Nominal: Starting with an entrance exam for a PhD in Economics at Peking University

Hou Liangping looked at her, then at Lin Huahua and Zhou Zheng, and knew in his heart that he couldn't handle this situation by himself.

Chen Hai, you've really turned the Anti-Corruption Bureau into your own independent kingdom.

He finally understood why Ji Changming had suggested he talk to Chen Hai first.

That old fox.

It was already past four o'clock in the afternoon when I came out of the provincial procuratorate.

The autumn sun was a bit too bright. Hou Liangping stood on the steps by the door, squinted at the sky for a while, then took out his phone and made a call to Chen Hai.

"Hey, Monkey?" Chen Hai's voice sounded somewhat surprised on the other end of the phone. "You've arrived in Handong?"

"Just arrived, I'm at the entrance of the provincial hospital." Hou Liangping smiled. "How about it, do you have time to come out and sit for a bit?"

"Wait here, I'll be right there. No, come to the oil and gas group's place, I'll treat you to a drink."

"Okay, I'll take a taxi there."

The headquarters building of the oil and gas group was magnificent, its glass curtain wall shimmering in the setting sun, forming a stark contrast with the old buildings next to it. Hou Liangping waited at the entrance for about ten minutes before seeing Chen Hai walk out of the building.

It was still that familiar figure, only thinner than I remembered, with sunken eyes and dark stubble on his chin, exuding an air of dejection.

"Monkey!" Chen Hai called out from afar, a smile appearing on his face, and quickly walked over.

"Chen Hai!" Hou Liangping smiled, opened his arms, and the two gave each other a tight hug.

"Hey kid, why didn't you give me a heads-up?" Chen Hai patted him on the shoulder. "I could have come pick you up."

"I just wanted to give you a surprise." Hou Liangping looked him up and down, his brows furrowing slightly. "Why have you lost so much weight? Is the food at the oil and gas group bad?"

Chen Hai gave a wry smile: "The food is good, but I just can't eat it."

The two exchanged a glance but said nothing more.

Some things don't need to be said; we both understand each other.

“Come on,” Chen Hai put his arm around Hou Liangping’s shoulder, “Let’s find a place to have a good drink. That food stall near Han University, the one we used to go to all the time when we were in school, it’s still open.”

"Okay, let's go there."

Chapter 125 Sha Ruijin is back

The snack street outside the south gate of Handong University has changed dramatically in the past twenty years.

The low-rise bungalows of yesteryear have long since disappeared, replaced by a row of three- or four-story commercial buildings, with flashing neon lights and deafening music, filled with new things like milk tea shops, hot pot restaurants, and trendy eateries.

But that food stall is still there.

The storefront has been renovated; the old greasy signboard has been replaced with an illuminated LED lightbox, and the tables and chairs inside have been replaced with uniform wooden square tables, making it look much cleaner. Only the few old photos of Han University hanging on the wall can still vaguely remind people of what it looked like twenty years ago.

Chen Hai easily found a table in the corner, ordered a few dishes to go with his drinks—salted edamame, cold pig's ear salad, garlic pork belly, and dry-fried green beans—as well as some grilled skewers and two bottles of baijiu (Chinese liquor).

It's only five o'clock now, there aren't many people, and the food is being served quickly.

The owner clearly recognized Chen Hai, and took the initiative to greet him and even offered him a cold dish.

Chen Hai pushed his glass in front of Hou Liangping, filled his own glass first, and said, "Monkey, let's drink until we drop tonight."

As soon as he finished speaking, he tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.

Hou Liangping drank a glass with him, put down his glass, and looked at Chen Hai's face: "Chen Hai, you've had a tough time these past few days."

Chen Hai paused for a moment, then waved his hand: "Why is it difficult? It's just a change of workplace. The oil and gas group is pretty good, high pay, low workload, and close to home."

He spoke casually, but the desolation in his eyes was undeniable.

Hou Liangping didn't expose him, but simply refilled his cup: "Come on, have another one."

After a few drinks, Chen Hai became more talkative.

"Monkey, tell me, did I make a wrong step in my life?" He stared at the wine in his glass, his voice somewhat dazed. "My father taught me from a young age to be an upright person, to hate evil, and to stand up for justice for the people. I've always done that, but what was the result?"

He suddenly tilted his head back, downed the wine in his glass in one gulp, and slammed the glass heavily on the table.

"As a result, I was reassigned to count oil barrels at an oil and gas group! Meanwhile, those who should really be held accountable are still sitting comfortably in their positions!"

Hou Liang listened quietly without interrupting.

"I admit to what happened with Ding Yizhen." Chen Hai's voice lowered. "I was too impulsive and didn't follow the proper procedures, giving them leverage. But Monkey, there must have been someone in the upper echelons of Handong who tipped off Ding Yizhen. If I hadn't been secretly monitoring him and had instead gone through the proper channels to get approval, he might have already escaped! We found a fake passport among Ding Yizhen's belongings. If we hadn't been so persistent, he might have already fled abroad!"

"I know," Hou Liangping nodded.

"Qi Tongwei is a scoundrel too," Chen Hai suddenly cursed, then laughed self-deprecatingly, "He doesn't care about our past friendship at all; he's definitely taking revenge for personal reasons."

When Qi Tongwei was mentioned, Hou Liangping's eyes darkened, and he did not respond.

Chen Hai glanced at him, then poured himself another glass of wine: "Forget it, let's not talk about him anymore. It's too late to say anything now anyway."

“Things aren’t as bad as you think,” Hou Liangping said earnestly. “You’re temporarily lying low, not out of the game forever. As long as you stay calm, you’ll have other opportunities.”

Chen Hai looked up at him: "You've come to comfort me?"

"I've come to ask for your help," Hou Liangping said seriously.

"Help?" Chen Hai was taken aback. "Help with what?"

"The Anti-Corruption Bureau is staffed entirely by people you brought in. As an outsider parachuted in, they're resentful and uncooperative, making it impossible to get anything done." Hou Liangping paused. "I need you to put in a good word for me, to let them know I'm not here to steal your position."

Chen Hai stared at him for a while, then suddenly laughed.

“Monkey, you’re still the same old you, so straightforward.” He shook his head. “Fine, I’ll help you with this. Tomorrow I’ll call Lu Yike and the others and tell them to tone it down.”

"Thanks, brother." Hou Liangping raised his glass.

"What are you thanking me for?" Chen Hai bumped hands with him. "We're practically family. Besides, I'm overjoyed that you came to Handong. With you here, I feel like I have one of my own."

He paused, his tone tinged with emotion: "Monkey, you're the head of the Anti-Corruption Bureau now, wielding the Supreme People's Procuratorate's authority. You're even more powerful than I was back then. Do a good job, don't end up like me, capsizing in a ditch."

The words were sincere, but Hou Liangping still sensed a hint of bitterness in them.

He felt a little uneasy, but didn't show it, simply smiling and saying, "Don't worry, I'll be careful. By the way, have you found anything out about the oil and gas group?"

Chen Hai's eyes lit up, and he lowered his voice: "You know what, I actually found something."

"what?"

“There are large sums of money involved between the oil and gas group and the Shanshui Group, and many projects. I’ve been investigating this for the past two days. Although I can’t see anything wrong on the surface, something just doesn’t feel right.”

Hou Liangping became interested: "Could you elaborate?"

Chen Hai shook his head: "It's hard to say right now, there's not enough evidence. And..." He hesitated for a moment, "I feel like everything is going too smoothly."

"You mean, someone deliberately let you see these?"

"Hard to say," Chen Hai sneered. "You know Liu Xinjian, right?"

"Chairman of the oil and gas group."

“Yes, Zhao Lichun’s former secretary, Zhao Ruilong’s staunch confidant.” Chen Hai picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. “These people are all incredibly shrewd.”

Hou Liangping frowned: "Be careful, don't alert them."

"I know." Chen Hai nodded, a fire rekindling in his eyes. "Right now, I'm lying low, waiting for my chance. Once you find a breakthrough, we'll work together from the inside and outside to drag these parasites out!"

Hou Liangping looked at him, feeling both gratified and worried.

The good news is that Chen Hai is still the same Chen Hai, hating evil as if it were his enemy, and his fighting spirit remains undiminished. The bad news is that his personality is too prone to causing trouble in the environment of the oil and gas group.

"Chen Hai, there's something I need to remind you of." He put down his wine glass, his tone becoming serious. "In the oil and gas group, you're an outsider with shallow roots. They can easily set traps for you. Your most important task right now is to protect yourself and not give anyone any leverage against you."

Chen Hai was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "Monkey, when did you become so cautious? Wasn't it always me who advised you to play it safe?"

Hou Liangping smiled wryly: "There's nothing I can do. The more things I see, the more timid I become."

"That's true." Chen Hai sighed. "Alright, I'll listen to you. I'll lie low for now and wait for an opportunity."

The two drank a few more glasses, and the conversation gradually shifted from work to the past.

“Those were such good times,” Chen Hai sighed. “We were carefree, and all we thought about was how to skip class and pick up girls. Unlike now, life is so tiring.”

Hou Liangping nodded: "Yes, back then we all thought that after graduation we could make a name for ourselves and uphold justice. Who knew..."

“Who knew this world was so much more complicated than we imagined?” Chen Hai continued, his voice lowering. “Monkey, do you think Qi Tongwei saw through this all along, which is why he’s turned out the way he is now?”

Hou Liangping fell silent.

Qi Tongwei.

The name was like a thorn stuck in his heart.

Back in Hanzhong University, the three of them had an excellent relationship. Chen Hai was generous and righteous, Qi Tongwei was smart and capable, and as for himself... he was just an "ordinary" person.

Who could have imagined that, twenty years later, the three of them would end up like this?

"Let's not talk about him anymore." Hou Liangping picked up his wine glass. "Come on, let's drink."

"drink wine!"

That night, the two drank a lot and talked a lot.

From the past of Han University to the ups and downs of officialdom, from ideals and aspirations to family matters, they talked about almost everything.

By the time the show ended, it was already past 11 p.m.

Chen Hai was preoccupied, so he drank quickly and got drunk just as fast, becoming unsteady on his feet. Hou Liangping helped him out of the food stall and flagged down a taxi on the street.

"Monkey," Chen Hai said, his tongue slurring as he pulled his hand, "do a good job... don't end up like me..."

Hou Liangping felt a pang of sadness and patted Chen Hai on the shoulder: "Chen Hai, don't worry, I won't let you suffer this injustice for nothing. Once I've established myself in Handong, I'll definitely find a way to help you turn things around."

Chen Hai smiled, his eyes slightly red: "Good brother... I believe you..."

The taxi drove away, its taillights gradually turning into two small red dots in the night before disappearing around the street corner.

Hou Liangping stood there, looking in that direction, without moving for a long time.

He recalled what Chen Hai had just said—"You're the head of the anti-corruption bureau now, even more powerful than I was back then."

There was a genuine blessing in his voice, but also an undisguised sense of loneliness.

Taking a deep breath, Hou Liangping shook off the effects of the alcohol and hailed a taxi back to the guesthouse.

There's still a lot to do tomorrow.

Cai Chenggong needs to be protected, his colleagues in the Anti-Corruption Bureau need to be won over, and there are also Ji Changming, Gao Yuliang, Qi Tongwei... none of them are easy to deal with.