Starting from Handong, in the name of Xiao Hao!

"What a lively day!" Chang Junhao muttered to himself, then answered the phone.

"I am Chang Junhao!"

"Comrade Junhao, this is Gao Yuliang!" came Gao Yuliang's calm voice from the other end.

"Secretary Gao, is there anything I can do for you?" Chang Junhao asked politely.

"What orders could I possibly have?" Gao Yuliang laughed at himself; he certainly couldn't give orders to Chang Junhao.

Although Gao Yuliang is still ranked slightly higher, he is aware of his own situation.

"I heard you had a big argument with someone in the office today?" Gao Yuliang asked directly.

"Does news travel that fast now?" Chang Junhao asked.

"Now they're all calling, coming to demand an explanation!"

"Has anyone else made a call?" Gao Yuliang was also taken aback and asked curiously.

"Our Secretary Sha Ruijin!"

"They called before and told me not to lower myself to the level of Director Hou!"

"What? Secretary Gao wouldn't be like that too, would he?"

"Uh..." Gao Yuliang was a little embarrassed upon hearing this; that was indeed what he meant.

"That...Secretary Chang, Liangping, like Tongwei, is one of my disciples!"

"If there's any misunderstanding, I hope we can clear it up!"

"After all, we're all on the same side now!"

"One of our own?" Chang Junhao chuckled.

"Yes, he's one of us. He used to be my disciple, and he often came to my house to pay his respects. He even ate at my house quite a few times!"

"Liangping has a pretty good relationship with Tongwei and me!"

"If it's possible, I'd like to invite Secretary Junhao to a simple meal at my home, without going anywhere else!"

"If there are any misunderstandings later, we can clear them up together!" Gao Yuliang said.

"Eating? That's no problem!" Chang Junhao smiled.

"but···"

"But what?" Gao Yuliang's relaxed heart jumped again.

"However, I don't really agree with this 'one of our own'!"

"Secretary Junhao, are you still angry about what happened today?" Gao Yuliang gave a helpless bitter smile.

"Ha, alright, I'm not angry anymore, but let's see how your disciple handles things afterward," Chang Junhao laughed.

"But Secretary Yuliang, I'll say it again, I hope he won't go against us!"

"How could that be?" Gao Yuliang laughed.

“I am his teacher, and Tongwei is his senior brother!”

"But he still comes from the Zhong family, and he might be grateful for the teachings he received in the past!"

"But he's not in school anymore, and the favors he received were from the Zhong family!"

"If we really ended up on opposite sides, who do you think he would choose?" Chang Junhao asked.

"I understand!" Gao Yuliang paused slightly upon hearing Chang Junhao's words, but still spoke firmly.

"I believe that if that day ever comes, he will avoid it!"

"I hope so!" Chang Junhao said before hanging up the phone.

Meanwhile, Hou Liangping, after leaving, immediately dialed his wife's number.

"Wife!"

"Oh, isn't this our Director Hou?" Zhong Xiaoai's somewhat sarcastic voice came from inside.

"You old man, you still remember you have a wife? You still remember you have a family?"

"We haven't heard from you for so long, I thought you'd forgotten about us!"

"Oh, honey, I was wrong. I was just too busy," Hou Liangping quickly apologized.

"As you know, I'm new here. Although I graduated from here, I haven't been back for so long!"

Everything has changed beyond recognition!

"So I just have to adapt on my own first, and I've already made a contribution as soon as I got here!"

"We've arrested a major corrupt official, and there might be other people involved who need to be investigated!"

"Well, I'll let it go this time. This reason is barely acceptable. I've already looked into your situation!" Zhong Xiaoai nodded.

"My wife is the best!" Hou Liangping said, but in an instant, his mood turned somber.

"What's wrong with you?" Hearing the change in his tone, Zhong Xiaoai asked directly.

"Xiao Ai, I'm in a bit of a dilemma right now!" Hou Liangping said hesitantly.

"Difficult? What's difficult?" the SME asked directly.

"I've offended someone here, and this person is already in a high position at such a young age!"

"I'm worried about what kind of impact this might have on our family!" Hou Liangping said directly.

When he said "our family," he wasn't just referring to his and his wife's home, but the entire Zhong family.

Now, when he's out in public, he always introduces himself as a member of the Zhong family.

"Cause any impact?" Zhong Xiaoai said nonchalantly.

"Liangping, you need to understand that what you're doing is precisely the kind of thing that offends people!"

"If you're afraid of wolves in front and tigers behind, how can you do your job?"

"In Handong Province, is there anyone we can be wary of?"

"Who is it? What is their identity? How did you offend them?" Zhong Xiaoai asked directly and domineeringly.

"It's a guy named Chang Junhao. He's very close to my teacher, and he looks about our age!"

"But he is already a member of the Standing Committee of the Handong Provincial Party Committee and the Secretary of the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee!"

"Oh? The Party Secretary of Jingzhou City?" Upon hearing this, Zhong Xiaoai herself frowned.

"Xiao Ai, do you know this person?" Hou Liangping's heart skipped a beat.

If Zhong Xiaoai really knows this person, then it means that this person's background is quite extraordinary.

It's very likely that he has the same background as Zhong Xiaoai, and even if his current position is not as high as Zhong Xiaoai's family's.

However, such people always have complicated relationships, because no one knows what other connections or networks they have behind them.

Normally, it remains still, but when it moves, it's like a landslide or an earthquake, and once it starts, it's unstoppable.

He wasn't aware of these things before, but after living in the capital for so long, he had been well-educated.

If that's the case, then he shouldn't dwell on the humiliation he suffered before.

"I don't know her, but I don't!" Zhong Xiaoai's words came again, which was like heavenly music to Hou Liangping.

It was even comparable to the sound of her own wedding night.

“But I have heard my family mention it!” Zhong Xiaoai said again.

"You said it? What did you say?" Hou Liangping's heart was pounding with anxiety.

"They say this person is truly remarkable, having achieved so much at such a young age!"

The future is limitless!

"I see!" Hou Liangping still couldn't completely put his mind at ease.

"Then his family... to get to this point, they must have been helped by someone, right?" Hou Liangping asked cautiously.

"I haven't seen any special support or assistance, at least not from people in the capital!" Zhong Xiaoai said.

Zhong Xiaoai had only heard about it from her family before, and she was initially curious whether such a surname meant someone she couldn't afford to offend.

However, after further investigation, it was found that if this were true, they could have a good selling point and might even be able to maintain the next generation's success.

However, they couldn't get a definite answer from their family. It seemed that all progress was only approved by the capital after reports from subordinates.

The capital city didn't participate in anything; if that's the case, then it doesn't seem like someone from the capital city.

Otherwise, if someone takes action or makes a statement, there will always be some traces left behind.

Judging from this, the chances aren't very high, but there must be some connections, just not the people in the capital, which means nothing to the Zhong family.

Now that they've actually encountered this situation, Zhong Xiaoai feels she still can't be careless.

"I see!" Hou Liangping nodded.

"So it's safe to check now?"

"Well, I have some good news for you!" Zhong Xiaoai suddenly said.

"Huh? What good news?" Hou Liangping asked, having composed himself.

“I’m going to your Handong Province too. How about it? Aren’t you excited?” Zhong Xiaoai asked directly.

"Huh?" Hou Liangping exclaimed in surprise.

"What's wrong?" Zhong Xiaoai asked.

"N-nothing, it's just a pleasant surprise!" Hou Liangping said with an awkward laugh.

“Of course!” Zhong Xiaoai said with a smile.

"besides···"