Official statement: Tongwei is dead! You chose Ruijin, didn't you?

The incandescent light bulb in the interrogation room emitted a slight hum.

The pen in Zhao Donglai's hand was suspended in mid-air.

As the director of the Jingzhou Public Security Bureau, what storms haven't he weathered?

But the few words Gao Xiaoqin had casually uttered still sent chills down his spine.

The four million Patek Philippe watch is housed in a mahogany box inlaid with the "nuclear bomb" of the Handong Political and Legal System, and is kept in the safe in the study by the second son of the Liang family like an ancestor.

This isn't some blind box of luxury watches, it's clearly a custom-made urn that Liang Wenjie carries with him everywhere!

"That's interesting."

Zhou Zhengming leaned back, sinking into the chair: "President Gao, you've put on a good show. If Hou Liangping were sitting here, he'd probably be fired up and lead his men to kick down the Liang family's gate."

Gao Xiaoqin looked at him, the madness in her eyes gone, and said, "Team Leader Zhou, are you bluffing me, or are you praising the exquisitely wrapped gift I gave you?"

"I was thinking," Zhou Zhengming said slowly.

"This isn't a gift, it's like burning newspapers at a grave—you're just trying to fool the ghosts. Who knows if a broken memory card contains the Shanshui Group's ledgers or three hundred love duets between you and Qi Tongwei?"

You think you can use our supervisory team to raid Liang Qunfeng's son's safe with just a few words? Gao Xiaoqin, do you think I'm Hou Liangping, that hothead with a head full of "absolute justice"?

Gao Xiaoqin chuckled: "Team Leader Zhou, now that I've brought this up, I don't intend to walk out of this iron gate unscathed. Whether the contents of the card are real or fake, you can get them in your hands and have a technician run them through a computer. That's much faster than playing mind games with me here."

She leaned forward abruptly, the handcuffs clanging against the iron tabletop, her eyes fixed on Zhou Zhengming:

"I want to watch the Liang family fall from grace, smash into a pile of mud! I want everyone in Handong to see what kind of filthy scum the Liang family really is, stripped bare of their 'old revolutionary' and 'old leader' facades! Isn't that reason enough to buy that watch?!"

Zhou Zhengming stared at her for a full ten seconds.

"Alright, the supervisory team will take responsibility for this." Zhou Zhengming turned to look at Zhao Donglai.

"But you can't just strike the snake at its vital spot. You have to burn all the weeds around its burrow first, so it has nowhere to hide! Don't alert the Liang family, check the outer perimeter first."

Zhou Zhengming tapped his fingers heavily twice on the table:

"Liang Wentao's 'Handong Cultural Exchange Foundation' and Liang Wenjie's wife's shell consulting company in Shanghai immediately prompted the Economic Investigation Department, the Tax Bureau, and the Audit Department to set up a special team with absolute secrecy."

"Take every single page of their annual business reports, bank statements, and tax payment certificates from day one! Don't start by setting off alarms and kicking down doors; that's too much noise, that's what bandits do, not us."

Zhao Donglai immediately straightened his back: "Understood! I'll personally pick people to keep an eye on them!"

"And most importantly," Zhou Zhengming's eyes were sharp as knives.

"No one is allowed to touch Liang Wenjie's watch now! Until we get solid evidence of the external fund flows, that watch is a hot potato."

If we were to search now, that old fox Liang Qunfeng would immediately smell the blood. He has a hundred ways to muddy the waters, even turning the tables and accusing us of framing him. Remember, hold the hook down first, and wait until the fish feels the water is too hot and starts thrashing around.

Gao Xiaoqin: "Team Leader Zhou, you're more cunning than a honeycomb briquette."

Zhou Zhengming glanced at her and retorted without any politeness: "If you don't have enough cunning to survive in this big black pot of Handong, you'll be buried on your grave and become part of the landscaping of your Shanshui Manor."

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the iron door of the interrogation room.

Zhao Donglai got up and opened the door. Zhou Zhengming's liaison officer walked in quickly, his expression somewhat subtle. He whispered a few words in Zhou Zhengming's ear.

Zhou Zhengming raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly.

After the liaison officer left, Zhou Zhengming slowly screwed the lid on the cup, his tone carrying a hint of unspoken meaning:

"Donglai, we need to cast this net a little slower."

Zhao Donglai was taken aback: "What's wrong? Is there resistance from above?"

"New Party Secretary, your flight lands in Handong this afternoon." Zhou Zhengming's fingers traced the rim of his glass.

"The message just passed from above: 'Smooth handover, strictly prevent any unusual activity.'"

Zhao Donglai instantly understood and cursed under his breath.

The wisdom of officialdom lies entirely in the lines of text.

In plain terms, these eight characters mean: The new and old bosses are about to move in, so your supervisory team shouldn't throw firecrackers into the courtyard of the Handong Provincial Party Committee at this critical juncture!

With Sha Ruijingang suspended from his post and Gao Yuliang still in the hospital with a polymer plaster cast to resemble a mummy, the political landscape of Handong is as fragile as a thin sheet of paper.

"So, are we just going to sit here and watch these two lines with the Liang family go?" Zhao Donglai was somewhat unwilling; he had finally managed to catch a glimpse of the big fish.

"Who said you just looked? Investigate, but in a different way." Zhou Zhengming sneered.

"Have the special task force members take off their police uniforms and change into civilian clothes. Remember, whatever you do, do not access the data through the local political and legal system in Handong. The Liang family has protégés and old associates everywhere. The moment you access the data, Liang Qunfeng will receive a report at home."

Zhou Zhengming pointed to the top of his head:

"Go directly through the vertical system of the ministries, and transfer the funds down from the national level!"

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" Zhao Donglai gave a heartfelt thumbs up. This "openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang pass" tactic was truly ingenious.

"You stay here and make sure your statement is thorough." Zhou Zhengming stood up, looking down at Gao Xiaoqin.

"Mr. Gao, if your information can form an ironclad case, you'll be qualified to be a witness for the prosecution. But if you dare to play tricks, or if your card doesn't have what I need..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but that look was more effective than any torture.

Gao Xiaoqin closed her eyes and slumped back in her chair: "You'd better hurry up."

Zhao Donglai walked out of the interrogation room, stood at the ventilation vent at the end of the corridor, and exhaled a long breath of stale air.

The grand strategy of Handong has finally moved from the vague concepts of "strategic debate" and "political game" to the practicalities of money.

While the scenes of Gao Yuliang jumping off a building and Hou Liangping roaring may seem surreal, what truly cuts through the iron curtain of Handong is these numbers stained with blood and the stench of money.