Qi Tongwei: Sign-in relationship started during student days

Chapter 1096 The Corruption Case in Iwate City

Hou Liangping has a very good reputation in the officialdom of Handong in recent years.

He was nicknamed "Sun Dasheng" or "Sun the Monkey King," and of course, some called him "Mad Monkey."

These titles were not praises, but rather carried a hidden sense of apprehension and hatred.

They feared his ruthless and unyielding approach to investigations, and hated his stubbornness and the fact that anyone who crossed him was doomed.

In less than four years, he solved more than ten major cases and personally brought down more than a hundred corrupt officials at the division level or above.

Stepping over the "corpses" of this group of people, Hou Liangping's position rose steadily, with a promotion almost every year.

He was promoted from deputy director to director of the Jingzhou Anti-Corruption Bureau, and his rank rose from deputy division chief to division chief. Later, he also served as deputy chief prosecutor of the Jingzhou Procuratorate.

Two months ago, he was transferred to the position of deputy director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Provincial Procuratorate. Although his rank remained the same, his power was vastly different.

Hou Liangping's rapid promotion is the result of his hard work and dedication.

When investigating a case, working overtime is the norm, and staying up all night is commonplace.

Often working until the wee hours of the morning with bloodshot eyes, when I could no longer hold on, I would curl up on the office sofa and doze off for two or three hours. When I woke up, I would wash my face with cold water and then plunge back into the mountain of case files, pen and paper never leaving my hand, determined to find out the clues.

It was precisely this reckless and mad spirit that enabled him to forge a formidable reputation on the front lines of the fight against corruption.

According to the plan Zhao Xiaohui had laid out for him, when the reshuffle comes next year, her father will be promoted to the position of provincial party secretary, and by the end of the year, he can help him overcome the hurdle of becoming a deputy director-general.

A 31-year-old deputy director-level official is extremely rare, even in Handong and across the country.

Hou Liangping was not satisfied with this, and instead worked even harder.

The 31-year-old deputy director-general was a shining star in the eyes of ordinary people, but he knew that compared to his senior, he was nothing.

Tonight is clearly another sleepless night of overtime.

At nine o'clock in the evening, Zhao Xiaohui carried a warm insulated lunchbox in one hand and held her sleeping son Ranran in the other. She walked into the provincial procuratorate office building with familiarity and found her way to Hou Liangping's office.

When she pushed open the door, Hou Liangping was engrossed in his desk, his brows slightly furrowed, his pen moving swiftly across the documents, unaware that she had entered.

Helpless, Zhao Xiaohui simply placed the insulated box gently on the case file he was writing on.

"Hey." Hou Liangping looked up in surprise, and upon seeing who it was, the sharpness in his eyes softened instantly. He smiled and said, "Xiao Hui's here? It's nine o'clock?"

"What do you think?"

Hou Liangping looked out the window; it was pitch black. He suspiciously glanced at his watch, and sure enough, the hour hand was firmly planted at the nine o'clock mark. He couldn't help but chuckle.

"How come it's already nine o'clock in the blink of an eye? Time flies!"

Zhao Xiaohui gave him a reproachful look and reached out to brush the scraps of paper off his shoulder: "You still know how to keep track of time? When you get busy, all you see is the case. I'm afraid you can't even remember where you live now."

Hou Liangping carefully took his son from his hand, gently stroking Ranran's soft cheek with his fingertips, and said in a teasing tone, "Isn't this all so that you can become the director's wife as soon as possible, and Ranran can become the director's young master?"

Zhao Xiaohui said, "With your abilities and my father's support, becoming a department head is only a matter of time, and you might even be able to reach an even higher position in the future. There's no need to push yourself so hard; it's not worth ruining your health."

Hou Liangping said, "That won't do. If I don't have solid achievements to back me up, even if I get promoted through promotion, people will still talk behind my back and say that I, Hou Liangping, am a coward who got promoted by relying on my father-in-law."

Besides, relying on seniority to climb the ranks—not only would others look down on me, but I myself would despise myself.

Zhao Xiaohui sighed softly to herself. She knew her husband too well; she knew he was secretly competing with his senior, Qi Tongwei.

The two of them are on completely different paths, so how can they be compared?

Qi Tongwei followed the ruling path, focusing on the economy and people's livelihood, developing projects and promoting development. His achievements were clearly visible and tangible, so his promotion was naturally swift.

Hou Liangping, on the other hand, does the tough job of anti-corruption investigations, and is the one who rushes to the front to be the knife and tackle the hard nuts to crack.

Investigating a case is like dancing on a knife's edge. If you succeed, it's your duty; if you fail, you'll be in serious trouble. Trying to get things done quickly is easier said than done.

She couldn't imagine what her husband would think if he knew that his senior from university had been promoted to deputy provincial level last year.

I'm going to have to work until 10 PM tomorrow, I'm so tired...