At the Pinnacle of Power: My Insider Report Alarms Bigwigs in Beijing's Elite Circle

I. Lin Yi's Resume

June 2008 - July 2008: Chief of the First Secretariat Section, General Office of Yunshan Municipal Government

July 2008 - November 2008: Executive Deputy County Head of Qinghe County

From November 2008 to February 2009, he served as Deputy Secretary of the Qinghe County Party Committee and Executive Deputy County Head.

February 2009 – July 2009: Director of the Donghua Island City Public Security Bureau

July 2009 – September 2010: Secretary of the Sanjie Municipal Party Committee

From September 2010 to July 2011, he served as Vice Mayor of Hefang City and Secretary of the Party Working Committee of the High-tech Zone.

2011年7月-2011年10月，中央巡视工作领导小组办公室纪检专员、监察专员（2011年8月-2011年10月借调中央第四巡视组担任巡视专员，副局级）

November 2011 – April 2012: Secretary of the Ninghai Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection

From April 2012 to February 2013, he served as Secretary of the Ninghai Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and Executive Vice Mayor.

Mayor of Ninghai City from February 2013 to June 2014.

June 2014 – February 2015: Secretary of the Longzhou Municipal Party Committee

From February 2015 to February 2016, he served as Deputy Secretary of the Nanxia Municipal Party Committee and concurrently as Secretary of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection.

February 2016 – August 2016: Vice Governor of Southeast Province

From August 2016 to November 2016, he served as the head of the 14th Central Inspection Team.

November 2016 – August 2017: Deputy Secretary of the Pengcheng Municipal Party Committee and Mayor of Pengcheng.

From August 2017 to February 2018, he served as a member of the Standing Committee of the Xiliang Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection.

From February 2018 to October 2019, he served as Deputy Secretary of the Jianghai Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Linzhou Municipal Party Committee.

October 2019 – April 2021: Deputy Secretary of the Jianghai Provincial Party Committee and Governor of Jianghai Province

In April 2021, the Secretary of the Jianghai Provincial Party Committee

II. Q&A Session

A guy asked, what does the author actually do?

Having worked within the system before, I've now left and am just a small-time writer. I wanted to fulfill my dream of writing a book about officialdom, a book about my ideal Eden. Over the years, I've had contact with many officials, interacting with people at all levels except for the top echelons. I've interacted with some officials below the deputy provincial level, and even had dealings with a high-ranking official at the provincial level. I have a basic understanding of the officialdom's ecosystem, political economy, and the underlying logic of society. I've studied some major policies and industrial developments in recent years, and I've gathered some hearsay, which I've compiled into stories for you.

Another guy asked, "Are your writings about officialdom guaranteed to be authentic?"

To put it bluntly, there isn't a single truly authentic book about officialdom, either online or in print. They're all just wish-fulfillment stories, including "In the Name of Power," which is more like a wish-fulfillment drama. This is because the realities of officialdom are something that even those who could write about them dare not, as any such writing would be censored. Even the infamous "Number Two XX" from years ago is a prime example. When I first started working, I talked to a high-ranking official about "Number Two XX" (I mainly wanted to impress him by asking for his advice, focusing on the theme of currying favor), and he said it was less than 30% realistic. My personal recommendation is that anyone wanting to understand the dynamics and struggles of officialdom should check out "Da Ming 1566" and "Yongzheng Dynasty."

Another guy asked, "What score would you give this book?"

The Yunshan plot gets 75 points (this is my first time writing a political novel, so some parts in the early stages weren't handled well), the plot from Donghua Island to Hefang City gets 90 points (it gets better as it progresses), and the plot from Ninghai to the end of the book gets 100 points. (Absolutely fantastic!)

Another guy asked, "What do you want to say about this book?"

First, this book has never been interrupted from its publication to its completion, basically guaranteeing 2 chapters per day. I am a diligent ox or horse.

Secondly, the book's appeal is obvious, though some things are subtly hidden. Some parts are immediately clear to those who can understand them, while others are pointless to explain further. Some have criticized the book for not focusing enough on interpersonal relationships, arguing that the focus should be on these aspects of officialdom. However, this is putting the cart before the horse; it uses the ecology of a department-level or bureau-level unit to view the entire system.

Because interpersonal skills are a basic skill for survival in grassroots units and even society. Just like the hard work of ordinary people during the period of rapid development in the past, it is a basic skill for success, but not the core reason for success, and there is no need to overemphasize it.

This is like a complex project. Some people are struggling with how to do a certain step, while others are thinking about how the entire project should operate, what steps it involves, what resources are needed, what their role is in the project, what they can contribute and what they can gain, and still others are considering how the benefits of the entire project should be distributed. In this project, everyone has a different ecological position and different thoughts.

For this book, the excessive emphasis on interpersonal relationships and social dynamics detracts from its overall theme and scope.

Given Lin Yi's character and background—he's a reincarnated person, and his wife is the daughter of the Xu family—it would be illogical for him to place excessive emphasis on interpersonal relationships. Neither the Xu family nor the important figures in the book will approve of Lin Yi simply because he's good at navigating social interactions.

From my personal experience, it's the same in reality. If a person hasn't even learned the basics of interpersonal relationships, they will never have the opportunity to serve tea and water to important people, let alone do dirty or tiring work. Eating at the table is only a dream—everyone is queuing up, okay?

In my opinion, interpersonal relationships are the first lesson for ordinary people entering society, and getting involved is the first lesson for those from humble backgrounds without connections to advance in officialdom. I welcome criticism and corrections from leaders among the readers—this book has many readers within the system, including leaders, and even some big names from online literature platforms are reading it.

Third, this book is positioned as a political fantasy novel, with the plot driven by conflicts and struggles. It is one of the fastest-paced works in its genre, with almost no filler content.

Fourth, although this book is a political fantasy, sometimes sacrificing minor logic, common sense, and character development for the sake of enjoyment, and even lowering the characters' intelligence, the overall framework and logic are sound. When Lao Xu and Lin Yi first meet, they discuss development versus security, and development versus fairness. Lao Xu's grandfather uses multiple positions and adversity to hone Lin Yi's skills, teaching him struggle and compromise. You Changqing teaches Lin Yi about balance and distribution, the whole process being gradual and progressive. Because, of all conflicts, distribution is the most crucial, a truth that holds true throughout history and across cultures, and it is also the biggest problem facing both the East and the West today.

Fifth, although this is a work that fulfills a dream, it is written with great care. For example, several iconic scenes: Shen Chuchu's "Happy Birthday," Ma Tianyu's "Goodbye, young man, draw your bow fully, unafraid of time or wind," Kong Zhao's solo incursion into the tiger's den, the Xu family elder's "perfect score," Lao Hei issuing an SSS-level challenge mission, and Lu Wolong and Qiao Fengchu's "Lin-style boasting competition" at the Southeast Province's first-half economic work conference. There's also Lu Mingrui's drunken line: "Grandpa, I'm not actually a fool; I can support the Lu family."

Sixth, the biggest flaw of this book is its lack of character development; there is only one Lu Da Congming!

Another guy asked, "Do you have any words for your brothers and sisters?"

October 1, 1949, marked the beginning of our motherland standing up.

That important meeting in 1978 marked the beginning of our motherland's prosperity.

The world-renowned Olympic Games on August 8, 2008, marked the beginning of our nation's rise to strength.

I chose to finish this book on the special day of August 8, 2025, to pay tribute to our great motherland and our great people, and to record our past struggles and efforts.

We are witnesses, participants, and builders of history—the passion and emotion in the book are our shared memories and voices; the ideal city in the book is our home!

Thank you, brothers and sisters, for nurturing this book with all your heart, allowing it to grow from a toddler to a peak, and finally come to a perfect end, just like Lin Yi's life.

As we part ways, let's rate our children together—we love our own children the most, so they deserve a perfect five-star rating!

Finally, brothers and sisters, the road ahead is long, and we will meet again someday. Please leave your mark and strive to build a tower with ten thousand floors!

—A victory against fate!