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

Hearing her husband's words, which were spoken casually yet with absolute confidence, He Xia's heart, which had just settled down, began to pound again.

It wasn't that she didn't trust Shen Zhong, but rather that she understood the workings of officialdom all too well.

"But... Liu Xinjian is Secretary Zhao Lichun's secretary and a key figure in the 'Secretary Clique'."

He Xia's voice revealed an unresolved worry.

"Isn't it too early for us to confront him head-on? How am I supposed to get started once I'm in Hexi District? With just one word from him, his subordinates can use countless subtle tactics to sideline me."

This is the most practical problem.

For a district head without any connections to be parachuted in and challenge the close confidant of the province's top leader is tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock.

"report?"

Shen Zhong glanced at her and dismissed the most conventional idea in her mind.

He stood up, took a few steps around the living room, and began to analyze the situation clearly and logically.

"First, we have no evidence. What they said on the phone was intelligence obtained through illegitimate means, and it's not something that can be brought down. If you use this information to report them, you won't be able to bring them down; instead, you'll expose our true intentions."

"Secondly, we need to alert him. Liu Xinjian isn't stupid; he's gotten to where he is today. Once he senses danger, he'll immediately cut off all leads. Then, he can clear himself of all charges, and might even turn around and accuse us of malicious slander. What then?"

"Third, and this is the most important point. This matter will immediately put you and me on the opposite side of the entire 'Secretary Gang.' Zhao Lichun will see this as a direct challenge to his authority. We haven't even arrived in Handong yet, and we've already made enemies all over the city. This is not worth it."

His words were weighty and to the point.

He Xia's face turned even paler. She realized that following the normal rules was a dead end.

"Then... what should we do?"

"Who said we should follow their rules?"

Shen Zhong stopped and turned around.

"To follow their rules and fight them on their battlefield is to commit suicide."

He walked up to He Xia, bent down, placed his hands on the back of the sofa, and pulled her into his arms.

"My rules are very simple."

"Dealing with enemies is never as simple as making them bow their heads, admit their mistakes, and write a few self-criticisms."

He stretched out a finger and drew a line forcefully in the air.

"The goal is to break his spine once and for all, strip him of all his resources, and ensure he can never rise again. Only a dead enemy can no longer pose a threat."

The logic behind these words made He Xia's heart skip a beat.

This is not a power struggle in the bureaucracy; it is a declaration of war.

Shen Zhong straightened up, the murderous look on his face gone.

"What is the biggest weakness of someone like Liu Xinjian?"

He asked himself the question and answered it.

"It's not power, it's not status. It's money."

"The biggest asset of a state-owned enterprise executive is undoubtedly the 'slush fund' he uses to transfer profits and line his own pockets. Once you find it and take it down, he's like a tiger with its teeth pulled."

After saying that, he didn't hesitate any longer and picked up the black encrypted phone on the coffee table.

He found a number and dialed it.

The phone was answered almost instantly upon ringing, without any delay.

A man's voice, tinged with suppressed excitement and respect, came through the receiver.

"Boss!"

It is Zhou Weiguo.

Through a series of elaborate maneuvers, he had already been transferred to Handong to serve as the deputy regimental commander of a reconnaissance unit of the provincial military region.

This phone call was the signal he had been waiting for.

"it's me."

His deep voice was concise and to the point.

"I have a task for you."

Zhou Weiguo, on the other end of the phone, began to breathe rapidly.

"Please give me instructions, boss!"

"Liu Xinjian of Handong Oil and Gas Group. I need you to find out his most profitable illicit business within two days. What exactly does it do, how large is it, where is it located, and who is in charge? I need all the information."

Without the slightest hesitation, without uttering a single unnecessary word.

Zhou Weiguo used all his strength to roar out the answer that was etched into his bones.

"Mission accomplished!"

This was not just an order, but also the new leader's first test of him, and a perfect opportunity for him to demonstrate his loyalty.

Zhou Weiguo felt as if all the blood in his body was burning.

hang up the phone.

Shen Zhong did not stop. He turned around and went into the study, quickly taking out a heavy military-grade encrypted laptop with a matte black casing.

The computer was not connected to any network. After turning it on, he skillfully entered a long and complicated password.

The screen lit up, but instead of the usual operating system, it displayed a map interface filled with contour lines and various military markings.

High-precision military satellite map of Handong Province, Jingzhou City and surrounding areas.

He Xia followed him in and stood behind him, looking at the complex lines and data on the screen, completely baffled as to what he was trying to do.

Shen Zhong's fingers moved rapidly across the touchpad. Instead of lingering on the densely packed buildings in Jingzhou city, he zoomed in on the map, focusing his view on the surrounding mountains, rivers, and major transportation routes.

Some areas are marked with special colors and labeled with words such as "military reserve warehouse", "civil defense project" and "military control zone".

He was like a commander about to launch a surprise attack, carefully examining his battlefield.

Looking at her husband's focused profile, He Xia felt as if she were observing a real military operation.

"Any illegal, high-profit industry cannot function without two things."

While marking several suspicious locations on the map, Shen Zhong explained to his wife without turning his head.

"Land, and transportation."

"The larger the scale, the more land and transportation resources it requires, and the more obvious the traces it leaves behind. These things may evade local supervision, but they will never escape the eyes of the state apparatus. If they want to find them, they will not hide."

His words carried a calm and all-knowing air.

After finishing the operation, he closed the computer.

Shen Zhong turned around, looked at his still somewhat uneasy wife, and made his promise again.

"When we set foot on the land of Handong, the name Liu Xinjian will no longer be a source of trouble for you."

at the same time.

Inside a lavishly decorated private room in a top-tier club in Handong City.

Liu Xinjian, chairman of Handong Oil and Gas Group, was holding a glass of expensive red wine and exchanging toasts with Li Dacheng, executive deputy head of Hexi District, across from him.

Li Dacheng's face was plastered with a fawning smile as he kept toasting Liu Xinjian.

"Chairman Liu, this matter is truly...unexpected. I never imagined that He Xia would have such a powerful backer."

"Unexpected, yet perfectly logical."

Liu Xinjian swirled the red liquid in his glass, looking completely in control.

"The waters of the capital are deep; it's not uncommon for a dragon to cross the river. But don't worry, can he outlast the Book of Spring?"

He took a sip of his drink and spoke to Li Dacheng in a confident tone.

"She won't stay in that district head position for long. Handong is our territory; even if she's a dragon, she'll have to coil up." You, just wait patiently; it won't be long before that position is yours again.

Upon hearing this, Li Dacheng immediately beamed and raised his glass again.

"Then I thank you in advance, Chairman Liu! From now on, I will definitely follow your lead!"

The two exchanged a smile, everything understood without a word.

Unbeknownst to them, a trap had been quietly set up against them.

Less than 24 hours had passed.

The encrypted phone, which had been resting heavily on the coffee table in the living room, began to vibrate again with a low thud.

He answered the phone.

Through the receiver came Zhou Weiguo's voice, which sounded somewhat distorted due to his efforts to suppress his excitement, but was actually extremely excited.

"Boss! Found it!"

"In the western suburbs of Jingzhou, behind Baima Mountain, lies a massive illegal sand mining site! It's Liu Xinjian's money-printing machine!"