The country entrusted me to buy an aircraft carrier, Hou Liangping, do you dare to investigate?

However, Hou Liangping felt something was amiss. Given Zhao Ruilong's personality, if he wanted to deal with him, he wouldn't need to go to such lengths. With his methods, he could easily have made himself an "accident," or simply find a scapegoat to forever brand him with shame.

Therefore, only one possibility remains—Qi Tongwei.

Thinking of this, Hou Liangping couldn't help but shudder. Qi Tongwei, the director of the Public Security Bureau of Handong Province, was his old classmate, old colleague, and good brother who had fought side by side. However, in recent years, as Qi Tongwei's career had soared, their relationship had become delicate.

Hou Liangping knew that Qi Tongwei was a man desperately craving power, capable of using any means to climb the ranks. Over the years, he had done many things against his conscience to curry favor with Gao Yuliang, Zhao Ruilong, and others. Could it be that this time, he too would choose to turn against him for his own advancement?

"No, impossible!" Hou Liangping shook his head violently, unwilling to believe the fact.

But besides Qi Tongwei, who else has the ability, the motivation, and the knowledge of all their own actions to control themselves so precisely?

The heavy iron gate was opened from the outside, and the blinding light made Hou Liangping instinctively squint. He squinted and saw a tall figure standing in the doorway. He couldn't see the face clearly because of the backlight, but he was all too familiar with that imposing aura.

“Secretary Tian…” Hou Liangping said in a low voice, his tone tinged with doubt and confusion.

The man who arrived was Tian Guofu, the Party Secretary of Handong Province. His face was stern, and he walked steadily to Hou Liangping. His eyes were devoid of any warmth: "Liangping, Liangping, how could you commit such a serious mistake! Do you have any respect for Party discipline and national laws? Do you have any respect for the organization? Do you know how much damage your actions have caused to the Party and the people!"

Tian Guofu's voice grew increasingly stern, booming like thunder in Hou Liangping's ears. He pointed at Hou Liangping with a pained expression, his finger trembling slightly: "Look at yourself now! Where is even a trace of your former self as a public servant?! Do you deserve the trust the organization placed in you? Do you deserve the expectations the people had for you?!"

Every word struck Hou Liangping like a heavy hammer blow. His face was grim, and he remained silent, coldly watching Tian Guofu's performance. He knew that Tian Guofu's righteous indignation was merely an act; his real purpose was probably to quell the storm as quickly as possible and protect his own political interests.

“Secretary Tian, ​​what mistake did I make? Everything I did was to find out the truth and to uphold the dignity of Party discipline and national law!” Hou Liangping stood up abruptly, staring intently at Tian Guofu, his tone filled with resentment and anger.

"The truth? What is the truth you're talking about? Is it just making things up out of thin air? Look at what you've done these past two days, turning Handong into a mess and causing widespread panic! Is this how you investigate a case? You're sabotaging it! You're tarnishing the Party and the country's reputation!" Tian Guofu angrily rebuked, as if Hou Liangping had committed some heinous crime.

"Enough!" Hou Liangping slammed his hand on the table, interrupting Tian Guofu. "Secretary Tian, ​​I know what you mean. You want me to shut up, you want me to give up the investigation, right? Let me tell you, it's impossible! In my life, I, Hou Liangping, can compromise on anything, but on matters of principle, I will never back down!"

“You…” Tian Guofu was enraged by Hou Liangping’s tough attitude. He pointed at Hou Liangping’s nose and hesitated for a long time, but couldn’t say a word.

“Secretary Tian, ​​I know what you’re worried about. You’re worried I’ll investigate people I shouldn’t, worried I’ll infringe on certain people’s interests. But let me tell you, I, Hou Liangping, act only according to my conscience, and I only believe in evidence!” Hou Liangping looked directly into Tian Guofu’s eyes and said, word by word, “If I find out in the end that you also have problems, I will bring you to justice just the same!”

Upon hearing this, Tian Guofu's face instantly turned ashen. He never expected Hou Liangping to dare say such a thing. He took a deep breath, struggling to suppress his anger, and said coldly, "Fine, very well! Hou Liangping, I'll see how long you can keep up this stubbornness!"

After speaking, Tian Guofu turned and left, leaving Hou Liangping standing alone. His figure was desolate, but it couldn't hide the determination and resolve in his eyes...

Watching Tian Guofu's departing figure, Hou Liangping's lips curled into a cold smile. He knew this was merely the calm before the storm. He knew Tian Guofu wouldn't let it go easily; an even bigger storm awaited him.

But he was not afraid.

He is the son-in-law of the Zhong family, and the blood of the Zhong family flows in his veins. He will never bow down to any evil forces!

Tian Guofu snorted heavily, turned, and walked towards the door. His black leather shoes clattered on the marble floor, each step seeming to strike Hou Liangping's heart. Reaching the door, Tian Guofu seemed to suddenly remember something, stopped, but didn't turn around. With his back to Hou Liangping, he coldly said, "By the way, the investigation team's flight back to the capital this afternoon. You don't need to go back to the hotel to pack; just go straight to the airport."

Hou Liangping suddenly looked up, his eyes sharp as knives: "Secretary Tian, ​​what do you mean? Why should I go back to the capital? This case hasn't been investigated yet, I..."

"Still haven't figured it out?" Tian Guofu suddenly turned around, interrupting Hou Liangping, his eyes sharp as a hawk's. "I think it's because you don't want to find out! Hou Liangping, do you even respect the organization? Do you know what it means to obey orders?"

"Obey orders?" Hou Liangping laughed angrily. "Secretary Tian, ​​what orders do you want me to obey? Your orders to protect corrupt officials?"

Tian Guofu's face darkened, and his tone became even more stern: "Hou Liangping, you're being insolent! You're slandering the leadership and sowing discord within the organization! I warn you, don't think you can do whatever you want just because you have someone backing you up! In this world, no one is above the law, even if your father-in-law is..."

"Enough!" Hou Liangping slammed his fist on the table, interrupting Tian Guofu, his anger finally reaching its peak. "Tian Guofu, don't think I don't know what you're thinking! You want me to shut up, you want me to give up the investigation, you want to trade my future for your own safety, is that it?!"

Tian Guofu was stunned by Hou Liangping's anger. He never expected that the usually gentle and refined Hou Liangping would say such a thing. What did he mean by using his future to save his own safety? It was absurd!