In name only: I will break the chess game in Handong!

Neither Minister Wang nor the provincial party committee of Handong tacitly mentioned why Qi Tongwei was able to carry a sniper rifle with him.

After Minister Wang visited Qi Tongwei, he convened another meeting. The meeting was simple: to ask Handong to cooperate in transferring the specific information about Tazhai Village to the Ministry of Public Security, and to set up a special task force to investigate.

Aside from this incident, it's currently unknown when Qi Tongwei will wake up. Even if he does wake up, the hospital estimates that he won't be able to take charge of the provincial department's work.

Minister Wang then asked Handong for his opinion.

"Comrade Ruijin, Comrade Changsheng, are there any outstanding comrades recommended by Handong to temporarily lead the provincial department and preside over its work?"

Minister Wang gave the recommendation to Sha Ruijin and Governor Liu. Sha Ruijin glanced at Governor Liu and then shook his head.

"Minister Wang, I've only been in Handong for a few months and I'm not very familiar with the Handong public security system. You can ask Governor Liu or Comrade Chen Luo about recommendations. He's the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, so he'll know more about it."

It wasn't that Sha Ruijin didn't want to recommend someone; he simply didn't have a suitable candidate. Rather than recommending someone whose background he didn't know, he figured it was better to give Governor Liu and Chen Luo face. After all, the provincial department was under the leadership of the provincial government and the Ministry of Public Security, and was guided by the secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission. It made sense both morally and logically.

Minister Wang nodded, then looked at Governor Liu.

"Comrade Changsheng, do you have any suitable candidates to recommend?"

Liu Changsheng smiled and shook his head.

"Minister Wang, in the past two years, my work has focused on the economic development of Handong, and I am not very familiar with the provincial department and the public security system."

Minister Wang rolled his eyes at Governor Liu. He knew some of the things, so he simply looked at Chen Luo.

"Comrade Chen Luo, you are the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, please recommend someone."

When Chen Luo saw that the topic had turned to him, he thought for a moment and then shook his head.

"Minister Wang, you know that I and Secretary Sha have only been in Handong for a few months, and our understanding of the comrades in the public security system is not yet deep. The work of the provincial department is very crucial."

If I recommend someone I'm not very familiar with to take charge of the work, it could cause big problems if things go wrong. It's more appropriate for you to appoint them yourself.

Chen Luo didn't want to make any recommendations casually; if he made a recommendation without a suitable candidate and something went wrong, he would be held responsible.

Seeing that Chen Luo and the other two had this attitude, Minister Wang had no choice but to come himself.

"Alright, since there are no suitable recommendations from Handong, let the deputy director in charge of daily operations take the lead for now, and we'll choose a suitable candidate when we return to the capital."

With the matter settled, the matter in Dongshan City is temporarily put to rest. Now it's up to the special task force set up by the Ministry of Public Security to investigate. All that's needed is for Handong to cooperate.

On the way back to Jingzhou, Tian Guofu boarded Chen Luo's private car instead of taking the Coaster.

The driver was Liu Mingyu. He arrived in a hurry last night and didn't have time to wait for the driver to arrive.

"Secretary Chen, our Director Qi was shot three times, which is so similar to when he was a narcotics officer at Guying Ridge back then."

Tian Guofu spoke first, and Chen Luo listened calmly.

"He still has the Party and the people in his heart."

This simple comment alone made Tian Guofu sigh deeply.

"Our disciplinary committee has already launched an investigation into Qi Tongwei's case. Although there is no conclusive evidence yet, Qi Tongwei, Zhao Ruilong of Shanshui Group, and Gao Xiaoqin..."

Chen Luo understood what Tian Guofu meant.

"What did they say?"

Upon hearing this, Tian Guofu shook his head.

"If this hadn't happened, the higher-ups intended for me to personally question Qi Tongwei and get him to surrender and confess so that he could be treated leniently. But now, I need to ask them for their specific opinions."

"It's already quite obvious."

"How so?" Tian Guofu asked curiously.

"The higher authorities don't lack a law-breaking, corrupt provincial-level public security chief as a warning, but they lack a public security chief who was shot three times and killed ten terrorists as a heroic role model."

After hearing this, Tian Guofu pondered it carefully.

"That makes sense, but we need to see what the higher-ups mean for the specifics."

"Well, that's just my guess. Secretary Guofu, just wait for instructions from above and do what needs to be done."

Liu Mingyu, in the driver's seat, just wanted to cover his ears; he really didn't mean to hear...

It was already 8 p.m. when we returned to Jingzhou.

After getting off the bus, everyone went home.

At Gao Yuliang's home.

Exhausted, Gao Yuliang pushed open the door and found the house completely empty and dark. Wu Huifang was not home. As for where she had gone, perhaps she was discussing academic issues with some teacher, Xiao Lin.

He turned on the light, sat down on the sofa, took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag.

The effects of nicotine allowed Gao Yuliang to temporarily forget his troubles. When he saw his student Qi Tongwei lying in the intensive care unit during the day, he knew that his student had completely changed.

He is no longer the lawless and disorderly Director Qi of the past. But what about him? Is Gao Yuliang still hiding in the shadows, doing things that harm the interests of the Party and the people?

His mind was in turmoil.

After puffing on a whole pack of cigarettes, Gao Yuliang finally leaned back on the sofa and sighed.

"Tongwei, Tongwei, you're lying in the hospital now, your life hanging in the balance, and you have no worries, but I, as your teacher... sigh!"

As dawn breaks, the work must continue.

Chen Luo plans to stay in Jingzhou for a week. He has already decided on the general direction of his work in Lüzhou, and Sun Liancheng is overseeing the specific implementation, so he doesn't need to handle it much.

During the few peaceful days in Handong, there was also a power struggle and discussion at the higher levels, especially after Tian Guofu submitted the preliminary investigation report on Qi Tongwei's illegal and disorderly conduct.

Originally, he was just a department-level cadre. In principle, how to deal with him should just be discussed at the provincial level. However, the situation in Dongshan was so bad that it caught the attention of the higher authorities.

Some high-ranking officials felt that if the allegations of illegal and disorderly conduct were true, regardless of whether someone was a hero or not, they should be dealt with seriously. Others felt that Qi Tongwei still had the Party and the people in his heart and was not beyond redemption, so they could give him a chance.

In the end, it was the head of the Discipline Inspection Commission, one of the Seven Saints, who made the final decision: if Qi Tongwei could wake up, then he could choose whether to surrender himself and confess honestly. If he surrendered, he would be treated leniently and his name would be wiped clean. If he resisted stubbornly, then he would be secretly expelled from the Party and dismissed from public office!

Such news was kept secret, and Chen Luo received it three hours after the head of the Discipline Inspection Commission made the final decision.

In the entire Handong region, only a handful of people know this news. Tian Guofu might know, but Sha Ruijin and Governor Liu certainly do.

As for Gao Yuliang... he's like a lost soul in a thick fog; no one knows what choices he will make.

A week has passed in the blink of an eye.