Me! A high-ranking official!

When Zhao Jianguo rode his worn-out electric scooter back to Ronghui Xiuyuan, it was almost noon. He rubbed his temples wearily, and as soon as he stepped out of the elevator, he suddenly stopped.

A man, around forty years old, was standing at the door. He was wearing an extremely sophisticated dark-colored custom-made suit, had a square face, and his hair was neatly combed.

Hearing footsteps, the man turned around, and in that instant, he felt the scrutiny in the other person's eyes.

"Zhao Jianguo?" The man's voice was deep and resonant, carrying a sense of composure that came from long-held positions of power.

His eyes turned slightly cold: "I am. And who are you?"

The man smiled slightly and extended his right hand: "Let me introduce myself. I am Du Yu from the Municipal High-Tech Company. A leader asked me to come and have a heart-to-heart talk with Mr. Zhao."

A company in the city? A leader?

He didn't shake the hand, but coldly asked, "Which leader?"

Du Yu naturally withdrew his hand without feeling embarrassed. He glanced at the somewhat empty corridor to the left and right, and smiled meaningfully, "Mr. Zhao, there are too many people and too many eyes in the corridor. It might not be appropriate to say some things here. If it's convenient, why don't we go inside, or perhaps we can find a teahouse outside to sit down?"

He stared at the other person for two seconds, then stepped forward and took out his keys: "Come inside."

After entering the room, he plopped down on the sofa and pointed to the seat opposite him: "Speak, what is it?"

Du Yu sat down on the sofa, glanced around the room, and then slowly spoke:

"Mr. Zhao, you're now on the county discipline inspection commission's list. However, our leaders said they believe you've suffered a great injustice and been wronged in this family tragedy."

Upon hearing the other party's words, he couldn't help but scoff: "Your leaders don't need to worry about that. I reported the case myself. Whether I'm innocent or not, the evidence will tell."

"Evidence is important, of course, but in officialdom, personal connections and political influence are equally important." Du Yu's smile gradually faded, and he leaned forward slightly, exuding an invisible sense of pressure.

"Mr. Zhao, you're also part of the system, so you should know some of the rules. A son-in-law publicly accusing his mother-in-law is, legally speaking, a case of upholding justice even at the cost of family ties; but in this circle, from a human perspective, it's called being inherently cold-hearted and an ungrateful wretch!"

Du Yu paused, then continued, "Think about it, which leader would dare to appoint someone who could personally send their own mother-in-law to prison? Who wouldn't be afraid of being betrayed and bitten by you one day?"

His eyelids twitched violently. Although the words were harsh, they reflected the bloody, unspoken rules within the system.

Seeing Zhao Jianguo's silence, Du Yu thought he had hit a nerve, and softened his tone:

"Moreover, you must have sensed something from the county discipline inspection commission's questioning of you this morning. Cao Wenting has been deeply involved in the discipline inspection field for over a decade. The bank card she used to launder money was yours, and the house she bought was also your joint property. Do you think you can prove your innocence with just your own words? It's too difficult. If they continue to investigate, the most likely outcome is that you will be classified as an accomplice, or even just an accessory, and your life will be ruined."

See the picture poorly.

"The most crucial thing is..." Du Yu's gaze shifted downwards, landing on Zhao Jianguo's hands, his tone revealing a concern for him: "Mr. Zhao, the kind of illness you have, the subsequent targeted therapy and special drugs, that's a bottomless pit. You're suspended from your job now, without power or money, how will you get treatment?"

Hearing this, he understood the other party's purpose: first, they threatened him with his career prospects; then, they threatened him with the disciplinary committee's involvement in the case; and finally, they used the money for medical treatment to control him. Each step was linked to the next, a combination of coercion and enticement, and their methods were so cunning that it was appalling!

He coldly interrupted Du Yu's performance: "After all this roundabout talk, it all boils down to one sentence: I need to go to the county discipline inspection commission to drop the case against Cao Wenting and keep her safe, right?"

He leaned back on the sofa, his eyes sinister: "Go back and tell that leader that I'll take responsibility for my own life, but Cao Wenting, I will absolutely not let her go. The door's over there, don't bother seeing me out!"

Du Yu didn't move. Instead, he smiled confidently and said, "Mr. Zhao, young man, don't be so hot-tempered. What if we said that as long as you agree, all the gold bricks, US dollars, and property deeds that Cao Wenting hid in the secret room... apart from the small amount you hand over as a formality, the rest—that huge sum of money that an ordinary person couldn't earn in ten lifetimes—would all be given to you as compensation for the emotional distress you suffered this time?"

The moment those words were spoken, the air in the living room seemed to freeze. His pupils contracted sharply, his face filled with shock: "What do you mean? That's stolen money! The disciplinary committee has already seized it, how could it not be confiscated?"

Du Yu did not answer, but sat upright in the shadows, a very subtle yet extremely arrogant smile playing on his lips.

boom!

It was as if a lightning bolt struck Zhao Jianguo's mind, and in an instant, he understood some things!

No wonder! No wonder Zhang Jianhong from the county discipline inspection commission spoke to him this morning in a tone as if he were interrogating a suspect! No wonder a whole day has passed and the county party committee and government haven't even issued a statement about Cao Wenting's arrest!

There's only one explanation: the case was covered up!

Although Cao Wenting was taken away, no formal case was ever filed! All the evidence and all the stolen goods were forcibly suppressed by certain people in the county discipline inspection commission and were never reported to the municipal or provincial discipline inspection commissions!

Within this vast power machine, as long as he doesn't persist in his accusations, the county discipline inspection commission can at any time characterize this matter as a family dispute or a false accusation, secretly distribute the stolen goods, and then release Cao Wenting unscathed!

This money is exactly what he needs right now. Cao Wenting's things are definitely worth more than 20 million. If he gets this money, he can not only pay back the 20 million from the treasure pot, but also have a lot left over!

Looking at Zhao Jianguo's unpredictable expression, Du Yu knew he had figured out the crux of the matter and continued to press him:

"Mr. Zhao is a smart man. It's better to resolve things than to let them fester. If you're lenient, we can guarantee that Cao Wenting will be transferred out of Linshui County and go to some quiet government office in the city to retire. She'll never appear in front of you again. If you really can't swallow this, we can also give her a party warning, so you can save face, take that huge sum of money, go to a big city to get proper medical treatment, and live out the rest of your life. Wouldn't that be better?"

Zhao Jianguo stared intently at the other party. Was this power? He finally understood the determination of the bigwigs in the city to protect Cao Wenting. The conversation with Zhang Jianhong from the county discipline inspection commission that morning was not a routine matter at all, but a naked display of power!

That was a blatant declaration to him: your mother-in-law's life is in your hands, but your life is also in mine! If you dare to continue causing trouble, then it will be a lose-lose situation, and I'll arrest you along with her!

Even though Zhao Jianguo had written reports in the government office for five years and believed he had some understanding of the dark side of officialdom, he still felt a suffocating shock and anger when this kind of all-powerful, manipulative power struggle actually fell on his head.

This is absolutely outrageous!

"What if I...don't agree?"

Although 20 million is very important to him, it's impossible for him to release Cao Wenting!

Du Yu's gaze suddenly turned cold, and a chilling murderous intent flashed in his eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses: "Mr. Zhao, this is a solution that is good for everyone, and it is the most sincere solution we can offer. In this industry, those who refuse a toast will usually not even have a chance to regret it. We hope you can agree."

He gave him a deep look, not wanting to waste any more words: "I'll think about it. You can leave now!"

Upon hearing this, Du Yu stood up with satisfaction and straightened the hem of his suit jacket: "A wise man submits to circumstances. I await your good news, but I hope Mr. Zhao's reply can be swift. After all, a leader's patience is limited."

As the security door closed, Zhao Jianguo sat expressionlessly on the sofa in the empty living room. There was no way he would release Cao Wenting. He had only said he would consider it because he didn't want to waste any more words with Du Yu!

Make him compromise? Make him use dirty money for medical treatment? Keep dreaming!

The county discipline inspection commission is covering it up, isn't it? And there's a high-ranking official in the city protecting him, isn't there?

He grabbed his phone, his fingers flying across the screen, bypassing the municipal discipline inspection commission and directly finding the external reporting hotline of the case supervision and management office of the provincial discipline inspection commission.

"Beep...beep...beep..."

The call was connected.

"Hello, this is the Linjiang Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision Reporting Center."

"I am filing this complaint under my real name!" Zhao Jianguo's voice was as hard as iron.

"Cao Wenting, deputy secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of Linshui County, is suspected of massive corruption! Furthermore, there is serious dereliction of duty and cover-up within the Linshui County Discipline Inspection Commission, which has withheld tens of millions of yuan worth of evidence of corruption from reporting it! I possess high-definition video and photographic evidence of the stolen goods found in a hidden room in her home. I request the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission to immediately intervene and investigate this case in another location!"