80: Chapter 80 Prioritizing the Overall Situation

Zhao Yang lowered his voice to a whisper, almost pressing against Jiang Nan's ear: "Ji Hongwen is staying at the Tongan Military Sub-district."

"You suspect it's him?"

Even though she had been mentally prepared, Jiang Nan still felt a tightening in her chest.

The hierarchy in officialdom is strict; going up against a heavyweight like Ji Hongwen is no different than an egg hitting a rock.

Zhao Yang nodded, his gaze cold: "Sun Dehai's report materials will arrive soon. With concrete evidence, the Commission for Discipline Inspection can intervene legitimately."

The attempted murder by the dump truck and the truck accident have no concrete evidence.

The logic behind it is clear: the dump truck failed to kill, so the truck driver immediately followed up to destroy the evidence.

Jiang Nan knew better than anyone the danger involved in this.

She gripped Zhao Yang's hand, her fingertips turning white: "I don't care, you must stay alive."

"Once the investigation starts, we must see each other less so that Uncle Jiang won't be suppressed by Ji Hongwen." Zhao Yang did not want to implicate her family.

A flash of disappointment crossed Jiang Nan's eyes, and she looked up to meet his gaze: "Are you trying to cast me aside?"

Zhao Yang affectionately ruffled her hair, his tone firm: "No, we'll do this together and flip this board."

The corners of Jiang Nan's mouth curled up, and she smiled: "Good, you know what's good for you."

A week later, Zhao Yang recovered and was discharged from the hospital.

Just as Jiang Nan finished packing his luggage, a black sedan pulled up directly downstairs from the inpatient department.

Lu Zheng had timed it perfectly and came in person to pick up Zhao Yang.

"You look good. Go back to the provincial capital and get some proper rest." Lu Zheng smiled as he took the luggage, but beneath that friendliness was a gravity that made Zhao Yang uneasy.

Zhao Yang sensed there was more to his words. He said goodbye to Jiang Nan, sat in the passenger seat, and looked at Lu Zheng, puzzled.

Lu Zheng handed him a cigarette and got straight to the point: "Don't guess. Secretary Gong Chengze of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection called personally."

Zhao Yang's fingers paused, but his face remained calm: "Does Secretary Gong have any instructions?"

The car window rolled down, the autumn breeze swept away the smoke, and Lu Zheng's smile faded slightly:

"The roving supervision is over. Return to Jiangzhou City immediately. The investigation into the Tongan Die-Casting Machine Factory restructuring case is suspended."

"Suspended?" Zhao Yang turned his head sharply, his voice cold and heavy: "We are at a critical stage of gathering evidence. Withdrawing now means all our previous efforts will be wasted!"

Lu Zheng sighed softly, stubbed out his cigarette, and spoke with an indisputable official tone:

"The Tongan City public security system has suffered from large-scale, systemic corruption, which has had a very bad impact nationwide. If another major case of embezzlement of state-owned assets is uncovered now, what kind of image will Tongan have?"

Zhao Yang didn't respond.

Lu Zheng continued, his voice remaining calm and unhurried:

"The officialdom is in violent turmoil. From top to bottom, everyone is panicking, and foreign investors are steering clear.

"This is not good for a region's economic development or social stability. Secretary Gong's meaning is—the bigger picture comes first."

Zhao Yang stared at the gray sky outside the window and was silent for a few seconds.

He quickly figured it out.

Gong Chengze was originally Sun Zhendong's man and should have been supporting a thorough investigation. Now that he has suddenly called a halt, there is only one possibility:

A dead-set order came from above, and he couldn't withstand the pressure.

The so-called bigger picture is just an excuse to protect their image and their official positions.

Keeping a malignant tumor in exchange for stability? It's simply absurd.

"I know you're not convinced." Lu Zheng patted his thigh, still smiling, but his eyes hid a subtle hint: "But in our line of work, we prioritize politics first, and right or wrong second."

Zhao Yang stared at that "smiling tiger" face of his and suddenly understood.

Lu Zheng was just delivering a message; he too was helpless in his position.

Zhao Yang stopped arguing and swallowed hard: "When are we returning to Jiangzhou?"

"Tomorrow morning." Lu Zheng's tone was light, but he deliberately added: "Tonight, you still have time to arrange a farewell with Nan Nan."

This sentence carried a double meaning.

Zhao Yang's heart sank, and in the afternoon, he dialed Jiang Nan's number:

"Six o'clock, the usual place. I have something to tell you."

At the Sichuan restaurant, he brought out a bouquet of bright red roses and, without waiting for Jiang Nan to speak, said straightforwardly:

"I'm going back to Jiangzhou. The restructuring case has been called off by those above, with the excuse that the bigger picture comes first."

"The bigger picture comes first?" Coming from an official's family, Jiang Nan instantly understood the subtext.

Her smile instantly vanished, and her eyes turned slightly red: "Someone wants to suppress this?"

"Yes, but..."

Zhao Yang leaned forward, his voice as sharp as a nail: "Sun Dehai has evidence in his hands. As long as he is alive, the evidence exists. This matter is not over. I have only one request—help me protect him until I return."

"Okay, I promise you." Jiang Nan nodded heavily, without a moment's hesitation.

The night grew deeper, and the streetlights were dim and yellow.

The two walked slowly into the residential compound where Jiang Nan lived, both deliberately slowing their pace, wanting to stretch out this brief moment of togetherness.

Jiang Nan looked up at him, tears welling up in her eyes, but she stubbornly held them back.

Zhao Yang held her, raised his hand to wipe away the moisture at the corner of her eyes, and leaned down to kiss her.

The night wind swept away autumn leaves, and their heartbeats collided—it was the most profound promise before parting.

"Take care on the road."

"Wait for me."

Jiang Nan turned around, pushed open the unit door, and went inside.

The next morning, Zhao Yang set off to return to Jiangzhou.

Just as he stepped into the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection building, his colleague Xiao Li hurried up to meet him, looking nervous:

"Zhao Yang, Secretary Gong wants you to go to his office immediately, not a moment to lose!"

Zhao Yang's footsteps faltered.

Their ranks were so far apart; why was Gong Chengze so anxious to see him?

If he wanted to meet the Special Investigation Team to understand the case, he should have seen Lu Zheng first.

Zhao Yang stepped upstairs, every step feeling as if he were walking on a chessboard of surging undercurrents.

What exactly was Gong Chengze's intention?

He was the one who called off the investigation, and he was the one who was urgently summoning him now.

Pacification? A warning? Or... was he hiding some ulterior move that couldn't be spoken of?