The Tempting Road to Becoming an Official

9:00 in the morning, the next day.

Inside the conference hall in Yuanjing.

The Supreme People's Congress meeting convened as scheduled.

During this meeting, it was decided that Shangguan Shoudong would assume the position of the highest leader, and members of the highest leadership team were also elected.

Thus.

A new round of leadership transition at the highest level was successfully completed.

In the afternoon.

The higher leadership issued an order.

The gist of the order was to classify the Heavenly Appearance Sect as a cult, requiring the nationwide judicial system to launch an all-out crackdown on the Heavenly Appearance Sect, handling all cases involving the sect swiftly, severely, and harshly.

In this breaking news, there was an explanation regarding the sudden nationwide martial law order issued the previous day, stating that the purpose of this sudden martial law was to crack down on the Heavenly Appearance Sect.

This helped to dispel public doubts.

Of course, the news did not mention anything about the Heavenly Appearance Sect plotting to threaten national sovereignty.

This decision was also made in the interest of maintaining social stability.

Therefore, apart from the provincial high-ranking leaders, the majority of civil servants and the general public were unaware that they had experienced the most perilous day in history.

Nationwide, more than a hundred terror incidents were handled urgently.

All of this was thanks to Chen Fang.

Two hours after this news broadcast.

The Yong'an Provincial Committee received an order from the top leadership.

The original Provincial Committee Secretary, Jiang Chuo, resigned from his position due to health reasons.

At the same time, Zhou Jingyan was relieved of her position as Rongjiang City Secretary and appointed as a Yong'an Provincial Committee Member, Standing Committee Member, Provincial Committee Secretary, and Director of the People's Congress.

This news quickly ignited a buzz within Yong'an Province.

The first shock was why Jiang Chuo suddenly resigned at such a critical moment.

Secondly, the replacement for the Provincial Committee Secretary wasn't the governor or an external figure, but directly promoted from Rongjiang City Secretary.

For Zhou Jingyan, this wasn't just a promotion; it was a triple jump.

Everyone knew that Zhou Jingyan was already 54 years old this year.

Given the normal pace of promotion, it seemed unlikely she would hold a prominent position. Yet sometimes, fate has its quirks.

Conversely, think about it.

Miracles in officialdom aren't rare, are they?

8:00 in the evening.

Rongjiang City's City Committee Courtyard remained brightly lit.

Armed police and public security personnel surrounded it in layers.

Chen Fang walked to the entrance of a reception room guarded by armed police.

After an armed police officer opened the door, Chen Fang took a deep breath and walked in.

With a click.

The door was closed immediately.

This noise startled the old man lying on the sofa.

This old man was Jiang Chuo, who had been detained for seven or eight hours.

In just seven or eight hours.

Jiang Chuo seemed to have aged a lot.

Even though he was still wearing that obviously expensive administrative jacket, the aura of authority without anger had long since disappeared.

"I knew you would come to see me."

Jiang Chuo slowly sat up and said.

"Why?"

Chen Fang asked.

Jiang Chuo smiled faintly.

He said, "You won, and you should enjoy the joy of a victor, right? If I were you, I would do the same."

Chen Fang made no comment.

He sat across from him.

He said, "I originally thought that the day I could avenge my parents, I would be overjoyed, but now I find it's nothing like I imagined. I just feel very sad. They died by your hands, which was totally unworthy. This justice came too late."

"Justice? Do you really think there is justice in this world?"

Jiang Chuo mocked and paused before continuing, "Chen Fang, I don't deny that you're very clever, but you are still too naive. If my plan had succeeded yesterday, do you still think the past would have been uncovered? No! Never! Not only would you not avenge your parents, everything I've done would be praised and celebrated, I'd be a glorious entry in history books, just like Shangguan Shoudong, I would govern this country well, dedicating my life to my people..."

After he rambled a bit.

He looked at Chen Fang sharply and said each word slowly, "Power is justice, strength is justice, so-called justice is always written by the victors—"

"That's why you are not the victor."

Chen Fang coldly interrupted him.

"From the moment you harmed my parents, your fate was sealed. Whether I was here or not, your outcome would be the same as today. You're wrong; it's not the victors who write justice, but justice decides the victors."

After saying this.

Chen Fang stood up, preparing to leave.

"Wait a moment!"

Jiang Chuo suddenly called out.

Chen Fang turned his head and asked, "Do you have anything else to say?"

Jiang Chuo steadied himself.

He asked, "I want to know, how did you find out about my plan? I was so discreet."

Chen Fang smiled slightly.

He said, "A female college student, an ordinary college student... she told me what you planned to do. Her name is Jiang Xiaofan."

"A college student? You mean I lost to a college student?"

Jiang Chuo asked in surprise.

Chen Fang nodded.

He said, "A wise person once said, 'Water can carry a boat and also overturn it.' Sailing through the vast sea of the populace, a small wave can capsize you. Do you still think you would succeed?"

After saying this.

Chen Fang left, laughing.

Leaving Jiang Chuo in a daze.

The last bit of spirit in his eyes drained away...

At 9:00 that night.

A team from Yuanjing arrived to take Jiang Chuo away.

From then on.

The name Jiang Chuo vanished into the river of history, eventually fading from memory altogether.

Years later.

Not even a trace of this name could be found online.

As if he never existed.

Three days after the wave of terror.

Social order in Yong'an Province was once again restored to stability.

Except for the occasional police car whizzing by to arrest members of the Heavenly Phase Sect.

Everything was almost back to normal.

Those who witnessed the event chose to remain silent after the tremors passed.

Even during the City Committee's Standing Committee meeting, when Deputy Mayor Zhang Moqian was taken away by the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee, there was a calm demeanor.

An entirely different atmosphere permeated throughout Rongjiang City.

A dozen or twenty days ago, Mayor Chen Fang had no authority.

But now it was different.

After Zhou Jingyan's transfer to Provincial Committee Secretary.

No one was immediately appointed to the top position.

At this time, although Chen Fang was still the mayor, he already held absolute authority.

There was no helping it, everyone knew that Chen Fang's future was boundless.

Who would cause trouble for someone with such a promising future?