One Step, One Skyward Level

In 1997, Xia Qiang, a junior clerk in Chuanzixiang, spotted Su Miaomiao, the woman he secretly loved, at a noodle shop with her boyfriend, Zhao Yunfei. The three became entangled in a complicated dispute.

Xia Qiang started out doing odd jobs and running errands. He picked the wrong side, was framed, and had blame dumped on him. Step by step, he rose from the township to become the county Party secretary, relying on a good memory, a tight lip, and the ability to shoulder responsibility.