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

This is tantamount to giving Su Zhe a "royal sword".

This meant he had considerable autonomy and special reporting channels in Handong. This was both a great trust and a requirement for him to be more cautious and never abuse this power.

Su Zhe stood up again, his expression solemn: "Old Sun, I understand! Please rest assured, I will strictly abide by discipline, act with discretion, and perform my duties in accordance with the law and regulations, and I will never let you down!"

"Alright, I believe you," Old Sun said with a smile. "Then you should go back and prepare. Comrade Zhao Lianhai will arrange for the relevant appointment documents to be issued as soon as possible. The Fifth Inspection Team will be departing soon, and Comrade Xu Ming will arrange for someone to contact you to coordinate the specific work."

"Yes, Elder Sun!"

Go ahead, be careful on the road.

Old Master Sun waved his hand gently.

Su Zhe bowed deeply to Elder Sun, then turned around and gently opened the office door.

Secretary-General Huang Jiang was indeed waiting not far from the door. Seeing Su Zhe come out, he greeted him with a smile: "Finished talking?"

"We've finished talking, Secretary-General," Su Zhe nodded.

"I'll see you out." Huang Jiang warmly accompanied Su Zhe downstairs, escorting him all the way to the entrance of the small building. Wang Peng was already waiting there.

"Comrade Su Zhe, let's keep in touch. Going to work in Handong is a long and arduous journey, take good care of yourself!" Huang Jiang shook Su Zhe's hand vigorously, his tone full of meaning.

"Thank you, Secretary-General, I will," Su Zhe said gratefully.

Afterwards, Huang Jiang personally accompanied Su Zhe back along the same route. After passing through the security checkpoint and completing the simple exit procedures, he escorted him all the way to the south gate.

Standing where he got off the bus, looking back at the solemn red gate and the armed guards, Su Zhe felt as if he were in a dream.

In just a few hours, his life trajectory underwent a dramatic change. His father's past, Old Sun's approval, his exceptional promotion, the mysterious and arduous task... all these pieces of information intertwined, making him feel both excited and under unprecedented pressure.

He took a deep breath, started walking, and headed towards the main road where he could hail a taxi.

The road ahead is destined to be anything but peaceful.

The trip to Handong will undoubtedly be full of challenges.

But he had no choice but to face the challenge head-on. The sky was still azure, the sun still shone brightly, but Su Zhe knew that from this moment on, the world he saw was different.

......

Two days later, in Yanjing.

Inside an office building.

Su Zhe arrived at the office of Xu Ming, the leader of the fifth inspection team, at the agreed time.

This is an office that is not particularly spacious, but it is clean and orderly.

The bookshelves are neatly arranged with various policy documents and theoretical works, and a calligraphy work that reads "Honesty and Integrity" hangs on the wall.

Xu Ming, 68 years old this year, had his hair neatly combed and wore reading glasses. He was sitting at his desk reading documents. When Su Zhe knocked and came in, he took off his glasses, a gentle smile appeared on his face, and he stood up from his chair, extending his hand.

"Comrade Su Zhe has arrived, please have a seat."

"Hello, leader." Su Zhe stepped forward quickly and shook hands with Xu Ming.

Xu Ming's hands were warm, and his grip was firm, exuding the composure characteristic of a veteran cadre.

"Don't be shy, sit down, sit down."

Xu Ming gestured for Su Zhe to sit on the sofa opposite him, and then sat down on the single sofa next to him.

His secretary picked up the teapot from the coffee table and poured Su Zhe a cup of tea.

Xu Ming smiled and said, "Here, have some water."

"Thank you, boss."

Su Zhe took the teacup and held it in his hands.

Xu Ming sized up Su Zhe a few times and smiled, "I've heard Old Sun mention you before, and I'm so glad to finally meet you today. Not bad, very energetic. Young people should have this kind of spirit."

Su Zhe smiled modestly: "Team Leader Xu, you flatter me."

"No flattery, no flattery."

Xu Ming waved his hand, leaned forward slightly, and said in a friendly but serious tone, "I've read your resume. You joined the army at eighteen, served in the Snow Leopard Commando Unit, became a top soldier, a military attaché stationed abroad, and a key member of the Discipline Inspection Commission... You've taken every step solidly and achieved outstanding results. Especially during your years at the Discipline Inspection Commission, I've reviewed the case files of the several cases you participated in. Your thinking was clear, and your methods were appropriate. You're a promising talent."

Su Zhe was somewhat surprised, not expecting Xu Ming to know so much about him. He quickly replied, "It's all thanks to the organization's training, the leaders' guidance, and the hard work of my colleagues."

"We should still acknowledge what needs to be acknowledged," Xu Ming smiled, then changed the subject, "However, transferring you from the Discipline Inspection Commission to join the inspection team this time won't be an easy task. Old Sun must have spoken to you about it, right?"

Su Zhe nodded: "Old Sun talked to me and asked me to cooperate with the team during the inspection, and at the same time... be responsible for some issues that require special handling."

Xu Ming nodded, his expression becoming more serious: "Old Sun may have been being rather principled. There are some things he can't say too bluntly. So I'll be more explicit with you today."

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, put it down, looked at Su Zhe, and said, word by word, "Your official identity in Handong this time is as a member of the Fifth Inspection Team. But secretly, you have an even more important mission. You are a 'scalpel' sent down by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, specifically to deal with those deeply entrenched problems and complex web of relationships. To put it bluntly, you're going to break down the jars and pots!"

Su Zhe listened intently.

"The situation in Handong Province is more complex than you imagine," Xu Ming said slowly. "Its rapid economic development, ranking among the top in the country in GDP, is an achievement. But there are also many problems, some of which are even systemic or sectoral. This inspection is a routine one, but the central government anticipated the problems in Handong. Therefore, while the inspection is underway, a capable team is needed to simultaneously investigate any serious violations of discipline and law that may be discovered, and even take necessary measures. That's your task!"

Xu Ming paused, then continued, "Don't have any concerns or be afraid. Since we've assigned you, we'll give you ample support and authorization. I can tell you that our fifth inspection team has three deputy team leaders. Besides you, the other two are both at the ministerial level. One is from the National Development and Reform Commission, and the other is from the National Audit Office; both are experienced comrades. The fact that you, at the deputy ministerial level, are listed as a deputy team leader alongside two ministerial-level officials speaks volumes about the organization's trust and importance placed on you, doesn't it?"

Su Zhe was startled.

There were three deputy group leaders, two department heads, and myself, a deputy department head.

This arrangement certainly sends a strong signal.

He immediately stated, "Thank you for the organization's trust. I will do my utmost to complete the task and live up to the organization's expectations."

"Good, with this attitude, we're halfway there." Xu Ming smiled with satisfaction, then his expression turned serious again. "Now, I'm going to formally inform you of another appointment."