Official excuse: I've put you on patrol in Handong, and the whole province is in a panic.

Gao Yuliang closed the document.

"explain."

Qi Tongwei leaned forward a little.

"The Zhao family has already made contact with the Zhong family. Zhong Zhengguo has accepted the old secretary's offer of allegiance. The special task force from the Supreme People's Procuratorate's Anti-Corruption Bureau arrived in Handong this afternoon to investigate Sun Liancheng first."

Gao Yuliang's hand, which was holding a teacup, stopped on the lid.

Is the information accurate?

"Zhao Ruilong said it himself."

"What else did he say?"

Qi Tongwei said, "Hou Liangping has been suppressed too much by Su Zhe, and the Zhong family can't swallow this insult. No matter how clean Sun Liancheng's assets are, they still have to withstand the investigation by the Supreme People's Procuratorate's special task force. As long as Sun Liancheng has any problems, Hou Liangping will have a chance to turn things around, and Su Zhe's previous punishments will be re-examined."

Gao Yuliang put the lid back on.

"If the Chung family were to get involved, the situation would be different."

Qi Tongwei nodded.

"Su Zhe has Elder Sun behind him, but the Zhong family is no ordinary family either. With the two sides checking and balancing each other, and Secretary Sha also siding with the provincial party committee to maintain stability, Su Zhe can't sweep through Handong like he did in Jinghai."

Gao Yuliang said, "Don't underestimate him."

"I know," Qi Tongwei replied, though he couldn't hide the slight relaxation on his face. "But no matter how strong he is, he can't suppress the Zhao family, the Zhong family, and the Handong Provincial Committee at the same time."

Gao Yuliang glanced at him.

"You'd better not say that outside."

Qi Tongwei immediately composed himself.

"Teacher, I understand."

Gao Yuliang leaned back in his chair.

"What was Zhao Ruilong's purpose in going to see Su Zhe?"

"Unlock the Shanshui Manor and stabilize the Huilong Group."

"It's too risky for him to go in person."

Qi Tongwei said, "He said if he doesn't go, no one can stop him. If Gao Xiaoqin goes, she'll be detained; if I go, I'll be questioned about the provincial department and association's accounts, not to mention the extent of the problem."

Gao Yuliang's expression darkened upon hearing about the degree of his work.

"Du Cheng can no longer be used."

Qi Tongwei said, "I know. He already showed his weakness last night when he was writing the explanation at the manor."

"It's not that I'm showing weakness," Gao Yuliang said. "It's just that the situation has changed. Su Zhe is a master at using circumstances. If he sees the extent of this, he'll turn around and bite me sooner or later."

Qi Tongwei did not respond to this.

The office was quiet for a while.

Gao Yuliang said, "Zhao Ruilong asked if the Shanshui Manor project could be shut down?"

"He said Chen Qingquan could be separated, a few small accounts could be handed over, the Shanshui Manor could be renovated, but Huilong Group could not be touched, and Crescent Lake could not be demolished."

Gao Yuliang's hand paused beside the teacup.

"Crescent Lake cannot be dragged down to the Zhao family any longer."

Qi Tongwei said, "But Su Zhe has already issued a notice to suspend business for rectification."

"Closing down is one thing, demolition is another."

"Teacher, Young Master Zhao said that with the Zhong family backing him up, Su Zhe might not dare to dismantle it."

Gao Yuliang looked out the window.

"Whether he dares or not, I really can't say right now."

Qi Tongwei laughed and said, "Teacher, you're being too cautious. With the Zhao and Zhong families combined, Su Zhe can't possibly overturn the table, can he?"

Just as Gao Yuliang was about to speak, Qi Tongwei's phone rang.

He glanced down at it, then stood up from his chair.

"Has Su Zhe gone mad?!"

Gao Yuliang's face darkened.

"Tongwei, sit down. I just told you, you must remain calm in the face of important matters."

Qi Tongwei handed over the phone, his voice stuck in his throat.

"Teacher, look."

Gao Yuliang took the phone.

The screen displays the work updates just released by the central inspection team.

Zhao Ruilong has been placed under criminal coercive measures by the public security authorities for suspected massive tax evasion, bid rigging, and transferring and concealing evidence.

The teacup hit the edge of the table, spilling water that trickled down the edges of the documents.

Gao Yuliang picked up a tissue to wipe himself. The first tissue was soaked with water, so he took a second one.

Qi Tongwei stood in front of the table, his face completely drained of color.

"Teacher, he really caught him."

Gao Yuliang stared at his phone for a long time before finally turning off the screen.

"How could Zhao Ruilong make such a basic mistake?"

Qi Tongwei said, "Tax evasion, bid rigging, these companies all do this..."

He stopped halfway through his sentence.

Gao Yuliang looked up at him.

"So, that's why everything's fine?"

Qi Tongwei's lips were dry.

"What I mean is, with so many projects and so many special approvals, his profits are already substantial enough, so why would he want to save that little bit of money on taxes?"

Gao Yuliang pulled out the wet document and threw it aside.

"It's all because the old Party Secretary spoiled them."

After those words were spoken, the office became even quieter.

Qi Tongwei took a step closer.

"Teacher, what should we do now? If Zhao Ruilong can't hold on, the Shanshui Manor, Crescent Lake, and the Gangcheng account will all be dumped."

Gao Yuliang's hand stopped on the drawer handle.

There was an old document there that he shouldn't have left in the office.

Gao Xiaofeng, the real estate in Gangcheng, the child's birth record, and the money Qi Tongwei deposited in his overseas account—each of these could tear apart the respectable facade he had built up over the years.

Qi Tongwei was even more chaotic than him.

The Zhao family reached out to him more than once to get him to the position of Director of the Provincial Public Security Department.

Others laughed at his past act of crying at the grave, but he knew it was a ticket to success.

Only after entering the Zhao family's gate did the Shanshui Manor come into existence, did Gao Xiaoqin come into existence, and did those unclear dividends and hidden shares come into existence.

With Zhao Ruilong down, Su Zhe can investigate along the Huilong Group and he definitely won't be able to escape.

Gao Yuliang picked up the landline, then put it down again.

"Don't call Zhao Lichun yet."

Qi Tongwei asked, "Then give it to Secretary Sha?"

"No, not either."

"Where is the Chung family?"

Gao Yuliang looked at him.

"Are you qualified to call the Chung family directly?"

Qi Tongwei was stumped by the question.

The phone rang again.

This time it's Gao Xiaoqin.

Qi Tongwei looked at Gao Yuliang.

Gao Yuliang said, "Take the call, put it on speakerphone."

As soon as the call connected, Gao Xiaoqin's voice came through.

"Director Qi, General Manager Zhao has been arrested, and things are in chaos at the group. We've received over a dozen inquiries from banks, and several project owners are requesting a suspension of payments."

Qi Tongwei said, "You need to stay calm."

"How can we be sure? The announcement has already been issued. The finance department asked Huilong if the accounts could be frozen, but we can't get in touch with Wang Chen either."

Gao Yuliang spoke.

"Xiaoqin, all accounts are sealed as is. No one is allowed to delete, add, or transfer them."

Gao Xiaoqin paused for a moment.

"Secretary Gao, what about General Manager Zhao...?"

"No one can save Zhao Ruilong now. If you want to live, don't touch the account book."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

"I see."

After the call ended, Qi Tongwei said in a low voice, "Teacher, since Su Zhe arrived in Handong, he seems to always push things to the extreme, but has he ever failed?"

Gao Yuliang did not answer immediately.

Someone walked by in the courtyard outside the window; the sound of leather shoes was inaudible through the glass.

He picked up the teacup, touched the rim to his lips, and then put it back on the table.

"He can't win every time."

Qi Tongwei looked at him.

This statement doesn't sound like a judgment.

It sounded more like Gao Yuliang was talking to himself.

The phone on my desk lit up again.

This post comes from Lüzhou.

An investigation team arrived at the Crescent Lake Floating Food City to investigate illegal construction. They discovered suspected transfer of old account books, and the relevant personnel have been taken into custody.

Gao Yuliang stared at the line of text, remaining motionless for a long time.

Qi Tongwei squeezed out a sentence.

"Teacher, he really wants to demolish Crescent Lake."

Gao Yuliang placed his phone face down on the table.

"Prepare the car."

Qi Tongwei asked, "Where to?"

Gao Yuliang picked up a glasses cloth and wiped the lenses twice.

"The Provincial Party Committee."

"Looking for Secretary Sha?"

Gao Yuliang put his glasses back on.

"If we don't look for him, we'll just have to wait for Su Zhe to come to us."

In his office in the provincial party committee compound, Sha Ruijingang turned to the end of a briefing when the phone on his desk rang.

Bai Zhiyuan stood by the door, glanced at his expression, and then put down the notification that had just been delivered.

"Secretary Sha, the Shanshui Manor has been sealed off. The central inspection team took action and they transferred people from the Jingzhou Municipal Bureau, without going through the provincial department."

Sha Ruijin folded the briefing and pressed his finger on the line of text.

"The people from the Jingzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau didn't touch the Provincial Public Security Department."

Bai Zhiyuan nodded, "Yes, we didn't borrow any people from Qi Tongwei's side."

Sha Ruijin leaned back in his chair, staring at the gray-white sky outside the window, before finally speaking after a long while.

"Su Zhe's move was interesting."

Bai Zhiyuan asked, "Are you saying he deliberately avoided the provincial government?"

"right."

Sha Ruijin raised his hand and tapped the table twice.

"If he really wanted to use Qi Tongwei, the local police force in Jingzhou could easily create a scene outside the Shanshui Manor. But he deliberately went around that, without even informing the provincial department. This isn't how you handle a case; this is just for show."

Bai Zhiyuan asked in a low voice, "Who is it for?"

"Show it to Gao Yuliang, show it to Qi Tongwei, and show it to the people behind Shanshui Manor."

Sha Ruijin paused for a moment after saying this.

"Think about it, the provincial department didn't get involved, but the Jingzhou police went straight in and sealed the materials anyway. What does that tell you?"

Bai Zhiyuan continued, "This shows that the inspection team doesn't trust the provincial department."

"That's not all."

Sha Ruijin shook his head.

"This shows that Su Zhe knows that the Shanshui Manor connection is inseparable from Qi Tongwei. You see, even if he doesn't touch the provincial department, people will immediately think of the Handa gang. Gao Yuliang is the kind of person who is most afraid of this accusation getting more and more solidified."

Bai Zhiyuan asked, "So, how far has his investigation progressed?"

Sha Ruijin pushed the briefing aside and rested his hand on the armrest of his chair.

"As it stands, it's still the manor, the Shanshui Group, and Zhao Ruilong's level. Going any deeper would be difficult."

Bai Zhiyuan tentatively said, "Zhao Lichun is still in the central government. If we really want to push things further down, I'm afraid someone will step in."

Sha Ruijin's lips twitched, but he didn't respond to that, only saying calmly.

"The most troublesome thing about 'official-businessmen' is these four words. Official comes first, business comes second, and in the end, it all comes down to personal relationships. The Zhao family has mastered this approach over the years, and nobody wants to touch it."

Just as Bai Zhiyuan was about to speak, the intercom by the door lit up again.

He answered the phone, listened for a couple of sentences, and his expression changed immediately.

"Secretary Sha, please don't look at anything else for now."

Sha Ruijin looked up. "What's wrong?"

Bai Zhiyuan handed over the phone, his voice slightly strained.

"Zhao Ruilong has been arrested by the central inspection team; this was just announced."

Sha Ruijin didn't reach out; instead, he scanned the contents of his phone, his shoulders and back noticeably shifting forward by half an inch.

"Criminal detention."

Bai Zhiyuan nodded. "The announcement is clear: they are suspected of tax evasion, bid rigging, and collusion, involving an exceptionally large sum of money. Criminal coercive measures have already been taken in accordance with the law."

Sha Ruijin stared at those words for a long while before he finally held his phone steady.

"Su Zhe basically forced Zhao Ruilong in."

Bai Zhiyuan didn't dare to reply.

After reading the announcement, Sha Ruijin slowly exhaled, as if he had finally released the tightness in his chest.

"Good lad."

Bai Zhiyuan asked, "Do you think he's too daring?"

"Being bold is one thing, but being ruthless is another."

Sha Ruijin put his phone back on the table, his fingertips lingering on the surface for a moment.

"I originally thought that he would at most use the Shanshui Manor as a starting point to make a fuss and force the Zhao family to give up some benefits. Who would have thought that he would even detain Zhao Ruilong himself?"

Bai Zhiyuan looked at him and asked, "So how do you make your judgment now?"

Sha Ruijin turned around, his tone slowing down.

"This is no longer a simple economic case."

"When Zhao Ruilong makes a move, the first thing people outside will think of won't be Shanshui Manor or Huilong Group; their first thought will definitely be Zhao Lichun. Su Zhe has brought this line so straight, it's like putting the Zhao family's face on the table."

Bai Zhiyuan asked softly, "Wouldn't that force Zhao Lichun to take action prematurely?"

Sha Ruijin did not answer immediately.

He moved his chair back a little, his gaze falling on the announcement.

"Some people may want to make moves, but they may not be able to."

Bai Zhiyuan said in a low voice, "You were worried earlier that Su Zhe was too hasty."

Sha Ruijin looked up at him.

"What I was worried about was that he pushed things too fast and didn't leave Handong any room to maneuver. But now it seems that he wasn't reckless; he had calculated things carefully."

Bai Zhiyuan asked, "How was it calculated?"

As Sha Ruijin said this, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

"By the time they realized what was happening, Su Zhe had already seized both the people and the account."

Bai Zhiyuan thought for a moment, then decided to speak.

"But Zhao Ruilong is Zhao Lichun's son after all. If he is arrested so quickly, things will probably get chaotic outside."

Sha Ruijin pressed the announcement under his palm.

"Chaos is inevitable, and the faster it gets chaotic, the more it shows that Su Zhe has hit their sore spot."

He paused, then suddenly chuckled.

"I was wondering if this kid would give the older comrades some face, but now I see I was overthinking it."

Bai Zhiyuan asked, "Do you want to give the central command a reply?"

"There's no rush yet."

Sha Ruijin stood up and walked to the window.

"Once Zhao Ruilong makes his move, others will definitely come to test the waters. Let's see who moves first and who panics first."

Bai Zhiyuan responded, but did not leave.

Sha Ruijin turned around and glanced at him.

"Do you have anything else to say?"

Bai Zhiyuan hesitated for a moment.

"Secretary Sha, Su Zhe's move was too swift. Do you think he might overturn the balance of power in the officialdom of Handong?"

Sha Ruijin remained silent for a moment before replying.

"If he can remove what needs to be removed, the remaining balance is not worth much anyway."

The wind blowing in from the end of the corridor lifted a page of the notice on the corner of the table.

Sha Ruijin reached out and pressed down, his expression finally calming down.

"Notify the Political and Legal Affairs Commission to keep an eye on any activity at the Provincial Party Committee compound."

"Also, tell the secretariat that starting tonight, all calls involving Shanshui Manor, Huilong Group, and Zhao Ruilong should be recorded and then reported."

"I'd like to see who gets restless first."

In the temporary office of Jingzhou International Hotel, Su Zhe finished reading the control materials of Zhao Ruilong and moved the tax investigation letter to the side of the table.