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

Handong Province, Provincial Party Committee Compound, Office Building No. 1.

The office at the far end of the top floor was still brightly lit.

Zhao Lichun, the top official of Handong, leaned back in his large office chair with his eyes closed.

The teacup in front of him had already been used for the third time.

"Thump, thump, thump."

A very measured knock sounded on the door.

"Come in."

Zhao Lichun did not open his eyes, but only uttered two syllables from his nose.

The office door was gently pushed open, and his chief secretary, Secretary-General Qian, walked in with a slight bow and light steps.

Secretary-General Qian carefully placed a document on Zhao Lichun's desk.

"Boss, the final list of candidates for the appointment of the district head of Hexi District, which was submitted by Jingzhou, has completed the procedures."

Zhao Lichun then slowly opened his eyes.

He didn't look at the document, but instead picked up his teacup, slowly blew on the floating tea leaves, and then finally focused his gaze on the document.

At the very top of the list, the words "Comrade He Xia" were clearly marked.

Zhao Lichun's face revealed no emotion.

He simply extended his finger and lightly tapped the two characters "He Xia".

Is He Xia someone affiliated with Li Dakang or Gao Yuliang?

Secretary-General Qian lowered his head and replied, "No, it's just that I heard he has strong professional skills and a good reputation in his previous unit."

"Oh, interesting. To be transferred here at this critical juncture, I don't believe there's nothing going on."

"Reputation?" Zhao Lichun put down his teacup with a soft sound. "Handong has no shortage of cadres with good reputations. What it lacks are cadres who know the rules."

Secretary-General Qian's heart skipped a beat, and he lowered his head even further.

Zhao Lichun did not continue the topic and waved his hand.

"Alright, he's just a district head, he can't cause any trouble."

"Yes."

Secretary-General Qian felt as if he had been granted a pardon and bowed as he left the office.

The door was gently closed.

Zhao Lichun leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes again.

……

At the same time.

Beijing, a residential compound within the Second Ring Road.

He Xia leaned weakly against Shen Zhong's chest, trying to calm her heart, which was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to burst out of her chest.

"Go to sleep, you're tired." Shen Zhong patted her back, his voice filled with an irresistible tenderness.

Looking at her husband's resolute profile, He Xia felt an unprecedented sense of peace. She obediently nodded and returned to the bedroom.

Hearing the even breathing coming from the bedroom, Shen Zhong turned around and went to the study alone.

He didn't turn on the light, but let the moonlight from the window fall on him as he lit a cigarette.

The cigarette butt flickered in the darkness.

He quickly reviewed everything that had happened that night in his mind.

From the moment Hou Liangping kicked open the stairwell door until he and his men fled in a disheveled state.

Every detail, every person's reaction, went through clearly in his mind.

This incident is not simply about standing up for one's wife.

For him, this was a perfect opportunity to establish his authority and put his opponent to the test.

He discovered the immense privileges inherent in the identity of "Dragon Fang Hero" in this world.

This privilege goes beyond the conventional administrative and legal system, carrying a unique, unreasonable forcefulness characteristic of the military.

The old leader's last phone call further revealed his attitude—tolerance, even support.

As long as he doesn't do anything outrageous, this "national asset" enjoys a great deal of freedom.

This gave him more confidence for his upcoming trip to Handong.

Secondly, there is the harvest.

Zhou Weiguo, that armed police captain.

From the other party's final, fervent request, Shen Zhong saw absolute loyalty.

An officer holding the rank of captain in the Beijing Special Operations Detachment possesses unquestionable military skills and abilities. More importantly, at the critical moment, he chose himself.

This pledge of allegiance carries considerable weight.

Such a person will be the first cornerstone of his power in the Handong military, a handy weapon.

Finally, there is insight.

He thoroughly understood the true nature of so-called "elite officials" like Hou Liangping.

They appear righteous and invincible, wielding the law, but in reality, they bully the weak and fear the strong.

Within the rules they can control, they are the judges. But when faced with absolute power that cannot be measured by rules, their pitiful pride crumbles instantly.

This made him even more convinced that the survival principles he believed in as a top-tier soldier in his previous life were equally applicable in this world.

In his view, the so-called political struggles and power struggles were nothing more than children playing house.

In the face of absolute power, everything is just a paper tiger.

Of course, the most important point.

His relationship with his wife, He Xia, became unbreakable after this life-or-death ordeal.

He could sense that He Xia's love for him had evolved from the tenderness between husband and wife to a kind of worship and dependence that was almost like faith.

This gave his cold and hardened heart a soft spot.

Shen Zhong became even more determined to achieve his goal.

His trip to Handong was not just to help his wife establish herself in Jingzhou.

What he wanted was to turn the entire Handong region into a safe zone where she could do whatever she wanted and realize her ambitions.

An absolute territory that no one dares to covet or touch!

With that in mind, he took out the military-grade encrypted phone.

On the screen, the official document with the red header was still prominently displayed.

Military-clad Standing Committee member!

With the influence of the former leader, I believe this will not be empty talk.

This identity was his ticket to intervene in the political arena of Handong and overturn the table.

Handong, that intricate game of chess, those self-righteous players...

Zhao Lichun, Gao Yuliang, Li Dakang...

Shen Zhong exhaled the last smoke ring and stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray.

Your game is about to welcome a new player.

No.

Not a player.

They're here to shuffle the cards.