Official excuse: I was sent to work at the grassroots level for training, and Hou Liangping arrested

Page 96

The Zhao family will not let this go easily, and Hou Liangping's career prospects are in jeopardy.

After hanging up the phone, Zhong Xiaoai immediately dialed Lin Yunfei's number.

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Zhong Xiaoai was anxious. After thinking for a moment, she decided to contact Song Xingyu, hoping to get in touch with Lin Yunfei through him.

Song Xingyu's call connected, and Zhong Xiaoai hurriedly explained the situation, "Song Xingyu, this is Zhong Xiaoai. I need to ask you for a favor."

Song Xingyu remained expressionless and coldly said, "Zhong Xiaoai, are you here to plead for me?"

“Your husband is very bold; he even dared to arrest Sister Lan.”

"How dare you accuse Sister Lan of embezzlement and bribery! Humph!" Song Xingyu snorted coldly and refused without hesitation.

"Let me tell you, Zhong Xiaoai, I can't help you with this."

"Your Zhong family is prepared to bear Uncle Mengsheng's wrath."

After saying that, Song Xingyu hung up the phone without hesitation.

Zhong Xiaoai gripped her phone tightly in her right hand, her heart sinking to the bottom.

She knew that she needed to stay calm at this moment.

After calming down for a moment, she dialed her teacher Gao Yuliang's number: "Teacher Gao, I'm sorry to bother you so late."

Gao Yuliang's voice was calm and deep as he deliberately asked, "Xiao Ai, what happened?"

Zhong Xiaoai took a deep breath and briefly explained the situation. Gao Yuliang was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Liangping, this action was too reckless."

"Xiao Ai, do you know who Comrade Zhao Lan is?" Gao Yuliang asked slowly, voicing the question that had been on his mind.

Zhong Xiaoai hesitated for a moment before slowly saying, "Teacher Gao, to be honest, Zhao Lan... is Zhao Mengsheng's daughter."

Gao Yuliang's head buzzed, his face changed drastically, and he looked utterly shocked: "What? Zhao Lan is Zhao Mengsheng's daughter?"

Hou Liangping, you little monkey, you've caused a huge disaster.

"Xiao Ai, you..." Gao Yuliang was speechless.

"I inquired about it."

"Comrade Zhao Lan is not only the head of the State Security Department of Handong Province. She is also the First Political Commissar of the Handong Military Region."

“She is an active-duty military officer, a full-fledged major general with real power. Her administrative rank is vice-ministerial level,” Gao Yuliang said slowly, his expression solemn, his voice suddenly rising.

"What qualifications does Hou Liangping have to arrest the top political commissar of a military region, an active-duty soldier, and a major general with real power?"

“I wouldn’t dare do that. Hou Liangping is just a lowly anti-corruption bureau chief at the Handong Provincial Procuratorate. Yet he dares to act recklessly and arrest a major general who is a vice ministerial-level official.”

Gao Yuliang's words were a way of telling Zhong Xiaoai that he was powerless to help Hou Liangping.

Zhong Xiaoai's heart sank; she knew what Gao Yuliang's words meant.

Hou Liangping's actions have touched a nerve with the major families in Beijing, especially top families like Zhao Mengsheng's.

Zhao Mengsheng is still the Second Assistant Minister of the Cabinet and Minister of National Defense.

She took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice calm: "Teacher Gao, what should we do now? Liangping..."

Gao Yuliang sighed, a hint of helplessness in his voice: "Xiao Ai, don't worry. I'll try my best to help you, but this matter is too big, and I'm afraid it's not something I can easily handle."

Zhong Xiaoai nodded, though she was extremely anxious, she knew she couldn't lose her composure at this moment: "Okay, Teacher Gao. Thank you, I will."

After hanging up the phone, Zhong Xiaoai sat on the sofa and fell into deep thought.

She understood that this matter had far exceeded their control and they had to find a solution as soon as possible, otherwise Hou Liangping's career, or even his political life, would be completely over.

. . . . . .

Meanwhile, in the capital city.

Zhong Zhengguo instructed his secretary to prepare a car and headed to the Cabinet immediately.

Zhao Mengsheng sat expressionlessly in his chair, holding a teacup in his hand.

Lin Jianguo was wearing reading glasses and holding nail clippers, filing his nails.

"Your Excellency, Your Excellency Zhao. Secretary Zhong has arrived and wishes to see you."

The secretary walked in, her expression serious.

Zhao Mengsheng's voice was steady and powerful: "Let Zhong Zhengguo in."

After a while, Zhong Zhengguo walked in wearing an executive jacket. He looked around and quickly bowed, saying, "Your Excellency."

Lin Jianguo looked at Zhong Zhengguo with a half-smile: "Little Zhong, you should know how to behave properly."

"Those who don't understand the rules won't survive in officialdom."

The secretary was very perceptive; she turned around, walked out of the cabinet, and closed the door.

Then he turned around and stood guard at the door.

Zhong Zhengguo's Adam's apple bobbed as he felt a sense of pressure. He felt a burning urge to tear Hou Liangping to pieces.

"Your Excellency, you... you already know?" Zhong Zhengguo pondered for a moment before slowly speaking.

Lin Jianguo made a startling statement: "In the Great Han Dynasty, there is nothing I don't know."

"What crime did Lanlan commit to warrant such a huge charge?"

"Do you think Lanlan is short of money? Does she need to embezzle?"

Lin Jianguo pressed on, expressing his dissatisfaction: "Let me tell you, Zhao Lan's money all came from her mother."

"Bastard!"

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Jianguo picked up a teacup and smashed it hard on the floor.

Zhong Zhengguo hesitated, then gave a wry smile and clasped his hands together, saying, "It's a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding, Your Excellency."

"You can name anything you want."

Zhong Zhengguo's words were an exchange of interests.

Zhao Mengsheng stated his terms coldly: "Two ministerial-level officials and three vice-ministerial-level officials."

Zhong Zhengguo gasped, staring at Zhao Mengsheng: "Grand Secretary Zhao, isn't this going to cost the Zhong family their lives?" 510

Zhao Mengsheng's face was cold, and he sneered, "Your son-in-law kidnapped my daughter. Isn't this what you, Zhong Zhengguo, wanted?"

"Or is this your father's idea?"

"You can't wait, you want to climb the ladder." Zhao Mengsheng questioned aggressively.

Zhong Zhengguo took a deep breath and tried his best to remain calm: "Grand Secretary Zhao, this matter was absolutely not done by my Zhong family. Hou Liangping is Hou Liangping, and the Zhong family is the Zhong family."

Zhao Mengsheng's gaze was sharp as he stared at Zhong Zhengguo: "Hou Liangping has no one backing him up, how dare he? He must have the guts of a bear and the courage of a leopard."

Sweat beaded on Zhong Zhengguo's forehead, but his tone was firm: "Grand Secretary Zhao, please investigate thoroughly. Hou Liangxing's actions were reckless and were not at the behest of the Zhong family."

Lin Jianguo snorted coldly: "The evidence is conclusive, how can we deny it?"

Zhong Zhengguo said urgently, "I am willing to guarantee with the reputation of the Zhong family that Hou Liangping's matter has nothing to do with the Zhong family."

Zhao Mengsheng's eyes were sharp. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke: "Reputation? How much is the Zhong family's reputation worth?"

Lin Jianguo pondered for a moment and then proposed his conditions: "The Party Secretary of Huguang Province and the Minister of Personnel."

The unspoken meaning of this statement is that the Lin and Zhao families wanted the positions of Minister of Personnel and Secretary of the Hubei-Hunan Provincial Committee as a bargaining chip.

That's the end of this matter.

Zhong Zhengguo's face turned ashen, and he gritted his teeth: "Your Excellency, this is going too far."

Zhao Mengsheng sneered: "Excessive? Compared to the Zhong family's ambitions, this is just a small price to pay."

Lin Jianguo's gaze was piercing: "Whether you agree or not, the Zhong family can decide for themselves."

99. Sha Ruijin, he's going to become the King of Handong.

99. Sha Ruijin, he's going to become the King of Handong.

It should be noted that all six ministers were at the vice-state level.

Zhong Zhengguo's younger brother, Zhong Zhengqian, served as Minister of Personnel. This position carried immense power.

Because the Minister of Personnel is in charge of the promotion, appointment, and removal of officials.

In other words, Grandpa Lin Jianguo's condition was that the Zhong family would give up a Minister of Personnel and a Provincial Party Secretary of Huguang Province.

It's equivalent to giving one Zhong family a vice-state level position and a provincial party secretary at the ministerial level.

Only by ceding these interests will the Lin and Zhao families be satisfied.

Zhong Zhengguo's face was ashen, his complexion was pale, and his lips were bloodless.

He knew that the cost of this political struggle would be enormous, and the Zhong family's foundation would be severely damaged.

Zhong Zhengguo took a deep breath, trying to calm his inner turmoil: "Your Excellency, this matter is too great. I cannot make the decision."

Lin Jianguo sneered and said sarcastically, "Your Zhong family doesn't follow the rules. You think I'm too old to hold a gun or a knife anymore."

"Thinking of using Handong to rise to the Central Plains. To become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea? To enter the Cabinet?"

"They arrested my Lin family's granddaughter-in-law and dismissed it all as a misunderstanding."

Zhong Zhengguo's heart skipped a beat, and his Adam's apple bobbed: "You flatter me, Your Excellency. The Zhong family has never dared to underestimate you."

"Grand Secretary, Grand Secretary Zhao. Give the Zhong family one day."

"I'll go back and have a proper discussion with my father." Zhong Zhengguo gritted his teeth, clenching his left hand into a fist, filled with resentment.

Lin Jianguo's gaze was piercing as he coldly said, "One day? What do you think time can change? If the Zhong family doesn't show sincerity, they will bear the consequences."

Sweat beaded on Zhong Zhengguo's forehead. Knowing the gravity of the situation, he could only grit his teeth and agree, "Understood, I will definitely give you a satisfactory answer."

Afterwards, Zhong Zhengguo left the cabinet meeting room with heavy steps.

. . . . . .

When Zhong Zhengguo returned home, the study was dimly lit, and his father, Old Master Zhong, was sitting quietly enjoying tea.