Nominal: Hou Liangping blocking the door? He was slapped away!

P.S.: This is an extra chapter for when the rating increases by 6 points. Thank you all for your support!

A black SUV with a military license plate silently glided into the No. 2 compound of the Provincial Party Committee under the cover of night.

Shen Zhong pushed open the car door and got out.

He was wearing an ordinary black trench coat, which completely covered his crisp military uniform.

The evening breeze lifted the hem of his clothes, making him seem to blend into the deep night.

Zhou Weiguo remained in the car, his eyes scanning his surroundings warily.

The person who opened the door was the secretary of Governor Liu Changchun. When he saw the person standing outside, he froze.

"Secretary Shen...?"

Shen Zhong nodded slightly to him, said nothing, and walked straight in.

In the living room, Liu Changchun, dressed in casual clothes and wearing reading glasses, was looking at documents. Hearing the noise, he looked up.

When he realized that the person who came was Shen Zhong, the hand holding the document trembled slightly involuntarily.

But he quickly suppressed his surprise, adjusted his expression, and put on a perfectly warm smile.

"Secretary Shen, what brings you here?"

He took off his glasses and quickly came to greet him.

"Please sit down, please sit down."

Liu Changchun personally poured Shen Zhong a cup of hot tea.

Shen Zhong sat down on the sofa, leaning slightly forward, his eyes calmly looking at Liu Changchun.

"Zhao Lichun, I came to see you tonight."

He didn't use a question, but a statement, directly stating the topic.

The smile on Liu Changchun's face froze for a moment.

His hand, which was holding the teacup, also froze in mid-air.

The air in the study seemed to thicken at that moment.

He slowly put the teacup down, making a crisp clinking sound.

He didn't answer directly, but instead let out a long sigh.

"Secretary Shen, you're asking a question you already know the answer to."

That sigh contained so much indescribable helplessness and bitterness.

"I feel so stifled being the governor of this province."

He laughed self-deprecatingly, a smile full of bitterness.

"Eight out of ten decisions made by the provincial government are subject to the approval of the provincial party committee."

"If Zhao Lichun doesn't agree, I, as the provincial governor, am just a figurehead."

Shen nodded.

He was already fully aware of these circumstances.

"Therefore, you will support Qian Shouyi at the Standing Committee meeting the day after tomorrow."

The deep voice was calm, as if stating a given fact.

Liu Changchun leaned back on the sofa, looking somewhat dejected.

"Do I even have a choice?"

He spread his hands.

"He made it very clear that once the matter in Luzhou is settled, he will fully support the work of the provincial government."

"This is both empty promises and a warning to me."

"If I dare to disagree at the meeting, things will only get more difficult for the provincial government in the future."

Shen Zhong listened quietly, his face devoid of any extra expression.

He only spoke slowly after Liu Changchun finished speaking.

"If I said..."

He leaned forward slightly, closing the distance between himself and Liu Changchun.

"I have a way to help your people establish a foothold in Jingzhou."

These words struck Liu Changchun like a thunderbolt, leaving his mind blank.

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes flashing with a sharp light.

My whole being seemed to be instantly injected with vitality.

But he was, after all, a seasoned veteran of the political arena.

After a brief moment of excitement, he quickly forced himself to calm down.

He knew that there was no such thing as a free lunch.

"Secretary Shen, what are your conditions?"

His voice carried a hint of wariness.

Shen Zhong picked up the teacup on the table and gently stirred the tea leaves with the lid.

"The location of Luzhou is too conspicuous; your people can't get it."

He first dispelled Liu Changchun's unrealistic hopes.

The light in Liu Changchun's eyes dimmed slightly.

"but."

Shen Zhong put down his teacup and stared into Liu Changchun's eyes.

"If my person takes over, it will ensure to the greatest extent possible that Luzhou will not fall into the Zhao family's hands. Moreover, this person's interests do not conflict with yours, Governor Liu."

"At the Standing Committee meeting, I need you and your people to fully support Comrade He Xia in taking office as the Secretary of the Luzhou Municipal Party Committee."

Liu Changchun's pupils contracted, and he gasped.

"Comrade He Xia? Secretary Shen, this...this is against the rules! From district party secretary to provincial standing committee member, this is unprecedented in the history of Handong!"

Shen Zhong seemed to have anticipated his reaction.

"Rules are made by people."

He held up one finger.

"He Xia went to Luzhou, so the position of Party Secretary of Hexi District became vacant."

Liu Changchun's breathing suddenly became rapid.

He instantly understood what Shen Zhong meant.

Hexi District!

He knew everything about the 1 billion yuan special fund from the municipal finance department today!

The Hexi District today is not a mess, but a gold mine!

Whoever takes over Hexi District will inherit an enormous political achievement!

This would allow his men to, for the first time, truly plant a foothold in Jingzhou, this core territory.

Instead of being sidelined by Zhao Lichun and Li Dakang, becoming a puppet in name only, as is the case now.

His heart began to pound.

This proposal is too tempting.

But he had one last, and most crucial, concern.

"not enough."

Liu Changchun shook his head, his face full of solemnity.

Even if all my people support you, plus your vote, it still won't be enough.

"Zhao Lichun holds the absolute majority in his hands."

"Doing this is tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock."

A slight smile finally appeared on his solemn face.

It was a smile that conveyed a sense of complete control, tinged with a hint of amusement.

"I'll handle the vote count."

He leaned back and relaxed completely.

"Governor Liu, you only need to think about one thing clearly."

His fingers tapped rhythmically on the armrest of the sofa.

"Zhao Lichun's empire is crumbling. Governor Liu, would you rather be buried in the rubble, or stand by my side and watch it collapse?"

This statement carries an undeniable and powerful confidence.

Liu Changchun's heart was struck hard.

He vaguely sensed that behind Shen Zhong stood an immense energy that he could not even imagine.

He recalled some rumors circulating in the capital.

Then, considering Shen Zhong's series of swift and decisive yet meticulously executed tactics in Handong.

A thought began to grow wildly in his mind.

Take a gamble!

He's had enough of being this incompetent provincial governor!

He was fed up with the days when he didn't even dare to breathe loudly in front of Zhao Lichun!

Rather than slowly boiling a frog in lukewarm water and waiting to die.

Why not go all out, gamble your entire political life, and fight for a future!

Liu Changchun suddenly stood up.

In an instant, his gaze became incredibly resolute.

He extended his right hand toward Shen Zhong.

"make a deal!"

Shen Zhong also stood up.

Two hands clasped tightly together under the bright light of the study.

The two then had a private conversation in the study for half an hour.

They finalized the details of every speech at the Standing Committee meeting, every possible obstacle, and every countermeasure.

When Shen Zhong left.

Liu Changchun personally escorted him to the entrance of the courtyard.

A genuine smile played on his face.

"Secretary Shen, take care."

Liu Changchun straightened up only after watching the black SUV disappear into the night.

He glanced up in the direction of Zhao Lichun's villa, a cold smile curving his lips.

A political net targeting Zhao Lichun has been quietly cast.

"Tell Wu Chunlin from the Organization Department that at the meeting the day after tomorrow, he should know what he needs to do."