Nominal: The pinnacle of power began in the sixth province of Handong.

Chapter 149 Old Master Ni's Scathing Rebuke

At the same time.

Grandpa Ni called Sha Ruijin, who was unemployed in his dormitory.

He answered the phone with a slight tremor, and on the other end, Old Master Ni's dignified yet helpless voice rang out:

"You've achieved quite a bit recently."

Sha Ruijin considered how to reply, and answered in as calm a tone as possible:

"Dad... what's wrong?"

"Are you still hiding this from me? This morning, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection called me." Old Master Ni's tone grew increasingly stern.

"You launched a project that went bust? And you dragged Fugui into it?"

Sha Ruijin felt a chill run down his spine and quickly reported to Grandpa Ni the whole story of why he pushed this project forward, his thought process, and the current situation.

The more I listened, the heavier Old Master Ni's breathing became, as if he was trying his best to suppress his anger.

After saying that, Old Master Ni said coldly:

"What did I tell you when you came back last time? Didn't I remind you that in the situation in Handong, inaction is the best policy? Why did you rush to the front lines and get involved? Also, didn't I tell you that Ni Hua isn't cut out for business, and that if she encourages you to do any projects, you must tell me?"

"Even if you won't tell me, fine, how much guts do you have to build a project with the surname Sha on the Zhao family's territory? Are you afraid they won't find a target to stab them in the back, so you deliberately set up a target for them with a sign saying 'Welcome'?"

"What happened to your preliminary investigation? What happened to your follow-up? You let Fugui get dragged into this mess right under our noses! What were you doing, Sha Ruijin! If it weren't for my influence, it wouldn't have been my two students coming down from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection!"

Hearing Old Master Ni's harsh reprimand, Sha Ruijin didn't dare to utter a sound.

He knew he had really messed up this time.

The Ni family also found themselves in a passive position because of him.

Old Master Ni seemed to have grown tired of talking. He sighed deeply, and with barely suppressed anger, said:

"Just now, guess who I got a call from?"

Sha Ruijin said in a trembling voice:

"who……"

"Zhao Lichun! That old bastard dared to come here and provoke me! He asked about your situation and then gave a fake apology, saying he hadn't disciplined you properly and hadn't supervised you effectively!" Old Master Ni roared.

"Before I sent you to Handong, Zhao Lichun didn't dare breathe loudly in front of me! And now? He dares to chat and laugh with me on the phone!"

Sha Ruijin remained silent. He knew that this incident had given the Zhao family a tremendous advantage.

After Old Master Ni finished speaking, Sha Ruijin cautiously said:

"Dad, there hasn't been any news from the Supreme People's Procuratorate, has there?"

"By the time you remember this, it will be too late! You and Fugui, do you know how much I'll have to pay to protect both of you!" At this point, Old Master Ni said again, his anger barely contained.

"Remember when Hou Liangping made a mistake, Zhong Zhengguo called you and asked you to look after him? Let me tell you, this time he's been paid back, principal and interest! Otherwise, how could the Supreme People's Procuratorate remain indifferent? Think about it carefully!"

Sha Ruijin felt cold to the touch. He was all too aware of the exchange of interests involved, and naturally understood how much leverage Zhong Zhengguo would demand this time.

Because of his oversight, he harmed the Ni family.

It was extremely painful.

After recovering, Old Master Ni said, somewhat exhausted:

"You must see Xia Qing immediately. If you want to turn the tide, you must strike hard against the Zhao family in the fight against corruption... A comprehensive anti-corruption campaign requires Xia Qing's help... In return, you must spare no effort to support Xia Qing's pilot program of parallel promotion and demotion. This is also an opportunity to curry favor with the Xia family..."

Sha Ruijin asked in bewilderment:

"Dad, isn't this unnecessary? A comprehensive anti-corruption campaign—what does it have to do with the Organization Department?"

Old Master Ni said coldly:

"Your Public Security Bureau and Procuratorate in Handong are now under the Xia family's control."

He hung up the phone after saying that.

Sha Ruijin held the dedicated communication phone blankly.

Are the Public Security Bureau and the Procuratorate both surnamed Xia?

Has Xia Qing's control over these two key departments reached this level?

Upon closer reflection, it seems to be true.

They initiated a comprehensive anti-corruption campaign, but the actual implementation is still done at the lower levels.

The provincial government needs to discuss related matters with Xia Qing.

Even though Xia Qing wasn't involved, she was fully aware of the progress of the work.

It sends chills down my spine!

I never expected that the Organization Minister, who had just arrived last year, would be so low-key and cautious.

Has it developed to the point where we need to take the initiative to get closer to them?

Reversing the Heavenly Gang...

Helpless, after a long internal struggle, Sha Ruijin...

I dialed Xia Qing's number.

The two reached a friendly consultation on the pilot program of parallel job ranks and on comprehensive anti-corruption work.

And Sha Ruijin's last words were, "Minister Xia, thank you for your help."

This further demonstrates...

Xia Qing's status has now reached the very pinnacle of Han Dong!

……

The investigation and audit of Huilong Group, which was conducted concurrently with the special task force investigating the resort project, has yielded results.

The source investigation proposed by Chen Hai was extremely effective.

At Zhu Zhichao's instruction, Chen Hai gave a work report to Xia Qing.

Huilong Group's profit chain can be roughly divided into four layers.

The first layer consists of state-owned enterprises, represented by oil and gas groups, which transfer special funds to private enterprises, represented by Shanshui Group, as project settlement expenses. Shanshui Group then receives these funds normally.

The second layer involves the Shanshui Group paying these funds as consulting and patent fees to shell companies registered offshore, acting as a firewall to prevent domestic investigation into the flow of funds. The oil and gas group could also directly conduct this operation; the substantial consulting fees serve as evidence. At this level, the same sum might even change hands approximately ten times within these shell companies.

The third layer involves the shell company receiving the funds and then transferring them to international trading companies as regular payment expenses. These companies may be shell companies or legitimate entities; in any case, the funds are fragmented, broken down into smaller amounts, and deposited into the trading company's internal accounts.

At the final level, hundreds of trading companies then use this as a regular payment method to transfer funds to various domestic companies. And behind these companies is the Huilong Group!

The sophisticated financial crime network and the process of embezzling state-owned assets have been uncovered!

Xia Qing looked at the shocking numbers on the report and became even angrier.

These are the parasites and scoundrels of this country.

The Zhao family truly treats the oil and gas group as their own money-printing machine!

Chen Hai asked tentatively:

"Minister, do you think... it's time to close the net?"

"It's no use, Chen Hai. These things can be suppressed at Zhao Lichun's level. They can't reach Zhao Ruilong's head. At most, they can be handed over to the second or third in charge of our Huilong Group, and Liu Xinjian of the oil and gas company." Xia Qing's rich experience told him that these accounts were meaningless in front of Zhao Lichun.

Then, after a moment's thought, Xia Qing said:

"I think there's still a way to break through."

Chen Hai listened attentively.

Xia Qingdao:

"Such a large network of interests couldn't have been maintained without the tacit approval and participation of officials in Handong. Chen Hai, think about it carefully: the oil and gas group pays the money, the Huilong group collects the money, but what role does the Shanshui group play? Consider this in the context of the Shanshui Manor."

Chen Hai was initially somewhat confused, but after repeatedly pondering Xia Qing's words, he gradually gained clarity:

"The Shanshui Group... is responsible for bribing officials?"

"Absolutely correct. The Shanshui Group's mission is to cultivate corrupt officials and ensure the execution of the chain of interests, as can be seen from the function of the Shanshui Manor." Xia Qing said seriously:

"The Shanshui Group has branches of all sizes all over Handong. It's terrifying to think about."

Chen Hai also sighed:

"How many officials are their partners...?"

"Here's the plan: we'll proceed along three lines. The first is a financial investigation, primarily conducted by the auditing and economic crime investigation departments, focusing on oil and gas and Huilong. The second, Chen Hai, you should assign a reliable person to work with the anti-corruption bureau to secretly investigate officials who have dealings with the Shanshui Group, tracing them from branch offices to the head office. Once this step is solidified, the rest can proceed smoothly," Xia Qing said.

Chen Hai thought for a moment and said:

"Let Lü Liang lead the team; he's reliable."

Xia Qing smiled and said:

"You can arrange it. For the third line of action, have Hou Liangping continue interrogating Liu Xinjian, but remember, don't expect him to say anything. Just use him as a smokescreen to make the enemy think we have no other options and can only start with Liu Xinjian... Do you understand what I mean?"

Chen Hai also smiled slyly:

"Let a monkey do this? If he knew the truth, he'd probably go crazy."

"Then let's arrest them. There's no other way." Xia Qing leaned back in his chair and said leisurely.

"People with certain abilities should do things at a certain level."