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

Meanwhile, in the special needs ward of the Provincial People's Hospital, a completely different scene of tranquility unfolded.

The afternoon sunlight filtered through the blinds, breaking into tiny, golden-red spots that lazily spilled onto the hospital bed.

Wu Huifen sat on the edge of the bed, deftly turning the fruit knife with her fingertips, the only sound in the room being the soft rustling of the blade against the apple peel.

Gao Yuliang leaned against the hospital bed, his torso still wrapped in thick polymer plaster, looking like a terracotta warrior that had just been unearthed.

However, his complexion was much better than a few days ago. He held a cup of warm water in his hand and listened quietly as his wife read out the latest internal notice from the provincial party committee regarding the handling of the case.

When she read the line "Revoke the improper characterization of Sun Liancheng's past and make overall arrangements for reasonable second-line positions," Wu Huifen stopped what she was doing and placed the printed document on the bedside table.

"Sun Liancheng has finally made it through the tough times, and his journey has finally come to a smooth landing."

With a hint of regret in her voice, she handed over the peeled apple.

Gao Yuliang didn't take it, his fingertips lightly tracing the rim of the cup. "It's not a matter of turning things around, just removing the huge black pot that others forced on him. Sun Liancheng, this man, has neither selfish motives nor involvement in land transactions. His only mistake was refusing to cooperate with Li Dakang."

This is why Li Dakang used him as a shield to mitigate the conflict. Now that the entire land chain has surfaced, the supervisory team needs an objective corroborator, so naturally they need to restore his political reputation. This isn't called a comeback; it's called "making the best use of resources."

Wu Huifen followed her gaze downwards and saw the notice regarding Zhao Donglai's reprimand: "Zhao Donglai has also been held accountable, but it seems the punishment was raised high but lowered lightly."

"The disciplinary measures leave room for flexibility, which is a prudent arrangement after careful consideration by the organization."

Gao Yuliang chuckled softly, his eyes deep. "Tongwei is dead. Jingzhou Public Security Bureau can't do without Zhao Donglai for maintaining stability and investigating major cases. Right now, we're fully investigating leads in Lingang, Shanshui, and the Chen family. The supervisory team will definitely not disrupt the police force at this critical juncture."

First, record the leader's dereliction of duty, hold that knife tight, and then settle accounts layer by layer when digging deeper into old land and financial matters. Using officials with flawed performance records to pry open deeper layers of clues is a common strategic approach used by high-level investigators. Zhao Donglai is now just a "working person redeeming himself through meritorious service."

Wu Huifen stared intently at Gao Yuliang on the hospital bed.

These days, he has survived a near-fatal fall and is now more insightful and sharp in his understanding of people and events than he was when he sat in the provincial party committee compound.

"You now have a clear understanding of the intricacies of all parties involved."

Gao Yuliang gave a self-deprecating smile: "After flying down from the rooftop, many of the calculations and considerations that were previously hidden were seen through at a glance in mid-air."

Wu Huifen fell silent, her mind perfectly clear.

Even though Gao Yuliang is constantly providing external clues in exchange for lenient treatment, the evidence against him is still fully presented on the supervisory team's desk: Hong Kong offshore trusts, the transfer of benefits by the Shanshui Group, and his long-term protection of Qi Tongwei—no matter how many cases are not erased.

The key to his current privileged hospital stay and special treatment lies in his knowledge of the entire hidden network of connections and funds established during Zhao Lichun's administration. He is the task force's unique "living archive."

Actively releasing crucial clues, like squeezing toothpaste, is his only bargaining chip for self-preservation at this stage.

Two soft knocks sounded on the door.

Xiao Lin, the liaison officer of the supervision team, pushed open the door and entered: "Secretary Gao, Deputy Team Leader Zhou is here for a talk."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Zhengming strode in, carrying a sealed briefcase.

His eyes were bloodshot from days of continuous investigations. Without time for pleasantries, he pulled up a chair, sat down, and went straight to the point: "Chen Yang has given a complete account of all the details of Wang Zonghui's establishment of cross-border funding channels. I'm here today to verify with you the connections between the Zhong family's agents and local officials in Handong during Zhao Lichun's time, especially the personnel involved in the judicial loop of the Lingang project."

Gao Yuliang smiled faintly: "Team Leader Zhou, the supervisory team really treats me like a search engine for the old political and business connections in Handong now."

"The authenticity of a clue depends entirely on the value of the supporting evidence you provide."

Zhou Zhengming's eyes were sharp, and he wasn't fooled by Zhou's evasive tactics. "If you deliberately confuse the timeline and conceal key figures, all your subsequent recognition of merit will be nullified."

Gao Yuliang looked calm, even with a touch of righteous indignation: "Now I want to clarify the gray chain of those years more than anyone else, and I will never deliberately cover it up."

He gestured with his chin towards the bedside table drawer, "Huifen, take out the second brown paper bag and give it to Team Leader Zhou."

Wu Huifen opened the drawer, took out a tightly sealed kraft paper file bag, and handed it over.

When Zhou Zhengming opened the package, he found a handwritten list of people attending the dinner party, along with several old photos of a secret club taken in the past.

"This is a list of names from private meetings of the peripheral coordination group for the Lingang project. This so-called 'temporary group' has never been established in the official organizational structure."

Gao Yuliang leaned against the headboard and slowly explained, "Back then, the Shanshui Manor and several private clubs in the city would meet privately every month to coordinate the entire operation of land valuation and bridging financing. Wang Zonghui was an outsider, so he couldn't directly contact Zhao Lichun. He had to rely on three layers of key local people to complete the implementation."

Zhou Zhengming immediately took out his notebook and began to write: "Which three key contact persons?"

"The first layer is Du Qishan, the former deputy director of the Provincial Financial Office, who oversaw the entire process of diverting domestic funds and pre-approval of offshore accounts; the second layer is Luo Jianping, the former chairman of Jingzhou City Investment, who was responsible for setting up shell platforms and issuing false guarantee documents; as for the third person..."

Gao Yuliang paused, a playful look in his eyes, "Zhang Jianmin, the retired presiding judge of the Economic Division of the former Provincial High Court."

Zhou Zhengming's pen paused abruptly, and he looked up in astonishment: "Zhang Jianmin? Is that the retired presiding judge that Wu Xinyi secretly took the case files to see yesterday?"

"It is this person."

Gao Yuliang looked at Wu Huifen, whose face had suddenly turned pale, and said, "After reading the verification report issued by the supervisory team yesterday, I finally pieced together the whole story. Team Leader Zhou, this wasn't something I deliberately concealed."

Wu Huifen's breath hitched, and she murmured in disbelief, "Zhang Jianmin... he was actually involved in the Lingang land fund case years ago?"