The man thought about Qi Shen's words and the old man's attitude, and his mind immediately became active. "Okay."

Qi Shen said politely, "Thank you for your trouble, Uncle Yu."

"Not at all." The man Qi Shen called Uncle Yu smiled. "Investigating corrupt officials is simply my job. Since you've decided to continue the investigation, then Uncle Yu won't bother you any longer."

Thick, white clouds drifted slowly across the sky, blocking the scorching afternoon sun and dimming the office lighting.

Qi Shen's well-defined hands rested on the desk, his index finger lightly tapping the surface.

Uncle Yu was originally the old man's subordinate and also his prized student. He had long known that sending Uncle Yu to Haicheng would not hide anything from the old man, and that the news would eventually reach Beijing.

He was gambling too.

The old man couldn't stand the filth among officials, especially in Haicheng, a special economic zone, where the dark side was even more pronounced.

So he's gambling.

Even if Uncle Yu had ulterior motives in sending him to Haicheng to investigate President Jiang, the old man wouldn't intervene to suppress him.

Make an example of someone to warn others; use both rewards and punishments.

President Jiang will forgive him afterward because his mistake was minor, and it will also reassure others who make small mistakes.

After all, the world is not black and white, and it is impossible for those in high positions in society to be completely selfless.

The real cockroaches should be eradicated this time.

He was not a good person; he would stop at nothing to achieve his goals and believed he would go to hell after death. But doing good deeds was his way of accumulating good fortune for his little girl.

-

At the same time, the Jiang family was shrouded in gloom.

Jiang's father made phone call after phone, but the person on the other end kept making excuses and passing the buck.

Jiang's mother had also lost her former elegance and grace; her well-maintained face now looked somewhat haggard.

"Old Jiang," Jiang's mother rubbed her temples, "haven't these people given you a definite answer yet?"

Jiang's father lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and said solemnly, "No."

Upon hearing this, Jiang's mother's headache worsened.

This morning, her husband received a written instruction to be suspended from his job pending investigation, and then she received a suspension letter from the company that was essentially a termination notice.

She couldn't help but wonder:

"Who do you think is pulling the strings behind all this? And what is their purpose in targeting us?"

The fact that the couple had both misfortunes on the same day makes it clear to anyone with eyes that they must have offended someone.

Jiang's father was equally puzzled, as the officialdom was a deep and unpredictable place, where most people were smiling while hiding daggers and gentlemen while concealing thorns.

Wherever there are people, there is competition and rivalry. After all, people strive for higher positions, and water flows downhill. But there are only a few high positions, and countless people are scrambling to climb them.

Jiang's mother continued, "Could it have been done by the Lian family? You two even had a falling out when you were competing for the bank manager position?"

Jiang's father thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No, they don't have that much power."

However, her words did enlighten him.

He was able to mobilize the disciplinary inspection department without leaking any information beforehand, and no one dared to interfere with his affairs.

The person behind this must be someone of high status and influence, with a powerful background, who would look down on his position as bank manager.

If it's not for official duties, then it's for personal grudges.

Thinking of this, Jiang's father looked at Jiang's mother and asked, "Have you offended anyone recently?"

"How could that be?" Jiang's mother immediately retorted. "Don't you know what kind of person I am?"

Jiang's father was taken aback. "That's true."

Both he and his wife are tactful and only speak three-tenths of what they want to say to anyone, rarely engaging in direct conflict with others.

The couple looked at each other, each pondering who they had met and what they had said recently.