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

Old Du's heart skipped a beat, and he began to employ the traditional medical skill of dodging the question:

"Well... medically speaking, the recovery time for severely trauma patients is highly uncertain. They may wake up at any time, or it may take several days, or even... a long coma. There is a great deal of individual variation."

"So, you can't say for sure either?" Zhou Zhengming interrupted him.

"Yes, yes, we can only do our best and leave the rest to fate."

Zhou Zhengming smiled, closed the medical record, and gently tapped the table:

"Director Du, I just reviewed your resuscitation records. It lasted over three hours. I'd like to know, what specific groundbreaking surgeries did you perform during those three hours?"

"Can you pull someone back from the brink of death after they fell from the sixth floor onto the roof of a car?"

He emphasized the word "groundbreaking" with great force, revealing a strong sense of mockery.

Old Du broke out in a cold sweat, his throat went dry. One lie leads to a hundred more to cover it up.

"Mainly... life support, Doppler ultrasound examination, damage assessment, and prophylactic anti-shock treatment..."

"I'm asking about the surgery." Zhou Zhengming's tone remained gentle, but the sense of pressure suddenly increased.

"I need a detailed surgical record, accurate to the incision location, the number of sutures, and the weight of tissue removed. The supervisory team has brought top forensic experts from Beijing, and they are very interested in your 'Handong Medical Miracle'."

Forensic expert!

Old Du's mind went blank for a moment, and he felt dizzy.

He knew that if he kept using those medical terms to evade the issue, he'd be in the disciplinary committee's detention room for questioning tomorrow.

He remained silent for a full five seconds, then steeled himself and decided to play a high-level game.

He adopted a sincere expression, as if saying, "We are doing this for the organization's sake, enduring humiliation and hardship," and lowered his voice to say:

"Team Leader Zhou, let me speak frankly with you. Secretary Gao's situation... is very special."

"What makes it special?"

"Our initial examination revealed that although his superficial injuries were horrific, the indicators of internal bleeding... did not immediately worsen."

Old Du swallowed hard, frantically trying to organize his thoughts.

"The situation outside was extremely chaotic at the time, and the pressure from all sides was immense. After an emergency consultation, our expert team unanimously agreed that, under such circumstances of unclear friend or foe and the possibility of sudden changes in the injury, operating rashly would be extremely risky!"

Conservative treatment, including a full life support system, is the safest option! We are taking a very responsible approach to the health and lives of our elderly colleagues!

This statement is perfectly watertight. In other words, it means: the person didn't have surgery, the cast was just for fun, but we did it for the sake of overall stability. We didn't fabricate anything; we were just "over-medicalizing."

Zhou Zhengming stared at him for a full ten seconds. In those ten seconds, Old Du even figured out where his eldest grandson would go to kindergarten and how to explain it to him.

Suddenly, Zhou Zhengming smiled: "Director Du, you're a smart man."

Old Du didn't dare to reply, he just smiled awkwardly, the back of his shirt was already soaked with sweat.

"Smart people are good; they're easy to communicate with."

Zhou Zhengming stood up and patted Lao Du's shoulder heavily.

"But intelligence shouldn't just be used for writing medical records; it should also be used for political stance. From now on, all of Comrade Gao Yuliang's examination, medication, and nursing records shall be in duplicate."

One copy is kept by the hospital, and one copy is given to the supervisory team. No one is allowed to contact the patient privately, and family visits must be personally approved by Team Leader Qin.

Old Du felt like he'd been granted a pardon, nodding his head vigorously: "Understood! I will fully cooperate with the organization! I will absolutely carry it out without fail!"

……

In the special needs ward separated by a wall.

Gao Yuliang lay flat on the hospital bed, his body wrapped in the highest-grade medical "camouflage".

If you only look at the outer packaging, it does look like a fragile item that was forcibly glued together after falling from the sixth floor.

But Gao Yuliang knew perfectly well that he hadn't lost a single hair.

The system, which was known as "late," went into hibernation after completing its physical shield and camouflage of severe injury.

No matter how much I called out to him, there was no response.

Gao Yuliang sneered inwardly.

This broken system is just like some slippery officials in the bureaucracy. They can take the blame for you at crucial moments, but once they've done so, they immediately play dead, resolutely avoiding any talk with the organization, and their main principle is "no responsibility unless absolutely necessary."

In his previous life, he was just an ordinary person, but after absorbing the original owner's unfathomable political Machiavellianism, he found that the combination of these two ways of thinking was surprisingly healthy and morally reprehensible.

Whoever messes with me, I'll mess with them; but when dealing with someone, you can't rush things, you have to let them put the rope around their own neck.

Very light footsteps came from outside the door.

It wasn't the dull stomping of armed police boots, nor the rustling sound of nurses' soft-soled shoes.

The footsteps were very rhythmic, with the varying intensity and pace perfectly controlled.

The door was pushed open.

Wu Huifen stood at the door.

Today she wore a plain trench coat, her hair was neatly styled, and she was carrying a small, unassuming bag whose brand was impossible to discern.

Instead of rushing to the hospital bed in tears like a typical family member, she first calmly scanned the medical equipment in the ward with her eyes.

The armed police outside the door whispered a reminder:

"Teacher Wu, the supervisory team approved the visitation slip, which only allows for fifteen minutes of visitation time."

"Thank you, comrade, I understand the rules."

Wu Huifen nodded slightly, her posture remaining elegant and poised.

The door closed, and only the mechanical beeping of the monitor remained in the ward.

Wu Huifen walked to the bedside, looked down at Gao Yuliang, and remained silent for a long time.

Gao Yuliang kept his eyes closed and his breathing steady. He could feel his nominal wife, and actual business partner, scrutinizing his face.

"Stop pretending," Wu Huifen suddenly spoke, her voice very low.

"Your heart rate is 75 and your blood pressure is 120/80 on the monitor. Your vital signs are so stable that you could go run 3,000 meters on the track right away."

Gao Yuliang sighed inwardly.

Good heavens, no wonder he's been sleeping in the same bed with someone he's been having an affair with for over ten years—he's got a sharp eye and a ruthless heart.

The couple were like birds in the same forest, but this bird not only didn't fly away, it flew back to check if its tree was completely rotten.

He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze clear and sharp, without a trace of the cloudiness of someone on the verge of death.

When Wu Huifen saw that he was awake, she didn't cry, didn't call for the doctor, and didn't even show any surprise.

She simply pulled up a chair, sat down gracefully, and placed her bag on her lap.

"How long have you been awake?"

"Not long after." Gao Yuliang's voice was deliberately lowered, but it was full of energy.

Looking at the exaggerated plaster cast on his body, Wu Huifen asked, "Does it hurt?"

Gao Yuliang did not answer.

Wu Huifen understood, and she shook her head:

"I knew it. When you were young, if you fell into a ditch while riding your bicycle, the first thing you said after getting up wasn't that you were in pain, but that your pants were torn."

Now, even after flying down from the sixth floor of the provincial party committee building, you're still stuck with this face-saving mentality. But this time, you risked your life for that face.

Gao Yuliang almost burst out laughing.

This event did indeed occur in the original owner's memories.

Back then, they weren't yet divided, and their lives weren't filled with such calculations as they would later become.

Wu Huifen reached out and tucked the blanket around him, her movements practiced, yet her tone was as if she were discussing someone else's life or death:

"Your actions have created a huge mess in Handong. Sha Ruijin has been suspended, Qin Yuanzhou is acting as the top leader, and things are in complete chaos outside."

"Good riddance." Gao Yuliang stared at the ceiling, his voice deep and somber.

"If it doesn't leak, the people upstairs will think the roof is sturdy enough to jump around on; the people downstairs will think they can stay under the eaves forever to avoid the rain. I've flipped the table, and now everyone will get wet."

Wu Huifen lowered her voice and leaned forward: "Did you plan this all along? Did you calculate that you'd crash into Sha Ruijin's car, and that you wouldn't die?"

Gao Yuliang rolled his eyes at her: "How is this possible?"

"Then why are you still jumping?"

"Leave it to fate," Gao Yuliang said calmly.

Wu Huifen stared at him, her eyes filled with complex emotions: "You weren't this crazy before. You've always been someone who plans things out before acting."

Gao Yuliang thought to himself, the Gao Yuliang who used to be hesitant and indecisive had died in the gunfire at Guying Ridge.

But he simply replied calmly:

When people are cornered, they have to pick up a brick and smash it back. The idea that taking a step back will lead to a brighter future is a lie; taking a step back will only lead to an abyss.

Wu Huifen didn't dwell on the topic; she was an absolutely rational woman.

"The situation is very unfavorable for us. Your name will be on their names sooner or later. Qin Yuanzhou is not Sha Ruijin. He doesn't need a sledgehammer; he can skin you alive, bit by bit."

"I know."

"And Li Dakang." Wu Huifen frowned slightly, a hint of disgust flashing in her eyes.

"You jumped off the building yesterday, and his car was right downstairs. Now he's going around saying he wants to stabilize Jingzhou's GDP, clearly trying to climb over your blood and fight for that position after Sha Ruijin's downfall."

"Comrade Dakang has always been very protective of his reputation; he's a pure politician," Gao Yuliang scoffed.

"Ouyang Jing went in, thinking that cutting off his tail would save him. But he was watching a show in his car yesterday. Qin Yuanzhou is very particular and will definitely check his dashcam footage."

In this mudslide, no one can pretend they're wearing a white shirt. Li Dakang wants to escape unscathed? Dream on.

Wu Huifen looked at him, her gaze gradually sharpening: "Yuliang, aren't you afraid the Discipline Inspection Commission will investigate you?"

"Will being afraid do any good?" Gao Yuliang stared directly at Wu Huifen.

"Huifen, I'm not here to prove myself clean. No one in this position can withstand scrutiny under a microscope. What I need to do now is tell the supervisory team that this mess wasn't made by me, Gao Yuliang, alone."

Sha Ruijin, driven by short-sighted ambition, launched a political purge; Hou Liangping, wielding absolute power, disregarded procedural justice; and Li Dakang was no saint either. "Everyone has dirt on them, why should I be the only one executed?"

Wu Huifen fell silent.

This may sound crude, but it reflects the coldest political reality.

The idea that "the law does not punish the masses" is a false proposition in officialdom. However, when you drag everyone down and create a terrifying balance, those above you will have to be hesitant to punish you.

"What do you want me to do?" Wu Huifen asked.

"Don't do anything," Gao Yuliang instructed.

"Right now, everyone outside is looking for testimonies and clues. If you make a move, they'll be watching you. Your inaction is the best protection for me."

Wu Huifen thought for a moment: "The supervisory team will definitely talk to me."

"Let's talk." Gao Yuliang gave him instructions.

"Just state the facts, don't try to cover for me or others. Focus on how Sha Ruijin sidelined local officials after his arrival, and how Hou Liangping acted arrogantly in Handong."

Remember to use an objective, neutral, and deeply distressed tone.

Wu Huifen understood: "You want to muddy the waters completely and then negotiate with them?"

Gao Yuliang calmly said, "The more I lie down, the more dignified I must be. Otherwise, wouldn't my jumping from this building have been for nothing? I need to make them beg me to wake up."

Wu Huifen finally couldn't hold back and softly scolded, "You're really crazy in a well-organized way."

The nurse knocked on the glass outside the door and pointed to the watch.

Time is up.

Wu Huifen stood up and straightened her trench coat.

She stopped at the door without turning around.

"You've lived most of your life, scheming for most of your life, and finally you've done something that doesn't seem like something Gao Yuliang would do."

Gao Yuliang watched her retreating figure and asked, "Who does she look like?"

Wu Huifen turned her head, her eyes filled with an indescribable sadness and shock.

"Like Qi Tongwei."

The ward fell into a deathly silence.

The door closed.

Gao Yuliang closed his eyes.

Qi Tongwei, the man who desperately shouted "Go to hell!" at Lone Eagle Ridge, is dead.

He, Gao Yuliang, is not Qi Tongwei, but he is now holding the cards that Qi Tongwei hadn't finished playing.

Since God has allowed him to start a new game, then the chessboard of Handong must be played according to His rules.

Just then, there were two knocks on the door.

Immediately afterwards, Zhou Zhengming's voice came in.

"Comrade Gao Yuliang, this is Zhou Zhengming, deputy head of the Central Supervision Group. Head Qin would like to know about your current health condition. Could you tell me?"

Gao Yuliang suddenly opened his eyes.

finally come.