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

Just as public opinion was stirring in the capital.

Handong Province, a thousand miles away.

In the office of Provincial Party Secretary Zhao Lichun, his chief secretary, Secretary-General Qian, was bowing and reporting something in a low voice.

"Boss, news has come from Beijing. They say that Comrade Shen Zhong, the military-clad Standing Committee member who is likely to take over as Deputy Secretary Liu in Handong, seems to have gotten into some trouble recently."

Secretary-General Qian embellished the information he had gathered.

Zhao Lichun leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes to rest, and remained silent for a long time after listening to the report.

Just when Secretary-General Qian thought he was about to get angry, Zhao Lichun slowly opened his eyes, a cryptic smile curving his lips.

"If the rumors are true and he's coming to Handong, that would be much more interesting."

"I remember Hou Liangping was Gao Yuliang's prized student. They're already arm wrestling before they've even met?"

The media storm came faster and more fiercely than Shen Zhong had anticipated.

Hou Liangping's methods were not clever, but they were disgusting.

He portrayed himself as a tragic hero who endured humiliation and hardship, served his country and people, but was brutally bullied by military bullies.

This kind of narrative naturally garners sympathy and resonance from the civil service system.

There has always been a subtle antagonism and distrust between military personnel and civilian officials. Hou Liangping merely lit the fuse.

Just then, the red military-grade encrypted phone suddenly vibrated.

On the screen was a number he knew all too well.

Shen Zhong answered the phone.

A strong, slightly hoarse, old voice came through the receiver.

"Those pedantic scholars from the Supreme People's Procuratorate have sent my petition to my desk by express delivery. They're saying I don't respect national laws and regulations, that I'm behaving like a warlord. They're really putting a lot of accusations on me."

The old leader spoke slowly and deliberately, each word representing a shockwave that was taking place at the center of power.

"The entire Supreme People's Procuratorate is in a bad mood, and several other ministries are also getting involved, eager to see what happens. You're now the number one celebrity in Beijing's social circles."

Shen Zhong remained quiet; he knew his former boss hadn't called to interrogate him.

He spoke, his voice steady.

"What do you mean?"

He threw the question back at him. He needed a clear stance: should he suppress it, protect it, or let it be swallowed up by the tide of public opinion?

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

These few seconds are enough to determine which side and which future countless people in the capital will take.

Then, the old leader's distinctive voice rang out again.

"What do I mean?"

He snorted, his voice carrying an undisguised protectiveness and domineering attitude.

"Me, bet? Bet my ass!"

"These people have been living in comfort for too long; they've forgotten what the hilts of our army's swords are for! They've forgotten what it takes to earn a soldier's honor!"

"I'm not involved in this. You handle it yourself!"

The old leader's voice suddenly rose, carrying a fierce and ruthless air.

"You're going to Handong soon, perfect! Use this incident to teach everyone a lesson! Let them see clearly your serious and methodical approach!"

These words are tantamount to a top-level authorization letter.

Deep within Shen Zhong's heart, the suppressed passion was completely ignited.

That's exactly what he needed to hear.

"Remember this." The old leader's tone became slow and deliberate, yet even more resolute.

"As long as you're in the right, even if you create a huge hole in the sky, I'll personally patch it up for you!"

These words carry immense weight.

It represents the unreserved support and indulgence of the highest levels of the military for Shenyang Heavy Machinery, a "national strategic asset".

With this imperial sword, Shen Zhong had no more worries.

"I see."

He made his promise over the phone.

"Three days."

"Within three days, I will completely silence all dissenting voices."

"good!"

The old leader only said one word before decisively hanging up the phone.

The study returned to silence.

Shen Zhong put down his phone, and his previous calm facade completely crumbled at that moment.

He chose not to defend himself, nor was he interested in engaging in any public opinion battles.

Isn't Hou Liangping trying to play by the rules?

it is good.

So he used his own way to redefine what "rules" mean, for himself and for everyone else.

He wanted to crush everything Hou Liangping was proud of—his dignity, his future, his "rules"—little by little, completely in front of everyone!

Shen Zhong dialed another number.

The phone rang only once before it was answered quickly.

On the receiver came Zhou Weiguo's voice, full of suppressed excitement and energy.

"Major General!"

Zhou Weiguo's voice came through the receiver, filled with barely suppressed excitement and exhilaration, like a tiger ready to pounce and tear its prey apart.

"I'm ready to go at any time!"

"Don't get agitated." The deep voice was calm, carrying a reassuring quality. "I have a question for you. Do you still have the body camera footage from that night's operation?"

Upon hearing this question, Zhou Weiguo's excitement cooled considerably, and his tone became somewhat annoyed.

"Reporting, Major General! The incident happened suddenly that day, and the level was too high. Our detachment leader received orders from above that, in order to prevent the situation from escalating and to avoid public opinion from fermenting, all of our recorders, as well as the other party's recorders, were cleared immediately under on-site supervision."

This was an expected answer.

When gods fight, the lesser demons naturally want to destroy the evidence as quickly as possible to avoid getting into trouble.

Hou Liangping had precisely calculated this point, which is why he dared to so brazenly distort the truth.

Without the most direct video evidence, everything has turned into a war of words.

Shen Zhong remained silent, seemingly deep in thought.

Zhou Weiguo, on the other end of the phone, seemed to sense the heavy disappointment and quickly added.

"However, Major General!"

His voice rose again, tinged with a hint of triumphant excitement.

"The official records are gone, but I have something here!"

"When I led the team to cordon off the scene, I discovered that a resident in the building, alerted by the commotion outside, used their phone to film part of what was happening in the hallway through the peephole!"

"Although it's incomplete, it records exactly how Hou Liangping cursed, how arrogant and domineering he was, and... how you slapped him! It's all clearly recorded!"

Zhou Weiguo's breathing became somewhat rapid.

"I was suspicious at the time, and I felt that this wasn't so simple. So I made up an excuse and temporarily confiscated his phone!"

What a Zhou Weiguo!

Shen Zhong's evaluation of this armed police captain rose even higher.

"Well done."

Shen Zhong gave the most direct affirmation.

These four words made Zhou Weiguo on the other end of the phone so excited that he almost jumped up.

"Major General! Shall I send the video to you right now?"

"No need," Shen Zhong refused.

What he wanted was for the entire Supreme People's Procuratorate to personally cut out Hou Liangping, this malignant tumor!

He wants to use their own knives to kill their own people!

After a moment of silence, a perfect plan took shape in his mind.

His voice rang out again on the phone, cold yet clear.

"Now, seal the original document and find a way to submit the backup to the Anti-Corruption Bureau's Discipline Inspection Office. Tell them that if they don't handle it themselves, I will handle it for them."