244: Chapter 244 Gao Yuliang: How high of an official position is considered "high"?

"Say no more..." Secretary Gao Yuliang's voice was chillingly cold. "The Zhao family must give me an explanation, but we must plan carefully. Going to the Zhao family now will only alert them."

Wu Huifen closed her eyes. "Yuliang, I don't feel at ease. I'm worried about Fangfang—where did she get this information?"

Secretary Gao Yuliang gave a bitter smile and picked up an exquisite business card from the coffee table. "Take a look at this. I found it in the document folder."

Wu Huifen took it and looked, her expression one of surprise. "Bai Erru? The Beijing Bai family?"

Secretary Gao Yuliang nodded. "Fangfang said she works at Xiaohe Pharmaceuticals in Beijing. The founder of Xiaohe Pharmaceuticals is Bai Xiaohe, and Bai Xiaohe is Bai Erru's daughter."

"The Beijing Bai family..." Wu Huifen's brows furrowed deeply. "Could they have some ulterior motive? Yuliang, do you know the background of the Bai family?"

Secretary Gao Yuliang shook his head. "Not really. But the Bai family is definitely not simple. I've been thinking about it half the night and still can't figure out how the Bai family obtained my biological data."

"Is there someone from the Bai family around you?" Wu Huifen tensed up. "Could it be Secretary He?"

Secretary Gao Yuliang waved his hand. "To do something like this, you don't necessarily need someone close by. Used cups, cigarette butts, hair, or fingernails—biological data can be extracted from all of them. I never dreamed that the Beijing Bai family would reach their hands into Handong Province."

"The Bai family doing this..." Wu Huifen pondered for a moment. "Could it be targeting the Zhao family?"

"If I turn against the Zhao family, who benefits?" Secretary Gao Yuliang instinctively looked toward the north. "Old Secretary Zhao has quite a few political rivals."

"Yuliang..." Wu Huifen frowned. "You aren't thinking of just letting it go, are you?"

"Impossible." Secretary Gao Yuliang gritted his teeth. "The Zhao family has bullied me to this extent; as a man, I will never let them off."

"Then what do you intend to do?" Wu Huifen asked. "Divorce Gao Xiaofeng?"

Secretary Gao Yuliang nodded. "It was a forced marriage to begin with, and now that the foundation of the marriage no longer exists, of course I must divorce."

"I'm afraid... that won't be easy, will it?" Wu Huifen looked worried. However, deep down, she secretly hoped that Secretary Gao Yuliang would divorce Gao Xiaofeng—that way, she would have the chance to rightfully return as the wife of the Provincial Committee leader.

Otherwise, with Secretary Gao Yuliang and Gao Xiaofeng being legally married, while she and Secretary Gao Yuliang lived together despite being divorced, the situation was truly awkward.

Others are the 'other woman,' but she, Wu Huifen, was the 'original wife' relegated to the sidelines.

Secretary Gao Yuliang, however, remained silent.

Gao Xiaofeng was in Hong Kong; even as the number three official in the Handong Province Provincial Committee, his reach wasn't that long. If he ordered someone else to handle it, there was a risk of family scandal leaking. Once word got out, he, Secretary Gao Yuliang, would have no face left to remain in Handong Province.

He carefully went through everyone around him who was reliable and capable of handling such a matter, but couldn't find a single suitable person.

His gaze involuntarily fell back onto Bai Erru's business card. Wu Huifen followed his line of sight and said, "Yuliang, Bai Erru leaving this business card probably wasn't just to tell you who investigated you, was it?"

Secretary Gao Yuliang sighed. "Indeed. Bai Erru, the Beijing Bai family, giants of the business world—they seem unconnected to politics. But at that level, how could they have no roots? It looks like I have to give Bai Erru a call."

Just as he was speaking, his phone suddenly rang. It was a call from Gao Fangfang.

Secretary Gao Yuliang quickly answered. "Fangfang."

On the other end of the line, Gao Fangfang's tone was formal. "Dad, what have you decided? Tell me honestly."

Secretary Gao Yuliang paused for a moment before saying it. "I intend to divorce Gao Xiaofeng."

"Good." Gao Fangfang's voice remained calm. "Give me a power of attorney, and I will handle this matter."

Secretary Gao Yuliang was taken aback. "Fangfang, you... you have a way?"

"My boss has a way." Gao Fangfang said. "Don't worry, there won't be any loose ends left. I hope you and Mom remarry, but I won't force it—after all, I will be staying in the country, so you don't need to worry about becoming a 'naked official.'"

Listening to his daughter's calm, almost emotionless words, Secretary Gao Yuliang felt as if something had stabbed him deep in the heart. He composed himself for a long moment before speaking again. "Fangfang, why is the Bai family helping you with this? What exactly is their objective?"

Gao Fangfang was silent for a moment on the other end before replying. "I'm not sure either. But President Bai told me that the boss feels Handong Province needs you to remain in your current position, as it is beneficial for the situation in Handong Province, so they are helping you defuse this mine."

Secretary Gao Yuliang felt a chill run down his back.

President Bai's boss? It really is the person behind the Bai family!

What kind of existence could make the Beijing Bai family call them "Boss"? He instinctively looked toward the north again, his throat bobbing, and said slowly, "Alright, Fangfang, I will give you the authorization. You must be careful."

"Understood, I will come to get it tonight." Gao Fangfang hung up the phone after saying this.

Secretary Gao Yuliang stood there clutching his phone, motionless for a long time.

Wu Huifen looked worried and asked softly, "Yuliang, what did Fangfang say?"

Secretary Gao Yuliang finally put the phone down. "Fangfang said she will come tonight to get my authorization; she is going to help me handle the divorce."

"Fangfang is handling it? How will she manage that?" Wu Huifen asked suspiciously.

Secretary Gao Yuliang said with a complex expression, "People from the Bai family will handle it. Furthermore, this matter was arranged by the person behind the Bai family."

"The person behind the Bai family..." Wu Huifen swallowed unconsciously. "Why? Could it really be one of Former Secretary Zhao Lichun's political rivals?"

Secretary Gao Yuliang shook his head. "I don't know. Fangfang said they hope I can sit firmly in my current position, as it is beneficial for the situation in Handong Province."

After saying this, both of them fell silent.

Since Secretary Sha Ruijin had been parachuted in, they both vaguely felt that a storm was about to hit Handong Province. Yet, above the storm, at the very top of the clouds, there seemed to be a cold eye constantly watching all of this, doing unknown things in places where no one noticed—just like a chess player, quietly moving the pieces on the board.

After a long while, Secretary Gao Yuliang let out a long sigh. "Teacher Wu, tell me, just how high must one rise in office to be considered powerful?"

Wu Huifen was taken aback. "Why are you suddenly asking this?"

Secretary Gao Yuliang smiled self-deprecatingly. "Full-time Deputy Secretary of the Handong Province Provincial Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission, member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee—that counts as a high official, right? Yet, I am still just a helpless pawn, not even knowing who the chess player is."

Wu Huifen was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "Do you think Former Secretary Zhao Lichun knows who the chess player is?"

"I'm afraid he doesn't know either. Perhaps it is some higher figure in the central government." Secretary Gao Yuliang looked toward the north once again, a wave of indescribable fear welling up in his heart, as if a huge, indescribable beast were coiled there.

He slowly closed his eyes and said in a low voice, "Huifen, after Fangfang handles this matter, let's remarry."