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

"What about the cash withdrawal record?" Hou Liangping looked up, his eyes sharp.

“Yes.” Lu Yike placed the materials on the table. “But it’s been too long, and the bank’s surveillance footage has long been overwritten, so there’s no way to prove who withdrew the money. We’re at a stalemate now, unable to get any solid evidence.”

Hou Liangping was silent for a moment, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table, making a clicking sound. After a while, he suddenly smiled, a smile that carried a certain confidence: "If we can't get solid evidence, then we'll force her to slip up."

Lu Yike's eyes lit up: "You mean..."

"Go and make the arrangements." Hou Liangping flicked his cigarette ash, his tone calm. "Have Lin Huahua and Zhou Zheng go to Jingzhou City Bank and investigate the other loan business handled by Ouyang Jing."

"Just say it's a routine check?" Lu Yike immediately understood.

“Yes.” Hou Liangping stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to Lu Yike. “Ask her in a proper manner, don’t be too flamboyant, but don’t be too low-key either. Make her feel the pressure, but don’t let her know exactly what we have.”

Lu Yike nodded: "Are you trying to stir up trouble so that she thinks trouble is coming, but you're not sure how big the trouble is?"

“There’s a term in psychology called ‘uncertainty anxiety,’” Hou Liangping turned around, his eyes smug. “When a person doesn’t know how great the danger is or when it will come, they are often more likely to break down than when they actually face the danger. I know Ouyang Jing. She’s had a smooth ride all along thanks to Li Dakang. If she had nothing to hide, she could barely keep her composure. But if she has something to hide…”

He paused, his tone turning cold: "She can't sit still when the wind blows."

"What will she do if she can't sit still?" Lu Yike asked.

"Either confess voluntarily and try to get leniency," Hou Liangping said, walking back to his desk and sitting down again. "Or pack your valuables and prepare to flee."

He looked up, a cold glint in his eyes: "If she wants to run away, she'll need money. Then she'll most likely touch the five thousand yuan in that card. As soon as she touches that card, we'll catch her red-handed."

Hou Liangping has worked at the Supreme People's Procuratorate for many years. Putting aside other aspects, he certainly has the ability to solve cases.

He waved his hand: "If she really chooses to run away, it means she has a lot of guilty conscience, so we can't let her go."

Lu Yike nodded: "I'll go arrange it right away."

"Wait a minute." Hou Liangping called out to her, his tone serious. "Remember, this matter must be handled flawlessly. When Lin Huahua and Zhou Zheng go to the bank, their attitude must be friendly, and their questions must be normal. They can't let Ouyang Jing feel that we're targeting her. It's just a normal business check, but you have to make her feel the pressure. Understand?"

"Understood." Lu Yike nodded. "A subtle and persuasive approach, like striking a chord to intimidate someone, or like nourishing the earth without making a sound."

“Yes.” Hou Liangping lit another cigarette. “Go. Be quick, but don’t rush. Also, have the technical investigation team keep an eye on Ouyang Jing’s communication records and financial movements. If she really wants to run away, she’ll definitely make a move.”

"Okay." Lu Yike turned to leave, then turned back. "Director Hou, what about Li Dakang..."

"We should do what needs to be done." Hou Liangping interrupted her, his tone firm. "Ouyang Jing is Ouyang Jing, and Li Dakang is Li Dakang. If she really has a problem, no one can protect her. But if Li Dakang himself is innocent, we cannot wrong him."

Lu Yike nodded and left the director's office.

Hou Liangping sat alone in his office, looking at the sky outside the window with a complicated expression. He knew that this move would involve more than just Ouyang Jing.

Whether we can catch Li Dakang depends on the instructions from above, but we'll definitely get results by using Ouyang Jing as a breakthrough!

3 PM, Jingzhou City Bank.

In the vice president's office, Ouyang Jing was reviewing a loan report.

The sun was shining brightly outside the window, but her mood was as gloomy as if it were about to rain.

The secretary knocked gently on the door and peeked in, her voice a little nervous: "Bank manager, there are two prosecutors outside. They say they want to check some business documents."

Ouyang Jing's hand holding the pen froze, and her heart clenched.

She forced herself to remain calm, her voice sounding fairly steady: "The prosecutor's office? Which department?"

“From the Anti-Corruption Bureau.” The secretary lowered his voice and leaned closer. “They said it was a routine check, but they looked quite serious.”

Ouyang Jing felt her heart pounding wildly, almost leaping out of her chest, but she maintained her composure on the surface: "Let them in."

The secretary left, and Ouyang Jing, with trembling hands, tidied the documents on the table. She took a few deep breaths, trying to appear normal. She picked up her teacup and took a sip, but the water was cold and tasted bitter.

Lin Huahua and Zhou Zheng entered the office with respectful attitudes and professional smiles, revealing nothing about their true intentions.

"President Ouyang, excuse me." Lin Huahua handed over her work ID, her smile gentle. "We're from the Anti-Corruption Bureau. We'd like to check some of your bank's corporate loan business from the past few years. It's routine procedure, please cooperate."

Ouyang Jing took the work badge, her fingers trembling slightly, but she tried to control herself. She examined the badge carefully, maintaining a calm demeanor: "It's nothing, it's nothing. What do you want to check?"

Zhou Zheng opened his notebook and spoke in a calm tone, as if having a casual conversation: "I mainly want to understand how your bank processes corporate loans and whether there have been any irregularities."

“Our bank’s loan approval process is very strict, and it’s all done according to regulations.” Ouyang Jing tried to keep her tone calm, but she was already starting to panic. “Which specific companies do you want to investigate?”

"Well..." Lin Huahua flipped through her notebook, paused deliberately, and glanced at Ouyang Jing's face, catching every micro-expression. "The scope hasn't been fully determined yet. We're here to get a general understanding of the situation, especially the large loan projects you've handled. President Ouyang, how many corporate loans have you handled in the past few years?"

Ouyang Jing felt a tightness in her throat, as if it were being choked by an invisible hand. She picked up her teacup and took a sip of water to hide her panic: "I need to check the files for the exact number; this... the number is quite large."

“No rush, take your time investigating.” Zhou Zheng smiled gently, but his eyes held a certain scrutiny. “We may come a few more times in the next few days, so please prepare the relevant documents. We need to focus on the cases of business owners who later ran into trouble.”

"The business owner is in trouble?" Ouyang Jing's voice trembled slightly, and the tone changed at the end.

“Yes, for example, cases involving fraud, bribery, and the like.” Lin Huahua said casually, but every word struck Ouyang Jing’s heart like a nail. “As you know, if a business owner has problems, it often involves the bank’s approval process. We want to investigate and see if there is any collusion between insiders and outsiders.”

Ouyang Jing felt her blood freeze, her hands and feet turning ice-cold. She forced a smile, but it was more painful than a grimace: "Okay, okay. What documents do you need? Make a list, and I'll have my secretary prepare them."

Lin Huahua and Zhou Zheng asked a few more seemingly innocuous questions, but each question was like a needle, precisely piercing Ouyang Jing's weak spot.

Finally, Lin Huahua closed her notebook, stood up, and said with her usual gentle smile, "That's all for now, President Ouyang. We'll come back in the next couple of days."

She paused, then added, "By the way, if you remember anything that needs to be explained, you can contact us proactively. It's always better to cooperate than to be passively investigated. Don't you agree?"

These words were quite meaningful, like a sword hanging over one's head.

Ouyang Jing nodded reluctantly, got up and saw them to the door, her legs feeling a little weak.

After the elevator doors closed, Ouyang Jing stumbled back to her office. She slumped into her chair, her face ashen, her hands and feet icy cold, and fine beads of cold sweat forming on her forehead.

The secretary brought in tea and was startled when she saw her appearance: "Manager, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Should we call a doctor?"

"No, no." Ouyang Jing waved her hand, her voice trembling. "You can go out now. I want to be alone. Close the door and don't let anyone in."

The secretary glanced at her worriedly, hesitated for a moment, and then left, gently closing the door behind her.

The office was eerily quiet, with only the ticking of the wall clock, each tick feeling like a blow to the heart.

Ouyang Jing picked up her phone with trembling hands, found Li Dakang's number, and hesitated for a long time before finally not pressing the dial button.

She recalled Li Dakang's increasingly cold attitude towards her recently, and the words he had said last time—"Do what needs to be done, I won't protect anyone."

His tone and his eyes clearly indicated that he was ready to sever ties with her.

She knew that Li Dakang couldn't protect her, nor would he.

What will happen to her if she's exposed? How many years will she get? Ten years? Or even longer?

No, she couldn't just sit and wait to die. She was only in her forties; she couldn't let the rest of her life be ruined in prison.

Yes, go abroad. I should have gone to Los Angeles to find my daughter a long time ago. Now is the perfect time to leave.

Ouyang Jing took a few deep breaths, forced herself to calm down, picked up her phone and dialed Li Dakang's number.

The phone rang a few times before being answered.

"Hello." Li Dakang's voice sounded somewhat tired.

"Dakang, it's me." Ouyang Jing tried to make her voice sound normal. "I want to talk to you about the divorce."

Li Dakang paused for a moment, seemingly flipping through some documents: "The divorce? Now?"

"Yes, I think we can't delay any longer," Ouyang Jing said urgently. "When are you free? Tonight?"

“Not today.” Li Dakang’s voice was impatient. “I’m going to Lincheng tomorrow to accompany Secretary Sha on an inspection tour. I need to prepare materials. As for the divorce… let’s talk about it when I get back from Lincheng tomorrow.”

“But—” Ouyang Jing wanted to say something more.

“And I also need to report this to Secretary Sha.” Li Dakang interrupted her. “Our divorce is not a trivial matter; we need to follow the proper procedures.”

Ouyang Jing's heart sank. She understood the meaning behind Li Dakang's words—he was going to report the divorce to Sha Ruijin, which was his way of distancing himself from her and protecting himself.

“Well… alright then.” Ouyang Jing’s voice trembled. “Then we’ll wait for you to come back from Lincheng.”

"Okay, that's settled." Li Dakang hung up the phone hastily, as if someone else had come in to report on their work.

Ouyang Jing held her phone and sat there blankly for a long time.

This time, she genuinely wanted to discuss divorce, but she couldn't reveal the truth—she couldn't tell Li Dakang that the prosecutor's office had already come knocking on their door.

She angrily threw her phone on the table, stood up, and walked to the window.

Outside the window, the streets of Jingzhou were bustling with traffic and people, everything seemed normal.

But she knew that her world had begun to collapse.

Chapter 133 Trip to Lincheng

In March, the spring scenery in Lincheng is just right.

As soon as Li Dakang's car entered the Lincheng Development Zone, before he could even get out, the current secretary of the Lincheng Municipal Party Committee, his former subordinate, was already waiting by the roadside, with a row of municipal officials standing behind him.

Just as Luzhou was the core of the Han Da Gang's power, Lincheng was also the Secretary Gang's private territory and Li Dakang's former base.

The car door opened, and Li Dakang got out. His former subordinate immediately greeted him with a broad smile: "Secretary Li, you've finally arrived! We—"

"Okay, okay." Li Dakang shook hands with him, exchanged a few simple pleasantries, but his gaze had already passed over him and was looking ahead.

Sha Ruijin was standing not far away, looking at the scenery by the lake.

Li Dakang immediately abandoned his old subordinate and jogged to Sha Ruijin, his face beaming with smiles: "Secretary Sha, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

"Not long, not long." Sha Ruijin turned around, smiling as he extended his hand. "This place is nice; the air is fresh, and the scenery is beautiful."

The two shook hands, the pressure just right. Li Dakang felt that Sha Ruijin's palm was dry and strong, which reassured him somewhat.

"Secretary Sha, how about we cycle around the lake today and chat as we go?" Li Dakang suggested.

“Okay.” Sha Ruijin nodded, and the staff had already brought over two bicycles.

Li Dakang helped Sha Ruijin steady the handlebars, and only after Sha Ruijin sat down did he get on his own bike.

The two rode side by side, followed by Bai Jingwen and Li Dakang's secretary, Xiao Jin, who also rode their own bicycles, maintaining a proper distance.

The greenway along the lake is well-maintained, lined with willow trees on both sides. In the spring breeze, willow catkins drift in the air. In the distance, rows of high-rise buildings and factories stand in a pleasing, staggered arrangement, blending seamlessly with the natural landscape.

Li Dakang deliberately slowed down to keep pace with Sha Ruijin, then asked with a smile, "Secretary Sha, a lap around the lake is 27 kilometers. Can you manage?"

This sounds like a questioning of the leader, but it's actually a form of flattery.

While Sha Ruijin was still conducting research in the countryside and hadn't even arrived in Jingzhou, his subordinates had already converted the tennis court into a basketball court. How could Li Dakang not know that Sha Ruijin liked sports?

Is it better to subtly question a leader's area of ​​expertise, giving them a chance to prove them wrong, than to bluntly say, "I know you're good at sports, so a 27-kilometer loop around the lake would be a piece of cake for you"?

Moreover, isn't saying this putting the leader in a difficult position? What if Sha Ruijin can't get off?

On the contrary, the above statement offers more room for maneuver. You can question it first, and in the early stages of the process, you can even challenge the leader. If the leader is interested and capable of completing the entire journey, you can simply sing praises.