In the aftermath of the Winter Conference, the Liang River Project became the province's most debated topic.
State-owned media called it a "symbol of the province's green turn."
Economic journals praised the ROI modeling.
Environmental think tanks cautiously celebrated the policy language.
And Lu Zhen—once an unknown—was now seen as the policy's architect.
But power comes at a price.
And visibility brings enemies.
---
The Smear Begins
By the second week of January, whispers began to float across the internal bureaucratic circles.
> "He plagiarized the framework."
"That data was ghostwritten."
"Tang Wei's puppet. Just a lucky intern with a good pen."
Worse still, an anonymous tip arrived at the provincial ethics committee.
A scanned invoice, a contract, and a project bid—falsely tied to one of Lu Zhen's shell companies.
---
That evening, Tang Wei called him into her office.
Her expression was unreadable.
"There's noise in the wind."
Lu Zhen nodded. "Expected."
"You're not officially being investigated. Yet. But you need to understand—this was deliberate. They're trying to box you in. No accusations. Just whispers. Let it fester, and you're done."
"I want to respond through channels," Lu said.
Tang raised an eyebrow. "You want to file a counter-ethics report?"
"No. I want to audit the entire Liang River bidding process."
Now her gaze sharpened.
"That's bold."
"They'll think I'm afraid. I'm not. I want transparency. Real names. Real vendors. Let them explain why my company isn't listed—because we didn't bid. At all."
Tang smiled.
"That'll force the hand of the ethics board. And the Planning Office. It also means…"
She paused.
"You're stepping into open war, Lu Zhen."
---
The Audit
Using a clause buried in the administrative bylaws, Lu Zhen formally requested an independent third-party review of all bids submitted for Phase I of the Liang River redevelopment.
The news stunned insiders.
No junior official ever initiated an audit—especially not of a politically charged redevelopment zone.
But Lu Zhen had one weapon: a clean slate.
His shell companies had deliberately stayed out of visible contracts.
Now, they could operate behind newer, cleaner fronts. While he stood on moral high ground.
Within three days, the Provincial Committee approved the audit—reluctantly.
The news was leaked.
And the whispers changed tone.
> "He's not afraid."
"That's dangerous."
"Zhao Wenyuan must be testing him."
---
Meanwhile, the System updated.
---
[Mission: Survive Smear Campaign – In Progress]
Subtask 1: Preemptively audit all accusations – COMPLETE
Subtask 2: Maintain economic control of three Liang River vendors – COMPLETE
Subtask 3: Reveal fabricated data source – UNLOCKED
Reward: Title Acquired – 'Iron Veil: Immune to Bureaucratic Isolation (Lv.1)'
Influence +100 | Reputation +8 (Clean Profile Reinforced)
---
Lu Zhen activated his internal map.
In glowing red appeared Wang Peng, who had directly sent the fabricated documents to the tip line.
Below him: a small data processing firm, "Yongheng Analytics," which had supplied old bid data now repurposed as "proof."
The firm was a front.
Lu made a call.
Ten minutes later, one of his shell companies acquired Yongheng Analytics through a rapid buyout.
And quietly, a team of private compliance experts began tracing the metadata on the falsified documents.
---
A Meeting with the Tiger
That same week, Lu received an invitation.
Signed by Zhao Wenyuan, the Provincial Party Secretary.
A private meeting.
Sunday morning.
Location: Jingzhou River Pavilion, a quiet government retreat reserved for high-level discussions.
---
The man who awaited him was gray-haired, lean, and unreadable. His eyes revealed decades of survival.
"You're young," Zhao said after tea was served. "But not impulsive. I've read your proposal. And your response to the smear campaign."
Lu Zhen stayed silent.
Zhao continued, "Do you know why I didn't stop the attack?"
Lu met his gaze. "Because you wanted to see if I could take a hit."
Zhao chuckled. "Correct. It's not courage that interests me. It's how people respond under pressure. Those who cry foul too early… don't belong at the top."
He sipped his tea.
"You've made enemies. Liu Qingxian isn't stupid. He's just cautious. He doesn't like variables."
"I'm not his variable," Lu replied. "I'm his mirror. I reflect what he's afraid of."
Zhao leaned forward.
"And what are you afraid of, Lu Zhen?"
"Nothing yet."
Zhao smiled faintly.
"I'm going to let you keep working under Fang Qinglan. But know this—next time you move against a senior figure, you won't have silence. You'll have resistance. Visible, and sharp."
Lu Zhen nodded.
"Understood."
---
Revelation
The System pinged that night.
[Critical Task Update]
> Source of smear: Confirmed
Evidence package assembled. Would you like to submit to Central Disciplinary Records or use as leverage?
Lu Zhen hesitated.
A single click could end Wang Peng's career.
But that might be too fast.
Too clean.
He chose Option 2: Leverage.
A new message appeared in his encrypted mail:
> From: Yongheng Analytics Internal Compliance Team
"Director Wang Peng approved falsified invoice uploads on Dec. 4. Audio confirmation available. Shall we prepare a 'clarification leak' to defuse his campaign?"
Lu Zhen typed:
> "Leak the audio to one of the internal affairs officers in Liu Qingxian's camp. Quietly. No media. Let his own people question him."
This would do more damage than an open accusation.
It would make Liu question his own men.
Divide them.
Slowly.
Quietly.
---
Epilogue of the Chapter
In the weeks that followed, the Liang River audit cleared Lu Zhen completely.
The ethics committee filed a quiet statement:
> "No evidence of misconduct. Allegations unsubstantiated. Case closed."
Behind the scenes, Wang Peng was reassigned to a ceremonial advisory role—no power, no staff.
He never looked Lu Zhen in the eye again.
Tang Wei said nothing.
But on the morning after the verdict, she sent Lu a single message:
> "Your blade is sharp. Keep it hidden."
---
System Notification
---
[Hostile Sub-faction: Disoriented]
[Liang River Phase II Contracts Opening in 12 Days – Prepare Economic Maneuver]
New Title Earned: "Policy Ghostwriter" – Ability to ghost-design regional policies without attribution
Public Profile: Stable | Risk Level: Low
Political Standing: Unofficially Protected by Zhao Wenyuan & Fang Qinglan
---
As Lu Zhen walked through the city's snowy streets, alone in a gray coat, he understood one thing:
This wasn't a war of bullets.
It was a game of paper knives and invisible traps.
He wasn't trying to win fast.
He was building his chessboard.
Piece by piece.
One quiet victory at a time.
---
End of Chapter 7