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

With only three days left before the ten-day deadline given by Handong, Zhao Lichun was extremely anxious, fearing that he might really be left without an heir.

Time passed by little by little. Zhao Lichun was anxious, and Zhong Zhengguo was just as anxious. They couldn't find any useful evidence against Liu Xinjian. At the same time, Lin Manjiang was taken away by the Discipline Inspection Commission for investigation during the day. At this point, it was a contest between him and Zhao Lichun to see who could win first.

"We can't wait any longer!"

That evening, Zhong Zhengguo called the Handong investigation team. No one knows what he said, but later that night, in the interrogation room where Liu Xinjian was being held, a man in black slowly walked toward the sleeping Liu Xinjian, holding a strip of cloth in his hand.

Suddenly, a strip of cloth was tightly strangled around Liu Xinjian's neck while he was asleep. The suffocating sensation jolted Liu Xinjian awake. He opened his eyes wide and stared at the man in black with an incredulous look.

In the struggle, Liu Xinjian felt his breathing becoming weaker and weaker, and he even began to hallucinate. In his dazed state, he only heard one sentence.

“Don’t blame General Manager Zhao. Liu Xinjian, you can only live if you die. The old Party Secretary only has this one son. Who told you to be just his godson?”

After losing consciousness, the man in black quickly untied the cloth strip and waved to the outside. The staff who were already prepared rushed forward and carried Liu Xinjian to the hospital.

The smell of disinfectant blurred the passage of time. When Liu Xinjian woke up again, it was already nine o'clock on Monday morning. He felt an unusual pain in his neck.

Even breathing is difficult.

"Liu Xinjian, you're awake?"

Last night, when our staff heard a commotion and went to check the interrogation room, they found you weren't breathing. We didn't realize it; some people seem quite interested in keeping you alive.

Listening to the staff's teasing, Liu Xinjian's face darkened. He had worked for the Zhao family for more than ten years, only to end up like this. How could he not be angry?

"If you're heartless, don't blame me for being ruthless too, Team Leader Feng, I'll confess everything!"

Team Leader Feng was secretly pleased with himself, thinking that his old leader was indeed resourceful, easily getting a lackey like Liu Xinjian to confess.

With Liu Xinjian speaking, a complete chain of evidence was formed regarding Handong Oil and Gas Group transferring benefits to Zhao Ruilong of the Zhao family. At this point, regardless of whether Zhao Ruilong forced Zhong Xiaoai or not, there was only one outcome for him!

Monday afternoon.

Upon learning of Liu Xinjian's confession, Zhong Zhengguo let out a heavy sigh of relief; he knew he had won.

Zhong Zhengguo took out his phone, dialed Zhao Lichun's number, and was extremely proud of himself.

"Comrade Lichun!"

"Zhong Zhengguo!"

Zhao Lichun practically choked out those words, while Zhong Zhengguo chuckled and said, "Secretary Lichun is very angry. By the way, Liu Xinjian from Handong has already confessed that your son has been using your name to amass wealth over the years, embezzling billions of yuan in state-owned assets."

Life imprisonment is too lenient; the most likely outcome is the death penalty. Secretary Lichun, I haven't submitted this evidence yet. You still have a chance, don't you think?

Zhao Lichun's face was gloomy. He knew all too well what Zhong Zhengguo meant by those words. It was nothing more than him giving up his interests to save his son's life. But if he backed down now in this life-or-death struggle, he might lose everything in the future, especially since the Zhong family's reputation was not trustworthy.

"You are so despicable!"

"Hahahaha, Secretary Lichun, life-or-death struggles have always been the case. It's your son who's holding you back, what does that have to do with me? There are plenty of ways to make money, the financial industry is a simple one, but your son insists on using this method to make money, he's utterly foolish!"

Zhao Lichun had nothing to say about this.

Are you really going to fight to the death?

After a long silence, Zhao Lichun finally uttered those words.

"Secretary Lichun, you're wrong. The fish may die, but the net won't break!"

I'm giving you one day to think it over. If you haven't given me the answer I want by this time tomorrow, then you'll just have to watch your son be sentenced to death!

Chapter 215 Zhao Lichun is ruthless, Zhao Ruilong is mentally challenged

Zhao Lichun felt incredibly depressed after hanging up the phone.

The fear of being childless made his body tremble involuntarily until he let out a heavy sigh and collapsed into the chair.

Just then, my phone rang.

Zhao Lichun couldn't muster any interest; he just numbly picked up the phone and answered it.

"Hey……"

"Is this Secretary Zhao? My name is Gao Xiaoqin. I don't know if you've heard of me before, Secretary Zhao."

"Gao Xiaoqin? You're the head of Shanshui Group, right? What's the purpose of your call? Tell me."

At this moment, Zhao Lichun was heartbroken. The Zhao family was on the verge of collapse. He would try to protect those who were his former subordinates and staff, and send those who could be sent away, so that their time with the Zhao family would not have been in vain.

"Secretary Zhao, then I'll be frank. You'll be able to hold your grandchildren in eight or nine months."

? ? ? ? ? !

Upon hearing Gao Xiaoqin's words, Zhao Lichun's previously dull eyes instantly lit up with a bright light.

He sprang up from the chair.

"What did you say? Say it again!"

“Secretary Zhao, I’m saying that you’ll be able to hold your grandson or granddaughter in eight or nine months.”

"Gao Xiaoqin, right? Explain yourself!"

"It's like this, Secretary Zhao..."

As Gao Xiaoqin told Zhao Lichun about Tang Chuchu's outrageous actions, Zhao Lichun's face grew increasingly flushed as he listened. Only he knew the feeling of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

"Are you sure this child is Ruilong's?"

“Secretary Zhao, I can confirm that Tang Chuchu has been by President Zhao’s side during this period. I am 90% certain that she is President Zhao.”

Actually, Gao Xiaoqin's statement was conservative. Tang Chuchu only used contraception with Zhao Ruilong; she always took medication afterward with both Chen Hai and Hou Liangping.

Moreover, based on the timing of the pregnancy, it could only be Zhao Ruilong's child.

"Okay, okay! Good!"

With three consecutive "good"s, Zhao Lichun seemed to see a new hope for his Zhao family.

Where are you now? I'll send someone over right away!

Upon hearing this, Gao Xiaoqin fell silent.

After a long silence, she finally spoke: "Secretary, we cannot contact you right now. Over the years, I, Gao Xiaoqin, have done some illegal and criminal things, but they were all orchestrated by your son, Zhao Ruilong. I don't want to go to jail, and I don't want to live in his shadow forever."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Lichun immediately understood Gao Xiaoqin's meaning.

"You want Ruilong to take all the responsibility?"

To be honest, Comrade Xiaoqin, it's a bit difficult. The main responsibility definitely lies with Ruilong, but you are the one who carried it out. However, if it's said that Ruilong threatened you to do this, then your responsibility can be reduced to some extent.

Tell me what you did, and I'll see how many years you end up in.

Gao Xiaoqin was taken aback. Was Zhao Lichun really that easy to talk to?

Zhao Lichun breathed a sigh of relief after Gao Xiaoqin recounted all the illegal and criminal things she had done over the years.

"There's nothing wrong with what you did. Just pin it all on Ruilong. Say that he threatened you to do it, and that you knew nothing else."

The charge of illegal business operations was fabricated by Ruilong.

As for the bribery, just say you didn't know it was bribery, and that Ruilong threatened you to give it to him.

I can guarantee you that you'll only serve a maximum of three years. I can even pull some strings and get you parole!

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Lichun then said, "Now you only need to do one thing: take good care of Tang Chuchu and ensure that my grandson and granddaughter are safe, sound, and healthy!"

"Old Party Secretary, I...I understand, but what if General Manager Zhao exposes me..."

He won't have a chance to speak!

After Zhao Lichun finished speaking, a ruthless and resolute glint flashed in his eyes.

After hanging up the phone, Zhao Lichun quickly found his daughter's number and called her.

That evening, in the cell where Zhao Ruilong was being held by the Public Security Bureau of Handong Province, Zhao Ruilong convulsed after eating only a meal, and then developed a high fever of 40 degrees Celsius.

After discovering the situation, staff from the Provincial Public Security Bureau quickly took Zhao Ruilong to the hospital. However, due to the prolonged high fever, Zhao Ruilong's eyes became glazed over after his temperature dropped.

He looked around blankly.

He was dazed and confused, and even drool was constantly coming out of his mouth. In the end, the doctor concluded that the high fever had lasted too long and had confused his brain.

This result was naturally reported by Yun Haifeng.

Luzhou, Monday. Chen Luo arrived in Luzhou to take charge of the overall situation. It was already 9 pm when he received a call from Yun Haifeng, which was quite unexpected.

"Hello, Director Yun, what's the matter?"

"Secretary Chen, Zhao Ruilong has just been in trouble!"

"Oh? Something happened? What happened?"

"It's like this, Secretary Chen. Zhao Ruilong just had a high fever in his cell and when he was taken to the hospital, his brain was already confused."

"Confused? Is he truly confused or just pretending?"

"Secretary Chen, he's really gone mad."

"I see."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Luo frowned slightly. Zhao Ruilong's sudden dazed state meant that it couldn't have been the Zhong family who did it. There was only one possibility: Zhao Lichun.

But even his own son...

"That's a bit unbelievable!"

Shaking his head, he realized that the outcome of this struggle was already decided at this point, and both the Zhong and Zhao families would have to face the consequences from above.

Just then, the phone rang again.

When I picked it up, I saw it was a call from Qi Tongwei.

"Hey, Tongwei, you want to be discharged again?"

"No, no, Secretary Chen, no, it's nothing. There's something I need to tell you."

"You said."

"Gao Xiaoqin called me during the day..."

"You mean Tang Chuchu is pregnant with Zhao Ruilong's child?"

"Yes."

"No wonder. Just now, Yun Haifeng reported to me that Zhao Ruilong has a persistent high fever and has become delirious."