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

The Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Provincial High People's Procuratorate, Director's Office.

Hou Liangping, like a gambler who had lost everything, slammed open the half-closed door.

Without even changing his shoes, he rushed straight to the solid wood desk piled high with case files.

"There must be something fishy going on! Even without a confession, there will definitely be traces of the funds!"

He dug his fingers into his hair and scratched hard, his eyes filled with terrifying red blood vessels.

On the table were all the transcripts and forensic reports from the "Guangming Lake corpse sinking case" obtained from the Municipal Bureau.

He turned the pages one by one, his knuckles turning white from the force.

The rustling sound of papers turning over sounded unusually restless in the quiet office.

"No...why is it still not there!"

The forensic report clearly states "minor external injury," which doesn't even qualify as a level two minor injury.

The overseas dark web accounts had clean records; the billion dollars in illicit funds were all donated to the Red Cross anonymously.

Hou Liangping suddenly grabbed the purple clay pen holder from the table and slammed it hard onto the floor.

With a crisp "crack", the pen holder shattered into pieces.

Officer Xiao Gao stood outside the door, swallowed hard, and didn't dare to take a single step inside.

Just then, a series of heavy, orderly footsteps echoed down the corridor.

Secretary Bai, carrying a briefcase, walked expressionlessly to the door with two armed police officers.

"Director Hou, the ten-minute time limit given by Secretary Sha is up."

Secretary Bai glanced at the mess on the floor and said in a cold tone.

"Please take the decision to withdraw the case. Secretary Sha said that if your leg is inconvenient, these two brothers will help you go."

Hou Liangping froze, staring intently at the two stern-faced armed police officers.

The images of Zhong Xiaoai's family business being threatened gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake.

His cherished beliefs were shattered beyond recognition under the brutal crushing power of this regime.

"I'm not going!"

Hou Liangping swept tens of thousands of files off the table and roared hysterically.

"Yan Qingfeng is clearly a lawless oligarch! He's setting up his own court!"

He pointed to the pieces of paper scattered on the ground, his voice cracking completely.

"Why! Why can't our public security, procuratorate, and judicial organs find even the slightest flaw in him!"

Secretary Bai didn't reply, but simply turned her head slightly towards the armed police officer next to her.

Two armed police officers immediately stepped forward and grabbed Hou Liangping's shoulders, one on each side.

Hou Liangping deflated like a punctured balloon, his legs buckling.

He dejectedly picked up the decision to withdraw the case, stamped with a red seal, tears welling up in his eyes.

Half an hour later.

A police car was parked outside the two towering brass gates of Lingxiao Manor.

Afu pushed open the side door, not even glancing at Hou Liangping, and turned to lead the way.

After passing through a luxurious rose-lined corridor, Hou Liangping was led into an antique-style tea room.

The sandalwood incense wafts gently, and the tea soup is a clear, golden yellow.

Yan Qingfeng, dressed in a pure white cotton and linen casual outfit, sat behind a rosewood tea table.

He held a small Jianzhan teacup in his hand, slowly skimming off the tea foam.

"Mr. Yan, the person has arrived. You only have two minutes." Afu bowed and stepped out the door.

Hou Liangping stood in front of the tea table, looking at the calm and collected young man before him.

He felt like a clown who had been stripped naked.

"Bang."

Hou Liangping slammed the "Decision to Terminate Investigation and Withdraw Case" onto the tea table.

The paper was wrinkled from the sweat in his palms.

"You win."

Hou Liangping gritted his teeth and squeezed out the words through the gaps, his cheek muscles bulging high.

"But don't get too cocky. I don't believe you can keep the matter of the body being thrown into Bright Lake a secret forever."

Yan Qingfeng ignored him.

He brought the Jianzhan teacup to his lips, took a small sip, and then slowly raised his eyelids.

Those deep eyes held no victor's arrogance, only a cold indifference as if looking down on ants.

"Director Hou, do you know why you lost?"

Yan Qingfeng put down his teacup and tapped his well-defined fingers lightly on the table twice.

"You always think that justice must be the handcuffs in your hands, the gavel you strike."

A mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips, his gaze sharp as a knife scraping across Hou Liangping's face.

"You treat rigid legal provisions as your faith, but you forget that the underlying nature of this world is self-interest."

Hou Liangping was breathing rapidly, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

"That's just sophistry! You're exploiting loopholes in the law and trampling on the dignity of the nation!"

Yan Qingfeng chuckled softly and shook his head.

"True power never requires breaking the rules."

He stood up, walked to Hou Liangping, and looked down at the former anti-corruption champion.

"Instead, we make the rules work for us willingly."

Yan Qingfeng straightened his cuffs and spoke slowly and deliberately, each word piercing the heart.

"Your law can't control the momentum I create. In the face of absolute capital and public opinion, your petty arrogance is worthless."

Hou Liangping opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

These words were like a sledgehammer, shattering the last piece of his protective shield.

They didn't break the law; they were playing by the rules. Yet, they managed to turn the officialdom of Handong into a dead end.

He was completely exhausted and trembling as he pulled a pen from his pocket.

In the column for those who withdrew their cases, the three words "Hou Liangping" were signed crookedly.

Every stroke felt like cutting off his own flesh.

After signing, he threw down the pen and, like a lost soul, staggered and turned to leave.

As I stepped out of the gates of Lingxiao Manor, the cold wind of early winter blew in through my collar.

Hou Liangping raised his head, looked at the gloomy sky over Jingzhou, and gave a bitter laugh.

He took off his crisp, dark prosecutor's uniform jacket, folded it neatly, and casually placed it on the lid of a roadside trash can.

His prized sword has been broken.

An empty taxi drove by, and he opened the door and got in.

"Driver, go to the train station. Buy a ticket for the earliest train leaving Handong."

In the tea room.

Yan Qingfeng watched the yellow taxi drive away outside the window, his eyes completely unmoved.

"Master Yan, that Hou fellow is out of here."

The heavy wooden door was pushed open.

Su Jianxin, wearing a floral shirt, and Lin Yubing, in high heels, strode in with several core members of the conglomerate.

These figures standing at the pinnacle of the Han Dong pyramid all had fervent eyes and stood ramrod straight.

Yan Qingfeng turned around and casually threw the decision to drop the case into the shredder next to him.

The machine emitted a buzzing, grinding sound, as if it were chewing up the remnants of an old era.

"The obstacles have been cleared. It's time to reclaim what's rightfully ours."

Yan Qingfeng placed his hands on the tea table, his gaze domineering, exuding an aura of dominance.

Su Jianxin rubbed his hands excitedly and pulled a thick stack of documents from his briefcase.

"Master Yan, the restructuring agreement for Guangming Peak and the franchise transfer contract are all ready."

He grinned, his smile resembling that of a vicious wolf that devours people without spitting out the bones.

"They swallowed up Jingzhou without spending a single penny. Sha Ruijin is probably kicking himself right now. Do you think he'll sign it willingly?"

Yan Qingfeng picked up the unfinished cup of tea and poured it directly into the water bowl.

He had no choice.

He gave a cold, domineering laugh and turned to look at the gloomy sky outside the window.

"Go tell Sha Ruijin: If I don't see the agreement with the official seal before sunset today..."

"Tomorrow, Jingzhou will be nothing but a dead city without water and electricity."