Qi Tongwei: Sign-in relationship started during student days

Guo Huai-ren was not alarmed upon hearing the news.

He was a man who had seen a lot, especially when facing the procuratorate and the political and legal system.

It should be noted that his former superior, Liang Qunfeng, was the head of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, and he himself gradually transitioned from the political and legal field.

Therefore, the case-handling procedures of the procuratorate are like palm lines.

In the prosecutor's office's case-handling process, "tracking" necessarily means that preliminary clues or evidence have been obtained.

Whether it's a clue related to the case, a related documentary or witness testimony, or some unclear and suspicious traces, these things are far from enough to conclusively convict someone and form a complete closed loop of evidence.

Guo Huai-ren's heart sank. He was very surprised. What had he gotten himself into that had led the prosecutor's office to investigate him?

Also, who was that mysterious person who tipped them off?

Why would the prosecutor's office hand him the information out of the blue? Was it a deliberate attempt to mislead him and throw him into disarray? Or was there some third-party force behind it, trying to take advantage of the chaos?

After calming himself down, Guo Huai-ren took out his phone and made a few calls.

As a former subordinate of Secretary Liang, he had extensive connections within the political and legal system, making it easy for him to obtain inside information.

Sure enough, less than half an hour after the phone call ended, the details were relayed through the chain of command.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau did indeed have a motion to investigate him, and the person in charge of executing this case was Hou Liangping, the newly appointed deputy director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau.

Zhao Lichun's former son-in-law, in private, was given the nickname "The Unruly Great Sage Sun Wukong" by someone in Jingzhou.

This name is quite intriguing.

The deputy director of the anti-corruption bureau, who wields the power to investigate cases and enforce discipline, is a defender of the law and a gatekeeper of the rules. Yet, he is labeled as "lawless." The implications behind this are far more than a simple joke.

Many people who have had contact with Hou Liangping always describe his case-handling style as "unconventional and unrestrained."

This statement would be a compliment elsewhere, but in the context of serious, rigorous, procedural, and rule-based legal work, it is a blatant insult, or even a mockery.

In the political and legal system, things are all about following procedures. There is a set of rules and principles that have been honed over decades to determine how a case should proceed, how clues should be verified, and how evidence should be collected. Not a single step can be disrupted or deviated from.

But this Director Hou is someone who doesn't play by the rules.

To say he's unconventional is to say he doesn't follow any rules when handling cases, often deviating from established procedures and acting recklessly based on his own judgment. To say he's unconventional is to say he doesn't follow the rules, doesn't care about the balance and boundaries within the system, and doesn't care about personal relationships. Once he sets his sights on someone, no matter what their background or connections are, he'll investigate relentlessly without leaving any room for maneuver.

This "lawlessness" is an insult to him because he has no sense of boundaries, no scruples, doesn't follow the unspoken rules of officialdom, and doesn't take the usual steps in handling cases. Relying on his father-in-law, the provincial governor, he acts like a treacherous monkey in his small territory of Jingzhou. He doesn't care about the rules of heaven or the face of any deity. Once he's made up his mind, he'll swing his golden cudgel and dare to mess with anyone and touch anything.

Being targeted by this little rascal is not a good sign; he might end up with a tarnished reputation just before retirement.

Guo Huai-ren lost all interest in going to work and, for the first time ever, left early to go home. As soon as he entered the house, he locked himself in his study and began to ponder things carefully.

He sat there from afternoon until the moon was high in the sky, the ashtray filled with cigarette butts. He sorted through them countless times, believing himself to be upright and honest, neither greedy nor corrupt, and never abusing his power for any shady business. He always handled government affairs with impartiality and in accordance with regulations. He simply couldn't understand why the anti-corruption bureau would target him.

Just as he was racking his brains trying to figure it out, a phone call came in. It was from an old friend in the Provincial Party Committee Office, informing him that Qi Tongwei had returned and was currently visiting each of the leaders in the Provincial Party Committee compound.

One sentence was enough to enlighten those involved.

Guo Huai-ren abruptly stubbed out his cigarette, the doubt in his eyes instantly vanishing, leaving only a hint of knowing coldness.

This brat's aim is probably not at him at all; his real target is Qi Tongwei, who has just returned to Handong.

Others may not know the details of the feud between these two fellow disciples, but he knows a great deal about it.

They were from the same school, but their relationship was extremely poor.

They were secretly competing with each other during their school years, and this rivalry intensified after they entered officialdom.

I've become a pawn in this game.