Chapter 70: Cleaning up the house, his method

The truth, like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, shone with a chilling glare, completely severing all false facades and wishful thinking. When Huo Tingxiao laid bare the interlocking evidence pointing to Lin Weiwei, a silent yet devastating storm brewed beneath the seemingly calm surface.

Huo Tingxiao didn't immediately take overt, drastic action. His anger had long since transcended the level of roaring and impulsiveness, settling into a colder, more deadly force that was more in keeping with his status and style. He didn't want a momentary outburst, but a thorough, resolute reckoning, and... a deterrent that would permanently end any future trouble.

He first sent a copy of the organized key evidence anonymously to the desk of Lin Weiwei's father, Deputy Chief of the General Staff Lin, through an absolutely reliable channel.

No PS, no threats, just cold hard facts.

Some things need no further elaboration. Some pressure needs to be placed on those who truly have the final say.

The effect is immediate.

The next day, Deputy Chief of the General Staff Lin submitted a request for temporary leave to his superiors, citing "feeling unwell and needing rest," and remained indoors. Immediately thereafter, several key military personnel with close ties to the Lin family, or those previously promoted by Deputy Chief of the General Staff, were quietly but swiftly reassigned or temporarily transferred under the guise of "work needs" or "further study." The speed and scope of the action were astonishing, yet no evidence was ever found.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that this was a silent purge and warning from a higher level. The Lin family's influence within the military, which they had cultivated for years, had been quietly clipped in a matter of days, severely damaging their vitality.

And this is just the beginning.

As for Lin Weiwei herself, Huo Tingxiao's treatment was even more direct and... more cruel.

He didn't meet her, nor did he even mention her name again. He simply passed on a few clear and cold "suggestions" to her through Assistant Chen:

1. Immediately and voluntarily withdraw from all official and unofficial family activities and groups within the military compound and permanently refrain from participating.

2. Within three months, complete all formalities, leave Beijing, and go to a subordinate unit of an art troupe in a remote southern city for "exchange and study." You are not allowed to return to Beijing without permission.

3. All fashion and media-related investments and personal connections under his name must be immediately and completely severed and cleared.

4. From now on, I will not talk about anything regarding Ms. Su Wanqing. If any words are leaked again, I will bear the consequences myself.

Each piece of "suggestion" was like a precise scalpel, coldly cutting off the things that Lin Weiwei cared about most and relied on for survival - the halo of identity that she was proud of, her comfortable and affluent living environment, the vanity circle she had run for many years, and her channels for venting jealousy and gaining attention.

There was no trial, no argument, and not even a chance for her to cry, beg, or quibble in person.

This was a condescending, absolute power-based crushing and exile. Silent, yet it made her feel more desperate and terrified than any public humiliation or punishment.

She tried to contact Huo Tingxiao, but the call was always disconnected; she wanted to go to Old Master Huo to plead for mercy, but the guards politely but firmly stopped her at the door; she even tried to mediate through her mother's network of connections, but found that those "family friends" and "elders" who had been so attentive to her in the past were now unusually busy and distant...

She finally understood how she had crossed an insurmountable line and angered a man she couldn't afford to offend. Everything she had relied on was vulnerable to Huo Tingxiao's true wrath.

She will spend long years in obscurity in a distant and unfamiliar southern town, away from all the prosperity and attention she is familiar with, and pay a heavy price for her vicious jealousy and stupid behavior.

After dealing with Lin Weiwei, Huo Tingxiao's liquidation did not stop.

Those who specifically participated in the kidnapping, as well as the marginalized individuals who facilitated Lin Weiwei's actions and passed on information, received even harsher and more ruthless legal sanctions. All evidence was fully handed over to judicial authorities, who will deal with them swiftly and severely. They face a long life behind bars. Huo Tingxiao did not resort to any form of lynching, but instead mobilized every available resource to ensure they received the harshest possible punishment and were never again able to cause trouble.

At the same time, Fengshang magazine, the publisher of the previously malicious report, was subjected to a sudden and comprehensive review of its tax and publication content. The magazine's editor-in-chief was immediately replaced, and those responsible were disciplined. The magazine's reputation plummeted, and it was quietly suspended shortly thereafter for rectification.

A storm comes quickly and goes away quickly.

To outsiders, it might have seemed like a normal personnel reshuffle within the military region, along with a few unrelated legal cases and business restructuring. Only the select few at the center of the vortex could sense the cold and terrifying undercurrents surging beneath the calm surface, and the terrifying power and determination lurking beneath the young commander's apparent silence, capable of subverting everything.

Huo Tingxiao hadn't deliberately concealed any of this from Su Wanqing, but he also hadn't proactively explained it to her in detail. He simply said, "Everything's been taken care of. No one will bother you anymore," when she asked him about it with a hint of concern.

His tone was calm, but his eyes held a reassuring confidence and strength.

Su Wanqing looked at him, not pressing for details. From Assistant Chen's occasional hesitations and the scraps of information Xia Xiaoran had gathered, she had already vaguely guessed the drastic measures he had taken. She felt neither sympathy nor pleasure, only a complex, indescribable emotion—reassurance at his decisiveness and strength, but also a subtle...throbbing and distress that he had wielded such power for her sake.

She found that she was gradually accepting and understanding the way he did things - cold, efficient, sometimes even a little cruel, but extremely reliable, able to provide her with an absolutely safe sky.

That evening, Huo Tingxiao returned home earlier than usual. The afterglow of the setting sun streamed into the living room through the French windows, casting a warm golden edge on the cold, hard furniture.

Su Wanqing was sitting on the sofa reading a book. When she heard the door open, she looked up.

Huo Tingxiao took off his coat and hung it up, his eyes fixed on her. She was wearing simple home clothes, her face had become much rosier, her eyes were calm, and her whole body was bathed in soft light, looking particularly gentle and charming.

He paused for a moment, then walked straight to the sofa next to her and sat down. There was a suitable distance between the two of them, but the atmosphere was no longer as tense and awkward as before.

"What are you looking at?" he asked, his voice a little softer than usual.

"A book on design theory." Su Wanqing closed the book, revealing the cover.

Huo Tingxiao's gaze lingered on the cover for a moment, his expression softening imperceptibly. He no longer displayed the resistance or questioning he had before, merely humming a faint "hmm."

After a moment's silence, he suddenly turned his head and looked at her with deep eyes and a serious tone: "I'm sorry... I made you suffer before. Those obstacles and noises that shouldn't have existed have been cleared away."

He paused, as if weighing his words, and finally said in a tone of earnestness, even a hint of clumsy promise, "From now on, do whatever you want. Read, study, design... It's all fine. You don't need to worry about anyone or anything anymore."

Su Wanqing's heart skipped a beat and she stared at him in a daze.

Was he... clearing the way for her? Encouraging her to pursue her passions? Using his own way, making up for the obstacles and hurt he'd caused her through his misunderstanding and indifference?

A warm current quietly surged into her heart, dispelling the last trace of gloom. She looked at his cold yet sincere profile, and the corners of her lips involuntarily lifted slightly, revealing a shallow but genuine smile. She nodded gently: "...Okay."

In the glow of the setting sun, the two smiled at each other. Although there was no sound, it seemed as if thousands of words were flowing in their eyes.

The frozen river finally thawed completely, and the warm current flowed.

Clean up the house with drastic measures.

After brushing away the dust, what is revealed is the original intention of protection and clumsy tenderness.