0053 58 "You'll regret it."
After discussing matters with Lao Yao, Zhou Xiye applied for a prison visit that same day. He arranged a time with Zhou Guodong's lawyer, and the two of them visited together the following day at noon.
"Director Zhou, are you so free right now?" the lawyer asked.
Zhou Xiye smiled and said, "Now I'm a teacher in charge of ideological education, so I naturally have more free time, unlike when I was working at the Beijing Liaison Office... Don't worry, I won't shortchange you a single penny."
The lawyer sighed helplessly and followed the staff into the visiting room.
Zhou Guodong saw Zhou Xi as a lifeline, and he wished he could crawl out of the glass, calling out, "Sister! Sister!"
"Are you alright here?"
Zhou Guodong's eyes reddened. "Sister, I really didn't mean to. The situation was complicated that night, and the car's brakes were faulty..."
Zhou Xiye and the lawyer exchanged a glance. The lawyer took out a pen and paper, looking very professional. "Mr. Zhou, please tell me the events of that night again carefully. Tell the truth and don't leave out any details, otherwise your sister and I won't be able to help you get out of here."
Zhou Guodong nodded.
That evening, Zhou Guodong was overjoyed after receiving news that he had been accepted into the Ministry of Commerce. He went out to celebrate with several colleagues who had interviewed him. Did he drink? Yes, everyone was urging him to drink, and he felt obliged. He thought, "It's just once, a little won't hurt."
I had been drinking and was going to call a designated driver, but the people around me said there was another party nearby, so there was no need to call a designated driver.
Fortunately, Zhou Guodong drank the least, and under the encouragement of a group of second-generation officials and elites in Beijing, he drove a luxury car.
The district chief's son appeared right in front of him by sheer coincidence. Zhou Guodong's dazed mind suddenly cleared up. He stepped on the brake, but missed. The car didn't slow down at all.
After hitting the person, Zhou Guodong immediately came to his senses and tried to run away after getting out of the car. As soon as he got out, he saw bloodstains, a mangled body in the distance, and scattered shoes. Zhou Guodong had never seen someone half-dead from a hit-and-run; his legs went weak on the spot.
Then a group of people gathered around and pointed at him.
"That's it? That's it?" Zhou Xiye asked, frowning.
Zhou Guodong nodded, "That's all, sister, you have to help me..."
The lawyer finished writing, capped the pen, looked up at Zhou Guodong, and said, "Mr. Zhou, regarding this traffic accident, I can only try to secure the minimum sentence for you. The other party was crossing the road normally and there was no problem."
Zhou Guodong lowered his head, clutching his hair, muttering, "How could this happen... how could this happen..." Suddenly, he straightened up abruptly, "Sister, Mom and Dad said you would go to jail for me, is that true! I passed the exam for the Ministry of Commerce, really, sister, you come in and take my place, I'll go out and achieve great things, I'll get you out."
Zhou Xiye looked calmly at Zhou Guodong, crossed her legs, and leaned back in her chair. The lawyer turned to look at her, but Zhou Xiye did not show any emotion in response to his remarks.
“Mr. Zhou, you hit someone, there is video evidence, there is a record in the car, and the victim's family has also identified the person. Please calm down and don't mention anything illegal…”
Before the lawyer could speak, Zhou Guodong interrupted him, "What do you know! Ling Xingzhi and Secretary Ling said that these days AI face-swapping technology is so advanced that it can even replace people, as long as the people in those videos are replaced with my sister! The district head's family only wants someone to pay with their life; they don't care whose it is!"
The lawyer opened his mouth, looking utterly helpless.
Zhou Xiye smiled; Zhou Guodong always helped her at unexpected moments.
"Brother, you're talking about Secretary Ling, Ling Xingzhi, right? Is he the Beijing Municipal Party Secretary? Why would he help you?"
Zhou Guodong paused, then shook his head, still confused. "It was him. These are the words of our parents. I don't know the details either. Anyway, sister, as long as you are willing to help me, I will definitely repay you properly."
Zhou Xiye nodded, turned his head and whispered a few words in the lawyer's ear. The lawyer sighed and stood up.
After the lawyer left, Zhou Xiye said to his younger brother, "Do you know that something happened during the Ministry of Commerce exam? They said you cheated."
Zhou Guodong almost instinctively jumped up, "Bullshit... How could I cheat!"
Zhou Xiye sighed and adopted the air of an older sister, "The evidence is conclusive. Your answers are too similar to the standard answers. There are even identical papers with the exact same answers in the exam room..."
Seeing his younger brother panic, Zhou Xiye licked his lips, concealing his smile.
"Little brother, tell your sister, did you cheat or not?"
Zhou Guodong shook his head, shaking it like a rattle drum, "Absolutely not... Sister, who told you that?"
Zhou Xiye frowned. "I work within the system, so news travels fast. I bet your car accident case hasn't even been decided yet, but this cheating thing is already settled... Tell me what happened, so I can help you. I don't want to be brought in for you, only for you to be brought in for cheating. What, do you want to leave no descendants for the Zhou family?"
Zhou Guodong was covered in sweat.
Zhou Xiye wasn't in a hurry. All's fair in war. Since she had actually been tricked into revealing the cheating, it was convenient for her, and she wouldn't have to personally set up the scheme.
"Little brother, listen to my advice. You have a life on your hands now, and you've also been caught cheating. Either one of these things could get you into serious trouble. I advise you to tell me the truth now, or I won't help you. It's true that technology is so advanced now, but I'd have to be willing to go to jail for you."
Zhou Guodong kept his head down and remained silent, his hands tightly clutching his prison uniform. Knowing Zhou Guodong as he did, Zhou Xiye knew his mental fortitude was mediocre; further questioning would easily break down his defenses.
“You’re still young. If you’ve done something wrong, we can correct it and start over. After all, I’m your own sister. Tell me now, and I’ll give you a way out. But if others come asking, I’m afraid… you’ll be in jail for life…”
Under Zhou Xiye's aggressive gaze and words, Zhou Guodong finally compromised. He lowered his head, his back hunched, as if the world on his shoulders had collapsed in an instant.
"Yes, I cheated; I bought the answers."
Zhou Xiye raised an eyebrow. "Don't rush me, tell me slowly, what happened?"
Zhou Guodong looked up and confessed to her, "I originally didn't plan to take the Ministry of Commerce exam. I was getting married at the time, and my parents were helping me with the wedding preparations. Then, at a gathering with my classmates, someone said that this year's Ministry of Commerce exam might be the last one in the last five years, and the questions would be easy. I was a little tempted, but I didn't take the exam."
Zhou Xiye nodded, then reached out with his other hand and took out the hidden recording pen. "And then?"
"During that time, many people said I should take the exam, since the position was related to my major and had a promising future..."
Zhou Guodong looked up at her as he said this, "I even went to have my fortune told, and the fortune teller said I would definitely pass the exam."
Zhou Xiye pursed his lips, suppressing a laugh as he nodded.
“Then I signed up, but… I was busy getting married and didn’t study properly, so…” He paused, “My parents were so good to me during that time, they forced me to study and helped me a lot. I felt that if I went to the exam in a daze, I would be letting them down, so I bought the answers.”
"Buy the answers?" Zhou Xiye almost burst out laughing. "And then what?"
Zhou Guodong licked his lips nervously, "Then I bought it...memorized it...that person told me all the questions, I never expected that the questions would be exactly the same."
"So you memorized the answers and wrote them all down?"
Zhou Guodong answered affirmatively, "Yes."
"Zhou Guodong, have you ever thought about us? Have you ever thought about Mom and Dad? How can you act so recklessly?"
Zhou Guodong lowered his head. "Sister, I know I did something wrong. I shouldn't have done this... Please help me... really... help me..."
Zhou Xiye looked at him with pity, her eyes filled with helplessness. "Little brother, I can still help you now... about cheating. Just listen to me, I'll tell you what to do, and you can do it."
"good."
Watching Zhou Guodong's departing figure, Zhou Xiye revealed a mysterious smile.
Soon, the Ministry of Commerce established a task force to investigate the cheating incident, which caused a huge uproar in the national civil service examinations. National affairs were naturally far more important than the death of the district head's son, and Zhou Guodong was quickly placed under investigation by the task force.
Although Zhou Guodong wasn't very bright, he had his sister as a backer. After Zhou Xiye's explanation and analysis, he insisted on one person—Lu Bing, the director of the Personnel Department—who had leaked the answer to Zhou Guodong.
What about the motivation?
"He wanted to get to know my sister, Zhou Xiye, through me. My sister has a good relationship with Minister Ye."
Things became complicated, especially in the lead-up to the Two Sessions.
Ling Xingzhi stood by and watched from the shadows. When would Zhou Xiye bring this fire upon himself?
Lu Bing was speechless. It was quite a coincidence that Ling Xingzhi had indeed specifically "instructed" Lu Bing to "take care" of the families of staff members within the system. The whole thing about Lu Bing getting entangled with Minister Ye was completely fabricated. Zhou Guodong was the only witness, so it wasn't convincing.
Later, colleagues from the Personnel Department also came forward to testify.
“I can testify that Minister Lu did indeed tell our proctors to give Zhou Guodong a special treatment.”
The leader is Yao Jinling.
It's over, it's all over. Lu Bing was detained as a suspect, but he still had a chance to use his cell phone, so he made a few calls to Ling Xingzhi.
He didn't respond to any of the orders.
Lu Bing, who was in despair, was imprisoned because of a "favor" he received. He was unwilling to accept this, but while he was inside, his family outside had already heard about his situation and left China.
There was no way out.
At this moment, Zhou Xiye extended an olive branch to him.
"Hello, Director Lu. My name is Zhou Xiye, and I am Zhou Guodong's older sister."
Lu Bing looked at the woman before him. She was wearing a suit, her long hair was tied up, her eyes were firm and clear, and there was a faint smile on her lips. For some reason, he felt that this woman's temperament was very similar to that of someone else.
"Did you teach him to say that?"
Zhou Xiye smiled and said, "You may not know, but a new round of anti-corruption campaigns has started outside, which is essentially a purge of dissidents. They don't want you as a pawn anymore."
"It's all thanks to you," Lu Bing sneered. "Young lady, I'm much older than you, and I know the ways of officialdom like the back of my hand. You'd better not get involved in the power struggle between the Ye and Ling families."
Zhou Xiye shook his head. "I'm here to make a deal with you. If you can testify against Ling Xingzhi in court, I can help you leave here."
Lu Bing narrowed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "What nonsense are you spouting here?"
“You have no choice, or you will be abandoned and the Ling family will not care about you.”
Are you here representing Ye Lifeng?
"no."
What abilities do you have to help me?
"If I have the ability to get you in, I also have the ability to get you out."
Lu Bing fell silent. Zhou Xiye didn't want to pressure him. Teammates who are forced or begged for are never worth much. "I'm only giving you one chance. The court hearing is tomorrow. I hope you can make your own choice."
After saying that, Zhou Xiye stood up.
"Hahaha, what do you know, you little brat? You're just lucky, that's all. You're already causing trouble here. Do you know that the people here are all shrewd and enjoy fighting with others? You can't beat them."
Zhou Xiye wasn't angry. He placed his hand on the doorknob and said, "Then we'll wait and see."
Meanwhile, another case involving Zhou Guodong went to trial. The opposing lawyer argued for intentional homicide, while Zhou Guodong's lawyer argued that it was an accidental death.
Zhou Xiye was present at the court hearing. The opposing lawyer's evidence chain was complete, the logic was clear, and the evidence was sufficient. It was truly perfect. Zhou Xiye's parents sat in their seats, tears streaming down their faces.
Finally, the judge accepted the opposing lawyer's argument and read out the verdict—intentional homicide, fifteen years imprisonment.
At this moment, Zhou Xiye's parents tugged at his clothes, their eyes red, "Didn't you say you wanted to go in for your brother?! Tell the judge now! Tell him now!"
How should I put it? Zhou Xiye pulled his clothes back, shook off his mother's hand, and stood up to leave.
But her parents wouldn't let her go. They grabbed her, stood up, and shouted, "Judge! My daughter is willing to go to jail for her brother, please! Please leave the Zhou family with an heir, otherwise, once he gets out, he'll have nothing left..."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiye's heart tightened. As he turned to push them away, he inadvertently caught sight of Ling Xingzhi standing in the corner.
He had just finished a meeting, and the brooch on his lapel was still on. He must have rushed over just to see this scene. Ling Xingzhi smiled, looked at Zhou Xiye across the crowd, and nodded at her.
The judge knocked. "Silence!"
Zhou Xiye couldn't laugh at all at this moment. For some reason, her mother suddenly shoved her fiercely, "Why wasn't it you who killed someone?!" Zhou Xiye lost her balance and was pushed to the ground.
"You've raised a wolf in sheep's clothing! How could you be so heartless as to send your brother to jail! Why don't you just die! Go to hell!"
The father walked over and kicked Zhou Xiye, who was still unable to get up.
Someone nearby disapproved of Zhou Xiye's parents' actions and quickly pulled Zhou Xiye up. Security personnel also ran over to stop Zhou Xiye's parents.
Zhou Xiye stood up, and someone next to her handed her a tissue. Zhou Xiye shook her head and left the courtroom.
The magnificent white marble steps gleamed in the sunlight. Despite it being deep winter, the sun shone brightly, and across from the courthouse, vendors were selling candied hawthorns from carts. The street was filled with a peaceful atmosphere; it seemed the New Year was approaching.
Zhou Xiye stopped in his tracks, looked up at the blue sky, and took a deep breath.
Footsteps sounded behind her, and without turning around, she knew who it was.
"The advantage of having a good father is that he won't betray you at crucial moments and will even help you clean up the mess."
Ling Xingzhi stopped and stood side by side with Zhou Xiye, looking at the scenery in front of them.
Zhou Xiye snorted, "It's not time yet."
"You used the cheating case to distract your parents and buy time. After the car accident case goes to trial, they'll have to accept your arrangement, right?"
Zhou Xiye nodded, then turned to look at Ling Xingzhi, "Secretary Ling is a master at playing games. You've calculated everything. You've figured out Zhou Guodong's psychology and my parents' preference for sons over daughters. I have to say, I admire you."
Ling Xingzhi turned around and looked at Zhou Xiye. "I also admire Teacher Zhou. In the end, you still managed to escape from the Heavenly Net and the Earthly Dungeon... and you even learned to turn the tables and fight back?"
Zhou Xiye smiled but didn't say anything.
The phone in her pocket rang at that moment. Zhou Xiye didn't want to answer it, but Ling Xingzhi took it out for her and answered it by turning on the speakerphone.
"Teacher Zhou, Director Lu committed suicide out of fear of punishment; he confessed to the cheating case..."
Zhou Xiye frowned slightly.
Ling Xingzhi hung up the phone for her, put it back in her pocket, and then stretched her suit collar with his long fingers. "Curious, aren't you? Why did he mention my name during the interrogation last night, even though he's already dead today?"
Zhou Xiye looked at Ling Xingzhi expressionlessly. He smiled, slowly bent down, and whispered in Zhou Xiye's ear, "Zhou Xiye, I'll spare your life."
Ling Xingzhi stared intently at Zhou Xiye's face, not wanting to miss a single change in her expression, watching her with amusement. Just as he was about to straighten up, Zhou Xiye grabbed his tie and pulled him closer to her, her smile alluring, her black hair fluttering in the wind.
You'll regret this.
"I'll wait."
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