Li Liqiang was the first to recover from the shock. He slammed his hand on the table, his weathered square face turning bright red with extreme anger, veins bulging!
He pointed to a name that was all too familiar on the ledger, trembling with rage: "That bastard! I even praised him to others back then, saying I wanted to learn from him. I was truly...blind!!"
Chu Zhenyuan was so angry that he couldn't speak. He clenched his fists tightly, his chest heaving violently, like a volcano about to erupt!
They spent their lives in the military, shedding blood and being wounded for this country, and almost losing their lives on the battlefield!
What is the purpose?
All this is so that the people can live a good life! So that this country can prosper and become strong!
But now, there is a group of "comrades" they once trusted so much, who are like termites behind the scenes, frantically gnawing at the foundation of this country!
This is more painful and infuriating for them than being stabbed in the back by the enemy on the battlefield!
"Ayan, Niannian, where...where did you get this?!"
Ye Nian'an stepped forward and briefly recounted how she and Chu Yan had gone to Sun Dahai's secret outer residence, which had been sealed off, and how they had cracked the mechanisms to find the basement.
Of course, she still attributed the credit to her magical "lucky charm" and "a woman's keen sixth sense."
"...Besides this ledger, there was a small mountain of gold bars, US dollars, and foreign exchange certificates piled up in the basement. We didn't dare touch them and came back to report to you both immediately!"
After listening, Li Liqiang and Chu Zhenyuan were once again deeply shocked.
The way they looked at Ye Nian'an could no longer be described simply as "appreciation".
It was a feeling of awe and appreciation, like seeing a "national treasure"!
This girl is not only a blessing to her family and husband, but she's also a blessing to the nation!
"Okay...okay!"
Li Liqiang paced back and forth in his office, repeatedly muttering, "Heaven truly blesses China! Heaven blesses China!"
"Old Chu, you've really raised a fine son and married... no! Our country has gained a brilliant and outstanding comrade!"
Faced with such high praise from Li Liqiang, Ye Nian'an simply smiled and said, "Uncle Li, you flatter me. My husband is a soldier, and as a military wife, it is my duty to share the burden of the country."
These words were spoken with neither arrogance nor servility, and were delivered with resounding force!
This made the admiration in the eyes of the two old generals even stronger!
Chu Yan's eyes were filled with immense pride.
But now, there are more important things to deal with.
"Commander Li, Commander Chu, we have both witnesses and physical evidence. What should we do now?"
Chu Yan asked in a deep voice.
"what to do?"
Chu Zhenyuan turned around, his eyes flashing with a thunderous killing intent and decisiveness!
"Seize the area immediately! Arrest the people! Investigate thoroughly!"
He rushed to the phone and gave the order in a deep voice!
"Notify the guard company! All personnel, fully armed and on high alert! Proceed immediately and follow me to raid that secret residence! Remember, this is a top military secret. During the operation, no one is allowed to have any contact with the outside world. Anyone who disobeys will be court-martialed!"
"Furthermore! In the name of the division's Party Committee, secretly establish a joint task force! Transfer the most reliable, cleanest, and most trustworthy discipline, security, and logistics officers from the division to this task force! I've memorized all the names I mentioned!"
"Once the stolen goods are recovered, immediately launch a secret investigation into every person and every transaction in this ledger! I want to catch every fish in this net, no matter their size! Dry them thoroughly!"
The fate of the 74th Division is about to change completely because of this small ledger!
Two days later, in Conference Room No. 3 at the division headquarters, a place that was rarely used.
The curtains were drawn tightly shut, making it completely airtight.
The room was filled with smoke, so thick that it was almost impossible to open one's eyes.
The air was thick with a burning smell, a mixture of anxiety and nicotine.
At the head of the table, Wang Jianguo sat with a somber expression, chain-smoking cigarettes. The ashtray in front of him was overflowing with cigarette butts.
Since that stupid woman Liu Lihua was taken away for investigation and Zhou Jianjun was suspended from his duties to reflect on his actions, he hasn't had a good night's sleep in the past two days.
Although he immediately distanced himself from the situation and shifted all the blame onto the foolish aunt and niece, he temporarily preserved his position.
But he knew better than anyone that this was just a temporary measure.
Those two old foxes, Chu Zhenyuan and Li Liqiang, will never let him off so easily.
What troubled him even more was Sun Dahai's missing account book!
That was the real death warrant that could take his life in one move!
"Are they all mute?!"
Wang Jianguo stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, his sinister gaze slowly sweeping over the people present.
"How long has Sun Dahai been missing? His mistress's residence has been seized! Has that account book been found yet?!"
Those present were all "good comrades" on his side.
There was Director Qian in charge of logistics and supplies, Section Chief Ma who was in charge of the seals of certain departments, and Officer Zhao who was in charge of external liaison.
Each and every one of them has an intricate and vital connection to that ledger.
At this moment, they all looked gloomy and wilted, like eggplants after a frost.
"Political Commissar, we really did our best."
Sweating profusely, Director Qian was the first to speak with a mournful face: "That old bastard Sun Dahai, I don't know where he hid the stuff!"
“We sent people to secretly search all the properties under his name, turning them upside down. They even knocked down walls and almost pried off floor tiles, but they didn’t find a single hair!”
"Yes, Political Commissar!"
Section Chief Ma chimed in, "I asked my friends at the Discipline Inspection Commission through connections, and they said they found nothing except what was publicly known! Sun Dahai and his mistress have vanished into thin air; there's not a single clue!"
Listening to this nonsense, Wang Jianguo's anger flared up again.
"What are you all good for?! A bunch of useless trash!"
Suppressing his anger, he growled, "Without the ledgers, it's like having a guillotine hanging over our heads at any moment!"
“If Sun Dahai gets arrested one day, or if he hands over the ledgers, every single one of us here will be shot!”
These words sent a chill down the spines of everyone present, turning their faces as white as paper.
"Then... what should we do, Political Commissar?"
"How about... we just go all the way and finish this..."
A ruthless glint flashed in Zhao's eyes as he made a throat-slitting gesture: "If Sun Dahai keeps his mouth shut forever, then the ledger will be as if it never existed."
"madness!"
Wang Jianguo gave him a cold glance: "You think I haven't thought about it? But we don't even know where he is, how can we make a move?"
"Besides, what if he already had a backup plan and handed the ledgers over to someone else? If we take action against him now, wouldn't that be like walking into a trap?"
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