57 "Don't forget why you set out just because you've gone too far"
Deng Zixiong reaped the fruits of his own actions, and all his excuses seemed pale in the face of the overwhelming evidence.
With the reports and revelations from people around him and more and more clues coming to light, the truth about his illegal activities in the dark over the years was finally revealed.
He originally wanted to use Sun Heng's scheme with He Yu to gain benefits, but when he saw that Sun Heng failed, he deliberately used high returns to lobby He Yu. After being rejected, he was furious and wanted to kick him out of Rongcheng by any means. However, the net of heaven is vast, and it is useless even if he has many umbrellas behind him to condone him.
Those who deserve punishment will eventually get the punishment they deserve, sooner or later.
The investigation of the case encountered a lot of resistance, but Lu Yuan finally gave everyone an explanation despite the multiple pressures.
The same is true for Tao Wanjia.
Two weeks later, when I returned to Jingping and submitted the 7,000-word investigation report to my direct supervisor He Qunshan, I finally felt that the matter was settled.
He Qunshan, uncharacteristically, didn't complain about her nearly two weeks of leave. He stood up from his seat the moment he read the title. His spirits were high and excited. "I told you this topic had to be yours. And now you've got someone ready to help you. With Zhao Kuo and you two in our in-depth research department, we'll never have to worry about good articles."
"The process was a bit tortuous, but I believe the result will be good."
It's normal for investigative reporting to face pressure and obstacles. Nothing in this world is easy. They don't want to sugarcoat the truth with positive, family-friendly reports. That would inevitably lead to them getting tainted by the dark side of the investigation. His job is to provide the utmost protection for the two men who are at the forefront.
Tao Wanjia's words are as sharp as ever, and the evidence in each link is solid and well-founded. He calmly and coolly uses the perspective of a grassroots citizen to narrate the twists and turns hidden behind a city's rapid development and economic depression. The story is immersive and thought-provoking, and his skills are fully demonstrated in just the first draft that has not been adjusted.
At this moment, He Qunshan finally understood Pei Qiang, understanding his determination to protect his apprentice at all costs. Although the industry's golden age had faded, talented individuals continued to emerge. He now felt that what the industry lacked was a true heart, and someone who remained steadfast and unwavering, unfazed by any sway.
Tao Wanjia has never been used to being praised, and her work style has also made her stop seeking so-called recognition very early on. As long as the report is completed, the task is completed.
But now, after hearing what He Qunshan said, he felt happy. His blood began to boil again. He enthusiastically found the latest clues in his mailbox and started preparing for the next topic without stopping.
I was so busy with work that all personal matters were forgotten.
When she finally remembered to go to the hospital to visit Pei Qiang, Zhao Kuo told her that he had been discharged.
"He called me before I went to Rongcheng. I think the doctor told me to go home."
Tao Wanji's heart sank. He turned his head and continued to stare at the manuscript on the computer that had been sent back for revision. His thoughts were in a mess and he sighed silently.
He Yu has also been in Jingping recently. He originally wanted to clean up the house that had not been lived in for a long time to make it easier for her to live in, but Dongmi Villa was too far from the city, so for convenience, the two had to stay in a nearby hotel.
Tao Wanjia couldn't sleep and tossed and turned until the early morning when he finally told him about this matter thoughtfully.
"I really want to go see my master, but given his personality, he definitely won't open the door for me."
A few days ago, when she came to Jingping to investigate Deng Zixiong's affiliated companies, she took time off to go to the hospital. At that time, Pei Qiang had lost weight to the point that his eye sockets were sunken, but when he saw Tao Wanjia coming, he forced himself to cheer up and sent her away.
"I can't protect you this time. You have to rely on yourself for everything. Don't act without reporting to me like before."
Pei Qiang spoke in a faint voice, "From now on, no matter what you do, you must always remind yourself. Don't forget why you set out because... don't forget why you've come so far."
Sunlight shone into the ward through the glass. Tao Wanji looked at Pei Qiang, who was shrouded in a halo of light and looked completely different from the first time they met. His thin body was already weak to the extreme, but Tao Wanji still didn't feel comfortable letting her face the case alone.
It is difficult for people to face illness and accept the fact that they will die in a limited time. Pei Qiang has lived a free and easy life, but watching life gradually disappear like the drops in a medicine bottle, he must have many emotions that are difficult to express in words.
Tao Wanjia couldn't forget that painful face, so he closed his eyes and finally made a decision.
She wanted to see her master a few more times in the limited time.
But life is always full of surprises and coincidences. The next day, when she found Pei Qiang's home address based on her memory, his wife told her with red eyes that he had passed away.
A portrait hung on the wall in a corner of the living room. It was Pei Qiang's first job photo from many years ago. He was dressed in a refined suit, his hair neatly combed to the sides. He was no longer the tormented patient in the hospital, but the humble leader who once made decisions in the conference room with high spirits.
"He wouldn't let me tell you. He wanted to die peacefully. My children and I arranged a burial at sea for him."
The master's wife spoke in a soft voice and walked into the house with He Yu behind her.
Tao Wanjia stopped in front of the table and picked up a stick of incense. Even though he had expected this day to happen, he was still unwilling to accept that the person was gone just like that.
It seems that no matter how much time has passed, she can't face the lives that have disappeared in her life.
It was a rare occasion for someone to come to the house, so the teacher's wife warmly invited the two of them to stay and have lunch together.
Tao Wanjia was not very familiar with his master's wife, but he felt a natural closeness to her. Thinking of how Pei Qiang had taken him home to celebrate holidays many times in Nancheng, he did not refuse. After following him into the kitchen, he realized that he seemed to have forgotten to introduce He Yu.
"He's my fiancé."
"I know."
The master's wife smiled and glanced back at the figure standing on the balcony. She said calmly, "I saw him in the hospital. Your master said at the time that this boy is a good match for you. You both seem like good people."
Tao Wangji was surprised and turned around subconsciously. He Yu had already walked to the outside of the balcony and was lowering his head to carefully weed the weeds that were growing out of the flowerpot.
She didn't know when he had visited Pei Qiang. She was curious and couldn't help but sigh. From childhood to adulthood, he seemed to have always been silent about her affairs. He was always used to doing more for her behind her back.
"Your master was originally worried about you being alone, but after meeting you, he said he no longer has anything to worry about."
The master's wife said this while preparing the dishes, and at the end she curiously asked her how the two of them knew each other.
It only takes a few questions to bring people closer. Tao Wanjia smiled at the gossipy look from his master's wife and paused while picking vegetables. "We are neighbors and grew up together."
"It's called childhood sweethearts. It's so nice to know each other so well. Unlike me... I was tricked into coming here by your master."
As soon as she finished speaking, the woman's calm eyes began to well up again. Fortunately, she was cutting onions on the chopping board, so even if she cried, it would not be so obvious.
But Tao Wanjia still caught it, took out a tissue and handed it to him, and whispered about the thing that he remembered most about Pei Qiang.
"From the first day I joined the newspaper, I heard everyone say that Mr. Pei was a workaholic. He was willing to sleep undercover for over two months for a single story, even treating the office like his home. He even had instant noodles under his folding bed."
"But his clothes are always spotless. Even when he comes back from a business trip, he always changes into a new set. At first, I thought he was just a mysophobia, but then I realized that when he's super busy and stressed out, he has no time to clean up. I was curious, so I asked him how he did it. Guess what he said? He smiled and told me, rather sheepishly, that it was because of you."
Tao Wanjia smiled softly, and the woman standing in front of the sink smiled as well. Her eyes were still moist, but they looked bright and full, with a crescent moon arching above her wrinkles.
"I knew he wouldn't have anything nice to say," she began, her thoughts, completely guided by Tao Wanjia, drifting back to the depths of her memory. In the summer of 1997, two university students, just turned twenty, met on a train home. Back then, both possessed a naiveté and an unending passion for the world, they fell in love at first sight. But over the next twenty years, their ideals were shattered by reality.
Left behind was a husband who was driven by his career but had a dull life, and a wife who was consumed by trivial matters, fully supporting her husband but still managing the household alone. "Do you know why we're getting divorced?"
The master's wife's voice was hoarse. Tao Wanjia was stunned by this question and shook his head.
"I've had a lot of arguments with Lao Pei over the years, but actually I've always believed that we have a good relationship. I'm just worried." She paused and looked at Tao Wanjia seriously.
"The longer he stays in this industry, the more scared I become. This is completely different from the feeling I had when I was young, watching him publish papers and feeling happy for his accomplishments. It's made me realize that this industry is no longer what it used to be. He can still pursue any topic he finds meaningful without any scruples, but I can't fully support him."
The dangers lurking in the shadows were countless. She had lost count of how many cities and neighborhoods she had moved to with her children, but the harassment and threats directed at Pei Qiang never ceased. She had tried many times to persuade him to change careers, saying that with his abilities, he could leave this industry and do anything else for more than that meager salary, but Pei Qiang refused. Even at his age, he was still as stubborn as a child.
Tao Wanjia understood the reason for their separation from these words: it wasn't a lack of love, but too much love, so she was willing to sacrifice her family's feelings to fulfill the other's wishes. She quickly recalled He Yu's sacrifice in front of Deng Zixiong. Perhaps love means supporting someone without hesitation, even at the cost of one's own suffering.
"Look, why am I saying all this?" Master's wife came to her senses, wiping away her tears and looking away sheepishly. "That's all in the past. Your master has always been proud to have a successor like you, but Xiao Tao, Master's wife has one more thing to say. Ideals are important, but people still have to return to life. Don't be like him, devoting yourself to work wholeheartedly, gaining nothing and ultimately ruining your health."
"I understand, don't worry."
The master's wife sighed and told her another troublesome matter that was on her mind.
Pei Ji, now 17 and about to enter her third year of high school, has vowed since Pei Qiang's death that she too will become a journalist, a career as an investigative reporter, like her father, weathering storms and treading mud.
As a mother, she naturally didn't want her daughter to step into the same river as her father, but she didn't listen no matter how many times she told her.
Tao Wanjia understood what he said and took the initiative to speak: "No problem, I will try to talk to Xiaoji."
She had met the child several times before, and after dinner, she knocked on the bedroom door with ease. Since it was the weekend and Pei Ji didn't have to go to cram school, he quickly opened the door and welcomed her in.
Pei Ji looked a lot like his father, with a stubborn look in his eyes. Knowing Tao Wanjia was definitely trying to persuade him, he told her he had thought it through.
"What have you figured out?"
"Like your father, like me, also doing this job?"
"Yeah." The girl nodded solemnly, moving a chair to sit next to her, her eyes shining. "Anyway, I think what my dad does is quite meaningful. Even though he's not a good father or husband, he's a good reporter. You too."
"Did you decide this just because it's meaningful? Do you know that this profession isn't cool at all and is even very hard? You may look glamorous, and the moment of being praised by everyone is just fleeting. It's not real—"
"I know."
Pei Ji had already understood all of this. She had her expectations and wasn't afraid of hardship; she simply wanted to fulfill her father's unfulfilled wish. She interrupted Tao Wanji's unfinished words, "Little Sister Tao, just tell me which university I should apply to. Don't say anything else. I made my decision a long time ago, and it wasn't just because my father left me that I decided."
Tao Wanjia met the girl's moist eyes and felt complicated.
She knew all too well what she saw in those eyes; the purity in their reflection was hard to extinguish. She stopped trying to persuade him, offering a sincere suggestion: "You don't have to major in journalism to be an investigative reporter. Life is so vast. I hope you truly enjoy this."
Life is too long, and it would be very difficult not to do what you love. Of course, doing what you love will also be painful. But this kind of pain is that you can still look up at the stars even when you are trudging through the darkness.
These two kinds of suffering are different. Some things cannot be avoided by simply blocking them.
A person's life is about walking firmly towards what he loves amidst tens of thousands of voices telling him not to do something, even if it means getting hurt.
Because of love, tears and blood are medals.
Back at the hotel, He Yu saw Tao Wanjia looking unhappy and asked with concern, "How about we find some time to go on a trip together?"
"You said before that the scenery in the northern border is also very beautiful. Why don't we go there when you take your annual leave?"
He felt that she had been too tense recently, and various things had been piling up over the past six months. Although he was still busy now, he still advocated a combination of work and rest.
When people are sad, they also need some quiet time to dispel their sorrow, even if it is just to relax in a beautiful place.
"Okay." Tao Wanji didn't even look up. He walked out of the bathroom and sat down at the desk. "We'll go after I finish what I have on hand."
Having said that, He Yu knew that she would never be done with her work.
"It's late, you should rest."
He closed her computer directly.
“I haven’t finished revising it yet…”
Suddenly being lifted into the air, Tao Wanji subconsciously put his arms around his neck.
He Yu glanced at the manuscript she printed out on the desk, which was densely annotated by He Qunshan. She didn't want to waste her time on these things. She revised it so many times. The main problem was that the superiors were a little hesitant about the standards of this case, which was why her manuscript was rejected again and again.
He met her gaze and said seriously, "By the time you finish editing, your fiancé will probably have to go back to Rongcheng."
The clock on the wall showed one in the morning, and he had less than five hours to leave.
Tao Wanjia frowned, and her tone finally added a bit of coquettishness, "Then why didn't you say it earlier?"
He Yu was helpless, his smile piercing through his chest and trembling slightly.
"You didn't listen even though I told you."
He moved very gently, and when he lowered his head again, the corner of his lips touched her slightly furrowed brow.
"But it's okay, there's still a lot of time."
The desk lamp was turned off, and when Tao Wanjia opened his eyes again, he was plunged into darkness.
Compared to the soft touch of the bed on her back, He Yu's fingers moving on her body seemed hard and hot. The buttons of her clothes were quickly undone, and she took advantage of the light from the window and raised her head to kiss the pair of bright eyes in front of her.
"What's wrong?" His voice became hoarse.
"fine."
Tao Wanjia's eyes were focused, and it took a while before he slowly spit out.
"I love you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
