Chapter 1

He carefully read through the presentation materials, his resume, and related documents he had prepared, and Feng Keng took a deep breath.

In fact, he had already memorized these things by heart, having prepared for this for so many days, just waiting for today.

It was not easy; it took him twenty years of hard work to reach this position. How much effort and sacrifice had he made for this?

According to the information he had, the department leaders were going to talk to him this afternoon. If everything went as planned, it might be discussed at the Standing Committee meeting next week.

He walked to the window, pacing back and forth several times, but Feng Keng still found it hard to suppress his inner tension, excitement, and a bit of agitation.

This kind of feeling hadn't been experienced for many years. The last time he was promoted to a member of the Standing Committee was a natural progression, and although he was very happy, he wasn't particularly excited. This time, it was almost a promotion beyond the usual, as he had just been appointed as the deputy secretary and was about to take over as mayor.

Perhaps only eleven years ago, when he was appointed as the county magistrate, did he have this feeling. Yes, indeed, over the years, he had progressed from county magistrate to county party secretary, then to deputy mayor, member of the Standing Committee, secretary of the municipal party committee, member of the Standing Committee, and secretary of the organization department. After serving in Tibet, he returned to take over as deputy secretary of the municipal party committee, and suddenly, such an opportunity presented itself.

"Feng Keng, formerly known as Feng Ziying, male, 45 years old, born in July 1974, native of Linqing, Shandong, with a full-time bachelor's degree, started working in 1996, joined the party in 1998, currently serving as deputy secretary of the Hanxi Municipal Party Committee, ..."

However, there were still variables. Feng Keng knew that there were many candidates competing for the position, and he was not the only choice. Each of them was very capable, so everything was still uncertain, and everyone was waiting for the final result.

But he was not afraid of competition. After decades of political experience, from the most basic township chief to his current position, what kind of work had he not done, and what kind of situation had he not seen?

Working day and night, struggling and fighting, wasn't it all for this day?

He felt a bit dizzy and shook his head, possibly due to working overtime last night, as he didn't get to sleep until nearly one in the morning and didn't sleep well.

Supporting himself on the desk, Feng Keng slowly sat down.

In front of him were a copy of "The Book of Nourishing Life" and a copy of "Dream of the Red Chamber" annotated by Zhiben. Feng Keng subconsciously flipped through "The Book of Nourishing Life," his eyes landing on a line: "While in a high position, one should not lack the spirit of the mountains and forests; while in the mountains and forests, one should not lack the wisdom of the court."

He frowned, wondering if this was not a good omen.

He closed the book and opened the annotated "Dream of the Red Chamber." Recently, he had been rereading "Dream of the Red Chamber" and had reached Chapter 79.

A bookmark was placed inside, and Feng Keng opened it casually, only to see a few lines of ink-painted landscape: "I see him build his grand mansion, I see him entertain his guests, I see his mansion collapse, ..." His heart became troubled, why were these words on the bookmark so unpleasant to hear?

He closed the book again, but a few pages fell out, and it opened to the first chapter: "Everyone knows that being a god is good, but no one can forget the pursuit of fame and fortune! Where are the ancient generals and ministers now? Just a pile of weeds over a grave. ..." What was wrong with him today? Why were all these things with ominous meanings?

Feeling frustrated and somewhat resentful, Feng Keng thought, who in the end is not just a pile of weeds over a grave? If so, why not strive and fight for a better life, to secure a good future for one's family and leave a name in history?

Even Jia Baoyu, that useless person, had his pursuits, always wanting more, thinking about having both Baochai and Daiyu, and a bed full of beauties.

Sometimes he admired Miaoyu for being so pure and unblemished, and at other times, he thought Xing Xiu yan was like a wild crane, independent and self-reliant. He even wished he could keep Shi Xiangyun and Xue Baoqin by his side, and felt that Xiangling was too good for Xue Pan, and even the second wife and Keqing were so alluring and charming. He wanted to have all the water for himself.

However, he didn't have the ability to do that. It wasn't poverty that limited his imagination, but his ability that limited his control. He couldn't or simply couldn't achieve it.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs determines a person's level. Different people have different levels of pursuit. Once you surpass a certain level, you naturally pursue a higher stage. The so-called detachment from fame and fortune and seeing through the world is just an excuse for the disappointed to escape. Who doesn't want to wield power and enjoy the company of beautiful women? If Cao Xueqin had really become as powerful as Nalan Mingzhu, especially in his early years, do you think he would have written "Dream of the Red Chamber" with such detachment from life and glory?

He closed the book with a cold laugh, and the phone on his desk suddenly rang. He picked it up, and a low voice came from the other end. Feng Keng immediately responded respectfully, "Hello, Secretary Zhang, this is me. Yes, yes, I understand, I'll be there right away, ..."

Putting down the phone, Feng Keng tried to control his overwhelming joy and excitement, trying to remain calm, but he couldn't manage it.

He took a deep breath, but suddenly felt dizzy again, his vision going black. Instinctively, he sensed something was wrong. He had always been concerned about his high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar, especially his high cholesterol, which was his biggest worry. He couldn't afford to have anything go wrong at this critical moment, but his body was uncontrollably sliding down.

He subconsciously reached out to grab something, but only managed to grab "Dream of the Red Chamber." With a rustle, the cover of the book tore off, and he clutched the torn cover. The patterns of the palace ladies on the cover seemed to blur, and he slowly fell to the floor.