Handong: Sha Li wants political achievements? I'll shut down the entire province.

The ecstasy on Hou Liangping's face froze instantly, as if someone had poured a bucket of liquid nitrogen over his head.

He abruptly stopped in his tracks at the door, staring blankly at the swaying steel handcuffs.

The silvery-white metal clanged against each other in the cold autumn wind, making a crisp, rattling sound.

Hou Liangping's mind went blank for a full three seconds before he suddenly came to his senses.

He quickly straightened his back, adopting the demeanor of an anti-corruption bureau chief reprimanding his subordinates, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Old Li! Stop joking around! Put the handcuffs away!"

He stiffened his neck, strode out the door, and tried to cover up his panic with a loud voice.

"I'm carrying out the rank of Imperial Envoy! You've brought men to block my door, where are the proper documents?"

Standing opposite him was Li, the head of the Discipline Inspection Team of the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

Previously, Hou Liangping relied on the Zhong family's extensive influence in Beijing to suppress these honest and hardworking colleagues within the system.

Team Leader Li didn't say anything, but casually twirled the handcuffs on his index finger twice.

A mocking smile, as if looking at a dead man, curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Director Hou, are you still dreaming of being an imperial envoy?"

He pulled a document with two large red seals from his briefcase and slapped it directly onto Hou Liangping's chest.

"This is a joint investigation order issued by the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Read it carefully before you start acting arrogantly."

Hou Liangping flicked his wrist, and the document floated lightly onto the leaf-strewn steps.

He stared intently at the bright red banner, his whole body trembling as if he'd been electrocuted.

"Impossible... Who dares to investigate me? Sha Ruijin only stripped me of my uniform; he has no right to prosecute me!"

He stumbled backward, his leather shoes tripping on the threshold, and he almost fell flat on his face.

Team Leader Li lifted his foot, stepped over the investigation order, and strode into the Zhong family's messy living room.

"You think it's Handong who's going to get you? You overestimate yourself."

Team Leader Li looked around at the broken porcelain shards scattered on the ground, and the bank debt collectors who had retreated to the corner to watch the show.

"Your wife's family has fallen, and your protective umbrella has finally burst."

He turned and stared at Hou Liangping's deathly pale face, his words like knives.

"Those people you offended in the past by using violence and overstepping your authority are now all lining up to take your life."

The wall fell and everyone pushed.

These five words shattered Hou Liangping's last illusions like a heavy hammer.

"Hey, Team Leader Li, you're here to collect debts too?"

Old Liu, the director of the bank's credit department, grinned widely and approached with a smug look on his face.

"This Director Hou just threatened to file a case and arrest me; he's got a lot of authority."

"Old Liu, shut up!" Hou Liangping roared angrily, veins throbbing in his neck.

"Alright, stop making a fool of yourself here."

Team Leader Li waved his hand, and several discipline inspection officers behind him poured into the hall with expressionless faces.

"Search the study. Don't miss a single piece of paper."

The group moved swiftly, bypassing Zhong Xiaoai who was sprawled on the ground, and headed straight for the second floor.

Hou Liangping panicked and reached out to stop Team Leader Li.

"You're framing me! I'm completely innocent, what can you possibly find out!"

Team Leader Li sneered, pulled a black leather notebook from his pocket, and flipped through a few pages.

"Hou Liangping, during your investigation in Handong, you mobilized special police to Dafeng Factory without any organizational approval."

His voice echoed in the hall, making Hou Liangping's scalp tingle.

"You condoned your wife, Zhong Xiaoai, to use her family's privileges to obstruct inter-provincial logistics and maliciously interfere with local economic development."

Team Leader Li closed his notebook, his eyes filled with mockery.

"With these two capital offenses of abuse of power, you still have the nerve to claim you're incorruptible?"

"I'm here to investigate! Yan Qingfeng is a bloodsucker capitalist; he's completely controlling Handong!"

Hou Liangping roared hysterically, spittle flying everywhere.

His eyes were bloodshot, like a trapped beast driven to the brink of despair.

"Why aren't you investigating Yan Qingfeng, but instead you're investigating me? You've all been bribed by the Lingxiao Consortium!"

"Don't bite people here."

Team Leader Li wiped the spittle off his face and kicked Hou Liangping in the back of the knee.

With a "thud," Director Hou knelt firmly on the broken glass.

"You haven't even cleaned up the shit under your own ass, yet you're pretending to be an upright and honest official?"

Suddenly, a series of hurried and heavy footsteps came from the second-floor stairs.

Two staff members carrying a bulging brown paper bag walked briskly downstairs.

"Team Leader Li, the secret compartment with the combination lock behind the study wall has been pried open."

The clerk turned the paper bag upside down and dumped a pile of documents onto the coffee table with a "whoosh".

The bright green overseas property certificate, along with several thick stacks of Swiss bank statements.

White background with black lettering, clearly visible.

Team Leader Li casually picked up a property certificate, flipped it open, and glanced at it.

"A Sydney villa worth 20 million Australian dollars, and anonymous trust transactions worth 30 million US dollars."

He slapped the hard-cover property certificate across Hou Liangping's face.

"Come on, Director Hou, open your dog eyes and explain yourself."

The property certificate slid down Hou Liangping's nose and hit the ground.

He stared at his name clearly written in the head of household section, and his mind went blank.

To cover their tracks, the Zhong family registered all these money laundering activities under the name of their son-in-law, who had no real power.

Normally, that's the extra money his wife's family gives him.

Now, this is a death warrant!

"This...this isn't mine! Zhong Xiaoai put it there!"

Hou Liangping completely broke down. He pointed at his wife, who was lying on the ground beside him, and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"I had no idea! I didn't spend a single penny! It was all done by the Chung family!"

When disaster strikes, everyone flees for their lives.

Seeing this ugly face, even Old Liu from the bank next door couldn't help but click his tongue.

Zhong Xiaoai turned her head stiffly to look at her husband who had pushed her out to take the bullet for her.

She suddenly grinned, her chapped lips parted, and laughed—a laugh that was both bleak and disgusting.

"Hou Liangping, you're such a spineless coward."

"take away."

Team Leader Li, too lazy to watch the couple bickering, waved his hand and gave the order directly.

Two burly officers pounced on him and grabbed Hou Liangping's arms behind his back.

"Snap!"

The cold, steel handcuffs gripped his wrist bones tightly.

"Let me go! This is a frame-up! Yan Qingfeng set this up for you!"

Hou Liangping struggled frantically, kicking his feet wildly on the smooth floor.

The officer tried to drag him out, but he clung tightly to the brass door frame.

His fingernails split open on the spot, and blood seeped out through the cracks in the door frame, but he still refused to let go.

"I work for the Supreme People's Procuratorate! I'm serving the country! I represent justice!"

Hou Liangping's voice completely broke, and a dry howl like a dying beast came out of his throat.

The cold wind from outside rushed into his mouth, choking him and causing him to cough repeatedly, his face covered in snot and tears.

Team Leader Li stepped forward and, expressionless, pried open the fingers that were gripping the door frame one by one.

"Hou Liangping, justice requires evidence."

He patted Hou Liangping's ashen and distorted face, his sarcasm thick and unmistakable.

"When you used to abuse your power to investigate others, you weren't this law-abiding."

The excruciating pain of his finger being forcibly broken sent Hou Liangping into a scream.

The officer seized the opportunity to lift him up and drag him out the door like a dead dog.

The leather shoes made a dull thud on the steps.

The back door of the black police car was wide open, and inside it was like a bottomless black hole, waiting to swallow him up.

"Wait! I need to see someone higher up! I want to appeal!"

Hou Liangping clung tightly to the car door, making a final, futile struggle.

Team Leader Li pressed down on the back of his neck and forcefully shoved him into the carriage.

With a "bang," he slammed the heavy car door shut.

The car window rolled down halfway, and Team Leader Li's indifferent face appeared in the window.

A cold wind blew into the carriage through the gaps, making Hou Liangping shiver.

"Save your energy, Director Hou."

Team Leader Li loosened his tie, his eyes looking at a dead man.

"The operating lights in the interrogation room are already on for you. Guess who will be the first person to interrogate you?"