Chapter 233 The Choice at the Eye of the Storm, Qi Tongwei's Frantic Race for Life and Death

He Xia stopped flipping through the documents.

"Is it confirmed?"

"It's confirmed. 500,000 yuan for 100 grams of tea—that's the biggest land broker in Luzhou. His temperature-controlled secret room holds the key to Luzhou's wealth for the next ten years. We've also obtained the evidence in the case of Xiao Gangyu's mission. These two knives are gone."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone. Then came the sound of a folder closing.

"I know what to do."

Nine o'clock in the morning, in the first conference room of the Lüzhou Municipal Party Committee.

The atmosphere was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Yi Xuexi, wearing his signature slightly worn jacket, sat in the first seat on the left side of the long table.

In front of him was an enamel mug with the words "Serve the People" printed on it, and in his hand was a red-headed document.

Before the meeting had even officially started, he had already begun to set the tone for the meeting.

"Luzhou has taken too big a step in the past few years and has completely deviated from reality."

"Projects worth billions of dollars are launched without warning, and security measures are practically non-existent."

"Secretary Sha of the Provincial Party Committee spoke with me yesterday and was very distressed by the current situation in Lüzhou."

"We officials can't just focus on money; we have to consider the lives of ordinary people!"

Several standing committee members who were usually close to Yi Xuexi immediately gathered around and echoed his sentiments.

"Secretary Yi is right, safety in production is of paramount importance."

"Four people died this time, and the public opinion outside can no longer be suppressed. The whole province is watching our Lüzhou."

"We must show the determination of a warrior cutting off his own arm and give the provincial party committee an explanation."

Yi Xuexi picked up the enamel mug, took a sip of water, and looked dignified.

He wanted to take advantage of this momentum to completely remove He Xia from the core power circle of Luzhou at the Standing Committee meeting.

As long as He Xia relinquishes her position as the project's chief commander, this multi-billion dollar project will fall into his hands.

With these achievements as a foundation, and with Sha Ruijin's support, it's only a matter of time before Yi Xuexi is promoted to the provincial party committee standing committee.

The conference room door opened.

He Xia walked in.

She was wearing a dark gray business suit today, her long hair was tied up at the back of her head, and she wasn't wearing makeup.

She went straight to the head of the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

Yi Xuexi had no intention of giving her any face and slammed the official document in his hand heavily onto the table.

"Secretary He, this is a matter of life and death."

"The construction sites of Tianhe Group and Huarui Heavy Industry pose such serious safety hazards; it's practically trading people's lives for GDP!"

"I propose that these two projects be suspended indefinitely immediately for a complete overhaul."

"As the project's chief commander, you bear an unshirkable leadership responsibility."

"In order to quell public opinion and to give the deceased's family an explanation, I suggest that you take the initiative to resign."

The strategy to force the emperor to abdicate has been set up.

Several members of the Sha faction immediately followed suit.

"Secretary He, we can't abandon our bottom line for the sake of political achievements."

"No matter how much trouble the investors cause, we have to withstand the pressure and stop production."

"The leadership of Luzhou cannot ruin their reputation because of one project."

A chorus of agreement rose and fell in the conference room.

Everyone watched this usually gentle and intellectual female secretary, waiting to see how she would handle this combination of attacks.

He Xia sat in the main seat.

Faced with repeated pressure from the crowd, she didn't utter a single word in defense.

She picked up a heavy brown paper bag and slammed it directly onto the center of the conference table.

"Bang!"

A muffled thud interrupted Yi Xuexi's performance.

The paper bag wasn't sealed, and the thick stack of documents spilled out, sliding onto the edge of the easy-to-learn enamel mug.

The top photo is a picture of the temperature-controlled secret room hidden behind the bookshelf in Yi Xuexi's home.

Next to it is a bank statement for Qingfengge Tea House.

"Top-grade pre-Qingming Longjing tea, priced at 5,000 yuan per gram."

"Secretary Yi, you're quite particular about how you drink this tea."

He Xia leaned back in her chair, her hands crossed on the table.

His voice was steady, yet it carried an imposing aura of decisiveness and ruthlessness.

Yi Xuexi could see the contents of the photo clearly, and the color drained completely from his face.

He suddenly stood up, knocking over the enamel mug in his hand, spilling hot water all over the table.

The photos were soaked in hot water, but the secret room plan on them was still clearly visible.

"Nonsense!"

"This is slander! It's a malicious political frame-up!"

"My claim that I, Yi Xuexi, am completely honest and incorruptible is absolutely fabricated!"

He pointed at He Xia, his fingers trembling uncontrollably.

That righteous and awe-inspiring mask was torn open with a huge rip.

He Xia didn't even glance at him, and threw a USB drive with a fingerprint lock on the table.

"It contains a full high-definition video recording of you accepting 500,000 yuan in cash and leading people into a secret room to select land."

"Even your socks with holes are photographed very clearly."

"Your mother-in-law, Wang Xiuying, transfers huge sums of money to more than a dozen overseas accounts every month; it's all in there."

"This 500,000 yuan entry fee, used to buy five minutes of viewing time, is a deal that's sure to make a profit."

"Should I show this on the big screen now, in front of all the Standing Committee members?"

The entire conference room was eerily quiet.

The few standing committee members who had just spoken up in agreement all shrank back into their chairs.

Cold sweat streamed down their foreheads and dripped onto the documents in front of them.

Some people even tried to wipe their sweat, but froze halfway through their outstretched hands.

Yi Xuexi's legs went weak, and he slumped heavily back into his chair.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

His carefully cultivated "hard-working ox" persona, built up over ten years, completely collapsed at this moment.

The conference room door was forcibly pushed open.

Tian Guofu, secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of Handong Province, walked in with a dark face.

The leather shoes made a dull thud as they stepped on the carpet in the conference room.

He was followed by four burly men in plainclothes.

These four people were not from the Discipline Inspection Commission at all; they were all members of the Dragon Tooth Special Forces sent by Zhou Weiguo to "escort" Tian Guofu.

Shen Zhong directly used his military authority to hand over the evidence to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, bypassing the proper channels.

As soon as the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection issued its approval, Tian Guofu didn't even have time to consult with Sha Ruijin before being "invited" to Luzhou by military personnel.

Tian Guofu walked up to Yi Xuexi.

He pulled a red-headed document bearing the official seal of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection from his briefcase and shoved it directly at Yi Xuexi's face.

"Comrade Yi Xuexi."

"Upon investigation, it has been confirmed that you are suspected of serious violations of discipline and law."

"We are now placing you under 'shuanggui' (a form of internal party discipline) and requiring you to confess your problems at a designated time and place."

Two special forces soldiers stepped forward and grabbed Yi Xuexi's arms, one on each side.

A heavy pair of handcuffs was fastened directly to his wrists.

The crisp sound of metal clashing echoed in the empty conference room.

Yi Xuexi was completely paralyzed and couldn't even walk. He had to be dragged out of the venue.

Tian Guofu glanced at He Xia, who was sitting in the main seat.

The provincial discipline inspection commission secretary said nothing and turned to leave.

What was a meticulously planned coup turned into a devastating, one-sided massacre.

He Xia stood up, placed her hands on the table, and looked around the room.

Those standing committee members who had been jumping the loudest earlier all lowered their heads, not daring to meet her gaze.

"The project has fully resumed work."

"Whoever dares to use safety inspections as a pretext to embezzle funds from key projects again."

"That's his fate."

Meeting adjourned.