Nominal: Energy sector enters Handong, breaking the deadlock

Cai Chenggong briefly explained the situation.

"Monkey, you have to help me!"

"If Dafeng Factory is demolished, I'll have nothing left."

Hou Liangping thought for a moment, "I'll give you a phone number, my classmate Chen Hai's number. He's now the deputy chief prosecutor of the Handong Provincial Procuratorate, and was originally the director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau. You can provide him with clues."

He wrote a string of numbers on a pen and handed it to Cai Chenggong.

"Okay, Monkey, thank you!" Cai Chenggong readily agreed. "I'll go back to Handong now. I'll go find Chen Hai tomorrow."

Satisfied, Cai Chenggong got Chen Hai's phone number and left immediately.

They returned to Handong overnight.

the other side.

The light in Chung Cheng-kuo's study was still on.

Zhong Xiaoai pushed open the door and went in.

She saw her father, Chung Cheng-kuo, wearing reading glasses and flipping through documents as he sat down opposite her.

"Dad, you called me back so late just to talk about the monkey's progress?"

"That's why." Zhong Zhengguo sat opposite him, holding a teacup, and blew on the foam. "Chen Hai was promoted to deputy chief prosecutor, leaving the position of director of the anti-corruption bureau vacant. The organization intends to send Monkey there."

"Handong?" Zhong Xiaoai looked up, no longer looking at her phone. "Why send him? He's doing just fine here."

The unspoken message was that living apart from one another is not a good thing.

Chung Cheng-kuo didn't reply, but lowered his head and took a sip of tea.

The tea was Longjing tea that Hou Liangping brought last month. It was picked before the Qingming Festival, and the buds were as thin as needles.

He smacked his lips, feeling that it was still a bit undercooked.

"Dad, I'm talking to you." Zhong Xiaoai sat up straight. "Can't I just let him stay with me?"

"Okay." Zhong Zhengguo put down his teacup and tapped his fingers twice on the table. "He'll stay by your side; he's still a section chief. At the section chief level, if there's no position, there's no position. There are no vacancies with your second uncle. In Handong, he's a deputy director-general, the head of the anti-corruption bureau. Rank, position, and power—it's all there."

"But we can't just jump into any pitfall we see." Zhong Xiaoai was worried that Hou Liangping wasn't around and she was getting really annoyed. "What's the situation in Handong right now? The new team has just been formed, and with that monkey's personality, who knows what trouble he'll cause."

Chung Cheng-kuo chuckled. "What kind of personality does he have?"

You know better than I do.

He cannot tolerate any wrongdoing, and he is ruthless in handling cases, showing no favoritism even to his own family.

He's a total hothead.

"If we don't send these people out to be tested, and instead keep them here wasting their time with those energy department people, how long will it take?"

Forced into a corner, unable to do anything.

If this continues, it will be ruined.

Zhong Xiaoai opened her mouth, but didn't say anything for a long time.

She knew her father was telling the truth.

Hou Liangping has had a tough time lately.

They suffered a great loss because they got involved in the energy sector.

Those people in the energy department, instead of taking action, are just disgusting Hou Liangping, grinding him down little by little.

"Dad, I'm worried." Zhong Xiaoai's fingers unconsciously twirled around the bag strap. "Handong isn't our territory, and we don't know anyone there. If he goes there alone, there will be no one to take care of him, whether it's food, lodging, or transportation."

"He's going to be the head of the anti-corruption bureau, not to cut in line." Zhong Zhengguo stood up, walked to the window, the light in the yard was on, and moths were circling the bulb. "Handong has Chen Hai, Xiao Jinzi, and Tian Guofu. All of these people are still here."

"What's Director Qin's opinion?" Zhong Xiaoai hoped that Qin Siyuan wouldn't release him.

"Director Qin is even more anxious than you. All the procedures are complete." Zhong Zhengguo turned around. "The opportunity in Handong won't wait for anyone. The Supreme People's Procuratorate has already submitted the recommended personnel to Handong."

Zhong Xiaoai was taken aback. "It's already been submitted?"

"It's been reported. They're waiting for the procedures to be completed." Zhong Zhengguo walked back and stood in front of his daughter. "Xiao Ai, Dad knows you don't want your husband and I to live separately. But this opportunity, once missed, will be gone forever. The person who takes this position in the Anti-Corruption Bureau must be clean and capable of handling things. Monkey fits the bill; this is the path he should take. It's time for our Zhong family to move to Handong."

"Does it have to be him?" Zhong Xiaoai looked up, her eyes a little red. "It's not like there's no one else."

“Everyone has their own purpose,” Zhong Zhengguo sighed. “These positions aren’t for just anyone to sit in. Your second uncle has wanted to enter Handong for years, but he never had the chance. Now that Xiao Jinzi is gone, someone has to hand over the knife to him. Monkey is your husband, and it’s better for the knife to be in our family’s hands than in someone else’s.”

That's a very straightforward statement.

Zhong Xiaoai bit her lip and didn't answer for a long time.

"Alright, go back and discuss it with Monkey." Zhong Zhengguo waved his hand. "If he doesn't agree, then pretend I didn't say anything. In that case, he'll be a section chief for life until retirement."

"Him?" Zhong Xiaoai snorted. "He can't wait to go. He said he envies Chen Hai and really wants to improve himself."

Chung Cheng-kuo laughed, "That's perfect. Why are you stopping me?"

"I'm just so angry." Zhong Xiaoai stood up, picked up her bag, and said, "Why did he just leave like that? I'm the one who has to take care of everything at home. Taking the kids to and from school, tutoring them, and doing all the housework—it's all on my shoulders."

Zhong Zhengguo took a card out of the drawer and pushed it over, "The password is your birthday, take it. Find a nanny, don't worry about the money."

Zhong Xiaoai didn't take it, staring at the card for a long time. "Dad, this isn't what I want."

"I know." Zhong Zhengguo put the card in her hand. "But life goes on. Dad knows the difficulties at home when Monkey goes to Handong. If you have any grievances, take them out on Dad. Letting him go was Dad's idea."

Zhong Xiaoai held the card.

She remembered that Hou Liangping had been coming home later and later lately, smoking more and more heavily, getting up in the middle of the night to look through case files, and sitting in the study with the desk lamp on for half the night.

Just because she doesn't talk about those pressures doesn't mean she didn't see them.

"Okay." Zhong Xiaoai put the card into her bag, sniffed, and said, "Let him go. But I have a condition."

"Speak," Zhong Zhengguo nodded.

"He has to beg me." Zhong Xiaoai raised her chin, a hint of her former strength returning to her face. "He has to tell me himself that he wants to go, that he absolutely has to go. Otherwise, I won't give in."

Chung Cheng-kuo was taken aback for a moment, then laughed, "That's it?"

"That's it." Zhong Xiaoai pouted. "You don't know, he's been acting all high and mighty lately, like a big shot when he comes home. If I don't teach him a lesson, he'll really think I'm one of his men."

"Okay, no problem." Zhong Zhengguo took out his phone. "I'll call Director Qin right now and have him arrange it."

"Dad, aren't you in a bit of a rush?" Zhong Xiaoai frowned. "What time is it?"

"Opportunity waits for no one." Zhong Zhengguo had already pulled up the number. "The Standing Committee meeting is being held in Handong tomorrow. We must finalize the appointment tonight. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can establish a foothold."

The phone rang twice before being answered.

Zhong Zhengguo walked to the window. "Old Qin, I've got him all figured out. Whistle a bell for Monkey, tell him to hurry home and ask Xiao Ai for instructions."

"Okay, boss." The person on the other end replied and hung up.

Chung Cheng-kuo turned to look at his daughter, "Let's go back quickly."

Zhong Xiaoai walked to the door, then turned back. "Dad, is everything really alright in Handong? I just can't shake this feeling of unease."