The snow had melted by mid-February, leaving behind slick roads and the gray monotony of early spring. Jingzhou's government buildings hummed back to life, each office preparing reports, budgets, and performance reviews.
But inside Office 712 of the Provincial Planning Advisory Bureau, Lu Zhen was building something far more important than spreadsheets.
He was building his network.
---
The Quiet Team
When Fang Qinglan had promoted Lu Zhen to Special Planning Liaison, the appointment came with little ceremony—but a new office, three assistants, and direct access to cross-department data pipelines.
To others, it was a quiet lateral move.
But Lu Zhen saw it for what it was: a sandbox of authority. A controlled, protected environment to test his influence.
And he used it ruthlessly.
---
"Zhou Yiran," he said, addressing the former audit clerk turned aide. "Pull budget data on every agricultural stimulus recipient for Q1. I want a full pattern analysis—ghost firms, cash redistribution chains, any repeat names."
She nodded and got to work.
"Xiao Lin, start building a heat map of townships requesting environmental redevelopment funds. Look for clusters near upcoming land auctions."
"On it."
Lu Zhen leaned back in his chair, eyes on the wall-length whiteboard, now marked with six large circles—each representing one untouched power zone in the province.
Health. Infrastructure. Education. Land. Media. Finance.
He would move into these slowly.
But first, he needed leverage.
---
A Phone Call from the Past
That night, his phone rang. A number he hadn't seen in four years.
"Xiao Zhen? It's your uncle."
Lu stiffened. His father's younger brother, Lu Jianguo, was a mid-level Party member in a Tier-3 city two provinces away. They hadn't spoken since his father's death.
"I heard you're doing well. In Jingzhou, no less," the man chuckled. "Listen, I've got a situation…"
Lu listened.
A local steel plant had declared bankruptcy. Workers hadn't been paid in months. Protests were mounting. And some rival factions were using the chaos to push for leadership changes at the city level.
Uncle Jianguo wanted a favor.
Help engineer a "policy intervention" to stabilize the plant's creditors and restructure the operation before things got worse.
Lu didn't respond for a full minute.
Then: "I'll look into it. Don't call again. I'll contact you if I find a solution."
He hung up.
---
System Update
That night, the System responded.
---
[New Side Mission: Blood Ties, Cold Steel]
> Objective: Stabilize Qingshui Steel Plant without exposing familial ties.
Bonus Objective: Use as political capital to extract provincial favor.
Rewards:
Hidden Trait: "Family Veil" – Immunity to nepotism accusations (Level 1)
+2 Network Expansion Points
Risk: High (Opposing faction influence: Moderate)
---
Lu Zhen frowned.
This wasn't just a favor. It was an opportunity.
If he could quietly intervene and pull off a restructuring plan, he could offer Zhao Wenyuan a win in another province—expanding his influence beyond Jingzhou.
He opened his economic dashboard.
Within 30 minutes, he activated three ghost entities registered in Zhejiang, each designed to act as shell intermediaries.
Then he moved quietly:
One firm offered debt arbitration with favorable terms to Qingshui creditors.
Another offered to "sponsor" a worker's support fund under the guise of a national charity.
The third filed a public bidding interest for the plant's old equipment—thereby freezing asset auctions.
It was policy manipulation through the backdoor of capitalism.
Clean. Legal. Hidden.
---
The Counter Begins
Meanwhile, back in Jingzhou, Lu Zhen received a visit.
Not a scheduled one.
A deputy director from the Provincial Land Bureau, a man named Chen Hu, dropped by under the pretense of reviewing overlapping city projects.
Chen was part of the Liu Qingxian faction—and Lu knew it.
The man smiled too easily.
"We're all friends here," Chen said. "Why don't we collaborate on some land reallocation projects? I've got files you'd love to see. Fast-track growth zones."
Lu sipped his tea. "Appreciate it. But I like reviewing original land-use documents. Sometimes the maps lie."
Chen's smile thinned.
"You're young. Ambitious. Just don't let ambition blind you. The Party doesn't favor solo performers."
Lu met his gaze.
"I'm not solo. I just play quiet music."
A pause.
Chen stood up, dropping a business card.
"If you ever want to play louder, call me."
---
After he left, Lu activated the System's map again.
> Chen Hu – Status: Prober
Intent: Test loyalty, invite co-optation
Risk Level: Low | Response Recommended: Passive Deflection
He filed the card away.
Then called Zhou Yiran.
"Get me Chen Hu's recent land-transfer memos. Let's find out where his personal river flows."
---
Reaping the Steel Plant
By the third week of March, the Qingshui Steel situation had stabilized.
Debt negotiations succeeded.
Workers got partial compensation.
Local protests faded.
The governor of the neighboring province issued a public thank-you to the anonymous "national charities and investors" that had helped avert unrest.
Lu Zhen didn't even flinch.
He simply sent a silent summary file—detailing everything—to Zhao Wenyuan.
---
Two days later, he received an encrypted message:
> "You've helped where others only talk. One step closer to the chessboard. – ZW"
---
System Notification
---
[Side Mission: Blood Ties, Cold Steel – COMPLETE]
> Trait Unlocked: "Family Veil"
Influence +150
Strategic Alignment Level (Cross-Provincial) +1
New Sub-Branch Unlocked: National Quiet Capital Funnel (Level 1)
Hidden economic channels unlocked for black-box policy maneuvers
---
A Dinner With the Queen
That evening, Lu Zhen was summoned to a dinner hosted by Fang Qinglan.
It was rare.
She never entertained junior staff.
The restaurant was private, high above the Jingzhou skyline, with floor-to-ceiling glass and a single, quiet table.
She wore a simple black blouse. Minimal makeup. But her presence filled the room.
She poured him a glass of wine.
"You're careful."
He nodded.
"You're bold."
He stayed silent.
She smiled faintly.
"I like both."
A long pause.
Then she leaned forward.
"Do you know what happens when a junior official outgrows the mentorship of a senior?"
Lu Zhen's expression didn't change. "They become rivals."
"Sometimes," she said softly. "Other times, they become partners."
He met her eyes. "Which one do you prefer?"
Her gaze lingered.
"Let's find out."
---
As they ate, she asked about his background.
Family. School. Ideas.
She never asked about loyalty.
She didn't need to.
At the end of the dinner, she said, "You'll be tapped for a city-level reform delegation soon. Low-key, but influential. Accept it."
Then she handed him a thin folder.
Inside: briefing papers on Gucheng, a lower-tier city known for corrupt education practices.
"Consider it your next sandbox," she said.
Lu Zhen nodded.
He had his next move.
---
End of Chapter 8