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

The Supreme People's Procuratorate of Handong Province.

In Chief Prosecutor Ji Changming's office, the curtains were only half-drawn, and sunlight shone on the floor, cutting out a line of distinct light and shadow.

Ji Changming sat behind his desk, a document stamped with a red seal spread out in front of him.

He looked at it repeatedly, and each time he looked at it, his brows furrowed even more.

suddenly.

There was a knock on the door to Ji Changming's office.

The secretary walked in.

Chen Hai followed behind.

"Inspector Ji, Director Chen has arrived."

"Enter!"

The door opened, and Chen Hai walked in.

He looked somewhat haggard.

Ding Yizhen's escape has left him in a state of utter chaos, while Hou Liangping keeps calling him, pressuring him to hold him accountable.

He felt like he was being roasted on a fire, with the Supreme People's Procuratorate above him, the Provincial Party Committee below him, the inspection team to his left, and public opinion to his right.

There is no way back in either direction.

"Ji Jian, you wanted to see me?"

Ji Changming didn't speak immediately, but instead let out a long sigh and pushed the document on the table over to him.

Chen Hai took it and looked down at it.

The title is "Decision of the Handong Provincial Committee of the CPC on Removing Comrade Chen Hai from the Post of Director of the Anti-Corruption and Bribery Bureau of the Handong Provincial People's Procuratorate".

Chen Hai's hand trembled slightly.

He looked down—"After deliberation by the Provincial Party Committee, it has been decided to remove Comrade Chen Hai from his post as Director of the Anti-Corruption and Bribery Bureau of the Handong Provincial People's Procuratorate."

The document was written in black and white on white paper and stamped with the large red seal of the General Office of the Hantong Provincial Party Committee.

Chen Hai froze, his fingers tightening around the document, causing the paper to crumple.

Ji Changming sighed softly.

"Besides the dismissal decision, there's also a notice of investigation. The Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection will investigate and hold you accountable for your leak of secrets that led to Ding Yizhen's escape! Be prepared... Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection Secretary Tian Guofu will personally speak with you!"

Chen Hai couldn't help but ask, "Inspector Ji! What's going on here?"

"This was clearly Hou Liangping's illegal command! In the middle of the night, without any procedures or approvals, he just made a phone call and ordered me to arrest a department-level official! What right did I have to arrest him? What authority did I have to do so? I even consulted you! You said I had to report to the provincial party committee, and that would make the procedures work..."

"Now look what's happened! Hou Liangping is doing perfectly fine in Yanjing, everyone's living peacefully, nothing's wrong, but I, who followed procedures and obediently, have been dismissed and am now under investigation? Inspector Ji, tell me the truth, is this fair?! So I'm the only one carrying this burden?"

Ji Changming stood up from his chair, walked around the desk, and went to Chen Hai.

He patted Chen Hai on the shoulder and gave a wry smile.

"Chen Hai, I understand your grievances. To be honest, you've truly been wronged in this matter. From beginning to end, you were dragged into this mess by Hou Liangping's phone call."

Chen Hai gripped the document tightly, his knuckles turning white, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Ji Changming sighed.

"But Comrade Chen Hai, the situation is beyond our control."

"Secretary Sha originally intended to downplay the matter. Secretary Yuliang also didn't seem inclined to pursue it further. Frankly, the provincial leaders all knew the situation; there was nothing they could do!"

Chen Hai was taken aback.

"Then why..."

"Because the central inspection team is relentlessly pressing the issue."

Ji Changming lowered his voice even further.

"Do you know who proposed removing you from your post at the five-person leadership meeting?"

Chen Hai shook his head.

"The deputy head of the inspection team is named Su Zhe. He was sent down by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. He's not very old, but he has a deep background and is very ruthless! At the meeting, in front of Secretary Sha and Secretary Gao, he analyzed the loopholes in the entire case-handling process point by point. He can't control the Supreme People's Procuratorate, but he sent a circular to the Supreme People's Procuratorate's Discipline Inspection Group, severely criticizing Hou Liangping. As for our Handong side—he can control it...so..."

Ji Changming looked at Chen Hai with a helpless expression.

"His exact words were, Ding Yizhen is a department-level cadre, and his escape has serious consequences. Comrade Chen Hai's dereliction of duty is directly linked to the consequences, and he must be dismissed. Secretary Sha has just arrived in Handong, and he can't just stand up to the central inspection team for the sake of an anti-corruption bureau chief, can he? He was forced to agree."

Chen Hai closed his eyes.

He listened to and understood every word Ji Changming said.

I can understand it, but the feeling of frustration in my heart just won't go away.

Over the years, how many cases has he led his team in the anti-corruption bureau? How many corrupt officials has he sent to prison? Why do all these achievements become meaningless when it comes to the crucial moment?

"That Su Zhe..."

He had never met Su Zhe before, and they had never even met face to face.

Yet this same person, across the long table of the five-person leadership team meeting, shattered his more than ten years of hard work with a single, casual remark.

Ji Changming seemed to guess what Chen Hai was thinking and sighed, "Chen Hai, don't be so resentful. They were just following the rules, and the procedural loopholes he mentioned do objectively exist. If you want to blame someone, blame Hou Liangping for making those random phone calls in the middle of the night! You should blame yourself more; if you felt that not having proper procedures was irregular, why didn't you just refuse?"

These words stung Chen Hai deeply, yet he had no way to refute them.

Yes, why didn't I hang up when Hou Liangping was pressuring me to do it on the phone...?

If it only takes a day or two...

Does this mean this matter has nothing to do with me anymore?

Ji Changming patted his arm.

"During this time, you must keep your mouth shut. Don't go around complaining or crying foul, and don't talk about the inspection team to anyone. Whether you're wronged or not, the leaders know, but if you go around talking nonsense, what should be a small matter will become a big one. Listen to me, be patient and wait and see."

Chen Hai remained silent for a long time.

Finally, he folded the crumpled document in his hand and stuffed it into the inside pocket of his jacket.

"Thank you for the quarterly inspection. I understand."

He turned around, opened the door, and went out.

The corridor was empty, with fluorescent lights shining brightly.

Chen Hai's steps were a little unsteady as he mechanically walked along the corridor. He paused when he passed his office.

The sign on the door reads: "Office of the Director of the Anti-Corruption and Bribery Bureau".

Starting tomorrow, the name on this sign will probably not be his anymore.

He didn't push the door open or go in, nor did he turn back.

When Chen Hai walked out of the provincial procuratorate building, the midday sun was shining brightly overhead. He stood on the steps, subconsciously touched the document in his pocket, then took a deep breath and got into his car.

After starting the engine, he sat in the driver's seat for a while without shifting gears.

My mind is a mess.

Where to go?

Come back home?

I'm even more upset now.

Going to go drink with friends?

He is now afraid to contact anyone in any circle.

After thinking it over, Chen Hai put the car in gear, drove it out of the provincial procuratorate compound, and turned onto the highway leading to the suburbs.