Nominal: Hou Liangping blocking the door? He was slapped away!

Outside the command center, the night was deep.

Shen Zhong handed a specially made metal box containing a top-secret hard drive to the civilian-dressed specialist in front of him.

The officer took the box, locked it in his personal explosion-proof briefcase, and fastened alloy handcuffs to his wrists.

This specialist was Mr. Xu's personal bodyguard, specifically responsible for escorting top-secret files.

"General Shen, the commander has instructed that the subsequent investigation will be handled by headquarters, and there is no need to concern ourselves with the situation in Handong."

The commissioner gave a standard military salute, turned around, got into a black SUV, and drove away from the scene.

With the departure of this vehicle, the massive vortex of the Northern Line Project was completely removed from the jurisdiction of the Handong Military Region.

Shen Zhong knew very well that the list on this hard drive was enough to cause a major earthquake.

The safest approach is to let Mr. Xu handle it personally.

The red secure telephone rang at just the right moment.

Shen Zhong walked back to the hall and picked up the receiver.

"The things have been delivered."

Old Xu spoke up on the other end of the line, his words crisp and decisive.

"I'll hold up the sky; you go back to Handong and plow the land level."

"With the Zhong family gone, many people have started having trouble sleeping. A few old guys at the top tried to make an issue of procedural problems in meetings, but I suppressed them all."

Old Xu's words revealed his undisguised iron-fisted style.

"But don't let your guard down, Sha Ruijin hasn't played all his cards yet."

"You uprooted him from the political and legal system and public security system in Handong. Now he can only go up the ranks and use economic indicators and personnel appointments to make a fuss."

"Don't let those fancy economic schemers take advantage of the situation."

Shen Zhong agreed, hung up the phone, and turned to arrange for a private plane to return to Handong.

The Governor's Office of Handong Province.

Liu Changchun leaned back in his large leather chair, a retirement document that was about to expire lying in front of him.

The date on the official document was almost immediately apparent.

The old governor, who had spent half his life working in Handong, sighed, picked up the teacup on the table, and took a sip of the strong tea that had gone cold.

The past six months have seen dramatic changes in Handong, from the destruction of Zhao Lichun's Zhao Family Troupe to the open and covert struggles after Sha Ruijin's arrival, and then to the bloody storm stirred up by the Zhong family using foreign forces.

If it weren't for Shen Zhong's swift and decisive suppression, Handong's economic and political landscape would have collapsed long ago.

Now that the overall situation has been stabilized, it's time for him, the former governor, to step down.

Liu Changchun put down his teacup, picked up the red landline on the table, and dialed the number for the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee.

The phone rang three times before being answered.

"Dakang, you've worked hard these past two days seizing the Zhong family's properties."

Liu Changchun got straight to the point.

"Governor, you flatter me. This is simply my duty."

Li Dakang answered on the other end, his voice thick with a nasal tone, accompanied by the rustling sound of turning pages in the background, clearly indicating that he had been working on it for several days and nights.

"My retirement application has been approved."

Liu Changchun tapped his fingers on the table.

"Considering General Shen's role in quelling the chaos in Handong, and given the foundation you laid in the early stages of the Guangming Peak project, I am prepared to strongly recommend you to succeed as governor."

"The current situation in Handong is hard-won and needs someone who dares to fight and struggle to stabilize the overall situation."

"Sha Ruijin is a master of balancing things, but not good at economics. Handong cannot be entrusted to him alone."

There was silence for a few seconds on the other end of the phone.

In the office of the Secretary of the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee, the veins on the back of Li Dakang's hands bulged, the extreme fatigue brought on by the continuous investigation and raid on the Zhong family was swept away.

The dawn of power is just around the corner.

Li Dakang knew he had offended Sha Ruijin and thought his career had reached its peak, but unexpectedly, Liu Changchun was willing to give him a push before retiring.

"Governor Changchun, rest assured, I, Li Dakang, will never betray your trust, nor will I fail General Shen's expectations!"

The exclusive helipad for the Handong Military Region.

A military transport plane landed smoothly, and the cabin door opened.

Shen Zhong, dressed in a crisp pine-green military uniform, with the gold stars on his shoulders gleaming in the sunlight, strode down the gangway.

Qi Tongwei and several officers had been waiting for a long time and immediately stepped forward to salute.

"Sir, things have been calm in Handong these past two days."

Qi Tongwei followed beside Shen Zhong and quickly reported.

"Zhao Donglai's remaining gang has been completely wiped out, and the Jingzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau is now a united front. Those troublemakers who didn't know their place have all been sent to detention centers by me."

"Lu Yike's side is also very cooperative, and all the files of the Anti-Corruption Bureau have been transferred. Secretary He's new energy project in Luzhou has also fully resumed work and is progressing smoothly."

"Sha Ruijin's side is also keeping a low profile, with no other actions besides the daily provincial party committee meetings."

Shen Zhong stopped and glanced at Qi Tongwei.

"Calm down?"

"With Sha Ruijin's entire team in Handong wiped out, will his father-in-law just sit idly by?"

Shen Zhong quickly filtered through fragmented information about the Handong timeline from his previous life.

Sha Ruijin's father-in-law, the retired old man, although not in the core power circle, had an extremely large network of connections in local personnel and economic affairs.

Based on recent intelligence, the other party has made intensive visits to several key figures in the National Development and Reform Commission and the Organization Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in the past few days.

These cunning old foxes who manipulate power within the rules are masters at using others' strength against them.

While physical repression can eliminate the body, within the system, a single document can kill without shedding blood.

This isn't an admission of defeat; it's the preparation for something big.

"Keep a close eye on the provincial party committee compound, especially the personnel changes at the Organization Department of the Central Committee."

Shen solemnly issued the order.

"Also, send someone to investigate the cash flow of the Guangming Peak project. I have a feeling that Sha Ruijin will try to make trouble out of this."

"yes!"

Qi Tongwei immediately accepted the order and turned to arrange manpower.

Liu Changchun submitted a report to the Organization Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China recommending Li Dakang to succeed as governor of the province.

The day after the report was issued, a working group from the Organization Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was dispatched to Handong.

The atmosphere in the small conference room of the provincial government was oppressive.

Liu Changchun sat on one side of the long table, opposite two serious-looking members of the working group.

"Comrade Changchun, the report on your recommendation of Comrade Li Dakang to succeed as governor has been reviewed by the higher authorities."

The team leader opened the folder in front of him and proceeded with the business as if it were official business.

"Comrade Li Dakang is indeed energetic and has achieved results in economic development. The development of Jingzhou in recent years is obvious to all."

The commissioner then changed the subject.

"However, he currently has two fatal flaws that would disqualify him from appointment, and there are significant doubts from higher authorities about his appointment. The reason we were sent down here is to verify these issues."

Liu Changchun straightened up and placed his hands, crossed, on the table.

"What serious injury?"

"During Comrade Dakang's tenure as the top official in Jingzhou, the province's GDP growth rate ranked first, which is a solid achievement. At this critical juncture, Handong needs someone like him to take charge of the overall situation."

Without wasting any words, the task force specialist pulled two documents from his briefcase and slammed them onto the table.

"The first one is Ouyang Jing's case file."

"Although she was coerced by the Zhong family, as the vice president of Jingzhou City Bank, she is indeed suspected of violating regulations by issuing loans during her tenure. As Li Dakang's wife, he cannot escape responsibility for this matter."

The commissioner pointed to the first document and tapped the paper twice with his finger.

"The regulations on cadre evaluation clearly state that if a cadre's immediate family member is suspected of committing a serious economic crime, that cadre should not be promoted or appointed. This is a bottom line issue."

Liu Changchun refuted this.

"Ouyang Jing was kidnapped and persecuted by the Zhong family; this has already been established in the military court. Don't you think it's far-fetched to use this to obstruct Li Dakang?"

The commissioner remained unfazed.

"The court ruled it a kidnapping case, but the accounts for illegal lending are still there. The organizational procedures only consider objective facts, not subjective intentions."

"The second document is the report on the overdue suspension of the Guangmingfeng project."

"Due to the recent turmoil, the Guangming Peak project was largely halted, resulting not only in huge economic losses but also in serious public opinion."