Watching Director Yang leave with reddened eyes, angrily slamming the door behind him, Director Lin from the Industry and Commerce Bureau—who had been completely stunned—was jolted by the sound and finally snapped back to reality.
“What was that all about? Turning hostile just like that?” Director Lin, who had also spent decades navigating the world of officialdom, blinked as he processed what had just happened. Then he realized it had to do with Yang Li again. Was he still involved in this matter or not?
No matter how hard he racked his brain, he just couldn’t figure out what was going to happen next.
So, watching Captain Wang leave with Director Yang, Director Lin glanced at the red envelope in Lin Yumeng’s hand, gave Xu Ze a dry smile, and nodded. “Comrade Xu Ze… um, well, calm down a bit. We can talk things through, right?”
After a couple of dry chuckles, seeing no displeasure on Xu Ze’s face, he smiled at the still-startled Lin Yumeng and nodded before taking his leave.
Just as Director Lin reached the door, someone walked in. Jiang Zhibo, looking very worried and without his white coat—his sleeves rolled up—rushed inside nervously. After seeing Director Lin leave and the room empty of anyone else, with no chaotic mess as he had imagined, he let out a sigh of relief.
He looked up at Xu Ze and smiled. “You sly dog… you’re pretty tough. Who did you just hit? I saw someone who looked like the police chief earlier… You didn’t hit him, did you?”
“No… I only hit his son,” Xu Ze said, looking Jiang Zhibo up and down, then suddenly burst out laughing. “You didn’t just take off your work uniform to come help me fight, did you?”
“Hehe…” Jiang Zhibo chuckled dryly, then patted his chest with some relief. “I was ready, but it’s good we didn’t fight. I’m still on duty, and that guy was the police chief. If we really got into it…” He trailed off, shaking his head with deep emotion.
“Haha…” Xu Ze laughed heartily and patted Jiang Zhibo on the shoulder. “You’re more hardcore than me. On duty, and you still took off your uniform to fight?”
“You’re the hardcore one… hitting someone’s son right in front of their father… that takes guts…” Jiang Zhibo smiled helplessly, then looked at Xu Ze with concern. “I saw him leave with red eyes. You’ve offended him like this… will you be okay?”
Xu Ze smiled faintly and shook his head gently. “It’s fine… it’s them who have a problem now.”
Jiang Zhibo, who had always been curious about Xu Ze’s real identity, didn’t doubt what he said. He just nodded reassuringly. “Good, as long as you’re okay…”
Lin Yumeng looked at the small slip of paper she had pulled out of the red envelope, with a row of numbers on it. After staring in shock for a while, she finally put the paper back into the envelope and handed both envelopes back to Xu Ze. Her clear eyes were full of alarm. “Brother Xu Ze… I don’t want these.”
“You don’t want them?” Xu Ze was a bit surprised, looking at the two red envelopes being handed back, but then he smiled. “Why not? Since they’re given to you, take them… This should probably cover your tuition for the next few years.”
“But…” Lin Yumeng looked at Xu Ze, flustered. “That’s so much money… How can I just accept it?”
Xu Ze smiled faintly, took the two envelopes, casually pulled one out and put it in his own pocket, then handed the other back. He said gently, “Brother Xu Ze took one too. Now you can feel comfortable taking this one, right? Be good… This money isn’t even enough to compensate for your emotional distress. Take it, it’s free money.”
“But…” Lin Yumeng looked at the red envelope containing a check in her hand, still reluctant to accept it. After hesitating for a moment, she handed it back again. “I really can’t take it.”
Seeing the persistence in those clear, big eyes, Xu Ze couldn’t help but smile. He reached out and gently touched her cute, lovely little head. “Take it… It’s their compensation to you. With this money, even if you don’t spend it on yourself, you can use it in the future to help people in need.”
“Hmm…”
At eleven in the morning, Xu Ze’s father called from Chentang. He said a Director Hu from the Xingcheng Health Bureau had suddenly shown up, accompanied by an associate county mayor from Lianyang County and the county health bureau director, to inspect the clinic. After praising the Xu Family Clinic for its contributions to promoting and preserving traditional medicine as a family-run practice, they awarded a bonus of several thousand yuan.
They also gave them a town-level health clinic designation, making the Xu Family Clinic eligible for state health subsidies, and exempted them from paying taxes…
During the small talk, Director Hu also hinted that he had heard of Xu Ze’s reputation locally, and remarked that it was quite rare for a current university student to possess such profound medical skills. He expressed hope that more talents like Xu Ze would emerge in the future.
After the officials left, Xu Ze’s father, while delighted and accepting congratulations from the neighbors, also sensed something unusual. He immediately called Xu Ze to ask if he knew this Director Hu.
Xu Ze calmly responded a few times, reassured his father, and hung up with a smile. These people really were going all out… But that’s fine. He had originally planned to let them off this time.
Director Yang was in a very bad mood today. The police officers at the Xingcheng Police Bureau were all on edge, afraid that something might implicate them.
With a loud crack, a fine porcelain teacup shattered against the wall. Yang Li’s eyes were full of fury, and the pen in his hand snapped into two pieces.
Yang Xiaoming pressed his lips together tightly, watching his enraged father. He snorted angrily, “Dad, are we just letting this go?”
“Shut up! You beast! If it weren’t for you, would I have to put up with threats from that little brat?” Yang Li grabbed a jade paperweight from the desk and was about to throw it at his good-for-nothing son, but seeing the bruises on half of his son’s face and his swollen lips, he finally sighed.
“That kid threatened me about those things, but there’s no evidence left now… It won’t stir up any trouble,” Yang Li looked at his son and warned seriously, “Don’t go out looking for trouble these next couple of days. That kid can’t do anything to you. The people who were there yesterday have all been silenced. As long as you don’t admit to anything, no one can do a thing to you, got it?”
Looking at his father’s serious expression, Yang Xiaoming nodded resentfully, then asked, “Dad, so we’re just letting him off?”
“Of course not, but at least wait until I’ve secured the position of deputy mayor,” Yang Li said, his eyes turning cold. “When that happens, with three deputy mayors, even Tang Guorui won’t be able to touch me. Then we’ll find a chance to take care of that kid… Make him disappear, cleanly. Who would really suspect me? Even if they do, without evidence, what can they do?”
“Yeah… then that kid will be sorry beyond regret,” Yang Xiaoming said, a smug, sinister smile appearing on his face as he listened to his father’s cold words.
Just as the father and son were feeling pleased with themselves, someone started knocking on the door.
Yang Li grunted, “Come in.”
The door was pushed open gently, and Executive Vice Director Zhang Jingming walked in with two military officers.
Seeing Zhang Jingming’s serious expression and the two second lieutenant military judges behind him, Yang Li’s eyebrows shot up. He stood up and shouted angrily at Zhang Jingming, “Zhang Jingming, what are you doing?”
“Director Yang, there’s a case. The Military Legal Department of the Military District needs Yang Xiaoming to assist in an investigation,” Zhang Jingming said, watching his superior—who was hissing and clawing like a cornered cat—feeling a secret sense of satisfaction. Yang Li had ruled the police bureau with an iron fist for over a decade, and even Zhang Jingming, as executive vice director, had been unable to stand up to him. Finally, today, some of that pent-up frustration was being released.
“Assist in an investigation?” Seeing a strange glint in his deputy’s eyes, Yang Li’s expression changed dramatically, and he shouted angrily, “What case? I wasn’t informed?”
“It concerns Yang Xiaoming’s illegal possession of a firearm and attempted murder,” Zhang Jingming said calmly, looking at his superior. “Due to recusal rules… when the Military Legal Department notified us of this case, they did not report to you. Additionally, this case will require your cooperation, Director, to explain how your service weapon ended up in someone else’s hands.”
Looking at the composed and confident Zhang Jingming, Yang Li’s face darkened. He had already arranged everything perfectly; there should have been no problems. He couldn’t help but suspect that Zhang Jingming was just using this as an excuse to undermine his authority. But the two second lieutenant military judges behind him weren’t fake—what was going on?
He took a deep breath, looked at the two military judges, then shouted angrily at Zhang Jingming, “How is that possible? What evidence do you have? Do you think you can touch my son without evidence? Let me tell you, Zhang Jingming, don’t think you can do whatever you want just because the Tang family is backing you now. This police bureau is still under my control!”
“Director Yang, I understand how you feel, but Major Xu Ze of the Intelligence Bureau of the General Staff has personally testified that Yang Xiaoming illegally possessed a firearm and attempted to murder him. So, please cooperate,” one of the second lieutenant officers stepped forward and showed Yang Li an arrest warrant.
Looking at the arrest warrant, with its clear black-and-white text, Yang Li’s face instantly went pale. He slumped back into his chair, shaking his head. “How is this possible? How can this be?”
He then glanced at Yang Xiaoming, who was now terrified, and suddenly felt a surge of energy. He stood up abruptly and said to the two military judges, “As a second-class police supervisor of the Ministry of Public Security, I have the right to demand fair treatment for my son and to be present during the proceedings. If he receives unfair treatment or is maliciously slandered and defamed, I will appeal to the Chief Police Supervisor of the Ministry of Public Security and the Military Commission.”
