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

Tian Guofu stood tall, determined to stand shoulder to shoulder with Sha Ruijin. "Procedures cannot be disrupted, discipline cannot be broken; these are the organizational requirements. The Standing Committee meeting must be held in the provincial party committee compound; this is the bottom line."

Li Dakang felt he had to step in.

In the current officialdom of Handong, one must choose sides.

If you don't take sides, you'll be squeezed out and killed.

Listening to Tian Guofu's hoarse, rambling voice, Li Dakang really wanted to slap him.

The fingertips tapped lightly on the solid wood tabletop, making a soft, rhythmic sound.

I really want to give the stubborn Tian Guofu a good talking-to.

"Guofu, you're too rigid in your approach to life and work. Our organizational principle is to analyze specific problems in specific ways, not to get hung up on rules and regulations. Rules are rigid, but people are flexible."

Tian Guofu turned his head and glared at Li Dakang, but didn't say anything.

In his eyes, Li Dakang often skirted the rules in order to achieve political achievements, and had no right to judge him for following the rules.

Liu Changsheng ignored Tian Guofu and went straight to Sha Ruijin, "Comrade Ruijin, you keep making excuses about the meeting, are you perhaps afraid of something?"

This statement was sharp and vicious, showing no mercy whatsoever.

On the surface, they questioned him, but in reality, they put him under immense pressure in public, putting Sha Ruijin in a difficult position.

The entire room fell silent instantly; you could hear a pin drop.

All eyes were focused on Sha Ruijin, waiting to see how this top leader would respond.

Sha Ruijin looked up at Liu Changsheng and said, "Governor Liu, I, Sha Ruijin, am upright and honest, and I have nothing to be afraid of."

"Go ahead and convene the provincial party committee standing committee meeting!"

who is afraid of who.

It's just a meeting.

I am a provincial champion.

We have already secured five solid votes.

Since entering politics, I have accomplished everything I set out to do.

Liu Changsheng, that old scoundrel, is wicked.

Their gazes met in mid-air, a silent exchange, undercurrents swirling beneath the surface.

The room reeked of gunpowder.

Xiao Jinghui, the head of the United Front Work Department, immediately stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "Since everyone's opinions are basically in agreement, I propose that we convene a meeting of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee in thirty minutes."

Sha Ruijin remained silent for two seconds, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, his jaw clenching silently.

There was no way out for me.

The Standing Committee meeting must be held today.

If the stalemate continues, it will only earn him the reputation of being autocratic and afraid of meetings.

"Yes, I agree with Minister Xiao's proposal."

These few simple words carry a hint of forced compromise and resignation.

No one could see through it, and no one was willing to guess Sha Ruijin's true thoughts.

He resisted holding meetings here, not because he was bound by the rules of the venue.

The real crux of the matter is that the incident happened too suddenly.

They came to the concert to relax and unwind, but no one expected a formal complaint to break out halfway through.

We still need to hold a standing committee meeting.

If I had known this would happen, I definitely wouldn't have gone back to Jingzhou.

There were no written materials, no advance plans, and no prior private communication or buffer.

Liu Changsheng, Qi Tongwei, and Gao Yuliang had a tacit understanding, and it seemed that Li Dakang had become Liu Changsheng's henchman.

He was completely caught in his opponent's rhythm.

We are at their mercy, like fish on a chopping board.

Sha Ruijin knew perfectly well that he had fallen behind from the very beginning of this game.

Such is the nature of power struggles in officialdom; a single misstep can lead to complete passivity.

Since the meeting is only 30 minutes long, it can be held in the Standing Committee meeting room.

Liu Changsheng adjourned the meeting, and the members of the Standing Committee left Handong University one after another by car.

Chen Shan had originally planned to join in.

After all, it was Liang Lu who was reported.

Chen Yanshi raised his hand and grabbed Chen Shan's shoulder.

It wasn't very powerful, but it carried an irresistible authority.

"Shanzi, don't go."

Chen Shan looked unwilling. "Dad, Liang Lu is a daughter-in-law of the Chen family. It's only proper for us to go in and listen in."

Chen Yanshi lowered his voice, "Chen Shan, you idiot."

Don't get involved in any of the hype right now.

"Chen Shan, immediately contact your father-in-law, Liang Qunfeng, and tell him everything that's happening here."

Chen Shan paused for a moment, then nodded.

He could tell that the old man was restless at the moment.

Chen Yanshi's chest heaved slightly, concealing his barely concealed panic.

Back then, Liang Lu maliciously suppressed Qi Tongwei and forcibly assigned him to a remote position.

He, Chen Yanshi, was also the one who stirred things up behind the scenes.

Now that the old case has been reopened, the atmosphere is tense.

He had long since retired, and all he wanted was to retire peacefully and cherish his reputation.

The culprit behind the whole thing was the arrogant and domineering Liang Lu.

As long as Liang Qunfeng is willing to step forward and shoulder all the pressure, the Chen family can remain clean and uninvolved.

Because there's definitely no evidence; it's been completely dealt with long ago.

What's needed now is someone to take the blame.

Back at Laifu Nursing Home.

Chen Yanshi dialed Liang Qunfeng's number.

"Old Liang, something's happened."

It was back then that Lulu deliberately suppressed Qi Tongwei and assigned him to Guyingling Judicial Office.

Today, the former director, Qin Hansheng, publicly filed a formal complaint, and the matter has completely blown up.

After a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, Liang Qunfeng's tired and helpless voice came through.

"Old Chen, the truth will eventually come out. My daughter was born to collect debts from me. I probably owe Lulu far too much. I can't pay it all back, I simply can't."

Chen Yanshi was a little anxious. "My dear in-law, this is a crucial window of opportunity for Chen Shan's promotion to vice governor. Chen Shan and I absolutely cannot afford any disciplinary action or even the slightest stain on our record. You must stabilize the situation. Our two families are a community of shared interests; we rise and fall together."

Liang Qunfeng sighed, "Don't worry."

I've already made arrangements; my secretary, Xiao Wei, will take all the responsibility.

The secretary taking the blame is the safest option.

A simple sentence, spoken casually, can determine a person's future.

The officialdom is cold and indifferent; human life is as worthless as grass.

The phone hangs up.

Wang Fuzhen finally couldn't help but scold, "Old Chen, why did you have to meddle in the affairs of those young people back then?"

"At his age, he's become muddle-headed."

Chen Yanshi leaned back in his chair and said stubbornly, "I wanted to put an end to Chen Yang and Qi Tongwei's hopes."

I will absolutely not allow that poor boy Qi Tongwei to try and eat swan meat like a toad.

Wang Fuzhen sneered, "Now? Look at Qi Tongwei now, is he still the same toad he was back then?"

He's now a very important person you can't even dream of befriending.

One sentence left Chen Yanshi speechless.

After a long while, Chen Yanshi murmured softly, as if to comfort himself.

"Don't forget, Xiao Jinzi is our adopted son."

The adopted son, Sha Ruijin, is the Chen family's last trump card.

The sky was getting dark.

The Provincial Party Committee compound in Handong.

The Standing Committee meeting room was brightly lit.

A meeting of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee is about to begin.

Sha Ruijin and Liu Changsheng, Secretary of the Handong Provincial Party Committee; Gao Yuliang, Deputy Secretary of the Handong Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Political and Legal Committee; Tian Guofu, Secretary of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection; Wu Chunlin, Minister of the Organization Department of the Provincial Party Committee; Qi Tongwei, Executive Vice Governor; Li Dakang, Secretary of the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee; Xu Zhenhong, Secretary of the Lüzhou Municipal Party Committee; Feng Liqun, Standing Committee Member and Vice Governor; Dong Jianming, Secretary-General of the Provincial Party Committee; Tang Lijuan, Minister of the Publicity Department of the Provincial Party Committee; Zhao Guoqiang, Political Commissar of the Handong Military Region; and Xiao Jinghui, Minister of the United Front Work Department, sat around the conference table.

On the way, Sha Ruijin, Tian Guofu, Wu Chunlin, and Dong Jianming finalized the script on the spot.

Sitting in the main seat, Sha Ruijin was the first to speak out: "Comrades, when I first arrived in Handong, I conducted intensive research at the grassroots level, and what I saw was truly shocking."

There is a bad influence and unhealthy practices within our cadre team in Handong.

Some leading cadres are completely ignorant about the lives of ordinary people at the grassroots level.

The cadres and impoverished people in remote towns and villages don't even know their names.

He paid extra attention to and became particularly familiar with female comrades who were even slightly attractive.