Guide to Rising to Power as a Wife in Beijing's Elite Circle

February 23rd, 7:00 AM, Bai Family Villa.

The sky wasn't fully light yet, and the eastern horizon was tinged with a grayish-white light. Bai Yan sat in his study, a news notification on his computer screen. The headline was striking, bold red text, like a bloodstain.

The case of the abduction of a female master's student from Central China: The truth 34 years later

He clicked on it and read through it quickly. Victim testimonies, trafficking routes, lists of buyers, and trafficking groups under the Bai family—everything was verifiable, and every name pointed to a specific unit, a specific time, and a specific location.

The article was written with restraint, without naming the Bai family, but every detail tells the public that this was not done by one person, but by a system.

Bai Yan picked up the landline on the table and dialed a number. The phone rang twice, and then it was answered.

"Master Liu, it's me."

"Okay, let's go now. Same place as always."

When Bai Yan arrived, Liu Yang was already there. He sat in the main seat, with a pot of tea in front of him. The tea was golden and clear, and it was freshly brewed.

"Mr. Bai, you've read today's report."

This is a declarative sentence, not an interrogative one. In official circles, superiors won't ask if you've read it; they'll simply say you have. Because if you haven't read it, it's considered dereliction of duty. If you have, you should know what to do.

"I've seen it."

Liu Yang picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip. He swallowed the tea without frowning. "How did it suddenly get leaked? Wasn't Fang Jingxiu already in jail? What trouble can he possibly cause now?"

"Fang Jingxiu went in, but his woman is still outside. I underestimated that woman."

"Underestimate? Mr. Bai, you've been in business for thirty years, how could you possibly miscalculate?"

Bai Yan offered no explanation. In officialdom, a mistake is a mistake. Making excuses only makes one appear more wrong.

"Mr. Liu, now is not the time to assign blame. The most urgent task is to suppress this report."

Liu Yang leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest. "Suppress? How? Shen Rongchuan's three media outlets published it simultaneously, and within half an hour it had over ten thousand reposts, topping the trending searches. Tell me, what can suppress it?"

"Master Liu, I know Shen Rongchuan. He's not acting out of justice; he's after profit. He'll back down as long as we offer him a higher price than he expects."

"Price? Mr. Bai, do you know who's behind Shen Rongchuan?"

Liu Yang answered for him. "No one. He is his own backer. This man doesn't take sides, doesn't depend on anyone, and doesn't ask for favors. He works in the media not to make money, but to manipulate public opinion for Fang Jingxiu. He plays with public opinion, power, and people's hearts. Give him money, and he'll have plenty. Give him power, and he has the Fang family as his powerful backer. Give him face, and he'll look down on it. Tell me, what can you use to bribe him?"

Bai Yan fell silent.

"What I'm most worried about right now isn't this report, but what's hidden behind it."

He paused. "Did you read the last paragraph of the article?"

Bai Yan nodded.

That passage was written very subtly, but every word was like a needle. The article said that the female master's student's husband was featured in the Central Plains History of Touching People and was named the year's number one kind-hearted person. This was because he took her in when she was homeless and gave her a home.

The article doesn't say who arranged this, but every reader will wonder: a woman who passed the entrance exam for a top-tier university's master's program thirty years ago was imprisoned for thirty years, had two children, and developed a mental breakdown. Her husband was the one who bought her, the one who imprisoned her, and the one who ruined her life.

How could someone like that be featured in a history of touching stories? Who put him on it? Who is manipulating all of this behind the scenes? It's obvious who it is.

Bai Yan's back began to sweat.

He knew what this meant. This wasn't an ordinary report; it was a knife. The tip was pointed at the Bai family, the hilt at Liu Yang, and the back of the blade at the high-ranking officials. Shen Rongchuan wasn't just going to cut down the Bai family; he was going to cut down the entire system.

He wanted everyone to know that this wasn't something the Bai family did alone; it was done with the tacit approval of others, with their protection, and with their involvement.

"Master Liu," Bai Yan's voice was hoarse. "What should we do?"

"President Bai, do you know why Fang Jingxiu has gotten to where he is today?"

Bai Yan remained silent.

"It's not because he's smart, it's not because he has connections, it's because he never puts all his eggs in one basket. He always has a trump card, always has a way out, always has a backup plan."

He walked back to the table and sat down. "He went in, but his trump card is still out there. His escape route is still out there. His backup plan is still out there. That woman is his trump card."

Bai Yan's hands trembled slightly. "So, what do we do now..."

Liu Yang raised his hand to stop him. "Now, go back and burn all the accounts that can be burned, delete those that can be deleted, and transfer those that can be transferred."

Bai Yan nodded. "Understood."

Liu Yang watched his departing figure.

There was one more thing he didn't say: "If necessary, you'll be my scapegoat."