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

The gate of the courtyard house closed behind me.

Zhao Lichun stood at the entrance of the alley, the late autumn wind blowing in from the alley, making the hem of his suit jacket flip up.

Su Zhenhai.

The old fox who had been operating in the capital for over a decade and was the patriarch of the entire Han Dong officialdom, didn't utter a single harsh word when he was dragged away from his own home.

Zhao Lichun paused for three seconds at the entrance of the alley before stepping out.

The black Audi at the alley entrance was still parked in its original spot. Xiao Bai, the secretary, was leaning against the car door smoking. When she saw Zhao Lichun come out, she threw the cigarette butt on the ground and quickly opened the back door.

"Secretary Zhao—"

"To the airport."

Xiao Bai was stunned for a moment.

"Now?"

"Now, immediately, right away."

Zhao Lichun climbed into the back seat and slammed the car door shut.

Xiao Bai didn't dare to ask any more questions. He went around to the driver's seat, started the engine, and stepped on the gas to drive out of the alley.

Zhao Lichun leaned back in the seat, legs together, hands crossed on his knees. His fingers were fighting; he twisted all ten fingers together, straining until his knuckles turned white, barely managing to suppress the force surging up from the soles of his feet.

It's not cold, it's panic.

Kyoto International Airport, Terminal 3.

After showing her identification, Xiaobai, the dedicated secretary, drove the car directly to the airport waiting room.

Check-in procedures were quickly completed by dedicated customer service.

Holding two tickets for the next flight to Jingzhou, Xiao Bai followed closely behind Zhao Lichun, barely daring to breathe.

Zhao Lichun followed the signs into the VIP waiting area.

The VIP lounge wasn't crowded; a few businessmen dressed in designer clothes were nestled in leather sofas, scrolling through their phones. Zhao Lichun chose a corner seat, resting his briefcase on his lap and clasping his hands together.

My hands are still shaking.

It wasn't a noticeable tremor, but a subtle, tingling sensation that seeped from the very bones, and it was uncontrollable.

The announcement came on, broadcasting boarding information.

Zhao Lichun stood up, followed the flow of people across the jet bridge, and entered the cabin.

The first-class seats were wide and soft. A flight attendant came over and handed him a hot towel. He took it, covered his face for two seconds, and then gave it back.

The engine roared loudly.

With a strong sense of acceleration, the plane soared into the sky.

The sudden feeling of weightlessness made Zhao Lichun's heart clench.

He watched the Kyoto buildings outside the porthole gradually shrink until they were completely swallowed up by the thick clouds.

Originally, if I had waited another two years, I could have moved up in position.

Handong has been operating for so many years, the roads that needed to be paved have long been paved, and the necessary connections have been made.

With Su Zhenhai protecting them from above and the Zhao family troupe supporting them from below, they were incredibly stable.

Who could have imagined that Shen Zhong would suddenly appear out of nowhere and cause such a huge upheaval?

Once the news reached Handong, those people knew he had gone to the capital to seek reinforcements, only to have those reinforcements themselves dealt with first...

Zhao Lichun bumped the back of his head against the seat cushion.

Those people in officialdom are very shrewd; they know which way the wind blows and which way their knees bend.

When things are going well, they're all incredibly loyal, but when things turn against them, they turn on you faster than flipping through a book.

We can't let them know.

At least, absolutely not now.

Zhao Lichun opened his eyes, got up and walked towards the restroom in front of the first-class cabin.

The door closed, and the latch was switched to red.

A disheveled face appeared in the mirror above the sink.

His eyes were sunken, his face was ashen, his lips were chapped, and a layer of bluish stubble had appeared on his chin.

This is a face of utter defeat.

If this face appeared at Hantong Airport, you wouldn't need to say a word; one look would be enough to understand everything.

Zhao Lichun turned on the tap, cupped his hands in cold water, and splashed it on his face.

Water droplets trickled down his chin and into his shirt collar, the biting cold making his scalp tingle and finally clearing his muddled mind a bit.

I combed my hair back strand by strand in front of the mirror. Each stroke was forceful, causing a slight stinging sensation.

My hair is back in place.

The dust on the coat was brushed off, and the top button was fastened tightly.

Finally, Zhao Lichun adjusted his expression in front of the mirror.

He tightened his lips, slightly raised his chin, and lowered his gaze.

Majestic, composed, and in complete control.

No one in Handong knew the outcome of Su Zhenhai's case.

The message takes time to travel, and that time is his bargaining chip for turning the tide.

As long as they act calmly and make a grand entrance when they return, their subordinates will not dare to act rashly.

This will at least buy some time to safely transfer the funds out.

Even if he couldn't hold on in the end, Zhao Ruilong still had a way out overseas, and his family's stable life couldn't be disrupted.

Back in his seat, Zhao Lichun pressed the service bell.

The flight attendant walked over with a smile. She was slender, and the hem of her uniform skirt was just two inches above her knees.

"Sir, how can I help you?"

"Red wine, please."

"Okay, just a moment."

The red wine was brought over, and the deep red liquid in the stemmed glass swirled twice. Zhao Lichun picked it up and downed it in one gulp.

This isn't how you drink wine; it's how you force-feed medicine.

The alcohol burned down my esophagus, warming my stomach, and the color slowly returned to my face, even making my ears turn a little red.

The landing announcement sounded in the cabin.

Half an hour later, the plane landed smoothly at Han Dongjingzhou International Airport.

Zhao Lichun, accompanied by his secretary, walked through the VIP passage and went straight into the airport's VIP arrival lounge.

He told Xiaobai to wait outside the door.

The door closed, cutting off all outside sight.

He picked up the red landline phone mounted on the wall and dialed a number.

Three beeps, and the call connected.

"I am Chen Huai."

"I am Zhao Lichun." Zhao Lichun's voice was low and steady, with an undeniable force. "Listen to me."

"I'm at Jingzhou Airport. I've notified the Provincial Party Committee Office and the driver team to bring car number one over."

"You'll be coming with me to Luzhou for an inspection in a few days. There are new instructions from above, and my position will be promoted soon."

"While I have some time, I'll see if Comrade He Xia is really capable of being the Party Secretary of the Municipal Committee."

Chen Huai paused for a moment on the other end of the phone, then his voice became somewhat excited.

"Secretary, you're... being transferred to the capital. That would be......"

"The old Party Secretary's methods are as tough as ever. It seems Shen Zhong won't be able to hold out for much longer."

"I will immediately inform Luzhou to make preparations."

Zhao Lichun hung up the phone, buttoned the top button of his collar, and tugged at his cuffs.

Looking at the scene outside the window, his lips moved slightly.

"Shen Zhong, as long as I'm still in this position, this game of chess is not yet over."

……

Meanwhile, at the office of the Handong Provincial Military Region.

Just as Shen Zhonggang put down his teacup, the red internal telephone on the table rang.

The ringtone echoed in the closed office. Shen Zhong glanced at the caller ID and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Pick up the receiver.

"Deputy Secretary Shen, this is Su Zhenhai."

The voice on the other end of the phone was hoarse, completely different from the energetic Su Zhenhai that Zhao Lichun had relayed a few days ago, who was always saying "get him done."

"Director Su, hello."

Shen Zhong leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table.

Su Zhenhai paused for a moment, then continued.

"I was unaware of what Zhao Lichun did in Handong before; it was my oversight."

"A provincial party secretary was able to wield absolute power in his subordinate positions, causing widespread public outrage. As his former leader, I bear responsibility for this."

Shen Zhong didn't reply, waiting for him to finish speaking.

"Go ahead and do your job in Handong. Investigate what needs to be investigated, and handle what needs to be handled. Don't have any concerns."

"I've completely cut off contact with Zhao Lichun."

The words were spoken beautifully, and the attitude was very proper.

It would be a rare occurrence in any era for someone of Su Zhenhai's position to take the initiative to call and apologize to a major general.

Ultimately, it wasn't that Su Zhenhai had a change of heart; it was Old Xu's iron fist that woke him up.

"Director Su, you flatter me."

His tone was solemn, polite but not overly familiar, striking the perfect balance.

"The problems in Handong are a legacy of history, not the responsibility of any one person. I was just doing my job according to the organization's arrangements."