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

He walked over and tore the seal with his fingers somewhat stiffly.

Every word on those thin A4 papers felt like a heavy burden, suffocating him.

The title is written in black and white and is shocking.

The so-called "special accountability mechanism" in the "Order on Initiating a Special Accountability Mechanism for Handong Province" has a more straightforward and bloody name internally - counterinsurgency.

Once this mechanism is activated, it means that local power will be hollowed out, and powerful departments from above will be sent to intervene directly and eliminate all unstable factors with thundering means.

The last time this mechanism was activated was during the border crisis decades ago.

Zhong Zhengguo had long anticipated that if Zhao Yuanchao got into trouble in Handong, it would inevitably draw the wrath of the higher-ups, and accountability was a foregone conclusion.

But he never expected that the knife would fall so fast and so fiercely!

It's so fast that it leaves no room for maneuver, and so cruel that it shows no mercy.

"Swift..."

He squeezed out these two words from between his teeth.

This shows that the top leadership has completely lost patience with the situation in Handong.

They no longer believed that the Handong Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government could handle this matter well, or rather, they simply did not want to give Handong a chance.

What they want is a result, an explanation that will satisfy the military, and an iron-blooded stance that can deter the villains.

And Hou Liangping was the sacrifice who was pushed onto the altar.

His foolish behavior gave everyone a perfect excuse.

Zhong Zhengguo sat back in his chair dejectedly, feeling that all the strength in his body had been drained.

He looked at the cold lead type on the document, with only one thought in his mind.

It’s over.

It's all over.

Hou Liangping not only ruined himself, but also pushed his father-in-law and the entire Zhong family into an extremely embarrassing and dangerous situation.

The cold cell phone screen reflected Zhong Xiaoai's pale face. The call had ended long ago, but her father's words, every word like a knife, were still echoing in her ears, cutting her eardrums and hurting her.

"The sky is falling, do you understand?"

"He didn't poke a hornet's nest, he poke the sky!"

"No one can save him, not even me!"

"He's done."

"Xiao Ai, the only thing you can do now is to draw a clear line between you and him, immediately!"

……

Handong Province, on the national highway in Jingzhou City.

Zhong Xiaoai gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles turning bluish-white from the force.

The car stopped by the roadside. The world outside the window was still noisy, with people coming and going and cars flowing endlessly, but all this had nothing to do with her.

In her world, there was only her father's cold and emotionless judgment and a dead ruin.

Draw a clear line?

How could she possibly draw a line between herself and Hou Liangping!

That man was the one she chose, the one she loved.

He may be conceited, impulsive, or have made an extremely foolish move on the political chessboard, but he is not a chess piece that should be sacrificed at will!

No.

That's not how it should be.

There must be a way.

She stepped on the accelerator suddenly, the engine roared unwillingly, the tires scraped against the ground, and the car shot out like an arrow.

She wanted to go home, she wanted to go back to Beijing, she wanted to see him, the man who had just sentenced her husband to death over the phone - her father.

When I got home, the house was cold and quiet.

Without Hou Liangping's noisy voice, this home was like an empty shell.

Zhong Xiaoai didn't turn on the lights, walked straight into the bedroom, and dragged a black trolley case down from the top of the wardrobe.

The movements were smooth and efficient without any delay.

She opened her wardrobe, grabbed a few dark clothes and threw them into her suitcase, then went into the bathroom and swept her toiletries into her makeup bag.

Finally, she picked up a photo from the bedside table. In the photo, Hou Liangping was grinning like a fool, and the sunlight was shining on their shoulders.

Her fingers gently stroked Hou Liangping's face, and the touch of the cold glass made her shiver.

She couldn't let him just disappear like that.

She put the photo frame back in its place, turned around, and took a camel trench coat from the hanger.

I put on my windbreaker and zipped up the suitcase, which made a crisp "click" sound.

The sound of the bolt being pulled was particularly abrupt in the silent apartment, and it was also the sound of a switch being pressed in her heart.

She will not sit idly by and wait for death, nor will she obey so-called "orders" to draw a line.

The airport in Jingzhou was brightly lit, and the radio was broadcasting flight information in a steady tone. People were dragging their luggage, some expectant, some tired, as they headed to their respective destinations.

Zhong Xiaoai mingled in the crowd, expressionless, like a drop of water merging into the ocean without causing any ripples.

Only she herself knows what kind of storm is stirring in her heart.

When the plane took off, a huge push on her back pressed her firmly against the seat.

She looked out the porthole at the city lights below, which were getting smaller and smaller. The outline of Handong Province gradually blurred in the night and was finally completely swallowed up by the thick clouds.

Just like Hou Liangping's fate, it was obscured by an invisible thick cloud.

My father's words replayed in my mind over and over again.

“Special Accountability Mechanism… Do you know what that means?”

"The military wants an explanation, and the top leadership wants to calm the anger. He is the perfect explanation."

"Xiao Ai, this isn't a life-and-death struggle; this is... a sacrifice that has already been decided."

Zhong Xiaoai closed her eyes.

She knew that what her father said was the truth, the cold political reality.

but!

She doesn't accept it!

Chapter 69: Zhong Zhengguo's Training of a Girl

In front of the huge gears of the state machine, the fate of an individual is as small as dust.

Hou Liangping's behavior, regardless of his original intention, touched the most sensitive nerves and triggered the most terrible chain reaction.

From a political logic perspective, sacrificing him is the fastest and least costly way to stop the loss.

However, she was unwilling to accept this logic.

She knew her father.

Zhong Zhengguo is powerful and decisive, but he is still a father after all.

She remembered that when she was a child, she was sick with a high fever, he would cancel important meetings and stay by her bedside all night.

She remembered the unconcealable pride on his face when she was admitted to university.

She also remembered that when she decided to marry Hou Liangping, who had nothing, her father was so angry that he smashed a cup, but he finally acquiesced just because she cried and said, "I like him."

He is not God, he has weaknesses.

And she, Zhong Xiaoai, is his biggest weakness.

This time, she also wants to take a gamble.

I bet that in his heart, his daughter is more important than his political future.

She wanted to ask him in person, face to face.

Dad, do you really want to watch your son-in-law, your grandson's father, being pushed onto the altar and possibly lose his life?

Do you really want to sacrifice your daughter's lifelong happiness for the so-called overall situation and your position?

The plane flew smoothly at high altitude. The cabin was quiet except for the hum of the engine.

Zhong Xiaoai opened her eyes and looked at the dark night sky outside the window.

She knew that the journey back to Beijing was a road leading to a cliff, and there might be an abyss ahead.

Everyone thought Hou Liangping was finished, even her father had made his conclusion.

But she didn't believe it.

As long as my father is willing to take action, even if it's just to reveal a little room for improvement, even if it's just to buy a little time for Hou Liangping, there is still hope.

The taxi stopped outside a heavily guarded compound.

The familiar red walls and gray tiles, the sentry standing upright at the door, everything is the same as I remember, but there is an even more cold and murderous atmosphere than before.

The guard had obviously received advance notice. When he saw Zhong Xiaoai, he was not surprised at all. After saluting, he silently opened the heavy iron door.

Zhong Xiaoai walked in dragging her suitcase. The wheels made a "gurgling" sound as they rolled over the cobblestone road, which was particularly harsh in this overly quiet yard.

The lights in the living room were not on, only a dim wall lamp was on in the corridor leading to the study.

Zhong Zhengguo stood at the intersection of light and shadow, like a silent statue.

He was wearing a dark Mao suit and had an upright figure, but Zhong Xiaoai could feel that he no longer exuded the majesty of the past, but an extremely suppressed, terrifying calm like the eve of a storm.

She was just about to speak and call out "Dad".

Zhong Zhengguo spoke first. His voice was not loud, but it was like a cold chisel, accurately shattering all her prepared opening remarks.