Me! A high-ranking official!

Out of the corner of his eye, Zhao Jianguo glanced at the deputy secretary of the discipline inspection commission who wielded considerable influence in the county, the powerful woman who had the final say at home, and the mother-in-law who had treated him like a fool for two years, now groveling before him.

"Let's sit down and talk things over. We're all family..." Cao Wenting's voice grew softer and softer, carrying an unprecedented pleading tone: "I'll agree to whatever you ask for. The house, the car, the money—just don't open the door. We can discuss anything..."

He looked down at Cao Wenting and sneered.

Now you know you regret it? What were you doing just now? Weren't you going to let him die in there? Weren't you going to make him leave with nothing? Weren't you going to use the power of the disciplinary committee to investigate him? Now you know to beg for mercy?

late!

He turned around and strode towards the door.

"Zhao Jianguo!" Cao Wenting's voice suddenly rose, carrying an almost desperate scream: "You can't do this! I'm your mother-in-law! I raised you for two years! You ate my food and lived in my house, and now you repay kindness with enmity, are you even human?!"

Zhao Jianguo paused, turned around, stared at Cao Wenting, and said, word by word:

"Cao Wenting, you've got it backwards. It's not that I'm eating your food and living in your house; it's that you've used me as a shield for two years. You've supported me? What have you supported me for? The house is in your name, the car is in your daughter's name, I hand over my salary, do all the housework, and my monthly expenses are less than 500 yuan. I want to ask, who's supporting whom here?"

Cao Wenting was speechless, her face turning ashen. She opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Zhao Jianguo ignored her, walked to the door, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

There were four people standing outside the door.

The leader was a middle-aged man in his forties, of medium build, with a square face, dark skin, wearing black-rimmed glasses and a dark blue jacket. He looked clean and neat, and exuded an air of authority.

Liu Guobin!

Director of the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Office of the County Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Zhao Jianguo worked in the government office for five years and had dealt with many people from the discipline inspection commission. He knew Liu Guobin and had even held several coordination meetings with him. He knew Liu Guobin well; he was highly capable, experienced in handling cases, and was a well-known iron-fisted judge in the county discipline inspection commission. No cadre who had been investigated by him had ever escaped unscathed.

Standing behind Liu Guobin were three young people, two men and one woman, all of whom were staff members of the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Office.

Four people stood at the door, their gazes passing over Zhao Jianguo and landing on the three people inside the house.

Liu Guobin frowned, and the other staff members were also shocked. Cao Wenting was their deputy secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, their big boss, but now she was in such a sorry state. The three of them were in a worse state than the other.

Liu Guobin withdrew his gaze and looked at Zhao Jianguo, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

"Zhao Jianguo?" Liu Guobin's voice was somewhat uncertain: "What...what happened?"

Zhao Jianguo stepped aside to make way for the doorway, gestured for them to come in, and said in a deep voice, "Director Liu, this isn't the place to talk. Let's come inside."

Liu Guobin nodded and led three staff members into the room.

The atmosphere in the room immediately became subtle as soon as the four people entered.

When Cao Wenting saw Liu Guobin, her expression was incredibly interesting. First, she panicked, then became angry, and then struggled to her feet. She tidied her disheveled hair, straightened her wrinkled business suit, and tried to make herself look presentable, but the slap mark on her face and the ripped buttons made her look extremely disheveled.

"Comrade Guobin." Cao Wenting's voice was a little hoarse, but she still tried her best to maintain the demeanor of a deputy secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission: "What brings you here?"

Liu Guobin glanced at her but didn't answer. Instead, he turned to Zhao Jianguo and said, "Comrade Zhao Jianguo, you just made a real-name report on the phone accusing Comrade Cao Wenting of embezzlement and bribery. We're here to verify the situation."

Cao Wenting's face stiffened, and she glared at Zhao Jianguo with an embarrassed expression.

Zhao Jianguo nodded and pointed towards the second bedroom: "Director Liu, the evidence is all over there. There's a hidden room behind the wardrobe in the second bedroom, filled with all the stolen goods Cao Wenting received: gold bricks, US dollars, property deeds, jade bracelets. I've already taken pictures of them; you can see for yourselves."

"Zhao Jianguo! You're slandering me!" Cao Wenting cried out in a panic, still trying to struggle: "He's talking nonsense! He's trying to get revenge on me! Because he has AIDS, I made my daughter divorce him, and he's holding a grudge and deliberately framing me! Director Liu, don't listen to his side of the story!"

Liu Guobin glanced at Cao Wenting, his eyes flat and devoid of any emotion, and simply said, "Deputy Secretary Cao, please calm down first."

After he finished speaking, he winked at the three staff members behind him.

The three men immediately sprang into action. Two went to the second bedroom, while the third stayed in the living room, took out a body camera from his briefcase, turned it on, and aimed it at the scene.

Liu Guobin turned to Zhao Jianguo, his tone businesslike: "Comrade Zhao Jianguo, please recount the events in detail."

Zhao Jianguo took a deep breath and began to speak from the beginning.

From the moment he woke up in the hotel this morning, to being told at work that he had AIDS and was suspended, to discovering that Xu Qingqing was having an affair when he got home, to Cao Wenting telling him to leave with nothing, to him running over to find evidence, to Cao Wenting bringing people to break down the door to destroy the evidence, to him being forced to fight back.

He told the whole story in detail, without hiding a single word.

After hearing this, Liu Guobin frowned even more deeply.

He looked at Cao Wenting, then at Xu Qingqing and Qi Xiongwen, and asked in a deep voice, "Deputy Secretary Cao, is what Comrade Zhao Jianguo said true?"

Cao Wenting's face turned pale and then red, her lips trembled, and she couldn't speak for a long time.

Just then, a staff member's voice came from the second bedroom: "Director Liu, we found it!"

Liu Guobin strode into the second bedroom, Zhao Jianguo followed him in, and Cao Wenting also wanted to follow, but was stopped by the staff member who remained in the living room.

In the second bedroom, the wardrobe had been moved, and the door to the dark room was open.

Two staff members stood in front of the long table, looking at the gold bars, US dollars, property deeds, and jade bracelets on it, their faces filled with shock and disbelief.

Liu Guobin walked over, picked up a gold brick, glanced at the inscription on the bottom, then picked up a property certificate, looked at it, and put it down. His face was grim. He turned around, looked at Cao Wenting standing in the doorway, and said in an icy voice, "Deputy Secretary Cao, how do you explain these things?"

Cao Wenting leaned against the door frame, her face pale, unable to utter a single word.

Liu Guobin stopped looking at her and instructed the staff, "Register everyone, take photos as evidence, and don't miss a single one."

After saying that, he left the second bedroom and went to the living room. He glanced at Xu Qingqing and Qi Xiongwen, then looked at Zhao Jianguo: "Comrade Zhao Jianguo, what happened that they broke down the door to destroy evidence and even attacked you?"

Zhao Jianguo pointed to the security door hanging crookedly on the doorframe: "Director Liu, look at that door. Those three men forced it open while I was collecting evidence in the dark room, trying to rush in and steal the evidence. If I hadn't fought back, I'd be lying on the ground right now."

Liu Guobin glanced at the door.

The solid wood security door had its hinges knocked off, the door panel was leaning against the frame, and a large amount of plaster on the door frame was shaken off, leaving debris all over the ground. It was indeed forcibly broken open and damaged!

Liu Guobin withdrew his gaze, looked at Cao Wenting, his face deep and cold, and slowly said, "Deputy Secretary Cao, please come with us."

Cao Wenting trembled. How long ago was it that he was the one saying these words to others, but now someone else was saying them to him? He understood all too well the meaning behind those words: once someone entered the disciplinary inspection department, no one ever came out innocent. She abruptly raised her head, her voice trembling:

"Liu Guobin! What do you mean? You want to take me away? Get this straight, I'm the deputy secretary of the county discipline inspection commission! What right do you, a mere director of the discipline inspection and supervision office, have to take me away!"

Liu Guobin looked at her, his voice calm, but every word carried an undeniable authority: "Deputy Secretary Cao, I received a report filed under my real name and have come to verify the situation according to organizational procedures. Now the evidence is conclusive, please cooperate with the organization's investigation."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Furthermore, according to Comrade Zhao Jianguo's statement, you also engaged in acts of violence against the whistleblower and attempted to destroy evidence; these will also be investigated."

Cao Wenting's face turned even paler, and she still wanted to argue.

Liu Guobin stopped looking at her and turned to his staff, instructing, "Take all three of them back and question them separately."

"Yes!"

The three staff members immediately sprang into action.

A man walked up to Cao Wenting and gestured for her to proceed: "Deputy Secretary Cao, please."

Cao Wenting stood still, her eyes fixed on Zhao Jianguo, filled with resentment and hatred.

Zhao Jianguo met her gaze without flinching, a cold smile playing on his lips.

Cao Wenting finally lowered her head and followed the staff out the door.