The Pinnacle of Power: Every Step a Minefield

Overnight, he lost his standing and fell from the clouds into the dust.

Demoted to Yunmeng Township, Lin Chen seemed to have reached a dead end, but it became the starting point of his comeback. The region was poor and remote, its conflicts acute and its longstanding problems mountainous. Yet with a keen eye, he saw through the maze of officialdom, and with courage, he set three fires: putting chaos in order, breaking through entrenched interests, and clearing the silted river channels.

While others played it safe, he pursued change. While others feared trouble, he dared to take risks. From township to county, from city district to provincial capital, he climbed with every step on the edge of a blade. As countless eyes watched for him to fall, he turned the tables against the odds time and again, until he held power over an entire region and commanded the course of events.

Every step of the journey was perilous.