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

Qi Tongwei stood in front of the sealing table, the gauze on his left arm emitting a faint medicinal smell. The iron door to the archives room was locked, and the two sentries outside had just changed shifts.

Three rows of evidence were laid out on the table: a file containing witness statements, a file containing physical evidence, and a file containing evidence from overseas sources, all bearing unique joint military-civilian identification numbers.

"The middleman, the mole, and Zhao Qinming's statements—these three records go into the first box. The account books, approval slips, insignia, master tapes, and private records—go into the second box." Qi Tongwei pointed at the materials on the table, his voice extremely deep.

Lu Yike pushed the anti-magnetic box with a handwritten serial number to the center of the table: "I've brought the backup master tape. It's verified with three layers: original, copy, and timestamp. If anyone dares to take a single tape, the system will immediately be compromised."

At the sealing table, the three parties signed the agreement.

Zhou Weiguo broke the military seal and held the stamped seal up to the lamp to verify it: "The military only recognizes serial numbers and stubs. Once this batch of items is put into the archives, no matter what documents the local authorities issue, they can't remove it."

Tian Guofu opened the co-signature page, pressing his pen heavily on the discipline inspection section: "The discipline inspection department should sign off on this. Specify the source of the procedure, the reasons why the approval was circumvented, and, more importantly, who applied the brakes at the crucial juncture."

Ji Changming didn't waste any words, directly pressing the prosecutor's seal into the red clay and stamping it at the bottom of the page: "After the prosecution receives the case file, we'll first prosecute the person, then the evidence, and finally the funds. Director Qi, at this stage of the case, we need to let the paper pave the way for you."

Qi Tongwei looked at the several bright red marks and raised his head: "I just have one question. Once this box is sealed, can Sha Ruijin still use the unified approval process to pressure people?"

"We can't control it." Tian Guofu capped his pen and tapped the edge of the table. "Procedures can block roads, or they can build walls. This time the wall is on your side. The disciplinary inspection commission likes rules that are easy to understand."

Zhou Weiguo affixed the first military seal and pressed the steel stamp firmly.

"That's what General Shen instructed. Once the seal is affixed, both the military and civilian authorities will leave their marks. Anyone who dares to tear it off will be implicated."

Lu Yike stuffed the last master tape into the bottom of the box: "This privately prepared tape was originally intended as a backup, but now it's being put directly into the archives to prevent anyone from finding fault and saying I don't follow organizational procedures."

Qi Tongwei flipped to the bottom of the signature page: "Your organizational procedures are more effective than many office stamps."

The phone on the table rang; it was Lu Zhou calling. I turned on speakerphone, and all I could hear was the roar of the machines in the workshop.

"Director Qi, the new energy project has resumed full production. Du Bozhong's supporting orders were finalized today, and the first batch of workers will return to the factory tomorrow morning." He Xia paused, then spoke crisply, "The subcontractors who caused trouble in Haizhou have all withdrawn, and the environmental investigation materials have been completed. From now on, if anyone reports again, I will check their emissions records first. I only recognize the resumption of work certificate. As long as the company is alive and the workers are back at work, then your arrests will have served some purpose."

Li Dakang's call was immediately switched to the line.

"I like hearing that," Li Dakang chimed in from the other end. "The case of the four companies in Jingzhou being reduced by 30% has been reopened for review. The government will advance the resettlement payments owed to the workers, and then deduct them from the assets involved in the case. Qi Tongwei, don't just focus on arresting people; the case can only be truly resolved if the companies are still alive."

Qi Tongwei wrote these two points into the supplementary page of the case file and signed the last word.

"Don't worry, Secretary Dakang. This time, even if we arrest people, we'll keep our jobs."

……

10:00 AM, Provincial Party Committee Meeting Room No. 2.

Sha Ruijin placed the fifth draft of the self-inspection report on the table and smoothed out the cover with his hand: "The Provincial Party Committee does not evade or cover up the problems of the leadership team's oversight. This draft has been fully completed as required by the organization."

Tian Guofu flipped through a few pages, his finger pausing on the section on unified approval directives: "Secretary Sha, let me add something. The unified approval directives objectively provide the parties involved with a window of opportunity to transfer assets; this point must be included."

Sha Ruijin's hand holding the pen suddenly paused, the pen tip hovering over the paper: "Secretary Tian, ​​isn't this characterization excessive? The original intention was to regulate military-civilian cooperation."

"You can write down the starting point, but you also have to write down the result." Tian Guofu closed the materials, pushed the report forward, and said, "You can't bring out the procedures when they're in a favorable position and lock them away when they're not."

Li Dakang pushed away his teacup and replied coldly, "Jingzhou has been turned into this state; the drawers can't hold it all."

Ji Changming then produced the receipt for the case file: "The procuratorate is proceeding according to the consolidated materials. The relevant approval process only records the facts and does not delete or modify anything for anyone."

The three blows landed squarely on his face, and Sha Ruijin's expression turned grim. He threw the pen back into the pen holder with a dull thud, then leaned back in his chair and fell silent.

Halfway through the meeting, the confidential clerk brought in a red-line telephone record, with only one line on the slip of paper: "Secretary Sha, the organization requires you to call back immediately after the meeting."

Tian Guofu glanced at that line of text out of the corner of his eye and immediately pressed down on the self-inspection report: "Finish the meeting first. Handong can't afford to delay the sixth draft any longer."

……

Northern front, field tents.

Zhou Weiguo handed the combined receipt to Shen Zhong: "Handong has sealed the box. The three parties have jointly signed the document, and the military and local documents are combined."

Shen Zhong drew a line next to the core springboard account with a red pen: "Mark Sha Ruijin's confidential springboard account, along with the related accounts of Haizhou, as suspected terrorist funds pending verification."

"The focus is on a shell company on the outer ring of the core. Tracing it will lead to the core page." Zhou Weiguo checked the coordinates and pressed his finger on the account number.

Shen Zhong capped his pen: "Just freeze it, don't investigate. Handong won't turn to that page; I'll do it when I get back."

Five minutes later, the freeze order, issued through the General Staff's intelligence authority, locked all three accounts: Hong Kong, Cayman Islands, and the core springboard.

Two lines of red pen annotations were added at the end of the briefing.

"The eastern end of Han Dynasty is cleared, and the hand in the capital has reached that page."

"The battle on the northern front is nearing its end. I'll go back and review the accounts."

……

Evening. In an old alley east of Jingzhou city, the courtyard gate is half-closed.

Looking at the archived photos on his phone, Gao Yuliang sent a voice message: "This time, you're standing up as you smash the knife down."

Qi Tongwei called directly: "Teacher. The first page of the sealing wax bag has been merged into the military's core terminal, but the second page hasn't been opened yet."

Gao Yuliang picked up his teacup and used the lid to remove the floating leaves: "Don't open it. For Director Qin's line, Handong only deals with the agents. We'll wait for Shen Zhong to return to the core page."

"I'll do it this way," Qi Tongwei said without further ado.

The wind rustled through the orchid trellis in the courtyard. Gao Yuliang added, "Remember: those who leave can drink tea, but those who wield the knife cannot be soft."

At night, the military's comparison report was sent to the provincial archives.

Lu Yike projected the inner number of the insignia onto the screen, circling "Q7-HZ-019" in red: "The military warehouse has issued a receipt. The code name is Qingtai, and the access is limited to this level."

Zhou Weiguo removed the report's back cover and resealed it: "The specific list is temporarily sealed; we can only use the cross-provincial organization code. Haizhou is one of their outposts in Handong."

Qi Tongwei tapped the table: "The sign Qin No. 2 is wearing is part of a whole chain. His identity is just a facade."

Lu Yike pushed the spare master tape into the second box, tore off the sealing tape, and pressed it down firmly: "The upper half of the face has a name. But it's sealed off by the military; whoever crosses the line will be the first to get caught up in it."

Qi Tongwei closed the box lid: "I won't do anything that crosses the line. Sharpen the knife and wait for someone to come back."

Lu Yike handed over the packing slip: "I've put the stuff back in the box, so I have nothing else to hide."

Qi Tongwei took the pen and signed the receipt: "You still have some."

Lu Yike was stunned: "What?"

"Suspension report." Qi Tongwei signed his name next to the seal.

Lu Yike took the pen from his hand and added the date: "I'll keep that copy. If you mess it up again, I'll really hand it over."

Qi Tongwei looked down to check the seal: "Okay. When Shen Jiang returns, you hand it over in person. He loves hearing people go through the proper procedures."

Lu Yike pushed the anti-magnetic box to the custodian: "Director Qi, don't use me as a scapegoat. I'm just a section chief. You can keep the chamber pot lid yourself."

Qi Tongwei placed the evidence bag containing the insignia under the light: "I'll admit to the chamber pot. Forget about the lid."

The seals were completely affixed. The military and civilian warehouses simultaneously displayed entry receipts.

The phone screen on the table lit up, and Shen Zhong sent a text message.

"I'll be back soon."

Qi Tongwei picked up the badge, his gaze serious: "Half of Handong's face has been revealed. The rest is in the core; we'll have to wait for him to reveal it personally."

Lu Yike straightened the hem of her uniform.

"The knife is sharpened."