Liu Tianming lay on the ground, trembling.
This young governor was surprisingly imposing.
That was terrifying!
Waaaaah!
What should I do?!
If I don't tell the truth, I'll be executed.
But if he tells the truth, it's still a capital offense!
"You're not going to tell, are you?"
Lin Yu's face slowly darkened. "Drag him out and execute him!"
"No, no, no! Your Excellency, spare me! I'll talk, I'll tell you everything!"
Faced with Lin Yu's imposing presence, Liu Tianming finally couldn't hold back any longer.
After all, he was the Governor-General of Liangjiang, such a high-ranking official. Cutting off the head of a lowly clerk like chopping melons and vegetables would be as easy as cutting vegetables.
Liu Tianming gritted his teeth and said, "Your Excellency, it is true that I arranged for Wu Gang to be there before, but I was just trying to scare him and stop him from investigating this matter. I had no choice! You don't know, Wang Batian is backed by the Qiao Gang. How could a lowly official like me dare to offend the Qiao Gang!"
"You admit it?" Lin Yu's lips curled into a slight, cold smile.
"You, a regional police chief, are actually afraid of the underworld? It's laughable! This is dereliction of duty, and you've disgraced the entire team!" Lin Yu reprimanded loudly, exasperated.
"Yes, yes, I am a good-for-nothing, Your Excellency. I was wrong. I am not worthy to be the head constable. Please remove my official hat, and I will accept it wholeheartedly!" Liu Tianming said tremblingly.
"Heh, you think you can get away with just taking off your official hat after things have gone wrong?"
Lin Yu tapped the table with his knuckles and said, "I'm asking you, how much money did you take from the Qiao Gang to become the head constable?"
"No, no, absolutely not! I beg you to see the truth! I really didn't take a single penny!"
"Really? Don't rush me. I've already sent people to investigate. Whether you took it or not, we can't rely on your word alone. We'll find out soon enough!"
Lin Yu snorted coldly.
A short while later, Feng Jiu walked in with several of her subordinates.
“Young Marshal, you just asked me to investigate this old man. I have already investigated. There is really no embezzled money in his family, nor any assets overseas. There were indeed a few strange payments in his account before, but he donated them all to charitable organizations to help the elderly living alone and children in orphanages!” Feng Jiu reported truthfully.
Lin Yu frowned slightly and looked at Liu Tianming. "I didn't expect you to be so honest! Fine, your life is spared!"
Liu Tianming sighed and said with a wry smile, "The inspections in Yandu have been very strict these past two years, and a lot of people have been arrested. Who would dare to do this? Sir, it's not easy for us local officials, especially for those of us without connections. We can only obey orders from above. Sometimes, I... I have no choice!"
"Who exactly is the Qiao family's protector?" Lin Yu asked coldly.
Liu Tianming was stunned for a moment, and a troubled expression immediately appeared on his face.
"Speak!" Lin Yu slammed his hand on the table.
Liu Tianming shuddered, looking helpless. He gritted his teeth, pointed to the sky, and said, "That must be someone from above! As for the specifics, I... I'm just a lowly official, I really don't know!"
"Drag him out and execute him!"
"Hey, no, no, no!"
Liu Tianming was completely speechless. He took a deep breath and said, "Sir, I really don't know who is above the Qiao family. However, today is the birthday of Fifth Master Qiao, and all the important figures who have connections with the Qiao family will be there. If you want to find out, you can go directly to the venue!"
"Oh?" Lin Yu frowned slightly, then a cold smile appeared on his lips.
By shifting the blame eastward, Liu Tianming is truly quite clever.
Liu Tianming kowtowed to the ground. "Sir, this is all I can say! I'm just a nobody, I can't control anything. Sometimes I feel ashamed and embarrassed, but the situation is beyond my control. I just want to live a peaceful life until retirement!"
Lin Yu took a deep breath, slowly stood up, put his hands behind his back, and said, "There are too many people like you in the world who do nothing, which is why things like this happened today!"
Liu Tianming pursed his lips, feeling somewhat unconvinced.
Lin Yu could see his dissatisfaction and snorted, "I've seen your resume. You were selected through a process, and your education is quite high! But you've forgotten that a scholar must be resolute and persevering! Since you've chosen this path and taken this position, you should know what you should and shouldn't do! The people are your providers, their kindness in raising you is greater than their kindness in giving you life, so you should be even more devoted to them! I don't expect you to have the integrity of scholars of the past, but at least you can't be indifferent and allow crimes to occur! This is not only dereliction of duty, but also a desecration of scholars!"
"A scholar?"
Liu Tianming chuckled and shook his head, saying, "Today's scholars are nothing like the scholars of the past. This is a dog-eat-dog world; just surviving is a miracle! I've even regretted choosing this path in the first place. I can't go forward and compromise my conscience, nor can I retreat and remain incorruptible and independent. I'm stuck in this predicament, struggling to move forward!"
“Those who were born at the same time as me have long since entered high positions, and those who came after me have all surpassed me. I also want to improve, but I really can’t bring myself to do it. I’m caught in a dilemma. Sir, am I wrong? What have I done wrong?” When Liu Tianming raised his head, his face was already covered in tears.
Not everyone in this world is willing to go all out.
You either become a person of integrity or live in chaos; being stuck in the middle is the most painful.
Lin Yu shook his head. "You have to understand that this world is inherently binary, with no middle ground. No one can be both sides, and there is no balance as you imagine. Even if you can achieve balance temporarily, you are only one trigger away from being corrupted. Don't challenge human nature, especially your own!"
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