The Secretary-General of the Provincial Party Committee Arrives

Sha Ruijin's expression darkened slightly, his previous composure completely gone. He frowned and said, "I admit that I made a mistake in appointing Yi Xuexi, failing to recognize his true character."

The full-time deputy secretary of the provincial party committee knew that this could not continue, otherwise the provincial party secretary would lose face. He immediately interrupted, saying, "Governor Gao, you have been avoiding the important issues and trying to cover up your own problems with other people's problems."

"Then please answer Secretary-General Qian's question directly: what exactly is the HK$100 million trust fund belonging to Qi Tongwei's son?"

"I can answer, but only if you answer one question for me first." Gao Yuliang looked at Lu Zhenguo, not to be outdone, and said, "There's no precedent in the whole country for someone to be promoted directly from the president of the Higher People's Court to the full-time deputy secretary of the Hantong Provincial Party Committee. Can you tell me how you did it?"

"Don't tell me you have outstanding work abilities. I used to be the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, your direct superior. Do you think I don't know whether you're capable or not?"

Seeing Lu Zhenguo speechless after being rebuked, Gao Yuliang glanced at the Standing Committee members present and sneered, "We can criticize and correct the problems left by cadres, but first we must ensure that we ourselves have no problems. That is the premise."

Gao Yuliang looked at Secretary-General Qian of the CPPCC again and said with undisguised sarcasm, "Especially Secretary-General Qian, you have a lot of problems yourself, yet you still jump out to criticize others. Did you come to this provincial party committee democratic life meeting to make us laugh?"

Secretary-General Qian of the CPPCC clenched his clothes tightly, his face turning ashen with anger, unable to speak, his eyes glaring at Gao Yuliang.

When Sha Ruijin saw that no one dared to refute Gao Yuliang, he knew that the democratic life meeting was doomed. Not only had he failed to suppress Gao Yuliang's arrogance, but he had also lost more than he gained!

And so, this seemingly enthusiastic democratic life meeting ended abruptly, and Gao Yuliang's verbal battle with the assembled scholars also definitively announced his return!

……

After the meeting, Gao Yuliang had already arrived at the provincial government's residential compound by car. When he opened the door, he found someone he would never forget... Hou Liangping!

Hou Liangping, who was wearing an apron, saw Gao Yuliang arrive and his eyes lit up. He hurriedly stepped forward to congratulate him, saying, "Congratulations, Teacher Gao, on returning to Handong and becoming the governor of Handong Province. Today I brought some good wine and cooked several dishes. Let's celebrate together."

But Gao Yuliang smiled, a smile that held a profound meaning.

This ungrateful wretch! I haven't even gone to cause him any trouble yet, and he still dares to come up to me?

One doesn't hit a smiling face, so Gao Yuliang smiled back and said, "Liangping, you've been so good to me, how about I, as your teacher, give you a gift?"

"A gift?" Hou Liangping was taken aback.

In front of Hou Liangping, Gao Yuliang directly dialed the phone number of Liu Haiyang, the director of the Development and Reform Commission. "Old Liu, isn't Comrade Hou Liangping working in Handong? Zhong Xiaoai is in Beijing, and being separated from him for so long isn't a solution. Let's transfer Zhong Xiaoai to Handong."

Upon hearing this, Hou Liangping's eyes widened in surprise.

Is this a gift?

This must be shocking!

Historically, it has always been officials from other places who have been eager to squeeze into the capital, rather than officials from the capital who have ever wanted to leave.

Hou Liangping panicked!

If Xiao Ai knew that her transfer to Handong was a gift from Gao Yuliang, she wouldn't be able to explain herself!

Hou Liangping knew the implications and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Teacher Gao, really, it's not necessary. It's fine for us to live apart; I can focus my energy on my work..."

"Don't say that, I understand young people." Gao Yuliang smiled. "I remember you stayed in the Economic Investigation Department of Handong for more than a year back then. It was because long-term separation was not a solution that you were transferred back to the capital."

"No, it really won't work!"

Hou Liangping was almost bursting with anxiety. Outsiders might not know Zhong Xiaoai's personality, but he knew it very well. If Zhong Xiaoai was really transferred to Handong, would he still have a good life?

Hou Liangping hurriedly said, "Teacher Gao, how about this, I don't need this gift anymore, okay?"

"Liangping, there's no reason to take back what's given away."

Gao Yuliang refused without hesitation. He was about to take down Hou Liangping, and at this crucial moment, the whole family should be together.

Just then, Gao Yuliang's cell phone rang. He picked it up and saw that it was a Beijing number, so he answered it directly.

On the phone came Zhong Xiaoai's angry voice: "Director Gao, what do you mean? You went back to Handong yourself but you won't let me go? You insist on transferring me back to Handong too?"

Gao Yuliang's expression turned serious, and he feigned anger, saying, "Assistant Zhong, what are you saying? What do you mean by 'I won't let you go'? Since you've already joined the new energy project team, and the new energy project is going to be implemented in Handong, you definitely need to go back to Handong. It's a work requirement!"

"Besides, Assistant Zhong, you and Liangping are husband and wife after all. It's not a good solution for a couple to live apart. I'm doing this for your own good, aren't I?"

"For my own good?" Zhong Xiaoai became even angrier upon hearing this and said directly, "Director Gao, since you're doing this for my own good, then why don't I just transfer Hou Liangping to Beijing instead of transferring him to Handong?"

Gao Yuliang seemed to have anticipated his response and countered, "Assistant Zhong, this is an organization's arrangement and decision, not something I can decide on my own. Why don't you apply to the organization for a transfer from the new energy project team?"

"If the leadership agrees, I have no objection."

Hearing this, Zhong Xiaoai was furious. Her father had called her many times these past few days, and although he was usually very friendly, he would say he was powerless to help once he heard that Zhong Xiaoai was in the new energy project team!

After all, following the National Economic and Social Development Conference, everyone knew that this new energy project was a super project personally announced by President Li and designated as a key project by President Lü!

At this juncture, anyone who dares to touch the people in the new energy project team is practically asking for trouble.

As a result, Zhong Xiaoai, who pretended to be sick and rested at home, ended up resting at home...

Zhong Xiaoai was already in a terrible situation, but now Gao Yuliang was determined to eliminate her completely by transferring her to Handong. She was starting to lose her composure.

At this moment, Gao Yuliang considerately said, "Assistant Zhong, I know you are sick. Don't worry, I have already contacted the emergency department experts at the First People's Hospital of Handong Province to come and give you a comprehensive physical examination."

"If it's a rare or difficult-to-diagnose illness, it's okay if the tests can't find the cause. You can stay in the hospital and rest until you feel better."

"What do you think, Assistant Chung?"

Then, the phone went dead, and Zhong Xiaoai hung up immediately, clearly feeling withdrawn.

Gao Yuliang, holding his phone, looked at Hou Liangping beside him and said with a smile, "Liangping, look, Xiao Ai is so excited because she knows she's about to see you. She hung up the phone and went to pack her luggage."

Hou Liangping relies on the Zhong family's background and sometimes doesn't follow the rules, but that doesn't mean he's stupid or brainless.

Hou Liangping knew very well that Gao Yuliang's series of actions were not a gift at all, but a scheme deliberately set up to disgust him, with the aim of making him watch helplessly as his wife, Zhong Xiaoai, was transferred to Handong!

Since that's the case, Hou Liangping didn't want to play along anymore. He stared straight at Gao Yuliang and said sarcastically, "Teacher Gao, I thought that if a student bowed his head and admitted his mistake, the teacher would forgive and forget."

"Only then did I realize how ridiculous my thinking was, and how narrow-minded you, Professor Gao, were. The past is the past, why can't we look forward?"

"If you bow your head and admit your mistake, I'll let it go? It's narrow-minded of me not to forgive you?" Gao Yuliang laughed, pointing at Hou Liangping and criticizing, "Liangping, actually your words have enlightened me. I initially thought that my education of students was very successful."

"But after listening to you, I realized that when I was a teacher at Handong University, I seemed to have forgotten to teach students the most important lesson, which is moral character."

"Otherwise, how could I have taught someone like you who disrespects teachers, is ungrateful, repays kindness with enmity, and repays good with evil?"

Hou Liangping was furious. He had only said something disgusting to Gao Yuliang, but Gao Yuliang had given him a severe scolding. However, Hou Liangping knew very well that it was impossible to win an argument with Gao Yuliang, who was good at sophistry.

Suppressing the urge to continue arguing, Hou Liangping looked at Gao Yuliang and threatened, "Professor Gao, don't think that just because you've become the governor of Handong Province, you can rest easy and do whatever you want. We'll see!"

After saying that, Hou Liangping turned to leave, but then heard Gao Yuliang say, "Wait a minute, take all the food and wine you made away. I'm afraid you might have poisoned it!"

……

After dinner, Wu Chunlin, the Organization Minister of Handong Province, arrived, accompanied by Xia Wanjun, the Secretary-General of the Provincial Party Committee.

Gao Yuliang, Wu Chunlin, and Xia Wanjun went directly to the study on the second floor of the villa. Wu Chunlin introduced Gao Yuliang, saying, "Yuliang, I ran into Secretary Xia on the way. Knowing that I was coming to your place, he insisted on coming along to congratulate you."

Gao Yuliang knew that Wu Chunlin was reminding him that Xia Wanjun, the secretary-general of the Hantong Provincial Party Committee, had already pledged allegiance and was trustworthy.

Gao Yuliang looked at Xia Wanjun and immediately said, "Welcome! Besides Comrade Chunlin, Comrade Wanjun is the first person to welcome me back to Handong."

To Gao Yuliang's surprise, Xia Wanjun was much more direct than he expected, bluntly stating, "Governor Gao, there's no need to hide anything. I'm here to take sides. From now on, Secretary Yuliang, please feel free to give me any orders. As long as it's within the law, I'll do whatever you ask!"

"I know that many people in Handong Province are just standing by and watching, wavering between sides. But I, Xia Wanjun, am different. I'm willing to take a gamble. If I lose, I accept my fate; if I win, I take it all!"

"Moreover, my former boss was Liu Haiyang, the director of the National Development and Reform Commission..."