In name only: The land of Handong, I shall rule its fate.

The Chen family's ancestral home.

The second generation of the Chen family, who are now CEOs in various sectors, gathered here, all looking gloomy and pale.

No one expected that Qin Zhuofeng, a deputy secretary of the provincial discipline inspection commission, would find irrefutable evidence of the Chen Group's collusion in the project from bidding documents from six years ago.

What's even more deadly is that decisiveness.

The city's anti-corruption bureau was immediately ordered to arrest them. Knowing Chen Qunshan and Chen Qunyang's character well, they were forced to use a special channel to send them out of the country overnight.

You can turn around...

The disciplinary inspection team then instructed the city's economic crime investigation department to detain the heads of other companies that participated in that bidding conference and to investigate the inside story of that year in accordance with the law.

The number of vulnerabilities is increasing.

Even with the Yao and Lin families holding firm to the judicial line, they couldn't withstand the pressure.

Because of the disappearance of Chen Qunshan and Chen Qunying, the first entity to be held accountable was the Municipal Procuratorate.

"uncle!"

The bodyguards in black quickly entered and whispered a few words in the ear of Chen Bulei, the current head of the Chen family and the eldest of the second generation, who was sitting in the main seat. Chen Bulei's expression turned even more unpleasant.

"Big brother, what happened?"

The other second-generation members all asked the same question.

"The mountains, the ocean, and everyone else have just gone missing."

Chen Bulei waved away the bodyguards and spoke in a deep voice.

Missing?

The second generation of the Chen family are not fools; they naturally understand what it means for them to collectively lose contact at this critical moment—it's almost certainly because they've been taken into custody.

"Dad, Uncle!"

Chen Quntian, the third-generation successor, arrived with Zhang Xueyang, the mayor of Chuzhou City. Both of them maintained a basic level of calm.

"Senior Brother Zhang, please have a seat."

"But what happened again?"

Chen Bulei immediately asked.

"No tears, I've received two pieces of news."

Zhang Xueyang plopped down and said without any politeness, "First, the disciplinary inspection team is taking Anti-Corruption Bureau Chief Wang Jian back to the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection for interrogation and investigation; second, one of my subordinates, the deputy district head of Chuzhou District, was taken away from the district government by the Municipal Bureau in the name of the disciplinary inspection team."

Wang Jian was just a scapegoat.

But a deputy district head is a much bigger problem. As a middle-to-lower-level figure in the system, he knows a lot of secrets.

"Is that person's mouth shut?"

Chen Bulei hurriedly asked, but then felt a little stupid after asking.

Those who can rely on the Chen family are all spineless; they're kept on by their own interests and can only hope that the other side will keep quiet in order to get a shorter sentence.

"Something terrible has happened!"

Another sound rang out from outside the hall.

"What kind of behavior is this, making such a racket?"

Chen Bulei unleashed his pent-up anger and roared.

"Uncle, Uncle Lou and Uncle Yu have been taken away by the Municipal Public Security Bureau for investigation."

The one who came to report the news was a third-generation descendant, one of the few who had not evacuated.

Chen Bulei's face was as white as gold paper.

The Uncle Lou and Uncle Yu mentioned by the three generations are Chen Guohua's other two adopted sons, the bosses of Xunjin Group and Xiyangchuan Group.

Their arrests, along with Gu Beilou's, mean that the firewall closest to the Chen family has completely collapsed.

"Big brother!"

The second-generation rich kids are really getting anxious.

Even Zhang Xueyang, the mayor of the city, turned his attention to him; everyone was waiting for Chen Bulei to make a decision.

To abandon or to preserve.

After all, Chen Qunshan is his youngest son.

"What about the Yao and Lin families?"

Chen Bulei's eyes flashed with a fierce light as he asked.

"Let's go! The faster the better!"

Zhang Xueyang uttered five words, "According to the analysis of the two families, the group that came to Chuzhou this time is not just the disciplinary inspection team on the surface. It is possible that the provincial department and the procuratorate also sent people. Otherwise, that old fox Li Weimin would not have taken such initiative."

"Moreover, we have contacted Qunfang many times, but she has not responded. She may have been taken into custody before that."

"Then..."

A pang of heartache flashed in Chen Bulei's eyes, not because his sworn brother had been arrested, nor because his children and nephews had been arrested, but because the funds the Chen family had transferred out were less than half of what they had plundered.

What a pity!

"Brave but reckless! A disorganized mess!"

An aged voice accompanied an elderly figure being supported by two people as they approached.

"Dad! Teacher."

Everyone present stood up, and Chen Bulei even led him to his seat.

"Isn't this exactly what you all imagined?"

Although Chen Guohua was old, he spoke with a strong voice and his fierce eyes swept over all the second-generation members. When his gaze landed on the eldest son of the Chen family, his eyes were full of anger at his lack of ambition.

"We let you into the system in the first place, but you all just wanted temporary riches and glory. Humph! Now, not one of you has any political sense."

"The Yao and Lin families say whatever they want, you idiots!"

Chen Guohua reprimanded.

"Dad, calm down."

Chen Bulei helped his father sit down, saying, "It's my fault for being so disappointing. Please teach me some more, Dad."

"The struggle within the system is all about fighting without breaking apart."

Looking at his son, who was meek and obedient, and then at the anxious expressions of the others, Chen Guohua suppressed all his anger. "Any problem must be compromised for the sake of GDP and long-term stability."

"Old boss, you mean...?"

Zhang Xueyang seemed to be deep in thought, then exclaimed in surprise.

"That's right!"

Chen Guohua narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice, "We traded the stability and development of Chuzhou for survival. Now, we even have most of the key personnel in our hands."

"Think about what happened at Iwata."

"If the province can let so many female cadres who rose through the ranks using their bodies go free, why can't they let us go? Don't we have more people than them? Don't we control more of the economy?"

The others realized what was happening, but smiled.

Only Zhang Xueyang's face turned pale and then red, and his lips trembled.

The above compromise is a compromise.

But the ringleaders will be punished.

"Alas, Xueyang, in the end, it's the old man who has let you down."

Chen Guohua's gaze shifted over.

"Not at all!"

"If my former leader hadn't chosen me to be your liaison, I might still be writing reports in the office."

Zhang Xueyang quickly replied.

"Good! You're still the same good kid you were back then."

Chen Guohua was gratified and assured him, "Don't worry, as long as the Chen family is still around, Xuelan, Zichu, and Ziming will never suffer any injustice."

Zhang Xueyang nodded.

This is both a guarantee and a threat to him.

"Alright, you guys get ready to hand over most of your profits to the higher-ups."

"Only those from overseas will be retained."

Chen Guohua gave his final instructions, then stood up with his cane, "The disciplinary inspection team hasn't left Chuzhou yet, has they? Xueyang, take me to them to turn myself in."

"dad!"

The Chen family exclaimed in surprise.

"idiot!"

Seeing his sons' continued indecisiveness, Chen Guohua rebuked them, "What rank do I hold, and what rank does the disciplinary inspection team hold? Do they have the right to investigate me? I'm using myself to hold them back, preventing them from making any moves and giving you time to act."

"He has no brains at all."

"From now on, Tian'er, you'll be in charge of the Chen family. If any of your father or uncles dare to oppose you, they'll be expelled from the family!"

Chen Guohua looked at his eldest grandson, and a hint of tenderness appeared in his eyes. The other grandson's abilities were not outstanding either, but he had the advantage of being clear-headed.

Knowing she couldn't hide it any longer, she came to him.

This is enough.

As for the future, who knows!