Liuhe Township wants to develop its economy by growing specialty crops, setting up cooperatives, and attracting agricultural processing plants. But Zhao Zhiqiang and his son plan to use “development” as cover for sham projects: falsely reporting planted acreage to pocket subsidies, for instance, or awarding a processing plant contract to Scarface's crew, who cut corners on construction. The honest faction, Li Jianguo, Wang Li, and Zhang Cheng, must push real projects forward despite the villains' many obstacles, gather evidence to expose their kickbacks, and tackle the practical challenges on the ground: villagers' distrust, a lack of funding, and poor natural conditions.
