Reborn as Zhao Ruilong of Handong, I will defy fate.

Zhong Zhengguo was furious.

She personally supported Liang Qunfeng's rise to power.

Unexpectedly, Liang Qunfeng backed down instead.

To him, this was no less than betrayal!

Faced with questioning, Liang Qunfeng said awkwardly and guiltily:

“Zhong Shuji, I am especially grateful for your trust and support.”

"But when it comes to managing the economy, my abilities are indeed far inferior to those of Governor Zhao."

Zhong Zhengguo raised his hand and angrily pointed at Liang Qunfeng.

He scolded her, disappointed and frustrated:

"Excuse!!"

"You're just admitting defeat and making up a self-justifying excuse!"

"What's so great about Zhao Lichun being good at economics? As long as you become the top official in Handong Province, you'll have plenty of advisors to come up with ideas for you!"

"If you ask me, you're just a coward, afraid of trouble, and self-righteous. Your two good-for-nothing sons have caused trouble one after another, so you're afraid of being gossiped about during the organization's inspection!"

Liang Qunfeng shook his head repeatedly.

"No, I gave up the competition not because something happened to them."

"Then why exactly?"

Zhong Zhengguo glared at him and asked, "Do you know that you've reached an age where if you don't move forward, you'll fall behind?"

"If you don't get elected this time, you'll have to step down to the second line and prepare for retirement, do you understand?"

Liang Qunfeng nodded emphatically.

"I know I know."

"You know nothing!!"

After cursing angrily, Zhong Zhengguo picked up his teacup and took a big gulp.

Then he slammed the teacup down and angrily began to scold:

“You’ve worked in Handong longer than Zhao Lichun.”

“You have been engaged in political and legal work for many years, and the network of contacts you have accumulated is also deeper than his.”

“You have been in the position of deputy secretary and secretary of political and legal affairs for a full eight years!”

"Now I fully support you, helping you to advance further. I've even personally pleaded for you in Yanjing. But what have you done?"

At this point, Zhong Zhengguo suddenly remembered something.

"I went to great lengths to get a copy of Zhao Lichun's report and specially sent someone to deliver it to you. Did you read it carefully?"

"Look!"

Liang Qunfeng raised his head and said very seriously:

"I was greatly impressed after reading it. The ideas were novel and the strategies were unique. If I had to think about it, I wouldn't be able to come up with it even if I racked my brains."

"After more than 20 years of reform and opening up, our development goal has shifted from basically achieving food and clothing security to building a moderately prosperous society in all respects."

"To achieve our new goals under the new international circumstances, we need to demonstrate greater courage and determination and carry out deeper reforms..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhong Zhengguo waved his hand impatiently.

"Stop it, stop it!"

"There are no outsiders here, so stop spouting nonsense."

"How come I didn't know that the next ten years are a crucial period for economic development?"

"The higher-ups asked Zhao Lichun to write a pilot program, which naturally meant that if his program was approved, they would definitely let him implement it."

"By the same token, if you can quickly come up with a better proposal than his, the higher-ups will naturally choose you!"

Liang Qunfeng sighed and shook his head.

"But Zhong Shuji, I am truly lacking in talent and learning, and I cannot do it! Even if I find someone to write it for me, I cannot find anyone who can compare to me!"

"His report alone showed a very forward-thinking vision. I estimate that the refined plan will be even more visionary and meticulous than we can imagine!"

His words certainly carried a hint of resentment.

Since you, Zhong Zhengguo, support me so much...

Why don't you find a more capable expert or scholar to help me write a proposal?

After taking several deep breaths, Zhong Zhengguo let out a long sigh.

"Damn it, I don't know which bastard gave him the idea to write a report to earn recognition."

"With my support, you originally had a good chance of winning, but because of what he did, you have little hope left."

Upon hearing this, Liang Qunfeng immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"Secretary Zhong, there's really no need for us to feel sorry."

"Think about it, if Zhao Lichun wants to vigorously develop the economy, he will inevitably have to deal with countless entrepreneurs."

“I have been working in the political and legal system for many years, and I know very well that the more one pursues political achievements, the easier it is to become corrupt and degenerate.”

“Those business owners will try every means to seduce officials and their families. Even if Zhao Lichun can resist the temptation, what about his children?”

At this point, Liang Qunfeng moved forward slightly.

"As far as I know, Huilong Group, registered in Hong Kong, appears to be owned by Du Bozhong, but the Zhao siblings actually hold a significant number of shares in secret."

“In the past, Huilong Group participated in many large-scale infrastructure projects in our Handong Province. Although it may seem that the projects were not very important, they actually made a lot of money.”

"The Huilong Hotel, which is now built and in operation in many cities, and the Lakeside Garden residential community, which is under construction in Luzhou City, are all properties under the Huilong Group."

“Last week, they also cooperated with Handong Telecom Corporation and Shenzhen Longxing Communications. Loongson and Telecom were responsible for building base stations and opening services, while they were responsible for opening stores on a large scale to sell PHS phones.”

Zhong Zhengguo gave a dismissive snort.

"What's wrong with the sons of the powerful and wealthy doing business?"

"As long as the siblings don't go too far, how can they bring down Zhao Lichun with this?"

Liang Qunfeng smiled coldly.

"Fine, even if the Zhao family has always abided by the law."

"Zhao Lichun will at most serve two more terms in Handong, and will inevitably have to leave office when his term expires."

"By then, the economy of Handong must have been quite good by him. Wouldn't it be great if you sent someone to pick up the pieces?"

Zhong Zhengguo frowned slightly.

"Even with ten years of promotions, the younger generation still won't reach the required rank!"

"Just like my daughter Zhong Xiaoai and son-in-law Hou Liangping, ten years from now, they are clearly not qualified enough."

Liang Qunfeng laughed and said, "Then let's find someone younger from our camp to fill the gap!"

"If the Zhao family is corrupt, let him investigate the corruption. Once it's cleared up, it will be easier to take over."

"If not, we can make a smooth transition, focus on the economy, and prepare for the handover in the future."

At this point, Liang Qunfeng suddenly thought of someone.

"I've done the calculations, and in ten years, Sha Ruijin will be qualified!"

"When Zhao Lichun is transferred out of Handong, we'll parachute him here!"

"We'll find another opportunity then to have your son-in-law, Hou Liangping, come and thoroughly investigate corruption!"

"Even if the Zhao family can adhere to their principles in the next ten years, it is impossible for all those who attach themselves to the Zhao family to be honest officials. As long as even one person is corrupt, that will become our breakthrough point!"

"Putting aside other things, Li Dakang, who followed Zhao Lichun for five years, was a man who was ambitious and power-hungry. He only cared about GDP, which inevitably led to the development of many corrupt officials!"

Zhong Zhengguo leaned back slightly on the sofa.

"I know Li Dakang."

"Isn't someone who shouts 'Freedom is everything unless prohibited by law' a typical pragmatist?"

"It is said that when he had just returned from overseas training and had not been in office in Jinshan County for long, he held mobilization meetings every day in order to raise funds for road construction as soon as possible, which exhausted an old Party Secretary to death."

"He served as Zhao Lichun's secretary for several years, and was then transferred to Luzhou as mayor. Yet, without any hesitation, he completely altered the urban planning work done by Secretary Gao Yuliang... It was only a matter of time before this kind of person got into trouble!"

Liang Qunfeng then said:

"So whether I can rise to power or not is not important."

"The important thing is that we are still very poor and need to develop our economy."

"Otherwise, like our family, buying a car would require the whole family to empty their savings."

"So what's wrong with letting Zhao Lichun take over and focus on developing the economy for ten years? In any case, in the future, it's all the same old story: once the rabbit is dead, the hound is cooked; once the birds are gone, the bow is put away!"

Zhong Zhengguo sneered.

"That works too. The achievements in development have nothing to do with him, but he can be made to take the blame for all the conflicts and problems that arise!"

"That's right, we're just using him as a tool!"

Liang Qunfeng leaned closer and whispered:

"At our age, there's no point in arguing anymore."

"Focusing on the future and paving the way for future generations is the most important thing."

Zhong Zhengguo nodded silently.

I picked up the teacup and took a sip.

"What if he does a good job, gets recognized, and makes a big leap forward ten years later?"

"Do you think that's possible?"

Liang Qunfeng chuckled and asked in return.

Zhong Zhengguo smiled slightly.

"That's true, unless he can defy fate!"

……

The next day, in the morning.

Zhong Zhengguo chaired the meeting and made arrangements for the fourth quarter of work in Handong Province, focusing on engineering construction, work safety, and public security.

Later at the meeting, Zhao Lichun proposed new measures for economic development, while Liang Qunfeng submitted a written self-criticism for his lack of discipline over his children.

After the meeting, Zhao Lichun had just returned to his office when he called his beloved son.

"Ruilong, you were right, they really backed down!"

Zhao Ruilong smiled calmly:

"They are clearly retreating as a strategic move, preparing for a decisive battle in the future."

"But it doesn't matter. Let alone ten years, I can make sure they have no chance of turning the tables in five years!"