Nominal: Energy sector enters Handong, breaking the deadlock

Qin Siyuan was starting to regret it.

If I had known things would turn out this way, I would never have come.

They are at different levels; one is a minister, and the other is a deputy minister.

It's perfectly normal for a minister to speak up for his secretary.

Qin Siyuan lowered his head and said, "Minister Song, we are handling the case according to regulations and need to go in to check Zhao Dehan's office."

Your secretary is on duty and won't let us in.

Hou Liangping quickly cooperated, holding up his identification and paperwork.

Song Yunhui didn't even bother to look at it. "Oh, it's fine for handling cases."

However, once you're in our department, you must follow the rules.

"Rules, Minister Song, what rules do you have to follow?" Qin Siyuan could only play the subservient role.

What a load of bullshit rules.

It's just setting up obstacles at every turn.

Song Yunhui nodded to Zhou Haoyang, "Haoyang, you tell them."

Hou Liangping thought that Song Yunhui in front of him was really good at pretending.

Even though his father-in-law, Zhong Zhengguo, was of a higher rank than Song Yunhui, he didn't do this.

What Hou Liangping didn't know was that for ordinary cadres, getting an audience with Zhong Zhengguo was harder than climbing to heaven.

He only got the job because he was the son-in-law of the Zhong family, and being in a privileged position.

He enjoyed the benefits brought to him by being a son-in-law.

Zhou Haoyang took out a page of document from his briefcase. "To all units, colleagues and relevant personnel, Minister Sun is away on an inspection tour and is not in the ministry."

A recent internal meeting finalized new regulations requiring all external units or institutions entering a building for investigations to sign a confidentiality agreement and a responsibility statement regarding their case-handling authority.

Correct!

It was a rule that was set on the spot.

To this end, Song Yunhui also chaired a special meeting.

New rules were set in advance, and a tailored plan was devised.

Without hesitation, Qin Siyuan said, "Minister Song, I'll sign it now."

They only care about getting in and don't care about details.

It's that simple.

People in the energy department are really making a mountain out of a molehill.

Song Yunhui raised the corners of his lips slightly, "Director Qin, you are at the vice-ministerial level, your rank is not high enough, your signature has no legal effect."

That really hits home.

Zhou Haoyang immediately explained, "According to the relevant interpretations and regulations of our department, it must be a ministerial-level official."

The implication is that you, surnamed Qin, are not qualified to be the younger brother.

Hou Liangping felt that this regulation was outrageous.

If he weren't in a hurry to investigate Zhao Dehan, he would have used his eloquence as the top of the three outstanding talents of Han University to debate with the Department of Energy.

Now, the most urgent task is to go into Zhao Dehan's office and investigate.

If the Department of Energy wants a full-fledged department, then I'll give you a full-fledged department position.

There are also higher ones.

Let's see who cries in a bit.

"Minister Song, my uncle-in-law, Zhong Zhengmian, is the Executive Deputy Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate. He can sign off on it on the spot and then we can investigate, right?"

They moved out the second son of the Zhong family.

That's awesome.

Song Yunhui nodded slightly, "Okay, notify Prosecutor Chung to come and sign."

Doing this forces the head of the Chung family to personally intervene.

How can you make mistakes if you don't participate?

In the past, the Chung family's bigwigs all used non-stick pans.

The dirty and tiring work was done either by subordinates or by Hou Liangping.

The last time it wasn't that they didn't want to deal with Hou Liangping, but rather that they were playing the long game.

Getting rid of Hou Liangping is nothing; Song Yunhui's goal is to uproot the Zhong family completely.

Qin Siyuan stood there, a chill running down his back.

In an instant, everything became clear.

It may have all been a trap set by the energy system from beginning to end.

From the moment they stepped into the compound, they were drawn into a trap, led by the nose by the Energy Department.

Will the second son of the Zhong family play tonight?

God knows!

Anyway, Qin Siyuan won't make that call.

This kind of thing was naturally left to Hou Liangping.

Without the slightest hesitation, Hou Liangping dialed Zhong Zhengmian's number.

The moment the call connected, Hou Liangping greeted him respectfully, "Second Uncle."

The Supreme People's Procuratorate.

Chung Cheng-mian's office.

Zhong Zhengmian leaned back on the leather sofa, a cigarette between his fingers, the smoke swirling around his eyes and brows, his expression relaxed and languid.

Hearing Hou Liangping call him "Second Uncle" over the receiver, and then hearing the energy department's request over the phone.

My fingertip trembled suddenly, and a burning spark landed on my index finger.

The burning sensation spread; my fingers were connected to my heart, it really hurt.

Go to the Department of Energy for a signature?

A ministerial-level official voluntarily went to the energy sector, to be arranged according to Song Yunhui's rules?

Absolutely not allowed.

If word got out, the officials in Beijing would all laugh at Zhong Zhengmian for being inferior to them.

Not going?

No matter how Hou Liangping and Qin Siyuan investigated Zhao Dehan, all their previous plans went down the drain.

A difficult choice, caught between a rock and a hard place.

Chung Cheng-mian clenched his teeth, remained silent, hung up the phone, and tossed the black-screened phone onto the sofa.

Department of Energy.

In front of the hall.

Hou Liangping's face froze. He turned to Song Yunhui, somewhat embarrassed. "Minister Song, I called him, but my second uncle didn't say anything. The call dropped; the signal was probably bad."

That's an overstatement.

I originally thought a phone call would solve the problem.

This is the result.

My second uncle is a bit unreliable.

Perhaps it's something urgent, or perhaps the signal is bad.

I tried to comfort myself.

Song Yunhui shook his head. "If you don't come and sign, you can forget about getting through this door."

Our department's rules cannot be changed!

It's obvious they're manipulating Chung Cheng-mian.

If the two elders of the Zhong family don't come, don't even think about investigating.

The Supreme People's Procuratorate.

Chung Cheng-mian's office.

Chung Cheng-mian felt a surge of resentment and frustration.

This is utterly outrageous and utterly ridiculous.

For someone as high-ranking as the Deputy Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, a ministerial-level official, to make a special trip to the Ministry of Energy to abide by the rules of the energy sector and sign off on something is simply an international joke.

Zhong Zhengmian did not hesitate; when in doubt, he consulted his elder brother.

When the call connected, Chung Cheng-mian got straight to the point, explaining the whole story.

Chung Cheng-kuo's voice came through the receiver, steady and calm. "Xiao Mian, you deliberately went out on patrol back then to avoid a direct confrontation with the energy system, not wanting to get involved yourself."

Now that you've returned to Beijing, you still have to personally go to Song Yunhui's door to sign the document. Isn't that just letting Song Yunhui put you in a position to be outdone?

How can this be allowed?

You're all on the same level.

It succinctly reveals the stakes involved.

It truly is a walled city; those outside see it more clearly.

Chung Cheng-mian's fingertips traced the edge of his phone. "Brother, how do we break this deadlock?"

My mind is already in turmoil.

I really want to kill Lu Xiaola.

If we don't act today, this opportunity will be too rare.

Not reconciled.

Minister Sun isn't here today. If Old Sun were here, wouldn't it be necessary for my elder brother to go over?

The entry requirements for energy-related majors have become higher.

Cut down its barriers, and the opportunity is today.

Chung Cheng-kuo bluntly stated, "Xiao Mian, there are plenty of options. Call the dean to complain that the Department of Energy is arbitrarily setting up barriers and obstructing the Supreme People's Procuratorate's handling of the case."

This will take time, and you can't make phone calls at night.

If I hit him, I might get yelled at.

Either give up directly.

Either you get involved yourself...

The choice is left to Chung Cheng-mian; he can weigh the options himself.

Zhong Zhengmian spat out a mouthful of saliva. "Brother, it's absolutely impossible for me to give up."

I'm born never to admit defeat.

"We have to get Lu Xiaola tonight. I've disliked that old Deng for a long time, I've hated him for ages."

Chung Cheng-kuo: "If you were to enter the game yourself, what are your chances of defeating Lu Xiao-la and escaping unscathed?"

Don't act impulsively; only focus on the odds of winning.

"Eighty percent," Zhong Zhengmian blurted out, full of confidence.

Chung Cheng-kuo remained silent for two seconds, still harboring concerns.

"I'm worried that if the protracted conflict goes on too long, the energy department will destroy the evidence and we won't be able to find any concrete proof, which will give them a pretext to criticize us."

Also, I have a feeling that Song Yunhui must have some trump cards up his sleeve to dare to set up such a blatant scheme.

Zhong Zhengmian's brows relaxed, and he asked in return, "Brother, do you mean that Song Yunhui is feeling guilty and deliberately creating obstacles because he's afraid of being investigated?"

My sixth sense was that Song Yunhui was up to something, that he had no clean business.

Zhong Zhengguo sneered, "Xiao Mian, get lost."

Did a donkey kick your head?

Song Yunhui is too clean. I secretly sent someone to investigate him years ago, and there wasn't a single stain on his record.

This person is extremely cunning and a tough nut to crack.

If we can take him down, the energy sector will probably collapse.

Did you understand what I meant?

Song Yunhui is not easy to deal with.

We must find someone else involved to get to the bottom of this.

Otherwise, stay away from Song Yunhui.

Chung Cheng-kuo felt that, from all perspectives, his younger brother Chung Cheng-mian was no match for Sung Yun-hui.

Zhong Zhengmian refused to give up, his obsession burning. "Brother, people change."

Minister Sun of the Ministry of Energy is not in Beijing, so Song Yunhui is in charge of the power.

I believe that opportunities are brewing within risks.

The bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish.

I think I have to give it a try.

Driven by a competitive spirit, they insisted on entering the game.

I'm really unwilling to not go.

Chung Cheng-kuo felt that trying to persuade him was futile; the second son of the Chung family was just stubborn.

Once he sets his mind on something, he'll stick to it no matter what.

"Xiao Mian, remember to keep your mouth shut; too much talk will lead to mistakes."

Don't forget he's very intelligent. He was the youngest student at Anyun University back then, having skipped high school and studied on his own to get into university, ranking first in the entire county.

He's far more cunning and calculating than most people; don't let him trick you.

The article highlights Song Yunhui's extraordinary resume and warns of potential risks.

A fighting spirit surged in Zhong Zhengmian's eyes. "Big brother, don't worry, once I take over the energy department, we'll pop some champagne."

Under the cover of night, Chung Cheng-mian boarded his special car, intending to personally travel to the Ministry of Energy and Resources to meet with Sung Yun-hui.

Thus, tonight's game was no longer a contest between section chiefs or a tug-of-war between deputy ministers, but a peak showdown between two major factions at the ministerial level.

The real show has only just begun.