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

Qi Tongwei leaned against the headboard, his left arm in a sling across his chest. A nurse had just come by and confiscated the half-pack of cigarettes and lighter he had secretly taken out. The half-full glass of warm water on the bedside table had long since gone cold. Occasionally, a trolley would pass by in the corridor, its wheels clattering over the paving stones.

Three sets of materials were placed on the small table.

The cached image of the printer in the outer room of the Executive Deputy Director's office.

Fake catalog access records in the archives.

Draft forms of applications for assistance in investigating migrant workers submitted by the General Office of the Provincial Party Committee over the past three months.

Qi Tongwei tapped the third document twice with his pen.

The technician held the pen, even his breathing became soft.

Lin Huahua sat on a small stool next to her, her computer screen lit up, with dark circles under her eyes.

"Director Qi, if the Provincial Party Committee General Office is to issue a formal letter, it will at least have to go through the Secretariat."

"Go to the Secretariat." Qi Tongwei capped his pen. "The printer is in the outer room of the Executive Deputy Director's office. Unauthorized personnel have access to clues on the provincial department's intranet. That's enough reason."

"And what about the scope of the summons?"

Qi Tongwei pushed the draft table forward half an inch.

"The external secretary, confidential staff, and the General Affairs Office personnel on duty that day will be interviewed first, and then their electronic access control information will be verified."

Lin Huahua stopped typing: "If this net is cast, the provincial party committee compound will look very bad."

"Being ugly is better than pretending to be blind." Qi Tongwei threw his pen on the table. "If he dares to touch my bait, I dare to overturn his table."

The technician quickly took notes.

The phone vibrated against the bedside table. Everyone stopped what they were doing at the same time.

Qi Tongwei swiped open his phone screen.

Gao Yuliang sent a text message: Don't force Sha Ruijin to become a dead man before he becomes a witness.

Qi Tongwei's hand stopped in mid-air.

Lin Huahua and the technician exchanged a glance, neither daring to utter a sound. The nurse peeked out from the doorway, then retreated back into the corridor.

Qi Tongwei tossed his phone back onto the small table. Sha Ruijin dared to use software to intimidate people because of what was happening in Beijing. They were waiting for Handong to fall into chaos, waiting for someone who knew too much to shut up forever.

He grabbed the draft document: "Withdraw."

"Remove what?" The technician was stunned.

"The Provincial Party Committee General Office is cooperating in the investigation; everything has been halted." Qi Tongwei tore the draft form to shreds and threw it into the wastebasket. "No letters, no talks, no gate restrictions, no entry into the Provincial Party Committee compound."

"A printer clue..."

"Keep the clues." Qi Tongwei picked up his water glass. "Keep the hawks warm."

Lin Huahua pulled the notebook further onto her lap: "Check the printer paper batches, toner replacements, and repair records?"

"And there's garbage collection too." Qi Tongwei put down his water glass. "Things were printed outside; the paper might have gone into the shredder, or it might have gone into the garbage bags. Let's see who took the garbage bags out."

The technician quickly replied, "Check the outsourced cleaning company, vehicle routes, and weighing records."

"Don't alarm the Provincial Party Committee Office." Qi Tongwei cracked his right wrist. "Cleaning, supplies, repairs, the express delivery lockers at the entrance, and takeout registration—everything should be done through public channels. Whoever is in a hurry to delete records will be exposed."

"Should we synchronize things with Director Lu as well?"

"Say one thing at a time." Qi Tongwei looked at his phone screen. "Sha Ruijin can't die now, he can't go crazy, and he can't be cornered."

Lin Huahua paused for a moment. Sha Ruijin's most valuable moment would be when he stood in the witness stand and revealed that network of relationships.

Computer notification sound.

Lin Huahua plugged in the USB drive: "Director Lu sent an encrypted email."

"Cast to offline screen".

The technician turned the small screen around. The file opened.

The first photo shows an internal senior pass for Haizhou Port Group. The plastic seal is yellowed, the photo is blurry, but the serial number is still there.

The second image is an enlarged view of the handwritten text on the back. The three characters "Qin Kewen" are placed in the center of the screen.

Qi Tongwei braced his knuckles against the edge of the bed. Qin Kewen, Qin No. 2, Qin Zhenghai. This thread is being buried deeper and deeper.

Lu Yike's video request popped up.

Lin Huahua pressed the answer button.

Lu Yike stood outside the back door of the convenience store, wrapped tightly in a dark trench coat, her hair neatly tied up, with a sealed evidence bag behind her.

"Director Qi, the items have been confirmed."

"explain."

"Zhou Lan left two things. First, a handwritten throughput table for berth 07, where the reported and actual loading volumes differed significantly, but the dates matched the missing ship schedules in the old case." Lu Yike turned the camera to the evidence bag. "Second, a senior pass for Haizhou Port, with Qin Kewen handwritten on the back. This person has access to the core area."

"Have you checked Haizhou's local area?"

"We are preparing to pursue this strategy along three lines: former employees of Haizhou Port, old court cases, and business-related matters."

"Stop in Haizhou."

Lu Yike leaned closer to the screen: "Why?"

"Haizhou itself has been thoroughly investigated, leaving mostly loose ends. Investigate further back." Qi Tongwei pointed to the pass on the screen. "The fact that no one has touched the high-level pass for over twenty years can't be attributed to just a few dock bosses in Haizhou."

"Do you suspect that Qin Kewen and Sha Ruijin's network of connections overlaps?"

"Sha Ruijin dared to use procedures to pressure Handong because of the old guard, former subordinates, secretaries, and reception lines behind him." Qi Tongwei changed his posture.

Lin Huahua tapped her fingers on the keyboard: "List of former subordinates of Secretary Sha's father-in-law?"

"There are also visitor records. Check for homophones, former names, company abbreviations, and job titles."

Lu Yike held the phone closer: "I don't have enough access to the provincial department's database. I can't access the files of retired cadres in Beijing, the list of former subordinates, or the registration at the service center."

Qi Tongwei picked up his phone and glanced at the text message: "Leave the Beijing files for now."

"Then let's go back to the Provincial Party Committee Reception Office."

"Yes. Cha Handong was the one who poured tea for them."

"You can find out who someone is just by serving tea and water?" the technician couldn't help but mutter.

"The taller a person is, the more people remember what kind of tea they drank, which car they rode in, who opened the door for them, and who escorted them upstairs." Qi Tongwei tapped his knuckles on the table.

The technician was taking notes.

"I'll check the provincial party committee's reception office for records of Sha Ruijin's father-in-law's visits to Handong over the past ten years. I'll focus on whether Qin Kewen or any staff members with the surname Qin are among his entourage." Lu Yike zipped up his collar. "If I can't access the public records, I'll check hotel invoices, vehicle repair records, and cleaning schedules."

"Don't go too far with Sha Ruijin."

"Did Professor Gao write to you?"

Qi Tongwei did not deny it.

He said, "Don't drive Sha Ruijin to become a dead man before he becomes a witness."

Lu Yike stood under the streetlight, the hem of her trench coat billowing in the night wind: "Teacher Gao's words are quite heavy."

"Saving Sha Ruijin's life also saves the thread in our hands. We'll hold out until he asks for help himself, until the capital realizes he's still useful. Before he speaks up, no one dares to shut him up."

The nurse pushed the cart straight in and put the blood pressure cuff on Qi Tongwei's right arm: "We can talk about work, but don't get agitated. Director Lu instructed that if your blood pressure is high, put away your computer."

Lu Yike stared at the camera: "Did you hear me?"

"You're being nosy."

"I can walk."

The nurse pressed the blood pressure monitor, and the sphygmomanometer inflated.

"Lin Huahua, make a list of the ten-year public records of the Provincial Party Committee's reception office, arranged in reverse order of the time when Sha Ruijin's father-in-law came to Handong," Qi Tongwei ordered, turning his head to the side.

"clear."

"Technician, make sure the area around the printer line is well-stocked. Don't forget the cleaning cart, supply bins, repair slips, and shredded paper bags."

"Yes."

The blood pressure monitor beeped, and the nurse untied the cuff and pushed the cart out the door.

Qi Tongwei flexed his right wrist: "Arrange for someone to keep an eye on Zhou Lan's daughter, make sure she doesn't go through the provincial department's main channels."

"It's arranged. She'll stay at a relative's tonight. The convenience store will remain open, and someone will be watching outside. She's been guarding this place for over twenty years; we can't let her hand over the documents only to live in fear." Lu Yike finished organizing the materials in her hands. "You should also stop causing trouble. If you really want to take the blame, at least wait until the wires are removed."

Video cut off.

Qi Tongwei picked up the internal phone on the table.

The operator answered quickly: "Director Qi."

"If you can't find the information in Beijing, check the Provincial Party Committee Reception Office." Qi Tongwei flipped over the old photo of Qin Kewen's travel permit and said, "Let's see how many times Sha's father-in-law has set foot in Handong over the past ten years, and who has been serving him tea and water."