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

Chapter 96: Memorable Scene! Money Hidden in the Refrigerator!

When the bankbooks found in Zhao Dehan's old apartment building were laid out before everyone, the number printed in black ink was a mere 123,000 yuan. Not only did the viewers who were eagerly waiting in the live broadcast room instantly erupt in shock, but even the main leaders of the Zhejiang Provincial Anti-Corruption Bureau, who were sitting in the conference room reviewing the script word by word, widened their eyes in unison, their faces filled with disbelief and astonishment.

"Only a little over 120,000?"

"Then this passbook does indeed look fine." Director Wang of the Zhejiang Provincial Anti-Corruption Bureau tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his brow furrowing slightly. "Could it be that the anti-corruption bureau in the script really made a mistake?"

"Or did they not conduct any detailed preliminary investigation at all, and rashly barged into Zhao Dehan's house with a search warrant?" "This is simply absurd!" Director Wang's face instantly darkened slightly, and his originally relaxed lips became a serious straight line.

The reason is actually quite simple. The Zhejiang Provincial Anti-Corruption Bureau proactively approached Xiangyu Pictures to commission this large-scale anti-corruption drama, with the initial intention of using the power of film and television to provide a profound warning and educational effect on Party members and cadres. At the same time, it also aimed to take this opportunity to positively promote the Anti-Corruption Bureau's rigorous, meticulous, and impartial law enforcement work style and positive image to the public.

If Chen Yu's script had such a huge blunder at the very beginning, with the anti-corruption bureau representing justice making such a mistake, then no matter how dramatic or wonderful the subsequent plot was, I would never have approved it.

This is not promoting anti-corruption work at all; it's clearly a deliberate attempt to tarnish the image of the anti-corruption bureau in the eyes of the people!

As the atmosphere in the meeting room grew increasingly tense, and the leaders began whispering amongst themselves about whether to have Chen Yu revise this part of the script, Zhao Dehan, who had been searched for most of the day, straightened his back and delivered a long, righteous speech, spouting high-sounding platitudes about the importance of serving the people. Hou Liangping stood to the side, arms crossed, offering only a meaningful, cold smile.

After searching Zhao Dehan's home for over two hours without finding anything, he calmly pulled a second search warrant from his briefcase, stamped with a bright red seal. The warrant clearly indicated the search location as Zhao Dehan's office in the national ministry building. The moment this warrant was produced, viewers who had just been criticizing the anti-corruption bureau for its recklessness and wrongful accusations instantly abandoned their opinions. The reason was simple: if the anti-corruption bureau had acted on a whim or without thorough investigation, how could they possibly have prepared two search warrants for different locations beforehand?

Moreover, the approval level for this second search warrant is much higher than that for the first search warrant for a private residence.

After all, Zhao Dehan was a powerful department head with significant authority over project approvals. His office contained a large number of documents and materials involving state secrets and commercial secrets. Searching such a place would inevitably involve going through various sensitive files. Obtaining this search warrant was not something that could be done on a whim; it must have been the result of months of meticulous planning and investigation.

On the way to the ministry building office with Zhao Dehan, Hou Liangping inadvertently revealed his astonishing knowledge of Zhao Dehan's family's life. He not only accurately stated that Zhao Dehan's son went to an Olympiad math tutoring class every Wednesday afternoon at 4:30 and to a piano lesson every Saturday morning at 9:00, but also knew even the smallest details, such as that Zhao Dehan's wife was usually responsible for picking up and dropping off the child, while Zhao Dehan personally picked up the child only on Friday afternoons, and that the child's favorite food was the candied hawthorn from the old-fashioned shop near the school.

This clearly reveals an undeniable fact to everyone: the Anti-Corruption Bureau had been monitoring Zhao Dehan for some time and had been secretly investigating him for quite some period. This strongly proves that this operation was not a misjudgment or a case of targeting the wrong person; Zhao Dehan is definitely involved!

Suddenly, the expressions on the faces of the audience, who had just been so certain that Zhao Dehan was an incorruptible and people-oriented official, became incredibly varied. "Damn it, we've been tricked by that old fox Chen Yu again." "I knew it! How could Chen Yu's script contain such a brainless official agency?" "Since they dared to come knocking so openly and even applied for a proper search warrant beforehand, they must have been absolutely certain. Otherwise, wouldn't they be shooting themselves in the foot and getting talked about behind their backs?"

"But then again, being targeted and investigated by the Anti-Corruption Bureau like this is really scary. They can find out everything about your life without you even knowing it, even what time your children go to which tutoring classes. Just thinking about it makes me shudder."

"Terrible? If you ask me, the more terrifying the better! I wish the anti-corruption bureau's police dogs were some kind of alien species with ten times the sense of smell, able to smell money through walls! Isn't what those corrupt officials embezzle all the hard-earned money of ordinary people like us?"

"If you think the anti-corruption bureau's investigation is scary, you probably don't have a clean record yourself. Upstairs, you should honestly confess how much you've embezzled!" In the conference room, Director Wang of the Zhejiang Provincial Anti-Corruption Bureau, whose brows had been tightly furrowed, finally relaxed. He looked at the scrolling comments on the projection screen, his expression becoming increasingly satisfied, and he even nodded unconsciously.

Chen Yu's ingenious twist not only cleverly resolved the potential image crisis of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, but also vividly demonstrated the meticulousness and thoroughness of the Anti-Corruption Bureau's investigators. This was a significant deterrent to those corrupt officials who harbored illusions, enough to make them feel cold in the dead of night and wonder if they too had been secretly watched by the Anti-Corruption Bureau.

With this invisible layer of scruples, some officials with weak will might have deep concerns when they are about to take the first step in corruption, thus pulling back in time and avoiding going down the road of no return to illegal and criminal activities!

What particularly pleased Director Wang was that the deterrent effect and educational significance of Chen Yu's script were not achieved through offensive empty preaching and bureaucratic writing, but rather were integrated into the dramatic plot, subtly influencing the audience.

The subtle and pervasive warning effect of this approach is undoubtedly far superior to the rigid propaganda that immediately launches into grand pronouncements on values ​​and party principles! While thoroughly satisfied with this part of the script, this veteran leader, with over twenty years of experience in anti-corruption investigations, was also inevitably captivated by the compelling plot and couldn't help but wonder just how much ill-gotten wealth Zhao Dehan had embezzled, and where he had hidden his ill-gotten gains.

"Could it be hidden in a tea canister in the office, or in the crack of a flowerpot?" Director Wang wondered to himself, drawing on his years of experience in handling cases. If that were the case, then Chen Yu's script was quite realistic and creative. However, Director Wang immediately shook his head, a hint of barely perceptible self-satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

Hiding passbooks in tea canisters and burying cash under flowerpots—these were all ingenious ideas he had discovered from countless cunning corrupt officials during his decades of handling cases. He didn't believe that Chen Yu, a young screenwriter who had never participated in the actual work of the anti-corruption bureau, could have such realistic imagination.

However, the conversation between Hou Liangping and Zhao Dehan in the office that followed in the script sent chills down the spines of everyone who read it. Hou Liangping casually remarked that even a high-ranking official from out of town had to stand patiently outside Zhao Dehan's office for over an hour just to see him. A deputy mayor of a provincial capital city, seeking approval for a project, visited Zhao Dehan's office several times, waiting for over two hours in total, but ultimately failed to get an audience. This lowly section chief certainly wielded considerable power.

Hou Liangping also told Zhao Dehan meaningfully that his predecessor, the section chief, was taken away for investigation by the anti-corruption bureau right here in this office. That section chief was ruthless and greedy, charging between 500,000 and 1.5 million yuan for a single project. He only served for less than five years, and by the time he was taken away, the amount of embezzlement confirmed to have reached over 80 million yuan!

It was in this very office that the anti-corruption bureau officers found a bank card used to distribute so-called "holiday bonuses" hidden in an inconspicuous pen holder. The card contained a staggering 6.8 million yuan!

Now, the anti-corruption bureau investigators have already found numerous bank cards in Zhao Dehan's office. To facilitate their investigation, they even brought a portable card reader with them. Hearing this, all the viewers assumed that Zhao Dehan was likely to follow in his predecessor's footsteps and was doomed this time.

Unexpectedly, after hearing these words, Zhao Dehan showed a barely perceptible smug smile on his face.

"My predecessor stumbled right here. How can I repeat that mistake and capsize in such a small ditch?" Then, one card reader after another read the balances of all the bank cards found in Zhao Dehan's office, totaling only a little over 30,000 yuan. Besides that, even after the investigators ordered Zhao Dehan to open all the metal filing cabinets containing confidential documents and meticulously searched every corner, they found nothing. In the end, they only found a half-empty bottle of liquor worth a few hundred yuan. According to Zhao Dehan himself, he liked to secretly drink some alone in his office after get off work to relax.

The atmosphere in the office suddenly became more awkward than ever before. Zhao Dehan's smile grew even brighter, filled with undisguised arrogance and pride, as he once again launched into a tirade about party spirit, principles, and integrity.

Upon seeing this, the viewers in the live stream were almost 100% certain that Zhao Dehan definitely had a problem, and a very serious one at that.

His seemingly candid line was actually a blatant double entendre. On the surface, he was saying he would seriously learn from his predecessor's mistakes and uphold his principles, refusing to embezzle. But the real subtext was that he had already learned from his predecessor's mistakes and wouldn't be as foolish as him to leave evidence of corruption in such an easily accessible place! In the conference room, Director Wang of the Zhejiang Provincial Anti-Corruption Bureau's brows furrowed like a drawn sword, an uncontrollable rage burning within him. "Cunning!"

"This is outrageous!" "Such audacious and cunning corrupt official must be brought to justice as soon as possible!" But after the initial anger subsided, he tried to put himself in the officer's shoes and couldn't help but feel a bit helpless for the anti-corruption bureau investigators in the script. They had already thoroughly searched the home and office, the two most likely places to hide the stolen money and goods, but found nothing. This was going to be difficult.

If concrete evidence of Zhao Dehan's embezzlement cannot be found soon, not only will they be unable to convict him, but he might also turn around and accuse the anti-corruption bureau of framing him. Zhao Dehan had obviously considered this as well, and a confident expression appeared on his face. He even began to tidy up his desk, preparing to go home after get off work.

But at that moment, Hou Liangping calmly pulled out a third search warrant from his briefcase. The search location indicated on this warrant was a detached mansion in a heavily guarded luxury villa area on the eastern outskirts of the city.

Upon seeing the address on the search warrant, Zhao Dehan, who had been smug just moments before, instantly froze, his expression changing drastically. His once rosy complexion turned deathly pale. As the anti-corruption officers drove him to the luxury villa in the eastern suburbs, Zhao Dehan incoherently argued that he had always lived in his small, 60-square-meter old house and could never possibly be connected to such a multi-million dollar luxury villa.

But when the car slowly stopped outside the grand mansion, and Hou Liangping pulled out a printed surveillance photo from his pocket, Zhao Dehan's legs went weak instantly, as weak as the noodles in the bowl of noodles with soybean paste he had eaten at home earlier. He slumped in his seat and couldn't get out of the car on his own. In the end, he had to be supported by two anti-corruption bureau staff members on either side to barely get out of the car!

The photo clearly showed Zhao Dehan, dressed in an ordinary jacket, riding his old electric scooter, which he had ridden for several years, and using a key to unlock the gate of this mansion! Upon seeing this, all the viewers in the live broadcast room, including the leaders of the Zhejiang Provincial Anti-Corruption Bureau in the conference room, felt a jolt and couldn't help but shout in unison, "Bravo!"

"Hahaha, no matter how many burrows you have, you corrupt official, you've still been caught red-handed by our anti-corruption officers."

'

"Wow, the Anti-Corruption Bureau's investigation is really amazing. No wonder Hou Liangping was so confident from the beginning. It turns out he already knew everything about Zhao Dehan, even that he secretly bought a mansion here. He just hadn't found a suitable opportunity to apply for a search warrant and couldn't go in to search."

"Look at how scared Zhao Dehan is, we've got him! We've got him now, he definitely can't escape!" Then, as Zhao Dehan was being carried into the mansion by two staff members, he still stubbornly insisted that he had no idea such a place existed and that he had only been photographed by chance while riding his electric scooter past it.

Even though Hou Liangping presented him with the property certificate information for the house that he had obtained from the real estate bureau, which clearly showed Zhao Dehan's name, Zhao Dehan still insisted that someone had deliberately framed him and that someone had maliciously transferred the house to his name, and that he was completely unaware of it.

Viewers, watching Zhao Dehan, the corrupt official, stubbornly denying his crimes despite overwhelming evidence, were filled with righteous indignation, their eyes blazing with hatred. The live chat was flooded with insults condemning his shamelessness. But all the discussion and condemnation abruptly ceased when anti-corruption officials reached into the mansion and opened the enormous double-door refrigerator. Inside, neatly packed, were bundles upon bundles of banknotes bound with banknote slips!

When the refrigerator door was fully opened, the stack of banknotes, piled too high and too full, tumbled out and scattered all over the floor! This shocking scene of "money hidden in the refrigerator" left all the viewers in the live stream wide-eyed, mouths agape, speechless for a long time. Even the well-informed Director Wang of the Zhejiang Provincial Anti-Corruption Bureau was stunned. "Holy crap!"

"Money hidden in the refrigerator?!"

"A multi-million dollar mansion, and the refrigerator isn't stuffed with delicacies or expensive ingredients, but rather overflowing with cash?!" Just imagining this scene sent chills down the spines of viewers. How much money would it take to fill a double-door refrigerator to the brim? This figure far exceeds the comprehension of most ordinary people! At this moment, many viewers even felt a bizarre yet real longing stirring within them.

"Damn, I used to think it was so cool when gangsters stuffed money into suitcases during deals in movies, but now it seems so lame!"

"How much money could you possibly put in that little suitcase? Maybe a few million at most. Compared to the money in this refrigerator, it's like night and day."

"I've decided, if I ever have the means, I'm going to stuff my double-door refrigerator full of money!" Director Wang of the Zhejiang Provincial Anti-Corruption Bureau couldn't help but exclaim in genuine amazement.

"Hidden money in the refrigerator, awesome, really awesome! How did this young man Chen Yu come up with this?!" "This script is interesting, so interesting! I'm getting more and more excited for the rest of the story." At this moment, the live stream had temporarily put aside all the previous doubts and criticisms of Chen Yu, and the barrage was full of amazement and discussion about this famous scene of hiding money in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, in the office of Xiangyu Pictures, Chen Yu, sitting in front of his computer watching the live stream chat, had a sly smile on his lips. The scene of hiding money in the refrigerator had already surprised the audience this much? What if they saw the even more shocking scene that followed? Wouldn't that completely blow up the entire live stream?!

The next moment, Chen Yu's fingers flew across the keyboard, the clattering sound of the keys being exceptionally clear in the quiet office. Another breathtaking scene that made all the viewers hold their breath suddenly unfolded slowly on the screen!