Urban Crisis [Complete] - 7

page views:1 Publication date:2023-03-24

Jiao Pengyuan was hunched over his desk

, reviewing documents. Having lost Li Shangmin, and with no deputy mayor available for any tasks, urgent reports about the outer ring
road were piling up on his desk.

Hao Xiangshou entered with an invitation.

"Secretary Jiao, I'm going on a business trip to Guangdong for a meeting, and then to Yunnan, Guizhou, and a few
places to investigate cases. Do you have any further instructions?"

Jiao Pengyuan's eyes were bloodshot. "You can't not go? There's too much to do, you can't leave

, can you?" "These cases are about to make progress. If we don't crack a few major cases, we won't be able
to explain ."

"Alright, then hurry back."

"I'll definitely be back as soon as possible."

Hao Xiangshou, holding the documents Shen Shi had prepared for him, entered the airport waiting area.

The announcer's voice: "The flight to Hong Kong is about to take off. Passengers, please board."

Hao Xiangshou showed his documents and entered the boarding gate.

Chen

Hu was developing the film he had just shot in the darkroom, with Jiao Xiaoyu helping him operate it. Ever since Chen Hu stormed out of
Jiao Xiaoyu 's house, their relationship had been like two stiff pieces of new cloth, ready to burst at the slightest touch, causing them both
great distress. Jiao Xiaoyu, lost in thought, knocked over a cup, which shattered with a "thud."

Chen Hu gave her a disapproving look.

"Why are you so distracted? Go out. I can do it faster by myself."

Jiao Xiaoyu slammed the door and left the darkroom. She leaned against the door, sulking, when she suddenly remembered Yang Ke's words, "Two cars for a
black hat, this guy's gone crazy for power." She wanted to tell Chen Hu this important information. She raised
her hand, intending to knock on the darkroom door, but then withdrew it. She sat down at the desk, lost in thought.

Chen Hu pushed open the door.

"Xiaoyu, are you sick?"

"No."

Chen Hu took out two photos of a middle-aged woman entering the memorial service—one a half-body shot, the other a close-up of her head.
She had short hair, wore glasses, and looked to be around thirty-five years old.

“This person is Zhang Zhilan, the wife of Yi Xin, the main culprit in the foreign exchange embezzlement case. Yi Xin was a section chief in the Finance Bureau.
Yi Xin had 3.5 million yuan of embezzled funds that were missing. When I continued to investigate these 3.5
million
yuan, I was transferred to the '11.2' case. It was during that incident that I was hit by a motorcycle, and someone deliberately left this mark on my face, probably as a warning to me to mind my own business. I've always felt there was something wrong with the 3.5 million yuan of embezzled funds that were never recovered.
And Zhang Zhilan's appearance at He Qizhang's memorial service, what does that mean? Is it out of remembrance for her old leader, or
schadenfreude for her old superior? Perhaps there's some deeper reason?”

Jiao Xiaoyu said dismissively, “Maybe there's no reason at all. She just received a notice from He Kedai and
came to pay her respects.”

“Hmm, maybe. From the leaders to the ordinary cadres of the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, not a single person attended Vice Mayor He
's memorial service. Who were these people? What was their relationship with Vice Mayor He? We need to
investigate . This task is assigned to you.”

“Yes, Chen Hu. You only entrust me with cleaning up the perimeter at most.”

“Look at these two photos again.”

The woman in the photos is Cui Yan.

Jiao Xiaoyu is too familiar with this image, and says with a pout, “Isn’t that fashion model Cui Yan?”

Chen Hu put a videotape into the VCR and turned on the TV.

The TV screen showed news of He Qizhang inspecting the steel company, accompanied by Sun Qi.

The announcer’s voice: “This morning, Executive Vice Mayor He Qizhang inspected the steel company, and the deputy general manager
reported to Vice Mayor He on the progress made by the steel company in expanding international cooperation…”

Chen Hu pointed to Sun Qi’s figure on the screen.

“After Sun Qi, it’s a special feature on the fashion festival, I’ll fast forward.”

A fleeting image flashed across the screen.

Chen Hu manipulated the remote control, and the picture immediately became clear.

On the TV screen, beautiful fashion models walked back and forth on the stage, showcasing various styles of fashion.
The leading fashion model was the graceful girl in the photo, with elegant demeanor and
a captivating charm in every gesture. After the performance, Jiao Pengyuan, He Qizhang, and Qian Zhong went on stage to shake hands with the actors.

Chen Hu pressed a button on the remote control.

The screen froze on He Qizhang shaking hands with the outstanding female model.

Jiao Xiaoyu curled her lip again, "I didn't expect Chen Hu to be a model's admirer. He even found her video footage."

Chen Hu sensed Jiao Xiaoyu's hostility.

"Comrade Jiao Xiaoyu, as I said, this is working time. If Cui Yan and Vice Mayor He didn't have any
interaction , why would He Kedai include her among his friends? If it was just a casual relationship, Cui Yan might not have come
."

Chen Hu picked up a close-up photo of Cui Yan's head and examined it closely.

"Look at her eyes..."

Jiao Xiaoyu snatched the photo from Chen Hu's hand and placed it among a pile of photos on the table, most of which were of men
.

Jiao Xiaoyu said sullenly, "Alright, Chen Hu, admiring women's photos and expressing your feelings isn't necessarily work, is it?
Why don't you look at any of these men's photos? Perhaps the clues the men could provide are more important than these two
beauties ."

Chen Hu, with his burn scar, said, "Comrade Jiao Xiaoyu, you're right. We need to investigate these photos thoroughly—
what are their names? What are their professions? What is their relationship with Vice Mayor He? This is your responsibility."

Jiao Xiaoyu fiddled with the photos, grouping the men's photos together and putting them in an envelope, then
grouping the photos of Cui Yan, Zhang Zhilan, and several other women together and shoving them into Chen Hu's hand.

"Director Chen, I understand. These old geezers are my responsibility. These beautiful women are your responsibility.
Is that how you divide the work?"

Chen Hu smiled wryly.

"Sigh, Comrade Jiao Xiaoyu, it seems we need to have a good talk. Your
digressions are distracting us. How about this, it's almost time to leave work, I'll treat you to dumplings."

Jiao Xiaoyu smiled.

“A restaurant won’t do. It’s only fair. I made these dumplings for you myself, so you have to make them for me too,
and it has to be at your place.”

Chen Hu felt a little awkward.

“Are you going to make them or not?”

“Yes, yes, as long as you don’t mind them.”

Chen

Hu’s one-bedroom apartment felt very cramped.

The living room was tiny, practically a three-square-meter passageway, with a washing machine and a bicycle.

The bedroom had to double as a study and dining room. Three bookshelves, a wardrobe, a single bed, and a writing desk
filled the room, along with an easel. Paints and palettes were piled haphazardly on the cement floor. The walls
were adorned with Chen Hu's calligraphy and landscape paintings. A felt mat for calligraphy sat on the desk,
dozens of brushes hung on a brush holder, and the ashtray was overflowing with cigarette butts.

Two pots of lush orchids sat on the windowsill, a round goldfish bowl sat in one corner of the desk, and only
an old sofa stood beside the bookshelves.

Jiao Xiaoyu stood in the doorway, feeling there was nowhere to step. From everything in the room, she sensed that Chen Hu was
a person with wide interests, a love of life, yet also a somewhat disorganized nature.

She loved the message conveyed by each item, overflowing with the fragrance of life and a spirit of enterprise.

Chen Hu scratched his scar.

"It's too messy, I'm really sorry,"

Jiao Xiaoyu said, walking around the easel and sitting on the sofa.

“I like chaos. Chaos makes people feel free. I like your doghouse. Chen Hu, you can paint oil paintings?”

“I threw them away a long time ago. I studied for a few years.”

Jiao Xiaoyu pointed to two oil paintings on the wall. “Did you paint them?”

“I painted them a few years ago. They’re not very good, just scribbling.”

“They have a bit of a Van Gogh feel to them, not bad. Give them to me.”

“If you like them, you can take them, but don’t say I painted them, so people won’t laugh at me.”

“Go make dumplings. I’ll make myself comfortable in your doghouse for now. I’ll settle the score with you when we eat dumplings.
That’s called an eye for an eye.”

Chen Hu went to the kitchen to knead dough. He was quick and efficient, placing the kneaded dough in a small bowl on the board, then chopping celery and
mixing pork filling with water. He was busy for a while.

Jiao Xiaoyu rummaged through the things with great interest. Everything seemed new and familiar to her. She
found an easel next to the sofa, opened it, and froze.

On a piece of white paper was a charcoal sketch of a woman’s head, and the woman was Jiao Xiaoyu herself. It was
accurate and lifelike.

Below were two charcoal words: Break up!

Jiao Xiaoyu gently stroked the drawing paper, a wave of emotion washing over her.

The kitchen door opened, and she quickly closed the sketchbook and put it back.

"Xiaoyu, is the filling alright?"

Jiao Xiaoyu entered the kitchen, which was surprisingly clean and tidy.

"The kitchen is cleaner than the house."

"That's because I rarely use it. Is the filling salty enough for your liking?"

"You're really quick, let me try it."

She picked up a little with her chopsticks and tasted it.

"It's quite fragrant. Let me help you wrap them; your thoughtfulness is enough."

Jiao Xiaoyu washed her hands and skillfully rolled out the dough, while Chen Hu filled the dumplings.

The dumplings were quickly in the pot.

Chen Hu returned to the bedroom, opened the folding table, took out a bottle of Chinese Pinghong wine, placed two glasses, and poured the wine.

Jiao Xiaoyu brought in two plates of dumplings. She went back to the kitchen and brought out a bottle of vinegar, two small dishes, and two pairs
of chopsticks .

Chen Hu placed one glass of wine in front of Jiao Xiaoyu and raised the other.

"Come on, welcome to my doghouse, cheers."

"Dogs are man's best friend, cheers."

They each took a sip. Jiao Xiaoyu picked up a dumpling and put it on Chen Hu's plate, then picked one up for herself.

"It smells so good, Chen Hu, your cooking is pretty good."

"Half of the medal belongs to me, and half to you..."

Chen Hu started to say, but then realized it was too intimate and stopped.

Jiao Xiaoyu put down her chopsticks.

"Go on. Half of it belongs to me too, right? We should be one person, shouldn't we? Chen Hu,
tell me, why did you storm off that day?"

"Can't we finish eating first?"

"No, you left right after we started eating. Explain yourself, or I won't eat either, and I'll
leave right away."

"Why bother? You spent so much time making them."

"I made them all by myself that day! Tell me."

Chen Hu put down his chopsticks and lit a cigarette.

“Xiaoyu, isn’t this good enough for us? We get along very well…”

“That’s not a reason. To be honest.”

“I… I don’t think the time is right.”

“What is the right time? Do you have to wait for the right time to love someone?”

“I never said I loved you.”

Jiao Xiaoyu got up, walked to the sofa, picked up her sketchbook, opened it, and pulled out a portrait sketch he had drawn.

“You love me. There’s a date on it. It was drawn after you left my house, which means you’ve been thinking about me. You
drew me from memory. Isn’t that love? Huh?”

Chen Hu’s face flushed red. He was at a loss and reached out to snatch the sketch. Jiao Xiaoyu hid the sketch behind her back.

“Chen Hu, you’re taking it away by force. Come on, come on.”

Chen Hu stopped, at a loss.

“Chen Hu, I know you love me, and you know I love you. We fell in love at first sight, and it’s mutual. So
what’s stopping us? What is it all for?”

Chen Hu picked up a glass of wine and drank it all in one gulp.

"You never told me you're Secretary Jiao's niece."

"Because I don't think it's a big deal. To put it another way, if I had told you…"

"Then I would have kept my distance."

"Why?"

"It's my principle."

"I know, Chen Hu, you never flatter or fawn, otherwise you'd be more than just a section chief.
I respect your integrity, and your strong sense of independence. But being Jiao Pengyuan's niece
doesn't prove anything about me; he is him, and I am me. I never use my uncle's power for my own benefit;
I am an independent person. If you don't want me to visit my uncle in the future, I don't have to. Let's pretend we're not
related."

"Xiaoyu, give me some time, okay?"

Jiao Xiaoyu said helplessly, "Okay."

"You're a good girl."

"Of course I'm a good girl."

Ba Ye

Baoxin placed dozens of enlarged photos on He Kedai's desk.

"Mr. He, this is the third batch of photos I took."

He Kedai tore a check from his cash checkbook and threw it to Ye Baoguan.

"Here's a check for ten thousand yuan. Go to the bank and cash it yourself. Remember, the job isn't finished yet."

Ye Baoxin put the check away.

"Thanks, just you wait and see. Goodbye."

Ye Baoxin went out.

He Kedai picked up a photo; it showed Dongfang and a middle-aged man entering a roast duck restaurant.

He Kedai asked A Si, "Do you know who this person next to Dongfang is?"

"I've seen him before."

"Everyone calls him Uncle He. He's a big shot in the Hong Kong business world. I know him. I wonder what Uncle He is
here ."

He Kedai picked up another photo; it showed Yang Ke riding a motorcycle, parked
next to a motorcycle repair shop on a hillside, talking to a mechanic.

He Kedai said strangely, "There are so many repair shops in the city, why would Yang Ke come all the way to this hillside to get his motorcycle repaired?
Could it be... that they have something to do with my father's affairs?"

The secretary came in.

"Boss, someone named Jiao Xiaoyu wants to see you. She says she's your friend."

He Kedai put the photo away.

"You can all leave now."

After everyone left, Jiao Xiaoyu, dressed casually, came in.

"Xiaoyu, please sit down. I knew you would come to see me."

Jiao Xiaoyu sat on the swivel chair opposite the boss's desk.

"Thank you. Are you good at calculations?" “

And I also know why you’re here.”

“Then tell me.”

“The list of people you want to attend my father’s memorial service.”

Jiao Xiaoyu was secretly surprised; he had guessed correctly.

“Ke Dai, you’re really smart, you got it right. Are you willing to cooperate?”

He Ke Dai stood up from his seat, walked to Jiao Xiaoyu’s side, and put his hand on her shoulder.

“You gave me face, and I’ll give you face too. I’m willing to cooperate.”

Jiao Xiaoyu pushed his hand away.

“What face?”

“You think I don’t know? On the day of the memorial service, you and Chen Hu drove outside to scout. You didn’t
get out of the car , didn’t disturb my guests, and didn’t go into the memorial service to question them. That’s giving me face. If you really wanted to
come in, I couldn’t stop you. At most, it would cause a huge uproar, end badly, and ruin the memorial service.”

“That was Director Chen’s idea.”

“Please convey my gratitude to Director Chen. He’s quite capable.”

“Of course.” “

Don’t be so quick to praise her. I know she’s your sweetheart.” He Kedai’s mood suddenly darkened. “You
never loved me this much back then.”

Jiao Xiaoyu said with a hint of sarcasm, “You’re not really trying to reminisce about the past, are you?… Kedai, where’s the list?”

He Kedai took several sheets of photocopying paper from the filing cabinet and threw them in front of Jiao Xiaoyu.

“This is a photocopy of the memorial service attendance book. This is the list of everyone who should attend the memorial service, all of them friends
from his lifetime . Names, addresses, and phone numbers—I’ve already photocopied them, just waiting for you to come and collect them. I want to make sure none of them
can escape.”

Jiao Xiaoyu looked at the photocopies and said, “Thank you.”

Suddenly, He Kedai clenched his fists, pounded on the desk, and roared, “I don’t need your thanks! I know you
want to ruin my father, to make him suffer shame even in death! Get out of here! Never let me see you again!”

The sudden shift in He Kedai's demeanor from a gentle spring breeze to a raging storm filled Jiao Xiaoyu with fear. She remained
calm, saying, "Kedai, calm down! "

"Get out! Get out of here!"

Jiao Xiaoyu ignored He Kedai's roar and left with a cold laugh.

He Kedai, still seething with anger, stood before the dressing mirror, staring at his face. His features were distorted with rage. He
loathed this face; it held only despair and hatred, devoid of hope and love. How could I have become like this?

He punched the mirror, shattering it and drawing blood from his hand.

His secretary, hearing the noise, rushed in, hurriedly finding a band-aid and placing it on He Kedai's left little finger.

"I'm fine. Call Jiao Dongfang."

The secretary dialed the number.

"Hello, looking for Mr. Jiao."

Sally answered.

"Who are you?"

"Mr. He Kedai is looking for him."

"Please hold."

He Kedai took the phone, and Jiao Dongfang's voice came through.

"Is this Kedai? Hello."

"Hello, Dongfang." “

I’m sorry, I couldn’t attend Uncle He’s memorial service because of something. My dad and the others couldn’t go either. Can you
understand? Sigh, at a time like this.”

“Of course, I understand.” He Kedai’s voice was gentle. “Dongfang, I’d like to invite you to dinner. Do you have
time ?”

“When?”

“Right now, I have something to do.”

“I’ll treat you then. I can’t get away right now. Can you come to my restaurant?”

“Okay, see you in a bit.”

He Kedai hung up the phone and said to his secretary, “Let Zhang Qijin in.”

Zhang Qijin came in and stood respectfully in front of He Kedai.

“A-Si has been back from Hong Kong for two days. Why isn’t he at work yet?”

“I’ll call him.”

“Have A-Si come immediately. You and he will come with me to see Jiao Dongfang.”

“Brother, isn’t it a bit unsafe to go to his place?”

He Kedai chuckled.

“Qijin, when two people fight, is the weak afraid of the strong, or the strong afraid of the weak?” "

Of course, the soft fear the hard, and the hard fear the reckless. It's a saying, I knew it."

"Then let me ask you again, what are the reckless afraid of?"

Zhang Qijin was stumped.

"I don't know, what's there to fear about the reckless?"

"Listen to me, the reckless are ready to die any minute. Think about it, even if you're reckless, I can't
compete with that. Naturally, the one who's ready to die is more daring! I might lose everything soon, the sooner I die, the better
. Am I afraid of Jiao Dongfang? I'm going to drag him down with me! Grab your weapons, let's go for it!" Chapter Eighteen :

A Moment's Threat with a Revolver - Testimony from Three Years Ago Disappeared.

Ah Si opened the car door, and He Kedai, dressed in a black tuxedo, got in.

Several other henchmen got into another car.

The two cars drove away. He

Kedai, sitting inside, pulled out a revolver from his pocket, turned it, then put it back in his pocket.

The two cars drove along the bustling streets.

He Kedai, Ah Si, and several other henchmen got out of the car and entered the hotel lobby.

He Kedai stopped, looked around, and whispered, "Ah Si, listen to me, if I die today
, you two must be carried out of this lobby through the main entrance."

“Brother, have you thought this through? We’ll come in standing and leave standing.”

“If you’re scared, leave now.”

Ah Si patted his chest and said, “Who’s scared? You’re right, those who don’t value their lives are just waiting to die. If all else
fails, I’ll set his restaurant on fire.”

He Kedai sneered, “Nonsense! Do we do arson and murder? What did the restaurant’s customers do to deserve this
? We can’t let innocent people suffer any loss.”

He Kedai walked in with an air of superiority.

Ah Si said to the other two henchmen, “You two wait here and cover our retreat.”

A long table, two chairs, He Kedai and Jiao Dongfang sat opposite each other across the table.

Ah Si and Zhang Qijin, both in black suits and black boutonnieres, stood solemnly on either side of He Kedai.

Jiao Dongfang’s two bodyguards, both in white suits and red boutonnieres, guarded Jiao Dongfang on either side.

There was nothing on the table—no tablecloth, no wine glasses, no flowers, only a
glass .

He Kedai stared coldly at Jiao Dongfang, saying nothing.

The only response to He Kedai's cold gaze was a frozen sneer on Jiao Dongfang's lips.

He Kedai broke the silence.

"Dongfang, let's make a bet today."

"Okay, what's the bet?"

He Kedai held out his hand, and A Si placed a revolver in it. He placed the gun on the table.

Jiao Dongfang's two guards immediately and nimbly drew their pistols, aiming them at He Kedai.

At the same time, A Si and Zhang Qijin drew their pistols, aiming them at Jiao Dongfang.

Jiao Dongfang's face turned pale with fright, his voice trembling, "Kedai, don't do anything reckless! This is my restaurant, do you
want to die ?!"

"Don't be nervous, Dongfang, I said it's a bet, nothing more."

Jiao Dongfang waved his hand, and the two guards holstered their guns.

A Si and the others also holstered their guns.

Jiao Dongfang asked nervously, "How do we bet?" He

Kedai picked up the pistol, turned on the revolver, loaded a bullet, placed the pistol on the table, and then shoved it forcefully
towards Jiao Dongfang.

The pistol slid along the long table for a considerable time.

"Check, there's only one bullet. We'll each shoot ourselves in the head. If I die,
I won't ask anything. If you die, asking you anything won't help. If we both survive, you have to
answer two questions. That's the bet, are you in?"

Jiao Dongfang turned on the revolver, confirmed there was only one bullet, closed it, and pushed the gun across the table to He
Kedai.

The revolver spun and slid across the table again, and He Kedai caught it.

"Kedai, this isn't Vietnam. You've watched too many movies like (The Deer Hunter). We
can talk about anything, why play this game?"

"This is fun. What, are you scared? Then let's change it. I'll shoot myself. If I survive,
you have to answer two questions."

'If you insist, I'll have to agree. But I still have to advise you, don't play this game. We can bet in
a different way.'

"No, let's play this game. Okay, I'll begin."

He Kedai picked up the revolver with his left hand, turned the cylinder a few times, and stopped. He pressed the pistol against his
temple.

Everyone was tense, holding their breath, waiting for the result of the shot. "

Dongfang, if I die, don't call the police. My brothers will take care of my body.
I've already written my will, and it has nothing to do with you. If I don't die, will you agree to my conditions?"

"I agree."

"Thank you."

He Kedai held his breath and pulled the trigger.

The pistol made a soft hissing sound, but the bullet didn't leave the barrel.

Everyone, including Jiao Dongfang, breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want He Kedai to die in his
restaurant , even though he didn't want him to die.

He Kedai smiled and handed the gun back to A Si.

Jiao Dongfang breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Thank God you're alright. I keep my promise. Ask away."

"First question. We've been friends for years. Why did you try to poison me at the Qiwang Club?"

"That didn't happen. It was an accident." “

Dongfang, you’re not a real man. A real man should be responsible for his actions. Let me tell you straight, Zhu Ni is in my hands.
She confessed everything. You ordered her to do it. She even hired someone, bought a jockey from the King of Riders Club, replaced
the pony , and tampered with it. Zhu Ni intentionally bumped into my horse, scaring it. I didn’t wrong you, did I?”

“Don’t listen to that woman’s attempts to sow discord. I have no reason to harm you.”

“No, you have a reason. You’re going to kill me to cover it up. I know too much about you. If I expose even one thing, you’ll be
in jail.”

Jiao Dongfang’s face twitched. He really wished that bullet had left the barrel earlier.

“But wait, you’re just being too suspicious. I know you’re a loyal person. Why would you kill someone to cover it up?”

“It’s not just that. What you’re even more afraid of is that I’m investigating my father’s death. Once the truth is revealed, it will inevitably
implicate your father, so you’re going to kill someone to cover it up.”

“You’re getting more and more outrageous!”

“I don’t actually need to answer one question. I’m just telling you that I know what you’ve done.” "
Now I'll ask you my second question: who killed my father?"

"Vice Mayor He committed suicide. The municipal committee has already reached a conclusion. Why are you asking me?"

"Because he had no reason to commit suicide. Does this have anything to do with you?"

"If I had known your father committed suicide beforehand, I would have stopped him. Unfortunately, we didn't know beforehand. Ke
Dai, you must be mentally unstable. Oh, where did you take Zhu Ni?"

"To a place you can't find. I warn you, Dongfang, don't try anything with me again. Don't forget,
Zhu Ni is in my hands. She holds a lot of secrets. You know what I mean, she's living evidence. If you
don't push me too far, I won't hand her over to Chen Hu. If you push me too far, I'll have to apologize."

"Don't worry, Ke Dai, we'll always be friends. Let's go eat French cuisine."

"Did I scare you? Goodbye."

"French cuisine is very impressive."

"Sorry, there's poison in my decocted food. Let's go."

He Ke left the room under A Si's protection.

Jiao Dongfang slammed his fist on the table. "

How could that shot not go off! That little rascal, he's got a lucky life."

He Kedai and his men left the Horizon Hotel. At the entrance, A Si nervously said, "Brother,
my palms were sweating just now, I was really afraid of bullets. This kind of death is too wasteful. You're really lucky to be alive
!"

Hahahaha... He Kedai laughed loudly. He patted A Si on the shoulder and said, "You bunch of idiots, do you think I
could load bullets? Hahaha..."

"Then you should have told us earlier."

'If the army told you, wouldn't it be less exciting? Your guns are also out of bullets. We're just having fun, having
fun. There's no real fun in this, you bunch of fools.'

The group laughed and got into the car.

Zhou Senlin humbly reported to Jiao Pengyuan, who was sitting on the sofa.

'Secretary Jiao, I have brought you the investigation materials on the collapse of the river bridge that you requested.'

Zhou Senlin handed over six volumes of files.

Jiao Pengyuan didn't even glance at it. "Just tell me what you need. Hao Xiangshou is away on a business trip, so the three-person team is just you and me.
You have a heavy responsibility."

"After a thorough investigation, evidence collection, and expert technical evaluation, the conclusion is that the bridge collapse was
entirely , and He Xilai
, the original contractor, has been arrested. Secondly, the investigation found no illegal activities by Vice Mayor Li Shangmin; on the contrary, many investigative materials prove he is an honest official. Thirdly, according to He Xilai's confession,
it was Jiao Dongfang's assistant, Yang Ke, who forced him to subcontract the project to Ni Xia, who is related to Li Shangmin.
The investigation of Ni Xia found no issues such as shoddy workmanship or failure to follow construction specifications."

Jiao Pengyuan frowned and said, "How could this be related to Dongfang?"

"We've already investigated Yang Ke. I've technically processed the materials; from the materials, it seems Jiao Dongfang was
unaware of the situation."

Jiao Pengyuan breathed a sigh of relief; Zhou Senlin was still obedient.

"Since that's the case, I won't look at the materials. Will Yang Ke have any problems?"

"Considering Yang Ke is Dongfang's assistant, we won't touch him."

Jiao Pengyuan nodded. "Old Zhou, I heard you're still investigating He Qizhang?"

"No, we haven't expanded the leads."

"That's good, that's good. Even if He Qizhang has problems, it should be investigated by higher-ups."

"I understand, I understand."

"Have you reported to Fang Hao?"

"I can't find him, that's better. It's better to avoid trouble."

"In the future, if you need anything and it's inconvenient to contact Fang Hao, just come to me. Oh, I forgot to tell you,
the Municipal Party Committee has already discussed and approved your appointment as Chief Prosecutor, and we still need a document from the Municipal People's Congress. Old Zhou, do a good job."
Si

Chenhu entered the Municipal Procuratorate's archives room and said to the custodian, Xiao Guo, "I need to borrow
the case file of Yi Xin's foreign exchange fraud case."

"Director Chen, do you have Director Hao's approval slip?"

"We didn't need an approval slip to borrow old case files before."

"This is a system established after Director Hao Xiangshou came."

"Alright then, I'll go find Director Hao."

Unable to find Hao Xiangshou, Chen Hu went to Zhou Senlin. He received news that made him uneasy.

"Chen Hu, I heard Director Hao is on a business trip."

"On a business trip? Where is Director Hao going?"

"Does a leader need to ask his subordinates before going on a business trip?"

"How many days has Director Hao been gone?"

"I don't know, he just left. I also needed to see him, and I only found out when Shen Shi told me he was on a business trip. It seems he's
going to several places for investigation."

"Does Secretary Fang know?"

Zhou Senlin pressed his finger to his mouth, then pointed to the ceiling and the roof frame, indicating to be careful of eavesdropping.
Chen Hu nodded silently.

"Oh, I need to borrow the case file for the remittance case, I need Director Hao's approval slip."

"It's an old case from three years ago."

Knowing it was inconvenient to speak, Chen Hu quickly wrote a line on a piece of paper with his pen: "Yi Xin's wife attended
He Qizhang 's memorial service, which I find somewhat illogical. I want to look at the old files; I feel
there's some connection between the present and the past."

“Okay, I’ll give you the approval slip.”

Chen Hu returned to the archives and handed the slip to the custodian.

“Here you go, Director Zhou’s approval slip.”

“Are you bringing all of them? They’re quite thick.”

“Yes, all of them.”

Soon, the custodian returned with ten large volumes of files, each over a foot thick, and placed them on the table .

“Thank you.”

Chen Hu sat down and quickly skimmed through the ten volumes, then selected three
related to the still unrecovered 3.5 million yuan in embezzled funds and examined them carefully.

The custodian brought over a register.

“Director Chen, please sign the borrowing register.”

Chen Hu signed his name in the register.

Jiao Xiaoyu entered.

"Director Chen, I'm here."

"Sit down. You can check this one. These are all files from a massive foreign exchange embezzlement case from three years ago.
Yi Xin, the section chief in charge of foreign exchange quotas at the Finance Bureau, forged the official seal of the 'Central Business Department of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange,' and used the Finance
Bureau's foreign exchange quota allocation forms, filling in numbers, committing sixteen offenses, embezzling a total
of 60 million US dollars from the national treasury, and then reselling it to units urgently needing foreign exchange quotas, profiting 12 million RMB. Two perpetrators have been executed
, but a loose end remains—3.5 million RMB of embezzled funds are still unaccounted for. I was
transferred to handle other cases while continuing the investigation, but I remember seeing a confession from Yi Xin where he admitted to giving 3.5 million
RMB to a Hong Kong businessman surnamed He. I suggested going to this person to get evidence at the time, but it wasn't approved. Now,
we mainly need to find Yi Xin's confession. Do you understand?"

"Understood."

An hour passed.

Jiao Xiaoyu shook her head.

“I don’t have the statement about the 3.5 million yuan in this book.”

“It’s not in either of my two books either. Logically, Yi Xin’s statement should be in these three books!”

“Could it be tucked in another book?”

Chen Hu asked anxiously.

“We’ll have to search one by one. Notice, this statement is my written record, with Yi Xin’s signature and
fingerprint.”

They began searching one by one.

Three hours passed.

By lunchtime, they still hadn’t found it. Jiao Xiaoyu patted her five files.

“I’ve checked twice, and I don’t have what you’re looking for.” “I’ve checked three times, and still nothing.”

"What do we do?"

Chen Hu wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Xiao Guo, are all the files here?"

"Yes, I brought them all to you."

Chen Hu pushed the files in front of him to Jiao Xiaoyu, then took hers.

"Let's take turns checking them again."

"Director Chen, it's time for lunch."

"I'm not eating, I'm sorry for keeping you from lunch."

"It's alright, I'll make you some instant noodles. I'll make you both a bowl too."

"Thank you, no need. Xiaoyu, are you hungry?"

"You're not hungry, and neither am I, let's check."

Another two hours passed.

They glanced at each other, knowing from the other's disappointed expression that they still hadn't found anything.

"That's not right, I remember clearly, there were two sheets of paper, my own statements, each with Yi
Xin's fingerprint and signature, how could they have disappeared?"

"You're not mistaken, are you?"

"Of course I'm not mistaken, I've been keeping this 3.5 million in my heart."

Chen Hu gently tapped his forehead, as if he had suddenly made a discovery.

"Xiao Guo, Xiao Guo, come here!"

The custodian emerged from behind rows of filing shelves.

"What is it? I'm organizing the files."

"Could you please come over here?"

The custodian walked to the table.

"Has anyone borrowed this file before?"

"I can't remember. But everyone who borrows it is registered; it's the system. I've always known that."

After checking the borrowing register, the custodian said, "No one has borrowed it this year or last year. Let me check the year before last."

The custodian exclaimed, "There it is! It's here. On the afternoon of April 30th two years ago, Ge Mengmeng borrowed it.
No one else has borrowed this file besides her."

"Let me see it."

Sure enough, there was Ge Mengmeng's signature in the register.

"Thank you."

Leaving the archives, Jiao Xiaoyu asked as she walked down the corridor, "Who is Ge Mengmeng?"

"She's a woman. She was a deputy section chief in the Municipal Party Committee Office at the time. She later resigned to start a company in Hong Kong. I saw her at a reception at the Horizon Hotel
a few days ago ."

"Could the disappearance of the confession be related to Ge Mengmeng?"

"It's not certain yet, but she's a suspect. The key question is, if it was her, then of course we can't
rule out anyone else. Who was it? And for what purpose did they steal Yi Xin's confession about 3.5 million yuan?"

Wu

Fanghao had just returned from a week-long meeting at the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and summoned Chen Hu, Zhou Senlin, and
Bao Baozhu to his secret office.

"Secretary Fang, you're back. Hao Xiangshou was away on a business trip."

"Please sit down. I just found out too. I've already had my secretary call him from places he might be going."

"Hao Xiangshou is suspected of bribery. His movements should be restricted, at least internally to control him first."

"But we don't have conclusive, sufficient evidence yet. Hao Xiangshou is a people's representative; arresting him would be
more . Most importantly, it could have far-reaching consequences. When to bring him to justice depends on the overall situation."

"I'm worried he might flee to avoid punishment; he's already run away." "

I haven't reported Hao Xiangshou's case to Secretary Jiao yet. It's better to be cautious. Do you understand what I mean?
Come, everyone, sit down."

Fang Hao, Chen Hu, Zhou Senlin, and Bao Baozhu sat down around the square table. Everyone looked serious.

"Comrades, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, and the Organization Department of the Central Committee attach great importance to the case of He Qizhang. The Organization Department had a clear opinion when it first
investigated He Qizhang: it did not approve of him serving as vice mayor. However, due to Secretary Jiao's repeated insistence
and some abnormal factors, this outcome occurred. The Central Committee has two instructions: first, to resolutely see it through to the end; second,
the evidence must not only be conclusive but also sufficient. The Central Committee is personally handling this case, and we must actively cooperate. In the investigation
, we must be principled—the fundamental principle being to maintain political consistency with the Central Committee—while also being
flexible ; investigative methods can be diversified. Tell me about the situation."

Chen Hu took two thick volumes of files from his briefcase and placed them on the table, saying, "These are materials about Li Haoyi and Vice
Mayor , and they also involve some other municipal party committee cadres."

Fang Hao's hand pressed on the files, saying, "Is it all substantial, Chen Hu?"

"All substantial. Would you like to see the materials first, or hear my report first?"

"Okay, then I'll report on the case of Li Haoyi, director of the Municipal Development Office. I'll go with Director Shen from the Supreme People's Procuratorate to... " The city
interrogated Feng Aiju, the main culprit in Li Haoyi's illegal fundraising case. Feng Aiju, using her investment company, primarily in the south
but also extending to northern regions including our city, illegally raised up to 3 billion
RMB a sum exceeding that of Shen Taifu's Great Wall illegal fundraising. The case is currently under trial. According to Feng Aiju's confession, Li Haoyi
transferred 10 million RMB in two installments, depositing it into Feng Aiju's account via bank transfer. The first 10
million RMB was approved by Vice Mayor He and allocated from unplanned funds by Ma Zhongliang, the director of the Municipal Finance Bureau. The second was
borrowed from Sun Qi of the Municipal Steel Company. Two months after the first 10 million RMB was deposited, Feng Aiju, in addition to repaying the
principal , gave Li Haoyi a high return of 3.5 million RMB, of which 10 million RMB, along with 1 million RMB in principal and interest,
was transferred to an account designated by Li Haoyi. According to Li Haoyi's confession, this money was eventually transferred back to the Municipal Finance Bureau's account, covering
the 10 million RMB expenditure and generating a profit of 1 million RMB, which Vice Mayor He found satisfactory. However, two hundred and fifty thousand RMB... One hundred thousand yuan
ended up in Li Haoyi's pocket; Feng Aiju sent a special person to deliver the cash to Li Haoyi. According to Li Haoyi's confession,
he gave two hundred thousand yuan to Shen Shi, Secretary Jiao's secretary, to thank Shen Shi for his help; he gave three hundred thousand yuan to Vice Mayor He
because it was Vice Mayor He who approved the note; he gave two hundred thousand yuan to Ma Zhongliang of the Municipal Finance Bureau because Director Ma handled the matter
; Li Haoyi deposited the rest in the bank and squandered a considerable amount. The second loan of ten million
yuan from the Municipal Steel Company was deposited into Feng Wenju's account. Two months later, Feng Wenju repaid him with three million five hundred thousand yuan.
One million yuan was directly transferred to the Municipal Steel Company's account, and the remaining two million five hundred thousand yuan went into Li Haoyi's pocket. According to
Li Haoyi's confession, he gave Sun Qi five hundred thousand yuan as a token of gratitude; he gave Hao Xiangshou, Deputy Director of the Municipal Party Committee Office
, three hundred thousand yuan because Hao Xiangshou had spoken to Sun Qi, which led to Sun Qi providing ten million yuan; he gave Jiao Dongfang, Secretary Jiao's son and
president of the Horizon Hotel, two hundred thousand yuan; and he gave one million five hundred thousand yuan as shares in the Xinjingyue Hotel.
Hong Kong businessman Qiu Siyu. The bribery
allegations have not yet been verified. This is all we have regarding Li Haoyi's case at present.

Fang Hao listened while flipping through the pages, his brow furrowed. He lit a cigarette, took a few deep drags, and paced back and forth. The involvement of some important
municipal officials made him realize the seriousness and thorniness of the problem.

"Comrades, these circumstances are extremely important. They will inevitably cause a major upheaval in the municipal party committee and government. This case is significant,
extremely significant! We must proceed under the unified deployment of the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. We must be strategic, but we cannot be lenient.
Chen Hu, tell us about He Qizhang."

"Around 7 PM on May 2nd, He Qizhang was taking a shower in his VIP room at the Yuyuan Hotel. His
driver confirmed that Qiu Siyu had called, asking He Qizhang to write a letter of recommendation for her business trip to Nanjing.
He Qizhang hastily wrote a letter on the hotel's stationery and envelope and rushed to the city television station to record a program." He Qizhang
forgot his lighter, and his driver went back to his room to get it, finding the letter still in the drawer.
Song Huihui, a beautiful TV presenter at the city television station, confirmed that He Qizhang had indeed arrived at the studio.
Around 10:00 AM, He Qizhang went to the studio corridor to answer a phone call; the caller's identity is unknown. Around 10:30 AM, He Qizhang's driver, Du Xinzheng, saw
Jiao Dongfang drive a Mercedes-Benz 560 to the television station. A dozen minutes later, He Qizhang and Jiao Dongfang left the studio and got into
their respective cars. What Jiao Dongfang wanted to see He Qizhang about is currently unknown. He Qizhang instructed his driver to take him
directly to his office at the municipal government and to wait at the hotel.
His driver didn't arrive at the municipal government to pick him up until around 7:00 AM the next morning. What He Qizhang did that night in his office? Who did he meet
? This is currently unknown. After arriving at the Yeshanpo Guesthouse, He Qizhang instructed his driver to return to the Yuyuan Hotel
to retrieve the recommendation letter he had written for Qiu Siyu, saying he wanted to add a few more words and asked the driver to take it directly to the airport, as Qiu Siyu was taking
an afternoon flight to Nanjing. The driver returned to his room to retrieve the letter, only to find that the envelope had been switched. The switch must
have occurred sometime between 7:30 AM and noon on May 3rd. Who switched it is currently unknown.
The driver now holds He Qizhang's suicide note. When the driver returned to the Yeshanpo Guesthouse, he
learned that He Qizhang was already dead. The suicide note was computer-generated; neither He Qizhang's computer nor the computer in his office
had a copy. The font was different, and handwriting analysis confirmed that
the signature on the alleged suicide note was forged. Regarding He Qizhang's handgun: On May 3rd, he went to the Yeshanpo Guesthouse.
He Qizhang gave the driver 10,000 yuan as a wedding gift, which the driver refused. When the driver tried to put the money back into He Qizhang's bag,
he found a handgun inside. An investigation revealed two shots were fired at the scene, and two bullet casings were found. An autopsy of He Qizhang's skull
confirmed that the bullet that killed him was fired from a handgun he borrowed from the guard unit.
The target of remains unknown. Regarding the investigation into the fatal accident involving He Qizhang at Yeshanpo, where I retrieved bullet casings and
returned with the brakes sabotaged, progress has been made.
Tao Tieliang, the head of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Municipal Public Security Bureau, told me that the Yeshanpo Police Station, based on a tip from a thief, learned that the person who sabotaged the brakes was
Shi Hai, the owner of a motorcycle repair shop. Tao Tieliang immediately issued a detention order to the Yeshanpo Police Station, but
when we arrived for interrogation, we learned that Shi Hai had been poisoned before his arrest; tests showed it was potassium cyanide poisoning. Who
poisoned Shi Hai is still unknown. Finally, the case file contained no new discoveries. A few days ago, at
the memorial service held for He Kedai's father, I noticed two women among the guests:
Zhang Zhilan, the wife of Yi Xin, the main culprit in a massive foreign exchange arbitrage case, and Cui Yan, a famous Chinese model. Zhang Zhilan's relationship with He Qizhang is
understandable , as her husband was a section chief in the Finance Bureau, and He Qizhang was the director at the time; they knew each other. However
, I still don't know why Zhang Zhilan attended He Qizhang's memorial service. Cui Yan and He Qizhang knew each other, but
their exact relationship was unclear. Zhang Zhilan's appearance reminded me of the missing
3.5 million yuan in embezzled funds, so I went to the archives to review all the case files, hoping to find Yi Xin's
confession regarding the whereabouts of the 3.5 million yuan, which I had personally taken. He said the 3.5 million yuan was given to a Hong Kong
businessman surnamed He. At the time, I applied to go to Hong Kong to obtain evidence from Mr. He, but I was pulled out of the process. I carefully reviewed all the files
three times and discovered that Yi Xin's confession about the 3.5 million yuan was missing. Checking the file borrowing register revealed that
Ge Mengmeng, then deputy director of the Municipal Party Committee Office, had borrowed the case files on the afternoon of April 30, 1993.
No one else had borrowed them, so Ge Mengmeng was suspected of stealing the confession. However, whether it was her
or what her motive was was still unknown. Secretary Fang, this is a rough summary of my report. Please refer to the files for details.

Fang Hao nodded in satisfaction. "

Good, the details are clear. What you know is explained clearly, and what you don't know yet is also explained clearly. So,
we need to turn what we don't know into what we know through investigation and evidence gathering. You currently have ten unknowns and two unconfirmed cases.
First, who called He Qizhang around 10 AM on May 2nd? Second,
what Jiao Dongfang discussed with He Qizhang at the TV station? Third, what He Qizhang
did ? Fourth, who switched
the letters in He Qizhang's private room at the Royal Garden Hotel on the morning of May 3rd? Fifth, who forged the suicide note? Sixth, who possessed the American-style pistol
? Seventh, who poisoned Shi Hai? Eighth, who was the mastermind behind Shi Hai?
Ninth, why did they sabotage your brakes? The seventh, eighth, and ninth unknowns are actually
three sides of the same issue. Tenth, the motives of Zhang Zhilan and Cui Yan attending He Qizhang's memorial service are unknown." The first two
unconfirmed cases are: whether Shen Shi, Sun Qi, Ma Zhongliang, Jiao Dongfang, Hao Xiangshou, and He Qizhang
accepted bribes from Li Haoyi; and the second, the one-sided testimony from Li Haoyi, which requires further investigation and evidence gathering. The third unconfirmed case
is that Yi Xin, the main culprit in the theft case, testified that Ge Mengmeng was a suspect; whether it was her remains unconfirmed. "
Am I right, comrades?"

Zhou Senlin exclaimed in admiration, "Your memory is amazing!"

"What amazing memory? I just think about this whole chain of events every day. You
continue the investigation along the ten unknowns. As for the seven, eight, and nine unknowns—the case where you overturned the car—continue to be handled
by Comrade Tao Tieliang of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Public Security Bureau."

"Yes, Comrade Tao Tieliang has been conducting investigations related to the overturned car case."

"Comrades, our city's Finance Bureau has 100 million yuan of unplanned funds with unclear whereabouts. We'll use
this lead to contact Ma Zhongliang. Ma Zhongliang was promoted by He Qizhang and succeeded him as Finance
Bureau Director. His relationship with He Qizhang isn't as amicable as ours, is it? Let's not mention his bribery for now
; be strategic."

Zhou Senlin nodded. "I understand."

Fang Hao asked Chen Hu to smoke, but Chen Hu shook his head and took out his own.

Fang Hao smiled and said, "Chen Hu, let's change the subject. Are you satisfied with Jiao Xiaoyu?"

Chen Hu's cheeks flushed slightly. "She's hardworking and principled. These past few days, she's been investigating the guests who attended
the memorial service , hoping she'll find something. Currently, she's only handling the peripheral investigation."

"Oh, it involves suspected bribery of leading cadres. How much does she know?"

"Not much."

"Why?"

“She’s Jiao Dongfang’s cousin, and Secretary Jiao’s niece. I don’t think it’s
time to involve Jiao Xiaoyu too deeply. I need to get instructions from the leadership before I can act. Acting too hastily or leaking information might
alert them , so I haven’t said much. The case is completely under our control.”

Fang Hao stood up, took a few steps, and then sat back down. “Well, based on my observation of Jiao Xiaoyu, she
’s a good comrade. I’ve also considered whether to have Jiao Xiaoyu recuse herself since Jiao Dongfang is involved. She and Jiao Dongfang
are cousins, and if Xiaoyu can uphold the Party’s principles, it might be more beneficial to the investigation. Back then, someone
deliberately arranged for Jiao Xiaoyu to be by your side, perhaps hoping to pull off a Jiang Gan stealing the book. I’m afraid they’ll end up
shooting themselves in the foot.”

“It was Jiao Xiaoyu who discovered He Qizhang’s black notebook. Oh, and Jiao Xiaoyu also made another discovery. She
learned something strange from He Kedai: someone secretly entered Vice Mayor He’s house, opened the safe,
lost $30,000, and stole three documents.”

“Xiaoyu reported this situation to me as well. Why would the thief need a document? Under Director Zhou's
command , keep up the good work. We are acting in accordance with the central government's directives, and I will promptly inform everyone of any new directives.”

Liu

Chenhu drove his Cherokee towards the Municipal Finance Bureau.

Jiao Xiaoyu sat beside him, took out a bag of fried potato chips, and broke it open.

"Does he eat it? It's so crispy and fragrant."

"Only girls eat snacks. Xiaoyu, what have you found after running around for two days?"

"A little, but not much. Most of the people who attended the memorial service had received benefits from Vice Mayor He,
and He Kedai didn't hesitate to say so. The six people whose housing allocations have been verified were approved by Vice Mayor He,
including three three-bedroom apartments, one two-bedroom apartment, and two four-bedroom apartments. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't be considered as allocated housing
households. Two people said that Vice Mayor He supported their companies, but they wouldn't say how.
Five people entered university after Vice Mayor He approved their applications, changing from self-funded to government-funded students.
The investigation into the others is still ongoing, that's all for now."

Chen Hu smiled with satisfaction.

"A lot of work, huh! You must have been running around quite a bit, right?"

"I left home at six in the morning and didn't get back until eleven or twelve at night. Running around wasn't the problem; it was the constant scorn I got
. Some people shook their heads when I asked them questions, others cursed and said things like, 'If you're so capable, go catch tigers. What kind of hero are you, killing
a rat ?' An old lady even said, 'Have some decency! The person is dead. What are you investigating?
' A college student who switched from a self-funded to a government-funded student said, 'Vice Mayor He is a good cadre under market economy conditions.
What's wrong with him being a little corrupt? As long as he does more good for the people than bad, he's a good cadre. Being incorruptible
is good enough, but not doing anything for the people makes him worse than a corrupt official who does things!' Listen to this kind of
logic!"

“That’s not surprising. They’re the beneficiaries of corruption. Victims of corruption would never hold this view.”

Jiao Xiaoyu put the potato chips into her bag. “You’re right, there really is such a person,
the general manager of a computer company. He Qizhang gave him a four-bedroom apartment, saying he bought it at a discounted price and wasn’t afraid of being investigated. Guess
what this manager said? He actually had a theory that corruption is beneficial!”

“Oh, that’s very interesting. What did he say?”

“He said that everything that exists has its rationality and inevitability, and corruption is no exception. The current mechanism is too rigid.
Going through formal channels and following procedures, it takes at least three months for a document to be approved, and
it’s common for it to be delayed for a year or two. But fierce market competition doesn’t allow entrepreneurs to wait patiently. By the time the document is approved, the market opportunity has already
passed. In order to buy time, they have to spend money to bribe government officials. Spending hundreds of thousands or millions of yuan on this is not a lot,
because the time gained by getting approval in advance is money. Seizing market opportunities can make big money. The millions of yuan in bribes
are an investment. He said that the so-called bribe money here is no longer money; it’s the rigid government mechanism.”
"You need lubricant; without lubricant, the gears won't turn." He believes that as long as the official-centric system remains unchanged, corruption
cannot be eradicated because entrepreneurs cannot wait for rigid mechanisms to be streamlined before starting business; the market waits for no one. Therefore,
some people use money as lubricant to make the gears turn faster. Thus, he concludes that corruption has a dual nature:
it destroys the social structure, yet it also stabilizes it; it disrupts the economic order, but it also has a positive
side that promotes prosperity. Furthermore, he believes that our anti-corruption efforts are a drop in the ocean and futile. "Chen Hu, isn't his theory strange
? Quite blatant, isn't it?"

Chen Hu's car turned a corner, this bizarre theory causing him to fall into deep thought. He said, "This
manager 's insightful remarks are like a story of the wolf in sheep's clothing. But at least they serve one purpose: they demonstrate, from the opposite perspective
, the arduousness of fighting corruption. We must fight on two fronts: one against corrupt officials, and the other against
those who offer bribes for profit. Of course, the fundamental way to eradicate corruption is to accelerate the reform of the economic and political systems. This is the key
to addressing structural corruption! In this sense, I agree with that gentleman's view; in this way, fighting
corruption is indeed a drop in the ocean."

The car drove into the courtyard of the Municipal Finance Bureau building.

Chen Hu and Jiao Xiaoyu got out of the car and climbed the steps. A woman with gray hair came down to greet them.

Jiao Xiaoyu was taken aback at first, then quickly stepped forward to greet her warmly.

"Auntie!"

Chen Hu was stunned. How could there be a Jiao Xiaoyu's aunt in the Municipal Finance Bureau?

"Xiaoyu! Did you come to see me?"

"No, I came to take care of some business. Let me introduce you, this is Comrade Chen Hu, and this is my aunt."

"Hello!"

Chen Hu extended his hand. The old woman warmly grasped Chen Hu's hand.

"I've heard of you. Oh, Xiaoyu, your uncle asked you to come over, why didn't you come?"

"I've been so busy lately, I'll definitely come to see you when I have time."

"Xiaoyu, what brings you here?"

"It's nothing, no need to trouble you. Auntie, let's go in."

"Go on, don't forget to come home and visit when you have time."

"Okay."

Chen Hu and Jiao Xiaoyu entered the lobby on the first floor.

The aunt looked back thoughtfully before walking towards an Audi and getting in.

"Where did this aunt come from?"

"I only have one aunt, she's the First Lady of this city, Secretary Jiao's wife."

"So Secretary Jiao's wife works in the Finance Bureau?"

"Yes, she's about to retire."

"Xiaoyu, I need to tell you something, you must keep secrets, you can't tell anyone what you shouldn't say."

"Don't worry, I'm a Party member, I know what principles are. Or, I'll wait for you here."

Jiao Xiaoyu turned to leave, but Chen Hu stopped her.

“Don’t be childish, let’s go upstairs.”

They entered Ma Zhongliang’s office.

Chen Hu immediately noticed that Ma Zhongliang had aged considerably, a result of anxiety. He wanted to use this as
a starting point , striving to make his tone carry a hidden meaning and create a deterrent effect.

“Director Ma, you look so unwell, and your hair is much whiter than before. Is something wrong with you?”

Jiao Xiaoyu chimed in, “Yes, I see dark circles under your eyes and on your forehead!”

Ma Zhongliang smiled to cover up his unease.

“Really? I don’t think I’m sick. I’m fine. Maybe I’ve just been working too hard lately.”

“What have you been busy with lately?”

“Mainly raising funds for the outer ring road. There’s still a large shortfall, so I’m a bit anxious.
Secretary Jiao instructed that the funds must be in place to ensure the road construction. The pressure is quite high.”

“Director Ma, I saw a speech by Secretary Jiao in the ‘Situation Report’ about the outer ring road funding.
It was in place by the end of last year. How come there’s suddenly a shortfall this year?”

Ma Zhongliang coughed nervously a few times.

“I don’t know the details. Maybe Secretary Jiao was just saying it casually, and it didn’t actually
happen . Besides, last year is last year, and this year is this year. Plans can’t keep up with changes.”

Chen Hu stared coldly into Ma Zhongliang’s eyes and said, “How can Secretary Jiao
just say things casually ? You say plans can’t keep up with changes, then tell me, what exactly are the changes?”

Ma Zhongliang helplessly spread his hands and said, “Well, there are too many changes. How can I explain it in a few words? The funding
gap is a common phenomenon. Everyone is asking the Finance Bureau for money. I’m like a clever housewife trying to cook without rice!”

“Director Ma, I’m not an economics major, I’m a layman. But the original 100 million yuan can’t be said to be rice, can it? As far as
I know, this 100 million yuan was originally supposed to be used for the construction of the outer ring road, but it wasn’t used for this project. Vice Mayor Li has come to you
about this . Is this a case of a clever housewife trying to cook without rice, or did they cook a different pot of rice?”

Ma Zhongliang’s face grew increasingly ashen, and he became somewhat incoherent.

"This... let me check... I don't know much about the situation... maybe it's already been used, and there's some
error ..."

"Director Ma, when was the last time you saw Vice Mayor He?"

"It was on the morning of May 1st."

"Please tell me the details."

"I went to his office to see him and we talked for half an hour. I haven't seen him since."

"What did you talk about?"

"I was reporting on my work. He's the vice mayor in charge of finance. Secretary Jiao kept pressing about the 100 million yuan,"
Ma Zhongliang realized he'd let something slip and quickly corrected himself, "No, I misremembered. Secretary Jiao was concerned about
the speed of the highway construction and kept asking about the funds being in place, so I asked Vice Mayor He for instructions. We talked for a while, but
he was too busy, so I left."

"Later, did you speak with Vice Mayor He on the phone?"

"Once, he called my home, around 1 a.m. on May 2nd, or maybe
1 a.m. on May 3rd. He said on the phone, said..."

Ma Zhongliang stammered. Chen Hu cut to the chase, "What did he say on the phone?"

"He was still talking about highway fundraising, nothing else. He told me to come to the Royal Garden Hotel on the 5th, and
then he hung up. Who would have thought he'd commit suicide on the 3rd! Sigh, he shouldn't have died. Now that he's gone, so many things
are hard to explain!"

Ma Zhongliang realized he'd said too much and, feigning composure, smoked a cigarette, saying, "It's nothing. Vice Mayor He
is in charge of finance. I consult him on all major financial matters. He knows the situation very well. If he were alive,
you could just ask him directly. What can a mere bureau chief like me do?"

Chen Hu felt he'd won the first round and stood up.

"Director Ma, I won't bother you any longer. You seem to be ill; you should get treatment as soon as possible!"

"Thank you, thank you. Let me see you off."

"Don't bother, your face looks dark; it's not a good sign. Goodbye."

On the way back, Chen Hu excitedly pushed in a cassette tape, and
the song .

"Xiaoyu, come to my house, I'll treat you to dumplings. We've had a good day, let's celebrate!"

"I'm fine with going with you, I'm naturally bold. But Ma Zhongliang was just distracted, why didn't you
press your advantage Why did you end it so hastily?"

"For the first contact, achieving the effect of 'striking the mountain to frighten the tiger' is a victory. Ma Zhongliang, that tiger
, was startled by us, he'll definitely come down the mountain to find a way out. His movement broadens our horizons, doesn't it?"

"You're truly cunning."

“He gave us three important clues today. He didn’t mean anything by it, but we took them to heart. First, the 100
million yuan has clearly been misappropriated, and Vice Mayor He knows about it, and Secretary Jiao may also know. Second,
on the morning of May 1st, the main topic of Vice Mayor He’s conversation with Ma Zhongliang was still the 100 million yuan;
Ma Zhongliang let it slip. Third, around 1 a.m. on May 3rd, Vice Mayor He called Ma Zhongliang, still
about the 100 million yuan. Based on this, we can make two preliminary judgments: first,
the whereabouts of the 100 million yuan is troubling Ma Zhongliang and He Qizhang; second, He Qizhang’s activities in
the office still revolved around the 100 million yuan. Don’t you think this gain is worth more than a meal of dumplings?”

Jiao Xiaoyu nodded in agreement.

“You do have an unusually sharp mind; those dumplings weren’t for nothing. But where did that 100 million yuan go?”

“That’s exactly what we need to know.”

Jiao Xiaoyu drove the Santana that Jiao Dongfang had given her. She had finally accepted Dongge’s gift with Zhou
Senlin’s approval, to avoid making Jiao Dongfang wary of her. The Santana arrived at the police station.

She went to Tao Tieliang’s office and placed Ye Baoxin’s photo on the table.

“Director Tao, could you do me a favor and find out what this person does?”

Tao Tieliang looked at the photo. “Where did you get this?”

“I took this secretly. I noticed he was acting suspiciously, like he had some ulterior motive.”

“I know this person. His name is Ye Baoxin. He opened the first private investigation agency in our city, but it was later
revoked. Running a private investigation agency, isn’t that chaotic? He doesn’t have a legitimate job now, but so far we haven’t
found any illegal activities on his part.”

“So he’s a private investigator. Can you give me his address?”

“I’ll take you there. I can find it on the computer. ”

Following the address provided by Tao Tieliang, Jiao Xiaoyu waited in her car at the entrance of the alley where Ye Baoxin lived. Ye

Baoxin, carrying a camera, left his house and got into a Xiali (

a small car brand). The Xiali drove away. Jiao Xiaoyu followed in her Santana. She muttered to herself, "I'll see
what this private detective is interested in."

The Xiali drove ahead into a bustling street. The Santana followed behind. The Xiali
stopped at the back door of the Horizon Hotel where they received supplies. Ye Baoxin easily slipped through the back door and got into a large bus with the door open. Jiao Xiaoyu
parked her car but couldn't find Ye Baoxin, so she had to wait inside. Meanwhile,

the jittery Ma Zhongliang found Jiao Dongfang at the back door of the Horizon Hotel.

Jiao Dongfang's two guards were directing workers to load wooden crates, one meter high and two feet wide, onto a truck.

The crates were marked with pictures of glass cups, a sign of fragile items.

Yang Ke reprimanded the workers, "Be careful! Handle with care!" Jiao Dongfang shoved a Marlboro cigarette into Zhao Wuzhou's hand and said, "

Wuzhou, once the goods are loaded, take them directly to the railway
freight yard, get the containers sorted, and make sure these things are crushed. There can't be any mistakes."

"Don't worry, boss. Ten boxes to Shanghai, ten boxes to Chongqing, no problem."

Ye Baoxin, hiding in a bus a little distance away from the back door, secretly filmed the loading
scene . No one noticed his presence.

Ma Zhongliang walked over anxiously and grabbed Jiao Dongfang's hand.

"Dongfang, you're still personally handling the loading of the trucks? Find me somewhere

, I need to talk to you." Jiao Dongfang shouted at Yang Ke, "Tell me when the trucks are loaded."

Jiao Dongfang pushed open a guardhouse next to the driveway, where a guard was.

"Go out for a while."

The guard obediently left. Jiao Dongfang lit a cigarette and said, "My mother said that Chen Hu came to see you yesterday.
He asked you to come and talk about this matter. What did he ask you?"

"Chen Hu seemed prepared. He mainly asked about the 100 million yuan."

"What did you answer?"

“I said, I said I didn’t know much about the situation, and then he left when he didn’t get anything out of me.” Jiao

Dongfang glared at him. “How can you say you don’t know much about the situation? You’re the director of the finance bureau. If you don’t know where 100
million yuan went, that alone is enough to charge you with dereliction of duty.”

“I really couldn’t say!”

“You’re the director of the finance bureau, you have to be responsible. Break the 100 million yuan down into smaller amounts and put it
into , and the problem will be solved!”

“It’s not that simple. They can audit the accounts.”

“What problems can they find by auditing the accounts? You’re an expert at falsifying accounts. If you can’t even solve this kind of technical problem,
what kind of director of the finance bureau are you!”

Ma Zhongliang almost knelt down. “Dongfang, please help me. It’s not so easy to manipulate the accounts of 100 million yuan.
You talk to Secretary Jiao and see which ministry to transfer 100 million yuan from. I’ll fill in the necessary paperwork to get it
over with , and then we can transfer the money back. That’s a better method.”

“Ma Zhongliang, even the Emperor himself doesn’t get 100 million yuan so easily.” " Besides, my father
has no idea about this 100 million. If you bring it up now, do you still want to keep your job? It's
within your responsibility, so you should figure out a solution yourself. Or, you can go and discuss it with He Qizhang!"

Ma Zhongliang said with a mournful face.

"Vice Mayor He is dead. How can I discuss it with him?"

Jiao Dongfang smiled sinisterly.

"You can't use your brain. Maybe you think the dead can talk!"

Yang Ke and Zhao Wuzhou knocked on the door and came in.

"President, the truck is loaded."

Jiao Dongfang said with a sullen face, "Director Ma, I'm sorry, I have other things to attend to."

Ma Zhongliang left looking dejected.

Zhao Wuzhou drove the truck and two Mercedes-Benzes away from the hotel and headed towards the railway freight yard. Jiao Dongfang personally escorted the truck to
the freight yard, which was unprecedented. Even Yang Ke thought it was unnecessary.
When they

arrived at the railway freight yard, Zhao Wuzhou jumped off the truck and went to the dispatch room with Yang Ke, who got out of the Mercedes-Benz, to handle
the container procedures.

Soon, the dispatcher guided the truck to two empty containers.

"Just these two containers, you can load them." "I'll seal the containers once they're loaded."

The four workers on the truck untied the ropes and loaded the wooden crates into the containers.

Jiao Dongfang inspected each crate. As

the worker carried the crate toward the containers to the east, Jiao Dongfang called out to him.

"Stop!"

The worker stopped, and Jiao Dongfang looked at the Arabic numerals on the crate.

"This crate is for the container at the west end."

Zhao Wuzhou walked over and said, "Boss, this crate was originally placed at the front; it should have been for
the container !"

Jiao Dongfang smiled.

"I've changed my mind. This crate is for Chongqing."

"As you wish."

After loading the two containers, Jiao Dongfang felt very tired and didn't have the strength to speak.

"Let them seal the containers."

The dispatcher locked the containers and affixed the lead seals. Jiao

Dongfang looked at Zhao Wuzhou with satisfaction.

"You're quite efficient. Don't go back to the taxi team; join the large trucking fleet. The restaurant's transportation tasks are very important. It'll
be hard work, but the pay is high."

"Thank you, boss." Suddenly, Yang

Ke noticed someone hiding in a Xiali car secretly taking pictures in this direction, so he
pulled aside.

"Someone's been filming us in that Xiali,"

Jiao Dongfang said decisively. "Bring him over."

Ye Baoxin was in the Xiali. Knowing he'd been discovered, he put down his camera, reversed, turned the car around, and drove
out.

Yang Ke turned and got into the Mercedes. Because of its length, turning around was difficult, so he accelerated and gave chase.

Jiao Xiaoyu followed Ye Baoxin to the freight yard. She saw Ye Baoxin flee and saw the Mercedes chasing the Xiali.
Her Santana followed the Mercedes.

The Xiali was in first place, the Mercedes in the middle, and the Santana in the tail, the three cars speeding away, one after the other.

Chapter Nineteen: Recalling the Past, Deep Sibling Affection; Lamenting the Present, Mother and Daughter's Battle .

Jiao Dongfang ran to the freight yard entrance, watching the three cars chase after each other.

Jiao Dongfang asked Liu Side, "Did you see the license plate number clearly? The Santana looks like the one I gave Jiao Xiaoyu

." "No. President, who's tailing us? Is it He Kedai, or the Public Security Bureau? Is it the legitimate or
the underworld?"

"Whoever it is, why is he interested in these boxes?"

Ye Baoxin panicked and drove against traffic onto the highway, luckily there weren't many cars on the road.

Below the highway was a riverbank, and below that, a river reeked. Industrial and domestic sewage had killed the river;
even aquatic plants couldn't grow.

Yang Ke's Mercedes quickly caught up, squeezing and pushing the Xiali to the edge of the riverbank, almost causing it
to overturn .

Jiao Xiaoyu noticed this from behind and honked her horn as a warning.

The Xiali was pushed off the riverbank, tumbling and crashing onto the riverbank. Half of the car was submerged in the sewage.

Yang Ke opened the car door, intending to get out and retrieve Ye Baoxin's camera, but realizing he was being followed by the Santana, he drove away.

Jiao Xiaoyu opened the door of the Xiali car and saw that Ye Baoxin was bleeding from the head and was already dead. She took
Ye Baoxin .

She quickly realized that this was not an ordinary traffic accident, but a serious
incident . No matter what role Jiao Dongfang played here, Yang Ke was his assistant, which would inevitably implicate him.
What to do? She turned around, got into the Santana, and drove away.

Twenty minutes later, police cars, ambulances, and cranes arrived at the accident scene.

Jiao Xiaoyu parked her car at a photo printing shop on the street. She got out of the car and said to the clerk, "Can you print them for me right away?"

"Add ten yuan, and you can get them immediately."

"Okay, I'll wait."

Ten minutes later, the printing was completed, and Jiao Xiaoyu took the photos back to her car and examined them carefully one by one.

There were photos of the Horizon Hotel loading onto the truck, photos of the container being shipped from the freight station, and Jiao Dongfang, Zhao Wuzhou, Yang Ke,
Liu Side, and the freight yard workers were clearly visible in the photos.

Jiao Xiaoyu muttered to herself, "Could Ye Baoxin be deliberately investigating Jiao Dongfang? Who's directing him? What's in
the container ?"

Jiao Xiaoyu put the photos into a brown paper bag, then into her handbag, and drove away. On the way, she wondered
whether she should report this to Chen Hu. Dongfang was, after all, her brother! She'd wait and see, and find
out the whole story first.

That afternoon, Jiao Xiaoyu drove into the Horizon Hotel and parked in the parking lot. She got out and
searched through dozens of cars for a drivable Mercedes. Once she found it, she crouched down to examine it closely and noticed
obvious scratches on the door.

Jiao Xiaoyu suddenly turned around and saw Yang Ke standing beside her.

"Sister Xiaoyu, want to trade cars with me?"

"Such a nice car, how did it get damaged? Dongfang won't drive it anymore."

"A few bumps and scrapes are inevitable."

"You were showing off your driving skills, weren't you? That was thrilling, exciting."

"I don't know anything about driving skills."

Jiao Xiaoyu's eyes flashed with intimidation. "We'll keep this under wraps. Tell me,
who gave you the Santana and the Mercedes?"

Yang Ke put his hands in his jacket pockets, seemingly unconcerned. "I don't know anything about this."

Jiao Xiaoyu kicked the damaged Mercedes and said, "So you know about this? If I tell anyone,
the police ...?"

Yang Ke now understood that the Santana following him must be Jiao Xiaoyu's car. He said helplessly, "
If I tell you, Dongfang will definitely scold me for being nosy."

"He's my brother, you know that."

"Yes, yes, you can't side with someone else. Let me tell you, don't tell anyone I said it. That guy's pretty
pathetic He gave the old man a Mercedes and Dongfang a Santana, and got a bigger official hat in return. He actually
went from town mayor to county party secretary."

"What's his name?"

"What was his name again? He was the mayor of Chengguan Town in Yanxing County, named Xu Jiabao, now he's Secretary Xu.
Don't tell anyone I told you."

Jiao Xiaoyu thought for a moment, "And don't mention to Dongfang that I inquired about this."

Leaving

the Horizon Hotel, Jiao Xiaoyu drove to Yanxing County. She was eager to find out everything related to Jiao Dongfang
.

Jiao Xiaoyu drove into the county government compound. Looking at the solemn building, a feeling of indignation welled up within her. Two cars
were enough to make a scoundrel the official in charge of the 800,000 people in the area!

County Party Secretary Xu Jiabao warmly shook Jiao Xiaoyu's hand and said, "Welcome, welcome, Secretary Jiao's niece! It's
an honor to have . Why didn't you call? We could have made preparations. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"You're a local official, a powerful figure. How could I dare disturb you? There's a small matter. The
Santana you gave Dongfang has a problem, and I'd like to return it and exchange it for another one. Do you still have the invoice?"

"Hmph, you're driving it. Why exchange it? I'll give you another one later, and we can exchange it."

"Then you'll have to spend money again. It's much easier to contact the manufacturer."

"Those two cars were disposed of when I was the town mayor; the invoices are hard to find now. It's no trouble at all. Dongfang is
a good friend , and Secretary Jiao is my former superior. Anything is easy to say. Even if the county doesn't have it,
it's readily available. Your uncle, how is our great Secretary Jiao in health?"

"He's in very good health, thank you."

“I’ll accompany you to our county’s mahogany furniture factory. The products are of good quality; a set of tables and chairs costs eighty or ninety thousand. You
can pick out a set for Secretary Jiao, a set for your brother, and a set for yourself. I’ll handle the delivery.”

“That’s so expensive, I can’t afford it.”

“What are you buying? Just try it out and give us your feedback.”

“Secretary, you’re so generous.”

“We’re family, no need to be so polite.” As soon as

Wu

A-Si entered He Ke-Dai’s office, he said mysteriously, “Ye Bao-Xin is dead.”

He Kedai abruptly stood up from his office chair.

"How did he die?"

"He died in a rollover accident."

"Strange, he was quite skilled. Bring me the photos Ye Baoxin took."

"The police would have taken them long ago. Ye Baoxin really has a hard time making this kind of money."

He Kedai sat back down in his chair and said, "Don't be greedy for money. Money isn't a good thing, it's a bastard. It can kill you
. Do you know what I'm thinking right now?"

"Of course you want to climb higher!"

"You're wrong. I want to go downstairs, but there's no staircase."

He Kedai took the photos from the metal safe and placed them on his desk.

He pondered over the photos Ye Baoxin had taken before, saying, "Damn it, it must be Jiao Dongfang again. You want me dead?
I won't let you live well either. You're finished this time! If I don't deal with you, someone else will."

One photo showed Jiao Dongfang entering a roast duck restaurant with Uncle He from Hong Kong; another showed Jiao Dongfang's bodyguard talking to a
mechanic at Shi Hai's motorcycle repair shop.

He put the photos together and then rang the doorbell.

The secretary came in from outside. "Mr. He, what's the matter?"

"Inform everyone, I'm treating tonight, fresh seafood." The secretary left.

"Ah Si, take these photos to the post office immediately and arrange for local express delivery. The recipient address is
to be opened by Chen Hu of the Municipal Anti-Corruption Bureau, and you can make up any address for the sender."

Ah Si blinked in confusion and said, "Give them to Chen Hu? We paid a high price to have them taken, and you're just giving them to him for free? Besides,
he's our nemesis!"

He Ke waved his hand and said, "I want to give my nemesis a chance to make a name for himself. Go do it."

Ah Si suddenly realized, slapped his forehead, "Wow, I get it, you're using someone else to do your dirty work, brilliant! Brilliant!"

Liu

Yangke told Jiao Dongfang about Jiao Xiaoyu's inquiry to him. He never hid anything from
his , thus gaining Jiao Dongfang's deep trust.

Jiao Dongfang felt that the problem was not simple. Why was Jiao Xiaoyu interested in Xu Jiabao becoming the county party secretary
? Could it be that Chen Hu sent her to investigate me? He didn't accuse Yang Ke of being loose-lipped, but calmly asked, "What else did
Xiaoyu ask you?"

"She asked several questions specifically about the scratches on my Mercedes. That day I chased after the person who took our photos...
"

Jiao Dongfang interrupted, "I've already found out. That person's name is Ye Baoxin; he's a private investigator."

"When I chased Ye Baoxin, a Santana followed me. I reckon it was Jiao Xiaoyu."

Jiao Dongfang nodded. "It must be Xiaoyu; I recognize that car."

"It seems your sister didn't report it. If she had, the police would have summoned me long ago. Xiaoyu isn't siding
with outsiders . But Ye Baoxin's camera was probably taken by your sister."

The phone on the desk rang, and Jiao Dongfang answered it.

"Who are you looking for?"

"It's me, Xu Jiabao. Dongfang, you have a younger sister named Jiao Xiaoyu."

"Yes."

"She came by yesterday, asking for the invoice for my Santana. She also
knows about the Mercedes I gave Grandpa. Hopefully, something's not wrong."

"Hmm, what else did Xiaoyu ask?"

"What does your sister do?" "

You'll be shocked to learn she's a prosecutor in the anti-corruption bureau."

"That's terrible! Does she have some ulterior motive?"

"Leave this to me. If she comes to you again, just deal with her. You've become the county party secretary, are you
getting into the swing of things?"

"I won't let Secretary Jiao down; you can rest assured. I've already started preparations for the county party congress,
focusing on studying Secretary Jiao's six speeches, resolutely maintaining political consistency with the municipal party committee, unwavering through thick and thin
…"

"Alright, save your rhymes for the Party representative meeting," Jiao Dongfang said, hanging up the phone. "
Annoying ."

He paced back and forth, muttering to himself, "What exactly is Xiaoyu up to?"

Late

at night, Jiao Xiaoyu lay in bed looking at photos developed from Ye Baoxin's camera, her brother's image constantly
flashing before her eyes.

Yang Ke's words tormented her ears again, "...Yes, yes, no one's elbow turns to the outside.
Let me tell you, don't think I'm the only one saying this, that kid's pretty useless. He gave the old man a Mercedes, gave Dongfang a
Santana , got a bigger official hat, and actually went from town mayor to county party secretary."

Jiao Xiaoyu found a box of cigarettes that had never been opened, searched for a long time before finally finding the opening of the transparent seal, tore it off,
opened it, took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a puff. Her uncle Jiao Pengyuan's tall image seemed
half- . She knew that without her uncle's approval, Xu Jiabao wouldn't have become county party secretary. Had the lower levels deceived
her uncle, or had her uncle sold the position?

The phone rang, and Jiao Xiaoyu picked it up irritably. It was her cousin calling.

"Xiaoyu, can you come to my house right away? I need to talk to you about something."

"Now? In the middle of the night?"

"If you're afraid to drive at night, I'll have the driver pick you up."

"Okay, I'll be there in half an hour."

Jiao Xiaoyu walked into the Jiao family's living room, and the nanny greeted her, saying, "You're here. Dongfang asked me to take you there."

"Just tell me which room he's in, I can go by myself."

"You've never been to that place he's in."

"So mysterious. Where are my uncle and aunt?"

"They went out to see friends and won't be back until very late."

The nanny led Jiao Xiaoyu through the doorway and corridor to the innermost room on the second floor. "It's right here, he's waiting for you inside
."

"Thank you."

This was a room filled with old toys, books, and miscellaneous items from the 1950s and 60s. Among the toys were a rocking horse,
a small children's car, a wooden gun, a slingshot, a miniature book, a statue of Chairman Mao, and other items, all haphazardly and crowdedly arranged.

Jiao Xiaoyu pushed open the door and stood in the doorway. "What kind of place is this?"

Jiao Dongfang sat on a small stool. "This is my museum!"

Jiao Xiaoyu looked around the room full of comic books and toys with curiosity. "It's so dirty."

"When I'm feeling down, I like to stay here by myself for a while. Here's a small stool for you." Jiao Dongfang handed
Jiao Xiaoyu a small stool.

Jiao Xiaoyu saw the three characters "Jiao Xiaoyu" written in red paint on the stool. "Huh,
why is my name on this stool?"

"These three characters were written by my dad himself. More than ten years ago, you created your first piece of work."
"I forgot, we sewed these together when we were little. My dad was the supervisor, and he wouldn't let us eat until they were finished."

Jiao Xiaoyu clapped her hands excitedly. "I remember now, I remember now! You even made your finger bleed back then."

Jiao Dongfang found a few comic books and handed them to Jiao Xiaoyu, saying, "Here, your comic books. Your
name is on them."

Jiao Xiaoyu looked at the comic books with great interest, feeling a long-lost sense of emotion: "I was wondering
why my comic books disappeared so quickly. You stole them all."

"If I hadn't stolen them, they would have been preserved until today."

"You're really thoughtful; you didn't throw them away."

"These are all my treasures. Over the decades, I've thrown away so many things, but these are my childhood toys. I won't complain
about them . Looking at these things I played with and used as a child, I feel a sense of familiarity. Many of these
are your toys. Some of them I played with and then gave to you."

Jiao Dongfang pushed over a children's tricycle. "Xiaoyu, I rode this tricycle, and you rode it too."

Jiao Xiaoyu stroked the toy car, its paint peeling off, and sighed, "Sigh, nowadays, kids' toys are all bought
by their parents; back then, they made them themselves."

Jiao Dongfang pinched Jiao Xiaoyu's cheek and said, "Kids these days have computers and electronic toys; they've seen a lot of the world
, but their imagination and hands-on skills have clearly declined. Xiaoyu, don't let your child play with ready-made toys; let
him make them himself."

"You're being silly again."

"Xiaoyu, how have I treated you?"

"You've been great to me, I don't need to thank you at all, it's because you're my brother."

"I can't help it, it's because you're my sister." "

Brother, what do you want to see me about in the middle of the night?"

"What's wrong with your Santana?"

"It's not working well."

"Don't listen to that county party secretary's nonsense. I heard you're investigating this matter?"

"No."

"Really not? Go ahead and investigate, I'm not afraid. The Santana is in your hands, you're the one who took the bribe. Did you
take Ye Baoxin's camera?" “

Who’s Ye Baoxin? I don’t know him.”

Jiao Dongfang chuckled and said, “When you were little, you couldn’t lie. Now you lie without even blushing, that’s a big improvement.
Actually, those photos Ye Baoxin took don’t prove anything. If you don’t give them to me, I don’t want them, but
you’ve hurt my feelings, that’s not fair.”

Jiao Xiaoyu touched Jiao Dongfang’s knee, just like when she was little, “Brother, you’ve gone too far. I don’t know
exactly how far you’ve gone, but you’ve definitely gone too far. You do everything like this, you never
let go until you’ve gone all the way. Brother, the law doesn’t tolerate leniency. I don’t know if it’s too late for you to stop now, but you
understand better everyone is equal before the law, and even princes are subject to the same laws as commoners…”

Jiao Dongfang laughed heartily, “You’ve only been wearing the prosecutor’s uniform for a few days, and you’re already speaking like a bureaucrat. ” "Brother, you're perfectly fine . I'm the one who's worried sick about you. You've been so foolish,
" Jiao Xiaoyu said, her eyes reddening. "Silly girl, you've been used as a pawn. " "Brother, I'm really worried about you, really. I'm afraid something will happen to you, but if something does happen, I won't be on your side. Brother, if that day ever comes and we become enemies, I'll have to ask for your forgiveness now." "Sister, my silly sister, you're so naive," Jiao Dongfang said, pulling a wooden duck along and quacking it as he walked, making Jiao Xiaoyu laugh through her tears. "Xiaoyu, it's time to adjust your two-bedroom apartment. I'll get you a large three-bedroom." "What use is such a big house to me? The Vice Mayor Li and his family of five upstairs only live in a small three-bedroom." "You're alone? Soon you'll be a family of three! I heard you and Chen Hu are getting quite involved?" "That's my private matter." "What business is there between family members? You're my sister, your affairs are my affairs. Chen Hu is good, smart and capable, with a bright future, but he's not very shrewd, otherwise he would have been promoted long ago. Once you get married, this apartment won't be enough. I'll get you a duplex, two rooms downstairs, two rooms upstairs, with an internal staircase, the modern style." "I'm just an ordinary cadre, what right do I have to live in a four-bedroom apartment? Give me a break." "If it were based on seniority, you wouldn't even be allowed to live in a two-bedroom apartment in college. But I'm your brother. I put a lot of effort into getting you this two-bedroom apartment. I'll arrange it right away; I'll give you the keys next week." "Brother, when you give someone a gift, you must want something in return. Do you want me to do something for you?" “Even if your brother isn’t capable, he wouldn’t ask you for anything. I’m already overwhelmed with taking care of you. If there’s anything you think I should tell you, just say so.” “I’m saying you’re being polite because you need something, aren’t you? So you’ve come here to gather gossip.” “I’m not interested in your petty gossip. I’m worried that you’re new to this world and might accidentally . How deep is the water in the municipal party committee? Who’s on whose side? Who can’t get along? Who came from which hole? If you’re completely clueless and step in, it’ll be hard to get out. I’m just giving you a heads-up, afraid you’ll run into a brick wall.” “Brother, you know the ropes. Tell me about it.” "Where do you even begin to explain this? Let me put it this way, even the clerks who deliver water and newspapers, you can't figure out their backgrounds. They openly deliver newspapers to each office, but who do you know who they're watching? You just had two guests, and they'll be reporting you to the authorities in no time. You're too naive. Call me if you need anything, don't let them use you as a pawn." "Brother, I'm going back. Thank you for letting me see so many treasures. Can I take a comic book?" Jiao Dongfang handed her a comic book, it was (Chicken Feather Letter). Eight. Jiao Xiaoyu returned from the Jiao family home and opened the door, unexpectedly finding her mother sitting on the sofa. The clock showed two o'clock. "Mom, when did you get here?" "What were you doing?" "I went to Dong-ge's place." Jiao's mother's expression softened. "Visit your second brother more often. If you don't keep in touch, the family will grow distant. Xiaoyu, without your uncle, you wouldn't have gotten into the anti-corruption bureau. I heard you're investigating Mercedes and Santanas. Who told you to do that? Gathering dirt on high-ranking officials behind their backs—that's anti-Party. Tell me, who instructed you? Was it Chen Hu?" "Mom, no one instructed me. I've never mentioned Chen Hu." "Don't try to fool me. No one instructed you. How dare you, a high-ranking official, investigate the municipal party secretary!"

"It's your uncle again. Just because of Chen Hu, he doesn't deserve to be a cadre."

"Mom, please don't hurt people like that!"

Jiao Xiaoyu's mother's anger flared again. "You've grown up, you don't even know what 'inside' and 'outside' mean anymore.
Your father and I have discussed it, the family doesn't approve of your relationship with Chen Hu. We heard he has a scar on his face, don't you
think about you feel seeing that scar every day?"

Jiao Xiaoyu sobbed softly.

"What's the use of crying, Xu Guang? Speak up! I came in the middle of the night to persuade you for ages, what's your
attitude ?"

"You call this persuasion? This is called final collusion, a deadline for surrender! Interfering in other people's marriages is a violation of the constitution!

" "Don't throw a tantrum at me, you weren't even born when I joined the revolution." Jiao's mother's tone softened as she wiped Xiaoyu's
tears .

"Don't make a scene, it'll sound terrible if word gets out. Your aunt said you and Chen Hu went to the Finance Bureau to investigate that day.
Why didn't you even tell your aunt? Vice Mayor He and Director Ma are both your aunt's friends, there's bound to be
some connection between them. You have to think carefully for your aunt, your uncle, and your second brother. You
can't do things that are like siding with outsiders!"

"Mom, you're an old revolutionary, what do you mean by siding with outsiders? There's organizational discipline, party principles, and
the secrecy law, how could I say such things?"

"Your uncle is the municipal party secretary, the public security, procuratorate, court, and judicial organs are all under his leadership, it's only right to report to higher authorities." "

But you can't mix public and private matters, Mom, colluding and giving conflicting testimonies is a violation of the law, do you really not understand or are you trying to make me
make a mistake ?"

Seeing that she couldn't persuade her daughter, Jiao's mother shed a few tears. "I've never seen anyone as naive as you. I
've seen it all, don't try to scare me with your grand principles. After your father retired, we're still relying on your uncle for support.
Power brings connections, and without power, connections vanish. Your uncle is an old revolutionary; protecting him is protecting the Party. If the Party
Secretary doesn't represent the Party, then who does? I've seen through so many political movements.
Anyone who takes it seriously will suffer. Besides, your uncle has never done anything to wrong our family. That two-bedroom apartment you live in was all arranged for you by your
second brother . Why are you going against your own family? What's wrong with you?"

"Then what do you expect me to do? Go to the anti-corruption bureau as a detective for my second brother?"

"You can't say that. Your second brother is an outstanding Communist Party member and the president of a five-star hotel. I'm just
telling to be aware of this, to make sure you speak up when necessary, and not to be used as a pawn. You don't understand the ways of officialdom; it's all about
using this to talk about that. What anti-corruption? In the end, it's just about scheming against people.
Who doesn't want to be the top official in the city? There are plenty of ambitious people. If your uncle really steps down, will you look good?"

"Mom, please stop pressuring me, okay? Or, you can talk to your uncle and ask him to transfer me out of the anti-corruption bureau."

"That's not a solution either. We'll talk about the transfer later. What exactly is wrong with Director Ma?
What ? Tell me, I'm not an outsider."

Jiao Xiaoyu became anxious and shouted, "Mom, you're pushing your daughter into a fire pit, forcing me to make a mistake."

"You don't need to tell anyone else, just tell me, so you won't make a mistake."

"Telling you is also making a mistake."

Jiao's mother's expression changed. "Xiaoyu, if you continue to be stubborn, don't blame me for being ruthless."

"What? You want to sever our mother-daughter relationship?"

"You're investigating your second brother's problems, aren't you? Fine, go ahead and investigate. Cut ties with your second brother. This
two-bedroom apartment was arranged by him, and the Santana you drive was a gift from him. You're a beneficiary of privilege.
Find your own place to live; you won't get a house in five years. Anti-corruption, anti-corruption, you've come to your own family!"

With that, her mother fainted on the bed.

"Mom! Mom!" The streets

were

silent.

Jiao Xiaowu, carrying a suitcase, walked dejectedly down the street. It was already past three in the morning; the city was
fast asleep. She looked back sadly at the light in her room.

Her mother's figure was reflected on the curtains.

Jiao Xiaoyu wiped away her tears and walked resolutely towards the bus stop.

A taxi drove past Jiao Xiaoyu; she waved, and the taxi stopped.

Jiao Xiaoyu thought for a moment, smiled apologetically, and said, "Sorry, I won't get in." The

driver cursed, "You're crazy. Wandering around like a ghost in the middle of the night, who knows if you're a person or a ghost?" The driver drove away. Jiao Xiaoyu carried her suitcase back to her building. She thought she could go back, apologize, and life would be good again. But she stopped at the first step of the stairs. Jiao Xiaoyu suddenly turned around and walked out. Another taxi pulled up, and Jiao Xiaoyu hailed it and got in. Chen Hu heard a knock at the door, rubbed his eyes, and got out of bed to open it. The door opened, and Jiao Xiaoyu stood there with her suitcase. "May I come in?" Chen Hu was stunned. He quickly took the suitcase. "May I come in?" "What are you waiting for? Come in. What happened?" Jiao Xiaoyu leaned weakly against the door. "I'm homeless. Can I stay here for the night?" "Homeless? You've confused me." "I have no home. The Jiao family kicked me out." "Sit down and tell me slowly." Outside the window, the city was still fast asleep. Chen Hu changed the sheets, leaving only one pillow. Jiao Xiaoyu sat on the sofa, staring blankly at Chen Hu. "Are you going to run away?" "You stay here, I'll stay at a friend's house." Jiao Xiaoyu said coldly, "I have just as many friends as you. It's not like I can't find a place to sleep here." Chen Hu awkwardly touched his scar and said, "I'm worried about your reputation. Even if nothing happens, people will still gossip." "Fine, I'll leave then. Don't let it affect your reputation as a department head." Jiao Xiaoyu stood up to pick up her luggage. Chen Hu quickly caught Jiao Xiaoyu's shoulder. "Okay, okay, I'll stay with you. You sleep on the bed, I'll sleep in the living room." "Find another pillow, or a few books to put under it. We can sleep together." "How about we stay up all night, drink tea, chat, and play checkers?" Jiao Xiaoyu sighed disappointedly. "You're just running away from yourself again. I don't need your tea, I don't your checkers." "The fact that they're putting pressure on you means they're guilty, it means we've touched a nerve." "I'm not here to discuss the case with you, nor do I need your truth."

Chen Hu, arm in arm with Scarface, asked, "So, what do you want?"

Jiao Xiaoyu, carrying her suitcase, brushed aside Chen Hu's hand and left the room.

At the door, Jiao Xiaoyu turned back and said, "You don't even know what I want. I've come for nothing.
I'm sorry to have disturbed your rest. Goodbye." Jiao Xiaoyu left, tears welling up in her eyes as she went out.

Jiao Xiaoyu walked along the deserted street, carrying her suitcase.

Chen Hu caught up from behind and reached out to take Jiao Xiaoyu's suitcase.

Jiao Xiaoyu pushed Chen Hu's hand away.

Jiao Xiaoyu waved, and a taxi stopped. Jiao Xiaoyu got in .

Chen Hu pounded on the car door, "Xiaoyu! Xiaoyu! Get out!"

The driver was Zhao Wuzhou. He looked at Jiao Xiaoyu, then at Chen Hu pounding on the car window.

"Are you getting out, or should we let someone outside get in?"

Jiao Xiaoyu didn't recognize Zhao Wuzhou.

"Drive."

Zhao Wuzhou drove away. The taxi slowly moved forward, even though there were no other vehicles or pedestrians on the road.

“Miss Jiao, where to?”

Jiao Xiaoyu looked at the driver strangely. “Do you know me?”

“You forgot? We had dinner together. My name is Zhao Wuzhou.”

Jiao Xiaoyu remembered the person she met with Chen Hu at the restaurant. “Sorry, I didn’t recognize you just now. Mr. Zhao,
are you still out picking up passengers so late?”

“I drive a truck during the day and a taxi at night to earn more money.”

“You must be working very hard.”

“Was that Director Chen just now?”

Jiao Xiaoyu nodded silently. “What a coincidence, you ran into him.”

“That’s what they call a narrow escape. Where are you going anyway? Driving around aimlessly like this, if I get a ride,
you’ll lose out.”

“To the No. 1 compound of the Municipal Party Committee.”

The taxi stopped at the entrance of the No. 1 compound of the Municipal Party Committee. Jiao Xiaoyu got out, paid, and Zhao Wuzhou drove away.

Jiao Xiaoyu showed her identification and entered the guarded compound gate.

An Audi drove into the compound; inside were Jiao Pengyuan and his wife. Inside the car, Jiao's wife saw
Jiao Xiaoyu walking in front of the car. "That looks like Xiaoyu."

"Yes, it looks like her. Why are you carrying luggage?"

The car slowed down, and Jiao Wei stuck his head out of the window. "Xiaoyu!"

Jiao Xiaoyu stopped. "Auntie, you're back so late." "

I went with your uncle to see an old friend from the Central Committee. We played a few rounds of mahjong. What are you doing here in the middle of the night?...
"

"I also came to see an old friend."

"Who visits so late?"

Jiao Xiaoyu walked to the car. "Uncle."

"Xiaoyu, who are you visiting in the middle of the night? Get in the car, we're at your doorstep."

"It's too late, it'll disturb your rest. Let's do it tomorrow."

"We're family, what's with all this talk about lateness? I always ask you to come, but you never do. We're at your doorstep, why don't you get in?"

"I came to talk to Comrade Fang Hao about some work."

Jiao's wife's smile vanished, her face darkened, and she slammed the car door shut. "Drive." The Audi drove away.

Jiao Xiaoyu was stunned, then walked to the door of a small building and rang the doorbell. This was Fang Hao's home.
Jiao

Xiaoyu sat in the living room, silently wiping away her tears.

Fang Hao placed a cup of coffee on the coffee table next to the sofa.

"You ran into your uncle; you should go to his house."

"I came specifically to see you."

"Hmm, why?" "

Since Vice Mayor He's case involves my brother, I'm afraid I won't be able to explain things clearly if I go to my uncle's house."

Fang Hao smiled and said, "Comrade Xiaoyu, what's there to explain? Comrade Jiao Pengyuan is the Party Secretary;
a son 's problem doesn't equate to a father's problem. The organization's trust in you is unwavering. Anti-corruption
is different from the past open struggle against the enemy. We are fighting corruption within the Party. We were all comrades, friends, former superiors, and former
subordinates; some of us are even related. This is normal. As long as we uphold Party principles and abide by organizational discipline,
there won't be any problems. On the contrary, because we've had a lot of contact in the past, it's easier for us to understand the situation than with strangers.
Don't worry."

Jiao Xiaoyu raised her tearful eyes and said, "Thank you. Secretary Fang, I want to ask, just how deeply is my brother involved?"

"Who said your brother has a problem? Being involved in a case doesn't necessarily mean there's a problem." "

Jiao Xiaoyu shook her head in disappointment. "Secretary Fang, you don't trust me. I'm leaving. I'm sorry for bothering you."

The sky was beginning to lighten.

Leaving the Fang family home, Jiao Xiaoyu carried her suitcase alone down the deserted streets. She felt
a helplessness and loneliness she had never experienced before. She was prepared that Secretary Fang didn't trust her, but Chen Hu had broken her heart—something she hadn't
expected. She had come seeking a loving embrace, but Chen Hu only asked, "What do you really want?"

She arrived at her classmate's house.

Jiao Xiaoyu, carrying her suitcase, wearily knocked on the door.

The door opened. A girl in pajamas looked at her in surprise.

"Xiaoyu?"

"I've come to escape."

Jiao Xiaoyu dropped her suitcase. Her classmate reached for it.

"Don't touch it, there's something inside."

"You're acting strangely. Look at your face, you've been crying. "

Jiao Xiaoyu collapsed onto the bed, sobbing. She felt abandoned by everyone.

The next

morning, Jiao Xiaoyu entered the Anti-Corruption Bureau. A clerk in the mailroom stopped her. "

Jiao Xiaoyu, this is Chen Hu's letter. Please take it to him."

Jiao Xiaoyu took the letter. "Thank you."

Jiao Xiaoyu entered the office building. From that day on, she felt she had truly matured. The smile on her face
disappeared; she became a cold beauty who never smiled.

In Chen Hu's office, Jiao Xiaoyu handed Chen Hu a pair of scissors.

"Isn't it inconvenient to read here? What if it's a letter from your ex-girlfriend? Should I leave?"

Chen Hu took the scissors. "If it's from my ex-girlfriend, it'll probably be an invitation to her child's birthday party,
haha."

He cut open the envelope, took out three photos, and looked inside—nothing.

"Just three photos, no letter." Chen Hu shook his head, flipping through the three color photos one by one.

Jiao Xiaoyu also leaned over to look, exclaiming in slight surprise, "Dongfang?"

"Yes, your precious brother is in two photos, and in one he isn't, but he's still related to him. He's
Jiao Dongfang's shadow, named Yang Ke, Jiao Dongfang's driver and assistant." "

Who sent the photos?"

“I don’t know, there was no letter. I suspect the sender’s address on the envelope is fake, but the photo is real.”

Chen Hu suddenly remembered something and asked apologetically, “Where did you stay last night?”

“You just remembered to ask that? I’m sorry, I don’t want to say. You don’t need to care.”

“I’m sorry, last night…”

Jiao Xiaoyu interrupted coldly, “Chen Hu, Director Chen, I don’t want to talk about this anymore. If you have nothing else to do,
I’ll ask for a few days off.”

“Appointment?”

“Yes, sick leave, here’s the leave slip.”

Jiao Xiaoyu put the leave slip on the table, turned around and left the room. She didn’t know where she was going, she just
wanted to find a place away from her troubles to calmly think about which way to go at the crossroads of her life. On one side
was the unbearable attachment to family, on the other side was the inviolable law, and she was caught in the middle, suffering torment.

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