The Pinnacle of Power: The Road to Qingyun

Su Chen, a Tsinghua PhD, enters politics through a government recruitment program, driven by his ideals of putting his knowledge to work for society and improving people’s lives. He arrives in Linjiang City, which is in the throes of a painful transition.

He makes an early mark and hopes to break the deadlock through his expertise. But he never expected that a development plan for the High-Tech Zone would first stir up not the obstacles to growth, but a tangled web of vested interests. A conservative leader’s “guidance,” a local tycoon’s attempts to “draw him into their camp,” and the bureaucratic system’s “insensitivity” leave his idealism battered and bruised.

From a fiery young scholar to a lone man treading on thin ice, from bluntly speaking his mind to navigating conflicts with tact, Su Chen grows through his uncertainty but never abandons his principles. When a pollution scandal ignites public outrage, the contest over his future and the clash between right and wrong escalate without warning.

This is a thorny path toward the upper ranks of government, a fierce struggle between ideals and reality, and a searching examination of the soul, caught between principles and compromise. Can Su Chen hold on to his original purpose, break through the ice, and truly forge a path forward for the people?