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

Behind Huang Feipeng stood a deputy director of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection!

"Then... what do we do now?" Hou Liangping felt a deep sense of powerlessness, and for the first time, he began to doubt his own abilities.

Zhong Xiaoai was silent for a moment, seemingly weighing something, before finally raising her head and saying firmly, "I came to see you today because of this. Secretary Ji is currently under house arrest by Duan Yi's men, and he hopes you can..."

What do you hope I can do?

"Seize Huang Feipeng!" Zhong Xiaoai said, emphasizing each word. "This is Secretary Ji's only chance to turn things around! Only by capturing Huang Feipeng can we bring down Duan Yi and free Secretary Ji!"

“But…” Hou Liangping hesitated. He knew how risky this was. If they failed, he and Zhong Xiaoai would be doomed.

“I know what you’re worried about.” Zhong Xiaoai held his hand, her tone gentle yet firm. “Liangping, I know you’re scared, and I’m scared too. But we can’t back down, we have no way out! For justice, for those they’ve hurt, we must fight with all our might!”

Looking at the seemingly fragile yet incredibly strong woman before him, Hou Liangping knew he had no other choice.

"Okay! I promise you!" Hou Liangping took a deep breath, his eyes becoming incredibly determined. "I will definitely catch Huang Feipeng and bring him to justice!"

However, what Zhong Xiaoai didn't tell Hou Liangping was that the Zhong family was now in dire straits. Duan Yi and Huang Feipeng had joined forces to stir up a bloody storm in the political arena, and the Zhong family, as a political powerhouse, naturally became their primary target.

To protect his family, Zhong Zhengguo had no choice but to swallow his pride and seek help from his longtime "friends." To his surprise, the first to lend a helping hand was the Zhao family from the capital.

The Zhao and Zhong families have been rivals for decades, locked in a bitter struggle that can only be described as irreconcilable. However, this time, the head of the Zhao family personally called Zhong Zhengguo, expressing his willingness to lend a helping hand to the Zhong family at this crucial moment.

Although Zhong Zhengguo was grateful for the Zhao family's timely help, he also understood that this "favor" was difficult to repay. The Zhao family was willing to help mostly because of Zhao Shanhe, the son of the Zhao family patriarch.

Zhao Shanhe, Zhong Xiaoai's childhood sweetheart, is a gentle and refined man, yet also extremely shrewd and calculating. Back then, Zhong Xiaoai disregarded the arranged marriage between her family and resolutely chose Hou Liangping, which caused Zhao Shanhe to lose face and brought the relationship between the two families to a freezing point.

Now that the Zhao family is willing to lend a helping hand, it must be Zhao Shanhe's intention. Zhong Zhengguo could almost imagine that Zhao Shanhe was currently watching all of this with a hint of vengeful pleasure.

Zhong Xiaoai was unaware of her father's deal with the Zhao family; she only vaguely sensed that things were probably not so simple. However, in order to bring down Huang Feipeng, she couldn't care less about anything else.

"Liangping, don't worry, I will definitely find a way." Zhong Xiaoai said firmly, holding Hou Liangping's hand.

Looking at the seemingly fragile yet strong woman before him, Hou Liangping was filled with gratitude and love. He pulled Zhong Xiaoai into his arms, saying, "Xiaoai, thank you for everything, and thank you for always being by my side."

Zhong Xiaoai leaned gently on his shoulder, feeling his warmth and strength. However, her heart was filled with unease and bitterness.

Inside the waiting hall of Jingzhou Airport, the atmosphere was so oppressive it seemed to freeze. Hou Liangping, his face tense, dragged his suitcase in silence, while Zhong Xiaoai followed closely behind him, head down. Behind them, members of the investigation team huddled together in twos and threes, whispering amongst themselves, their gazes filled with resentment and dissatisfaction as they looked at the two men.

"Tell me, what kind of mess is this? They came with a bang, drums and firecrackers, and now they're leaving like mules, without even a single person to see them off!" one member of the investigation team complained in a low voice.

“Who says otherwise? It’s all Hou Liangping’s fault for insisting on fighting that Huang Feipeng to the death. Now look what happened, he didn’t catch Huang Feipeng, but he’s the one who got himself into trouble!” another member chimed in.

"I told you long ago, this case is too complicated, we can't handle it. But we insisted on playing the hero, and now look what happened, we've all been dragged down with them!"

"Hey, do you think Director Zhong knew this would happen all along? She doesn't seem surprised at all."

"Who knows? Maybe they've already prepared a backup plan, unlike us, just blindly following along!"

Although these words were spoken cryptically, they clearly reached the ears of Hou Liangping and Zhong Xiaoai. Hou Liangping clenched his fists, his face ashen, but ultimately did not lash out. He knew that his colleagues in the investigation team had been implicated in this matter, and it was inevitable that they harbored resentment.

Zhong Xiaoai became even more silent, her head lowered, her bangs obscuring her eyes and making her expression unreadable. She knew that she bore undeniable responsibility for what had happened.

Meanwhile, in the office of Provincial Party Secretary Sha Ruijin, the atmosphere was much more relaxed. Sha Ruijin stood by the window, watching the departing plane, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.

"They're finally gone," he muttered to himself.

Although Sha Ruijin supported Hou Liangping's work, this incident did indeed have a significant impact on the officialdom of Handong Province. The withdrawal of the investigation team was, in a way, a relief for him.

"Notify Tian Guofu to come to my office."

"Yes!"

Not long after, Tian Guofu arrived at Sha Ruijin's office.

"Tell me, what's your opinion on the anti-corruption bureau?" Sha Ruijin asked bluntly.

“I suggest that all the people in the anti-corruption bureau be suspended from their duties for investigation,” Tian Guofu said cautiously. He observed Sha Ruijin’s expression but found that the other party did not show any particular emotional fluctuation.

"Suspended from duty pending investigation? Okay, let's do it that way," Sha Ruijin chuckled. "Just do as you say."

“Lu Yike has been transferred to the central government,” Tian Guofu said.

"She was transferred away by Zhong Xiaoai?" Sha Ruijin said calmly, his tone devoid of any emotion.

Tian Guofu was startled; he hadn't expected Zhong Xiaoai to have such a trick up her sleeve. Lu Yike was the director of the First Division of the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Handong Provincial Procuratorate, a key figure in this investigation. Zhong Xiaoai's purpose in transferring her away was self-evident.

"You handle this matter as you see fit," Sha Ruijin waved his hand, indicating that Tian Guofu could leave.

After Tian Guofu left, Sha Ruijin fell into deep thought. He knew that this struggle had only just begun, and the real storm was yet to come.

Hou Liangping and Zhong Xiaoai walked out of the cabin side by side. The heat wave from Jingzhou, carrying a sense of oppression, rushed towards them, as if silently reminding them of their unsuccessful trip.