In name only: I will break the chess game in Handong

The touch of the cold little hand shattered Hou Liangping's last shred of rationality.

It was like a tiger being released from its cage.

It pounced directly on the little white rabbit.

"Director Hou, what are you doing!"

Don't do anything reckless!

Upon hearing this, Tang Chuchu shouted and struggled incessantly.

But Hou Liangping had long since lost his rationality.

A pear blossom branch, wet with spring rain, who cares about the consequences?

Half an hour later, Tang Chuchu lay on the sofa, crying incessantly.

Hou Liangping, on the other hand, felt extremely comfortable.

That feeling is hard to describe in words.

It was like a beggar who had been eating cornbread for twenty years finally getting to eat lobster and abalone – it was incredibly delicious!

However, after the joy and excitement faded...

Hou Liangping immediately became worried, and the fear of making a mistake gradually spread.

"Miss Tang, I..."

"You're all bullying me! Waaaaah..."

Hou Liangping was now extremely anxious. He wanted to comfort the man but felt guilty, and he wanted to leave but was worried about the secret being leaked.

"Get out! I don't want to see you again!"

In the end, Hou Liangping was still driven away.

After Hou Liangping left, Tang Chuchu, who had been crying and looking weak, changed into a different mask and gradually revealed a smile that was sinister and smug.

"Men are all the same, as expected!"

As Tang Chuchu struggled toward the camera, she knew that Hou Liangping was finished.

At Shanshui Manor, Tang Chuchu had just been seen off in the morning when she called in the afternoon.

"Hello, Miss Tang, is there anything else?"

Zhao Ruilong was somewhat displeased, as he had already offered good terms, and the ten million was being returned without hesitation.

"Mr. Zhao, the matter has been taken care of!"

"what?!"

Zhao Ruilong sat up straight instantly, looking completely bewildered.

"What did you say!"

"The matter is settled, but it doesn't include Zhong Xiaoai. I'm not confident I can contact her. I only have leverage over Hou Liangping, the camera you gave me..."

After hearing everything Tang Chuchu said, Zhao Ruilong clicked on his computer in disbelief, and sure enough! The video was in high definition!

The most important thing is not that Hou Liangping betrayed Zhong Xiaoai.

Instead, Tang Chuchu was struggling and shouting "no" the whole time, which is a completely different situation. Hou Liangping is practically dead!

"Excellent! Tang Chuchu! You're a real talent!"

"Here's what I'll do: I'll give you another million, no, five million, and I'll transfer it to your account right away. As long as you can stick to your story about Hou Liangping, I guarantee you'll be financially independent in the future!"

"Thank you, Mr. Zhao!"

Zhao Ruilong was ecstatic after hanging up the phone; Hou Liangping had actually been won over by Tang Chuchu.

However, after the initial excitement came deep reflection.

Hou Liangping is ruined now, but he is just a son-in-law after all. Zhong Xiaoai can choose to cut ties with Hou Liangping, which is not the result Zhao Ruilong wants.

If we could get hold of Zhong Xiaoai's weaknesses...

hum!

With this thought in mind, Zhao Ruilong had already made a plan!

In the evening, when Zhong Xiaoai got home from get off work, Hou Liangping had already prepared a table full of food.

It is said that people who make mistakes are suspicious, and Zhong Xiaoai also sensed that something was wrong.

"Liangping, didn't you say you weren't in the mood to cook these past few days? What's wrong now?"

Hou Liangping felt a chill run down his spine when Zhong Xiaoai asked him the question.

"Xiao Ai, it's like this, Tang Chuchu gave me an idea during the day: we don't need to start with Tang Chuchu to get rid of Chen Hai. If the current renovation project in Guangming District fails, Chen Hai will be severely injured, if not killed!"

"I'm not happy."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Xiaoai finally dispelled her doubts.

"That's true. I'll have someone check on this project tomorrow."

Hou Liangping had just breathed a sigh of relief and sat down to eat after finally managing to get away with it when his phone rang.

Hou Liangping was stunned when he saw the unfamiliar phone number.

"What are you standing there for? Answer it!"

Urged by Zhong Xiaoai, Hou Liangping answered the phone.

"Hello, this is Hou Liangping, Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Handong Provincial Procuratorate. Who are you?"

"Tsk tsk, Director Hou, you've probably heard of me. My name is Zhao Ruilong. I have something good to give you, so remember to receive it."

After saying that, Zhao Ruilong hung up the phone.

Hou Liangping's face had turned pale.

Trembling, he opened the video in his email, and as soon as he saw Hou Liangping, his mind went blank.

Almost instantly, Liangping deleted the video.

"What are you doing? Why are you being so secretive?"

Zhong Xiaoai's question startled Hou Liangping.

"Nothing much, just eating. Xiao Ai, have some of this, your favorite sweet and sour pork ribs."

Chapter 171 Zhao Ruilong's Witty Revelation

In the middle of the night, after Zhong Xiaoai fell asleep, Hou Liangping quietly got up and went to the balcony.

Taking a deep breath, Hou Liangping dialed Zhao Ruilong's number.

The call was connected in just over ten seconds.

"Zhao Ruilong, what are you trying to do!"

Zhao Ruilong, sitting opposite him, wasn't angry at all. He just smiled calmly and said, "Director Hou, it tastes good, doesn't it? Tsk tsk tsk, a full twenty minutes. I wonder if you put in this much effort for Secretary Zhong."

"Zhao Ruilong!"

"Shh! Director Hou, keep your voice down. Aren't you afraid of waking up Secretary Zhong?"

These words extinguished Hou Liangping's anger, leaving only panic.

"What do you want? Speak plainly!"

Zhao Ruilong did not give a direct answer to this question.

"Director Hou, what do you think will happen if Secretary Zhong sees this video? Will she divorce you right away?"

By the way, you were forced into this situation, and you've been imprisoned for three years.

You'll lose your job and your wife. I've heard you've offended quite a few people in Beijing these past few years!

Without the status of being the son-in-law of the Zhong family, and without the status of a public official, guess what your fate will be!

These words shattered Hou Liangping's psychological defenses inch by inch; the feeling of being choked was unbearable.

"Tell me what you want, and I'll admit defeat!"

After a long silence, Liangping finally uttered these words.

"Hahaha, no need to be nervous, Director Hou. Every cloud has a silver lining."

You are indeed the son-in-law of the Zhong family, but they don't treat you like a human being. They sent you to Handong to deal with your teacher, Gao Yuliang, and to deal with our Zhao family. Guess what will happen if you succeed? Who will dare to hire someone who even sent their teacher to jail?

Our Zhao family's reputation is known to all.

Chen Yanshi, that stubborn old man, always went against my dad back then, but my dad never suppressed him; he just blocked his retirement as a deputy provincial-level official. Yi Xuexi was always causing trouble for the Luzhou Food City, but my family never transferred him to the Children's Palace.

Compared to the stingy Zhong family, our Zhao family is generous, Director Hou, what do you think?

Hou Liangping gritted his teeth and muttered, "Yes!"

"Alright, you're still angry. I won't argue with you. I'll give you a choice: cooperate with me. If you cooperate, I guarantee that Zhong Xiaoai will listen to you from now on, and you might even become the Zhong family's son-in-law."

"What is it you want to say first!"

Hou Liangping wasn't stupid. Although he had no other choice, he couldn't jump into an even bigger pit.

"It's simple. You cheat on me once, and then Zhong Xiaoai will cheat on me once too. At that time, Zhong Xiaoai will only cry and beg you not to divorce her. It's a win-win situation for both of us!"

Hou Liangping fell silent. Had he helped someone else cheat on him?

But putting that aside, it's possible that Hou Liangping could actually turn the tables and make the serfs sing.

"I won't force you. I'll give you three days to think it over. If you still don't have an answer after three days, I'll have no choice but to get rid of you first."

After saying that, Zhao Ruilong hung up the phone.

Hou Liangping sat silently on the ground, letting the evening breeze ruffle his short hair.

The next day, Zhong Xiaoai went to work as usual.

It just so happens that it was Friday, and Chen Luo was returning to Jingzhou from Lüzhou. To strategize, he needed a pair of eyes—eyes that could gather all the information.

In the internet age, these eyes represent the most elite online teams, and Dongsheng happens to have just such a team.