The beloved but ungrateful girl is reborn: This time she has truly changed.

Chapter 523 Xinhua

Having spent decades navigating the complexities of officialdom, reading between the lines was an instinct for Ding Weijun.

The woman's calm gaze before she left made him feel uneasy, giving him a jolt.

But in the end, he didn't just walk away.

He still doesn't know why he didn't leave.

Anyway, the result was that he stood there and waited for more than ten minutes until the police cars and disciplinary committee vehicles surrounded the entrance.

Looking back now, he realizes those ten-odd minutes were the most fatal ten-odd minutes of his life.

Every second, his political life was counting down, but he stood there, completely unaware.

But none of these things were what chilled him to the bone.

The most heartbroken person was his own daughter.

Ding Minli.

tough enough.

A phone call to the disciplinary committee gave him absolutely no time to process the situation. If she had called him first, even if she had scolded him over the phone, he could have handled the matter properly.

But she didn't hit him.

She called Lao Zhou from the Discipline Inspection Commission directly.

Clean and efficient, like handling an official business.

Ding Weijun knew that Ding Minli hated him.

That day, she brought Qi Weiwei to his house to cause trouble, and he slapped her.

That slap severed decades of father-daughter relationship.

But he didn't expect her to retaliate in this way.

A single, fatal blow, leaving no chance to breathe.

We've failed.

They've completely failed.

During the days he was taken away for investigation, he sat in the disciplinary committee's interview room, facing the white walls and fluorescent lights, and went through his entire political career from beginning to end. He knew clearly that his political career had come to an end.

Demotion is the least he could do; dismissal is also expected, and jail time is not out of the question.

He didn't want to go to jail.

He didn't want to just grow old and die quietly in some corner.

Ding Weijun is an extremely pragmatic person.

During those days in the interview room, he mentally reviewed all the cards he had up his sleeve—connections, leverage, secrets, favors owed, and the notebooks locked in the safe.

Then he began to plan how to use these cards to make a dignified exit.

He thought of someone.

Lao Fang.

Old Fang was his mortal enemy, and they had been fighting each other openly and covertly for more than a decade in the municipal party committee.

The two were in charge of different areas, and on the surface they kept to themselves, but behind the scenes they were locked in a fierce battle.

Ding Weijun possessed many of Lao Fang's possessions, and Lao Fang also possessed many of Ding Weijun's possessions. This delicate balance had been maintained for many years, with neither daring to make the first move.

Ding Weijun is now taking the initiative to request a meeting with Lao Fang.

When he sent the message out to the guard, the guard's expression was priceless.

This old man actually wants to see his mortal enemy—isn't he just asking for humiliation?

But the message was still delivered.

To everyone's surprise, Lao Fang arrived.

That afternoon, when Mr. Fang walked into the interview room, his expression betrayed his surprise.

Ding Weijun stood up and respectfully greeted him as "Old Fang".

Old Fang was stunned for a moment—this title meant that Ding Weijun placed himself in a very low position.

The opponent's approval is more effective than anything else.

From then on, he was Old Fang.

Old Fang sat down, placed a dark blue cadre's hat on the table, interlaced his fingers on his knees, and waited for Ding Weijun to speak. Ding Weijun got straight to the point.

He admitted that he had made a mistake and was willing to bear all the consequences.

But there are some things he needs to "discuss" with Mr. Fang.

He used extremely veiled language to mention several things—things he had kept hidden from Old Master Fang over the years, some of which were bad debts under Old Master Fang's control, and others were troubles that Old Master Fang himself was unable to deal with.

He spoke calmly, without any threat, as if he were catching up with an old friend.

Old Fang's expression was initially wary, gradually becoming more complex, and finally, a subtle expression appeared on his wrinkled face—a mixture of apprehension and reassurance.

What he was wary of was that Ding Weijun still had something in his possession, but what reassured him was that Ding Weijun clearly didn't intend to use those things to fight him to the death, but rather wanted to negotiate.

Then, Mr. Fang brought Ding Weijun some unexpected news.

Lü Changhe sought refuge with him.

"He brought your notebook."

When Mr. Fang said this, his tone was very calm: "He gave me everything from the safe."

Ding Weijun fell silent. The most heart-wrenching knives are often stabbed in from behind.

Lu Changhe followed him for ten years.

Over the course of ten years, he promoted him and protected him in every way, raising him from a junior staff member to the deputy director of the municipal government office.

In the end, Lü Changhe took his notebook and boasted to his arch-enemy.

He recalled Lü Changhe's respectful face, the way he bowed as he handed over documents, and the loyal expression on his face every time he called him "leader".

Ten years of confidantship and cultivation, only to have the safe emptied in the end.

He lowered his eyelids and remained silent for three seconds.

Three seconds later, he raised his head again, his face expressionless.

"Mr. Fang, consider the contents of this notebook a gift from me to you. I can take full responsibility for anything that comes up in this book."

Old Fang raised an eyebrow.

The implication was too obvious—Ding Weijun was willing to be a scapegoat, taking all the blame upon himself in exchange for Fang Lao's people landing safely.

But the condition is—"You speak."

Ding Weijun put forward his conditions.

Old Fang agreed.

What exactly did Ding Weijun offer in exchange for these conditions?

Perhaps it was the network of connections he had built up over decades in officialdom, or perhaps it was the weaknesses and secrets of Fang Lao's mortal enemies.

None of this matters anymore.

The important thing is that he can get away now.

Things progressed very quickly after that.

Ding Weijun was released that evening.

He was dismissed without hesitation and forced into retirement due to illness.

But at least he didn't go to jail.

Now, sitting in this cramped main room, looking at the young woman before him, he slowly smiled. He took something out of his pocket and placed it on the table.

Account book.

The cover is purplish-red, with the national emblem embossed in gold.

Tang Tiantian's eyes widened in surprise.

She reached out to take it, her fingers trembling slightly.

She flipped open the household registration book and quickly glanced at it—in the head of household column, there was a character "吕" printed on it.

Lü Fengxia, it's that same Lü Fengxia again, forty-one years old, widowed—

Her heart skipped a beat, and she slammed the document shut: "This thing... isn't it evidence? How could it be..."

Ding Weijun's voice interrupted her.

"Sweetie, look closely."

Tang Tiantian stared intently, then froze.

Lü Xinhua. Not "Lü Fengxia", but "Lü Xinhua".

Female, Han nationality, born in 1950, 38 years old.