Nominal: My senior brothers are all big shots

The Yunshu private room at Xiangjiangchun City Courtyard Restaurant is decorated in a simple and elegant style, with a strong Hunan and Hubei flavor.

Several cold dishes and appetizers were already laid out in the center of the round table, their vibrant red oil and sauces looking incredibly appealing. Han Bin, as the host, naturally sat in the main seat, with Hou Liangping, the executive deputy director, to his right. Lu Yike, Lin Huahua, Zhou Zheng, and others took their seats in turn. The atmosphere was much more relaxed than in the conference room; everyone had taken off their coats and temporarily set aside the seriousness of their work.

"Come on, Liangping, Yike, and everyone else, don't be shy, start eating." Han Bin greeted them warmly, personally spinning the lazy Susan to place a dish of chopped chili fish head in front of Hou Liangping. "Try this, it's the restaurant's signature dish. The fish head is fresh, and the chopped chili is a secret recipe the owner brought from his hometown—it's really flavorful!"

Hou Liangping picked up a piece with his chopsticks. The taste was fresh, spicy, and mellow, truly authentic. He nodded in praise, "Not bad, Director Han, you have a great understanding of food."

"Hi, I'm from Hunan, and I've loved spicy food since I was a kid," Han Bin said with a smile, picking up a piece of food with his chopsticks. "After I came to Handong for work, I still wasn't used to the food here, so I come here whenever I have the chance, just to satisfy my craving. I know the owner well."

After several rounds of drinks and five dishes, the atmosphere became even more lively.

Lin Huahua and Zhou Zheng started chatting about some interesting things and difficult cases in the bureau. Lu Yike occasionally chimed in, saying little but always hitting the nail on the head.

Han Bin listened with a smile most of the time, occasionally offering a few words of comment or encouragement as the bureau chief, which made him appear both approachable and authoritative.

Just as everyone was getting into the conversation, Han Bin seemed to remember something. He put down his chopsticks, picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth, and said, "By the way, Liangping, speaking of cases, I've just arrived at the Anti-Corruption Bureau, and there's a lot to deal with. There are some old clues that I haven't had time to sort out carefully yet. Since you're here today, there's something I think I can entrust to you to handle, which will also help you familiarize yourself with the situation and get things going as soon as possible."

Hou Liangping put down his chopsticks and looked at Han Bin. "Director Han, please speak."

Han Bin leaned forward slightly. "When I used to work in the Public Security Bureau office, I had a good friend who later went to work at the grassroots level. Now he's the deputy director of a police station in Guangming District. He said they recently arrested someone there suspected of contract fraud, named... Cai Chenggong."

Upon hearing the name "Cai Chenggong," Hou Liangping's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly, but his face remained calm. However, his fingers gripping the chopsticks tightened slightly.

Lu Yike's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. Cai Chenggong... isn't that the boss of Dafeng Factory? He also seems to have some indirect connection to Ding Yizhen's case.

Han Bin seemed oblivious to these subtle changes and continued, "My brother said that after Cai Chenggong was arrested, he probably wanted to get leniency, so he reported someone. He said it was Ouyang Jing, the vice president of Jingzhou City Bank. He reported her for accepting bribes."

Han Bin paused for a moment, "I was originally thinking that I would go and pick up the person in person after I had sorted out the daily work in the bureau, and verify the facts properly. After all, it involves Secretary Li's family members, so we must be extremely cautious. The investigation must be conducted in accordance with the law, but we must also pay attention to the methods and maintain a proper balance."

Han Bin looked at Hou Liangping, "But now that you're here, it's perfect! Liangping, you're the Executive Deputy Director, in charge of investigations, and you come from the Supreme People's Procuratorate. You have extensive experience in handling cases and are very principled. You're the most suitable person to take charge of this case! It will reflect our attitude of handling cases according to law and treating everyone equally, while also ensuring that the procedures are standardized and the investigation is rigorous. This Cai Chenggong case, along with the materials he used to report Ouyang Jing, will be transferred to you. What do you think?"

Han Bin's words were watertight. The clues were reported by the police station, and because they involved sensitive figures, they were handled with caution. Now, it was reasonable to hand them over to Hou Liangping, a newcomer with strong connections, high ability, and strong principles.

Countless thoughts flashed through Hou Liangping's mind in an instant.

Cai Chenggong is his childhood friend! Not many people know this. Does Han Bin genuinely not know, or is he pretending not to? Was it a coincidence, or was it intentional, that he handed over Cai Chenggong and Ouyang Jing's case to him? If it was intentional, what was his purpose? A test? Or did he want to use him to get close to Li Dakang?

But regardless of whether the other party knew about his relationship with Tsai Cheng-cheng, he had to take the case.

On the official grounds, given the allegations of bribery involving the spouse of a vice-ministerial-level official, he, as the executive deputy director of the anti-corruption bureau, had an inescapable responsibility. On the personal grounds, Cai Chenggong was his childhood friend, and he could not remain uninvolved in his current predicament. Moreover, Cai Chenggong might know some inside information about Ding Yizhen, or even about the Shanshui Group and Dafeng Factory.

Hou Liangping did not mention his relationship with Cai Chenggong. "Director Han, since this case involves the family of Secretary Li Dakang, it is indeed very sensitive and must be investigated seriously in accordance with the law. Thank you for your trust, Director Han. I will take this case. I will immediately organize personnel to go to the Guangming Branch to pick up the person and retrieve the relevant whistleblower materials to conduct an investigation in accordance with the law."

The statement was straightforward, without the slightest attempt to shirk responsibility.

Han Bin's smile widened as he raised his glass. "Good! Liangping, I admire your sense of responsibility! Come, let me toast you, wishing you a resounding victory! Remember, act according to the law and regulations, and be truthful. If you need any coordination or support from the bureau, feel free to contact me!"

"Thank you for your support, Director Han!" Hou Liangping also raised his glass, and the two drank it all in one gulp.

Early morning, at Li Dakang's home in the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee compound.

Ouyang Jing didn't sleep a wink all night. When the grandfather clock in the living room struck six, she was already dressed impeccably in a well-tailored off-white cashmere suit, paired with a Hermès scarf and understated diamond jewelry. Her makeup was so exquisite that she showed no signs of fatigue.

Two large suitcases stood in the foyer. Ouyang Jing did a final check: her identification, a small amount of cash, a few pieces of underwear, and a few of her favorite books.

She had memorized the script Lin Feng gave her perfectly and rehearsed the scenarios countless times. Rationally, Ouyang Jing knew she was unlikely to get into trouble. If she went in to cooperate with the investigation as planned and explained it according to industry norms, she would likely only receive disciplinary action and have to return the stolen goods.

But the thought of stepping through the doors of the procuratorate, being questioned, investigated, and scrutinized by countless eyes filled Ouyang Jing with immense fear and shame. What if... what if something went wrong? What if Hou Liangping acted unpredictably?

Ouyang Jing needs a buffer, a psychological escape route. Even if it's just a temporary sense of escape.

In the restaurant, Li Dakang was reading today's "Handong Daily" while drinking millet porridge. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw his wife's outfit for a long trip, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"So early? Going on a business trip?" Li Dakang put down his newspaper. He remembered that Ouyang Jing didn't have any meetings or projects that required long business trips recently.