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

Gao Qiqiang was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but say, "Chaos? Director Wang, how...how could we dare to!"

Secretary Wang said coldly, "You dare disobey the mayor? Let me tell you, this matter is very easy to handle! The underlings can cause trouble, the peripherals can be mobilized, and the core personnel must remain hidden! Fight, collect debts, smash dozens or hundreds of disobedient shops, create some public order incidents, and sow resentment among the people! The more chaotic Jinghai becomes before and after the work group arrives, the less responsibility you will bear! Understand?"

Gao Qiqiang said, "Director Wang, this is too risky. If the work group takes this opportunity to act, and our subordinates are arrested, the trail will go up... and then what about us..."

"Then let them never get to the core!"

Secretary Wang retorted, "Your construction group has been around for so many years, and you can't even manage this much isolation?"

Gao Qiqiang suppressed his anger and said, "It's not that I can't do it, it's that I'm worried about affecting the stability of the city."

Secretary Wang chuckled: "Gao Qiqiang, the stability of the city is Mayor Zhao's concern, not yours! Just remember one thing: if the working group successfully uncovers a batch of problems in Jinghai, you're finished, and many others will follow suit! If the working group arrives and Jinghai descends into chaos, the higher-ups will first consider how to stabilize the situation... You've handled this before, so why are you backing down this time? With Mayor Zhao around, what's there to be afraid of?"

Gao Qiqiang remained silent as a car drove past the window, its headlights flashing across the glass.

Secretary Wang asked, "Did you understand?"

Gao Qiqiang said, "Understood."

"Mayor Zhao is not available to speak with you directly, so please do not call him again."

Secretary Wang said, "Do things cleanly, and remember this! Make sure no core members are caught! Also, don't try to shift the blame to the city when something goes wrong. You know perfectly well who your construction group owes its success to..."

Gao Qiqiang said in a low voice, "Please rest assured, Mayor Zhao."

After hanging up the phone, Gao Qiqiang didn't turn around immediately. He just looked at his reflection in the glass and slowly pulled his fingers back from the windowsill.

Gao Qisheng got up and walked over, asking, "Brother, what happened?"

Gao Qiqiang put his phone face down on the table and returned to his seat at the head of the table.

"The central inspection team is coming to Jinghai."

Tang Xiaolong's expression changed: "Investigating us?"

Gao Qiqiang said, "We won't just investigate us; we'll investigate everything in Jinghai, including old cases, backlogged cases, and criminal cases!"

Tang Xiaohu immediately said, "Then let's quickly get the brothers to hide, close the place for a few days, and wait for things to calm down."

Gao Qisheng stared at Gao Qiqiang and asked, "The phone call just now wasn't telling us to hide, was it?"

Gao Qiqiang looked at his younger brother.

"Hmm... Secretary Wang called, wanting us to cause trouble in Jinghai and make a big fuss."

Gao Qisheng picked up the lighter on the table and threw it back: "I knew it, Zhao Lidong wants to use us as cannon fodder again."

Tang Xiaolong frowned: "What do you mean?"

Gao Qisheng said coldly, "Don't you understand? The working group is coming, and instead of letting us restrain ourselves, they want us to cause chaos in Jinghai. Then the higher-ups can say that the working group's methods were too harsh and caused local security unrest. Our underlings will be arrested, we'll take the blame, and they'll be sitting in their offices drinking tea."

Tang Xiaohu cursed, "Isn't this pushing us into the line of fire?"

Gao Qiqiang didn't stop them from cursing; he just pushed the orange segments in front of him toward Gao Qisheng.

"Asheng, eat something, don't get so angry."

Gao Qisheng looked at him and said, "Brother, what time is it? Why are you still making me eat oranges?"

Gao Qiqiang said, "Especially at times like these, you must not let your temper make decisions for you."

Gao Qisheng suppressed his anger and said, "Brother, if you ask me, we should just let Lao Mo go find Zhao Lidong. As long as he shuts up, Jinghai will have half the trouble."

Neither Tang Xiaolong nor Tang Xiaohu dared to respond to that.

Gao Qiqiang smiled.

"Zhao Lidong is the mayor, do you dare touch him? If something happens to him today, the army might be coming to Jinghai tomorrow!"

Gao Qisheng retorted, "He's already using us to fill his hole, what are we afraid of? Are we supposed to keep being his dogs forever?"

Gao Qiqiang straightened the tissue box on the table and said in a steady tone, "In the world of gangsters, it's often not about what you want to be, but what others make you be. He hasn't driven us to the brink yet, so we can't flip the table first."

Tang Xiaolong asked in a low voice, "Brother Qiang, what do we do?"

Gao Qiqiang said, "Do as Secretary Wang says, but keep a backup plan."

Tang Xiaohu asked, "How do we do it?"

Gao Qiqiang looked at Tang Xiaolong: "The core personnel will leave Jinghai tonight, heading to several surrounding counties... No! We'll leave Jinghai directly! Head south! Preferably to Gangcheng! Change your cell phones, don't contact your subordinates directly!"

Tang Xiaolong nodded: "Understood."

Gao Qiqiang then looked at Tang Xiaohu: "Go and arrange for the outer henchmen. Don't use knives, don't touch murder cases, and don't touch the elderly or children. The main tasks are to smash windows, block doors, scare the merchants, and create police incidents."

Tang Xiaohu hesitated: "Brother Qiang, we could get arrested like this too."

Gao Qiqiang said, "Those arrested are from the periphery. They'll be detained for a few days, fined a little money, and then their lawyers will try to bail them out... If they can't get them out, we'll just give them some money and call it a day."

Gao Qisheng chimed in, "We can't let them know who arranged this."

Gao Qiqiang nodded: "Each floor will be separated. Whoever dares to directly mention the Construction Group's name will be held responsible."

Tang Xiaolong asked, "Will Xu Jiang take advantage of the situation?"

Gao Qiqiang smiled.

"We're all just dogs, I don't believe Zhao Lidong didn't assign him any tasks!"

Gao Qisheng sneered: "Xu Jiang, that kind of brute, is more suitable to be cannon fodder than us."

Gao Qiqiang didn't laugh, but said, "Don't underestimate Xu Jiang. He's crazy, but not stupid... He can also hide in the shadows."

Tang Xiaohu said in a low voice, "Brother Qiang, should we say hello to Xu Jiang?"

Gao Qiqiang said, "No need. For Jinghai to be stable, the city government, the public security bureau, the chamber of commerce, and the streets need to work together. For Jinghai to be chaotic, all it takes is for someone to open the cage... Everyone has a tacit understanding."

Gao Qisheng looked at his brother and asked, "Brother, are you really willing to let Zhao Lidong manipulate you like this?"

Gao Qiqiang put the last segment of orange into his mouth and swallowed it slowly.

"Ah Sheng, debts must be settled one by one. Survive today, and you'll be qualified to collect debts tomorrow."

Gao Qisheng looked down at the old city redevelopment plan on the table and suddenly said, "What about the account books we have?"

Gao Qiqiang looked at him.

Gao Qisheng said, "Zhao Lidong, Secretary Wang, and some bureau chiefs and section chiefs, project payments, shareholding on behalf of others, cash transactions—we're not completely without anything."

Gao Qiqiang said, "Those things aren't used now."

"When to use it?"

"When they really want us dead."

The office fell silent as Tang Xiaolong and Tang Xiaohu both understood the meaning behind those words.

Gao Qiqiang looked at everyone.

"Once the inspection team starts their work, we need to get moving here! The old factory street, Mang Village, the building materials market—everywhere needs to be mobilized. No deaths, no excessive bloodshed, just keep the police busy..."

Done.

Gao Qiqiang looked up at the night view of Jinghai outside the window.

He knows this city so well that he knows which streets are congested, which shops are afraid of trouble, and which police stations are slow to respond.

He said in a low voice, "Jinghai is about to descend into chaos."

......

Handong Province.

Jinghai City.

In a private room at Bai Jinhan Nightclub, the music was turned down to the lowest setting. Several unopened bottles of foreign liquor sat on the table. Xu Jiang sat in the center of the sofa, holding his phone, his face so gloomy that the girls sitting next to him dared not speak.

Crazy Donkey leaned over, smiling obsequiously, and asked, "Mr. Xu, is there another job coming up?"