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

Chapter 37 The Zhong Family's Operations

"What is Hou Liangping's background, and what is Chen Hai's background? The main responsibility will definitely be shifted to Chen Hai."

Ji Changming sighed and said:

"Chen Hai is the head of the department, and Hou Liangping is the deputy. If Chen Hai doesn't take the blame, who will?"

Lu Yike finally understood, and her disdain for Hou Liangping reached its peak.

Ji Changming waved his hand and said:

"It's not that simple. Our procuratorate definitely needs to undergo restructuring and make preparations. Sigh..."

A gloomy atmosphere, like a curtain, enveloped the entire Handong Provincial Procuratorate.

Outside the prosecutor's office.

Hou Liangping was still cursing and spewing harsh words:

"Chen Hai, why are you stopping me? Let me tell you, Ji Changming is your chief prosecutor, not mine! I work for the Supreme People's Procuratorate..."

"Hey monkey, that's enough! We were in the wrong first, do you want to make things worse?" Chen Hai said angrily, his face grim as he looked at Hou Liangping.

"We were wrong this time, terribly wrong! Go back and await your punishment."

As he said this, the light in Chen Hai's eyes dimmed further, as if he were being judged.

Seeing this, Hou Liangping waved his hand dismissively and said:

"Hey! Chen Hai, don't worry, I'll go back and think of something. I promise you, we'll both be safe and sound, trust me!"

Chen Hai shook his head with a wry smile:

"I hope so."

Hou Liangping felt slighted. He turned his head again, pointed to the floor where Ji Changming was, and made an arrogant gesture.

He ran all the way to a coffee shop, squeezed into a corner, and dialed a number for help:

"Hey, Xiao Ai, it's me..."

"Hou Liangping, you still know how to call?" On the other end of the line, Zhong Xiaoai's voice was as cold as ice.

"A colleague joked with me today, saying I'm the wife of the male lead in an American blockbuster movie. Thank you so much!"

Hou Liangping was startled, and his voice trembled slightly:

"Um, you found out?"

"It's not just me who knows; it's practically the whole circle talking about it. They're saying that you, Hou Liangping, not only secretly investigated the families of provincial standing committee members, but you also stopped their cars on the elevated highway and arrested their women." Zhong Xiaoai said, then couldn't help but sneer.

"I really want to see the way you stopped that car back then. It must have looked pretty cool, right, Director Hou?"

Hou Liangping still didn't understand the implications, and even though he knew he was in the wrong, he still wanted to argue a bit more:

"That person is definitely problematic; the evidence is conclusive..."

"Hou Liangping, are you an idiot?! Do you know that this behavior is provoking the entire leadership of Handong? Who will dare to employ you in the future? Who will dare to protect you?" Zhong Xiaoai finally lost her temper. She never imagined that Hou Liangping could be so ignorant of the rules, and roared:

"You remember this: you're not surnamed Zhong! You don't have much influence! If my family doesn't take care of you, these people in Handong will kill you in no time!"

Hou Liangping remained silent, his knuckles turning white from gripping the phone so tightly.

Zhong Xiaoai's words deeply stung his sensitive and vain heart.

His identity as a son-in-law brought him to his senses at that moment.

My surname is not Zhong.

If the Zhong family doesn't lend a helping hand, I'm afraid I'll really be in trouble!

Career path, future prospects.

Everything will vanish into nothingness!

Only now has Hou Liangping realized his predicament.

Without the support of the Zhong family, he was no longer regarded as a person by the people of Handong.

They are lambs waiting to be slaughtered.

Fear spread from the soles of my feet.

It hits straight in the forehead.

Hou Liangping felt dizzy. As fear enveloped his entire body, he felt only a tingling sensation on his scalp and difficulty breathing.

He originally wanted to plead with Zhong Xiaoai to save both himself and Chen Hai.

It seems that Chen Hai can only hope for the best now.

Sorry, brother.

My buddy's in trouble!

Thinking of this, Hou Liangping took a deep breath and said almost pleadingly:

"Xiao Ai, please, could you talk to my dad... and ask him to help me..."

Hearing Hou Liangping's tone, Zhong Xiaoai, who was still angry, couldn't help but soften her heart.

No matter what, this man was the husband she chose.

We can't just stand by and watch him go down in hell.

So, Zhong Xiaoai sighed deeply and said:

"Sigh... I'll go plead with Father. You go back to your residence now and stay there. Don't associate with anyone again!"

"Okay, Xiao Ai, thank you. I know you won't abandon me..." Hou Liangping's tone was extremely desolate, making it difficult for Zhong Xiao Ai to say anything more, so she could only offer comfort.

After hanging up the phone, Hou Liangping stood up and slowly walked towards his residence.

This was the first time he had walked with his back hunched and head down in Handong.

Meanwhile, Zhong Xiaoai was deep in thought in her office for a long time.

Hesitantly, she dialed her father, Zhong Zhengguo, on the phone.

……

That night.

Xia Qing, who was practicing calligraphy in her study, received a series of unfamiliar phone numbers.

Xia Qing answered the phone and asked:

"Hello?"

"Xia Qing, can you still recognize my voice?" The voice on the other end of the phone was a deep male voice, exuding authority.

After recalling for a moment, Xia Qing tentatively asked:

"Uncle Zhong?"

"Oh right! Looks like you haven't forgotten my voice. How are you? How is your father's health?" The caller was Zhong Xiaoai's father, Zhong Zhengguo, the head of the Zhong family.

"You held me when I was little, how could I forget! My father was a good man, he often talked about you!"

"Really? How could I let your father worry? Hehe..."

Xia Qing then started chatting casually with Zhong Zhengguo.

They waited patiently for Zhong Zhengguo to express his purpose.

Therefore, the two had a lot to talk about and chatted for more than twenty minutes, laughing heartily from time to time.

The two had just finished a conversation and were silent for a short while.

Chung Cheng-kuo laughed:

"Actually, I just spoke with Secretary Ruijin on the phone, and it was only after he mentioned it that I remembered you've come here to be the Organization Minister!"

Xia Qing's smile vanished abruptly upon hearing these words.

Instead, he wore a serious expression.

He knew that Zhong Zhengguo's words were conveying a message:

I've already reached an agreement with the top official of your Handong Province, and now I'm here to talk to you.

Xia Qing understood that the twenty minutes of casual conversation had come to an end.

The real purpose of this phone call began with Zhong Zhengguo's words!

Xia Qing deliberately remained silent, waiting for the opportune moment.

Because the call was initiated by Zhong Zhengguo, and it was Zhong's son-in-law who made the mistake.

Naturally, it was Zhong Zhenghui who took the initiative to speak.

As expected, seeing that Xia Qing remained silent, Zhong Zhengguo continued:

"I spoke with Secretary Ruijin about my son-in-law. I heard he got into trouble and even affected the work of your Organization Department. I'm so disappointed in him! Xia Qing, I hope you can be more understanding."

Xia Qing raised an eyebrow.

When Chung Cheng-kuo lowered himself to ask for leniency, it was time to back down gracefully.

Therefore, Xia Qing immediately said calmly:

"It's alright, just don't let it happen again."

"Sigh, don't even mention it, it's such a headache! Speaking of which, the next batch of pilot projects for parallel job titles and ranks is about to be located, and I think Handong is quite suitable. As the Minister of Organization, you can focus on this matter." Zhong Zhengguo felt that Xia Qing's words were starting to sound unpleasant, but he couldn't lash out, so he changed the subject and said.

Xia Qing's heart stirred again.

Where should the pilot program for parallel job titles be located?

It seems that Chung Jung-kuo will support the future promotion of Handong as a pilot area for parallel job titles.

but.

Xia Qing sneered inwardly.

To apply for a pilot program for parallel job leveling, all I need to do is submit the data and the application.

Do you, Chung Cheng-kuo, need to say it?

Are ten of your words worth one of the Xia family's words?

But Xia Qing wouldn't say these things directly.

Within the system, especially at this level, it is most appropriate to avoid offending people and to project a gentle and refined image.

However, since the conditions weren't right, they still needed to be given a warning, so they said:

"Thank you for your concern, Uncle Zhong! Don't worry too much about Liangping's matter. As long as Secretary Sha handles it reasonably, I will definitely support him wholeheartedly. However, it seems that the pilot program for parallel promotion of ranks and titles was decided by the Organization Department of the Central Committee and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. Since you are from the procuratorial front, I won't trouble you with that! How about this: Ji Changming, the current chief prosecutor of Handong, is about to retire. Next time we recommend a new chief prosecutor, we can consider the recommendations from the Organization Department. Is that alright?"

Zhong Zhengguo's lips twitched on the other end of the phone.

He always treated Xia Qing as a junior, and his words always conveyed a certain feeling, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

The Xia family is indeed powerful, but you, Xia Qing, are still a junior in front of me.

And now.

Xia Qing also conveyed a meaning:

When you, Chung Cheng-kuo, make a deal with me, it's not about what you have, but what I want.

Xia Qing's demands were even more outrageous.

The newly appointed chief prosecutor of the Handong Provincial Procuratorate should take into account the opinions of the Organization Department.

In other words, Xia Qing wants to interfere in the selection of the chief prosecutor and insists on using his recommendation.

This is clearly a blatant attempt to demand people from Chung Cheng-kuo.

You want to protect Hou Liangping?

Yes, the next chief prosecutor must be someone I, Xia Qing, am satisfied with.

This deal is completely unequal!

How can Hou Liangping be compared to a deputy ministerial-level chief prosecutor?

Zhong Zhengguo was about to lash out, but he found that he couldn't refuse.

The Zhong family has just invested resources and sent Hou Liangping, hoping to get a share of the pie in Handong while also dealing a heavy blow to the Zhao family.

Now that nothing has been accomplished, they want Hou Liangping to withdraw from Handong and the Zhong family's plans in Handong to fail?

Chung Cheng-kuo is definitely not happy about it.

But accepting it reluctantly comes at the cost of being nominated as a deputy ministerial-level prosecutor...

At this moment, Zhong Zhengguo wished he could kick Hou Liangping twice.

Xia Qing is ruthless, and Hou Liangping is foolish.

Why did you provoke him?!

Seeing that Zhong Zhengguo had stopped making a move, Xia Qing concluded that Zhong Zhengguo and Sha Ruijin had reached an agreement, and that it was an agreement to protect Hou Liangping.

Since that's the case, all they need to do is show that they won't undermine Sha Ruijin, and then add fuel to the fire:

"Uncle Zhong, protecting Hou Liangping is a real problem; it involves the credibility of my organization..."

"Stop, we'll do it your way." Zhong Zhengguo said through gritted teeth.

"Hou Liangping, let's replace him with a different chief prosecutor."

"Deal." Xia Qing smiled with satisfaction:

"Uncle Zhong, it's getting late, you should get some rest! If there's anything you need, just ask someone to tell me. Of course, I'd be very happy if you'd like to talk to me some more!"

Zhong Zhengguo was no longer interested in speaking and said wearily:

"You should get some rest too."

After hanging up the phone.

Xia Qing regained her composure.

The next step is to bring back cadres from Guangming District as soon as possible to resolve the Dafeng Factory issue.

As for Hou Liangping...

For Xia Qing, it was just a small ripple on the path of doing the right thing.

And through a series of punishments, he got what he wanted.

The selection of the chief prosecutor...

It was totally worth it.

Hou Liangping, thank you so much for that phrase, "the little bit of capriciousness of power!"