You were asked to write a political intrigue drama, but you wrote "Da Ming 1566".

Chapter 95 Zhao Dehan, Incorruptible and Honest! The Anti-Corruption Bureau must have made a mistake.

With a clear understanding in mind, my fingertips landed on the keyboard.

[The first act of "In the Name of the People" officially begins!] Immediately afterward, as thousands of eyes in the live stream focused on the center of the screen, lines of warm text slowly appeared, first revealing a meticulously detailed scene. This was an ordinary government-subsidized apartment, approximately seventy square meters in size. The walls were mottled and yellowed, bearing the relentless marks of time. The furniture inside was clearly old items acquired by the previous generation during their weddings, so outdated it was almost unbearable to look at. The edges of the dark blue fabric sofa were worn white and frayed, revealing the yellowed, lumpy sponge inside. Several pairs of worn-out plastic slippers lay carelessly on the cement floor of the entryway, their uppers cracked and deformed, their soles worn thin as cicada wings—even if thrown next to a roadside trash can, probably no one would bother to pick them up.

The toilet tank in the bathroom wasn't turned off properly, and every two or three seconds a clear "drip" sounded, particularly distinct in the quiet house, like the footsteps of time passing by. The kitchen faucet was also loose, with glistening water droplets dripping down, but it didn't look like an accidental leak; it seemed more like someone was doing it intentionally to save a few cents on the water bill.

The evidence was laid bare before them: beneath the faucet sat a white enamel basin, chipped in several places, half-full of clear tap water. These seemingly insignificant details of daily life combined to create a striking sense of realism, as if every viewer in front of the screen had personally pushed open that old security door and stepped into this old house brimming with the warmth of everyday life.

This seems to bear a striking resemblance to the old houses most people lived in during their childhood, deep in their memories.

Those ingrained life imprints are vividly depicted, as if they could be touched, and even the air is filled with the unique dampness and woody smell of the old house.

This short opening description alone was enough to cause many professional viewers in the live broadcast room who work in screenwriting and novel writing to show a look of shock.

This is extraordinary, absolutely extraordinary.

While ordinary viewers might not grasp the technical details, they were unknowingly drawn in by the rich atmosphere of everyday life and the strong sense of immersion. A significant question arose in their minds: Chen Yu had confidently declared that he was writing a script about anti-corruption in officialdom. Why didn't he start by depicting the solemn and imposing anti-corruption bureau office, nor the thrilling arrest operation, but instead showed them this dilapidated old house? Could the official living in this old house be the protagonist of the drama, the core force of the anti-corruption bureau responsible for apprehending corrupt officials? This thought did make sense; after all, an official living such an old house and leading such a simple life in a place like Beijing, where land is incredibly expensive, must be an upright and honest official—after all, one must be strong oneself to forge iron!

Just as viewers were making this judgment in their minds, and even imagining how this honest official would outwit and outmaneuver corrupt officials, new text appeared on the screen. The owner of the house was named Zhao Dehan, and he was sitting at the peeling solid wood dining table, leisurely eating his dinner. His dinner couldn't be simpler: a bowl of steaming noodles with soybean paste, a spoonful of dark soybean paste on top of the noodles, and two cloves of freshly peeled garlic on the side. Zhao Dehan picked up a large mouthful of noodles, stuffed it into his mouth with a clove of garlic, and chewed it heartily, as if this ordinary bowl of noodles was the most delicious delicacy in the world. Seeing this, the viewers in the live broadcast room became even more convinced of their belief: Zhao Dehan was definitely the male lead of this anti-corruption drama. Eating noodles with garlic, such a down-to-earth way of eating—how could he be a bad person? He's clearly a good cadre who came from humble beginnings and worked his way up step by step!

But the next moment, a rapid and cold knocking sound suddenly broke the warm tranquility of the house and interrupted Zhao Dehan's dinner.

As Zhao Dehan wiped his mouth in confusion and slowly opened the door, a group of people in plainclothes, exuding a serious and cold aura, rushed in. Their first words made the hearts of all the spectators sink: "Zhao Dehan, right?"

"We are from the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Supreme People's Procuratorate. Please cooperate with our investigation." These words struck like a thunderbolt, instantly stunning all the viewers in the live broadcast room. "The Anti-Corruption Bureau?"

"Huh? What's going on? Isn't Zhao Dehan from the Anti-Corruption Bureau?" "Is he the one who's supposed to be investigated and prosecuted for corruption?" "No, this must be a mistake!"

"Living in such a dilapidated house, eating noodles with garlic, and you're telling me this is a corrupt official?" "This corrupt official's life is absolutely miserable! Worse than mine!"

It must be said that the opening scene of "In the Name of the People" was truly groundbreaking and incredibly impactful. How could Zhao Dehan, a lowly section chief living in an old, dilapidated housing reform unit, eating only noodles with garlic and soybean paste for dinner, and exuding the air of an ordinary citizen, possibly be a corrupt official?

This is a world apart from the stereotypical image of corrupt officials who live lavishly, spend money like water, and drive luxury cars—it's completely unrecognizable! And this is precisely what makes "In the Name of the People" so different from all other formulaic anti-corruption dramas, and it's also what makes it so captivating. In my previous life, this was why the show immediately grabbed everyone's attention and sparked their intense curiosity, making them want to find out more. This life is no exception.

When the anti-corruption bureau staff filed into Zhao Dehan's home and officially announced the start of an investigation, the viewers in the live stream had already forgotten everything that had happened before. They were completely immersed in the carefully crafted suspense, and the screen was instantly flooded with comments and discussions. "No, there must be some mistake, right?"

"How could Zhao Dehan be a corrupt official?" "Have any of you ever seen a corrupt official living such a miserable life?"

"Let alone corrupt officials, even ordinary middle-class families live much better lives than Zhao Dehan, right? Our family eats better than him. Does that mean our family lives a more comfortable life than corrupt officials?" "That can't be right. Could the Anti-Corruption Bureau have really made a mistake and misunderstood a good comrade who is honest and upright?" Not only were the viewers discussing this, but even the main leader of the Zhejiang Provincial Anti-Corruption Bureau, who was silently watching the live broadcast, couldn't help but let out a soft exclamation, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes.

It must be said that the opening of this script is indeed ingenious and quite interesting, even for someone as battle-hardened as him...

Even the seasoned anti-corruption veteran, who had weathered countless storms, couldn't help but quickly ponder in his mind: Was Zhao Dehan a deeply entrenched corrupt official, or an honest official framed?

According to the actual case-handling procedures, since the Anti-Corruption Bureau has personally come to arrest people, it must have solid evidence. In theory, there should be no wrongful convictions.

But what he was seeing now made him deeply suspicious.

Soon, the leader realized that he had been deeply attracted by the suspense of the script without even realizing it, and had completely immersed himself in the plot. His expression became increasingly serious.

Qin Lan had previously strongly recommended this script to him, saying its quality was on par with any work on the list of top-rated dramas. At the time, he was somewhat skeptical, thinking Qin Lan was exaggerating a bit. After all, what profound anti-corruption drama about officialdom could a young online writer write? But now, after only reading the opening scene, he had to admit that this script did indeed have its unique aspects and was by no means an ordinary work. "Chen Yu..." The leader pondered for a moment, his fingers lightly tapping the table, revealing a look of keen interest, firmly memorizing the name. "Let me see how you write it next, what secrets this Zhao Dehan is hiding." At this moment, the first direct confrontation between Zhao Dehan and Hou Liangping in the script officially began. After all the members of the Anti-Corruption Bureau entered the house, a hint of surprise and astonishment flashed across Zhao Dehan's face at first, but only a few seconds later, he quickly regained his composure, revealing a calm and confident expression.

He even calmly sat back down at the dining table and continued eating his half-finished bowl of fried noodles with garlic cloves, while looking at Hou Liangping and the other staff members standing in the living room with an innocent look that said, "You must have made a mistake."

[Search? No, what's there to search in my house?] [No, you can't bully an ordinary citizen like me, can you?] Hou Liangping looked at his innocent appearance and a cold, mocking smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"We wouldn't dare bully ordinary people like us. Our Anti-Corruption Bureau specializes in catching corrupt officials." Zhao Dehan continued to look completely innocent, appearing like an honest man who had suffered a great injustice.

"Oh dear, you're arresting corrupt officials, how come you've come to arrest me?"

"What corrupt official could possibly live in a place like this? This is an old building, there's not even an elevator, I have to climb half a mile to get up and down every day." "If a corrupt official lived in a place like this, frankly, the common people would be celebrating with firecrackers." Hou Liangping chuckled noncommittally. "You're quite poor, aren't you?"

"You're just going to make do with this bowl of noodles with soybean paste for dinner?" Zhao Dehan put down his chopsticks and said casually.

"Isn't this how ordinary Chinese people live their lives? I think it's quite good, simple and honest." Hou Liangping's tone carried a subtle, almost imperceptible, sarcasm.

"You're not just an ordinary citizen, you're a section chief, and a section chief with real power at that." Zhao Dehan said with a wry smile as he picked up another mouthful of noodles.

"What's a section chief? In Beijing, one brick could knock down a whole bunch of section chiefs. One more or less makes no difference." The ensuing conversation was practically Zhao Dehan giving Hou Liangping a vivid Party lesson. Hou Liangping said that Zhao Dehan, this section chief, was no ordinary person; he held immense power over project approvals nationwide, and countless people would do anything to get him to do favors—he wouldn't trade him for a ministerial position. Zhao Dehan immediately and righteously lectured him, saying that power, big or small, is all about serving the people; with greater power comes greater responsibility, and Hou Liangping's ideological awareness really needed improvement.

This back-and-forth exchange left the viewers in the live stream completely dumbfounded. "Wait, now I seriously doubt if the Anti-Corruption Bureau really came to the wrong place?"

"I feel that every word Zhao Dehan says is impeccable, and every sentence reflects his high level of moral awareness." "You see, a section chief who wants to make money may not be able to make a lot, but he can certainly avoid living in this kind of old house and live a very good standard of living."

"Zhao Dehan lives right here, yet he can still utter such righteous words. Isn't it reasonable for him to teach Hou Liangping a lesson? He's so upright; how could he be a corrupt official?"

However, some viewers who had previously read Chen Yu's "Da Ming Dynasty 1566" suddenly sensed a strangely familiar sense of danger. How could this be so similar to the beginning of "Da Ming Dynasty"? At the beginning, they were also full of confidence.

They showered him with praise, calling him a patriotic and incorruptible minister. Then the plot twisted, and he was thoroughly humiliated. Could it be the same old story again? This thought jolted them awake.

"No, no, no, don't be so arbitrary. Wasn't the lesson of the Ming Dynasty painful enough?" "To see if a person is a good person, you can't just look at what they say. Sometimes, the more they say something, the more they lack it. You have to look at what they actually do."

"Who knows, there might be several boxes of cash and gold bars hidden in the walls and under the floorboards of Zhao Dehan's house!" "No, we can't be fooled by Chen Yu. His scripts are incredibly misleading! I was terribly fooled last time!" After this reminder, many viewers in the live stream seemed to wake up from their daze, putting aside their sympathy and deciding to wait and see. Once bitten, twice shy; let's see what the Anti-Corruption Bureau finds in their search before making any conclusions. Soon after, following another meaningful exchange between Zhao Dehan and Hou Liangping, an Anti-Corruption Bureau staff member emerged from the study, carrying something, and reported to Hou Liangping.

[Director Hou, the passbook was found in a copy of "Das Kapital" in the bookshelf.] Upon hearing this, the viewers in the live stream all breathed a sigh of relief, as if they had expected this scene.

"See? It's a good thing we didn't jump to conclusions, otherwise we would have definitely been fooled by that scoundrel Chen Yu." "He really likes to play these kinds of tricks. The more righteous and noble he is on the surface, the more lawless things he does in private."

"If you had believed Zhao Dehan was an honest official just now, wouldn't you be slapped in the face now?" This leader from the Zhejiang Provincial Anti-Corruption Bureau couldn't help but smile knowingly as he watched the rapidly scrolling comments in the live stream.

"That's interesting..."

"So, the next step is to take Zhao Dehan back for investigation, right?" "I just wonder how much money Zhao Dehan embezzled from his bank account that would make the Anti-Corruption Bureau come all the way here. It must be at least several hundred million."

Just as all the viewers and the leaders of the Zhejiang Provincial Anti-Corruption Bureau were thinking the same thing, the bankbook figure announced next by the anti-corruption bureau staff in the script left them all stunned once again. 【The bankbook shows a total of 125,630 yuan.】 The next moment, the entire live stream screen was instantly filled with a dense array of question marks, making the text on the screen almost illegible. "???"

"Not Euros, not dollars, is it Chinese currency?" "No, for a department head who's been in office for so many years, this is practically penniless, isn't it?" "Our village chief probably has tens of millions in his account!"

"Zhao Dehan has been a section chief for so many years, and according to Hou Liangping, his position has considerable power. Yet he only has so little savings. What else could he be but an incorruptible official?" "There's a mistake, there must be a mistake. It must be like Zhao Dehan said, someone is framing him, trying to tarnish his reputation." "He's a truly incorruptible comrade!" "The Anti-Corruption Bureau can't wrong a good comrade!"