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

Zhao Ruilong's shouts and curses still echoed above the cargo ship's deck.

Shen Zhong sat at the control console of the temporary command center of the Luzhou Armed Forces Department, listening to this meaningless threat with a cold and stern expression. His fingers tapped rhythmically on the table.

The tablet computer was held up by a special forces officer, its screen flipped horizontally. Upon receiving the command, the signal was immediately switched. Broadband transmission via a high-definition satellite communication channel pushed a surveillance video directly in front of Zhao Ruilong.

Repulse Bay, Hong Kong. Abandoned pier warehouse.

Half an hour ago, the burly man who pointed a submachine gun at Gao Xiaofeng and her son was now lying sprawled on the rough cement ground. His neck was twisted into an unconventional acute angle, and the submachine gun in his hand had been broken in two, its parts scattered all over the ground.

Seven or eight armed henchmen lay scattered around, all incapacitated. The Dragon Fang Special Forces' tactics were ruthless and decisive, targeting vital organs. The ground was clean, but these men were now nothing more than piles of mangled flesh.

Several special forces soldiers, dressed in heavy black tactical combat uniforms with all nationality markings torn off their arm patches, were quickly cleaning up the scene. One soldier drew a multi-functional tactical knife from his leg, and with a flash, cleanly cut the rough hemp rope tied to the load-bearing column.

Gao Xiaofeng regained her freedom. Her thin silk nightgown, distorted from the forceful pulling and binding, revealed shocking red welts crisscrossing her fair skin. This was the canary Gao Yuliang had risked his political future to keep hidden in Hong Kong. Her vulnerable and helpless demeanor was precisely the most lethal bargaining chip he had to use to manipulate the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of Handong.

The special forces soldiers on site showed no interest in her. The squad leader grabbed a large windproof tactical coat and wrapped her up completely from head to toe.

"Move quickly and retreat."

The squad leader lifted Gao Xiaofeng by the arm like a chick, while another team member scooped up the sobbing, trembling little boy beside them. Maintaining their defensive formation, the group quickly left the musty, abandoned warehouse.

Two bulletproof black heavy SUVs were parked outside the warehouse. The doors opened, and the mother and child were shoved into the back seats. With a roar of the engines, the SUVs quickly disappeared into the night.

Zhao Ruilong stared intently at the live progress displayed on the screen, his brain throbbing with each beat.

That supposedly absolutely secure secret hideout, his last trump card used to tightly control Gao Yuliang, the secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of Handong, and to secure his own survival, couldn't even last three minutes against the special operations team dispatched by Shen Zhong.

A deep, resonant voice emanated from the tablet's explosion-proof speaker. The volume wasn't loud, but it carried a commanding, imposing presence.

"Zhao Ruilong, do you really think you're someone who can sit at the poker table? Trying to pull an overseas hijacking game with me?"

Shen Zhong shifted his position and leaned back in his chair.

"Your self-righteous, reckless, and despicable tactics are nothing but a farcical farce full of loopholes to me."

Zhao Ruilong's jaw was dislocated, causing him to speak with a lisp, and saliva mixed with blood dripped down his chin. But he still desperately pressed his face against the screen, letting out a mournful howl from his chest.

"impossible!"

"That's absolutely impossible! How could you possibly have found the exact location!"

"Gao Yuliang hid this woman for five whole years! Even my father, Zhao Lichun, didn't know her exact address! How did you know?!"

Shen Zhong immediately raised his hand and cut off the audio communication. Explaining military intelligence networks to someone on the verge of death was a complete waste of time.

The tablet screen went completely black.

"Take away."

The naval special operations officer ruthlessly issued the order. Two fully armed special operations soldiers stepped forward, each grabbing one of Zhao Ruilong's arms, and dragged him like a dead dog toward the helicopter cabin. The rough, bumpy deck directly wore down his expensive custom-made suit into tattered strips.

The helicopter's massive rotors whipped up a fierce gust of wind, tearing Zhao Ruilong's last few piercing screams to shreds.

The camera shifts to the Hantong Provincial Government Building.

In Governor Liu Changchun's office.

Liu Changchun sat behind a solid wood desk. Opposite him, on a leather sofa, Tian Guofu, the provincial discipline inspection commission secretary, was slowly opening his black leather briefcase.

Now that the situation has developed to this point, the overall picture of Handong is clear.

Ding Yizhen was pinned down on the third basement floor of the military detention center by fully armed special forces soldiers. Zhao Ruilong was intercepted by naval vessels while attempting to escape on the high seas; he was already on a helicopter being transported back to Jingzhou. Gao Xiaoqin, along with the entire Shanshui Group's multi-billion-dollar accounting books, fell into the hands of the traitorous Qi Tongwei.

It's only a matter of time before Zhao Lichun is dealt with.

"Governor Liu."

Tian Guofu pulled several documents with red headers from his bag and pushed them across the table in front of Liu Changchun. His hoarse, deep voice betrayed his calculation.

"We need to hurry up and make some plans so that you can better control Handong after you become the provincial party secretary."

Liu Changchun picked up a blue-and-white porcelain teacup and blew away the tea leaves floating on top. For these politicians, now was the perfect opportunity to divide up territory.

"We need to act quickly." Liu Changchun put down his teacup and pushed up his glasses.

Tian Guofu pointed at the documents twice. "This is the evidence tailor-made for his Zhao family gang. Just give the order, and I've arranged all the necessary personnel from the Discipline Inspection Commission."

Liu Changchun quickly glanced at the document. It listed all the powerful figures from Zhao's faction in various cities and key departments. If all of these people were taken down, a large portion of the crucial positions in the entire Handong Province's officialdom would be vacant, to be filled by his own people.

"What's Gao Yuliang's reaction at this point?" Tian Guofu changed the subject.

Liu Changchun let out a cold laugh.

"What trouble could he possibly cause? His once-proud Han University gang has completely fallen out of favor with Qi Tongwei."

The two old foxes raised their teacups and gently clinked them together in mid-air. With that crisp sound of porcelain clashing, the initial transaction for a new power structure in Handong Province was completed.

……

Handong Provincial Military Region. Top Secret Underground Detention Room.

This place is perpetually dark, with all four walls covered in thick soundproof and fire-retardant material. High-wattage incandescent bulbs illuminate every corner, leaving no place to hide.

Ding Yizhen sat in a heavy interrogation chair fixed to the floor. The handcuffs and shackles were fastened tightly.

He had been sitting in this position for hours, enduring the ordeal. Opposite him sat members of the military's special investigation team. No matter what they asked, he gritted his teeth and refused to utter a single word.

The survival rules of seasoned veterans are simple. As long as they keep quiet and deny everything, those hundreds of millions of yuan in money laundering and bad debts will remain unproven. As long as Li Dakang and Zhao Lichun are still in charge, these bigwigs will do everything they can to bail him out to protect themselves. At worst, they'll be charged with dereliction of duty for negligence in supervision.

The heavy, soundproof iron door was pushed open. A major strode in, carrying an ordinary brown paper envelope.

He walked up to Ding Yizhen, and without saying a word, turned the envelope upside down.

A high-resolution color print fell onto the table with a thud.