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

Bringing up the old story actually calmed Qi Tongwei's uneasy heart, and he felt as if two voices were constantly ringing in his ears, warning him.

His gaze gradually became calm and indifferent.

They didn't reply.

I drove my car smoothly.

"This is the most I've ever said to you, and the most sincere I've ever been. Tongwei, don't you still believe me?"

A bitter smile appeared on Gao Yuliang's lips. "Or perhaps he's ashamed to be associated with a teacher."

"No!"

Qi Tongwei said, "I'm so glad you can still talk to me so much while you're away."

"I really can't distinguish between what's true and what's false, and I don't have that much energy to analyze your cryptic and mysterious meaning."

"My next battlefield will be in Jiangdong."

"but…"

Qi Tongwei's gaze fell on the rearview mirror again, meeting his eyes with his former teacher. "Whether in the past or now, I really don't like your behavior."

"I've always been a reckless and impulsive person. If I want something, I'll just fight for it and grab it, even if it means becoming a bad person."

"Now I've learned other things from Executive Director Lin."

"It's not just Executive Director Lin, but also Standing Committee Member Fang, Secretary Li, Secretary Yang, Minister Wu, and even the current Secretary Sha and Secretary Tian. I see in them a choice that is completely different from yours."

"The overall situation in Handong!"

"Everyone is fighting and competing, but all the Standing Committee members are united in their goal of safeguarding the core interests of Handong."

"At the height of the struggle."

"Secretary Sha's first reaction to the loss of control in Chuzhou was anger and the need to maintain stability, rather than holding anyone accountable for their failures."

"Secretary Tian unequivocally opposed the 'Clean Handong' policy, but after the overall decision was made, he still devoted himself fully to the tasks that needed to be done."

"I won't talk about Executive Director Lin and the others."

"Each member of the Standing Committee is just an ordinary person, with flaws and mistakes, but everyone is working to improve in order to safeguard the core interests of Handong."

"But Teacher..."

"You've been hiding it all along; nobody knows your true intentions and plans."

"He seemed out of place."

Qi Tongwei's eyes were red, and he said in a low voice, "I seem to be seeing one senior figure after another like Elder Li in my daze."

"Different ideas are clashing."

"Handong is getting better."

"It's like the warm winter sun shining on my body. The cold is not as damp and cold as before. I... also want to try my best to walk through this snow and step into the spring when everything is thriving."

Even in decay.

"I would still willingly become a handful of spring mud to nourish every blade of grass and every tree."

Gao Yuliang's hand holding the cigarette trembled slightly, and a hearty, unrestrained laugh—completely out of place for a scholar—echoed in the cramped car. "Great! Really great!"

"Tongwei, you've finally grown up and can teach the teacher now."

"teacher…"

Qi Tongwei glanced at it, then quickly looked away. "Do you remember that night when you left Executive Director Lin's office?"

The laughter gradually subsided.

"You saw it?"

Although Gao Yuliang asked, he didn't seem to want an answer. "Tongwei will drop the teacher off up ahead. We're not suitable to continue traveling together."

Colleagues?

Qi Tongwei savored the word, finding its meaning as rich as ever.

The car slowly came to a stop on the side of the road.

Gao Yuliang got out of the car, but then knocked on the driver's side window.

The glass is lowered.

The teacher was outside the car, and the students were inside.

"Tongwei! I have benefited greatly from Mr. Chai's teachings, and I will never forget them."

Gao Yuliang squatted down to be at eye level with Qi Tongwei. "Teacher, you've sacrificed so much and made so many mistakes to get to this point. There are no more chances."

"actually."

"The day Executive Director Lin accepted you, your teacher truly envied you. You still have a chance to correct your mistakes, so keep going."

Gao Yuliang stuffed half a pack of cigarettes into Qi Tongwei's hand, "Teachers make mistakes and are not afraid to admit them, but teachers still have things to do, and teachers cannot collapse before they finish their work."

"The teacher gives his final, true lesson:"

A wise person refrains from doing certain things before he can accomplish others.

"Gao Yuliang's integrity may seem simple, but it is by no means false. A true man would gladly face execution and torture, and his spirit will remain strong even after a hundred generations."

Gao Yuliang turned and left.

The vehicles following behind were already waiting. Someone respectfully helped Gao Yuliang into the car, and then the convoy continued to move, overtaking the still-stationary vehicles.

Qi Tongwei recognized the man who was helping Gao Yuliang. It was Han Shiwei, the deputy director of the provincial department in charge of criminal investigation, cyber security, and drug control. He was his former confidant and the person who was ostensibly sent to the Jiangdong Municipal Bureau this time.

They didn't even greet me just now.

Qi Tongwei remained calm; his anger, embarrassment, and shame had already been digested upon first hearing the news.

He looked down at his hand again.

It was half a pack of cigarettes without any markings, not the Emperor brand that Gao Yuliang usually smoked.

Qi Tongwei suddenly chuckled, pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

Jiangdong, Dark Night Club.

Si Tianyu, the club owner who used to be unrestrained in public, huddled in a corner answering the phone, his angry reprimands escaping from time to time.

"Useless trash. The undercover agents have been loitering around your club for months, and you and your bunch of useless men didn't notice a thing."

"I should have let you die in there back then."

His voice was old but powerful, with a hint of wild cruelty that sent chills down one's spine.

"Grandpa! Grandpa! Please save your grandson!"

"Now that Chang Hui and Cao Minde have been arrested, and Min Zhong and Qian Laizhi are also being held by the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, they will definitely send someone to arrest me."

"Please save me!"

"I am your only grandson."

Si Tianyu pleaded.

The anger on the other side seemed to come to an abrupt halt because of that sentence.

"Take a few of your trusted men with you, go through the back door and cross two streets, someone will meet you there. I'll arrange for someone from the Municipal Bureau to temporarily block them, and if any special circumstances arise, have your men find a way to stall them."

"Once you get through this, I'll arrange for you to go abroad, and never come back."

The person on the other end of the microphone calmly made the arrangements.

"Thank you, Grandpa! Thank you, Grandpa! I promise I'll never cause you any more trouble again. I'll get far away from you."

Outside the clubhouse.

A dozen police cars sped to the scene. The Jiangdong Municipal Public Security Bureau received calls from the Provincial Party Committee Office and the Provincial Public Security Department while the program was airing, demanding the immediate arrest of the person in charge of the Dark Night Club.

"Captain Li, arrange for your men to storm in from the front, take control of the suspect, and secure evidence at the scene."

Deputy Director Du Bihui of the Municipal Public Security Bureau gave the order: "Team Leader Wang, you are in charge of leading people to block off, evacuate, and capture the escapees. I will personally be in charge of blocking off the back door."

Detective Wang frowned. "Director Du, according to our original plan, shouldn't you have assigned two teams to cordon off the area and prevent the thugs from the Dark Night Club from escaping?"

"Stop talking nonsense!"

Du Bihui interrupted impatiently, "I am the on-site commander. Everything must proceed according to my plan. Anyone who disobeys orders, leaves their post without authorization, and causes the suspect to escape, will not be spared by me."