Zhan Yongtao was a university graduate who made it into the civil service and basked in glory for a while, having once served as a secretary to a deputy county magistrate, who at that time had a great chance to become the county magistrate.
Just when Zhan Yongtao believed he had followed the right person, a corruption scandal brought the deputy county magistrate down, and subsequently, those from his faction were purged.
Zhan Yongtao had not spent much time with the deputy county magistrate and had not been involved in many affairs, so after the investigation cleared him, he returned to his post.
In an instant, the entire situation underwent a drastic change. The once-popular Zhan Yongtao now found himself suppressed everywhere. No longer could he serve as a secretary, and no one wished to employ him. Soon, he was transferred out of the office to a clean but insignificant agency and then quickly demoted to a party-government office in the township.
