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

The busiest intersection of Jianshe Road in the center of Jingzhou.

The cold autumn wind was howling, but a bizarre comedy was unfolding on the street that would be recorded in the history of Handong.

Two black riot control vehicles bearing SWAT insignia lay sprawled in the middle of the road like dead turtles.

Seven or eight SWAT officers, fully armed and wearing bulletproof vests, were standing at the back of the car with their buttocks sticking out.

They gripped the vehicle tightly with both hands, pushing it forward with sweat pouring down their faces, their rubber shoes screeching against the asphalt.

"One, two, three! Push!"

The squadron leader, who was leading the group, had shouted himself hoarse, and his face had turned a deep purplish-red like a pig's liver.

Hundreds of onlookers gathered on the roadside, completely blocking the sidewalk.

Everyone was holding up the latest high-paying, high-benefit mobile phones.

That was the huge year-end bonus that Lingxiao Consortium just gave to tens of thousands of workers in Handong who had returned to work yesterday.

The flashbulbs went off incessantly, and the crowd laughed uproariously as they filmed the scene.

"Wow, officers, your riot control vehicle is pretty environmentally friendly!"

An older woman carrying a shopping basket shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Is this a hybrid electric vehicle converted to manual direct drive? Green travel, I support you guys!"

The crowd burst into laughter.

The squadron leader, hearing these hurtful and sarcastic remarks, wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

He wiped the sweat from his eyes and shouted into the walkie-talkie through gritted teeth.

"Command center! How much longer?! Why hasn't the bureau's rescue tow truck arrived yet?!"

The operator's hoarse voice, trembling with tears, came through the walkie-talkie.

"Captain, don't wait any longer. The tow truck broke down on the way, and its fuel tank is empty."

The scene cuts back to the municipal party committee compound, to the office of the top leader.

"Bang!"

Li Dakang grabbed his beloved blue-and-white porcelain teacup from the table and smashed it hard on the ground.

Broken porcelain shards mixed with scalding hot tea splashed all over the floor.

"Absurd! This is utterly ridiculous!"

Li Dakang pointed at the video of SWAT officers pushing a cart that was going viral on the computer screen, his fingers trembling as if he were fluffing cotton.

"A riot control vehicle belonging to the Municipal Public Security Bureau, being displayed like a monkey by ordinary citizens on the street!"

He turned his head, his eyes wide open like two black holes ready to devour someone.

"What is Zhao Donglai good for! If he doesn't have money for gas, can't he just use his gas card to pay for it at Sinopec?!"

Secretary Xiao Jin huddled in the corner, holding a gold-embossed red document in her hands, swallowing hard in fear.

"Secretary Li, it's not that Director Zhao won't keep the record."

Xiao Jin opened the file, her voice trembling like a leaf falling in the wind.

"This is a province-wide announcement just issued by Lingxiao Energy Group this morning. Please take a look."

Li Dakang snatched the document, his eyes sweeping over the few lines of red text on a black background.

This announcement was personally signed by Lei Zhen, the new head of Lingxiao Energy.

The reasons were written in a grand and plausible manner, without any flaws.

"Due to the recent sharp fluctuations in international crude oil prices, in order to prevent the risk of triangular debt among enterprises and optimize cash flow."

"Effective immediately, all gas stations and refineries under Lingxiao Energy will cancel the privilege of using fuel cards for government agencies and public vehicles."

"Payment is required for all oil purchases; no credit is available. Cash only."

After reading this passage, Li Dakang felt a surge of anger rush to his head, and his brain throbbed with pain.

This isn't risk prevention! This is clearly using a legal knife to slit the throats of the Handong government!

Lei Zhen's move paralyzed the entire administrative system of Handong.

"They've rebelled! The Lingxiao Consortium is trying to seize control of the area!"

Li Dakang slammed his hand on the desk, making the pens in the pen holder jump.

"Get the car ready! Come with me to Lingxiao Energy headquarters immediately!"

He grabbed his coat from the back of the chair and strode out.

"I'd like to see how much guts Lei Zhen has to stop supplying gas to my municipal government compound! If I don't revoke his business license today, I, Li Dakang, will change my mind!"

Xiao Jin followed behind, then stopped, her face full of bitterness.

"Secretary Li... even our Audi can't move anymore."

Li Dakang tripped and almost fell down the stairs.

"What did you say?"

Xiao Jin, with a long face, pulled out his empty wallet.

"The oil tanks in the municipal government's garage ran out yesterday, and the finance bureau's account is locked, so the money for buying oil can't be transferred at all."

He cautiously observed Li Dakang's face, which looked like it was about to devour someone.

"How about... I use my salary this month to buy some gas and take you there in my used Volkswagen Santana?"

Half an hour later.

A worn-out Volkswagen Santana, its paint chipped, roared like an asthmatic patient as it pulled up in the spacious and imposing plaza of the Lingxiao Energy Building.

Li Dakang pushed open the car door and got out of the car, braving the cold wind.

This building was originally the staff quarters of the Energy Bureau of Handong Province, but now it has been bought by the Lingxiao Consortium, including the land and the building itself.

The renovation transformed it into a steel fortress from a science fiction movie.

With a gloomy face, Li Dakang led Xiao Jin and strode into the magnificent entrance hall.

"Where is Lei Zhen! Tell him to get out here right now!"

He yelled at the front desk without any regard for the consequences, unleashing the full authority of the municipal party secretary.

The receptionist, dressed in haute couture business attire and high heels, came to greet us.

Faced with the furious Li Dakang, he didn't even blink, a flawless professional smile on his lips.

"Sir, do you have an appointment?"

"An appointment? Do I, Li Dakang, need to report to you when I come to inspect our work?"

Li Dakang laughed in anger and reached out to push open the security gate in the lobby.

Four burly bodyguards in black instantly stepped forward, blocking the way like a wall of flesh.

The receptionist maintained her perfectly appropriate smile.

"Secretary Li, this is private property owned by the company."

She extended her fair finger and pointed to the visitor rules on the wall.

"Mr. Lei is currently holding a multinational video conference involving tens of billions of dollars."

The younger sister's tone was gentle, yet it was as sharp as a soft nail.

"If you do not have an appointment, please wait in the rest area or come back tomorrow."

Li Dakang was speechless, his chest heaving violently.

He, the top leader, couldn't even get a glimpse of a capitalist; he was completely controlled by a receptionist!

"This is a monopoly! You are maliciously obstructing the flow of public resources!"

Li Dakang gritted his teeth and pulled out his trump card.

"Believe it or not, I'll get the Industry and Commerce Bureau to revoke your license tomorrow!"

The receptionist didn't reply, but just smiled and gestured for us to look.

Following her gaze, Li Dakang looked up at the giant holographic projection screen in the center of the hall that occupied the entire wall.

He was in such a hurry to find someone that he didn't pay any attention to what was on the screen.

Looking closely now, I felt my blood run cold instantly.

On the screen is a huge map showing the distribution of the energy network in Handong Province.

The red and blue stripes, like blood vessels, densely cover every city and every highway.

Above the hologram, several lines of large, gold-plated characters flashed prominently.

[Lingxiao Consortium Energy Consolidation Announcement.]

[741 gas stations, four major oil refining bases, and a complete natural gas pipeline network within Handong Province.]

[100% ownership and exclusive franchise rights have been fully acquired by Lingxiao Energy Group.]

These words struck Li Dakang's chest like a heavy hammer.

License revocation?

The entire energy network in Handong now belongs to Lingxiao.

If their licenses are really suspended, tomorrow the people of the whole province won't even be able to heat their pots, and the entire Handong area will be paralyzed instantly!

Yan Qingfeng not only bought the chessboard, but also bought all the wood used to make it!

Li Dakang stood there, his legs weak, and his vision blurred.

Humiliation, anger, and a sense of powerlessness overwhelmed him like a tidal wave.

He took several deep breaths, forcefully suppressing the metallic taste in his throat.

With trembling hands, he pulled his phone from the inside pocket of his suit jacket and found the private number labeled "Lei Zhen" in his contacts.

The hall was so quiet that only the faint electrical hum of the holographic screen could be heard.

The phone rang twice before being answered.

In the background, deafening heavy metal music blared, along with a woman's seductive laughter.

Li Dakang gripped his phone tightly, his knuckles turning a pale white.

"Lei Zhen! Stop trying to fool me! Who exactly ordered the energy purchase restrictions?!"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Lei Zhen's nonchalant yet arrogant laughter.

"Oh, it's Secretary Li."

Lei Zhen chewed his gum, his voice traveling through the receiver into Li Dakang's ears.

"What's this? You're calling in person—are you planning to buy oil at market price in cash, or are you coming here to beg for alms?"