Flip the table and divide the family property! Take his wife and daughter into the mountains and eat

The ward for senior officials was eerily quiet.

The wall clock ticked away, each tick feeling like a blow to one's temple.

Zhao Shanhe stood alone by the window.

The rain outside had stopped long ago.

The dark clouds that had been gathering all night were gradually torn apart by the morning breeze, and the grayish-white sunlight shone through the condensed glass onto his broad back.

The handcuffs on his wrists had been removed, but two dark red marks remained.

Zhao Shanhe glanced down at it, rubbed it a couple of times, and then ignored it.

Behind him, Li Yuanchao had been sitting in the same position for a long time.

He rested his hands on his knees, his clothes were wrinkled and covered in mud, and his back was not as straight as usual.

Wu Jianming is dead.

Chen Jianguo has gone mad.

Old Scar has been caught.

Too many people died that night, and too many things came to an end.

Logically, they should have breathed a sigh of relief. But in the ward, not a single person looked relaxed.

Song Qingshan slowly placed the water glass in his hand on the bedside table.

The bottom of the glass collided with the wooden tabletop with a dull thud.

They won, but neither Song Qingshan nor Li Yuanchao felt any sense of relief or satisfaction at the moment.

The fight has escalated to this point, with all bottom lines crossed, making the scene extremely ugly.

Chen Jianguo went completely insane, and Wu Jianming committed suicide. The murder cases and networks of interests involved were terrifyingly large.

Having spent decades navigating the system, they knew better than anyone the immense political pressure and scrutiny that came with such a Pyrrhic victory.

"To aid Korea."

Song Qingshan broke the deathly silence in the ward. His voice was weary, but his tone carried an extremely serious admonition: "Now that things are over, you must be more careful about the political implications, especially at this time."

Li Yuanchao raised his head, his bloodshot eyes looking over.

Song Qingshan leaned back on the pillow, his cloudy old eyes looking at him, and slowly said, "Chen Jianguo's shooting and outburst in the municipal party committee building can't be covered up. The provincial discipline inspection commission's special investigation team took over the case at dawn. From now on, you'll be in the eye of the storm. Everything you do must be absolutely in accordance with the rules. You absolutely cannot give anyone any reason to criticize you at this critical juncture, understand?"

Li Yuanchao didn't speak, but simply nodded silently.

Looking at Li Yuanchao's extremely tired face, Song Qingshan sighed and lowered his voice: "Just now, Governor Liu personally called me."

Upon hearing the words "Governor Liu," Li Yuanchao paused slightly, his fingers holding the cigarette between his fingers.

"He inquired about tonight's events and asked me to pass on a few words to you."

Song Qingshan looked at him and said, word by word, "Governor Liu wants you to keep things in order and stabilize the situation. I estimate that the provincial party committee will soon hold a meeting to discuss the city's problems. The situation is so chaotic now that we need someone who can immediately take charge. If nothing unexpected happens, you should be in the next round of appointments for the municipal party committee."

Li Yuanchao remained silent.

Upon hearing this statement, which was practically a guarantee of promotion, his stubble-covered face showed little joy.

He simply crossed his hands tightly and rubbed his stiff cheeks vigorously.

He then ignored Song Qingshan's conversation about the future.

Li Yuanchao slowly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes looking over the hospital bed at Zhao Shanhe, who stood silently by the window.

"Mountains and Rivers".

Li Yuanchao's voice was hoarse, revealing extreme exhaustion. "Now that this matter is over, what are your plans?"

Zhao Shanhe, who was standing by the window, finally moved.

He slowly turned around, his back to the pale light outside the window. His cold, hard face was expressionless, and his eyes remained as calm as ever.

Zhao Shanhe remained silent for a moment.

"Bring Da Niu out."

Li Yuanchao waited two seconds, and seeing that he didn't continue, he couldn't help but ask, "And then?"

"Then I'll take my brothers and leave."

Li Yuanchao frowned: "Where are we going?"

"Leave the Red Star Machinery Factory first."

The air in the ward seemed to grow even heavier after those few words were spoken.

Although Li Yuanchao had a premonition, his heart still sank when he heard Zhao Shanhe say it in person.

"Shanhe, now that Chen Jianguo has fallen, Gao Wenbin, Wang Guowei, and their gang won't escape either. The provincial task force will also thoroughly investigate all the bad debts piled up at the Hongxing Factory."

"Liang Tiejun has returned to work, and Zhang Dafa's problem has been basically solved. Once he recovers, the two of them will go back to take charge, and the factory will no longer be like it was before."

Li Yuanchao leaned forward, his tone tinged with urgency.

"The factory will definitely give you and your brothers from Kaoshantun an explanation for the injustices you suffered. Medical expenses, lost wages, permanent positions, and even Da Niu's unjust reputation will all be recovered. You've already overcome the toughest hurdle; don't you think it's a pity to leave now?"

Zhao Shanhe listened quietly as he finished speaking.

The face, its features sharply defined by the morning light, remained largely unchanged.

"It's not a pity."

Li Yuanchao was stunned for a moment.

Zhao Shanhe looked down at the two still-present marks on his wrist. His voice was not loud, but calm enough to leave no room for negotiation.

"Director Li, when I brought them into the Red Star Factory, all I wanted was to find my brothers a stable job."

"I have a legitimate job, a salary, and a dormitory. If my elders ask, I can say that I work for a large state-owned enterprise."

"But what happens after we get in?"

He slowly raised his eyes and looked at the old policeman in front of him, whose eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep.

"Erzhuzi was almost beaten to death."

"Zhao Tiezhu lay in the emergency room, his life hanging in the balance, all for the sake of guarding a key."

"Da Niu did nothing, but he was dragged out and made to take the blame for murder."

"Old Hei, Da Zhuang, Monkey, and more than a dozen brothers from Kaoshantun risked their lives time and time again to save people."

Me too.

Zhao Shanhe paused for a moment, looked at Li Yuanchao, and spoke with no resentment, only a detached indifference that showed he had seen through everything.

"Director Li, you are a good leader and a good person. You've protected us a lot during this time, and I'll remember that kindness."

He turned his gaze to the window, looking at the concrete jungle that was gradually brightening but still exuded a coldness.

"But the waters in this factory are too murky, and the rules in the city are too dark. We rough men from the mountains can't handle these kinds of schemes, and we don't want to risk our brothers' lives to fill this bloodless hole again."

Zhao Shanhe let out a long breath, and his broad shoulders, which had been taut like iron, relaxed slightly.

"Plus, all this fighting these past few days has left me a bit exhausted."