Desperate people, accept the seed of my soul!

Chenxi City Tax Bureau, Inspection Department Office.

Several young clerks huddled together at the entrance to the tea room, whispering and discussing something in secret.

"Hey, did you hear? The other day downstairs, the commotion was like something out of a movie." A bespectacled male clerk gestured animatedly. "Gunshots rang out, it was terrifying. A friend of mine who lives nearby said it lasted almost twenty minutes!"

"That's not all," another female colleague chimed in. "My cousin delivers food in that area, and he happened to be passing by that night. He said he saw a Mercedes-Benz, and in that instant, it looked like it had been hit by a meteorite; it turned into a pancake!"

"Didn't the news report it? It said that Gao Tianyou from the Wei Group was involved in a gang fight... That's outrageous! Doing this right under the Jin Mao Tower?"

"Who knows? It's pretty weird anyway. But our city police department really acted fast this time. Dozens of police cars came that night, the scene was... wow..."

Liu Mingyuan sat in his small office, staring at the tax returns in front of him, but he couldn't concentrate on reading a single word.

The whispers and murmurs buzzed into his ears like flies, making his heart pound.

"The Wei Group..."

Upon hearing this name, Liu Mingyuan's heart skipped a beat.

He picked up the thermos on the table, wanting to drink some water to calm his nerves, but found the lid was tightly screwed on, and his palms were covered in cold sweat; he couldn't open it no matter what he did.

Damn!

He cursed inwardly and slumped down the cup.

That afternoon six months ago, the afternoon that changed the course of his life, replayed in his mind once again.

It was a very secluded coffee shop.

Sitting opposite him was Zhao Cheng of the Wei Group, the man who always had a hypocritical smile on his face.

"Brother Liu, you just need to give me this itinerary. You don't need to worry about the rest."

At that time, Zhao Cheng pressed a bank card onto a handwritten itinerary.

The itinerary shows the route that Han Xiao's family will take to their hometown to pay respects to their ancestors during the Qingming Festival.

As Han Xiao's most trusted apprentice, obtaining this was not difficult for him.

"Deputy Section Chief Han is too stubborn and inflexible. The position of deputy section chief should be held by a capable person, like you."

The coffee that day was bitter, but the numbers on that card were sweet, and the position of deputy section chief was even sweeter.

Liu Mingyuan hesitated for only a second before taking the card.

Then came that horrific car accident.

Han Xiao's family was destroyed, while Liu Mingyuan got his wish and became the deputy section chief, the one who gave orders in this office.

But now...

With such a huge incident, the entire Wei Group is being liquidated.

If the police follow the trail and find the accounts of Zhao Cheng's bribery, and discover evidence that he betrayed Han Xiao in the first place...

That's bribery, that's selling public officials' information, that's indirect murder!

Once exposed, not only will he be wearing this uniform, but he'll probably spend the rest of his life in jail.

"Liu Ke? Liu Ke?"

A shout from the side abruptly pulled Liu Mingyuan back to reality.

He shuddered, and the pen in his hand fell to the table with a "clatter".

"Huh? What's wrong?" He looked up in alarm, only to find that it was just a junior clerk delivering documents.

"Are you alright?"

"Oh...it's nothing, I was just too engrossed in this report." Liu Mingyuan forced a smile to cover up his lapse in composure. "Just leave the file there."

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his wildly beating heart.

It's okay, it's okay.

He repeatedly reassured himself.

Wei Donghai is a powerful figure; even if the Wei family suffers serious damage, he will definitely find a way to suppress the matter.

……

I finally made it to the end of the workday.

Liu Mingyuan declined several colleagues' invitations to go out for hot pot, claiming that he had an upset stomach, and hurriedly left the office building.

On the way to the parking lot, that feeling of unease grew stronger.

I always feel like there's a pair of eyes watching me from behind.

Liu Mingyuan suddenly turned around.

Behind him was a bustling crowd of people leaving get off work, all looking down at their phones or hurrying by, and no one paid any attention to him.

"Being overly sensitive... It's because I've done too many bad things that I'm scaring myself."

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, got into the car, and locked the doors.

Even sitting in the enclosed carriage, the fear of being spied on did not dissipate.

Just then, the car's Bluetooth started ringing.

"Feed?" Liu Mingyuan's voice was tense.

"Honey, are you coming home for dinner tonight? I made your favorite braised pork." His wife's voice was as gentle as ever.

"Back, right away." Liu Mingyuan gripped the steering wheel tightly. "We're already on our way."

After hanging up the phone, he realized that his palms were sweaty.

I must visit temples more often to pray to Buddha and donate some money for incense.

He secretly vowed to himself that he would turn over a new leaf and start anew.

……

Half an hour later, the vehicle entered the underground parking garage of its own residential complex.

The occupancy rate of this community is not high, and the underground parking garage appears particularly empty and deserted.

Liu Mingyuan's parking space is in a relatively secluded corner, near the ventilation room.

He parked the car, turned off the engine, and got out.

"Da, da, da..."

That was the sound of leather shoes stepping on the epoxy flooring, echoing in the empty garage.

Suddenly, Liu Mingyuan felt that feeling of being watched come back, and it was stronger than ever before!

someone!

There are definitely people there!

Liu Mingyuan suddenly stopped and looked back in alarm.

Behind me were only an empty driveway and a few thick load-bearing pillars. The dim lights stretched the shadows of the pillars, making them look like monsters lurking in the darkness.

"Who?! Who's there?!"

His voice trembled slightly, echoing through the garage.

No one answered.

The only sound was a low, whistling wind coming from the ventilation ducts.

After a long while, Liu Mingyuan finally dared to turn around and quicken his pace toward the elevator.

Just as he turned the corner and was about to walk towards the elevator.

His feet were frozen in place.

My heart felt as if it had stopped beating for a moment.

Two people stood quietly in the shadows behind the corner.

The dim light only illuminated their lower bodies, while their upper bodies remained hidden in darkness.

The one on the left is wearing a dark gray hoodie with the hood pulled down low, covering most of his face.

But Liu Mingyuan was all too familiar with that posture, that upright stance like a javelin, yet exuding a chilling aura.

That was his master, whom he had followed for three years, the man who had taught him how to audit accounts step by step.

"Han...Brother Han?"

Liu Mingyuan felt as if his throat was blocked, and the sound he made was sharp and full of fear.

The figure slowly raised its head.

A weathered face was visible beneath the brim of his hat.

But those eyes were terrifyingly bright, burning with a black flame that made Liu Mingyuan's soul tremble.