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

Chu Pingshan's car had just driven out of the provincial party committee compound, and the partition hadn't even fully closed, when the phone in the back seat rang.

He glanced down at the number, but didn't answer immediately. He first took in the receding silhouette of the provincial party committee buildings outside the car window before a slight smile slowly crept onto his lips.

"Godfather".

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, with only the soft rustling of papers turning.

"It's causing quite a stir over there."

Chu Pingshan placed the briefcase on his lap, pressing his fingers against the seal, as if pressing down on a pre-prepared answer.

"Shen Zhong has already removed the military-related projects in Handong from the local economy," he said calmly. "Now, the only things the local area can touch are the scraps."

"Even the corners are enough for them to fight tooth and nail for."

The old man's voice was deep and heavy, yet even through the wires, it was suffocating.

Chu Pingshan watched the receding shadows of the trees on the road ahead, his speech remaining unhurried.

"With Shen Zhong not stationed in Handong, this map won't just be something we look at."

"As long as he is in Handong, you will never be able to trace the roots he left behind."

The old man seemed to tap the table with his fingertips, and his voice carried a hint of coldness.

"Then let him leave Handong."

Chu Pingshan's eyelids twitched slightly, but he didn't reply. He simply rolled the car window down a little further, letting in the wind and causing the hair on his forehead to flutter gently.

The person on the other end of the phone continued.

"This position is suitable for coordinating the joint exercises in the north."

Chu Pingshan listened quietly.

"He is familiar with the military terrain around the northern front, and he just finished handling the Chung family case, so he has no free time. When it comes to military affairs, no one can find fault with him."

"What about Old Xu?"

"He will nod."

The old man seemed to have already factored in the answer from the other side.

"Old Xu won't stand in the way of this. The more normal the military arrangements, the easier it is for someone to take advantage of them. Local struggles shouldn't be used to suppress war preparedness tasks."

Chu Pingshan finally smiled, a faint and indifferent smile.

"I see."

The phone call ended, and only the low hum of the engine remained in the carriage.

The secretary in the front row glanced at him in the rearview mirror but didn't dare to speak.

Chu Pingshan put his phone back in his pocket, reopened the Handong economic report, and focused his gaze on the three circled areas: Jingzhou, Lüzhou, and Lincheng. His fingertips gently pressed down on the corner of the paper.

"Go to the provincial government."

"Governor, aren't you going back to your office?"

"Return."

He spoke very softly.

"First, pave the way for the next step."

At the same time, a red secure telephone suddenly rang inside the command center of the Handong Military Region.

The sharp ringing of the bell was like a needle piercing straight into the duty room.

Qi Tongwei looked up and his expression darkened slightly. Zhou Weiguo had already strode in from outside the door, not even having time to put down the documents in his hand.

Shen Zhong stood in front of the tactical map, his back to the phone, as if he had heard the death knell long ago.

The communications officer answered the phone, his expression changing three times in a few seconds before finally standing at attention and handing over the receiver.

"Commander, this is the Central Military Commission hotline."

Shen Zhong took the microphone but didn't speak immediately.

The voice on the other end of the receiver was short and firm, focused solely on the task at hand, with no pleasantries.

The more Shen Zhong listened, the calmer his brow became.

He only responded faintly after the last sentence was uttered.

"clear."

After the phone call ended, everyone in the room stared at him.

Zhou Weiguo was the first to lose his composure, his voice tightening.

"Sir, what's the mission?"

Shen Zhong put the microphone back on the landline, picked up the unsigned joint military-civilian document from the table, and glanced at the date on it.

"Head of frontline coordination for joint exercises in the north."

Zhou Weiguo stood up straight immediately, his brows furrowed tightly.

"Is this the time to transfer you to the northern front?"

Qi Tongwei didn't speak, but stared at the documents in Shen Zhong's hand, his eyes gradually darkening.

Having dealt with Shen Zhong for so long, how could he not see that this transfer order came at the perfect moment, as if it were deliberately timed to strike at the most crucial moment in the whole Han Dong game?

Shen Zhong closed the file, his voice completely flat.

"Legal. The more legal it is, the more it shows that the person behind it has gone to great lengths."

Zhou Weiguo clenched his fist tightly at his side.

"Those old foxes from the Sha family, they use military affairs as weapons, they're really dirty."

Qi Tongwei's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he spoke in a very low voice.

"Commander, once you leave Handong, Chu Pingshan will definitely take advantage of the situation to press forward. The local area has just been stabilized, and everyone knows that you are the pillar of stability."

Shen Zhong glanced at him, his gaze as cold as a blade sharpened on a winter night.

That's why we have to leave.

Without pausing, he picked up the internal phone on the table and dialed a few numbers.

"Zhou Weiguo, stay in the military region and seal off all external military intelligence. Before the handover of the northern mission, no one is allowed to touch the confidentiality authority of the Handong Military Region."

"Yes."

"Tongwei".

Qi Tongwei immediately straightened his back.

"Keep an eye on the police and audit outsourcing lines. Whatever Chu Pingshan's people want to investigate, first find out where their people come from and who they have been in contact with. Don't miss a single name on the list."

"clear."

"As for He Xia, the new energy project will continue to proceed according to the original plan. All accounts, drawings, and approval records will be reviewed again to ensure that the other party does not have a single excuse."

"I'll take care of it right away."

Shen nodded and tapped his finger on the table again.

"Have Gao Yuliang come over."

Not long after he finished speaking, footsteps were heard outside the door.

Gao Yuliang arrived faster than anyone else.

When he pushed the door open, his glasses still reflected the cold light from the corridor outside. He held the old thermos cup in his hand very steadily, but when he walked to the table, his steps were a little heavier than usual.

"The transfer order has come down?"

Shen Zhong didn't waste any words and handed over the document.

Gao Yuliang glanced at it, his expression froze for a moment, then he slowly folded the document back to its original position and placed it on the table.

"Joint exercises in the north." He uttered these words softly, then looked up at Shen Zhong. "Chu Pingshan's move was quite cunning."

Zhou Weiguo snorted coldly from the side.

"The transfer was legal, and there's nothing wrong with it according to the rules. If you really want to say something, even the military region has to comply."

Gao Yuliang raised his hand to push up his glasses, but didn't respond to that, instead looking at Shen Zhong.

"How do you plan to answer?"

"catch."

Shen Zhong answered decisively.

"Missions cannot be refused, and military orders cannot be delayed."

Gao Yuliang remained silent for a moment, as if processing the result.

He knew that with Shen Zhong gone, the core of the local faction in Handong would be temporarily vacant. Sha Ruijin wouldn't let this opportunity slip by, and neither would Chu Pingshan.

The conference room was so quiet you could hear the clock ticking.

Shen Zhong didn't look at them anymore, but started assigning tasks directly.

"Weiguo, keep a close eye on the military region. All classified materials must be sealed up. All related materials concerning the Zhong family case and the Northern Line Project case must be kept confidential and not a single page is allowed to leak out."

Zhou Weiguo stood at attention and saluted, his voice crisp like the clash of a knife against its sheath.

"Completion guaranteed."

"Tongwei, don't make any rash moves with the police system. Chu Pingshan's investigation isn't just about the accounts; he'll use compliance as a pretext to get people involved. Keep an eye on the outsourced auditing, data custody, and confidentiality investigation lines. Whoever makes the first move will be the first to show their face."

"clear."

Shen Zhong's gaze shifted and landed on Gao Yuliang.

"You stay in Handong and help me guard the chessboard."

As he finished speaking, Gao Yuliang's fingers curled slightly.

He didn't agree immediately. He tightened the lid of the thermos, as if suppressing the turmoil in his heart. When he looked up again, his eyes were steady.

"While you're away from Handong, I'll guard the chessboard for you."

Shen Zhong glanced at him, said nothing, and turned to walk towards the door.

Gao Yuliang stood there, watching his back, and suddenly spoke.

"Once you leave, Sha Ruijin and Chu Pingshan will think that Handong has lost a person who can overturn the table."

Shen Zhong stopped by the door, turning half of his face to the side.

"Then let them see if the table can flip over by itself."

Gao Yuliang didn't laugh, but a hint of coldness slowly surfaced in his eyes.

He rarely makes definitive statements, but he made an exception today.

"Go to the northern route with peace of mind."

"I'll let them know from Handong that even without you, someone else can still make a move."

Shen Zhong didn't turn around, but simply raised his hand and gently knocked on the door frame.

"Don't let Chu Pingshan demolish Handong. It should take at most two months."

That's enough.

Before the plane took off, night had already fallen on the military district runway.

The lights illuminated the tarmac in a pure white glow. Shen Zhong, dressed in a pine-green military uniform, stood with his epaulets gleaming coldly in the wind. He looked up at the silhouette of the command center in the distance, as if gazing at the battlefield he had temporarily left behind.

Gao Yuliang didn't say anything more, just stood outside the farewell line and watched him walk up the gangway step by step.

As the cabin door was about to close, Shen Zhong turned around, his gaze passing through the night and landing in the direction of Handong.

He left only one sentence.

"Don't let Chu Pingshan demolish Handong within two months."

Gao Yuliang looked up and watched the military aircraft slowly taxi onto the runway, the lights on its fuselage rising inch by inch until they finally tore through the night sky.

He gripped the thermos in his hand a little tighter and responded in a low voice.

"With Shen Zhong gone, it's my turn, Gao Yuliang, to make my move in this game of Handong."