Running for Office

Name: Running for Office
ISBN: 9787514601121

Xu KaizhenOct 2023

3.3

Word count: 237K words
Chapters: 47
ISBN: 9787514601121

Report an error Find this book

Summary

Yu You'an, director of the Culture Bureau of Nanzhou City, is ambitious and idealistic in his work, but he is not content with his current position and schemes to become director of the Planning Bureau so that he can fulfill his political aspirations. At the beginning of the story, the municipal party secretary and the head of the Organization Department are placed under investigation for buying and selling official posts, sending shockwaves through Nanzhou's political circles and making a wholesale reshuffle of the municipal leadership inevitable. Yu soon discovers that all his colleagues around him are busy running for promotion, and finally he can no longer restrain himself; he begins his own campaign. At first, however, his running around does not go smoothly. After a string of setbacks in officialdom, and with pointers from a well-connected mentor and help from colleagues, Yu gradually uncovers the complex inner workings and factional relationships of Nanzhou politics, and from then on his campaign for promotion moves step by step onto the right track.

Editor's review

With a lens on a personnel upheaval in the Nan Zhou officialdom, *Running* follows Yu You'an from standing by to actively making moves, tracing the tug-of-war among ideals, positions, and rules. Its readability lies not in mere insider gossip but in the calculation and hesitation behind every choice: how a person who wants to get things done is tempted by position, and how the moves of colleagues around him alter his judgment. The novel renders factional ties, information gaps, and networks of favors in fine detail, giving readers a view of a local official's psychological shifts within a complex ecosystem. It reads well as a novel of social observation—follow the plot, and note how the author uses everyday dialogue and events to present power relations. For those interested in realistic themes, character arcs, and the logic of survival within the system, this book offers an immersive reading sample; treating it as a workplace manual, however, would go against its intent.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Adult fiction readers interested in realistic themes and officialdom
Readers who want to observe how power and favors work through characters' choices
Readers who enjoy slow-burn psychological portraiture and ensemble narratives
People in public administration or policy research seeking a fictional grasp of local governance

Not a good fit for

Genre readers expecting strong suspense and fast-paced twists
Readers who treat the novel as an officialdom how-to or success manual
Readers with little interest in power games and favors

Reading tips

First trace how Yu You'an's motives shift before and after each move, then see how he explains his choices.
Read phone calls, personnel arrangements, and colleagues' interactions as an information field—note who passes messages and who withholds.
At key decisions, pause and imagine how you would choose in the same position, then compare with what follows.
If drawn to realistic themes, read alongside common public knowledge of local governance, but do not equate the plot with real cases.

版权信息
第一章
1
2
3
4
第二章
1
2
3
4
第三章
1
2
3
4
第四章
1
2
3
4
第五章
1
2
3
4
第六章
1
2
3
4
第七章
1
2
3
4
第八章
1
2
3
4
第九章
1
2
3
4
尾声

FAQ

Is this book mainly about officialdom infighting?

It is about personal choices and networks amid a personnel upheaval; officialdom games are the backdrop and driving force, while the focus remains on how Yu You'an is shaped by position, colleagues, and rules. Reading it merely as an infighting story misses the characters' psychological shifts.

Can I understand it without experience inside the system?

Yes. The novel moves through relationships and events, with key information conveyed in dialogue and scenes. Readers need not know specific ranks—just follow Yu You'an's situation to grasp his concerns and calculations.

Is Yu You'an a hero or a villain?

The work avoids simple good-or-bad labels. He has ideals about getting things done and ambition for position, and tests the edges of rules. He is best read as a complex figure shaped by both environment and desire.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Xu Kaizhen Author · China · 1966

Xu Kaizhen, born in Gansu in 1966, is a contemporary Chinese novelist and a contracted writer with the Gansu Provincial Literature Academy. He previously served as a government secretary and a deputy general manager of a state-owned enterprise before resigning from public office in 2002 to devote himself to writing, an experience that gave him close insight into the workings of officialdom and state-owned enterprises. His works are mostly drawn from real social life, commonly categorized as social fiction, fine fiction, and war and military fiction. Representative works include The Political and Legal Secretary, The Provincial Party Committee Team, Crackdown on Organized Crime, and Past Events in Liangzhou. In 2011 he ranked 22nd on the sixth Chinese Writers Rich List, and several of his works have been adapted for film and television. The library holds 30 of his works, noted for their realistic observation and narrative tension.