Lin Feng, a grassroots telecommunications technician, earned the county leaders’ special approval to be seconded to the government after his resourcefulness and sense of responsibility helped him repair a base station on a stormy night and restore a “lifeline” for disaster relief. He stepped from network ports into the unfamiliar world of power, where a technical worker faced the scorn of conservatives and the constraints of the system.
Lin Feng used a communications engineer’s way of thinking to break through barriers: he used data to overcome information silos, improved services with a user-focused mindset, and addressed problems affecting people’s livelihoods through technological innovation. He turned practical digital projects into the foundation for political achievements, and in times of crisis, won trust through a technician’s efficiency and candor. With his unique combination of technical expertise and grassroots experience, he rose from project consultant to a senior leader governing an entire region.
Once in a position of power, Lin Feng drove the region’s transformation in the digital age, while confronting profound questions about political achievements and original intentions, efficiency and fairness. The old network cable connector he carried with him constantly reminded him that a true signal must reach every ordinary corner beneath the aura of power.
This is a story of rising from humble beginnings, of a man who believes in technology and reshapes the rules through hard work. As the lines of a communications network intertwine with the map of power, he vows to make the signal of progress reach every place that needs to be lit up, no matter the rules.
