Name: My father is Zhao Dehan, and I hope he will become a dragon!

The night was deep

The courtyard of Gao Yuliang's house was so quiet that you could hear the sycamore leaves falling.

Inside the study, the steam of tea rose gently, and Qi Tongwei sat at the lower end of the table.

Qi Tongwei already knew the contents of the provincial party committee standing committee meeting.

At this moment, Old Master Qi frowned, feeling a chill run down his spine.

"Teacher..." his voice was hoarse, "If Zhao Dehan really becomes the executive vice governor? Then...then...do I still have a chance in the provincial government? Does that mean I'll be completely out of a position? Is the vice governorship completely hopeless?!"

Gao Yuliang slowly poured the tea, the celadon covered bowls clinking lightly together, producing a crisp sound.

"What's the panic?"

He looked up, his gaze like a deep pool. "The more you're rowing against the current, the more you must strive forward. I will continue to push you up!"

"Teacher!" Qi Tongwei was moved.

Gao Yuliang sighed and continued, "If I don't push you up, you won't even be able to hold onto your current position—Li Dakang is watching you, Sha Ruijin is on guard against you, and now Zhao Dehan has appeared… It's going to be very difficult for you!"

Qi Tongwei also felt a chill run down his spine.

Gao Yuliang paused, then his tone suddenly turned cold: "If you take a step back, you will fall into an abyss."

Qi Tongwei suddenly looked up: "So, what's our next step?"

Gao Yuliang put down the teapot, leaned forward slightly, and lowered his voice to a whisper:

"The Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee has already approved it. Next, the Central Organization Department's inspection team will definitely arrive in Handong within one to two weeks. If the investigation confirms the facts, it will be reported to the Secretariat or the member of the Politburo in charge for approval, and Zhao Dehan's appointment will be officially issued. The process is very fast; there's no need to wait for the one-year probationary period to end."

A ruthless glint flashed in Qi Tongwei's eyes: "Then... could we make something happen to him during this time?"

"His achievements speak for themselves, so how did he get into trouble?" Gao Yuliang sneered.

"This..." Qi Tongwei's eyes darted around, then he suddenly said, "If we don't look into Zhao Dehan's problems, I don't believe that the people around him are completely innocent!"

"clever."

Gao Yuliang's lips curled into a slight smile, finally showing some appreciation for his apprentice. He'd finally seen the light: "We can't really touch Zhao Dehan himself—his achievements are too great, his popularity is too high, even CCTV is praising him. But… what about his subordinates?"

He said slowly, "For example, that Sun Liancheng? Was there any transfer of benefits during the restructuring of Dafeng Factory?"

Qi Tongwei's eyes lit up: "As long as even the slightest problem is discovered, Zhao Dehan will have to prove his innocence!"

Gao Yuliang shook his head and smiled slightly: "No, we don't want him to prove his innocence—we want him to remain silent. If he comes forward to vouch for someone during the central investigation, it will be seen as 'protecting subordinates and interfering with the investigation'; if he doesn't come forward, his subordinates will lose heart and become disloyal. Either way, he loses."

Qi Tongwei suddenly realized, slapping his thigh: "Brilliant! He'll either be all alone, or he'll be branded as a 'cover-up'!"

Gao Yuliang picked up his teacup, blew away the foam, and said, "Yes, either way, he'll be in a difficult position!"

At this point, Gao Yuliang shook his head again.

Now, I can only do small-scale operations.

He knew it in his heart—

Zhao Dehan's momentum is unstoppable.

56 billion yuan in land revenue, 10,000 jobs, a national-level industrial model…

The central government will only complain that he is promoted too slowly, not too quickly.

All I could do was sprinkle a few fleas on his splendid robe.

"Go and do it."

He said calmly, "Be quick, be precise, and rely on 'public tip-offs.' Remember—we're not trying to bring him down, we're trying to let him know that the waters of Handong aren't so clear yet."

Qi Tongwei stood up and bowed deeply: "Understood, teacher!"

The door closed, and the study returned to silence.

Gao Yuliang sat alone for a long time, then suddenly took out an old photograph from the drawer—

That was a photo of him and Zhao Lichun in the provincial party committee compound, looking triumphant and full of vigor.

Now that Zhao Lichun has retired, Sha Ruijin is coming on strong, another of his good students is also attacking him, and even Qi Tongwei is walking on thin ice.

He gently stroked the edge of the photo and murmured to himself, "Zhao Dehan, oh Zhao Dehan... You won the country, but this world still has some dirty water for you to wade through."

Night has fallen, but the lights of Nanhu New City remain on.

Instead of returning to the provincial party committee's residential compound, Zhao Dehan drove to the top floor of the Chongming Science and Technology Headquarters.

The office door was ajar. He pushed it open and entered, seeing Zhao Chongming working on his tasks. Zhao Dehan didn't disturb him, but simply gazed at the outline of the super factory in the distance—where the Nova K1 production line roared through the night.

"Dad." Zhao Chongming finished his work and poured his father a cup of tea with a smile. "Have some tea, relax!"

A long-absent relaxed smile appeared on Zhao Dehan's face: "The Standing Committee meeting just finished. It's passed."

Zhao Chongming finally turned around, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Congratulations, sir, on becoming the Executive Vice Governor."

"Ha ha!"

Zhao Dehan laughed and patted his son on the shoulder, "Don't give me that! If it weren't for your Nova K1 selling like hotcakes, and if this land in Nanhu hadn't been revitalized, your old man would still be cleaning up Dafeng Factory's messes right now!"

He took a sip of tea, smiled, and said, "To my surprise, Li Dakang actually spoke up for me. I thought he would oppose me!"

"He's not stupid. The achievements are yours, old man. Does it have nothing to do with him being the Party Secretary of Jingzhou City?" Zhao Chongming smiled and said, "If I were Li Dakang, I would also fully support you. Not only support you, but I would also cultivate a good relationship with you. In the future, Li Dakang may not necessarily be the Governor of Handong Province, but what about those around him?"

Zhao Dehan was slightly taken aback.

Zhao Chongming smiled and said, "As long as you maintain a good relationship with me, even if Li Dakang isn't the governor of Handong Province anymore, he can still hold onto his position as long as I have the resources. So... the one who's truly valuable is your son, me!"

Zhao Dehan laughed and said, "That's true. So, does that mean I can cooperate well with Li Dakang?"

"Almost!" Zhao Chongming smiled.

Zhao Dehan said, "It seems the overall situation is settled!"

"Not necessarily, we still need to be wary of some treacherous people!"

Zhao Chongming smiled and said, "Now is not the time to celebrate."

Zhao Dehan was taken aback.

"The inspection team from the Organization Department of the Central Committee will arrive within one or two weeks."

Zhao Chongming took a sip of tea and said, "During this period, everyone in the 'Zhao Family Troupe' must behave themselves."

He listed the points one by one on his fingers: "Sun Liancheng—don't rush to approve new projects. All documents must be documented and compliant. The same applies to everyone else. Land approvals, finances—all of these must be documented and carefully monitored!"

Zhao Dehan frowned slightly: "Is it necessary to be so cautious?"

"As for..."

Zhao Chongming looked directly into his father's eyes. "Gao Yuliang won't sit idly by and watch you rise to power. If he can't touch you, he'll target those around you. If anyone gets into trouble, you either have to protect them—which would seem like favoritism; or you don't—which would seem like cold-heartedness."

After a pause, Zhao Chongming said calmly, "This is just a minor incident. The main problem is that it disrupts the harmony between you and your subordinates, making your future work more difficult!"

Zhao Dehan was taken aback: "This, is it just a small-scale operation?"

"This is no small matter, it's called making steady progress every day, winning one victory every day!" Zhao Chongming smiled and said, "Accumulate small victories into a big victory. We can't underestimate Gao Yuliang. So, everyone should keep their heads down and not give him any excuses. Only when you officially wear the hat of Executive Vice President can you stand up straight."

Zhao Dehan remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.

He suddenly remembered something and asked in a low voice, "And what about you? Is there any risk involved in Chongming Technology?"

Zhao Chongming laughed: "We're the safest. All land acquisitions are done through public bidding, all employment contracts are signed, and all finances are audited by the Big Four accounting firms—we're not exploiting loopholes, we're setting a benchmark. If they investigate me, fine, then come and investigate. Don't you care about employment? Don't you want stability?"

Zhao Dehan suddenly realized.

My own son is the most difficult to deal with.

Zhao Chongming walked up to his father and said firmly, "You just keep going. I'll keep an eye on the fire behind you."

Zhao Dehan felt something was off.

This doesn't make sense, does it?

Between the two of us, who is the father and who is the son?

Why do I feel like what you're saying is something I should be saying?

However, now is not the time to feel strange.

Zhao Dehan looked at his son deeply, then suddenly reached out and pressed down hard on his shoulder.

No further words were needed.

The father and son stood side by side by the window, gazing at the ever-shining river of light over Nanhu Lake.