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

"Pry it open." He Xia stood outside the abandoned warehouse and waved her hand behind her.

The urban management enforcement vehicle reversed and blocked the metal door, revving the engine and deforming the door frame. He Xia put on her mask and stepped inside, her shoes landing on a puddle of sticky liquid. A beam of flashlight swept across the room, revealing hundreds of dark green metal barrels stacked inside, all rusted and without a single label.

"Put on gloves, open the container and take samples," He Xia instructed the environmental enforcement team members.

Sun Liancheng squatted in the corner, a flashlight between his teeth, flipping through a crumpled copy of a lease agreement. He spat out the flashlight and adjusted his glasses: "Secretary He, we found the contract. The lessee is Lincheng Shunfengda Logistics, the legal representative is Qian Wei, and the ID number is fake. However, the registration information includes a mobile phone number, and the owner is named Qian Jin, the cousin of Qian Chenggong, a former member of the Zhao family gang."

He Xia took the contract and glanced at it: "Where's the environmental impact assessment paperwork?"

"It wasn't processed." Sun Liancheng handed over another document. "I obtained a permit from the provincial environmental protection department's emergency approval channel. This batch of goods is exempt from environmental impact assessment and is using the fast-track green channel for hazardous chemicals."

He Xia looked down at the signature panel. It read: Liu Ming, Deputy Director of the Provincial Environmental Protection Department, with an emergency seal affixed to the back.

"Liu Ming was promoted after Secretary Sha took office," Sun Liancheng said in a low voice.

He Xia folded the approval document and stuffed it into the inner compartment of her briefcase. The law enforcement officers pried open the first metal barrel, and a pungent, sour smell assaulted their nostrils, causing several of them to cough repeatedly.

The detector probe was inserted into the bucket, and the numbers on the screen jumped rapidly. The team leader stared at the readings: "pH 2.3, strong acid. Lead exceeds the standard by 12 times, mercury exceeds the standard by 9 times."

He Xia walked over and squatted down. The bucket was covered in a dark yellow, sticky liquid and smelled like rotten eggs. "Take samples from all of them, seal them, number them, and photograph them. Not a single one can be missed."

The team leader turned around and yelled at his team members to get to work. Sun Liancheng held up his phone and took a picture of the blurry spray code on the barrel. After zooming in, he could see that it was the abbreviation of a chemical plant.

"Waste from a pharmaceutical factory in Central China." Sun Liancheng pulled out his phone's database to compare. "It was fined three times for illegal discharge last year and should have been sent to a professional hazardous waste treatment plant."

He Xia stood up and brushed the dust off her knees: "They'll transport it to Luzhou, stuff it into a black warehouse, right next to the industrial park's shipping lane. They're planning to cause trouble when the industrial park is at full capacity."

My phone vibrated; it was Li Dakang calling.

He Xia slid the answer button and turned on speakerphone: "Secretary Dakang."

"We've found something in Jingzhou." The sound of turning pages came through the receiver. "The shell company acquired at a 30% discount had two funds transferred through Shunfengda in Luzhou, eventually flowing to three accounts in Haizhou. It's the same source as the Haiheng Consulting fund chain that was seized."

Sun Liancheng leaned closer to the phone: "Same origin? Can you confirm?"

"The transfer time, the last few digits of the amount, and the remarks number all match up." Li Dakang spoke quickly. "I had the Economic Investigation Department compile it into an official report with the title 'Report on the Investigation of Hazardous Waste Misappropriation and Related Fund Chains at Luzhou Port,' and it will be sent to the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection in twenty minutes."

He Xia responded, "Received. The evidence chain in Luzhou is now closed."

"Then let's move." Li Dakang hung up.

Enforcement officers sealed the metal drum. He Xia went outside and dialed Chen Yanshi's number. After three rings, the call was answered, and the old man's strong voice came through: "Speak."

"Old Chen, the warehouse has been inspected. There are 237 barrels of chemical waste, strong acid, with excessive levels of heavy metals, and no permits. The lessee is associated with Zhao's old gang, and the environmental impact assessment approval was signed by Liu Ming, the deputy director of the Provincial Environmental Protection Department, who is also a man of Secretary Sha."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the line, followed by a heavy, urgent thud as a cane struck the ground.

"I'm coming over now," Chen Yanshi said.

"Please don't do anything..."

"Stop talking nonsense, send me the address."

The call ended. He Xia put away her phone and turned to look at Sun Liancheng: "Get ready to welcome Old Chen."

Forty minutes later, a black sedan screeched to a halt at the warehouse entrance. Chen Yanshi, leaning on his cane, got out, followed by Zheng Xipo carrying a thermos. The old man strode forward, his cane clicking on the concrete floor, heading straight for the warehouse gate.

The flashlight shone on the metal bucket. Chen Yanshi stopped, bent down to glance at the liquid in the bucket, and took the test report from Sun Liancheng, the pages rustling as he crumpled them.

"12 times the standard." He slammed the report on the metal drum. "This is poisoning the workers' rice bowls. Waterway pollution, industrial park shutdown, thousands of people starving?"

Sun Liancheng shrank back: "Old Chen, the approval document..."

"Give it to me."

He Xia pulled out the signed approval document and handed it over. Chen Yanshi held the flashlight closer and read it word by word. Liu Ming's signature, the emergency exit number, and the red stamp of the hall were all there.

"The emergency access route was a pilot project launched by Sha Ruijin after he took office." Chen Yanshi folded the document twice and stuffed it into his inner pocket. "What a great example of streamlining administration and delegating power, giving the green light to the dumping of hazardous waste."

Zheng Xipo handed over a thermos: "Old Chen, have some water."

"I won't drink." Chen Yanshi waved his hand, tapping his cane on the ground. "Pen, bring me paper and pen."

He Xia ran back to the office to get a pen and letter paper. Chen Yanshi squatted on the steps at the warehouse entrance, placing the letter paper on his knees as he began to write. The light was dim, and he wrote quickly, the pen tip scratching across the paper.

Zheng Xipo squatted down beside him, shining a flashlight. The letter was addressed to the Petition Office of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. It did not name any specific individuals, but it included the entire approval process, from the deputy director of the Provincial Environmental Protection Department to the General Office of the Provincial Government, with the signing date, number, and person in charge clearly listed.

After writing his signature, the old man blew the ink dry, folded the letter, and put it in an envelope: "Xipo, take the first high-speed train tomorrow morning to the capital."

"Okay." Zheng Xipo took the letter and stuffed it into the inner layer of the canvas bag.

Chen Yanshi stood up, brushed the dust off his trousers, and looked towards the shipping lane: "Old Zheng, it's not easy for the workers. Even if we hold the bowl steady, someone still throws sand into it."

Zheng Xipo supported his arm: "Let's go back, there's still a tough battle ahead tomorrow."

The office of Tian Guofu in the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection building.

Three documents were laid out on the table: a copy of the environmental impact assessment approval document forwarded by the Luzhou Discipline Inspection Commission, an official report from Li Dakang, and on-site photos and test reports from He Xia.

After turning the last page, Tian Guofu picked up the landline and dialed the internal line. It rang once before connecting.

"Secretary Sha, you haven't rested, have you?"

The sound of pages turning came from the receiver: "Looking at materials, what's up?"

"Have you heard about what happened in Luzhou?" Tian Guofu pushed the signed document onto the table. "The provincial environmental protection department's emergency approval channel was used to give the green light to hazardous waste dumping. The signatory is Liu Ming, the deputy director, whom you promoted after taking office."

There was a two-second silence on Sha Ruijin's end: "Is the evidence conclusive?"

"Approval documents, photos, test reports, and fund flow records—the whole set." Tian Guofu circled something in his notebook. "This emergency channel is the pilot program for streamlining administration and delegating power that you promoted."

The receiver picked up the soft sound of a teacup lid hitting the rim.

"The fact that a few cadres violated regulations does not negate the general direction of streamlining administration and delegating power." Sha Ruijin said calmly, "Secretary Tian, ​​investigate according to procedures and deal with those who should be dealt with."

"What about the pilot program?" Tian Guofu pressed. "With such a huge loophole, shouldn't the review be suspended?"

There was no sound from that side.

Five seconds passed.

"Pause," Sha Ruijin said. "Issue the notification tomorrow."

"Okay." Tian Guofu closed the notebook. "I'll follow procedure. Liu Ming will be detained tonight."

The call ended. Tian Guofu leaned back in his chair, took off his glasses, and rubbed his temples. The documents on the table were piled high, the top copy of the signed document bearing a deep red stamp.

Sha Ruijin's office.

He put down the secure phone, the receiver hitting the landline with a dull thud.

He stood at his desk for a while, then walked to the window and opened it a crack. The night wind blew in, and the streetlights in the courtyard below illuminated the empty parking spaces, except for two duty cars.

After standing there for about ten minutes, he turned and walked back to his desk, picked up the secure phone, and dialed a number in Beijing. Three long rings followed, and the call connected.

"It's me." Sha Ruijin lowered his voice. "Handong can't hold back anymore. The Luzhou line has been exposed, the Environmental Protection Bureau people are in, and Tian Guofu has the approval to suspend the pilot program. We need your intervention."

I could only hear breathing through the receiver.

"At least characterize the pilot program as an operational error, not a systemic problem." Sha Ruijin's knuckles turned white from clenching his fists. "Otherwise, the next step will be to investigate me."

The silence lasted for more than ten seconds.

"Wait a little longer," the other party said before hanging up.

The busy tone beeped. Sha Ruijin put the microphone back on its base, sat back in his chair, and rested his right hand on the edge of the table.

The clock on the wall pointed to 1:17 a.m.

Luzhou Industrial Park, He Xia's office.

She compiled the day's materials into a complete report, scanned it, encrypted it, and sent it. Recipient: Shen Zhong.

Five minutes later, my phone vibrated; the reply had arrived.

"Good. The nail is out, and the waterway is clear."

"Don't trace the approval chain all the way to the deputy director-general. As for anything higher, wait for me."