Zhang Cuihua spoke with great enthusiasm.

But Ye Nian'an and Chi Xinyao felt as if their hearts were being cut by a knife, both aching and furious.

All they knew was that Chu Yan had done a good deed to bring glory to the Chu family and to shut up the gossips of the villains.

Little did they know that behind this achievement lay such a perilous journey!

This man said nothing, silently enduring all the criticism and pressure, and defended his and the Chu family's dignity in the most dangerous and direct way!

"Now, Liu Lihua's family should finally shut up, right?"

Chi Xinyao asked through gritted teeth.

"Calm down? No way!"

Zhang Cuihua curled her lips: "When they saw that they couldn't bring down Commander Chu Yan by spreading rumors, but instead made him more famous, they hated him even more! They didn't dare to come openly, so they just did some underhanded things behind the scenes."

"Especially Liu Lihua, relying on being the wife of the political commissar, she treats anyone who gets close to our Chu family in the military dependents' compound like dirt."

"Niannian, you're here today, and you're so beautiful. With all that old and new grudges between her and me, it's no wonder she won't give you a friendly look!"

After hearing the whole story, Chi Xinyao was so angry that she trembled all over. She slammed her hand on the table and stood up abruptly!

"This is outrageous! These despicable people! My son is risking his life to protect our country, and they're stabbing him in the back and tripping him up!"

"No way! I have to go find Political Commissar Wang! I want to ask him how he became a political commissar! He can't even manage his own wife, letting her stir up trouble in the military dependents' compound and corrupt the morale of the troops!"

"How are they any different from those petty people who wronged us and demoted us before?"

"Mom, please don't act rashly!"

Ye Nian'an quickly grabbed her, but the coldness in her eyes was even greater than that in Chi Xinyao.

"Arguing with this kind of person face to face is not only inferior, but also plays into her hands, allowing her to use the situation to her advantage and complain everywhere that we are abusing our power."

"Let me think of a suitable way to make them shoot themselves in the foot!"

Ye Nian'an's lips slowly curved into a cold smile.

Is it Liu Lihua? Is it the daughter of Political Commissar Wang?

Very good.

All the grievances and criticisms you've inflicted on my man, I will make you pay back... tenfold!

Looking at Ye Nian'an's confident demeanor and the sudden glint of cold light in his eyes, Zhang Cuihua felt a sudden chill in her heart for some reason.

She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but swallowed the words back, her face showing a hint of hesitation and unease.

Ye Nian'an was incredibly perceptive; he noticed her unusual behavior at a glance.

She poured Zhang Cuihua another cup of hot tea, her voice softening: "Sister-in-law Zhang, we're not strangers now. My mother-in-law treats you like a sister, and I treat you like my own sister-in-law."

"Just speak your mind, so we can be at ease. Otherwise, we might be taken advantage of without even realizing it."

Chi Xinyao nodded in agreement: "Yes, Cuihua, things have come to this point, what is there that can't be said?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Cuihua finally gritted her teeth, as if she had made up her mind.

She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice even more.

"Sister Xinyao, Sister-in-law Niannian, what you're about to say, please don't tell anyone, and don't act impulsively! Without solid evidence, revealing this will cause serious trouble!"

Seeing that the two of them nodded solemnly, Zhang Cuihua continued, "I... I only let slip a few words after my husband had drunk too much."

"He said that most of the people who wronged Commander Chu back then have either been arrested or have fled, and the higher-ups are investigating very strictly. But... there are rumors that our division's Political Commissar Wang was quite close to that group back then."

"What?!"

This news was like a thunderbolt, exploding in the hearts of Chi Xinyao and Ye Nian'an!

"It's just a rumor!"

Zhang Cuihua quickly added, "My husband said that it's because there's no evidence that the investigation hasn't taken any action against him."

"Commissar Wang is a man who is very good at putting on a show, and no one can find any fault with him. Moreover, he holds a high-ranking position, so no one dares to touch him without solid evidence."

The room fell into a deathly silence.

This news is more terrifying than everything I've heard before combined!

If Political Commissar Wang is indeed connected with that group from back then, then he sees the Chu family not as a simple power struggle, but as a life-or-death conflict between enemies!

It makes perfect sense that he viewed the Chu family as a thorn in his side!

No wonder he allowed his wife to act arrogantly and domineeringly in the military dependents' compound, targeting the Chu family.

Perhaps Liu Lihua's actions were actually tacitly approved by Political Commissar Wang, or even instigated by him!

"Well... well, Political Commissar Wang..."

Chi Xinyao was so angry that her lips were trembling.

Ye Nian'an's eyes were unfathomable, and her mind was racing.

She wasn't blinded by anger; instead, she was calmer than ever.

"Sister-in-law Zhang".

She suddenly spoke up and asked a completely unrelated question.

"What has become of those who were arrested or escaped back then, living in the military dependents' compound?"

"ah?"

Zhang Cuihua was taken aback by the question, and thought for a moment before answering.

"Those homes are all empty now. The military has taken them back, and the doors are sealed off. Nobody's allowed in. They say they'll deal with it after the higher-ups have investigated."

"What about the wealth they embezzled?"

Ye Nian'an continued to press for answers.

"I don't know about that."

Zhang Cuihua shook her head: "When they raided the house, it caused quite a stir. I heard they confiscated a lot of gold bars, US dollars, antiques, and paintings, and took them all away."

"But how many exactly? Who knows? How could we ordinary family members possibly find out these secrets?"

Ye Nian'an nodded thoughtfully and said nothing more.

But in her heart, a bold, vague idea had quietly taken shape.

You can run away from the monk, but you can't run away from the temple.

Although the people were arrested and escaped, were all the ill-gotten gains they had hidden really found?

Could there be some that are deeply hidden and have slipped through the net?

Could these be the very things that Political Commissar Wang has been painstakingly trying to obtain?

Or is it key evidence that holds leverage over him?

Meanwhile, the 74th Division Medical Hospital.

Liu Lihua, seething with anger, stormed into the nurses' station, yelling, "Nuan Nuan! Nuan Nuan!"

A tall, pretty nurse in a white coat came out when she heard the noise, her face showing some impatience.

"Auntie, what's wrong with you again? What kind of behavior is it to be shouting and yelling at the nurses' station?"

The visitor was Liu Nuannuan, Liu Lihua's niece and the wife of Zhou Jianjun, the deputy head of the regiment.