presenting the entire report in an analytical and organized manner, appearing very shrewd and capable.

Gao Changhe dialed Liu Yiru's number: "Director Liu, please ask Ge Xiaolan, the director of the Municipal Statistics Bureau, to come to my office."

After hanging up, Liu Yiru began to ponder. Why did Gao Changhe want to see Ge Xiaolan alone? Could it be related to the selection of the leadership team in Lieshan? Thinking of this, she first called her daughter, Jinhua, to ask if she had heard anything about the leadership team selection.

"Secretary Gao, you wanted to see me?"

Ge Xiaolan knocked and entered. She was about 1.6 meters tall, with a round face and big eyes; at first glance, she resembled a certain Hong Kong or Taiwanese celebrity.

"Sit down, please sit down."

Gao Changhe put down the documents in his hand. "...Comrade Xiaolan, have you considered returning to work at the grassroots level?"...

Watching Ge Xiaolan enter Gao Changhe's office, Liu Yiru felt very uncomfortable. Lately, she had been constantly irritable, feeling hot all over, and finding fault with everything. She had seen a doctor, who said it was a normal reaction to menopause and prescribed some medication. Liu Yiru had also considered whether she should submit a report requesting early retirement; after all, at 50, continuing as office director was pointless.

Since Gao Changhe hadn't brought his secretary to Pingyang, nor had he mentioned it since, everyone assumed he was waiting until his work was finished before assigning his original secretary. Therefore, Liu Yiru had been handling most of Gao Changhe's administrative tasks.

Today, Gao Changhe suddenly summoned Ge Xiaolan, and her intuition told her it was related to the Lieshan leadership. So, she left her office door open so that she could glean something from Ge Xiaolan's expression as she left.

"Alright, go back first and arrange your work. Your appointment will be discussed at the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee meeting tomorrow morning. Be mentally prepared to take office at any time. The simultaneous collapse of both leadership teams in Lieshan is a national record. Once you arrive, you must first unify your thinking and prioritize anti-corruption work. Also, pay attention to maintaining good relations with Comrade Jinhua. I know it's not easy for two women to get along, and Comrade Jinhua has a strong personality. I hope you'll consider the overall situation. I don't want the two leadership teams to complain to me about unity issues."

Gao Changhe ended the conversation half-jokingly.

Ge Xiaolan left, and as she passed Liu Yiru's office, she saw Liu Yiru's concerned gaze and couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. She pretended not to see it and left the Municipal Party Committee building expressionlessly.

At 9:00 AM on September 16, 1998, when Gao Changhe proposed transferring Ge Xiaolan to the position of Secretary of the Lieshan County Party Committee, the meeting room was silent. No one had expected Gao Changhe to nominate her. Ge Xiaolan was known for her straightforward temper. Years ago, she argued with Jiang Chaolin over a numerical issue, causing the old Party Secretary's blood pressure to spike. However, Jiang Chaolin still appointed her as the Director of the Statistics Bureau, believing the bureau needed such an upright and outspoken leader.

Wen Chunming coughed twice. "Comrade Xiaolan is principled and has experience working at the grassroots level; she's an ideal candidate. However, having two leadership teams entirely composed of women is probably rare nationwide."

"Yes, yes,"

several voices echoed.

Gao Changhe remained calm: "The leadership team in Lieshan has been vacant for a long time, hindering many tasks. Now is the time to utilize talent. We must break down barriers, focus on practical work, and make the best use of everyone's abilities."

Seeing Gao Changhe's somewhat harsh tone, everyone fell silent.

"Alright, those with opinions can reserve them. Now, let's vote by raising hands."

At this Standing Committee meeting, Ge Xiaolan was officially appointed as the Party Secretary of Lieshan County.

At 3:00 AM on September 16, 1998, after lunch at the Lieshan County Government, Jin Hua became restless.

The morning's municipal party committee meeting had just ended when she learned that Ge Xiaolan had been appointed county party secretary. She didn't know Ge Xiaolan very well; they'd only nodded to each other when they bumped into each other at meetings. Years ago, some busybodies had grouped her, Ge Xiaolan, Fang Lili (deputy chief prosecutor of the municipal procuratorate), and Chen Min (deputy director of the municipal health bureau) as the four most prominent figures in Pingyang's political circles.

To be honest, Jin Hua didn't care who became county party secretary; she, as acting county head, was just cooperating. What bothered her was that Gao Changhe personally accompanied Ge Xiaolan to her new post. She didn't know if this was just a formality or if it had some other significance.

For many years, Jin Hua had kept her emotional life closed off, focusing solely on her work. Her previous encounter with Gao Changhe while drunk had awakened her long-dormant sexual desires. In her dreams, she repeatedly made love to Gao Changhe, even dreaming once of him whipping her; when she woke up, her underwear was completely soaked. She didn't know why she had become like this.

Alas, once a mature woman's sexual desire is awakened, it's like dry tinder meeting a spark, burning fiercely until she's completely consumed.

Liu Yiru called her daughter to tell her that Gao Changhe had already set off. She wondered why Gao Changhe had only gone to Lieshan with Deputy Minister Liu of the Organization Department and Ge Xiaolan, without inviting her. Thinking about it, she felt uneasy and quickly found the medicine prescribed by the doctor, swallowing it with tea.

Hearing the sirens in the courtyard, Jin Hua's heart skipped a beat. She quickly got up, combed her hair, straightened her clothes, and ran downstairs to greet Gao Changhe and his party.

At 8 PM on September 20, 1998, Chen Waibo, emerging from the video room in Jiunian County, Pingyang City, felt an unbearable hardness in his crotch.

Chen Waibo's real name was Chen Jianguo, but because he was hit on the neck with a brick during a fight as a child, injuring a tendon, no one called him Chen Jianguo anymore.

He was in his thirties, unemployed, spending his days sponging off his friends, driving his elderly parents to their deaths one after the other. Now he made a living by renting out a few old rooms in his family's house. When his parents were alive, they had tried to arrange marriages for him, but no respectable girl was willing to marry him; he was still single at over thirty.

Every full moon, he felt an urge to kill, to set fires, to rape all women. But he didn't dare; he could only masturbate to the yellowed movie star calendar hanging above his bed.

Today, the video rental store was showing an action movie, with a segment of a Hong Kong Category III film interspersed. The women on the screen, with their large breasts swaying towards him, were unbearable for him.

He went outside, looking for a place to masturbate. Because of the ongoing demolition of the old city, the streets were deserted amidst the ruins. Suddenly, "tap...tap..."

came the sound of high heels. Looking up, he saw a single woman carrying a bag, walking briskly towards him. The sounds seemed to pound against his heart. He couldn't hold back any longer and rushed over to hug the girl.

"Ah!"

The girl's scream ignited the beast within him. He carried her behind a low wall, ripped off her skirt, and pressed his foul mouth against hers.

The girl struggled desperately, her legs tightly shut. Chen Waibo pulled out his penis and, without a second thought, thrust it into her legs.

When he was grabbed by the neck and lifted up, his lustful desire hadn't even subsided.

At the police station, Chen Waibo knew he was in deep trouble. When the police officers interrogating him took his statement, he offered to do good deeds to atone for his crime. Seeing that the police ignored him, he panicked: "I know that Er Gouzi from West Street hit a high-ranking official in the city with his car a while ago..."

On the evening of September 20, 1998, at 10 PM, in the provincial capital's provincial party committee dormitory, on the Mid-Autumn Festival, Gao Changhe finished his work early in the afternoon, asked Liu Yiru to help buy some Pingyang specialties that his old man liked, and rushed back to the provincial capital.

After picking up Liang Li from work, they went to the hospital together to visit the old man.

On the way home, neither of them spoke, and they seemed somewhat estranged.

When they got home, it was almost 10 pm. Seeing that Gao Qiang was already asleep, Liang Li changed into her pajamas and said, "Go take a shower first."

Gao Changhe nodded and went into the bathroom. Liang Li found Gao Changhe's change of clothes, and for some reason, she suddenly thought of Xiao Liu.

That day, after she and Xiao Liu had been intimate, they lay side by side on the bed, and she asked him, "How

could you be so bold? Aren't you afraid I'll tell my husband and he'll punish you when he gets back?" "I don't care, Sister Liang. I liked you the moment I saw you. I've always fantasized about sleeping with you, about doing it at any cost. I've thought about it countless times."

Liang Li was moved and kissed Xiao Liu's chest. "Good brother, I won't tell anyone."

Thinking this, Liang Li felt a heat between her legs.

"What are you thinking about? Daydreaming?"

Gao Changhe's words startled Liang Li. She subconsciously looked down and said, "Nothing. I wonder when the old man's illness will get better." Gao Changhe changed into clean clothes. "Yes, maybe we should find an old Chinese medicine doctor to take a look."

After saying that, he lay down on the bed and stretched out his arms.

Liang Li looked at her husband. In just over two months, he looked noticeably older, his face somewhat haggard. "Haven't you been resting well lately?"

Gao Changhe asked, a little guilty. "I'm fine, I'm fine."

Liang Li crawled up to Gao Changhe's side. "Did you miss me?"

"Yes," Gao

Changhe replied absentmindedly.

"Where did you miss me?" Liang Li persisted. "Here." Gao Changhe jokingly pointed between his legs. "You rascal," Liang Li pinched Gao Changhe's hand, "Let's see if it still wants to?" Looking at Liang Li's half-naked body, smelling her unique feminine scent, Gao Changhe's penis hardened slightly. Liang Li dimmed the lamplight and took off her pajamas. Gao Changhe noticed that in the two months since they last met, Liang Li had gained weight; a roll of fat had appeared on her lower abdomen, and her bra was no longer supporting her breasts. Liang Li, wearing only underwear and a bra, lay down beside Gao Changhe, breathing slightly rapidly. Gao Changhe turned to his side, embraced Liang Li, and the two kissed. Liang Li untied Gao Changhe's pajama bottoms and pulled them down. Gao Changhe curled his legs up, letting her try, and slipped one hand inside Liang Li's underwear. Liang Li kicked Gao Changhe's pants off the bed with her foot, grabbed his penis, and felt a sharp pain. Gao Changhe took a deep breath and quickly got up, pulling Liang Li's panties down to his feet. "Kiss it," Liang Li pointed to her full breasts. Gao Changhe lay on top of her, knowing that Liang Li's nipples were particularly sensitive, so he used the tip of his tongue to suck and lick them, like doing homework. "Oh..." Liang Li's legs were wet with her own juices. She nudged Gao Changhe, signaling him to hurry up and come in. Gao Changhe quickly stroked his penis a couple of times, feeling that it was hard enough, and then climbed on top of her. Liang Li guided his penis into her vagina with her hand, without any effort. Gao Changhe thrust twice, feeling his penis slip out. He quickly held it in place and tried to push it back in. Because Liang Li was so wet with her juices, and his erection wasn't quite hard enough, it kept slipping out, making Liang Li gasp for breath in discomfort. Gao Changhe wiped Liang Li's wet, dripping vulva with a tissue from the bedside table, then lifted her legs, focused his mind, and pushed his penis in again. Because of the abundant fluid, his penis didn't feel that obvious pressure. He calmly thrust in and out, watching Liang Li's agonizing state, he didn't seem particularly excited. Liang Li had already climaxed twice from the thrusting. She gripped Gao Changhe's arms tightly, humming words no one could understand. Gao Changhe's heart pounded higher and higher. He felt exhausted and wanted to finish quickly, but his penis wasn't accumulating any pleasure. He thought of Li Xinxiang, then Bai Ling. In his hazy state, he felt a slight pressure on his penis. He desperately thought of Jin Hua, of her wearing garter belts, imagining her wearing garter belts, one leg upright, the other on a chair, masturbating with something. As he thought and thought, he felt his penis growing increasingly swollen. He thrust a few times, held his breath, and with a "sizzle," his penis throbbed twice, spurting out a few drops of fluid. Gao Changhe could no longer hold on. His arms went limp, and he collapsed onto Liang Li's body, panting heavily. Neither of them noticed that the bedroom door was ajar, and a pair of bright eyes, through the dim light, greedily stared at the point where their bodies were joined... At 7 PM on June 23, 1998, after the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee meeting concluded in the Provincial Party Committee compound, it was already dark. Gao Changhe, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Provincial Party Committee, left his office and hurried home. His father-in-law had been hospitalized again a few days ago, and Gao Changhe and his wife Liang Li had arranged to visit him that evening. Liang Li had even called to remind him that afternoon, so Gao Changhe dared not miss the appointment. Unexpectedly, just as he was about to get into his car at the entrance of Building No. 1, Liu Huabo, the provincial party secretary, stood on the steps and waved to him, looking tired. Gao Changhe knew that Liu Huabo had recently expressed to the relevant central authorities on behalf of the provincial party committee that they would do something practical for the economically underdeveloped brother provinces and regions, and were currently asking them to prepare a counterpart poverty alleviation work conference. He assumed Liu Huabo wanted to inquire about the conference preparations, so he went over and proactively reported, "Secretary Liu, we have completed the preparations for the counterpart poverty alleviation conference as you requested, and we were just about to take some time to give you a detailed report. What day would be best for us?" Liu Huabo waved his hand and said, "This matter is assigned to Governor Chen by the Standing Committee. You should report to Governor Chen. Tomorrow I want to talk to you about something else. Would you like to come to my office at eight o'clock sharp? Put what you're doing aside for now!" Gao Changhe really wanted to ask Liu Huabo what he wanted to discuss, but since Liu Huabo didn't bring it up, he didn't feel comfortable asking. However, unwilling to give up, he tried to make conversation, saying, "Oh, Secretary Liu, there's another matter. The Pingyang Cross-Sea Bridge will open tomorrow afternoon, and the Pingyang Municipal Party Committee very much hopes you can go to Pingyang. What do you think..." At this moment, Liu Huabo's car had already pulled into the lobby. As he walked towards the car, Liu Huabo said, "Changhe, wasn't it already arranged? Secretary-General Cheng and Vice Governor Wu will represent the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government, so I won't go. I have too many things to do, my schedule is packed, I can't get away." Gao Changhe followed Liu Huabo to the car: "But this afternoon in Pingyang..." "Three more calls came in." Liu Huabo laughed, pointing at Gao Changhe's forehead, "You, Gao Changhe, why are you so fond of Pingyang? Did you take kickbacks from them? Fine, fine, I think you should quit your job as Provincial Party Secretary and become the Secretary-General of the Pingyang Municipal Party Committee!" After the joke, he emphasized seriously, "Remember, come to my office at 8:00 AM tomorrow. I have a meeting with a head of state from the CIS after 10:00 AM." Gao Changhe readily agreed, and only after watching Liu Huabo's car drive away did he dazedly get into his own car. Sitting in the car, the more he thought about it, the more suspicious tomorrow's conversation seemed. What did this provincial leader want to talk to him about? Could it be that someone had badmouthed him again? A year ago, when he was the deputy secretary of the provincial capital's Party committee, he wrote two articles discussing the economy from a legal perspective, criticizing some illegal and disorderly phenomena in economic construction. This inadvertently offended some people, who then referred to him as "Guiding Officer Gao" in an ambiguous way. But more than a year has passed, and he has left his position in the provincial capital. Surely these people wouldn't keep bothering him endlessly? And as the deputy secretary-general of the provincial Party committee, he couldn't be "Guiding Officer Gao" even if he wanted to; the probability of him causing controversy by having to follow the leader's "guidance" in everything was almost zero. Thinking this way, he felt at ease, and sitting in the car, he even felt a sense of appreciation for the night view. The lighting project in the provincial capital this year was quite good; the effort was significant, and the results were quite good. Skyscrapers were fully illuminated, neon lights and billboards were all lit up, and the lights of thousands of homes and the starry sky adorned this ancient capital of eight dynasties in a magnificent display. However, as the car passed Zhongshan Square, Gao Changhe noticed that the square, which he had overseen the construction of, was poorly lit, with many of the surrounding ground lights broken, and several citizens gathered in small groups on the lawn. Gao Changhe's face darkened involuntarily, and he said to the driver, "Such a beautiful square, and these people are treating it like this, showing no appreciation whatsoever! It's outrageous!" The driver replied, "There will always be people like this who lack public morality, which is why we need to promote civilized behavior." Gao Changhe said, "Just promotion isn't enough; we need to take real action. We need to draft some local regulations. When I see Secretary Jin of the Provincial and Municipal Party Committees, I'll have to suggest that they increase the strength of legislation and law enforcement, punishing these uncivilized and immoral people according to the law, making them tremble with fear, and see if they dare to do it again!" The driver dismissively said, "Secretary-General Gao, you're not the Party Secretary of the Provincial Capital anymore, why are you meddling in these things?" Gao Changhe said, "Hey, you can't say that. I'm not the Party Secretary anymore, but I'm still a citizen of the Provincial Capital. I still have the right to make suggestions, don't I?"

After saying that, he glanced at his watch. "Drive faster, pick up Liang Li when we get home, then we'll go to the People's Hospital. My old Eighth Route Army soldier is hospitalized again, and his condition isn't good..."

Unexpectedly, they didn't end up going to the hospital.

When they arrived at their own courtyard at No. 74 Shanghai Road, Gao Changhe unexpectedly spotted an Audi with a Pingyang City license plate parked on the side of the road. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw his classmate from the Central Party School, Sun Yadong, the current Deputy Secretary of the Pingyang Municipal Party Committee and Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, sitting in their living room. His wife, Liang Li, was talking to Sun Yadong.

Gao Changhe didn't pay much attention at first, assuming Sun Yadong was there to invite provincial leaders for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Pingyang Cross-Sea Bridge the next day. But then he realized something was amiss: Sun Yadong was in charge of discipline inspection, the cross-sea bridge had nothing to do with him, and there had been rumors lately that he was having a fierce power struggle with Pingyang Mayor Wen Chunming. What was he doing here at this time?

It was then that he sensitively considered the problems within the Pingyang City leadership. Jiang Chaolin, the Party Secretary of Pingyang City, has reached the age limit and will be moving to the People's Congress. The current mayor, Wen Chunming, is very likely to become the new Party Secretary of Pingyang City, something Sun Yadong certainly doesn't want to see. Therefore, Gao Changhe is convinced that Sun Yadong's trip is to gather information and, incidentally, to sow discord between Wen Chunming and Gao Changhe, secretly lamenting his predicament.

However, Gao Changhe remained outwardly calm. As soon as he entered the house, he greeted Sun Yadong with a smile, "Yadong, you're a rare guest! What brings you here all of a sudden? Huh?"

Sun Yadong laughed, "To see you? I'm here to freeload a meal! Liang Li, Changhe's back, let's eat!"

Liang Li said, "What's the point of eating, Secretary Sun? You just come like that, I don't have anything good to offer you!"

Sun Yadong exclaimed, "Liang Li, why are you being so polite? Eat whatever's in the fridge. I even brought some local specialties from Pingyang. Look, there's also some wine. You cook a couple of dishes, and Secretary Gao and I will have a couple of drinks together!"

Faced with a guest like Sun Yadong, Gao Changhe had no choice but to join in and have a couple of drinks.

As Gao Changhe raised his glass, he laid it all out: "Yadong, don't try to corrupt or win me over. Let me be clear, I really don't know how the provincial party committee decided on your Pingyang leadership team. If you want to find out about this, you'd better go to the comrades in the Organization Department. You've really come to the wrong person."

Sun Yadong smiled mysteriously and said, "I'm not going to anyone. I just wanted to drink with you today and also report on my work. Pingyang is no simple place. Its economic strength is the best in the province, its per capita GDP is the best in the province, and its per capita income is the best in the province. But the cadre team is also quite complicated. As far as I know, the potential corruption problem is quite serious..."

Gao Changhe sensed that Sun Yadong was going to put a bad word to their mayor, Wen Chunming, so he replied casually, "If you know the corruption problem is serious, then investigate it properly. Why are you telling me? Come on, let's drink!"

Sun Yadong didn't drink, but instead slammed his glass on the table: "Good, Secretary Gao, with your words, I feel more at ease! Now, I will report to you on the economic problems of Lieshan County, which have been strongly reflected by the cadres and masses of Pingyang, and Pingyang..." The problem with the steel rolling mill. Mayor Wen Chunming bears undeniable responsibility for the problems at the Pingyang Steel Rolling Mill. How could someone like that want to be the Party Secretary? Thankfully, the Provincial Party Committee was wise enough not to let Wen Chunming climb the ranks. Therefore, I suggest that after you take office, you use the Pingyang Steel Rolling Mill as a breakthrough point in the fight against corruption, and see how those 1.2 billion yuan of national funds were wasted…”

Gao Changhe then realized something was amiss and quickly interrupted Sun Yadong, saying, “Hey, hey, Secretary Sun, wait a minute, wait a minute—you actually reported this to me? Huh? I'm not from the provincial…” " The secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission isn't the secretary of your Pingyang Municipal Party Committee. He's just a deputy secretary-general of the provincial party committee who takes orders . Where am I supposed to go?"

Sun Yadong pointed at Gao Changhe with his chopsticks and laughed. "Secretary Gao, isn't that a bit unfair? You're about to become the secretary of our Pingyang Municipal Party Committee, and you're still keeping it from me, your old friend and new colleague. You, you—of course, I can understand your adherence to organizational principles! Come on, let's have a drink. On behalf of all my comrades in the discipline inspection and political and legal system, and on behalf of the nine million people of Pingyang who dare to fight, I welcome you to Pingyang to take charge of the work!" 12-02
Chapter 01 Lightning Strikes the Sky

Only then did Gao Changhe realize: the content of his conversation with Provincial Party Secretary Liu Huabo at eight o'clock tomorrow morning was likely to be about the leadership of Pingyang and his own job transfer. Things are often so strange these days. As the person involved, he didn't know about his job transfer, but those below him knew first, and experience has shown that this kind of inside information from below is sometimes surprisingly accurate.

However, this was still inside information, and Provincial Party Secretary Liu Huabo hadn't spoken to him yet.

So, Gao Changhe remained calm and smiled, "Secretary Sun, aren't your ears a bit too long? This is my business, I didn't even know about it, how did you know? Did Liu Huabo give you the position of Provincial Party Secretary?"

Sun Yadong was somewhat surprised, "Secretary Gao, you really didn't know?"

Gao Changhe shook his head, "I only know that the Provincial Party Committee was considering having Wen Chunming succeed Jiang Chaolin as Party Secretary. I heard that Comrade Jiang Chaolin strongly recommended him and talked with comrades from the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department for more than nine hours."

Sun Yadong waved his hand, "That's old news. Wen Chunming didn't pass, and there was a big reaction from all sides. Jiang Chaolin talked for nineteen hours... " "It's no use now! Putting aside everything else, based on the Pingyang Steel Rolling Mill that Wen Chunming is in charge of, he's not qualified to take this step! That's why Deputy Secretary Ma Wanli specifically mentioned you, saying that you did a good job as the Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee in the provincial capital, that you're capable, decisive, and knowledgeable about economics, and that you also served as the Deputy Secretary-General of the Provincial Party Committee for over a year, so you have a lot of experience. Going to Pingyang to take charge of the work at such a controversial time is beneficial to the overall situation! Secretary Liu and Governor Chen both agreed, saying that you're a dark horse that suddenly appeared!"

As if to confirm Sun Yadong's words, at this very moment, Provincial Party Secretary Liu Huabo called.

Liu Huabo said on the phone, "Changhe, do you know what I want to talk to you about tomorrow?"

Gao Changhe tried his best to remain calm: "No, I have no idea at all."

Liu Huabo said, "Take a guess."

Gao Changhe tried to appear natural and laughed, "How dare I guess what your boss is thinking?"

Liu Huabo also laughed, and after laughing, he said, "Then let me give you a heads-up first. Your job is going to be changed. You're a cadre for the new century, you can't just stay in the provincial party committee as a high-ranking official forever, how can you cross into the new century? You need to be prepared to go to Pingyang to take charge of the work. We'll discuss the specifics in person, with Secretary Ma and Governor Chen in attendance."

Gao Changhe mechanically agreed, and after hanging up the phone, he was stunned for a long time before he came to his senses.

Liang Li came out of the kitchen carrying dishes and asked, "Who called?"

Sun Yadong rushed over and said, "It was Secretary Liu from the Provincial Party Committee!"

Then, he said to Gao Changhe, "Secretary Gao, don't think I've got ears everywhere, right? This has proven once again that rumors travel faster than official news!"

Gao Changhe shook his head: "This isn't normal!"

Sun Yadong said, "There are many abnormal things, it's none of your business—now, do you want to hear my report?"

Gao Changhe sighed and said, "Alright, I'll listen."

Liang Li looked at her watch and asked, "Changhe, are we still going? " "You went to the hospital to see the old man?"

Gao Changhe glanced apologetically at Liang Li, spreading his hands. "I haven't even taken office yet, and Secretary Sun insists on reporting on his work. Let's do it another day."

Sun Yadong quickly said, "No, no, my report is very short. I'll just explain the issues and leave!"

Gao Changhe's face darkened: "Where are you going? Stay here and tell me everything about Pingyang. Be completely open and honest—but be factual and don't let personal feelings get in the way!"

Sun Yadong chuckled: "Hey, Secretary Gao, you're really getting into this? Okay, pour me a full glass of wine!"

At 8:00 PM on June 23, 1998, Jiang Chaolin, Secretary of the Pingyang Municipal Party Committee, noticed that Wen Chunming's expression was off as soon as he entered the room. His face was gloomy, and his eyes revealed unmistakable disappointment and resentment. Seemingly to cover up this disappointment and resentment, after sitting down on the sofa, Wen Chunming first complained about Tian Liye, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Municipal Party Committee, saying that Tian Liye was too irresponsible, that the arrangements for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the cross-sea bridge were very inappropriate, that provincial leaders hadn't even sent a special car to pick him up, and that he had made sarcastic and cynical remarks.

Wen Chunming glared angrily at Jiang Chaolin: "...Old Secretary, guess what Tian Liye said? He said anything that could save Pingyang money, even just a little bit on gasoline, and he kept saying it was your instruction!" Jiang Chaolin chuckled

: "That rascal, he's got a foul mouth, there's no way to deal with him! But this time, we really can't blame Tian Liye. He did ask me about sending a car, and I told him not to send a special car. Secretary-General Cheng of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Governor Wu both have special cars, we can just pick them up at the Pingyang border. But saving gasoline and all that, that wasn't my idea!"

Wen Chunming gave Jiang Chaolin a dissatisfied look and said: "We still have to send a special car! The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the cross-sea bridge is the last major event for our current leadership team, and it's such a landmark project, we have to make a big splash, so people don't think we Pingyang have no one left!"

His words were clearly tinged with emotion.

Jiang Chaolin figured Wen Chunming probably already knew that Gao Changhe, the deputy secretary-general of the provincial party committee, was going to become the party secretary of Pingyang, so it was normal for him to be a little emotional. He said, "Chunming, don't talk like that. The provincial party committee and Secretary Liu Huabo have their opinions on how well our current leadership team has performed, and the nine million citizens of Pingyang have their opinions too."

He waved his hand. "Alright, let's not talk about these irrelevant things. Let's talk about tomorrow's arrangements."

Wen Chunming then reported, "Tomorrow's ribbon-cutting ceremony is all set. My idea is that since this event is our current leadership team's farewell performance, it must be a grand and successful one, a way of bidding farewell to you, the old secretary. This time, even if I have to resist..." "The order has been given. The provincial leaders still need to be received. I've already instructed the reception office to send people and cars to go overnight, with Mayor Wang personally leading the team. A Boeing 757 has been chartered for the guests from Beijing and the heads of relevant departments. It will take off from the Capital Airport at 9:00 AM sharp, ensuring it won't delay the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3:00 PM."

Jiang Chaolin inquired, "How are the arrangements for the news organizations in the capital and the provincial capital?"

Wen Chunming replied, "They're all arranged. There are dedicated personnel to receive them. The comrades from CCTV, Xinhua News Agency, and the People's Daily will be accompanied by Minister Shen and two deputy ministers from the Propaganda Department throughout the trip to assist with the interviews."

Jiang Chaolin thought for a moment and said, "Let Tian Liye also go and assist with receiving the news organizations—our Secretary Tian..." "The secretary is a big scholar, he loves to hang out with scholars, and he's been pestering me with enthusiasm to go and help!"

Wen Chunming was taken aback: "Hey, old secretary, you dare let Tian Liye go to help the news media? Aren't you afraid that his stinking mouth might suddenly spew out some ivory, scaring them? I don't think we can let him go. Tomorrow, we'll send him to the office on duty for emergency response."

Jiang Chaolin laughed: "Tian Liye wouldn't be so confused at a time like this. If he really dares to spew ivory, I'll deal with him!"

Wen Chunming gave Jiang Chaolin a dissatisfied look: "Old secretary, you're just protecting him!"

Jiang Chaolin waved his hand: "Let's not talk about this anymore—Chunming, you should keep an eye on the steel rolling mill. Tomorrow, at such a crucial moment, you must..." "We can't afford any trouble! Didn't you say you borrowed some more money a few days ago? Have the workers been paid yet? You need to check on them. If they haven't been paid, pay them quickly, don't let them go back to the city to look for them again

, especially tomorrow." Wen Chunming was also a little uneasy, and said, "I've been busy with the finishing touches on the cross-sea bridge project lately, so I'm not sure if the steel mill workers have been paid yet. Why don't I go to the steel mill right away and hold a meeting with their managers tonight?"

Jiang Chaolin said, "That's a good idea."

Wen Chunming sighed and stood up: "Then I'll go now. Anyway, this steel mill is like a leech that's stuck to me, I... I guess I'll just have to accept my bad luck!"

After saying this, his eyes were a little red.

Jiang Chaolin glanced at Wen Chunming and gently criticized him, "Chunming, look at you, what kind of talk is that? Who blames you for the steel mill's problems? Wherever I go, no matter who I'm talking to, I'll say it: the responsibility for the steel mill isn't yours, nor mine. It was caused by the contradictions of the old planned economy system and the departmental structure. What can you do? What can our Pingyang Municipal Party Committee and Government do?"

Wen Chunming looked at Jiang Chaolin: "Do you think that way? Does our Deputy Secretary Sun Yadong think that way? Does the Provincial Party Committee think that way? I know that for my sake, you, the old Secretary, and the organization..." "Comrades from the department have talked to the provincial party committee many times, but what's the use? Gao Changhe still came!"

Jiang Chaolin asked with a wry smile, "So, you know everything?"

Wen Chunming nodded, "I only found out at dinner. I also heard that Sun Yadong went to the provincial capital again, and Gao Changhe and Sun Yadong have a very special relationship..."

Jiang Chaolin immediately interrupted Wen Chunming, "Hey, hey, Chunming, this Secretary Gao and I also have a special relationship. We became acquainted when he was the deputy secretary of the municipal party committee in the provincial capital. We have similar views and ideas on many issues. The previous..." "I was even thinking of poaching him to come to Pingyang! Chunming, don't make unfounded suspicions about Comrade Gao Changhe!"

Wen Chunming replied, "Old Secretary, I'm not making unfounded suspicions. To be honest, I really hope that after Gao Changhe comes to Pingyang, he can thoroughly investigate everything that's happened at the steel rolling mill over the years! I refuse to believe there's no justice in this world—but there's one condition: after the investigation is complete, please have Gao Changhe or Sun Yadong take over the steel rolling mill. I want to see what clever tricks they have up their sleeves."

Jiang Chaolin's face darkened: "Chunming, it's not good for you to say that. You're showing your emotions!" I could tell the moment you walked in. Comrade, let me tell you, you must remember this: you, Wen Chunming, are the mayor of a city and the deputy secretary of the municipal party committee. At all times and under all circumstances, you must prioritize the overall situation of Pingyang. Consider this my last piece of advice before I step down from my post. Whether you're angry or not, I have to say it. I also want to say that from now on, you, as mayor, and I, as the director of the People's Congress, must support Comrade Gao Changhe's work. I don't want to see anyone causing trouble in the new leadership team!"

Wen Chunming knew the old secretary's temperament, sighed, and said nothing more.

Jiang Chaolin continued, though his tone softened considerably: "Chunming, since you already know, I won't hide it from you anymore. When I recommended you to the Provincial Party Committee for the position of Municipal Party Secretary, I acted entirely out of public interest, not because of any personal feelings between us. Now that the Provincial Party Committee has appointed Gao Changhe, I believe they are also acting out of public interest, with the aim of doing a better job in Pingyang. Therefore, we cannot harbor resentment towards the Provincial Party Committee's decision, and even less can we hold a grudge against Comrade Gao Changhe because of it. Chunming, don't let your head get clouded. Don't think that just because Pingyang is one of the top cities in our province..." "The number one economic city, yet we flaunt our wealth and let others accuse us of xenophobia."

Wen Chunming nodded, forcing a smile that seemed like a grimace: "Alright, old secretary, I'll listen to you. If you, our old leader, can endure such humiliation, then I'll accept it. Here, I'll make a statement: as long as Gao Changhe comes to Pingyang to do big things, to do practical things, I will support Gao Changhe just as I supported you, old secretary."

Jiang Chaolin said: "That's right, a selfless heart makes the world vast!"

However, after seeing Wen Chunming out the door, Jiang Chaolin looked at the myriad lights of Pingyang outside the window and fell into deep thought.

The provincial party committee's decision was truly too sudden! How he wished the provincial party committee would accept his and Pingyang municipal party committee's suggestion and promote Wen Chunming to the position of municipal party secretary to succeed him! But Wen Chunming was deeply entangled in the much-discussed issue of the Pingyang Rolling Mill. Then came Gao Changhe, who had no connection to Pingyang whatsoever. This fact struck Jiang Chaolin like lightning across the sky, leaving him astonished and uneasy. Jiang Chaolin couldn't be sure whether the arrival of this stranger was a new historical opportunity for Pingyang or a power game. Although he had met Gao Changhe a few times at provincial party committee meetings and on some occasions, he really didn't know what this cross-century cadre was truly thinking. Only one thing was certain: Gao Changhe was definitely not Wen Chunming, his old comrade-in-arms whom he knew inside and out. He could go against his conscience and adhere to organizational principles, doing what the provincial party committee and Secretary Liu Huabo asked him to do for Wen Chunming, but he simply couldn't convince himself.

At 9 PM on June 23, 1998, at Gao Changhe's home in the provincial capital, emboldened by alcohol, Sun Yadong gave a long, uninterrupted report for over an hour: corruption within some county-level leadership teams; localism and xenophobia; the patriarchal style of former municipal party secretary Jiang Chaolin; and so on.

Of course, the most prominent issue was the Pingyang Steel Rolling Mill, which Mayor Wen Chunming was investigating.

According to Sun Yadong, the Pingyang Steel Rolling Mill's problems were extremely serious. Starting with a budget of 800 million yuan, it had grown to a scale of 1.2 billion yuan, yet after so many years, it hadn't produced a single inch of steel plate and was still relying on loans and debt to pay wages. Meanwhile, the mill's cadres were frequently indulging in lavish banquets at hotels, even squandering the workers' 4 million yuan in funds raised through fundraising, sometimes with Mayor Wen Chunming's involvement. The steel mill's workers had petitioned the municipal government twice that year, but to no avail. In February of that year, upon taking office in Pingyang, he immediately investigated the steel mill despite pressure from various quarters, uncovering problems: the amount spent on entertaining and gift-giving alone exceeded 673,000 yuan! But Jiang Chaolin forbade further investigation.

The information Sun Yadong provided shocked Gao Changhe.

He had initially thought Sun Yadong, having only recently been transferred to Pingyang, was an expatriate cadre and that his conflict with Mayor Wen Chunming and other Pingyang officials stemmed from discord; now it seemed unlikely. Based on his understanding of Sun Yadong, he believed the man was upright and incorruptible. A year ago, as the secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission in Changjiang City, he had withstood considerable pressure to bring a group of corrupt officials, led by the Changjiang City vice mayor, to court. He trusted that Sun Yadong wouldn't speak carelessly about the issues in Pingyang.

However, Gao Changhe simply listened, offering no comment on any of Sun Yadong's allegations.

Sun Yadong noticed and asked, "Hey, Secretary Gao, I've said so much, why haven't you said a word?"

Gao Changhe laughed and said, "Don't forget, I'm not the Party Secretary of Pingyang yet. What stance do you want me to take? How can I take a stance? Even if I take office, I can't just take a stance after listening to your report. I still need to hear the opinions of other comrades, right? I still need to conduct investigations and research, right?"

Sun Yadong said, "Okay, okay, Secretary Gao, you're right. I won't call you slippery now, but after you take office, you should do some serious investigations and research. I suggest you start with the Pingyang Steel Rolling Mill and Lieshan County. If you finish the investigations and find problems, and you still have this attitude, then I'll really call you slippery."

Gao Changhe said, "Secretary Sun, don't worry ." "This is something I can't get away with."

Before parting, Sun Yadong added, "There's one more thing, Secretary Gao. You need to be careful. Pingyang is deeply entrenched in problems under Jiang Chaolin's patriarchal style of governance. Plus, it's the province's top-performing economy, so xenophobic sentiment is quite serious. You must be prepared to fight against localism!"

Gao Changhe frowned. "Secretary Sun, aren't you going too far? Huh? Fight about what? Fight with whom? Who's the localist? If you call them localists, they might accuse you of having an imperial envoy mentality! Going around saying that Pingyang's comrades are xenophobic isn't a good idea. At least you're treating yourself like an outsider."

Sun Yadong was stunned, looking at Gao Changhe somewhat blankly, as if Gao Changhe was a complete stranger.

Gao Changhe patted Sun Yadong on the shoulder and said in a friendly tone, "Old friend, the work of discipline inspection is not only about investigating problems, but also about cherishing cadres and treating those who are working hard on the front lines of reform as valuable assets of the Party and the country. I'm assigning you a task: research the characteristics of the cadres in Pingyang. How do the cadres in this economically developed city differ from those in less developed cities, such as Changjiang, where you worked? I've always felt that Pingyang's rapid development in recent years is a mystery. How did Pingyang rise step by step in just twenty years? Its economy went from third or fourth in the province to first, surpassing the provincial capital? And it's been first for five consecutive years? This can't just be the result of localism, can it?" Sun Yadong immediately understood that

Gao Changhe's words had a hidden meaning, subtly criticizing him for being too biased in his view and not comprehensively and correctly evaluating Pingyang's work. But thinking about it, he felt that Gao Changhe's words were not without merit, so he nodded and took his leave, feeling rather dejected.

Gao Changhe didn't linger. As he accompanied him to the courtyard gate, he said something Sun Yadong liked to hear: "Secretary Sun, don't worry. If the corruption you've described truly exists in Pingyang City, investigate however you see fit. I will fully support you."

Sun Yadong grasped Gao Changhe's hand: "Secretary Gao, does this count as your commitment?"

Gao Changhe hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

After seeing Sun Yadong off, before he could even use the restroom, the doorbell rang again.

Gao Changhe shook his head helplessly and said to his wife Liang Li, "Starting tonight, a lot of small cars from Pingyang will be rolling into the provincial capital. We definitely won't be able to keep quiet. Why don't you just leave the gate wide open? Anyway, we're not corrupt officials, and we don't have anything to be afraid of being stolen!"

Liang Li asked with a smile, "Changhe, are you so sure?"

Gao Changhe said as he walked towards the bathroom, "I'm just that sure. Go open the door. I guarantee it's the comrades from Pingyang again!"

When he came out of the bathroom, he saw that it was indeed the comrades from Pingyang again. It was a county magistrate or county party secretary. Gao Changhe forgot which county they were from, but their faces were familiar. He had met them when he accompanied the provincial leaders on a trip, and it seemed that they had even had dinner together.

The comrade from Pingyang, repeatedly calling out "Secretary Gao," sat cautiously on the sofa and asked, "Secretary Gao, do you remember me?"

Gao Changhe tried hard to recall the man's name, chuckling, "How could I not remember? You received me in Pingyang, and even forced me to drink, didn't you? That time, you really put me through the wringer. On the way back to the provincial capital, I slept the whole way, and Secretary Liu Huabo gave me a good scolding."

The comrade from Pingyang laughed, "Secretary Gao, that drinking wasn't done by me, it was our Secretary Geng who forced me to drink. You forgot? I even drank two glasses for you!"

Secretary Geng? Which county in Pingyang has a secretary surnamed Geng? Gao Changhe tried hard to recall, hoping to use "Secretary Geng" as a clue to activate his past memories, but his mind was blank, and he still couldn't remember who this person was.

However, the man inadvertently introduced himself: "Secretary Gao, as soon as we heard you were coming to Pingyang to be the municipal party secretary, the cadres of Lieshan County were overjoyed!"

Lieshan County? This was the corrupt county that Sun Yadong had repeatedly mentioned! Gao Changhe was startled.

However, the county head, Zhao Chengquan, didn't seem corrupt at all. He came empty-handed, without even bringing any local specialties, dressed very simply, and a kind smile graced his pale, thin face. He didn't seem like someone trying to curry favor; he barely talked about himself and didn't try to submit a resume.

Zhao Chengquan exchanged only a few polite words before concisely reporting on the economic work of Lieshan County.

Gao Changhe remained vigilant, simply listening and nodding occasionally.

At the end of his report, Zhao Chengquan somewhat embarrassedly brought it up: "Secretary Gao, you're about to go to Pingyang to take charge of the work. Could you do Lieshan a favor first? Could you do us a favor and talk to the Metallurgical Bureau to get our electrolytic aluminum project approved? It's so late, and I... I'm still taking the liberty of bothering you, but I'm in a hurry about this! Actually, I arrived at seven o'clock, but I saw Secretary Sun's car parked at your gate, so I didn't dare come in, afraid of interrupting your conversation."

Gao Changhe's heart warmed, and he immediately said, "Okay, I can agree to that."

Zhao Chengquan was delighted: "Then tomorrow night, we'll host a banquet for Director Tu of the Metallurgical Bureau in your name."

Gao Changhe waved his hand: "That won't do. I can do the work at the Metallurgical Bureau, but I can't go to eat there."

Zhao Chengquan said again: "How about hosting in the name of Lieshan County?"

Gao Changhe again firmly refused: "That won't do either! It wouldn't be good!"

Zhao Chengquan was clearly disappointed and stood up to leave, feeling rather awkward.

Watching Zhao Chengquan's departing figure, Gao Changhe couldn't help but feel uneasy again, thinking he might have gone too far—if Sun Yadong hadn't explicitly stated the serious corruption problem within the Lieshan County leadership, he would definitely have gone to the dinner. Doing practical things for his subordinates was his consistent style; he would never put on airs in such matters.

At 9:20 PM on June 23, 1998, at Liu Yiru's home in Pingyang, Liu Yiru, the director of the Pingyang Municipal Party Committee Office, glanced at the table. Seeing the banknotes and gifts on the table, it was like seeing a burning ember, so intense she dared not look directly at it. Her daughter, Jin Hua, a member of the Standing Committee of the Lieshan County Party Committee and the Executive Deputy County Head, sat silently to the side, also looking troubled.

After a long pause, Liu Yiru gently tapped the table with her knuckles, sighing, "Jinhua, Jinhua, I'm truly impressed by your Lieshan County! You held a two-month-long welcome banquet after taking office, and now you've taken 37,000 yuan for a minor hospital stay. Add in these gifts, and it's probably over 50,000! Tell me, is this normal social interaction? Do you even want to keep your position as deputy county head?!"

Jinhua complained, "Mom, if I didn't want to be deputy county head, I wouldn't have come all the way from the hospital to discuss this with you. Didn't I just say it? It wasn't that I wanted to accept it; the people below insisted on giving it to me, and I couldn't refuse! Some of the money was hidden in fruit bags; I only discovered it after they left. I kept track of everything."

She then glanced at her mother's face and added, "..." "I heard that our county party secretary, Geng Zijing, accepted over 100,000 yuan for his mother's funeral."

Liu Yiru was shocked: "How dare Geng Zijing?"

Jinhua snorted: "What wouldn't our cadres in Lieshan dare to do? That's just the way things are! If I don't accept this money first, I'll be out of step with our leadership team, and my work will be difficult in the future, I might even lose my footing in Lieshan. Mom, you're an old comrade, and you've been the director of the municipal party committee office for so many years, you know the importance of maintaining consistency with the leadership team!"

Liu Yiru was silent for a long time before asking again: "But what will you do after accepting it? Will you donate it to Project Hope in the name of the person who gave the money, like last time?"

Jinhua tentatively said: "Mom, I don't think I'll necessarily donate it this time, right?"

Liu Yiru... Jin Hua paused for a moment, staring intently at her daughter: "What do you mean?"

Jin Hua thought for a moment and said, "Should we hand it over to Secretary Jiang Chaolin? Let the municipal party committee handle it?"

Liu Yiru said decisively, "No, Secretary Jiang has already decided to retire. If you hand the money over to him now, what will he do? Will he have time to handle it? How will he handle it? Don't forget, this isn't just your matter; it could involve the entire leadership of your Lieshan County. It could cause a huge mess!"

Jin Hua nodded and then revealed her plan: "Yes, Mom, it's precisely because the municipal party committee is about to change that I don't want to just donate the money and be done with it, to avoid any future ambiguity! Mom, there's a rumor going around that Wen Chunming might become the secretary of the Pingyang Municipal Party Committee. Do you think I should secretly hand over the money to..." "Where's Mayor Wen?"

Liu Yiru shook her head again: "Aren't you putting Mayor Wen in a difficult position? He already has enough troubles! The Pingyang Steel Rolling Mill alone is enough to give him a headache, not to mention Sun Yadong's attempts to undermine him! Besides, I don't think Mayor Wen can become the Party Secretary; the province probably won't approve it. Even if Wen Chunming really becomes the Party Secretary, you can't do this. Think about it, what's the relationship between Wen Chunming and Jiang Chaolin?"

Jin Hua added, "Why don't we hand it over to Sun Yadong? Isn't he in charge of the Discipline Inspection Commission? This is his responsibility!"

Liu Yiru snorted: "Deputy County Head Jin, I think you've gone mad! Sun Yadong, this hothead, has only been here a few days! Whose territory is Pingyang? Don't you think he can even gain a foothold in Pingyang?"

Jin Hua fell silent.

Liu Yiru thought that her daughter's problem was truly thorny. If her daughter hadn't run from Pingyang People's Hospital and presented her with the money she had been forced to accept, she wouldn't have believed it was true. This fact suggests that corruption in Lieshan County may be quite serious, even extremely serious. In principle, she should encourage her daughter to step forward and deliver the money and goods to the municipal party committee, thereby exposing the corruption problem in Lieshan. However, if she did do so, the consequences would be unpredictable. Almost all the cadres in Lieshan County were promoted by Jiang Chaolin and Wen Chunming, and Lieshan's economy has improved. The current municipal party committee will most likely not seriously investigate the problems in Lieshan—or perhaps not investigate them at all. Her daughter will receive a few empty praises, then be isolated and eventually ousted from the Lieshan leadership. Even her daughter is aware of this; she, the former director of the municipal party committee office, surely is aware as well.

After thinking for a long time, Liu Yiru couldn't come up with a good idea, so she said, "Jinhua, I think you should donate this money to Project Hope in the name of those who gave it. Keep the receipt safe. Even if Lieshan has problems later, it won't be your responsibility!"

She then smiled wryly and asked her daughter, "Jinhua, you won't laugh at your mother for being too timid, will you?"

Jinhua shook her head and said earnestly, "Mom, you're not timid, you're politically mature."

Liu Yiru put her arm around her daughter's shoulder and said, "Yes, you must be politically mature. You know, even a festering sore will eventually fester. As leading cadres, there's at least one thing we can do, and that's to be ourselves..." "Keep yourself clean and honest; only then can you remain invincible in the long run."

Jinhua nodded: "Mom, I understand."

However, Jinhua still had reservations about donating the money, so she said, "Mom, since the Pingyang leadership is about to be reshuffled, shouldn't we wait and see? If the province sends a new secretary who dares to confront tough issues, wouldn't the lid on Lieshan County be lifted?"

Liu Yiru still shook her head: "The new secretary probably doesn't want to get involved in this kind of thing!"

Jinhua stubbornly asked: "What if... what if the new secretary happens to need this kind of corrupt example?"

Liu Yiru's eyes suddenly lit up, she glanced at her daughter carefully, and fell silent.

Encouraged, Jinhua enthusiastically said, "Mom, how about this? Let's not donate the money yet, let's keep it for a few days. If the new secretary has the guts to expose the truth about Lieshan, then we'll give him the money; if he's all in cahoots with Jiang Chaolin and Wen Chunming, trying to smooth things over, then we can donate the money later."

Liu Yiru thought her daughter's words made some sense, so she nodded, "That works too—but Jinhua, let me remind you, don't be greedy for money!"

Jinhua laughed, "Mom, you really underestimate me! If I were greedy for money, I wouldn't be talking to you at all!"

Liu Yiru inquired about her daughter's condition and, upon learning that it had improved, advised her to return to Lieshan as soon as possible and not stay in Pingyang Hospital. She said that at such a young age, it wouldn't be good to leave others with the impression of being a chronically ill patient, especially during this sensitive period of change in the municipal party committee.

When she said this, Liu Yiru didn't sound like Jinhua's mother, but rather like Jinhua's superior.

At 11 PM on June 23, 1998, Wen Chunming, a drowsy man, was driving his Audi to the Pingyang

Steel Rolling Mill when he passed by the Pingyang Hotel. The Pingyang Hotel was the municipal government's guesthouse, and the reception area for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the cross-sea bridge opening was located there. The reception work had begun its countdown three days prior, and all the conference staff had moved in according to the instructions of the municipal party committee and government. Today, the person on duty was Tian Liye, the deputy secretary-general of the municipal party committee. Wen Chunming was really worried about Deputy Secretary-General Tian, fearing he might slip away, so he had the driver stop the car in front of the Pingyang Hotel and hurriedly went upstairs to find Tian Liye.

This time, Tian Liye was quite well-behaved; he didn't slip away or secretly play mahjong with anyone, but instead stayed in the suite used by the ticketing team, writing an article. Wen Chunming saw the article title behind Tian Liye. The title seemed to be related to mahjong: "Starting with 'The One of Bamboo Eating a Flatbread'."

Wen Chunming patted Tian Liye on the shoulder and joked, "What flatbread does 'The One of Bamboo' eat? It eats rice!"

Tian Liye turned around and saw Wen Chunming. He laughed, thinking he'd met a kindred spirit, and immediately started chatting with him: "Mayor Wen, do you think I don't know 'The One of Bamboo eats rice'? In mahjong, the One of Bamboo is the lowest of the bamboo tiles; it can only eat other bamboo tiles. But there was a warlord playing mahjong with his men. He had a hand of bamboo tiles, waiting for the One of Bamboo, but he couldn't win. Then, one of his men played a One of Circles tile, and the warlord suddenly shouted, 'I win!' His men all said, 'Sir, you always win with bamboo tiles, how can you win with a One of Circles?'" The warlord said righteously, "I've been starving for so long, how could I not eat this pancake?" Well, the warlord wins!

Wen Chunming laughed, "This warlord neither plays by the rules nor makes sense!"

Tian Liye asked, "Are there still any officers like this who neither play by the rules nor make sense these days?"

Wen Chunming became alert: "Who are you trying to satirize with this article?" Tian Liye said

, "Who dares I satirize? I'm just trying to get some royalties to buy cigarettes!"

Wen Chunming warned, "Liye, let me give you a heads-up, Secretary Jiang is going to step down, you know? No one will be protecting you openly or secretly anymore, so be careful!"

As he said this, Wen Chunming paced around, looking around, and only then did he realize that all six rooms booked by the city were empty, and all the dozen or so people at the reception desk were gone.

Wen Chunming suddenly became furious, no longer caring about the "bamboo skewers" or "big pancakes." Pointing his finger at Tian Liye, he asked, "Secretary-General Tian, where are they? Huh? Where are the people I assigned to you? Where did you send them all? Huh?"

Tian Liye casually replied, "Oh, Mayor Wen, it's like this. After finishing their work, everyone wanted to go home for the night, so I gave them the day off. I made it clear that they should come to me again at 7:00 tomorrow morning. Don't worry, I guarantee I won't miss tomorrow's reception work."

After saying that, he even chuckled and handed Wen Chunming an orange.

Wen Chunming threw the oranges on the ground and asked, "Who gave you permission to take the day off? Was it me, or Secretary Jiang? Have you, Tian Liye, lost your mind? How dare you make such a big decision on your own? I ask you, what if things go wrong? Can you take responsibility? Listen to me: call everyone you assigned to right now and bring them all back."

Tian Liye said with difficulty, "They're probably all asleep, right?"

Wen Chunming said, "If they're asleep, then go and drag them out of their beds one by one!"

Tian Liye grumbled, "You can't even manage this small household? This is really damaging to my prestige as Deputy Secretary-General!"

Wen Chunming sneered, "You, Deputy Secretary-General Tian, still have prestige? That's too absurd! Go and call them back!"

Tian Liye had no choice but to abandon his yolk and pancake and go to call people back.

Wen Chunming, still uneasy, deliberately said, "I'm going to the Pingyang Steel Rolling Mill now, and I'll have to hold a meeting for you afterwards!"

Tian Liye was somewhat pleased, repeatedly saying, "That's good, that's good. Since it's Mayor Wen who's holding the meeting for us, my prestige is somewhat preserved..."

Wen Chunming ignored Tian Liye and went out the door. Only after leaving did he realize that he had been so flustered by this irresponsible deputy secretary-general that he had forgotten to tell him about Secretary Jiang Chaolin's new arrangement. He returned to the room and said to Tian Liye, "Oh, there's something else I forgot to tell you. Secretary Jiang instructed that you go to accompany the reporters from Beijing tomorrow! However, Secretary Jiang also..." "Let me remind you, don't let any more elephant tusks stick out of your dog's mouth!"

Upon hearing this, Tian Liye chuckled, put down the phone, and said to Wen Chunming with a beaming smile, "Mayor Wen, don't worry, just relax! Since you and Secretary Jiang trust me so much, I will definitely speak well of you in heaven and ensure your safety on earth this time. I will do everything I can to promote our cross-sea project and to promote you and Secretary Jiang, the two wise leaders, to repay your trust and care for me!"

Wen Chunming said irritably, "It's Secretary Jiang who trusts you, not me. Don't tell me that!"

After getting back into the car and heading towards the steel rolling mill, Wen Chunming's mood gradually became heavy again.

As the car entered the steel rolling mill, he could see the brightly lit office building in the distance, while the vast factory area was shrouded in darkness. The office building, getting closer and closer, looked like an isolated island standing in the darkness. After getting on the island, he found that the group of factory directors and secretaries he knew were already waiting in the lobby with the secretary who had arrived earlier.

After getting out of the car, Wen Chunming, his face dark, didn't say a word and went straight to the second-floor conference room.

As soon as he sat down, the factory director and Party Secretary, He Zhuoxiao, began his report, as usual complaining: "We've run to Beijing again, we've run to the provincial capital again, there's nothing we can do, we can't get a single penny of working capital. National ministries and the province have all demanded that Pingyang take responsibility. No one is interested in Pingyang's suggestion to continue investing a portion of the automatic funds and to jointly establish the Pingyang Iron and Steel Group Company with the Pingyang Iron and Steel Plant."

He Zhuoxiao, with a long face, said, "Mayor Wen, no one even wants to look at our new plan!"

Wen Chunming, annoyed, waved his hand and said, "Alright, alright, let's discuss the establishment of the group company later. There's a lot of work to be done, and it can't be resolved in just a few days. To be honest, even if I were them, I wouldn't want to throw money into this bottomless pit anymore! Let's talk about something practical first. Have you paid the wages of the thousand or so workers in the factory? Didn't I approve some loans for you? Have you paid them? The workers haven't been paid for half a year, have they?"

He Zhuoxiao said, "This amount of money isn't enough for half a year's wages. The factory discussed it and paid everyone two months' wages, but the rest is still owed."

Wen Chunming was a little relieved and asked, "How are the comrades' moods?"

He Zhuoxiao stammered, "They're alright."

Deputy Factory Director Niu Qianli rolled his eyes: "Alright? Mayor Wen, the workers are all talking about it. They're saying that rather than dragging on like this, neither alive nor dead, without any support, it would be better to just put all our steel rolling equipment to work." "When the scrap metal is sold off, all that's left is a vast, clean expanse of white!"

Wen Chunming was furious, and stood up abruptly. "What do you mean by that? Huh? The national ministries, the province, and Pingyang have invested a total of 1.2 billion yuan over ten years, importing so much advanced equipment, and not a single inch of steel has been rolled out, and we're just selling it off as scrap metal? All that's left is a vast, clean expanse of white? Are we really a bunch of lunatics? A bunch of spendthrifts!"

He Zhuoxiao said, "Mayor Wen, don't get angry. It's normal for workers to grumble a bit. But our..." "If even the department says that, that's not good. At least you have no conscience! Everyone in our Pingyang Steel Rolling Mill knows that Mayor Wen has been working tirelessly on our mill, truly going to great lengths for us!"

Niu Qianli sensed the ulterior motive in He Zhuoxiao's words and immediately retorted, "Old He, I think there's something wrong with what you're saying. It sounds like you're targeting Mayor Wen! What does the current state of our mill have to do with Mayor Wen? Why are you blaming everything on him? Oh, Mayor Wen has been working tirelessly, but the mill is in this state. What do you mean?"

Wen Chunming knew that He Zhuoxiao and Niu Qianli had always been at odds, so he said, "Alright, alright, stop arguing! I already have enough of a headache! I came so late tonight to give you a heads-up. Tomorrow afternoon is the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of the cross-sea bridge, which is a big event. Your rolling mill can't afford any trouble! There absolutely cannot be any mass protests! I suggest you take action from the bottom up and organize all the factory's cadres and employees for a meeting tomorrow afternoon to discuss how to save the company's production under these difficult circumstances."

Niu Qianli immediately reported, "Mayor Wen, I have already started working on a plan for a life services company. I plan to organize everyone to do what they can." "About this..."

He Zhuoxiao immediately said, "Mayor Wen, our factory office hasn't discussed Niu Qianli's plan yet."

Wen Chunming, however, said, "The workers can discuss it first tomorrow afternoon."

He Zhuoxiao looked at Wen Chunming expectantly, "But with such good rolling mill equipment, we're leading the workers to set up a street stall, Mayor Wen, is that alright? Won't there be any negative impact?"

Wen Chunming's face darkened, "Is it alright to let the workers go without wages for half a year? Is it alright to borrow money from all over the place to pay wages? There won't be any negative impact? We've fallen to this point, and we still can't let go of the stinking airs of a county-level factory, what do you call that? I think that's called a lack of self-awareness!"

He Zhuoxiao stared blankly at Wen Chunming, not daring to say a word.

Wen Chunming's tone grew increasingly stern: "I'll emphasize again, the rolling mill must not cause me any trouble tomorrow. If even one petitioner shows up in front of the municipal party committee or government building, I'll hold you accountable!"

Exhausted, he returned home at 12:20 AM. Wen Chunming collapsed onto his bed and fell asleep immediately. The disappointment and disillusionment brought by the provincial party committee's latest decision had been completely forgotten in the tense and busy night.

At 12:30 AM on June 24, 1998, at Gao Changhe's home in the provincial capital, Liang Li's older brother, Liang Bing, was a real character. Nearly fifty years old and a deputy section chief in the provincial government, he still acted like a child, bringing a chubby, fair-skinned cadre from Pingyang to Gao Changhe's house. He introduced the cadre as his best friend, highly capable, and suitable to be a county magistrate in any county.

Clearly it was the fat man's idea, but Liang Bing claimed it was his own: "...Changhe, you don't know, Director Wang was my Party branch secretary in college, and he even introduced me to the Party! When I heard you were going to Pingyang to be the municipal Party secretary, I told Director Wang, 'Make a move! Don't stay stuck in those departments and bureaus; capable comrades should definitely go to the city and county levels to make a difference—Changhe, don't you think so?'"

Gao Changhe was both amused and exasperated, giving Liang Bing a sarcastic look and asking, "Hey, you guys..." "Where did this rumor come from? Who said I was going to Pingyang? I'm doing just fine in the provincial government, what would I do in Pingyang? Hey Liang Bing, isn't the head of the organization department of the provincial government still someone else?"

Liang Li interjected, "I think if he were to become the head of the organization department, it would probably turn into a den of traitors."

Liang Bing rolled his eyes at Liang Li, "What are you meddling in? I'm here to talk serious business with Changhe today!"

He then turned to Gao Changhe, "If you go to Pingyang to take charge of the work, could you ask Director Wang to make a move? Transfer him to some county as county head?" He used to be the county magistrate of Jiucheng County, but later offended the feudal patriarch Jiang Chaolin, which is why he was transferred to the position of director of the Light Industry Bureau.

Gao Changhe tapped the table and said, “Hey, hey, Liang Bing, you'd better watch your words here. Who said Jiang Chaolin is a feudal patriarch? How do you know he is? Speak your mind, don't label people randomly. Besides, county magistrates and bureau chiefs are both at the division level; it's normal for them to be transferred for work purposes!”

Director Wang immediately fawned over him, craning his short, thick neck and smiling obsequiously, “Yes, yes, Gao…” Secretary, this is normal. But I have been working at the local grassroots level, from township chief to county chief. I am very adaptable and have rich experience, which allows me to better utilize my expertise. Secretary Gao, what do you think?

Liang Bing pressed forward again: "Changhe, you have to give me some face, right?"

Gao Changhe was very upset, but he didn't want to offend Liang Bing and Director Wang in person, so he had to deal with it and said: "I know about this, let's wait until I go to Pingyang to take charge of the work!" "

When Director Wang heard this, he immediately handed a pre-printed resume to Gao Changhe.

After seeing off the pair of treasures, Gao Changhe lowered his face and said to Liang Li: "Look at this! I haven't even taken office yet, and people running for office are here. What kind of trend is this! What's wrong with this? "

Liang Li said sarcastically: "This is called close contact with leaders. It is said to be one of the three new styles.

Gao Changhe said: "Whoever wants to have close contact with me, the leader, will be in trouble!"

Liang Li smiled knowingly: "Oh, Secretary Gao, are you really not going to save some face for my brother?" "

"Show him some face?"

Gao Changhe stared intently at Liang Li. "Liang Li, let me ask you, when your father was in power, if your brother had dared to bring this Director Wang along to run for a promotion, how would he have dealt with him?"

Liang Li said, "He would have slapped him across the face!"

She paused, then added, "However, there wasn't this kind of culture of running for promotion when my father was in power."

Gao Changhe smiled coldly: "This kind of culture shouldn't exist now either—at least not within my jurisdiction! I think this matter isn't mainly Liang Bing's fault, but that Director Wang's. That Director Wang has a thick skin, thicker than the city walls of the provincial capital! The first time we met, he dared to ask for a promotion right in front of me! If he really becomes the county magistrate, the land in that county will probably be shrunken!"

As he spoke, he picked up the resume left by Director Wang on the table. "I'll give this resume to the Municipal Party Committee's Organization Department as soon as I arrive in Pingyang and tell them that this person is unacceptable. " "Re-employ him!"

Liang Li deliberately asked, "Why don't you say such principled things to Director Wang's face?"

Gao Changhe waved his hand, "You don't understand, this is called the art of leadership!"

Liang Li snorted and said bluntly, "Secretary Gao, I advise you leaders to talk less about this kind of smooth leadership art! If you talk about leadership art and can't swallow your pride, people who want to run for office will run even more fiercely! If they can't even run for office and instead get humiliated in front of everyone, then no one will bother running for office! I think you've developed quite a few problems in the provincial party committee over the past year, and your little bit of sharpness is almost gone. I'm really worried about how you'll make a difference in Pingyang! Can you keep things under control? You know, Jiang Chaolin served two terms as the municipal party secretary, and Pingyang rose under his leadership. He and his group of cadres are all very capable!"

These words were meaningful and made Gao Changhe secretly startled.

Yes, Liang Li was right. After just over a year as Deputy Secretary-General of the Provincial Party Committee, his sharp edges had been worn down considerably. Even his writing had become much more cautious, and he no longer dared to be the meddlesome "Guide Gao." He didn't know when this situation began, nor could he recall. What he could remember was a remark made to him by Provincial Party Secretary Liu Huabo when he first entered the Provincial Party Committee compound.

Secretary Liu Huabo said, "You secretaries-general, in my opinion, are the stewards of the Provincial Party Committee. You represent the Provincial Party Committee externally and provide good service internally. You are the mouth and legs of the Provincial Party Committee. Therefore, you can't speak carelessly, and you can't run around recklessly. For you, Gao Changhe, there's another rule: you can't write carelessly. If you still want to be 'Guide Gao,' let's switch positions. I'll be the secretary-general, and you'll be the provincial party secretary. I'll serve you."

Although it was said in jest, it really gave Gao Changhe a fright at the time.

His father-in-law, Liang Qingping, who had retired from the position of Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, had said something similar.

Liang Qingping said, “Changhe, you are a key cadre being cultivated for the new century. The Provincial Party Committee has transferred you from the position of Deputy Secretary of the Provincial and Municipal Party Committee to the position of Deputy Secretary-General. I think this is an important step in your development. Being by the side of the Provincial Party Committee leaders will allow you to better learn from their work style. At the same time, you will have a wider range of contacts and a broader perspective, which will be very beneficial to your future development. Therefore, I would like to give you eight words: ‘Observe and learn more, and be cautious in your words and actions.’”

For over a year, whether accompanying provincial leaders on trips or handling daily work at home, whether representing the provincial committee in coordinating relations or receiving officials from various municipal committees, Gao Changhe worked diligently and cautiously, refraining from saying or expressing opinions he shouldn't. Everyone thought he had matured considerably. Perhaps it was precisely this maturity that led the provincial committee to choose him at the last minute when deciding on the Pingyang municipal committee leadership.

In fact, his wife and those comrades who didn't understand him were wrong; they only saw the surface. Gao Changhe is Gao Changhe; he must do what is appropriate for his position. As the deputy secretary-general of the provincial committee, he couldn't afford to be arrogant, but when presiding over the work of a major city, he would still be the same Gao Changhe.

Of course, starting tomorrow, this work inertia formed in the provincial committee must be stopped. He will constantly remind himself that he is no longer the deputy secretary-general of the provincial committee, but the secretary of the Pingyang municipal committee, a leader and decision-maker of this major city.

It is indeed a large city, with a population of nine million and a land area of 17,000 square kilometers. It administers three county-level cities and three counties, and the output value of each county and county-level city exceeds that of an entire province in a remote area. Jiang Chaolin has painstakingly managed and developed it there for ten years. These ten years were no easy feat. Every year, there were complaints, but Jiang Chaolin was not brought down by the complaints.

Instead, he accomplished one thing after another, earning high praise from the provincial party committee and the provincial government. Therefore, taking over this position is not easy. A magnificent city stands there, and the provincial party committee's evaluation stands there. It is a benchmark that has already been set, its height almost dazzling. Experience tells him that surpassing this height is extremely difficult—unless Jiang Chaolin and his comrades shoulder the responsibility of setting a high bar!

However, is this possible? Jiang Chaolin recommended his old subordinate, Wen Chunming, to the provincial party committee, but the provincial party committee chose him, and it was Deputy Secretary Ma Wanli who appointed him. Would Jiang Chaolin, this old comrade, have any resistance? Even more critically, Sun Yadong has been relentlessly pursuing the corruption issues of Mayor Wen Chunming and Pingyang. What should he do? What exactly happened between Wen Chunming and that rolling mill? Is the corruption problem in some counties and cities in Pingyang really as serious as Sun Yadong described? If it is, how should he investigate and deal with it? ...

At 8:00 AM on June 24, 1998, in the provincial party committee meeting room, Provincial Party Secretary Liu Huabo entered the small meeting room and said, "Heaven is at it again! Ah? The western region has been experiencing continuous heavy rain these past few days, and it rained all night last night. I estimate that Changjiang and Beichuan cities will be flooded again!"

Governor Chen Honghe, who had just sat down on the sofa, chimed in, "This morning's weather forecast said the rainfall is still ongoing. I'm even more worried about Pingyang. Just now, the provincial flood control headquarters reported that the downstream water level of the Changjiang River has risen by 2.5 meters, less than one meter from the warning level. If Pingyang is flooded, it will be a disaster. The assets of one county in Pingyang are more than those of an entire city in the western region."

Liu Huabo pointed at Gao Changhe: "Did you hear what Governor Chen said? As soon as you arrive in Pingyang, you must oversee the flood control and disaster relief work. We must be prepared for a major flood and not be careless!"

Gao Changhe stood up and nodded: "Secretary Liu, Governor Chen, your instructions ..." "I will definitely implement this seriously."

Liu Huabo waved for Gao Changhe to sit down, and sat down himself as well. "Alright, let's not talk about that for now, let's talk about the Pingyang leadership team. Comrade Changhe, after my call last night, you probably couldn't sleep, right?"

Gao Changhe honestly admitted, "Yes, Secretary Liu, I barely slept a wink. The more I thought about it, the more I felt the weight of the responsibility, and I was afraid of letting you and the Provincial Party Committee down."

Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Ma Wanli, smiled and said, "I'm afraid you were thinking about more than just that, weren't you?"

Gao Changhe also smiled and said, "In front of you leaders, I have to be honest, I also have some selfish thoughts, I'm afraid I won't be able to stand firm in Pingyang. Pingyang is doing so well under the leadership of the Provincial Party Committee and former Secretary Jiang Chaolin, what merit do I, Gao Changhe, have to reach out and pick such a big peach?"

Liu Huabo smiled and said, "Comrade Changhe, you're mistaken, it's not that you reached out and picked a big peach, it's that the Provincial Party Committee sent you to Pingyang to preside over the work. The Provincial Party Committee made this decision because..." After very careful consideration, one could say it went through several rounds of deliberation, with utmost caution. This situation is unprecedented in the past when deciding on any local leadership team; in a sense, it's truly unprecedented! Isn't that right, Secretary Ma, Governor Chen?"

Ma Wanli immediately nodded and said, "Secretary Liu is right. For this reason, we also consulted the Organization Department of the Central Committee."

Chen Honghe also said, "Pingyang is not just Pingyang of our province; the central government has always paid close attention to it. As an important central city that has risen since the reform and opening up, Pingyang's economic influence is now expanding. Pingyang's economic development is not only related to the economic development of our province, but also to the economic development of the areas it influences. Therefore, we cannot be careless in deciding on the Pingyang leadership team."

Liu Huabo opened his notebook and began a formal conversation with Gao Changhe: "Comrade Changhe, now, we will speak with you on behalf of the Provincial Party Committee. What will we talk about? First, the leadership team." The leadership team is a major, decisive issue. Ten years ago, the old provincial party committee made good use of Jiang Chaolin, and with Comrade Jiang Chaolin as the team leader, we achieved a leapfrog development that has attracted worldwide attention in Pingyang. Therefore, I have always said that Jiang Chaolin, the municipal party secretary, is remarkable, a hero of our party, and a national hero. Some comrades disagree with my views and have occasional discussions and debates about Pingyang. I always advise them, "Don't argue. What's this about socialism versus capitalism? What's this about public versus private? Don't argue about it. Reform is about feeling your way across the river. As long as you cross the river and get things done according to the 'three benefits' principle, who cares what kind of stones you're feeling?"

Gao Changhe immediately thought of several major events that had been the subject of much discussion among comrades in the province in recent years: Pingyang's large-scale private industrial park, the 26-square-kilometer international development zone, and the cross-sea bridge, a public-private partnership with private ownership, which was about to be inaugurated.

Liu Huabo also addressed these issues: "...For example, how well is the private industrial park in Pingyang doing? The facts prove it's excellent! Many industrial parks in our province are stuck in limbo, suspended in mid-air, but the Pingyang private industrial park is thriving! Many of its products have entered the European and American markets! Especially the Hongda Group, which produces central air conditioning; its business spans the world, and they even use business jets! And the international development zone has attracted tens of billions of yuan in investment from 27 countries and regions, accounting for a quarter of the province's total utilized foreign investment, and its development momentum is very good. As for the cross-sea bridge, it's another innovation; 32 private enterprises raised hundreds of millions of yuan in loans and jointly built it with the Pingyang Transportation Bureau." The bridge was unprecedented in the country, yet Pingyang managed to build it, and today it's officially inaugurated. My purpose in coming here isn't just to hold this meeting; I also have a meeting with a head of state from the CIS, and I will definitely visit Pingyang to see for myself and learn more about its operation. Therefore, Comrade Changhe, please remember my first and most important point: we must firmly grasp economic development as our central task, persist in emancipating our minds, continue reform and opening up, and, under the premise of stability, maintain Pingyang's good momentum of development, striving to reach a new level in the first five years of the next century during your term!"

Gao Changhe's heart warmed instantly. He nodded to Liu Huabo and quickly began taking notes.

Liu Huabo took a sip of water and continued, "My second point is about the unity between old and new comrades. Comrade Changhe, the Provincial Party Committee first requires you, the newly appointed Municipal Party Secretary, to take the lead in fostering unity—one thing has already been decided: you will not bring anyone with you when you go to work in Pingyang, not even a driver. We have learned this lesson the hard way in the past. When a new official takes office, a large group of old subordinates arrive. What are they doing? Are they really going to steal the fruits of others' labor? Will others accept that? Fine, if they don't accept it, then let them cause trouble. And that trouble can last for years, ruining a perfectly good situation and severely damaging the city's vitality. Therefore..." We must unite and respect veteran comrades—not just superficially, but genuinely. We must never allow a new emperor to bring in a new court, nor can we allow one person's rise to power to elevate their entire family. Of course, this isn't absolute; if some comrades in the original team are truly unsuitable, the Provincial Party Committee can consider a reshuffle. Therefore, for now, the Provincial Party Committee has only appointed one municipal party secretary. Further adjustments to the Pingyang team will be discussed after you have been working for a while. Comrade Changhe, what are your opinions?”

Gao Changhe thought for a moment and said, “I have no objections; the Provincial Party Committee's considerations are very thorough.”

Governor Chen Honghe interjected, "Ultimately, this is all for the sake of stability. Comrade Changhe, to be honest, when deciding on the leadership team for Pingyang, we, the Standing Committee members, felt like we were walking on thin ice!"

Gao Changhe's heart sank, and he once again realized the weight of his responsibility. This responsibility was too heavy. If it weren't for the weight of the responsibility, the three main leaders of the Provincial Party Committee wouldn't have come forward to talk to him at the same time.

If the Provincial Party Committee leaders were walking on thin ice, how could he be careless, how dare he be careless?

Liu Huabo continued, "...Thirdly, I want to focus on the issue of anti-corruption. From the Central Committee to the Provincial Party Committee, we have been working hard on anti-corruption, and we have never been lenient or relaxed. It's quite a coincidence that just when our Provincial Party Committee was deciding on the leadership team for Pingyang, the Discipline Inspection Commission received an anonymous remittance from Pingyang. How much? 140,000 yuan. That's a considerable sum. At the same time, we also received a letter from the remitter, typed out. In the letter, he said that this was money he, as a Communist Party member and a county-level cadre, shouldn't have received, so he handed it over..." To prove his innocence. This comrade also said that when he was able to tell everything, he would definitely help us bring a group of corrupt officials to court.

Ma Wanli interjected, "Then, Comrade Changhe, we need to think about what caused this comrade from Pingyang to be afraid to report it? How serious is the corruption problem in Pingyang that this comrade knows about? The comrades from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and I will discuss this issue with you later."

Gao Changhe nodded to Ma Wanli, "Okay, Secretary Ma."

But cold sweat broke out on his back.

Liu Huabo continued to talk about the third issue: "...Of course, corruption is not a problem unique to Pingyang, nor is it an inevitable problem arising from reform and opening up, much less a patent of our Party. This is a problem that can occur in any country and any place. Japan, South Korea, and Italy have all experienced anti-corruption storms, haven't they? Therefore, Comrade Changhe, the Provincial Party Committee's opinion on this issue is: we must investigate the problem thoroughly and resolutely bring those corrupt officials to justice; but we cannot generalize and deny the achievements of Pingyang's reform and opening up. This is a principle, and on this point, the Provincial Party Committee's attitude is consistent." "That's consistent!"

Ma Wanli added, "Comrade Hua Bo's instruction is very important. Anti-corruption and upholding reform and opening up are not contradictory. In fact, only by upholding and effectively implementing anti-corruption can we better promote reform and opening up. Pingyang's achievements are achievements, and localized corruption is localized corruption; these are two completely different things. We must not negate Pingyang or Comrade Jiang Chaolin because of this."

At this point, Gao Changhe had clearly noticed the subtle differences between Provincial Party Secretary Liu Huabo and Deputy Provincial Party Secretary Ma Wanli, while Chen Honghe's attitude was not immediately apparent—the female governor remained silent on this sensitive issue.

Gao Changhe later recalled this conversation with a sense of turmoil, concluding that it was from this conversation that he inevitably stepped into the storm, with almost no room to escape.

At 11:00 AM on June 24, 1998, the Pingyang Municipal Party Committee learned that Tian Liye had been approved by Jiang Chaolin to participate in receiving reporters. Liu Yiru thought that Jiang Chaolin had practically elevated Tian Liye to the heavens, and wasn't afraid of making a fool of himself. Seeing Tian Liye darting up and down the stairs like a rabbit, Liu Yiru chuckled sarcastically, "Tian Xiucai, look at you, so energetic! Is it New Year's Day today?" Tian Liye

replied solemnly, "What New Year's Day? Sister Liu, this is an important event for the Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government!"

Liu Yiru patted Tian Liye's shoulder, "It's good that you know it's an important event, but don't spit on me!"

Tian Liye's face remained solemn, "Hey, Sister Liu, don't try to insult my character. I'm a living, breathing person, where would I get ivory? I only have two front teeth, and I even broke half of one of them, really!"

Just then, the office phone rang.

Tian Liye hurriedly ran to answer the phone, turning back to Liu Yiru as he ran, "It's probably a reporter from Beijing."

Sure enough, it was a female reporter from Xinhua News Agency in Beijing. She was introduced by Bai Ling, Tian Liye's college classmate and "class beauty," and introduced herself as Li Xinxiang. According to Li Xinxiang, who speaks with a strong Beijing accent, she is Bai Ling's best friend. She also brought Tian Liye a kiss from Bai Ling on this trip. Tian Liye was in high spirits and chuckled into the phone, "Ms. Li, it's not 'don', it's a kiss."

Li Xinxiang, acting like a familiar friend, giggled on the phone, "Bai Ling didn't come, so the 'kiss' was left in Beijing, so it can only be 'don'."

Then she added, "Hey, what's wrong with you, Secretary-General Tian? Bai Ling said you'd pick us up at the airport in your municipal party committee's Mercedes, but we haven't seen a soul yet! That's so unfair!"

Tian Liye casually replied, "Ms. Li, what more do you want? Huh? I even sent you a private jet, and you're still not satisfied? It's a Boeing 757, right? Our Pingyang Municipal Party Committee sent it especially for you, it was my suggestion! Such a high-level arrangement, the first time in your life, isn't it?"

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