Me! A high-ranking official!

He hung up the phone, glanced at the time: 8:40.

I got out of bed, went to the bathroom to wash up quickly, and looked better in the mirror than yesterday. My eyes weren't as swollen, but my stubble had grown longer, making me look a bit unkempt. I shaved my face, washed it, and changed into a clean T-shirt.

After leaving the residential area, I bought a jianbing guozi (Chinese crepe) at my usual spot near the entrance and ate it while walking along the road towards Xihai Square.

Xihai Square is located in the western part of the county town center. It is a public square built a few years ago during the old town renovation. It is not big, and there is an abstract sculpture in the middle. No one can understand what it is, but the old ladies like to dance there.

As he walked, he thought to himself, "Sun Jianjun, I've never heard of that name before, but the fact that he knew about Cao Wenting's trouble so quickly and was able to find his phone number means that he has some connections and influence in the county. Cao Wenting has been the deputy secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission for so many years and has dealt with many people from all walks of life. It's not surprising that someone wants to bail her out. The question is, who sent him?"

No matter who it is, there's no way they'll let Cao Wenting go.

At 9:50, he arrived at Xihai Square.

There weren't many people in the square. A few elderly people with children were enjoying the shade under the trees. The area under the sculpture was empty. He took out his phone and dialed that number.

"I have arrived."

"I see you."

Zhao Jianguo looked up and saw a man walking over from the parking lot on the east side of the square.

He was in his early forties, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and a medium build. He wore a dark gray jacket and walked with a straight back and a steady gait, clearly someone who had worked in the system.

The man walked up to him and extended his hand.

"Mr. Zhao, Sun Jianjun."

He reached out and shook hands with him.

"Shall we walk a bit further ahead?" Sun Jianjun pointed to the grove of trees on the north side of the square. "There are fewer people there, and it'll be easier to talk."

Zhao Jianguo nodded, and the two walked north side by side.

The May sun was already scorching, making people's scalps tingle. The two crossed the square and entered the grove of trees. When they could no longer see anyone else around, Sun Jianjun stopped.

"Mr. Zhao, I won't beat around the bush. I've invited you out today to talk to you about Deputy Secretary Cao."

Zhao Jianguo remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"The matter of Deputy Secretary Cao is still under investigation by the Discipline Inspection Commission. The final characterization and handling of the case are still undecided," Sun Jianjun said in a deep voice. "At this stage, the whistleblower's attitude will greatly influence the direction of the case."

Zhao Jianguo sneered: "So what?"

"Therefore, we hope you can be lenient," Sun Jianjun said sincerely, looking him in the eyes, "and not pursue the matter further."

Zhao Jianguo stared at him for two seconds, then laughed—not a polite laugh, but a genuine laugh born of anger.

"You want me to let Cao Wenting go?"

"Yes."

"Do you know what she did to me?"

Sun Jianjun nodded.

"I know that Deputy Secretary Cao's methods in handling family conflicts were indeed problematic and caused you some harm. She does not deny this, and neither do we."

"The methods were problematic?" Zhao Jianguo repeated the question, his voice turning cold. "Her daughter cheated on me and infected me with AIDS and syphilis. As her mother-in-law, instead of upholding justice, she helped her daughter suppress me, trying to make me leave with nothing, using the power of the disciplinary committee to investigate me, and even trying to kill me inside. You call that problematic methods?"

Sun Jianjun paused for two seconds: "Mr. Zhao, I understand what you've said. But no one is perfect. Deputy Secretary Cao has worked in the Discipline Inspection Commission for many years and has made many contributions to the county. She did make a mistake in this matter, but she doesn't deserve to be condemned outright. Giving her a way out is also giving yourself a way out."

"It's a fight to the death between us, there's no room for negotiation," Zhao Jianguo said, emphasizing each word. "And I believe that once Cao Wenting gets out of there, the first person she won't let go of will be me."

Sun Jianjun shook his head: "You don't need to worry about that. As long as you're willing to open your mouth, we can guarantee that after Deputy Secretary Cao is released, she will be transferred out of Linshui County and take up a post elsewhere. She will not have any further contact with you, let alone retaliate against you. I can guarantee this with my personal integrity."

Zhao Jianguo almost burst out laughing.

Character? You people, do you even deserve to talk about character?

"In addition, you can make any demands regarding compensation," Sun Jianjun continued, his tone carrying a persuasive quality: "I've heard about your current health condition. These two illnesses require long-term medication, which is quite expensive. You've also suspended your work, so you must be under financial pressure. As long as you're willing to discuss it, we can give you a satisfactory explanation in this regard."

Zhao Jianguo looked at him, his eyes narrowing slightly. He even knew that the other party had AIDS and syphilis; the other party's information network was quite impressive.

"Are you done talking?"

Sun Jianjun looked at him, waiting for him to give his opinion.

"Go back now that you're done talking." Zhao Jianguo turned around and walked away. "There's no room for discussion about Cao Wenting's matter."

Sun Jianjun's expression finally changed. His gentle and sincere expression was torn off like a mask, replaced by a suppressed anger. He quickly caught up with Zhao Jianguo, and his voice became deep.

"Mr. Zhao, having more friends means having more options. You don't need to be so ruthless. In your current situation, having one more friend is better than having one more enemy. To put it bluntly, the treatment for your illness is a bottomless pit. It's better to have someone help you than to bear it all by yourself. Please reconsider."

Zhao Jianguo stopped and turned to look at him.

"Don't even think about it. I'll handle my own illness. Whether I live or die is none of your concern. But as long as I'm alive, Cao Wenting can forget about ever coming out."

Sun Jianjun's expression changed several times. He took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and put on a forced smile again.

"Okay, I understand what Mr. Zhao means." He took out a business card from his pocket and handed it over with both hands: "This is my phone number. Please think about it again when you get back. You can call me anytime when you've made up your mind."

He glanced down at the business card.

The text is printed in black on a white background and reads "Sun Jianjun, Deputy General Manager of Jian Gong Group".

Construction Group.

The Qi family.

He didn't take the business card, turned around, and strode out of the woods.

He had walked less than a hundred meters when he suddenly heard a series of hurried and chaotic footsteps behind him.

His heart skipped a beat, and he turned around to look.

In the sparse woods, seven or eight people were rushing towards him. The one in the lead was a tall, thin man with a pointed face and monkey-like features. He ran like a spring, his steps uneven. Several others followed behind, some fat and some thin, all looking menacing. The tall, thin man spotted him immediately, raised his arm, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "There he is! Chase him! Don't let him get away!"

He instantly realized it must be Sun Jianjun!

He didn't agree, so the other party took action directly. They beat him up first, and then talked about terms after he was subdued. He had heard this kind of tactic many times when he was in the government office. The construction group had a bunch of idle people under their command who were good at doing this kind of dirty work.

He turned and ran. Only a fool wouldn't run when facing seven or eight people alone.

The stone pavement beneath his feet thumped loudly as he ran, the shadows of the trees on either side flashing past. After running a dozen steps, he heard the footsteps behind him growing fainter and fainter. He glanced back and saw that the seven or eight people had been stretched into a long line.

The fastest runner was the skinny monkey, whose steps were short but fast, and he was only about ten meters behind. The slower runners were still forty or fifty meters away, panting heavily, clearly unable to keep up.

Seeing this, he suddenly stopped. The skinny monkey was chasing with all his might and never expected him to stop suddenly. It was too late to stop, and the monkey crashed straight into him. He dodged to the side and kicked.

The kick landed squarely on the skinny monkey's abdomen. The skinny monkey let out a scream like a chicken being slaughtered, staggered back four or five steps, and sat down on the ground with a thud. He clutched his stomach, his face contorted in pain, his mouth wide open, and he made a series of dry heaving sounds. He was in so much pain that he couldn't even scream anymore.

The people behind were stunned for a moment. Seven or eight of them were chasing one person, and the other person stopped running. Did they dare to turn around and fight back? But they were only stunned for a moment. The second person had already rushed up. This was a strong man, with broad shoulders and a thick waist. He charged like a wild boar and swung a punch at his face.

He saw it clearly; the fist seemed to be moving in slow motion, every inch distinct. His body shifted to the left, the fist grazing his ear. His right hand clenched tightly, and he punched the burly man's arm. He was so strong that even Qi Xiongwen couldn't withstand it, let alone these people.

The burly man felt as if he had been hit on the arm with a hammer. His entire arm went numb instantly, from his shoulder all the way to his fingertips. He couldn't use his strength on half of his body and staggered back two steps. Looking down, he saw that the spot where he had been hit was swelling up at a visible speed, turning into a bluish-purple mess.

Zhao Jianguo didn't give him time to react. He stepped forward and threw another punch, hitting the burly man squarely in the chest. The man groaned and fell backward, crashing heavily to the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

The remaining people finally caught up, but they didn't arrive together; seven or eight of them were stretched into a long, snaking formation.

When the third person rushed up, he was already a little scared, and his steps were noticeably slower. Zhao Jianguo grabbed the wrist that the man was swinging at, and pressed it down. The man felt pain, his knees bent, and his body lowered. Zhao Jianguo then raised his knee and hit Zhao Jianguo in the chest. The man groaned and fell backward to the ground.

The fourth person tried to attack from the side, but Zhao Jianguo caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of his eye. He turned around and threw a swinging punch. The punch swung in a wide arc and landed solidly on the opponent's shoulder. The man flew to the side as if he had been hit by a car and crashed into a locust tree as thick as a bowl. The leaves fell down in a rustling sound.

When the fifth man rushed up, his legs were already trembling, and his fists were weak when he swung them. Zhao Jianguo pushed him aside and slapped him across the face. The man spun around on the spot, covered his face, squatted down, spat out a mouthful of blood, and a tooth fell out.

There were two more behind, but they stopped halfway through.

The two men stood about twenty meters away, looking at each other, neither willing to take another step forward. Five or six people lay sprawled on the ground, each clutching their stomachs, arms, and legs, groaning and moaning in pain. None of them could stand up.

It took no more than half a minute.

Zhao Jianguo stood there, his chest rising and falling slightly as he took a few breaths. He glanced at the people on the ground, his gaze finally settling on the skinny monkey.

The skinny monkey was still sitting on the ground, clutching his stomach, his face pale and his forehead covered in sweat. When he saw Zhao Jianguo walking towards him, he trembled with fear, kicking his legs on the ground and desperately trying to back away.

He grabbed the skinny monkey by the collar and lifted him up.

"Who sent you?"