Desperate people, accept the seed of my soul!

What if that attack was aimed at this office?

"Father," Wei Zi'ang's panicked voice came through the phone, "the scene is completely cordoned off by the police, and our people aren't even allowed to get close! None of Gao Tianyou's core brothers have come out; they've all gone inside! And... I have a bad feeling; it feels like there are eyes watching me all around. The official response this time is completely different from before!"

As soon as Wei Ziang finished speaking, the fear on Wei Donghai's face was replaced by a ruthlessness unique to a powerful figure.

In this world, only those who are alive have the right to talk about winning and losing.

There's nothing you can't give up to survive.

"Listen, Zi'ang." Wei Donghai's voice was unusually calm. "Immediately notify the legal department and public relations department to issue a statement at the highest level. Define Gao Tianyou as a 'cancer' within the group, someone who, behind the board's back, formed an illegal armed force to engage in illegal and criminal activities. We must show an attitude of 'complete ignorance' and 'deep remorse,' and fully cooperate with the police to purge this group of black sheep."

"But Father, Uncle Gao has followed you for twenty years, and those men under him..."

"Dead people have no value! Living fools are even more of a burden!" Wei Donghai interrupted sharply. "Put all the dirty work of the past few years onto Gao Tianyou's head. This cut will hurt a lot, but it's to save his life!"

Wei Zi'ang gritted his teeth and replied, "Understood, I'll make the arrangements."

"And another thing," Wei Donghai added, "I will personally contact Vice Mayor Zhou Wenyuan's office and request an urgent report. I will tell him that, in order to express the Wei Group's determination to rectify the situation and to support the municipal construction of Chenxi City, we are willing to donate that piece of land in the south of the city free of charge for the construction of a public park and welfare home. In addition, on this basis, we will add an additional 500 million yuan to the 'City Security Fund'."

Wei Zi'ang gasped.

That's billions of dollars in assets, just given away like that?

"Go do it!" Wei Donghai waved his hand. "In the current situation, those hungry wolves won't give in unless we bleed them dry."

After hanging up the phone with his son, only a depressing silence remained in the study.

Wei Donghai knew that these desperate measures to survive and the astronomical sums of "sincerity" could at best be considered a humble gesture.

But in the face of a real storm, posture is the most useless thing.

The gunfight in the city center touched a line that cannot be crossed.

What truly saved him was elsewhere.

Wei Donghai took a deep breath and took out the black satellite phone from the bottom of the drawer.

This was his last trump card, and also the contract that would turn him into a puppet.

He dialed that secret number.

The phone was answered after only one ring, and Zhong Heng's soft yet mocking voice came from the other end: "Councilor Wei, it seems you're in big trouble."

"I agree to all your conditions." Wei Donghai didn't waste any words. "I've already had all of Han Xiao's research data, biological samples, and surveillance footage packed up. I can even... turn the Wei Group into your shell company."

A soft laugh came from the other end of the phone: "A wise choice. Councilor Wei, welcome to the outer circle of the 'Five Mountains Society.' Although you're just a dog, as long as your master is around, no one will dare to beat you. You just need to be 'loyal,' and leave the rest to the organization."

------

Municipal Government, Deputy Mayor's Office.

Zhou Wenyuan was reviewing an urgent document, which was the draft "Approval for the Establishment of a Special Investigation Office for Major Public Safety Incidents and the Freezing of Assets of the Wei Group".

His pen tip hovered over the signature area, just one last stroke away.

Once this name is signed, the behemoth that is the Wei Group will begin to collapse, and Wei Donghai will face imprisonment.

Although this may cause short-term economic turmoil, it can not only quell public anger, but also bring considerable benefits if handled well.

"Ring ring—"

My personal cell phone suddenly vibrated and the screen lit up.

Zhou Wenyuan's hand, which was about to sign, suddenly stopped, and the tip of his pen poked a strange ink dot on the document.

He glanced at the name on the screen, and his heart sank.

What does this person want when they call?

Zhou Wenyuan took a deep breath and pressed the answer button: "This is Zhou Wenyuan."

"Uncle Zhou, did I disturb your work?"

A gentle, young voice, even with a hint of laughter, came from the other end of the phone.

Zhou Wenyuan: "Yes...Young Master Wang. How is your father's health?"

He knew all too well the weight of that voice.

The father of this "Young Master Wang" is one of the true leaders of Lieyang Province, someone Zhou Wenyuan can only look up to.

"My father is doing well. He was just saying yesterday that Chenxi City has developed well in the past two years, and Uncle Zhou deserves a lot of credit for it."

"Not at all, it's all thanks to the excellent guidance of our leaders," Zhou Wenyuan said.

"That's right, Uncle Zhou." Young Master Wang's tone remained casual. "Father heard that there's been quite a commotion in Chenxi City lately, especially regarding the Wei Group. The old man has an idea, you know, the economic situation is complicated right now, stability is paramount."

Zhou Wenyuan tightened his grip on the receiver: "Please give your instructions, young master."

"If a company makes a mistake, of course it should be punished, the bad guys should be arrested, and the company should be rectified. However, a major taxpayer like the Wei family involves too many people, including the employment of tens of thousands of people, as well as the upstream and downstream supply chains... If they are brought down all at once, it will have a bad social impact and will also be detrimental to the business environment image of our province."

Young Master Wang smiled meaningfully and said, "Father means to learn from past mistakes and prevent future ones, and to cure the disease and save the patient. For those entrepreneurs who are willing to repent and take on social responsibility, shouldn't we also give them a chance to correct their mistakes? Let's be careful not to overdo it. Uncle Zhou, what do you say?"

Zhou Wenyuan remained silent for two seconds.

This is an instruction.

An order that cannot be disobeyed.

What "social impact"? What "business environment"? The core message is just one sentence—protect Wei Donghai.

"I understand." Zhou Wenyuan's voice became somewhat hoarse. "Please convey to the old leader that the Chenxi Municipal Government will definitely act in the overall situation, both cracking down on crime severely and focusing on maintaining the overall stability of the economy and society. We will grasp this...balance."

"That's good. Father has always trusted Uncle Zhou with his work. I'll treat you to tea when you come to the provincial capital another day."

"Beep—beep—"

The phone hangs up.

Zhou Wenyuan slowly put down the receiver, looked at the unsigned document on the table, and remained silent for a long time.

Finally, he reached for the document, but instead of signing it, he crumpled it into a ball and threw it into the shredder.

……

three days later.

A press conference was held in Chenxi City.

Amidst the flashing lights, a joint spokesperson from the Municipal Public Security Bureau and the Municipal Procuratorate solemnly read out the preliminary report on the handling of the "Jin Mao Tower shooting" and the "Wei Group organized crime case":

"...An investigation revealed that Gao Tianyou, the former deputy head of the security department of the Wei Group, and his gang, abused their positions to illegally possess firearms and ammunition, and are suspected of multiple violent crimes, posing a significant threat to society. Suspect Gao Tianyou was killed during the resistance to arrest, and all other key members involved have been placed under criminal coercive measures in accordance with the law. The case is under further investigation..."

"...The Wei Group failed in its oversight and committed serious negligence. It was ordered to immediately cease operations for rectification and was fined a substantial amount. Wei Donghai, Chairman of the Wei Group, stated that he fully accepts the punishment and has voluntarily donated assets worth billions of yuan for public welfare and urban construction to atone for his mistakes..."

"...Given that Wei Donghai was unaware of Gao Tianyou's crimes and made significant contributions to the investigation, it has been decided not to pursue criminal charges against him..."