Hou Liangping arrested a hawkish general, and his father-in-law panicked

"Secretary Sha, it's..."

"It's the Guangming Peak project. The tough nut to crack is the Dafeng Plant, and we still haven't cracked it yet."

"That bastard Cai Chenggong demanded over 40 million yuan in resettlement compensation, not a penny less. The city's finances simply can't afford this. Now the project is stuck, a dead end."

What he is most worried about is this project.

This is Li Dakang's face and also the banner of Jingzhou's development in recent years.

If this flag falls, Li Dakang will be finished.

Sha Ruijin's face was so gloomy that water seemed to drip out of it.

He walked up to Li Dakang, so close that he could almost feel the other person's suppressed breathing.

"I don't care what method you use, Li Dakang!"

"The Guangming Peak project must not be touched at all! The workers at Dafeng Factory must be appeased! Jingzhou's reputation is the backbone of our entire Handong! If Zhao Yuanchao tears a hole in this piece of cloth, you and I will have to go up there naked to apologize!"

These words were extremely impolite, even with a hint of humiliation.

A chill suddenly ran up Li Dakang's spine. He could clearly feel that Sha Ruijin was really angry.

This was not an ordinary beating, but the most severe warning.

"Yes, Secretary, I understand. I'll hold a meeting as soon as I get back and make sure this matter is suppressed!"

Li Dakang gritted his teeth and almost squeezed out these words from between his teeth.

The office fell into a suffocating silence.

Only the wall clock was ticking, counting down the fate of this city.

"A demolition issue alone probably isn't enough to alarm someone like Zhao Yuanchao."

After a long while, Sha Ruijin spoke again, his voice filled with fatigue and deeper worry.

He walked back to the window, his fingers unconsciously scratching the cold glass.

“I’ve always wondered, what is he most sensitive to?”

This thought was like a stone thrown into a deep pool, causing huge waves in Li Dakang's heart.

He raised his head suddenly and his pupils contracted suddenly.

"Secretary, do you mean... a new type of case?"

"I can't think of any other reason than this."

Sha Ruijin's profile appeared clearly outlined in the dim light, and his eyes were deep.

"I suspect Zhao Yuanchao didn't act on impulse. Before he arrived, he probably already had inside information we didn't know about. His 'disappearance' might have been a deliberate act for us to see, just to throw us off our feet and see how many fish would pop out from under the water!"

This speculation, like a hidden thunder, exploded in Li Dakang's mind.

If this is true, then the other party's methods are too terrible.

These people think they are in control of the overall situation, but they don't know that they may have been pawns on someone else's chessboard from the very beginning.

Fear, unprecedented fear, wrapped around his heart like a vine, getting tighter and tighter.

"After returning,"

Sha Ruijin's voice was emotionless, as if he were issuing a military order. "Investigate all recent unusual movements in Jingzhou, all suspicious people and events, thoroughly! I want to know who is stirring up trouble in our territory!"

As soon as he finished speaking—“BOOM!”

Outside the window, a pale flash of lightning tore through the dark sky, instantly illuminating the entire room.

In that moment of light, Li Dakang clearly saw the uneasiness that flashed across the depths of Sha Ruijin's eyes.

It was an instinctive fear of an unknown storm. In the next second, thunder would strike this seemingly peaceful city, shattering all disguises.

Chapter 8 The storm is coming!

The atmosphere in the provincial party committee compound was different.

The atmosphere in the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Provincial Procuratorate seemed a little excited.

Hou Liangping walked briskly towards Ji Changming's office with a newly completed case report.

He adjusted his tie deliberately.

perfect.

Confident, but not too showy.

He felt like a triumphant general who had just captured a fortified city and was about to report his victory to the supreme commander, and then, as a matter of course, receive his own medal.

The case he handled this time involved a department-level cadre who had embezzled a small amount of money, but his methods were covert and involved many people.

With his tenacity, he tore a hole in an inconspicuous account, followed the clues, and finally uprooted the entire chain of interests.

Well done, he couldn't help but cheer for himself.

More importantly, the case was handled amidst the chaos caused by Zhao Yuanchao's "disappearance."

Everyone was in a panic, but Hou Liangping was the only one who remained undisturbed, focused on his job, and even managed to overcome the tough challenge.

What is this called?

This is called concentration, this is called ability, this is called remaining calm even when Mount Tai collapses in front of you!

He knocked on the door.

"Enter."

Ji Changming's voice sounded a little hoarse, revealing suppressed fatigue.

Hou Liangping pushed the door open with a carefully prepared smile on his face.

"Inspector Ji, are you busy? I'm here to report on the progress of the case in the South City Development Zone."

He placed the folder on Ji Changming's desk, deliberately turning the cover page with the words "Major Breakthrough in the Case" upwards.

He looked at Ji Changming expectantly.

However, Ji Changming was too lazy to even lift his eyelids.

His brows were tightly furrowed, the ashtray in front of him was filled with cigarette butts, and the office was filled with the smell of anxious cigarettes.

He stared at the internal notice on the table. Every time the three words "Zhao Yuanchao" appeared on it, it was like a needle piercing his temple.

The thunderous words of Provincial Party Secretary Sha Ruijin still echo in his ears.

The Guangming Peak project and the Dafeng factory workers are secondary.

The most terrible thing is Secretary Sha’s terrible speculation - Zhao Yuanchao’s disappearance was a carefully planned performance, the purpose of which was to muddy the waters of Handong and see how many monsters and demons were hidden underneath.

Ji Changming felt a chill on his back when he thought that he might be sitting on the crater of a volcano that was about to erupt.

Hou Liangping was still talking there.

"...The key point of this case is that the suspect used overseas accounts to make multiple transfers, and his methods were very professional. However, I discovered that his wife's luxury consumption records exposed a loophole in the source of funds. Quarterly Inspection, you see, this is a typical..."

"Are you finished?"

Ji Changming's voice was not loud, but it was like a piece of ice, which instantly hit Hou Liangping's enthusiasm.

Hou Liangping's speech seeking credit came to an abrupt end. He stood there in a daze, the smile on his face frozen.

He saw Ji Changming finally raised his head. In his bloodshot eyes, there was no appreciation, only deep impatience.

"Just for this?"

Ji Changming picked up the folder, flipped through two pages, then closed it with a "snap" and threw it aside.

"Chen Hai can also handle a case involving a division-level cadre. In the future, just let Chen Hai report on matters like this. You don't have to come to me for every matter."

What does "this little thing" mean?

What does "Chen Hai can do it too" mean?

The results of his carefully prepared battles were considered achievements in conquering cities and territories in his eyes, but to Ji Changming, they became trivial matters not worth mentioning.

The feeling of being completely belittled is more hurtful than direct criticism.

"Ji Jian, you're right. Mainly... I've been thinking, it's been a while since we've had a private chat."

"I've been so busy with work lately that I haven't had time to pay you a visit. My wife, Xiao Ai, keeps complaining about it, saying that after all these years in Handong, I haven't had the chance to formally visit you and Secretary Sha."

"Hou Liangping!"

"Is this what you're thinking about right now?"

"Visiting Secretary Sha? What's your reason? Because you handled a case involving a department-level official? Or because your wife is Zhong Xiaoai?"

"Do you know what time it is?!"

"Zhao Yuanchao has disappeared in Handong! An active-duty army commander! Do you understand what this means? It means the sky might be falling! The entire Handong leadership team, from Secretary Sha to Secretary Da Kang, is utterly terrified and walking on thin ice."

"You're such a fool! The Chief of Investigation of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, instead of thinking about how to relieve the hospital's worries, how to stabilize the situation, or whether there's a bigger case behind this, you're just here thinking about how to gain personal connections, how to climb the social ladder, and how to pave the way for your own future."

Every word Ji Changming said was like a heavy hammer, hitting Hou Liangping's self-esteem.

However, Hou Liangping did not hear anything else, he only heard that the active-duty army commander was missing!

Oh my god, Handong is in trouble.

Ji Jian, who has such great power to detain the commander!

Hou Liangping's words instantly silenced Ji Changming.

Office of the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of Handong Province.

Outside the window was a familiar scene: a tall cedar stood quietly. But in Gao Yuliang's eyes, the lush green needles were like countless poisoned steel needles, pricking his heart and making him feel uneasy.

He had been pacing back and forth in the office for more than ten minutes. The precious Persian carpet was stepped on silently by his thick leather soles, but the footsteps in his heart were like war drums, beating his temples so hard that they throbbed.

The purple clay teapot on the table had long been cold, but he reached out his hand again and again, and retracted it again and again, with no intention of drinking tea at all.

The teapot, which he had cherished so much in the past and polished with such care, now looked like an ominous object.

No, we can't wait any longer.

This fire is not just burning eyebrows, it is about to set the house on fire!