Names: Uncle Zhao Mengsheng, Father-in-law Pei Yihong

His words were impeccable, and his manner of speaking was textbook-perfect.

Lin Huahua lowered her head and took a bite of food, her eyes full of disdain.

They talk about serving the people, but all they care about is getting promoted and making a fortune.

He's fat and has big ears; he's been targeted by higher-ups, so he's definitely not going to be doing well.

In the brightly lit banquet hall, toasts were exchanged and laughter filled the air.

No one noticed that two inconspicuous faces in the corner were staring intently at the glamorous Ding Yizhen.

The calmest time is often before the storm.

Four Nine Cities.

Downstairs at Zhao Dehan's house.

A black sedan was parked quietly on the side of the road with its windows half-rolled down.

Hou Liangping's gaze was cold as he watched Zhao Dehan's wife walk away with their son, who was carrying a schoolbag.

The mother and son disappeared through the gate.

The time has come.

Hou Liangping pushed open the door and got out of the car, raising one hand and saying, "Let's move out."

Several prosecutors behind him heard the commotion and followed Hou Liangping into Unit 2, where Zhao Dehan's home was located.

The walls of the stairwell were mottled and yellowed, with large pieces of plaster peeling off, and the air was filled with a damp, musty smell.

Hou Liangping climbed the steps, secretly surprised.

The director of the project approval department in the Chemical and Energy Department wields the power to approve projects, a truly lucrative and powerful position.

Who would have thought that we would be living in such a dilapidated old building without an elevator?

If it weren't for the solid leads in the report, based solely on his living conditions, anyone would have thought Zhao Dehan was an honest and upright official.

do not judge a book by it's cover.

When they arrived at Zhao Dehan's door, Hou Liangping raised his hand and used black tape to stick to the peephole.

Knock knock knock.

Three light taps, with a gentle rhythm.

Inside the living room.

Zhao Dehan was slurping down noodles with soybean paste from a large, rough porcelain bowl.

The noodles were chewy and the sauce was rich; he ate with great relish.

He assumed his wife had left something behind and was returning, so he slowly walked over to open the door, wearing a pair of worn-out slippers.

The moment the door opened, something felt off.

A prosecutor with a serious expression stood at the door.

My heart skipped a beat, and I knew something was wrong.

Zhao Dehan's hand, which was holding the door, suddenly froze, and the relaxation on his face vanished instantly.

"What are you doing? No one in my family has broken the law, why are you blocking my door?"

Hou Liangping stood at the very front. "You're Zhao Dehan?"

"I am Zhao Dehan, who are you?" Zhao Dehan tried to remain calm, deliberately straightening his back to hide his panic.

Hou Liangping pulled out his identification. "I am Hou Liangping, Director of the Investigation Division of the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Supreme People's Procuratorate. Someone has filed a formal complaint against you, Zhao Dehan, for accepting bribes."

After these words were spoken, the hallway fell silent.

Zhao Dehan was stunned for a moment, then sneered, spread his hands, and stepped aside to make way for the small and simple living room behind him. "Director Hou, open your eyes and take a good look!"

My house has peeling paint, is small, hot in summer and cold in winter. How can it look like a corrupt official at all?

Since ancient times, corrupt officials have lived in mansions, while parasites have lived in dilapidated houses.

If I were truly greedy for money, why would I suffer in this pigeonhole?

He spoke eloquently, but his heart was already pounding.

Hou Liang remained unfazed, pulled a search warrant from his briefcase, and unfolded it with one hand.

"We don't care what you say, this is a search warrant. Go in and search me."

Zhao Dehan glanced at Hou Liangping sideways, "Fine, you can search me. I, Zhao Dehan, am upright and have nothing to fear. If I do nothing wrong as an official, I have nothing to fear even if ghosts knock on my door in the middle of the night."

If you, Hou Liangping, can't find anything, I'm telling you in advance, you must apologize to me and restore my reputation.

Hou Liangping sneered, "Director Zhao, thank you for your cooperation. It's a deal."

Zhao Dehan remained silent, turned around and sat back down at the table, continuing to pick at the noodles with soybean paste in his bowl, making a loud noise as he picked at the bottom of the bowl with his chopsticks.

Hou Liangping thought that Zhao Dehan in front of him was an honest and simple-minded person.

The prosecutors immediately dispersed, each with a clear division of labor, and conducted a thorough search of the entire house.

The living room is old and the furniture is badly worn.

The bedroom was small and cramped, and clothes were scattered around in a mess.

The group searched carefully but found no large sums of cash or valuable gifts.

Hou Liangping paced slowly, his gaze sweeping over every corner of the room.

His gaze finally settled on the bathroom.

The bathroom facilities are old, and the wall tiles are yellowed and blackened.

Water dripped continuously from the pipe above the water meter, making a constant ticking sound.

Below is a plastic bucket, specifically for catching dripping water.

Zhao Dehan actually cared about this little bit of tap water, even though it was just a drop in the bucket.

Could I really be wrong? Absolutely not.

It was all an illusion created by Zhao Dehan.

The search lasted half an hour and was completed.

The group even opened the basement storage room, which contained only old and cluttered items.

There was no embezzled money, no stolen goods, and no evidence of corruption.

Zhao Dehan then put down his chopsticks, wiped the sauce from the corner of his mouth, straightened his back, and became even more arrogant. "Director Hou, what did I say again?"

If your body is upright, you have nothing to fear; if your feet are straight, you have nothing to fear.

I, Zhao Dehan, am an honest and upright person, and I am clean and honest in my official duties!

As the old saying goes, you won't get poor from eating or dressing, but you will get poor if you don't plan ahead.

I've always believed in diligence and thrift. Your trip was a complete waste of time and effort!

Hou Liangping, you must publish a public apology to me in the newspaper.

His acting was flawless, perfectly portraying a poor, honest, and hardworking old cadre.

He was full of confidence and his acting skills were superb.

"Director Zhao, if the report is untrue, we should apologize." Hou Liangping's fingertips gently traced the edge of the search warrant.

The tips we provide are never fabricated out of thin air.

Zhao Dehan stood up, making a gesture of seeing the guest out, with a generous fake smile on his face, "Are you alright now?"

As the old saying goes, "If an official doesn't serve the people, he might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes." I've dedicated my life to my post, never taking anything, and always working honestly. You can't ruin the reputation of an honest person like me for no reason!

"Be more discerning when investigating people in the future, and don't wrongly accuse an honest and law-abiding cadre like me."

Hou Liangping agreed, went downstairs, and pulled out a second search warrant.

The paper fluttered, and a gentle breeze blew.

"Director Zhao, the search of your home is complete. Now, come with us to your workplace."

Zhao Dehan's smile instantly froze. "Director Hou, leave some room for maneuver. You might need to meet again in the future!"

You'll run into each other all the time, so always leave some room for maneuver!

It's already past get off work hours, but some colleagues are still working overtime. If you all barge in like this, what will other people think of me?

Spit can be deadly; public opinion is a fearsome thing!

How will I be able to stand on my own two feet at work in the future?

As the old saying goes, a person's reputation is their second face; you're smearing my reputation!

Hou Liangping showed no mercy. "Zhao Dehan, behave yourself and get in the car."

Zhao Dehan's eyes darted around quickly. He pointed to the broken electric scooter parked downstairs and said, "I can ride my electric scooter there myself. I don't need to bother your car."

I've always been a simple person. I'd rather walk than take a car, or ride a bike than drive. Simplicity is the true essence of life!

I will fully cooperate with the investigation and will never run away. We have done nothing wrong!

Hou Liangping glanced at him indifferently, "Director Zhao, this is against the rules."

"If you run away halfway or something happens to you on the way, I can't bear the responsibility."

Zhao Dehan shook his head helplessly and sighed deeply, "Hou Liangping, you deliberately suppressed me, Zhao Dehan. This is truly an unexpected disaster. It's hard to be a good person."

Hou Liangping waved his hand.

The car sped away from the residential area where Zhao Dehan lived.

Handong Province.

Jingzhou.

Standing Committee Meeting Room.

The provincial party committee standing committee members sat upright.

Chen Shan, Director of the Public Security Department of Handong Province, closed the work report in his hand.

The report was written in neat and standard language, but it lacked any highlights.

As soon as he finished speaking, a sparse round of applause rang out in the hall.

Executive Vice Governor Qi Tongwei couldn't help but speak up, "Director Chen, let me tell you the truth."

Your work report is full of empty talk and clichés.

Chen Shan's face stiffened slightly, and he looked somewhat embarrassed.

Unexpectedly, Qi Tongwei approved of Chen Hai's appointment, but also found fault with his own work report.

Qi Tongwei stared straight ahead, not even glancing at Chen Shan. "The whole thing lacks concrete measures, specific data, and analysis; it's just empty rhetoric."

No matter how many impressive speeches or how ornate the language, it cannot solve even the slightest practical problem of public security in Handong Province.

We are all members of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee. This meeting is not for you to read parallel sentences or to watch you go through the motions.

The Public Security Bureau holds significant power over public order; what it needs is practical action, not empty rhetoric.

Every word was powerful and resonant.

Show no mercy.

Chen Shan vaguely felt that he had offended Qi Tongwei in some way, and Qi Tongwei was always making things difficult for him.

Why?

Why is that?

Difficult!

It's really one head, eight big ones.

He failed to become a vice-provincial-level official. If he were a vice-governor, who the hell would dare to say such things about him?