Hou Liangping arrested a hawkish general, and his father-in-law panicked

But his hands placed on his knees with his fingers crossed revealed his inner unrest.

His knuckles turned slightly white from the force, and he tightened them rhythmically, again and again, as if calculating something.

Organization Minister He Liming seemed uneasy. He kept picking up the teacup, touching the cold rim of the cup with his lips, and then putting it down without drinking a sip of water.

His eyes flickered between Sha Ruijin and Gao Yuliang.

Ji Changming, the Chief Prosecutor of the Provincial Procuratorate, lowered his head and looked at his notebook.

There was nothing on it, not a single word.

He just needed a focus to calm his panic.

The hole that Hou Liangping, that ignorant fellow, had dug might pierce the entire Handong sky.

Everyone here is at the top of the Handong officialdom pyramid.

But now, they felt as if an invisible hand was strangling their throats, and even their breath was as cold as a knife.

Military martial law.

These words weighed heavily on everyone's heart.

Chapter 32: Handong is on the verge of collapse

Sha Ruijin was initially strongly opposed.

If the army enters the city, even if it is just in the name of an exercise, it will cause great panic among the citizens, affect the economy and stability. This is a blatant challenge to his ability to govern as the provincial party secretary.

But now, he has no choice.

Zhao Yuanchao, commander of the 20th Army, was attacked in Handong and his whereabouts remain unknown.

This reason was like a slap in the face.

He no longer had any room for objection.

Quelling the rebellion in Handong?

Does Handong under Sha Ruijin's rule need troops to "suppress the rebellion"?

This is simply the biggest political joke since the founding of the country!

But he could only watch this joke unfold.

The door of the conference room was pushed open, breaking the dead silence.

Jingzhou Municipal Party Committee Secretary Li Dakang strode in. He had just returned from the Jingzhou Armed Forces Department and still had a dusty and cold air about him.

His eyes swept across everyone present and finally stopped at Sha Ruijin.

"Secretary Ruijin, everyone."

Li Dakang's voice was low and hoarse, with a metallic quality.

He didn't sit down, but just stood there, standing upright in the middle of the conference room.

"The situation has been verified."

"The vanguard of the 20th Army, a combined brigade, has completed the blockade of the main transportation routes outside Jingzhou. Tanks and armored vehicles have entered the city."

Li Dakang's voice was not loud, but it struck everyone's heart.

"It was publicly announced as the 'Iron Fist 2015' military exercise, but Minister Chen Weiguo of the Jingzhou Armed Forces told me privately that this was a complete military curfew."

Gao Yuliang pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose, and his gaze behind the lenses was unfathomable.

He spoke slowly, his tone unrecognizable as either joy or anger: "Comrade Dakang, what about Commander Zhao? Any new news?"

Li Dakang shook his head, his expression growing even uglier. "No. Qi Tongwei has mobilized nearly all the elite police forces at the provincial department, and in coordination with the National Security Bureau, they're conducting a province-wide search. But so far, nothing has been found. It's as if the person has vanished into thin air."

After he finished speaking, the conference room fell silent again.

But this time the silence was even more terrifying than before.

If it was repression before, now it is fear.

The commander of an active-duty group army disappeared in the province, with no trace of his body found.

And his troops have already entered the provincial capital.

what does this mean?

This means that the sword hanging over their heads may fall at any time.

Sha Ruijin finally moved.

He slowly raised his head, and his bloodshot eyes were filled with turbulent waves.

He looked at Li Dakang, then at Gao Yuliang and Ji Changming, his voice hoarse as sandpaper rubbing against each other.

"In other words, we are now deaf and blind."

He spoke each word clearly, squeezing each word out from between his teeth.

"The army is rampaging through our territory, and we don't know what they are going to do. A lieutenant general has disappeared in our jurisdiction, and we don't know where he is."

He picked up the cigarette on the table, but his hands were shaking and he had to light it twice.

He took a deep breath, and the thick smoke made him cough violently.

"shame!"

Sha Ruijin pressed his cigarette hard into the ashtray, sparks flying everywhere. "This is a disgrace to our entire Handong Provincial Party Committee!"

Li Dakang's fists were clenched so tightly that they made a creaking sound.

His GDP, his Bright Peak project, and all his political ambitions seem so fragile and ridiculous in the face of tank tracks.

"Ruijin Secretary,"

Li Dakang said in a deep voice, "Now is not the time to assign blame. The most urgent task is to find out what exactly is going on. Why did Zhao Yuanchao come to Handong? And who is so bold as to attack him?"

Gao Yuliang took over the conversation at the right time. His tone was as steady as ever, as if he was discussing an academic issue:

"Comrade Dakang is right. This matter is full of strange things. Commander Zhao came here in secret. And the enemy was able to track his whereabouts so accurately and make him disappear. This force is definitely not simple."

As soon as Gao Yuliang finished speaking, the door of the conference room was pushed open from the outside.

She is Sha Ruijin's secretary.

He walked quickly to Sha Ruijin, leaned over and whispered a few words.

Sha Ruijin's face instantly became even gloomier. He waved his hand and motioned his secretary to go out.

"Latest news."

Sha Ruijin's voice was chilling. "It's confirmed that six special forces personnel belonging to the 20th Army who entered Handong have been killed."

Everyone in the meeting was silent!

……

At the same time, the Public Security Department of Handong Province.

In the huge command center, the lights were on and the atmosphere was as solemn as a battlefield.

Qi Tongwei stood in front of a huge electronic sand table, still wearing the slightly wrinkled police uniform shirt with two buttons undone at the collar. His eyes were bloodshot, but his gaze was as sharp as an eagle.

He has been sitting here for more than ten hours.

The ashtray was filled with cigarette butts, and next to it was a cup of strong tea that had long since gone cold.

"Director!"

A technical police officer hurried over and stood at attention, reporting, "The provincial highway monitoring system has been fully connected. We've screened and compared all military and local licensed off-road vehicles entering and leaving Jingzhou in the past twelve hours, and no target vehicle has been found."

"Keep checking!"

Qi Tongwei's voice was hoarse, but he left no room for doubt. "Expand the scope to national and provincial highways! Manually review the records of all toll booths for me frame by frame! I want to know the whereabouts of every suspicious vehicle!"

"Yes!"

The technical police took the order and left in a hurry.

On the other side, the communications team's phones rang one after another, like a death curse.

"Director, the Luzhou City Bureau has reported that they have checked all star-rated hotels and private clubs within their jurisdiction and found nothing."

"Director, the Lincheng City Bureau has reported that they have investigated all security companies and training bases run by veterans, but have found nothing so far."

"Director, Jingzhou City..."

Bad news came one after another, pouring down on the hearts of everyone in the command center.

Qi Tongwei listened expressionlessly, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the edge of the sandbox.

He is waiting.

Waiting for a result, a chance for him to break free from this damn vortex.

Zhao Yuanchao, a lieutenant general and commander of a group army.

It was like a bomb hanging over the entire Handong officialdom.

And he, Qi Tongwei, was the one who was pushed to the front line and was responsible for bomb disposal.

If it is dismantled, it will be a great achievement and a stepping stone to a higher position.

Can't dismantle it well...

Qi Tongwei didn't dare to think about the consequences.

The tank tracks of the 20th Army will crush everything he has, including his pitiful dignity, which he earned with his knees.

"Enlarge the map of Jingzhou for me!"

Qi Tongwei turned around abruptly and yelled at the operator.

On the huge electronic screen, a detailed map of Jingzhou City was instantly spread out, and every street and every building was clearly visible.

Qi Tongwei stared at the map, his brain working rapidly.

"Criminal Investigation Team!"

"To!"