Chapter 546 Breaking the Balance

Chapter 546 Breaking the Balance

Qi Tongwei's eyes widened. "Hou Liangping? Teacher, you want me to go find him? He has been chasing me relentlessly and wants to kill me. How could he possibly believe me?"

Gao Yuliang said seriously: "Hou Liangping is an upright man. He only pursues truth and justice. As long as you can show enough sincerity and evidence, he will believe you. You must know that when facing a powerful force like the Zhao family, personal grudges must be put aside. Only by uniting all the forces that can be united can we have the possibility of defeating them."

Qi Tongwei fell into deep thought. He knew that what the teacher said made sense, but he was still full of doubts and fears. "Teacher, I need time to think about it. This is a very dangerous decision. If I fail, I will be doomed."

Gao Yuliang looked at Qi Tongwei and said earnestly: "Qi Tongwei, time waits for no one. Every day you hesitate, you will fall into a deeper quagmire. You must make a decision as soon as possible, and be responsible for yourself and the future of Handong."

Qi Tongwei nodded silently. He knew that he was facing the most important decision in his life. He thought of his ideals and ambitions, and the people he had hurt. He was filled with guilt and regret. He knew that if he continued on this path, he would never be redeemed.

Qi Tongwei gradually fell into a state of numbness in this complex situation. The inner struggle and the external pressure intertwined, making him feel unprecedented confusion about the future, and thus developed a "lying down" mentality. He no longer actively planned or leaned towards any party in the political game, but only wanted to mechanically complete the affairs at hand and maintain a superficial calm in this vortex of power.

He carried out the tasks assigned by the Zhao family step by step every day, no longer thinking deeply about the right and wrong, as if he had withdrawn his soul from this world full of political schemes. Facing the temptations of interests and power disputes that once made him excited or entangled, he was indifferent. In the Zhao family's meetings, he listened to various plans and arrangements with empty eyes, simply nodded in agreement, and no longer raised his own opinions or objections, like an executor without thoughts.

Gao Yuliang looked at Qi Tongwei like this, his heart was full of disappointment and resentment, and his emotion of being disappointed with him was beyond words. He knew that Qi Tongwei's attitude was not only irresponsible to himself, but also a potential destruction of the political integrity of Handong. "Qi Tongwei, how can you be so depressed? Your attempt to smooth things over is simply a blasphemy against justice and ideals. Have you forgotten your former ambitions and the people who were bullied by the Zhao family?" Gao Yuliang couldn't help but scolded.

Qi Tongwei raised his head, with a look of helplessness and fatigue in his eyes, "Teacher, I am tired. I can't see the end of this game of power. No matter which side I stand on, it seems that I can't escape the fate of being used. I just want to spend the rest of my life in peace and stability, and don't want to be involved in these endless fights anymore."

Gao Yuliang paced back and forth in the room angrily, "Do you think you can stay out of this? Your escape will only make the Zhao family more unscrupulous. Your inaction is condoning evil. You used to be passionate and responsible, how did you become like this now?"

Qi Tongwei remained silent. He knew that what the teacher said was reasonable, but he just couldn't muster up the courage to throw himself into this dangerous confrontation again. He was afraid of failure and afraid of losing everything he had, even if these so-called "everything" might not be worth lingering on in the eyes of others.

In this stalemate, the situation in Handong became increasingly tense. The Zhao family began to doubt Qi Tongwei because of his change in attitude, and gradually reduced his power, assigned him some marginalized work, and strengthened surveillance on him. Gao Yuliang tried to find other breakthroughs, hoping to curb the power of the Zhao family without Qi Tongwei's cooperation.

Although Qi Tongwei pretended not to care, he still felt a little disappointed and unwilling in his heart. He occasionally recalled his ambitions when he first entered the officialdom. At that time, he thought he could change the world with his own efforts, but the reality hit him hard. He would also think about his future in the dead of night. Is it really going to be a life of mediocrity? But every time he wanted to take action, the fear in his heart would instantly extinguish that trace of courage.

At the same time, Hou Liangping did not give up the investigation of the Zhao family. He noticed the changes in Qi Tongwei and understood Gao Yuliang's predicament. He decided to take the initiative and start with some peripheral forces of the Zhao family, gradually collecting evidence and trying to break this seemingly deadlocked situation.

Hou Liangping was concentrating on sorting out the external forces of the Zhao family, trying to find the key breakthrough from the intricate clues, when Qi Tongwei suddenly appeared. His face was slightly pale, and his eyes revealed a complex emotion, with a hint of helplessness and unquestionable determination.

"Hou Liangping, I'm here to persuade you to stop. The Zhao family has done me a favor, and I can't just watch you act rashly and mess things up." Qi Tongwei's voice was low and hoarse, as if every word carried tremendous pressure.

Hou Liangping raised his head slightly, with a flash of surprise in his eyes, but it was soon replaced by determination. "Qi Tongwei, you and I both know that what the Zhao family did is illegal. You can't blind your eyes and help the evil because of the so-called favor. The judgment of justice will come sooner or later, and it's not too late for you to turn back now."

Qi Tongwei smiled bitterly and shook his head. "It's easy for you to say that, Hou Liangping. There's no turning back. The Zhao family rescued me and gave me a chance to start over. I can't be ungrateful. And you have no idea how powerful they are. Your investigation will only be in vain and may even implicate many innocent people."

Hou Liangping stood up and looked Qi Tongwei in the eyes. "I will not give up. I only follow the law and justice. The crimes of the Zhao family are innumerable and they must be punished. Do you think you can get peace by defending them like this? You are just sinking deeper and deeper into their quagmire."

Qi Tongwei's body trembled slightly. He recalled his experiences in the Zhao family, those seemingly luxurious but full of hypocrisy and conspiracy. He couldn't help but feel sick. But he couldn't get rid of the inner struggle, "Hou Liangping, I know you are an upright person, but you have to consider the reality. If you do this, you will break the existing balance of power in Handong, and the consequences will be disastrous."