255: Chapter 255 From childhood to adulthood, haven't you had enough?

"Dad! Stop hitting me! Stop it! I know I was wrong, I won't dare to do it again! I won't!"

Zhao Ruilong's face was a mess of snot and tears, and he rolled on the floor in pain.

Former Secretary Zhao Lichun's face was dark and livid. He said nothing, just silently continued to discipline him.

With alcohol for disinfection, even if the skin broke, there was no need to worry about infection. It was the best kind of "care" a father could give his child.

Standing at the doorway was a white-collar beauty, also looking livid. It was Zhao Ruilong's second sister, Zhao Xiaohui.

Seeing beads of sweat on Former Secretary Zhao Lichun's forehead and his movements slowing down, she stepped forward. "Dad, don't be Life Qi anymore. If you ruin your health with Qi, it's not worth it. Ruilong surely knows he was wrong by now."

"He doesn't know anything! This reckless idiot!" Former Secretary Zhao Lichun gritted his teeth. "Ask him yourself, see if he even knows what he did wrong!"

Zhao Ruilong hurriedly Dao, "Dad, I was wrong. I shouldn't have plotted against Hou Liangping, I shouldn't have caused trouble! I should have just done business honestly! Dad... I was wrong... I won't dare to do it again."

"There's a next time?" Former Secretary Zhao Lichun arched his brows and continued to beat his son.

Zhao Ruilong wailed, "Ah! Dad, there won't be a next time! I'll definitely listen from now on!"

Former Secretary Zhao Lichun glared, handed the ruler to Zhao Xiaohui, and said in a deep Dao, "Make arrangements for him to go to Hong Kong for at least a month."

Zhao Ruilong was stunned. "Dad, I have many businesses here, especially in Handong Province..."

"Smack."

Former Secretary Zhao Lichun shouted angrily, "You still dare to make excuses! Do you have any idea who you provoked?"

Zhao Ruilong opened his mouth, "Zhong Family..."

Former Secretary Zhao Lichun pointed at him, frustrated by his lack of progress. "The most correct thing I've done in my entire life is not letting you enter politics! With your level of awareness, you'd be swindled to death even at the section level!"

Zhao Ruilong made a bitter face. "Dad, what exactly is going on? I know I didn't think things through this time, but you have to let me know what I did wrong."

"You—" Former Secretary Zhao Lichun gritted his teeth, wanting to hit him again, but felt powerless; he was old, after all.

"Dad, let me explain." Zhao Xiaohui helped Former Secretary Zhao Lichun sit in a chair and took the ruler.

Childhood memories flooded his mind, and Zhao Ruilong quickly retreated several steps. "Second Sister! What are you doing... Ah!"

"Thump, thump, thump!"

Zhao Ruilong was disciplined once more.

Zhao Xiaohui's gaze was cold. "Ruilong, don't blame your sister for hitting you. This time, you almost ruined our family."

Zhao Ruilong looked resentful—from childhood to now, haven't you hit me enough?

Zhao Xiaohui curled her lips. "Actually, you haven't completely failed to grow. I can see that the Qian Bugou affair was a massive mine—you wanted to blow up Zhong Family to vent your anger over the losses from the Zhao Dehan incident, right?"

"Yeah!" Zhao Ruilong wiped his tears. "I didn't want to cause trouble, I just wanted revenge! Otherwise, people would think our family is easy to bully!"

"Then let me ask you," Zhao Xiaohui said in a serious tone, "Qian Bugou fell from grace so many years ago. Have you ever seen anyone mention these things? Those issues—even you could see them, do you think others wouldn't?"

Zhao Ruilong's eyes were filled with naive clarity. "Second Sister, then why is that?"

Zhao Xiaohui counted on her fingers. "When Qian Bugou was being handled back then, on the surface, it was two organizations—the Discipline Inspection Commission and the Anti-Corruption Bureau. But I learned from my husband's family that there were also two special commissioners in the task force who reported directly to the Central Authorities. And do you know where Qian Bugou was interrogated?"

Zhao Ruilong's eyes became even more naive. "Where... where?"

"No. 18, Moshang Seventh Street." Zhao Xiaohui looked at Zhao Ruilong. "You know what kind of place that is, right?"

"No. 18, Moshang Seventh Street..." Zhao Ruilong shivered. "That's a place belonging to the Security Department!"

"The Discipline Inspection Commission, the Anti-Corruption Bureau, and the Security Department," Zhao Xiaohui said with a sneer. "These three parties handled Qian Bugou, plus the special commissioners from the Central Authorities—his life was truly worth it! And you dared to stir up trouble in this matter? Zhao Ruilong, as your sister, I really didn't realize you had such guts."

Zhao Ruilong's legs began to go weak.

He finally realized what a serious mistake he had made. Even if the family was in its prime, let alone its current precarious state, they couldn't withstand this massive mine. His mouth twitched. "Sister, I really didn't think this was so serious. I just felt that someone must have been protecting Qian Bugou back then, and that they had significant power, so I designed it to let Hou Liangping come into contact with those things."

Zhao Xiaohui's gaze turned cold. "That is where you are even more foolish. The first point could be excused as you not being at that level, a matter of vision; the second point is a matter of your intelligence. What is Hou Liangping's status? He is merely a son-in-law of Zhong Family. Even if you blow him up, at most, Zhong Family will just discard this son-in-law. I've heard that the family relationship between Hou Liangping and Zhong Xiaoai is just average—doing this, I don't know if you were helping Zhong Family or taking revenge on them."

Zhao Ruilong shrank his neck and lowered his head. "Second Sister, I... I was wrong! I'll go to Hong Kong immediately and stay for a month. By the way, before I leave, I'll clean up the loose ends of this matter to prevent Zhong Family from finding out."

"Do you think I needed you to say that?" Zhao Xiaohui rolled her eyes at him. "I've already handled it. Zhong Family won't be able to find out. Even if they investigate, at most they'll only reach the corrupt official Hou Liangping sent in back then; they won't be able to implicate our family. Go change your clothes, we're leaving for Hong Kong immediately."

After saying that, she looked at Former Secretary Zhao Lichun. "Dad, do you have any other instructions?"

Former Secretary Zhao Lichun pondered for a moment and said, "After you send this scoundrel to Hong Kong, go to Lvzhou and take a look. As far as I know, there's a major technology project that wants to land there; see if there's an opportunity. You can go discuss this with Secretary Gao Yuliang. He is currently the third-in-command in Handong Province, so be respectful when you go."

Zhao Xiaohui smiled. "Don't worry, Dad. We'll leave immediately."

Former Secretary Zhao Lichun nodded, then remembered something and said to Zhao Ruilong, "I heard that the girl from the Chen family is doing quite well in America. She's now a senior executive at the Lantis Group, with full authority over their entire Asian operations. You scoundrel, look at what a good woman you drove away."

Zhao Ruilong made a bitter face. "Dad, that woman—" As he said this, he noticed Former Secretary Zhao Lichun getting up to grab the bamboo ruler, so he quickly changed his tone. "Chen Yan despised me, what could I do? You know how stubborn her personality is. If I hadn't agreed to the divorce, she really would have burned our house down."

Former Secretary Zhao Lichun sighed. "You're not young anymore. When you go to Hong Kong this time, don't just fool around. Take a good look at whose daughter might be a suitable match. Tell your second sister first, or your eldest sister, and let them help you propose it. Don't act on your own, understand?"

"Understand! Understand!" Zhao Ruilong suddenly said, "Dad, you said Chen Yan is the Asian operations manager for the Lantis Group—is she married now?"

"Hmm?" Former Secretary Zhao Lichun was stunned. He thought for a moment. "I really don't know about that. I'll go ask. Do you still like that girl from the Chen family?"

"At this age, it's not about liking or not liking." Zhao Ruilong chuckled awkwardly. "Didn't you say she's doing quite well now? If we could rekindle that old connection, wouldn't it be beneficial for our family?"

Former Secretary Zhao Lichun nodded calmly. "That's perfect. While you're out, go and find out. If you can't find out in Hong Kong, go ask in America. Go on."

"Got it! I'll head out immediately!" Zhao Ruilong nodded and went to change his clothes.