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

Gao Yuliang called Qi Tongwei to his office, but did not offer him tea or a seat.

On a late summer afternoon, cicadas chirped their hearts out, and there was a faint smell of tobacco in the office.

Gao Yuliang didn't say anything, but took off his glasses and slowly wiped them.

He wiped very slowly, waiting for Qi Tongwei to speak.

To his surprise, Qi Tongwei did not speak first.

He sat there quietly across from me, his expression indifferent.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Gao Yuliang slowly put on his glasses and sighed.

"Your application to serve in border areas has been rejected by the organization."

"You are to report to Yanshan Town before the 20th of this month."

He paused slightly, then added, his voice tinged with helplessness.

"This is not my meaning, it's the meaning from above."

He stared at Qi Tongwei, trying to catch any change in his emotions on his face.

But Qi Tongwei disappointed him.

His face remained unchanged.

Qi Tongwei only said one sentence, his voice as calm as still water.

"Yes, teacher. I will report for duty as soon as possible."

After saying that, he got up and left without uttering a single unnecessary word.

The office door closed softly with a gentle click.

The door closed, severing the last vestige of affection between the master and disciple.

Gao Yuliang frowned slightly as he watched his beloved student's retreating figure.

He was a little sad.

Qi Tongwei, his most prized disciple, was thrown into Yanshan Town by his own hands.

He didn't want to do it, but he had no choice.

An hour earlier, in this very office, he received a call from Zhou Xiaochuan.

Zhou Xiaochuan's words were direct and brief.

"Qi Tongwei must report to Yanshan Town before the 20th."

Gao Yuliang lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and smiled bitterly.

The political arena is a complex and often chaotic place.

To survive in this world, you need resources and protection.

Liang Qunfeng could provide all of these for him.

……

Just as Qi Tongwei walked out of the office.

In the Minister's office at the Organization Department of Handong Province, a red telephone suddenly rang.

Zhou Xiaochuan's hand trembled, and his gaze fell on the red telephone.

He frowned slightly; this phone line went directly to the central government and rang less than twice a year.

The last time this happened was last year, when the central government sent a letter inquiring about the corruption of a deputy provincial-level official.

He took a deep breath, picked up the phone, and spoke in a serious tone.

"Zhou Xiaochuan, Organization Department of the Hantong Provincial Committee of the CPC"

A calm male voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Central Confidential Office"

"Please submit Comrade Qi Tongwei's application to support the border regions to me."

Without any pleasantries, they exchanged only three sentences before hanging up immediately.

There wasn't even a goodbye.

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Xiaochuan stood there, frozen in place, even his breath caught in his throat.

He understood all three terms: Confidential Office, Qi Tongwei, and application for support of border regions.

But he couldn't figure out how to connect the three words together.

When he came to his senses, his back was already soaked with cold sweat, and he involuntarily shivered.

His breathing became rapid, and his heart pounded uncontrollably.

Things had gone beyond his expectations.

A college student's application to support remote areas actually alarmed the Confidential Affairs Department?

The Confidential Affairs Bureau is subordinate to the central government.

Their phone calls to local authorities mean that those above are watching and listening...

Zhou Xiaochuan had no time to think, nor did he dare to think.

He grabbed the phone and immediately dialed Gao Yuliang's number.

The moment the call connected, he didn't bother with formalities; his first words were...

"Don't talk to Qi Tongwei yet."

On the other end of the phone, Gao Yuliang was taken aback and answered subconsciously.

"The talks are over. Qi Tongwei just left."

Zhou Xiaochuan slumped back into his chair, his face ashen.

Oh no! We're too late.

He sighed, his throat tightened, and his voice sounded bitter.

What was Qi Tongwei's reaction?

Although Gao Yuliang had doubts, he dared not ask and answered honestly.

"His reaction was normal. He accepted the organization's arrangements and said he would report for duty as soon as possible."

Zhou Xiaochuan closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.

He knew in his heart that things were getting worse.

Noisy behavior, emotional outbursts, smashing cups, banging on tables—these are all easy to resolve.

The most difficult people to deal with are those who accept things calmly without making a fuss.

You have no idea what he's thinking or what he'll do next.

Gao Yuliang had already noticed something was amiss.

Seeing that Zhou Xiaochuan was no longer speaking, he tentatively asked a question.

"Minister Zhou, what happened?"

Zhou Xiaochuan gave a bitter laugh, his voice filled with helplessness.

"I just received a call from the Confidential Office; they need to retrieve Qi Tongwei's application for a post-military service position."

After saying that, he hung up the phone without waiting for Gao Yuliang to speak.

Hearing the busy tone on the phone, Gao Yuliang suddenly stood up, his face filled with disbelief.

Confidential Affairs Department, Qi Tongwei...

One was a high-ranking official, the other a poor student.

How are these two names connected?

He looked shocked and murmured to himself.

"Qi Tongwei, how did you manage to alarm the magistrate..."

Because of supporting the border regions? He didn't believe it.

......

While Gao Yuliang was still in a daze, Zhou Xiaochuan didn't dare to waste a single second.

After hanging up the phone, he immediately started dialing, calling Liang Qunfeng's dedicated line.

This is the private hotline of the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; no more than ten people know about it.

The phone rang for a long time before it was answered.

Liang Qunfeng's voice remained low and slow.

"Feed"

As soon as the call connected, Zhou Xiaochuan immediately began to report, his voice filled with anxiety.

"Secretary Liang, I just received a call from the Confidential Office requesting Qi Tongwei's application to serve in the border regions."

On the other end of the phone, Liang Qunfeng was stunned, looking completely bewildered.

Even though he had been in officialdom for decades and was usually unmoved, he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"How could that be? Why would the Confidential Affairs Department care about the situation of a recent graduate?"

Zhou Xiaochuan gave a helpless, bitter smile, sighed, and his voice was full of resignation.

"Who can argue with that?"

He paused slightly, then continued speaking.

"There's another situation: Gao Yuliang and Qi Tongwei have finished their talk, and Gao is asking Qi to report by the 20th."

The situation was urgent, and he dared not hide anything, so he told the whole story.

He understood very well that if this matter wasn't handled properly, he shouldn't be the one to take the blame.

Liang Qunfeng didn't speak on the other end of the phone.

Zhou Xiaochuan could hear Liang Qunfeng's breathing, heavy and slow.

"understood."

After a long silence, Liang Qunfeng replied with only one sentence before hanging up the phone.

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Xiaochuan stared at the receiver and shook his head helplessly.

What kind of nonsense is this?

Suppressing a poor student actually attracted the attention of the Confidential Affairs Bureau?

Truly, one stone stirs up a thousand ripples.

In Liang Qunfeng's study, the sandalwood incense wafted from the mahogany desk.

Liang Qunfeng sat in his official hat chair, his brows slightly furrowed, his face ashen.

He couldn't figure it out either.

They only pressed down a letter from Bianxi Province.

They simply blocked the job assignment for one graduate.

How could this alarm the police?

He was completely baffled; his mind was a jumbled mess, and the more he tried to unravel it, the more confused he became.

Although he couldn't figure out why, he knew that the matter was completely out of control.

The confidential office intervened, but he couldn't control it.

Even Zhao Lichun might not be able to control it.

He ultimately underestimated this poor boy, Qi Tongwei.

The study door was gently pushed open, and Liang Lu walked in carrying a plate of watermelon.

She saw that her father's face was gloomy, and he didn't say anything, but put the watermelon on the table.

Liang Qunfeng glanced at her, his voice low and tired.

"Qi Tongwei... can't hold it in any longer."

Liang Lu paused, her brows furrowing slightly.

Her expression turned bitter, and she opened her mouth but didn't say anything.

She knew it in her heart.

She pushed Qi Tongwei away herself.