In the Name of the People: Reshaping the Chessboard of Handong

Li Guohua, a cadre parachuted in from a directly administered municipality, is transferred to Handong as executive vice governor.

As Sha Ruijin launches sweeping reforms, Li’s former leader warns him: “Your job is to put on the brakes.”

The accelerator versus the brakes: a covert contest begins.

He must stabilize the economy and prevent risks, while finding his way through every undercurrent on a political chessboard crowded with factions.

On one side is Sha Ruijin’s surging tide of reform; on the other, Gao Yuliang’s secret machinations. Li Dakang, Qi Tongwei, and Liu Zhendong all have their own agendas.

In this smoke-free struggle, he must use “rules” to give Handong a new anchor.

Rules are both a bottom line and a weapon.