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

Two familiar strangers arrived at the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Qiu Tianhen, the vice governor in charge of political and legal affairs, and Li Guohua, the director of the provincial supervision department.

According to the rule of having one set of personnel under two titles, Li Guohua, as the director of the Provincial Supervisory Commission, also serves as the deputy secretary of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection.

However, the Provincial Supervisory Commission, which mainly supervises administrative personnel, is under the jurisdiction of the provincial government, and its relationship with the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection is quite delicate.

"Governor Qiu, Director Li, are you here to see Secretary Tian?"

Xiao Jia asked respectfully.

"Following Executive Director Lin's orders, Director Li and I expedited the interrogation of Liu Xinjian, who was under investigation, and thoroughly investigated the internal affairs of the Handong Oil and Gas Group."

"Secretary Jia, could you please ask Secretary Tian if he's available right now?"

Qiu Tianhen is fifty-two years old this year. As a demobilized military officer, he naturally possesses a mechanical toughness and indifference. Faced with him, Secretary Jia couldn't help but swallow.

"Okay, please wait a moment."

Secretary Jia immediately went to ask for instructions.

"oh!"

Excitement gleamed in Tian Guofu's eyes; it seemed Lin Zhiyuan was even more eager than he was.

What are we waiting for?

Tian Guofu didn't even invite the two into his office for tea. Instead, he went out with his secretary, Xiao Jia, and the three of them entered the interrogation room of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Liu Xinjian, dressed in a dark soft detention uniform and with his hands shackled, sat in the interrogation chair with a leisurely and self-satisfied expression.

"Are you ever going to stop? Didn't you already find evidence that I embezzled funds to gamble in Macau? What else is there to interrogate me about?"

"I tell you, I have committed a crime, but I am still a human being. I want to tell you that illegal interrogations do not allow people to rest."

Liu Xinjian looked at the three people who came in, but instead of being intimidated, he issued a stern warning.

"You can sue for illegal interrogation anytime you want."

Qiu Tianhen threw a stack of documents at him, leaning forward like a tiger ready to pounce. "Now let's talk about how you've been transferring benefits to the Zhao siblings."

"What transfer of benefits? I don't understand."

Liu Xinjian didn't even glance at the document, raised an eyebrow and sneered, "I know you're Lin Zhiyuan's man, the new executive vice president, but don't even think about using me to slander former Secretary Zhao Lichun or his children."

"I admit that my faith wavered for a time and I made a mistake, but I have always adhered to the most basic bottom line of an organizational cadre and would never misappropriate state resources for personal gain."

Liu Xinjian spoke with righteous indignation, as if he, sitting in the interrogation chair, was the only good cadre in the organization.

"Did Governor Qiu just mention that they are the children of former Party Secretary Zhao Lichun? It seems you know very well what's going on."

Li Guohua sneered.

They worked in a coordinated manner with Qiu Tianhen.

Tian Guofu simply sat in the main seat, saying nothing, watching the two people beside him exert their strength.

It's wonderful to get things done without him having to lift a finger.

"Ha! Don't try to fool me, you surnamed Li."

Liu Xinjian was taken aback, then sneered, "The only Zhao-surname businessmen I know are Sister Xiaohui and Ruilong. Don't try to give me false testimony."

"It's really dark in Handong now, I'm going to report you guys."

"A spectre is haunting the continent of Europe—the spectre of communism."

In order to carry out a sacred siege against this specter, all the powers of old Europe—the Pope and the Tsar, Metternich and Guizot, the French radicals and the German police—united.

"Communists disdain to conceal their views and intentions."

They openly declared that their goal could only be achieved by violently overthrowing the entire existing social order.

Let the ruling class tremble before the communist revolution!

The proletariat have nothing to lose but their chains; they have a world to win!

Liu Xinjian seemed to have encountered a tremendous injustice, and he recited the organization's declaration with deep emotion, as if he were trying to find a bright future in the footsteps of revolutionary predecessors.

clap clap clap!

Qiu Tianhen applauded.

"That was a wonderful recitation, full of emotion."

Qiu Tianhen's eyes grew increasingly cold, each word carrying the syllables of a sharpening knife: "Born into a red family, your ancestors shed blood and sacrificed for the liberation of the country, and you yourself came from the army, rising to the rank of deputy battalion commander, but is your heart still red? You have utterly disgraced the military."

"Oh!"

Liu Xinjian scoffed, "You surnamed Qiu, don't spout those righteous words. I've sweated more than you have bled. You're targeting the Zhao family just because Secretary Zhao promoted Qi Tongwei to Director of the Public Security Bureau instead of you back then, haven't you?"

"But can your professional skills even compare to a hair on Qi Tongwei's head?"

"The old Party Secretary was kind-hearted; even so, he still promoted you to Vice Governor in charge of political and legal affairs. And you repay kindness with enmity? Colluding with that Lin fellow, you're trying to frame the old Party Secretary here."

"And you've disgraced the military?"

"Pooh!"

"You dare say that?"

Liu Xinjian unleashed his full power, displaying an aura of one man overpowering two tigers.

"Who loses face is not for you to decide, nor for me to decide, but for the facts to tell."

Qiu Tianhen's tone remained calm throughout, as if he were stating something that had nothing to do with him.

"Starting in 09, you designated Huilong Company, jointly operated by Zhao Xiaohui and Zhao Ruilong, as the exclusive agent for oil and gas equipment and pipes, generating hundreds of millions in profits annually."

"In May 11, ST Electric Card underwent restructuring. You transferred 6 million yuan to Zhao Ruilong's Longyin Company for asset restructuring. The stock price rose from 2 yuan to 82 yuan, and Zhao Ruilong made a net profit of 9 million yuan, while Handong Oil and Gas Group received nothing."

"In August 2011, I partnered with Zhao Ruilong to invest 350 million yuan plus a high-quality oil and gas field to create the Yunling Oil and Gas brand. The project suffered huge losses, and all state-owned assets were lost."

"At the end of 11, he deliberately withdrew from the bidding for a prime plot of land in the city center, allowing Zhao Ruilong to acquire the land for 2 million yuan and sell it for 12 billion yuan, making a net profit of 10 billion yuan."

"During your twelve years as chairman and president of Handong Oil and Gas Group, you have lost more than 3 billion to the Zhao family."

"Do I need to continue recounting every single detail, Liu Xinjian?"

Qiu Tianhen shouted coldly.

His fingers tapped incessantly on the table, making a jarring sound that was particularly jarring in the silent interrogation room.

It's very upsetting.

"These are all reasonable decisions made by the oil and gas group after taking into account the actual situation and social stability."

Liu Xinjian seemed to wake up from a daze and said stiffly, "For example, in the restructuring of ST Electric Card, although the oil and gas group did not make a profit, it saved the Electric Card company. Electric Card's main business is electronics and it is still an important pillar of the electronic industry in Handong. It has also protected the jobs of thousands of workers and saved thousands of families."

"This is the responsibility that Handong Oil & Gas Group, as a state-owned enterprise, should have to society and the people, rather than simply pursuing profit."

Liu Xinjian became more and more confident as he spoke, and his voice grew louder and louder.

"oh!"

Qiu Tianhen said calmly, "So it seems we misunderstood Comrade Xinjian's selflessness?"

Before Liu Xinjian could reply.

Qiu Tianhen then added, "I wonder if the Zhao siblings think the same way?"