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

Temporary Command Center of the Armed Forces Department of Lüzhou.

Shen Zhong stood solemnly in front of the central command platform, his pine-green military uniform standing straight, the gold star on his shoulder particularly conspicuous under the cold light of the screen.

On the red track map on the right side of the screen, a thin line is slowly extending southeast from the waters near Jingzhou.

That's Zhao Ruilong's cargo ship.

Heavy footsteps came from behind him. Zhou Weiguo strode to the command post, holding an interception report marked "Top Secret" in his hand, and handed it over with both hands.

"Sir, the electronic warfare room has been completely deciphered."

Shen Zhong took the report and turned to the first page.

"At 22:17 p.m. tonight, Zhao Ruilong used an unregistered backup satellite phone to make an encrypted call to Hong Kong, instructing his subordinates to kidnap Gao Xiaofeng and her child."

Zhou Weiguo turned to the second page and pointed his index finger at a screenshot of a text message marked in red.

At 10:51 p.m., Gao Yuliang used a disposable phone card to send a text message to Geng Sen, the border defense detachment leader, which read: "East Suburb No. 3 Pier, contact Detachment Leader Geng Sen."

The report was closed.

Shen Zhong tossed the folder back onto the desktop, his gaze returning to the red flight path on the screen.

Zhao Ruilong ran away.

Gao Yuliang tore the opening open for him himself.

The staff officers on duty in the command center looked at each other, none of them daring to utter a sound.

"Sir, should we request the navy to intercept it immediately? If we act now, that cargo ship hasn't even left the territorial waters yet; we can stop it within half an hour."

Zhou Weiguo stood ramrod straight, awaiting orders.

"What's the rush?"

He swallowed the word "shen" and took two steps toward the screen with his hands behind his back.

"Call Political Commissar Wang and ask him to help coordinate the interception."

Shen Zhong didn't turn his head, staring at the red line as it slowly crawled towards the outer sea.

Zhou Weiguo was overjoyed and immediately gave a standard military salute.

"yes!"

He turned and walked to the encrypted communications station, picked up the red direct line phone, and began sending a request for assistance to the naval fleet.

The command center resumed its low-pitched electronic operation.

Shen Zhong stood still.

The screenshot of Gao Yuliang's text message was still displayed in the small window in the lower right corner of the screen, clearly showing the text in black on a white background.

The head of the Handong Political and Legal System has finally reached out his hand.

If you don't reveal any flaws for a day or two, once Zhao Ruilong stabs you with his knife, all your composure will be for naught.

Gao Yuliang, Gao Yuliang, you never compete or fight, you're like a meditating monk, and the entire Hanzhong officialdom can't do anything about you.

But you're not that aloof; you have a weakness.

If something has a weakness, then it's useful.

The curve of Shen Zhong's lips disappeared, replaced by his usual cold, hard expression that no one could decipher.

He doesn't plan to reveal Gao Yuliang's hand right now.

Keep it; it will be very useful later.

Sha Ruijin is about to be parachuted into Handong. I wonder how this new, autocratic secretary will treat me then.

The political and legal system, which Gao Yuliang controls, is an obstacle that the new Party Secretary cannot avoid.

A Gao Yuliang with leverage over someone is ten times more valuable than a Gao Yuliang who has been overthrown.

……

The family compound of the Provincial Party Committee, Gao Yuliang's home.

The bathroom door was locked from the inside.

Gao Yuliang squatted in front of the toilet, cut the phone card into four pieces with nail clippers, threw the pieces into the toilet one by one, and pressed the flush button.

The water carried the fragments, swirling and disappearing.

He rinsed it again.

The soft patter of slippers on the floor could be heard outside the door.

"Old Gao?"

Teacher Wu's voice came through the door, tinged with caution.

"What are you doing in there? I heard a lot of noise in the middle of the night."

"It's nothing, just work-related stuff, all taken care of."

"...Is something wrong? I saw you pacing back and forth in the study for a long time."

"Don't pry into the secrets of government work."

There was silence outside the door for a few seconds.

"Well... I heated up some white fungus soup for you and put it on the desk in the study."

The footsteps faded into the distance.

Gao Yuliang stood up, leaning on the sink, turned on the faucet, and rinsed the plastic scraps off his hands.

The face in the mirror was ashen, and the lips were pale.

He stared at the mirror for three seconds, then reached out and turned off the bathroom light.

……

A mountain and water manor in the far suburbs of Jingzhou.

In the president's office on the second floor of the main villa, a paper shredder was emitting a sharp buzzing sound as stacks of paper were fed in and shredded into thin strips.

Gao Xiaoqin knelt in front of the paper shredder, her silk nightgown collar wide open, her hair disheveled and plastered to her neck, her hands constantly stuffing documents into the machine.

The dual ledgers, the flow of overseas funds, and the trust structure diagrams all have to be destroyed.

A loud crash came from the first floor as a heavy vehicle smashed open an iron gate.

The hum of the paper shredder was drowned out.

Gao Xiaoqin jumped up and rushed to the window to look down.

The manor gate had been partially blown off by a riot control vehicle, and the spotlights made the entire front yard as bright as day.

A dozen fully armed special police officers rushed into the hall in quick succession, their movements swift and ruthless.

The man in the lead was wearing a crisp police uniform, which she recognized all too well.

Qi Tongwei.

Gao Xiaoqin's hand slid down from the curtain.

She turned and ran toward the hidden door behind the bookshelf, forcefully pushed open the entrance to the secret passage disguised as a bookshelf, and bent down to crawl inside.

The secret passage was short, just over thirty meters long, leading to the outlet of a drainage well on the back hill of the manor.

She stumbled and ran forward barefoot on the cold, wet cement ground.

The iron gate at the end was open, and moonlight shone in from outside.

Three SWAT officers in black combat uniforms stood on either side of the exit, holding submachine guns.

The infrared laser aiming point landed steadily on the silk fabric on her chest.

Gao Xiaoqin's legs went weak, and she slid down to the ground against the damp wall.

Upstairs, the mahogany door to the president's office was kicked open, and the brass hinges on the door frame flew off.

Qi Tongwei walked in, holding a pistol, followed by four SWAT officers with shields.

The shredder was still turning, with half a document stuck inside.

The office is empty.

"Secret passage."

Qi Tongwei glanced at the gap behind the bookshelf and shouted into the walkie-talkie.

"Has anyone arrived at the back exit?"

"Report: Target under control."

Three minutes later, Gao Xiaoqin was carried out of the secret passage by two special police officers and taken back to the president's office.

His bathrobe was covered in dust and water stains, his feet were muddy, and he was in a terrible state.

"Director Qi, you..."

Gao Xiaoqin raised her head, her voice trembling violently.

"Is this how you treat me?"

Qi Tongwei put the gun back into its holster at his waist, took out a pair of silver handcuffs from his pocket, and weighed them in his hand.

"Xiaoqin, don't blame me."

"I told you before that you should turn yourself in as soon as possible, but now I can't help you."

The handcuffs clicked onto Gao Xiaoqin's left wrist.

She shrank back, biting her lip and remaining silent.

As the second handcuff was fastened to his right wrist, Qi Tongwei's cell phone rang in his pocket.

The caller ID displayed four characters.

Zhong Xiaoai.