Qi Tongwei at the start: Not relying on Liang Lu, but winning by a single move against Heaven.

It was almost four o'clock in the afternoon when Qi Tongwei left Wang Quanyou's house.

On the way back, Qi Tongwei was clearly not in a good mood and hardly spoke a word the whole way.

The word "energy" kept recurring in his mind.

The Santana sped along, gradually leaving Bianxi City behind.

Looking at the vast Gobi Desert on both sides of the road, he sighed and muttered something to himself.

"Energy... places with energy are never peaceful."

In the passenger seat, Zhong Xiaoai glanced at him and asked softly.

"Energy...what do you mean? What did Secretary Wang tell you?"

Qi Tongwei's lips curled slightly as he glanced at Zhong Xiaoai and asked with a smile.

"Nothing much, just a sudden surge of emotions..."

By the way, did you attend the seminar at school about the Gulf War?

The question seemed abrupt, so Zhong Xiaoai rolled her eyes at him and replied softly.

"Why would a girl like me attend one of those salons...it's all just a bunch of guys..."

Guns and cannons... I have no interest in that..."

Qi Tongwei smiled and didn't continue the topic.

Energy can determine a city's power structure, geographical location, and even its industrial structure...

On a larger scale, it is the economic lifeline of a nation, determining its diplomatic influence...

Since Zhong Xiaoai didn't want to talk about it, Qi Tongwei naturally wouldn't say anything more... There was no point in saying more.

Speechless all the way.

The Santana sped along the road, and by the time it entered the county guesthouse compound, it was already evening.

As soon as the two entered the lobby of the guesthouse, a receptionist greeted them.

"Secretary Qi, you're finally back! County Chief Bai has been waiting for you for a long time; he's in room 118..."

Qi Tongwei nodded to the waiter and turned to Zhong Xiaoai.

"You'll have to eat by yourself tonight... Looks like I've been drafted again..."

Zhong Xiaoai knew he had important business to attend to, and whispered a word of advice to him.

"Drink less alcohol... Work is important, but you also need to take care of your health..."

After saying that, she turned around and went upstairs, returning to her room alone.

......

When he reached the door of room 118, Qi Tongwei raised his hand and knocked on the door.

The door opened, and a pungent smell of alcohol hit him, making him frown.

Qi Tongwei frowned subconsciously, glanced at Bai Maiti at the door, and casually asked a question.

"Brother Bai...did you fall into the wine vat? How much did you drink? You smell so strongly of alcohol..."

Stepping into the room, Qi Tongwei discovered that there was more than one person inside; Li Guangran was also there.

He nodded to Li Guangran, casually pulled over a chair, and asked softly.

"What are you two doing together... Guangran, are you going home for a visit?"

Before Li Guangran could answer, Baimaiti plopped down on the bed and said with a smile.

"We bumped into each other at the luncheon hosted by Secretary Cheng..."

He paused slightly, glanced at Li Guangran, and continued to ask.

"Guess who Secretary Cheng personally organized this gathering for?"

For some reason, Qi Tongwei didn't hesitate at all and casually uttered two words, "President Zhao?"

The moment those two words were uttered, all three people in the room were taken aback.

Baimaiti put down his strong tea and looked at Qi Tongwei with a surprised expression.

"Wow, amazing... you really guessed right... it's to entertain President Zhao..."

After saying that, Baimaiti pursed his lips and continued speaking.

"This Mr. Zhao is really something...he's got quite a big mouth."

Being able to obtain off-plan supplies at a 10% discount... and also investing in Fuyuan Mine and small thermal power plants...

She convinced me... I almost mistook her for Fuyuan's savior...

Qi Tongwei didn't respond, but casually offered the two of them cigarettes and tentatively asked a question.

"Was Cheng Shizhong specifically organizing this meeting just to act as a bridge for him to sell supplies?"

Baimaiti lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and glanced at Qi Tongwei with a wicked grin.

"The bureau did indeed set it up for her... It doesn't seem like it's for selling supplies, it seems like they're eyeing the Fuyuan Mine..."

Guang Ran, myself, and Zhao Dehan from the Geological and Mineral Resources Bureau... these people are all connected to Fuyuan Mine...

The woman spent the entire time asking about coal mine reserves and the next move of the Ministry of Geology and Mineral Resources...

After listening, Qi Tongwei glanced at Baimaiti and asked in a deep voice.

"A woman? What do you mean... this General Manager Zhao is a woman?"

Baimaiti took a deep drag on his cigarette, squinted, and gave a rather intriguing look, as if he were savoring the memory.

"Yes, it's a woman, didn't you know?"

This woman's name is Zhao Xiaohui... and her company is called Huilong Trading, which is probably just a shell company...

However, judging from Cheng Shizhong's attitude, this person is no ordinary individual... he must have some connections...

Zhao Xiaohui.

The moment he heard that name, Qi Tongwei felt a chill run down his spine and froze completely.

Memories of my past life flashed wildly through my mind, and painful recollections were reawakened...

He took a deep drag of his cigarette, adjusted his breathing, and forced himself to calm down.

As I calmed down, a name instantly popped into my mind.

Zhao Lichun is a powerful figure at the core of power in Handong.

Zhang Wei's death, Cheng Shizhong's attitude, the sudden appearance of Zhao Xiaohui...

All the clues instantly connected, and an invisible network of interests gradually took shape...

Are they eyeing the Fuyuan Mine? The Zhao family's target is definitely not the Fuyuan Mine; it's the entire Huoshaoliang.

After a long silence, Qi Tongwei swallowed hard, looked at Li Guangran, and asked in a deep voice.

"Guangran...is someone from the Mineral Resources Bureau coming down?"

Li Guangran was taken aback by his question, nodded, and answered softly.

"It'll be at the latest after the New Year... I heard from Zhao Dehan that they're making quite a fuss..."

A special task force was set up... and Chief Engineer Jin also received the news..."

Qi Tongwei suddenly felt a bitter taste in his mouth and didn't know what to say for a moment.

The burning of Liang was originally his plan, but he never expected it to attract such a giant crocodile.

He took two deep drags of his cigarette, glanced at Baimaiti, and said with a wry smile.

"Brother Bai... what they're after isn't just the Fuyuan Mine, it's the entire Huoshaoliang... it's the energy..."

Before Qi Tongwei could finish speaking, Baimaiti snorted and interrupted him.

"What a huge appetite... does an official want to devour the entire coalfield?"

This isn't a snake trying to swallow an elephant; it's an ant trying to swallow an elephant...

Qi Tongwei glanced at Baimaiti with a bitter face, sighed, and continued.

"You underestimate Zhao Xiaohui. She's not some corrupt official... her father is Zhao Lichun."

Candidate for Executive Vice Governor of Handong Province and Secretary of the Handong Provincial Party Committee...

Upon hearing this, the room fell into an instant silence.

The three grown men looked at each other, their faces filled with disbelief.

Unplanned supplies at a 10% discount, Cheng Shizhong personally facilitating the process, and such a boastful tone...

Everything that seems irrational becomes perfectly reasonable in this context.

After a long silence, Baimaiti still seemed somewhat skeptical.

He looked at Qi Tongwei and tentatively asked.

"Tongwei, don't talk nonsense... You've never even met her, how do you know..."

Besides, what's she doing here in the west, being the daughter of an official from Handong Province...?

Qi Tongwei's heart tightened; he realized he had spoken out of turn and shouldn't have revealed Zhao Xiaohui's identity.

He glanced at Baimaiti and gave a vague reply.

"Brother Bai, you forgot... I just came from Secretary Wang's house..."

Baimaiti was still not giving up. He stared at Qi Tongwei and asked again.

"Did Secretary Wang tell you this himself?"

Before Qi Tongwei could answer, there was a sudden knock on the door, startling all three of them...

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That's incredible! I thought it was over once I made it onto the leaderboard, but when I checked this morning, all my ratings were gone...