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

Chapter 209 A Completely Different Person

At the same time, 7 p.m.

Zhao Ruilong, dressed in a suit and tie, arrived at the familiar French restaurant.

Upon entering the private room, I saw Gao Yuliang sitting there with a cheerful expression, saying to me:

"Ruilong is here, please have a seat."

Zhao Ruilong sat down with a disgruntled expression and said sarcastically:

"Secretary Yu Liang has some clever tricks up his sleeve. He's successfully latched onto Xia Qing, and managed to take people away from my turf."

As Zhao Ruilong spoke, he angrily gave a thumbs-up, saying:

"You and Gao Xiaofeng are becoming more and more alike."

Gao Yuliang could tell that Zhao Ruilong's words were extremely humiliating, comparing him to a despicable person like Gao Xiaofeng who relied on men to rise to power.

However, the more unrestrained Zhao Ruilong's words become, the more it reveals his current impotent rage.

Gao Yuliang didn't need to argue with Zhao Ruilong.

So, as if he hadn't heard, Gao Yuliang continued to speak to himself:

"I ordered all your favorite dishes today, eat them while they're hot!"

Seeing Gao Yuliang eating as if nothing had happened, Zhao Ruilong became even more irritated. Forgetting all pretense, he slammed his hand on the table and said:

"Enough already! Secretary Yuliang, what exactly do you want?"

Seeing that Zhao Ruilong was losing his composure, Gao Yuliang chuckled and slowly said:

"Liu Qingzhu really did hide an account book, which has already fallen into Sha Ruijin's hands."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ruilong's brain went blank for a full half minute.

Then he realized what was happening and angrily said:

"An account book? How could that be? How dare Liu Qingzhu!"

"How about that? After you heard the news, you sent people to search the cloud backup, and even threatened me with Gao Xiaofeng. In the end, didn't you end up with nothing?" Gao Yuliang deliberately said these words at this moment, and his intention to retaliate was quite obvious.

But this sentence was far more effective than Zhao Ruilong's previous mild insult!

As expected, Zhao Ruilong was successfully provoked by Gao Yuliang. He suddenly stood up and went straight for Gao Yuliang.

Gao Yuliang remained calm and unhurried, without even raising his head.

Suddenly, Li Gangxin emerged from the restroom inside the private room, brandishing a pistol and pointing it at Zhao Ruilong, stating unequivocally:

"Sit down, don't be so presumptuous."

Zhao Ruilong froze. He instinctively raised his hands, forced a smile, and said:

"Secretary Yuliang, what are you doing? I was just joking, just joking..."

Gao Yuliang smiled and shook his head, cut a piece of beef with his knife and fork and put it in his mouth. Then, he pointed at Zhao Ruilong with the knife in his right hand and said with a forced smile:

"Zhao Ruilong, who do you think you're talking to? I've given you a good face all these years, don't you understand why?"

Zhao Ruilong trembled.

He knew that Gao Yuliang was referring to Gao Xiaofeng.

Over the years, if he hadn't kept Gao Xiaofeng under control...

Gao Yuliang was not going to listen to such a thing.

Now, Gao Xiaofeng has escaped control and returned to Gao Yuliang's hands.

With Xia Qing, this behemoth, standing behind them.

Zhao Ruilong, or the Zhao family, has completely lost the ability to control Gao Yuliang.

damn it.

It seems Gao Yuliang has finally found a new backer.

It's simply unbelievable that the Xia family would accept Gao Yuliang.

But Zhao Ruilong had to admit that...

Now, at this very moment.

I am at a disadvantage, I am at a disadvantage!

Gao Yuliang elegantly wiped his mouth with the napkin on his chest, stood up and walked to Zhao Ruilong, nodding at Li Gangxin.

Li Gangxin understood immediately, and suddenly pressed Zhao Ruilong's head down onto the table.

Zhao Ruilong instinctively wanted to resist, but the cold sensation at his temples brought him back to his senses.

"Secretary Gao, Director Li! Don't act rashly, don't act rashly..."

"Zhao Ruilong, am I being too lenient with you?" Gao Yuliang smiled faintly, then suddenly shoved the knife into the table, wedging it between Zhao Ruilong's fingers.

Looking at the knife so close to him, dangling from the wooden table, Zhao Ruilong swallowed hard.

Such strength is simply incompatible with Gao Yuliang's refined image of being weak and powerless.

"Surprised? Unlike you young people who go to the gym, I like to hoe the ground. Oh, a pampered young master like you probably doesn't know what hoeing is."

Gao Yuliang stood in front of Zhao Ruilong, made a very standard gesture of swinging a hoe, and said:

"I can swing it two hundred times in a row. You know, as the secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, I've seen too many so-called gangsters, but they can only swing it twenty or thirty times before they're out of breath. So you still need to exercise more, otherwise you won't be able to handle it inside."

Gao Yuliang then leaned close to Zhao Ruilong's ear and whispered:

"So, give me some face, okay?"

Zhao Ruilong's heart jumped into his throat. For the first time, he felt utter fear in front of Gao Yuliang.

It wasn't fear of the position of deputy secretary of the provincial party committee, but simply fear of Gao Yuliang.

Without thinking, he shouted:

"I'll give you face, ptooey, ptooey, I'll obey, Secretary Gao, I'll obey, okay?!"

Gao Yuliang then sat back down in his seat with satisfaction and waved his finger at Li Gangxin.

Li Gangxin then released his grip and put the gun away.

Zhao Ruilong felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He quickly stood up, obediently sat back down, and waited for Gao Yuliang's reprimand.

"Now that Sha Ruijin has taken the ledgers, you're bound to be in trouble. But the old leader is innocent, and I can't bear to see him worrying about this at his age."

Gao Yuliang said with some regret:

"Call your father and let me speak."

Zhao Ruilong nodded repeatedly, his hands trembling as he took out his phone and called Zhao Lichun.

"Hello, Ruilong?"

Zhao Lichun's somewhat tired voice came from the other end, and Zhao Ruilong quickly walked to Gao Yuliang's side and handed him the phone with both hands.

Gao Yuliang thanked him and took the phone.

"Old boss, this is Yuliang."

Zhao Lichun on the other end of the phone immediately became alert and said:

"Yuliang? Is Ruilong with you?"

"Yes, I was just discussing something important with Ruilong and wanted to report it to you." Gao Yuliang said, and told Zhao Lichun everything about Liu Qingzhu's death, the fact that Liu Qingzhu's cloud backup was cracked by the procuratorate, and that the ledger was obtained by Sha Ruijin.

The other end of the line was eerily quiet until Gao Yuliang finished speaking, at which point Zhao Lichun's violent coughing could be heard.

Zhao Ruilong didn't dare to utter a sound.

He knew that the old man was truly angry this time.

At the same time, I'm afraid I'll be in danger myself.

Fortunately, Zhao Lichun was a seasoned veteran. He knew that Gao Yuliang must have already thought of a way to deal with the situation by calling him about this, and was just waiting for him to ask.

So Zhao Lichun cleared his throat and said:

"That bastard! Yu Liang, thank you for telling me all this, now look at what happens next..."

Gao Yuliang told Zhao Lichun the answer he had prepared:

"Old leader, only you can break this deadlock now. The most urgent thing is for you to personally go to the Ni family in Beijing to discuss this matter."