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

Today is a day for the tacitly agreed-upon family gathering of senior officials in Handong.

"Wife, wife, I'm home."

Sun Liancheng pushed open the door, his face beaming with joy.

Li Qinglian, who had already returned home from school on leave, immediately rushed over when she heard her husband's loud shouts. Her worried eyes fell on him, but when she saw the smile that Sun Liancheng couldn't hide on his face, the words of comfort she was about to say stuck in her throat.

"You weren't fired from your job by Li Dakang, were you?"

Li Qinglian asked cautiously.

"Hi!"

Sun Liancheng put his arm around his wife's shoulder and walked towards the living room. "They just announced my promotion to Party Secretary of Guangming District yesterday, how come they've removed me today?"

"Wouldn't that be a slap in the face to the provincial party committee, and a slap in the face to Li Dakang?"

"Then why did you rush me back from school? I have classes this afternoon!"

Li Qinglian slapped the man in dissatisfaction.

"Something came up."

"Li Dakang has handed over the Guangmingfeng project to me, so I will be living on the construction site for a long time to come."

"I'll have to trouble my wife to take care of things at home."

Sun Liancheng scratched his head.

"How long will it take?"

Li Qinglian remained calm. This situation had occurred frequently in the past, but it had gradually stabilized over the past four years.

"Maybe...a year!"

Sun Liancheng cautiously uttered a time, and seeing the change in Li Qinglian's expression, he quickly lowered his voice and said, "The reason I was able to take over Bright Peak smoothly this time is because Executive Director Lin gave me the opportunity."

He gave me a year.

"If the Guangming Peak project is secured, Executive Director Lin might give me a chance."

Li Qinglian's expression kept changing.

Sun Liancheng's promotion to Party Secretary of Guangming District is practically a step up to the provincial level. It's only a matter of time before he becomes Vice Mayor or joins the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee. Giving him another chance would mean…

"It's also a chance for our son. Regardless of his future, at least he won't face injustice."

Sun Liancheng said solemnly.

"good!"

Li Qinglian nodded; their child would be graduating from university next year.

"How about I retire early? I only have two years left anyway."

"I'll take care of you."

Li Qinglian suddenly spoke.

"How can that be? It's a construction site; there's not even any accommodation."

Sun Liancheng immediately disagreed.

"I only go to construction sites."

"If I'm not around, you definitely won't take a shower or change your clothes, and you'll smell terrible. I don't want that."

Li Qinglian persisted.

"But I have one requirement: it cannot affect my work."

Sun Liancheng had no choice but to agree. The couple reached a consensus and quickly packed the items they needed to bring.

"Should you bring your telescope?"

Li Qinglian asked.

"Hmm... I won't bring it."

"I'll have plenty of time after I retire to stargaze."

At the same time, in the family compound of the Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee.

My cousin and the nanny aren't home today.

"Li Dakang, are you out of your mind?!"

Ouyang Jing stormed in, bursting through the door and launching into a tirade against Li Dakang, who was sitting in the living room, demanding, "What gives you the right to ask me to resign from Jingzhou Bank?"

"Because you are my wife, Li Dakang's wife, according to the principle of spousal avoidance, you cannot hold any financial or accounting-related work in Jingzhou City, which is under my jurisdiction."

Li Dakang shot him a cold, icy look.

The young couple has wasted half their lives, and the romance of picking seashells on the beach to pursue their love is long gone.

All that remains is endless resentment and incomprehension.

"Oh!"

Ouyang Jing was so angry she laughed. Was this her first day as the vice president of Jingzhou Bank? Why didn't she say anything before? Let alone Li Dakang, who came from a background as the secretary to the provincial party secretary and is now a member of the provincial standing committee, not knowing what the principle of avoidance is.

"Then let's get a divorce!"

Ouyang Jing roared through gritted teeth.

"Do you think you can continue to serve as the vice president of Jingzhou Bank after the divorce, given your abilities?"

Li Dakang uttered a sentence.

These words were like a dagger piercing Ouyang Jing's heart. Ouyang Jing trembled with anger. This man really knew everything, he was just pretending not to.

"OK!"

"Li Dakang, you've finally told the truth."

"I really don't have the ability to be the deputy bank manager. I'm going abroad right now to find Jiajia and never come back. You can stay in China and be your naked official!"

Ouyang Jing's blood rushed to her head, and she stopped holding back her words.

"Are you sure you want to ruin me?"

Li Dakang's eyes flashed crimson; his gaze was not that of someone looking at his wife and children's mother, but rather at a mortal enemy.

"you…"

"What are you going to do!"

Startled by that look, Ouyang Jing snapped back to reality. "You attacked me; Jiajia will never forgive you."

"I... am only 52."

Li Dakang practically spat it out of his throat: "Divorce and remarry, you can still have children."

"you…"

Ouyang Jing's face suddenly turned pale; she had lost her biggest bargaining chip.

"And you can't leave either."

"Dafeng Factory's finance manager, You Ruixing, said you accepted four kickbacks from Cai Chenggong, totaling two million."

"You served as the deputy director of Jingzhou City Bank for four years. There are definitely more than just one Cai Chenggong. The kickbacks you received must be at least tens of millions."

"If you dare to step out of this door today, I guarantee the Jingzhou Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection will arrest you immediately."

Li Dakang threatened him, completely naked.

"I didn't take it by myself."

Ouyang Jing's eyes were bloodshot as she stared intently at the man in front of her, a man who filled her with both unfamiliarity and fear.

"I know."

"But who gets dealt with is up to me."

Li Dakang did not back down an inch.

Given Ouyang Jing's tantrum-throwing personality, if he gives in even a little, she'll take advantage of him.

"Li Dakang, what exactly do you want me to do?! Are you only happy when you've driven me to my death?!"

Ouyang Jing collapsed weakly to the ground.

Li Dakang finally got up from the sofa and reached out his hand to Ouyang Jing. Ouyang Jing glared at him resentfully, but she had no choice but to take his hand.

"First, quit your job immediately."

"Second, hand over the kickbacks you've received over the years to me. I will deposit them into the municipal discipline inspection commission's special account, and at the same time, I will write down the list of loan recipients."

"Third, settle the rental fees for Wang Dalu's villa at market price."

"Fourth, call Jiajia back from abroad. If she can't finish that lousy book, then she shouldn't continue studying it."

"If you don't have enough money, I'll figure something out."

Li Dakang's words were clear and well-organized, but they lacked any of the affection that should exist between husband and wife.

"good!"

Ouyang Jing slumped on the sofa, her head bowed low, responding unconsciously.

She has no right to say no now.

"I'm at my wit's end, Ouyang."

Seeing that Ouyang Jing nodded, Li Dakang didn't linger in this so-called home. He walked straight to the door, and as he opened it, he turned around and said something.

The sound was very soft.

Ouyang Jing, who was sitting lightly on the sofa, did not react at all, as if she had not heard anything.

The door was closed.

Li Dakang leaned wearily against the door. Why didn't Ouyang Jing understand?

He doesn't do that.

She wasn't the only one who went in; he went in too. Now that they're both in, who can Li Jiajia rely on?

Jingle Bell!

The phone rang urgently.

Li Dakang took out his phone, and the moment he saw the caller ID, his eyes turned cold and ruthless again.

"Secretary Li, you need to come to the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection right away. They've uncovered something serious."

Zhang Shuli's hurried voice came through the phone the moment the call connected.