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

Chapter 112 Scapegoat

After listening to Xia Qing's analysis, Qi Tongwei fell silent.

The content he had just heard completely negated all the experience Qi Tongwei had accumulated over the years.

He thought he had figured out the ways of officialdom and could handle everyone and everything with ease.

Now, Qi Tongwei's confidence is once again being shaken.

At the same time, he had reached a point where he both respected and feared Xia Qing.

Qi Tongwei, unwilling to give up, asked:

"Minister, Professor Gao didn't tell me about these things..."

Xia Qing was almost laughing in exasperation:

"You didn't tell him either! Did you?"

Qi Tongwei fell completely silent.

He felt that in front of Xia Qing and Gao Yuliang, he was just a greenhorn who could be seen through at a glance.

But, even Teacher Gao was taken into consideration, Xia Qing was seven or eight years younger than him.

Seriously, people from big families are different...

Seeing that Qi Tongwei remained silent, Xia Qing quickly comforted him:

"Alright, Tongwei, it's not a big deal if you can understand these things; practice makes perfect! I understand how you feel right now. After all, Secretary Sha has disliked you for so long, and you finally have a chance to infiltrate his circle, so you're bound to be a little smug. But I want to remind you, Secretary Sha has other plans, and Secretary Yuliang would never harm you! If anything happens, remember to report to him and communicate with him more, understand?"

Qi Tongwei stood up, bowed his head sincerely, and said:

"Minister, I admit my mistake; I was indeed somewhat unaware of my own shortcomings. Your words have made me realize my error and I am deeply ashamed. I will go back immediately and report this matter to Teacher Gao."

Xia Qing said with satisfaction:

"That's right. Alright, go ahead, and while you're at it, ask Secretary Yuliang how to resolve this."

Qi Tongwei nodded and fled the office as if he were escaping.

He hurriedly went to the courtyard to find Gao Yuliang.

Deep down, there was still a sliver of hope.

Minister Xia, you're exaggerating and overcomplicating things.

Secretary Sha assigned me to investigate Chen Yanshi, why are there so many twists and turns?

I couldn't possibly not see it; Minister Xia must have deliberately exaggerated the situation.

Yes, that must be it.

This idea had been lingering in Qi Tongwei's mind.

It wasn't until he met Gao Yuliang that he reported his affair with Sha Ruijin.

After a long pause, Gao Yuliang's first words were:

"Oh no! Tongwei, Secretary Sha is setting a trap for you!"

Qi Tongwei: "?"

After a moment's thought, Gao Yuliang continued:

"If you dare to investigate Chen Yanshi today, he will dare to use your illegal handling of cases as leverage to severely punish you in the future."

Qi Tongwei: "??"

Gao Yuliang sighed and said:

"Back then, I retired. To appease Secretary Sha, the higher-ups wouldn't side with you. As for Minister Xia, he probably wouldn't get involved in something that couldn't be turned around. By the way, your investigation of Chen Yanshi inadvertently offended his son, Chen Hai. Secretary Sha knows that you and Chen Hai both worked for Xia Qing and achieved results, seemingly becoming part of Xia Qing's faction. Arranging for you to investigate Chen Yanshi was also to sow discord between you and Chen Hai, and to divide Xia Qing's power..."

Qi Tongwei: "???"

Gao Yuliang said solemnly:

"This matter needs careful consideration, Tongwei, listen to me... Tongwei?"

Qi Tongwei then came to his senses, cold sweat pouring down his face. He walked to Gao Yuliang's side and respectfully said:

"Teacher, please give me some guidance."

Gao Yuliang pondered for a long time before saying:

"We are fully aware of Chen Yanshi's shareholding. Here's what we'll do: you pretend to be investigating, and I'll have Chen Qingquan prepare a shareholding file for Dafeng Factory and give it to you."

Qi Tongwei was taken aback and asked in confusion:

"Then should I hand it over to Secretary Sha? Teacher, wouldn't that be...?"

Gao Yuliang said with a smile:

"You can't hand this over. Think about it, is there anyone we know who's greedy for credit and eager to show off in front of Secretary Sha?"

Qi Tongwei was taken aback, and a name quickly came to mind.

Gao Yuliang naturally had his own ideas as well.

The two exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly.

……

"Comrades! Let us welcome Comrade Chen Hai back to his post as Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau!"

Ji Changming announced loudly.

Amidst cheers and applause, Chen Hai scratched his head shyly and returned to his office as the bureau chief.

Lu Liang, who was standing to the side, stepped forward, shook Chen Hai's hand, and said:

"Inspector Ji specifically instructed that your office be sealed off and no one can use it. Let me state upfront that during my time as acting director, I have always been in my own office..."

Lu Yike joked from the side:

"Director Lü is telling the truth. Someone suggested he move into the director's office, but he firmly rejected it. He even said, 'I'm just waiting for you, Director Chen, to come back and take charge of the anti-corruption bureau!'"

"Yes, yes, Director Chen, without you coming back, our work has been a bit confusing... Oh, I didn't mean anything by it, I'm just happy! It's good that you're back!" Lin Huahua was genuinely happy, and her words were somewhat incoherent.

Chen Hai felt the welcome from everyone, but his heart was not really stirred.

During the period after he was demoted and sent to the Political Department as a division-level cadre.

Chen Hai had long been aware of the fickleness of human relationships.

Lü Liang, Lu Yike, Lin Huahua, and Zhou Zheng would visit him every now and then, telling him interesting stories about the Anti-Corruption Bureau and bringing him some treats.

Chen Hai was very grateful.

But what chilled him the most was the person who instigated his demotion, his good brother Hou Liangping, who patted his chest and guaranteed that he would take responsibility if anything went wrong.

During the months he was in the Political Department, Hou Liangping never once came to visit him.

If we bump into each other on the street, we just nod briefly.

Sometimes, when Chen Hai felt frustrated, he wanted to talk to Hou Liangping.

What you always see is Hou Liangping, impeccably dressed in his uniform, always looking like he's working himself to the bone, and never even having time to exchange a few words with Chen Hai.

At that time, Chen Hai felt that Hou Liangping did not regret his departure.

Instead, he felt a sense of freedom, like a fish returning to the sea. During Chen Hai's absence, he took charge of the work and assigned tasks, acting like the head of the anti-corruption bureau.

According to Lin Huahua's later report, Hou Liangping had repeatedly suggested moving into Chen Hai's director's office, but Ji Changming scolded him and he gave up.

These things left a deep lingering resentment in Chen Hai's heart.

As a result, after Xia Qing gave him a boost, he has now finally been reinstated to his original position.

Chen Hai no longer felt anything special.

The ups and downs have given me a clearer understanding of certain people.

Worth it.

Meanwhile, Hou Liangping, sitting in the corner, coldly watched as the crowd surrounded Chen Hai.

He didn't feel much joy at his good friend's return.

The thought of Chen Hai revoking his punishment while he himself still had a major demerit made him feel irritable.

Hou Liangping was even more eager to prove himself by making meritorious contributions.

Just then, a phone call came in.

Hou Liangping glanced at the number, a smile playing on his lips. He answered the phone, deliberately speaking in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear:

"Hey, Director Qi? What? You want to treat me to dinner? No problem at all!"

Everyone turned to look at Hou Liangping, following the sound.

"What? The usual place? I mean, senior, are you planning to send Boss Gao to pick me up again today for another battle of wits? Fine, I'll be waiting!"

Hou Liangping hung up the phone and glanced at Chen Hai and the others, pretending not to care.

Then, striking what he thought was a very cool pose, he said:

"Director Chen, I'm leaving now to look for clues."

Chen Hai wondered to himself:

Director Qi invited Hou Liangping to dinner? Sounds like it's going to Shanshui Manor again?

Having fought alongside Qi Tongwei, Chen Hai was somewhat worried that Hou Liangping might do something outrageous that could affect Qi Tongwei's chances of being promoted to vice-provincial level.

But then I thought, Qi Tongwei is clean now, and the Discipline Inspection Commission can't find anything about him, so how could Hou Liangping cause any trouble?

Chen Hai was relieved.

So he made the arrangements:

"Let Deputy Director Hou go, let's get to work. Or, could you bring me Liu Xinjian's file so we can discuss the oil and gas group's affairs..."