In name only, I, Gao Yuliang, will sink Handong at worst.

(I'll make up for the missed update during the day!)

Qi Tongwei did not see Hou Liangping. He felt that there might be a lot of things to do in Handong. He quickly took Liang Lu to Beijing to get a medical check-up and undergo in vitro fertilization.

The two were sitting on the plane.

"Should we have a son or a daughter?" Qi Tongwei asked, his arm around Liang Lu's shoulder; the two looked very affectionate.

"We don't even know if it will work out yet," Liang Lu said, somewhat disheartened.

"Don't we still have Guangji? And the doctor that Teacher Gao introduced to us is one of the top doctors in the country. I've looked him up, and he could even be considered one of the world's best. He has more than ten years of experience. If he can't do it, then no one can," Qi Tongwei comforted Liang Lu.

Qi Guangji is the child of Qi Tongwei and Gao Xiaoqin. The child was brought to the family when he was only one year old. Qi Tongwei adopted the child directly, but later registered him as his biological son in order to avoid the embarrassment of the child discovering his true identity.

At that time, Gao Xiaoqin moved in and lived across the street. She knew that her relationship with Qi Tongwei was not something that could be discussed openly, and that Liang Lu and Qi Tongwei's adoption would give their child a bigger platform.

As her child grew older, Gao Xiaoqin visited him less and less often.

If Qi Tongwei and Liang Lu have already reconciled, then their biggest regret now is that they have no children, no fruit of their love.

The two were very uneasy after boarding the plane. There was no certainty in this matter, especially at such a major life event. Even though Qi Tongwei was the director of the Public Security Bureau, he still could not remain calm when faced with this situation.

After getting off the plane, the two went straight to Peking Union Medical College Hospital. They underwent a series of examinations and then took the reports to see Dr. Ye.

These reports are filled with all sorts of data. They can see what the numbers and words are, but they can't understand what they represent.

Dr. Ye carefully examined the data and then said, "You two are a bit older, but given your physical condition, you could try in vitro fertilization. However, the risks of advanced maternal age are higher. Can you handle that?"

"We can handle it," Liang Lu said first; she had always dreamed of having a child.

"Dr. Ye, how dangerous is this? Is it life-threatening?" Qi Tongwei quickly grabbed Liang Lu's arm.

"Don't worry, this risk is manageable. Firstly, because you are older, the quality of your eggs and sperm declines, and you may need to undergo multiple ovulation inductions, which can cause endocrine imbalances, including depression and low mood."

"Next comes embryo selection, where many embryos will be eliminated. This increases the risk of infection after implantation, the risk of miscarriage, and the delivery process, which is longer and the postpartum recovery is slower. As long as the process is handled properly, the risk to life is very small, but there are other risks. Please consider it." Dr. Ye knew that the couple in front of her were not ordinary people.

"No need to say more, I'll do it. Tongwei, I listened to you before, but now you have to listen to me." Liang Lu directly showed her domineering side.

The two stayed in Beijing for a week and returned to Handong without any problems. Their house was not far from Jingzhou Hospital, and Wu Huifen and Gao Xiaoqin often went there to take care of Liang Lu. But that's another story.

A small tavern in Jingzhou.

Qi Tongwei invited Chen Hai and Hou Liangping out.

"I have to say, it's really not easy to get the two of you to come out!" Qi Tongwei couldn't help but complain.

"Isn't it because the Anti-Corruption Bureau was too busy? Now we're out, aren't we?" Chen Hai tried to smooth things over for Hou Liangping.

"I know you guys are hard to get a hold of, so treating people here shouldn't violate your rules, right?" Qi Tongwei complained.

The three of them started drinking, chatting about everything from campus life to officialdom, and about each other's personal experiences. After a couple of drinks, they got into a serious conversation.

As long as you don't become completely unfamiliar with each other from all corners of the world, drinking does make it easier to start a conversation.

"Monkey, you should be the most successful of the three of us, maybe even the most successful at Han University, so how come you've been demoted to section chief?" Qi Tongwei casually mentioned this while eating peanuts.

Hou Liangping had always considered himself extraordinary, and he felt that his path to promotion should be bright. How did he end up in this state?

Hearing Qi Tongwei's assessment that he was probably the most successful student at Han University, he was somewhat puzzled and asked, "Senior, could you give me some pointers?"

"Let me analyze this for you. If I were you, after knowing Zhong Xiaoai's background, I shouldn't have been transferred to Beijing. I should have stayed in Handong instead." Qi Tongwei counted on his fingers, seemingly determined to explain the situation to Hou Liangping point by point.

"It's true that Beijing is big and offers many opportunities, but the competition is also fierce. Every radish has its own hole, and you have to compete with a bunch of talented young people. It's very difficult to compete there, but it's faster down here because there's competition too, although no one is as outstanding as those people in Beijing."

"Moreover, we also have Professor Gao in Handong. Professor Gao has protected many of our students in Handong."

"Let's count our classmates from Handong University. Chen Hai, before he was demoted, is the director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau. I am the director of the Public Security Department. Xiao Gangyu, who is one year ahead of you, is now the chief prosecutor of the Jingzhou Municipal People's Procuratorate. Chen Qingquan, who is three years ahead of you, was the secretary of Secretary Yu Liang and the president of the Jingzhou Intermediate People's Court. Liu He is now the district head in Luzhou..." Qi Tongwei was seriously counting these department-level cadres who came from Handong University.

"If you were in Handong, with your connections and abilities, you'd be at least a department-level official! Who knows, my position as the Director of the Public Security Bureau might be yours. At that point, you could use the Zhong family's connections to get directly into Beijing, putting you way ahead of us!"

"It's true that Chung Hsiao-ai has the Chung family background and connections, but these kinds of relationships are invaluable and should be saved for crucial moments."

"And if you wait until Secretary Gao retires, and you're the highest-ranking among us, then you'll have to inherit all of Teacher Gao's connections. Teacher Gao's two children aren't even that old yet; it would be a waste to give them to them."

"We can't use them either, because these connections and resources are based on who is the most outstanding among the students. It's impossible for us to abandon someone as bright as you and choose someone else!"

"With all of this, and the support of our old classmates, you'll be at least a vice-minister, firmly in your position in Handong. And you also have the Zhong family backing you. In the future, not only will you not be able to hold onto your current position as Secretary Zhao Lichun, but you could even directly challenge the Twenty-Four Heavens or become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."

"It's a pity you've chosen the wrong path! Sigh." Qi Tongwei couldn't help but sigh; he had drunk the most and seemed somewhat drunk.

However, Chen Hai and Hou Liangping, who were standing nearby, couldn't help but start thinking.

Hou Liangping now truly feels that having Zhong Xiaoai transfer him to Beijing was a bad idea!