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

Two o'clock in the afternoon.

Zhao Donglai didn't go to the airport; he was sitting in a police command vehicle outside the provincial party committee compound, staring at the surveillance screen in front of him.

If this were back in the days when Zhao Lichun was in charge of Handong, the arrival of a new provincial party secretary would have been a huge event.

All members of the Standing Committee had to arrive at the airport VIP channel half an hour in advance to line up, with police cars leading the way and reporters' cameras and microphones densely packed together.

But today, the airport didn't even send out a single traffic police officer to maintain order.

With the red line of the Eight-Point Regulation hanging overhead, and Handong currently in a "political thunderstorm period" with the supervisory team in charge, who would dare to go to the airport and engage in that kind of circle culture of welcoming and sending off guests?

That's because they want to die fast enough.

"Director Zhao, vehicle number one has exited the highway. Should we have the traffic police lock the green lights at the next few intersections to ensure the convoy has a smooth journey?"

The deputy director quietly asked for instructions from the side.

"Lock my ass!" Zhao Donglai cursed irritably.

"You think I have too much life? This new secretary even simplified the send-off ceremony held by the Organization Department of the Central Committee, only sending the deputy secretary-general of the provincial party committee with a Hongqi car to pick him up."

You're giving him special privileges now, and tomorrow you'll be standing guard at an intersection! Follow the normal traffic lights, and wait for the red light when it's red!

The deputy director shrank back and quickly picked up the walkie-talkie to cancel the contingency plan.

Looking at the black Hongqi sedan on the screen, which hadn't even flashed its police lights and was obediently following the bus at the red light, Zhao Donglai sighed inwardly:

"This new Party Secretary is a ruthless character who doesn't show his true colors."

The atmosphere in the No. 1 meeting room of the provincial party committee was oppressive at this moment.

A meeting of leading cadres from across the province is about to be held.

The members of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee and the four leading bodies sat upright and solemnly.

Li Dakang sat in the second row, his lips pressed tightly together, staring at the teacup in front of him without saying a word.

Before leaving home this morning, Xiao Jin cautiously asked, "Secretary, should we... use a different car today?"

Li Dakang glanced at Xiao Jin, and Xiao Jin's mouth immediately shut as if it had been glued shut with superglue.

That damned dashcam recording has now become Li Dakang's inner demon.

Now, whenever he hears the word "car," the cold command "Roll up the window, drive the car" automatically echoes in his mind, followed by the image of Gao Yuliang falling freely.

Sitting opposite him was Governor Liu Ruian, his hands clasped naturally, his face expressionless, as composed as a bodhisattva.

While Sha Ruijin and Gao Yuliang were locked in a fierce battle, he remained largely silent.

Liu Ruian knew perfectly well: when the sky is falling, never rush to raise your hand and say you're strong, or you'll easily get crushed.

Steady footsteps echoed down the corridor.

The door opened, and Qin Yuanzhou, the head of the central supervision group, walked in with a man in his fifties.

The man was short, wearing a worn-out dark gray jacket, and walked slowly.

Lu Chengzhou was appointed as the new secretary of the Handong Provincial Party Committee.

There was no applause, no small talk.

Lu Chengzhou walked to the head seat, but did not sit down immediately.

"Comrades, there's no welcome meeting today." Lu Chengzhou placed a slightly worn leather folder on the table. "Today, we're having a meeting to discuss and clarify issues."

One sentence was all it took to bring the temperature in the meeting room down to freezing.

"Comrade Sha Ruijin has been suspended from his post, Comrade Gao Yuliang is under investigation in the hospital, and Comrade Hou Liangping has been placed under investigation. This isn't just one or two cases in Handong; it's a complete collapse of the political ecosystem!" Lu Chengzhou's voice wasn't loud, but every word carried immense weight.

Li Dakang's Adam's apple bobbed.

Liu Ruian lowered his head and pretended to write in his notebook.

Ji Changming picked up his thermos and tactically took a sip of water.

"The Central Committee sent me here not to clean up messes or smooth things over for anyone, nor to rearrange the seating order. I have only three things to do."

Lu Chengzhou held up one finger.

"First, we must stabilize Handong. We must keep the cadre ranks in order, ensure economic development continues, and safeguard the lives of ordinary people."

The second finger.

"Second, settle old scores. Some comrades think that once someone dies, or hides behind the scenes, the score can be wiped clean? Dream on!" Lu Chengzhou's eyes were piercing.

Zhao Donglai, who was sitting in the back corner attending the meeting, felt a sudden jolt in his heart and almost broke the pen in his hand.

The third finger.

"Third, rebuild the rules. Factionalism, clique culture, collusion between officials and businessmen, interference in the judiciary, and a GDP-centric mentality—these are old problems ingrained in Handong's bones. Anyone who wants to cling to them as family heirlooms shouldn't blame the organization for being ruthless and personally breaking them down!"

The conference room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Lu Chengzhou sat down and turned his gaze to Liu Ruian: "Comrade Ruian, you go first. What is the most urgent matter for the provincial government right now?"

Liu Ruian closed his notebook, looked up, and said, "Secretary Lu, the most urgent thing is to stabilize expectations. Right now, some cadres below are holding the idea that 'the more they do, the more mistakes they make; the less they do, the better,' and are engaging in passive resistance. I suggest that we immediately establish a transparent scheduling mechanism for the approval of major projects, with all processes documented and traceable. Whoever delays, signs off on it, or is responsible will be held accountable."

Lu Chengzhou nodded: "I agree with that. But Comrade Rui'an, I'm not afraid of complexity, I'm afraid of people treating complex problems like simple math problems, getting the wrong answer, and then thinking they're quite clever. Implementation can't just stay on paper."

Liu Ruian's heart skipped a beat; this unexpected rebuff sent chills down his spine.

"Comrade Dakang, what about you?" Lu Chengzhou turned to look at Li Dakang.

Li Dakang immediately sat up straight, displaying his usual decisive and efficient manner: "As the provincial capital, Jingzhou must stabilize its economy. Currently, the overall situation is stable, and individual cases have not affected the overall economic development of the city. I suggest to the Provincial Party Committee…"

"An isolated case?" Lu Chengzhou suddenly interrupted him, asking softly.

Li Dakang's words caught in his throat instantly; he had subconsciously used those four words to downplay the impact.

Lu Chengzhou looked at him, his tone still calm, yet it carried a suffocating sense of oppression: "The deputy secretary of the provincial party committee jumped off a building right under your nose, and you didn't even roll down your car window; a cadre from the Supreme People's Procuratorate was placed under investigation in your territory of Jingzhou, and you call that an 'isolated case'? Comrade Dakang, your ability to summarize is quite unique."

Zhao Donglai lowered his head and bit his lip.

That was fucking awesome!

In the past, in Jingzhou, Li Dakang would use machine guns to mow down others, but today he's met his match with heavy artillery.

Secretary Lu didn't even raise his voice, but every word was like a slap, striking Li Dakang's face from both sides.

Li Dakang's face instantly turned purplish-red. He took a deep breath and said, "Secretary Lu, I used inappropriate words. I accept the criticism."

"Don't just accept criticism." Lu Chengzhou opened the folder on the table.

"Ding Yizhen ran away, Ouyang Jing went to jail, Sun Liancheng became the district head of the universe, and the equity dispute at Dafeng Factory is causing a huge uproar. Comrade Dakang, you can't just treat GDP as your own report card and treat these problems as someone else's utility bills, ignoring them completely!"

Li Dakang lowered his head even further, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead: "I bear primary leadership responsibility for the problems in Jingzhou."

"Have the windows in the petition hall been changed?" Lu Chengzhou suddenly changed the subject.

"All the renovations have been completed! Sun Liancheng's low window has been completely removed and replaced with an open reception hall," Li Dakang quickly reported.

"Don't just replace a few panes of glass or a few tables." Lu Chengzhou stared at him. "Whether the window is low or not isn't about those few centimeters of height; it's about whether the officials are truly willing to lower their heads for the people. Jingzhou will be the first pilot city in the province for a public review mechanism. All land transfers and major project tenders must be collectively reviewed, with the Discipline Inspection Commission and the Audit Office present throughout the process!"

Li Dakang paused for two seconds, then said, "I will carry it out."

Lu Chengzhou's gaze swept over the crowd and landed on Zhao Donglai in the back row.

"Comrade Zhao Donglai from the Jingzhou Municipal Bureau is also present today." Lu Chengzhou picked up his teacup. "You've been very busy lately."

The hairs on Zhao Donglai's back stood up with a "whoosh".

When a leader says "You're very busy," it could mean "You're doing a good job," or it could mean "I've been watching you a lot lately."

He immediately stood up, his back ramrod straight: "It's all an arrangement by the organization; I'm responsible for carrying it out!"

"Well done." Lu Chengzhou's next words relieved him slightly, but his next words made his heart jump to his throat again, "But remember, the police are the nation's weapon, not some leader's private kitchen knife. It wasn't before, and it certainly shouldn't be in the future."

Zhao Donglai's heart skipped a beat, and he answered decisively, "Yes! I understand!"

By this point in the meeting, everyone understood that the situation in Handong had truly changed.

The old style of Sha Ruijin's grand, sweeping opera is over. Now, Lu Chengzhou is like a seasoned old accountant wearing reading glasses. He doesn't listen to your singing, recitation, acting, or fighting. Instead, he looks down and flips through your old ledgers page by page, stabbing you in the bone with every cut.

Lu Chengzhou closed the document and announced a decision that caught everyone off guard.

"This afternoon, I'm going to the Provincial Hospital to visit Comrade Gao Yuliang."

Li Dakang suddenly looked up, and Liu Ruian also looked surprised.

Kao Yu-liang is now a political landmine that could explode at any moment!

Zhou Zhengming smiled; he understood what Lu Chengzhou meant.

"Gao Yuliang has problems, and the organization will investigate thoroughly." Lu Chengzhou leaned back in his chair, his tone calm. "But he is still the deputy secretary of the provincial party committee. He jumped off the provincial party committee building. As the new secretary, it wouldn't be appropriate for me not to go and see him. People outside would say that our Handong provincial party committee has lost all sense of humanity and dignity."

Political skill, this is top-level political skill.

Visiting the sick not only demonstrated the organization's concern and reassured the local faction, but also allowed him to personally investigate the old fox's true intentions.

"Team Leader Zhou, I'd like to trouble you to come with me." Lu Chengzhou looked at Zhou Zhengming, then pointed to Zhao Donglai, "Comrade Donglai, you come too, you lead the way."

Zhao Donglai immediately stood at attention and saluted: "Yes, sir!"

Lu Chengzhou stood up, ready to adjourn the meeting.

Just as everyone was about to get up, he slowly added another sentence.

"Oh, by the way, starting today, any department that uses the pretext of 'studying and implementing the spirit of the leaders' speeches' to work overnight to type up and print out those empty and clichéd materials will have the person who wrote the materials sit at the petition office window for a whole day tomorrow."

An eerie silence filled the conference room.

Two seconds later, Zhou Zhengming was the first to break down and chuckle softly.