Special forces soldier demobilization: Starting from the county government compound, a meteoric rise

The Provincial Party Committee's Retiree Sanatorium is located at the foot of Zijin Mountain in the northern suburbs of Ningzhou City.

The environment here is serene, with ancient trees reaching for the sky. Rows of red-brick buildings are nestled among the pines and cypresses, and armed police stand guard at the entrance, making it impossible for ordinary people to get close. The residents here are all former leaders who once held sway in Jiangnan Province but have now retired to the second line.

After much trouble and using Lu Chen's connections, Liu Ming finally obtained the pass to enter.

The person he was looking for was named Zhao Guohua.

Ten years ago, Zhao Guohua was the executive deputy director of the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, the direct superior of Liu Ming's father, Liu Jianguo, and one of his father's few close friends. Two months after Liu Jianguo's "suicide," Director Zhao, who was in his prime and had a good chance of further advancement, suddenly applied for early retirement citing "health reasons," moved into this remote mountain forest, and from then on, closed his doors to visitors and stopped caring about worldly affairs.

"Ding-dong."

Liu Ming stood in front of a small building covered with ivy and rang the doorbell.

After a long while, the door slowly opened.

It was Zhao Guohua who opened the door.

Ten years have passed. The spirited, loud-voiced middle-aged man I remember has now become an old man with a full head of white hair and a hunched back. He is wearing a faded old T-shirt and holding a pair of pruning shears in his hand. His eyes are somewhat cloudy, and he exudes a desolate and gloomy air.

"Who are you looking for?" Zhao Guohua's voice was hoarse, tinged with wariness.

"Uncle Zhao, it's me."

Liu Ming took off his hat, revealing a face that bore a striking resemblance to his father. His voice was deep and resonant. "I am Liu Ming, the son of Jian Guo."

"Bang!"

Without warning, the scissors in Zhao Guohua's hand fell to the ground, hitting the bluestone slab with a crisp sound.

His cloudy old eyes widened instantly, staring intently at Liu Ming's face, as if he had seen some unbelievable ghost, or as if he had been struck by some immense fear. His lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a word for a long time; only his chest heaved violently.

"Uncle Zhao?" Liu Ming stepped forward, wanting to help him up.

"Don't...don't move!"

Zhao Guohua suddenly took a step back, as if he had been electrocuted. He looked around frantically, and after confirming that no one else was around, he pulled Liu Ming into the house, quickly closed the door, locked it three times, and even drew the curtains.

The light in the room suddenly dimmed, and a faint musty smell and the distinctive medicinal smell of an old man filled the air.

"You... what brings you here?"

Zhao Guohua didn't invite Liu Ming to sit down or pour her tea. Instead, he stood in the center of the living room, fidgeting with his hands, his voice filled with anxiety and unease, "You shouldn't have come...you shouldn't have come to see me..."

"Uncle Zhao, you should know why I've come."

Liu Ming didn't beat around the bush. He looked at his former elder with a firm and sharp gaze, "Ten years ago, how exactly did my father die? Who was involved in that mining accident? Why have you been hiding here all these years, not even daring to make a phone call to my mother?"

"Don't ask anymore! Child, I'm begging you, please don't ask!"

Zhao Guohua closed his eyes in anguish, waving his hands repeatedly. "Those things are all in the past, all gone! Your father... he's gone. You're still young, you have a bright future ahead of you. Why do you have to reopen this wound? This is deadly!"

"Because I don't believe it!"

Liu Ming's voice suddenly rose, filled with a rage suppressed for ten years. "The official story says he committed suicide due to depression, I don't believe it! You say it's all in the past, I still don't believe it! If it really was just an ordinary accident, why have all the people who knew about it disappeared? Why have you been hiding here pretending to be deaf and dumb for ten years?"

"Because that's taboo!"

Zhao Guohua suddenly opened his eyes and roared. His eyes were filled with fear, a fear that had seeped into his bones and could not be dispelled even after ten years.

"Xiao Ming, you're too naive. Who do you think you're dealing with? Corrupt officials? Gangsters? No, it's a net! A vast, all-encompassing net that devours people without spitting out the bones!"

"Back then, your father investigated things he shouldn't have. He wanted to be a hero, to be like Hai Rui (a notorious figure in Chinese history known for his ruthless pursuit of justice). And what happened? He died! Died under mysterious circumstances! Even the autopsy report was fake! We tried to speak up for him, and what happened? Old Li went to jail, Old Wang went mad, and I... I barely survived by faking illness and hiding in this coffin-like sanatorium!"

Zhao Guohua walked up to Liu Ming, grabbed his shoulders tightly, and pressed his fingers so hard they almost dug into Liu Ming's flesh.

"That person's name is a taboo in the province; anyone who mentions it is doomed! You think nobody knows about the commotion you caused in Ningzhou? You think you've won just because you brought down Li Yuankui? That's because they haven't had the time to deal with you yet!"

"Take your uncle's advice and stop. Take your future, take your mother, and leave Jiangnan Province. Go as far away as possible. Never... never come back, and never investigate this matter again."

"otherwise……"

The old man's voice trembled, with a hint of a sob in it.

"...You will follow in your father's footsteps and be reduced to ashes."

The room fell into a deathly silence.

Only the old-fashioned wall clock ticked away, as if counting down to some impending fate.

Looking at the old man before her, who was completely overwhelmed by fear, Liu Ming felt an indescribable sorrow welling up in her heart.

Ten years ago, he was a man of unwavering integrity, full of youthful vigor and ambition to change the world. But now, he is terrified by that enormous shadow and lives like a frightened bird.

Just how terrifying is the power of that mastermind behind the scenes?

Luo Binwang...

Could a mere name instill fear in a department-level official for ten years?

Liu Ming took a deep breath and slowly, but firmly, pushed Zhao Guohua's hand away.

"Uncle Zhao, thank you for reminding me."

His voice was no longer impassioned, but calm as a deep pool, yet beneath that pool churned undercurrents powerful enough to swallow everything.

"But I can't leave."

"If everyone chooses to remain silent out of fear, then this world is truly beyond saving."

"I can't let the clues that my father risked his life for rot in the mud. The wronged souls of those more than a hundred miners can't just disappear without a trace."

Liu Ming straightened his collar and bowed deeply to Zhao Guohua.

"Take care of yourself. I'll walk the rest of the way on my own."

After saying that, he resolutely turned around, opened the door, and strode out.

Outside, the sunlight was blinding.

Zhao Guohua stood in the dimly lit living room, watching the young and upright figure disappear into the light. In a daze, he seemed to see Liu Jianguo, who was just as stubborn and unwilling to turn back, ten years ago.

"Old Liu..."

Two streams of tears slid down the old man's deeply lined cheeks.

"You gave birth to a good son... but also a... deadly one."

……

After leaving the sanatorium, Liu Ming sat in the car but didn't rush to start it.

He pulled out an old photo of his father from his pocket. In the photo, his father still smiled gently, but his eyes revealed an indomitable light.

"A death sentence?"

Looking at the photo, Liu Ming's lips curled into an extremely cold smile.

He has faced countless life-or-death situations in his life, surviving countless gunfights, so what is there to fear about being killed?

Zhao Guohua's fear did not deter him; instead, it made him even more certain of one thing—that he was on the right track.

That so-called "taboo," that name that everyone avoids talking about, is the source of all evil.

Although the fog is thick, as long as you follow the scent of fear, you will surely find the ghost hiding behind the scenes.

"Luo Binwang".

Liu Ming murmured the name, her eyes revealing a murderous intent.

"Since you want to control everything, then I'll... tear a hole in that sky for you!"

He started the car, the engine roared, and like a tiger released from its cage, he charged headlong into the bustling yet gloomy provincial capital.