The entire courtyard is full of villains

"Hmph, serves you right!" Zhang Erhe interrupted him mercilessly. "You've also been to school, haven't you read Su Xun's 'On the Six States'? 'Today they cede five cities, tomorrow ten, and then they can have a night's rest. When they rise and look at their borders, the Qin army is already at their doorstep.'"

"It's clearly your incompetence as leaders that's to blame. You didn't know when to step in and protect them, but instead, you did, allowing those brats to grow up and become powerful. The root of the problem lies with you! When I was Minister of Energy, why didn't they dare try to fleece me?"

“Dad, things are different now than they were back then…”

"What's the difference? Whether a department can hold its head high depends entirely on the leader. You're all so timid and subservient, how can you expect your subordinates to be assertive? And who was it this time?"

"Dad, a guy named Zhao Dehan..."

"Zhao Dehan?" Zhang Erhe chuckled. Wasn't this the Zhao Dehan who could eat a clove of garlic, a bowl of noodles, and not spend a penny?

"Dad, we have news from the Supreme People's Procuratorate that they are going to take action against him, and the leader is Zhong Zhengguo's son-in-law."

"Tch, that Zhong Zhengguo, he's really standing up for himself now. A few years ago he was keeping a low profile, he didn't even dare leave his daughter in Beijing, he sent her to Jingzhou. Now he's showing off." Zhang Erhe sneered.

Zhou Yuan dared not respond to that.

"Alright, I can't be bothered with your nonsense." Zhang Erhe waved his hand impatiently. "Is there anything wrong with Zhao Dehan?"

"Have."

"Why didn't you deal with the problem sooner?"

“Dad, I just wanted to put it there as a firebreak, but who knew those people would be so inconsiderate, even taking away the firebreak…”

Zhang Erhe was silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Alright, I'll help you with this one last time. Tomorrow, have Zhao Dehan go to your third uncle; he knows what to do."

"Dad, if we let Uncle San handle this..."

"What's wrong?" Zhang Erhe glanced at him sideways. "You have a problem with that?"

"No, no, no, no," Zhou Yuan waved his hands repeatedly.

Chapter 558 With elderly parents and young children

Zhang Erhe stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, his gaze sweeping over Zhou Yuan with a heavy look: "Once your third uncle settles things with Zhao Dehan, you'd better stand up straight. When it's time to be tough, you can't be soft-hearted—this time, those who treat you like a leek must pay a bloody price."

Zhou Yuan's lips moved, his voice stuck in his throat: "Dad, this...is it...a little..."

Zhang Erhe glared at him, then suddenly sneered, "Zhou Yuan, do you know why I haven't bothered to look at you all these years?"

Zhou Yuan lowered his head: "Dad, maybe it's because I... didn't meet your requirements..."

“Wrong.” Zhang Erhe interrupted him. “Whether you meet the requirements or not, I never care. Even if you are just a director or section chief now, as long as you stand up straight and have backbone, I won’t say a word against you. But what about you? The higher your official rank gets, the more flexible your back becomes, and you slump down in front of everyone.”

Political struggles are always a life-or-death struggle. And you, you want to be a nice guy, an unyielding figure? Let me tell you, get rid of that idea now. If you continue to hold onto that thought, you might as well resign as minister—I'm afraid that one day I'll have to personally send you to Qincheng Prison.”

Zhou Yuan's face turned pale: "Dad, it can't be that bad, can it?" Then, as if remembering something, he asked, "Was it someone who told you that?"

“What do you mean it’s not that serious?” Zhang Erhe tapped the table. “Let me tell you frankly, I haven’t seen that person for several years, and we’ve been avoiding each other to prevent any suspicion.”

He paused, his tone softening, "Zhou Yuan, you need to use your brain. You're an educated man. Throughout history, has anyone ever managed to get to the end without offending anyone? No one, right?" Zhou Yuan shook his head!

Zhang Erhe casually picked up a plate of pastries from the table: "To put it simply—the cake is only so big. If you want to take a bigger bite, others have to take a smaller bite. So you have to fight, you have to grab, you have to tear into them. Instead of being like you, giving a little to this person and a little to that person, you end up with only a tiny piece the size of a sesame seed. You can't even fill your own stomach, so how can you feed the people below you? If the people below aren't well-fed, will they still support you? You idiot."

This angry outburst was like a slap across Zhou Yuan's face, completely waking him up. He suddenly realized that over the years, he had been openly and subtly ridiculed at meetings in Haizi, making him look like a clown. But more than a decade ago, when Zhang Erhe was in charge of the Ministry of Energy, who dared to bare their teeth at the Ministry of Energy?

Zhou Yuan took a deep breath: "Dad, I... understand."

"You'd better actually know what you're talking about." Zhang Erhe waved his hand impatiently. "Alright, I'm too lazy to waste my brainpower arguing with you."

Zhou Yuan hesitated for a moment: "Dad, there's one last thing... Brother Changsheng... Governor Liu said he... wants to visit you."

The words "Brother Changsheng" made Zhang Erhe's eyes momentarily glaze over. He remained silent for a moment, as if he had been pulled back to 1996. That year, Li Huaide was critically ill, and Liu Changsheng was at a crucial juncture in his promotion from director-general to vice-minister. However, because of the situation across the strait, Zhang Erhe cursed several senior officials as "cowards" in the lake, resulting in him being ordered to suspend his work.

When Li Huaide was on his deathbed, Liu Changsheng rushed back—although the two had not completely broken off relations, a rift had already been sown. From then on, Liu Changsheng never set foot in Zhang Erhe's house again.

“He knows the way here, so let him come if he wants.” After saying this, Zhang Erhe turned and went into the inner room.

The next morning, as soon as Zhou Yuan arrived at the ministry, he asked his secretary to summon Zhao Dehan. Hearing the minister's secretary's summons, Zhao Dehan was filled with anxiety and nervously entered the minister's office.

Zhou Yuan didn't even look up, continuing to review documents at his desk. His pen scratched for a while before he slowly capped it, glanced at him, and said, "Director Zhao, please sit down."

Zhao Dehan didn't dare sit down. He stood there wringing his hands, his voice tense: "Minister...Minister, what instructions do you have for me?"

"It's not really an instruction," Zhou Yuan leaned back, his tone flat. "Director Zhao, are you aware that the Anti-Corruption Bureau is already watching you?"

Zhao Dehan's face turned pale, and he hurriedly shook his head: "Sir, I...I didn't embezzle!"

Zhou Yuan tapped the table, signaling him to shut up: "Whether you're greedy or not, do you think someone would be targeting you without any confidence?"

Zhao Dehan's head drooped abruptly. After a moment of silence, he raised it again, his face covered in cold sweat, even his temples were soaked: "Minister, I... I'm thinking of all the years of hard work and dedication I've done in the ministry, please... please help me out..."

Zhou Yuan pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "It's not impossible." As he spoke, he picked up a piece of paper that he had just written on from the table and handed it to Zhao Dehan. "Remember this address. Go find someone—Master Wu! Just say that I sent you, and he will make the arrangements for you."

Zhao Dehan nodded frantically, took the note with both hands as if it were a lifeline.

"Go on out. We'll go this afternoon." Zhou Yuan waved his hand.

"Oh, oh, thank you, Minister! Thank you, Minister!" Zhao Dehan bowed deeply and backed out the door.

After the door closed, Zhou Yuan sighed and muttered to himself, "I wonder what Third Uncle will do..."

Emerging from the minister's office, Zhao Dehan didn't even bother wiping the sweat from his face. He hurriedly greeted his superior and left the office. He drove his car straight to the address on the note.

It was an old alleyway, inaccessible by car. He parked outside, asked around a few times, turned into a narrow lane, and finally found a two-courtyard siheyuan (traditional courtyard house). The house had blue bricks and gray tiles, an antique lintel, and a lush grapevine in the courtyard.

Zhao Dehan took a deep breath and knocked on the door knocker.

"Ta-da!"

On a recliner under the grape trellis, a chubby old man slowly sat up. He had a round face, smiling eyes, and fair skin. He was twirling two shiny walnuts in his hands, looking exactly like a Maitreya Buddha.

"Hello, I'm looking for Master Wu," Zhao Dehan said cautiously.

The old man squinted at him: "Third Master Wu? Who sent you?"

"Minister Zhou Yuan sent me."

"That kid Zhou Yuan..." the old man muttered casually.

Zhao Dehan's heart tightened—who dared to call the minister "kid"? "Excuse me...excuse me, are you Master Wu San?"

"Yes, that's me." Old Master Wu slowly sized him up, the walnut spinning in his palm. "Zhou Yuan sent you here, it can't be for anything good. Tell me, how big a hole have you dug yourself?"

Zhao Dehan's face turned ashen, and he rubbed his hands together, cold sweat pouring down his face. "Third Master, I... I was just confused for a moment, and I got my hands on some things I shouldn't have... The Anti-Corruption Bureau has already got their hands on me, and Minister Zhou said you can point me in the right direction..."

Old Master Wu chuckled, sat up straight in his recliner, and tossed a teacup onto the stone table: "Have a sip of tea first, catch your breath, and then we'll talk. What's the big deal? Why are you so scared?"

Zhao Dehan picked up the teacup with trembling hands, gulped it down, and his tongue went numb from the heat, but he didn't dare to utter a sound.

"Tell me, how much?" Old Master Wu tapped the stone table.

Zhao Dehan hesitated for a long time before finally giving a number, his voice barely audible.

After hearing this, Third Master Wu raised an eyebrow, and the smile on his face faded a bit: "You're quite something, Director Zhao. You dare to wield so much power with just that little bit of authority. That kid Zhou Yuan is always making a mess for me."

"Third Master, please save me!" Zhao Dehan knelt down with a thud, his voice trembling with sobs. "I have elderly parents and young children to support. If I go in, my whole family will be ruined!"

Chapter 559 I wouldn't trade it for a god!

Wu Qian sat up straight in the recliner, squinting as he sized up Zhao Dehan. Zhao Dehan felt a chill run down his spine from Wu Qian's gaze.

"Third...Third Master?" Zhao Dehan asked cautiously.

“Zhao Dehan,” Wu Qian asked slowly, “how old are you this year?”

“I…I’m forty-three, Third Master.”

"Forty-three." Wu Qian smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "You're not that naive, are you?"

Zhao Dehan's face turned pale instantly.

"The Anti-Corruption Bureau is targeting you, which means you're already in their clutches. Now that you're in, do you think you can just walk away unscathed?" Wu Qian twirled the walnut in his hand, his tone indifferent. "Director Zhao, have all those years of experience in officialdom gone to waste?"

Zhao Dehan wasn't actually clueless. He had been clinging to a sliver of hope—what if? What if he could get away with it? But Wu Qian's words were like a knife, tearing away all his self-deception.

He took a few deep breaths, his hands trembling as he picked up the teacup and tilted his head back to gulp it down.

Wu Qian wasn't annoyed. Instead, he picked up the teapot and refilled his cup, saying, "Have some more, try it."

Zhao Dehan smacked his lips and said honestly, "Third Master, I'm a rough man. I can't appreciate the quality of your fine tea. I'm afraid I'll just waste it."

Unexpectedly, as soon as he said this, Wu Qian on the other side suddenly threw his head back and burst into laughter, his face shaking with laughter: "Silly boy! This is just Zhang Yiyuan's high-grade tea, and you call it 'good tea'? Good tea is not for a rough man like me to drink. It would be a waste for me to drink good tea!"

Zhao Dehan paused for a moment, then smiled ingratiatingly. After Wu Qian finished laughing, he tentatively asked, "Third Master, what should I do next?"

Wu Qian's smile faded, and he asked seriously, "Where are those things?"

“Dijingyuan Villas, Building 17”.

"Okay. I'll arrange for someone to take care of it. Whose name is on the property certificate?"

"It's a relative of mine... I'll change it later."

“Don’t change it.” Wu Qian waved his hand. “Just say it belongs to your classmate. If the Anti-Corruption Bureau asks why you went there, just say you were helping your classmate manage the house. They give you some money for their hard work each month. After all, it’s not easy to live in Beijing. You’re a section chief, how much do you make in a month? Your elderly parents are getting old, and your children need to go to school. Earning some extra money is not shameful.”

Zhao Dehan nodded repeatedly: "Understood, Third Master."

He paused for a few seconds, then couldn't help but ask, "And... what happened afterward?"

Wu Qian gave a thumbs up, a hint of surprise in his eyes: "I've suddenly started to like you a bit, kid. As long as you survive this ordeal, come find me later, and I'll definitely find you a good place."

"Then I'll thank you in advance, Third Master." Zhao Dehan forced a smile.

Wu Qian sighed, his tone turning somber: "After they've searched the area and found no trace—the next day, you don't need to go to the Ministry of Energy, go directly to the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Supreme People's Procuratorate. In front of everyone, jump off the roof."

Zhao Dehan's blood suddenly turned cold.

“You’re dead,” Wu Qian said, looking at him and enunciating each word clearly. “Your family and children will be taken care of by everyone in the department from now on. They will never suffer any loss. If you’re alive, that’s fine too. You can take care of your family yourself. Come find me, and you’ll get your share of the benefits.”

Zhao Dehan gritted his teeth and remained silent for a long time. His hand gripping the teacup trembled violently. Who wasn't afraid of death? But Third Master had already made it clear—he was already in the game, and in this game, what pawn could escape unscathed?

Since Third Master didn't lie to him just now, his affairs after death are considered secure.

Perhaps, for the sake of his son, he had to become a pawn in this struggle.

He gritted his teeth and slammed the teacup on the table: "Fine, Third Master, I'll do as you say."

Perhaps knowing his days were numbered, Zhao Dehan had been cherishing his present happiness more than ever these past few days. His colleagues in the department were also puzzled—the workaholic who usually wouldn't leave until the very last minute was now leaving early every day.

On Friday evening, Zhao Dehan left work on time once again, rode his bicycle to the market to buy meat, cucumbers and noodles, and made his son's favorite fried sauce noodles when he got home.

At eight o'clock, he glanced down at the Shanghai watch on his wrist that he had had for over a decade, and called out into the room, "Yufen!"