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

In the provincial party committee compound, Lu Yike pushed open the door and placed the evidence bag in her hand directly on Tian Guofu's desk. The case file was then spread out, with the edges of the pages neatly pressed together.

Tian Guofu sat behind the table, his dark shirt buttoned up tightly, a teacup beside him, the water in it already cold. He glanced at Lu Yike, but didn't rush to reply, instead flipping through the three documents first.

Driver's statement, Q5 metal sheet report, ward stabbing video.

Each one was very hard, so hard that there was no way to get around it.

Lu Yike stood by the table, her voice steady, "The driver has already given instructions on the rendezvous point. The car, the route, and the person who handed the bag all match up. The Q5 number has also been verified; it's exactly the same as the previous one. The video footage from the ward is even more direct; the caregiver touched the medicine bottle before entering the room, and their movements were very clean."

Tian Guofu pushed the video feed forward, his eyes behind his glasses calm. "Who handed you that knife in the hospital room?"

"It was hidden in my cuff," Lu Yike answered quickly. "There were still some residues on the vehicle, but the chemical defense team has sealed it off."

Tian Guofu nodded, picked up the pen, and signed the detention decision. As he pressed the pen down, his wrist didn't even tremble; it was as if he were signing a document that should have been signed long ago.

"Detain them first, seal them off, and don't let anyone know."

Lu Yike reached out and took the document, about to put it away, when hurried footsteps came from outside the door. The door was pushed open, and Sha Ruijin stood in the doorway, his tie askew, the second button of his shirt undone, and his face showing signs of exhaustion from his journey.

He glanced at the case files on the table, and his gaze immediately darkened.

"This case involves family members, so according to regulations, we must first report it to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and request their recusal. Withhold the documents and don't let anyone touch them."

Tian Guofu didn't get up, but simply capped his pen. His tone was flat. "The materials have already been submitted to the Discipline Inspection Commission. Avoid that nonsense. We'll talk after you've explained who the person is."

Sha Ruijin stepped forward, his hand already reaching for the case file. "Detain the person for now, I'll take the file with me. Today, we have to follow procedure."

Lu Yike raised her hand and pressed the evidence bag back onto the table, standing ramrod straight. "Secretary Sha, the driver's statement is here, and the video is here too. If you want to take it, write down your reasons in full first."

Sha Ruijin stared at her, his lips taut. "Lu Yike, don't walk yourself into a dead end."

"Some people have already gone astray." Lu Yike looked up at him. "We're just bringing them back on track."

Sha Ruijin was about to reach out his hand when another person entered through the door.

Wu Chunlin pushed open the door and came in, holding a copy of the Party's disciplinary regulations in his hand. His suit jacket was buttoned up tightly, and his face was expressionless. He stood by the table and put the regulations on it.

With a snap, the paper pressed against the corner of the table.

"Secretary Sha, retired officials are using their remaining influence to embezzle funds from major cases involving current officials. The Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection should handle this first, with the Organization Department providing support." Wu Chunlin looked at him and spoke bluntly, "If you try to protect someone now, you're essentially blocking their path."

Sha Ruijin's face darkened further. "Minister Wu, it's not your place to draw conclusions for me here."

Wu Chunlin turned to the previous page of the regulations, pressing his knuckles on the text. "The conclusion is right here. If you want to see it, I'll show you clearly."

There was a brief silence inside the room, but suddenly, the sound of orderly footsteps echoed in the hallway outside.

Ji Changming stood at the door with bailiffs in black uniforms, their waist straps heavy enough to be easily noticed. He didn't go inside, only glancing at the people inside through the door frame.

"The dual-track sealing procedure between the military and local authorities has already begun. The case files, evidence, and suspects are all on this line," Ji Changming said in a low voice. "Anyone who wants to take something will have to ask the bailiffs for permission first."

Sha Ruijin's hand froze in mid-air, unsure whether to extend it or retract it.

The row of bailiffs at the entrance stood in perfect unison, their breathing steady. He stared down the corridor as if he saw his last escape route nailed shut with a door.

Tian Guofu pushed the detention order forward and said, "Sign."

Sha Ruijin did not move.

Lu Yike added from the side, "Secretary Sha, if you want to vouch for someone, first make the responsibilities clear. Every minute you delay signing this document today will give outsiders more grounds for criticism."

Sha Ruijin's Adam's apple bobbed. His gaze swept from the document to Tian Guofu's face, then to the regulations in Wu Chunlin's hand, and finally settled on the detention decision.

He knew that no one would spare him this moment of humiliation.

"Does it really have to come to this?"

Tian Guofu raised his hand and tapped the paper. "Sign the document first, then we'll talk about other things."

Sha Ruijin stared at the pen, not taking it for a long time. The teacup on the table made no sound, the light from outside the window didn't flicker, and the only sound in the room was the soft rustling of paper pressing against the table.

He finally picked up the pen, paused for a moment in his palm, and then placed it on the signature line.

He wrote that stroke very slowly, the black line dragging as if he himself were being pressed into the paper.

After signing, Sha Ruijin put the pen back in its place, his fingers stiff with tension. "The person can be detained, but don't spread the information."

Wu Chunlin closed the regulations, saying, "It's too late to save face now."

Ji Changming raised his hand at the door, and the bailiffs stepped aside, leaving a narrow passage. Sha Ruijin didn't look at anyone again, turned around and walked out, his steps shorter than when he came.

Secretary Bai stood at the corner of the corridor. When she saw him come out, her lips moved, but she swallowed her words back in the end.

Sha Ruijin didn't stop, he just raised his hand slightly to signal him not to follow.

Back in his office, he closed the door tightly before noticing the red secure phone on his desk was ringing. The ringing continued, sounding like someone was tapping on the table with a hard object.

Sha Ruijin paused for two seconds, then grabbed the receiver, his voice tight, "Dad, it's the secretary over there..."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a single, clean sentence without any hesitation.

"No need to salvage it, abandon the vehicle." The voice quickly followed.

beep.

beep.

beep.

Sha Ruijin gripped the receiver, the veins on the back of his hand bulging. He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

The call was disconnected.

Those six words still echoed in my ears, like a stamp, firmly imprinted.

Secretary Bai knocked twice on the door. "Secretary?"

Sha Ruijin did not respond.

The receiver slipped from his hand, hit the edge of the table, rolled to the floor, and the cord twitched twice.

thump.

The sound wasn't loud, but it shattered all the semblance of decorum in the room.

Sha Ruijin sat back in his chair, loosened his tie, and leaned back, the forced color on his face fading completely.

He finally understood.

A secretary can be dismissed.

The driver can be abandoned.

He can also be discarded.

So-called family members, old connections, and powerful connections—when it comes to actually cutting into someone's flesh, they never hesitate to make the cut.

Outside the door, Secretary Bai knocked again.

"Secretary, Secretary Tian has already sent people out."

Sha Ruijin looked up at the doorway, his voice low and hoarse, "Who's leading the team?"

"The Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection's First Office, accompanied by bailiffs from the Procuratorate."

Sha Ruijin closed his eyes briefly. "Where's Lu Yike?"

"They're still in Secretary Tian's office; they should be handing over evidence."

Sha Ruijin stood up, supporting himself on the edge of the table. He took two steps, then stopped. He stared at the receiver on the floor as if it were a severed thread.

After a while, he bent down, picked up the receiver, and put it back on the telephone stand.

Click.

The red phone went silent.

He straightened his tie and buttoned up his shirt, his movements slow but steady. However, his hands were trembling uncontrollably, and it took him two tries to button it up.

Secretary Bai heard a noise inside and tried to push the door open.

The door opened a crack.

Sha Ruijin stood behind his desk, his face ashen, yet he still maintained the demeanor of a provincial party secretary.

"Notify the General Office that today's Standing Committee meeting is postponed."

Secretary Bai looked at him cautiously, "What's the reason?"

"I'm not feeling well."

"Yes."

"And another thing," Sha Ruijin raised his eyes, "Tonight, anyone who asks about the secretary should be told to follow organizational procedures."

Secretary Bai nodded. "Understood."

Sha Ruijin looked at him. "What do you understand?"

Secretary Bai felt a chill run down her spine. "I won't say much, I won't spread it, and I won't ask about it."

Sha Ruijin stared at him for a few seconds before looking away. "Get out."