Chapter 974: The Last Eunuch
"Alas, today's society believes in the wolf's law, that everyone has to look out for themselves. It's understandable that he did what he did. Back then, for the victory of a battle, a single order could mean the deaths of thousands or even tens of thousands of people. At that time, although I felt heartbroken, I also knew that revolution meant bloodshed and tears. I gritted my teeth and ignored the orders. But that was for the revolution, for the greater good."
But now he's so ruthless for his own sake, it makes me hesitant to be his friend and I can't condone his character. Although almost anyone would do the same in this day and age, I just can't get past that hurdle. After all, those people are my comrades and brothers. I'm really tormented!" Yang Kaiwu said painfully.
"Grandpa Wu, don't overthink it. Which founding emperor wasn't ruthless enough to kill his comrades who had fought alongside him to the death? Liu Bang of the Han Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty. We won't talk about the later ones. Doesn't Grandpa Wu have any personal experience with this?" Fei Hua tried to persuade Yang Kaiwu, preventing him from getting stuck in a rut.
“You’re right. I understand. That’s why I can’t agree with or will agree with the behavior of some people these days. I’ll just be myself. Feihua, you don’t need to try to persuade me. I know you mean well. But that’s just who I am. And as for the thing you asked me to do, I will do my best to do it. Just wait for my good news!” Yang Kaiwu said earnestly.
"Okay. Grandpa Wu. I'll be waiting for your good news."
...
Jiangdong City. The situation has changed dramatically. It's as if the world has been turned upside down, or rather, completely transformed.
Suddenly, a convoy of vehicles bearing the large characters "Anti-Corruption Bureau" and "Supervision Bureau" burst into the municipal party committee compound. Their police badges and national emblems gleamed, and their leather shoes were so fine they could reflect a person's face like a mirror, revealing every detail.
They marched in unison, their expressions serious, straight to Office No. 1 in the municipal party committee compound. The municipal party committee's top secretary, who had followed Cai Lan for five or six years and longed to be transferred to a position of power, was flustered as he greeted the group. Without even notifying Secretary Cai Lan, they ignored the astonishment and bewilderment of everyone in the municipal party committee and directly knocked on Cai Lan's office door.
"Please come in." Cai Lan's calm and powerful voice rang out, a stark contrast to the oppressive and gloomy atmosphere when Ye Qing was present.
The office door was flung open with a loud "bang," the movement somewhat abrupt and impolite. Cai Lan was engrossed in reviewing documents, his brow furrowing only slightly before relaxing. A high-ranking official like him, he had long been tempered in the bureaucracy, his facade completely shattered, his mind shrewd and calculating, his emotions never betraying him. Although he was displeased, his expression remained impassive. He calmly looked up, wanting to see who dared to push open his door like that.
The gleaming national emblem almost blinded him; he could no longer remain unmoved and composed. He abruptly stood up, swallowing hard, and said with difficulty, "You...you're from the Anti-Corruption Bureau?"
"Good. These are our credentials, and this is the approval document. We suspect you of embezzling a huge sum of money on official business. Come with us." The middle-aged man in the lead, with sharp eyes, showed Cai Lan the credentials and documents. Cai Lan's heart skipped a beat, and he slumped into a chair. He knew he was completely finished this time. If it were just his opponents making moves against him, his superiors would have given him a heads-up. But no. Everything happened so suddenly, like an earthquake, without any warning. That could only mean one thing: someone higher up was determined to get rid of him. They had blocked all information. His hands were dirty, very dirty, and his methods were unsavory. He wouldn't be able to withstand even the prosecutor's office, let alone the anti-corruption bureau. He knew he was completely finished this time. He even abandoned the idea of letting his son go out and make connections, and instead considered having his son defect.
Two anti-corruption officers rushed forward, grabbed Cai Lan from both sides, and dragged him out of the office like a dead pig. Cold and ruthless. This scene immediately terrified everyone working at the municipal party committee. Their hearts nearly leaped out of their chests. It was like a pig being slaughtered, and this fat old pig was almost paralyzed, utterly powerless to resist. He didn't even have the courage to scream. They seemed to see their own future reflected in his eyes; their legs went weak, and several more collapsed instantly. They too were adept at drinking, gambling, and womanizing, their fortunes filthy, and staunch supporters of Cai Lan's faction. If Cai Lan was like this, what about them?
Cai Lan, head drooping, was dragged weakly out of the municipal party committee compound. The sunlight was bright and pleasant, yet it suddenly felt dazzling, and he dared not look directly at it. Reaching the gate, a gleaming Audi with the municipal party committee's number one license plate shone brightly in the sunlight, almost blinding him. The car wasn't moving fast. The window slowly rolled down, revealing a young, resolute face that filled him with a burning hatred. It was none other than his old rival, Ye Qing.
Ye Qing glanced at him coldly, her expression neither sad nor happy, neither contemptuous nor mocking, but indifferent, as if she were just looking at a random passerby. Cai Lan's head slumped down instantly, almost shrinking back. He, who had just retained a sliver of energy, seemed like a punctured balloon, deflated instantly, shrinking into a mere shell. In that instant, all his vitality vanished without a trace, leaving him a walking corpse, his arms dangling, his legs dragging on the ground, leaving two parallel, winding lines, just like his life's path—winding and ultimately unable to converge, abruptly ending and disappearing.
Cai Qingni, now the most handsome and dashing young master in Jiangdong City, is completely different from his previous low-key and pretentious self. He is now high-profile and arrogant, like a prodigal son. He goes wherever he spends money and can be found wherever there is decadence. His extravagant spending and eccentric violence are filled with arrogance and debauchery.
All of this is understandable; the blows of such dramatic ups and downs in life are too difficult to bear. The once-proud young master was suppressed like a stray dog. When fortunes turned again, and he rose once more to the pinnacle of power, he was no longer the same person. As the saying goes, a century had passed since he last looked back. He had become the last eunuch of this century. No amount of money or status could soothe the loss and pain in his heart.
No one dared to provoke them, no one dared to dissuade them; instead, there was a surging tide of flattery.
But what surprised and amazed everyone was that wherever he went, a beautiful woman with a forlorn expression always stood silently by, her eyes filled with a deep, sorrowful longing. Those in the know understood that this woman was the one who had caused the First Young Master to clash with Li Yang, the underworld kingpin of Jiangdong City, in a life-or-death struggle. The result was that Li Yang was imprisoned, and the First Young Master emerged victorious. Yet, no one knew how they had ended up in this situation. Could the rumors be true? Had the First Young Master been crippled? Was he no longer a man, just a pretty face, all show and no substance?
Chapter 975: Change of Fortune, Joy, and Melancholy
The sirens of police cars jolted everyone awake. This bar, named Fallen Angel, was renowned in Jiangdong City and bustling with people. Of course, the most prominent figure, Cai Lan, was at the very center of attention. The sirens slightly startled the other patrons, but they didn't pay much attention. After all, everyone in the bar was someone with influence and connections, and a few low-ranking officers could easily deal with them. Cai Lan was dancing seductively on stage with the bar's queen, her moves sexy and alluring, captivating everyone. The crowd cheered and their eyes burned with desire.
Only one woman stood silently, tears welling in her eyes, looking forlorn and heartbroken. Her hands remained still.
When fully armed special police stormed into the bar, the atmosphere reached a climax. Cai Qingni's hands brushed over the nightclub queen's exquisite and alluring body, as if painting a wall, seemingly full of passion. The nightclub queen screamed in response to his movements, her body twisting like a snake, her legs trembling. One hand groped Cai Qingni's chest, while the other hand imitated MJ's classic dance moves below him.
The atmosphere instantly reached a fever pitch, with almost everyone screaming simultaneously, creating a scene so chaotic it nearly lifted the roof off. Just as everyone's excitement reached its peak, the energetic music suddenly fell silent, and the screams ceased abruptly. Everyone stood there, stunned, looking around in astonishment.
"What's going on? Which bastard is controlling the sound system?" someone in the crowd shouted angrily.
“This person can be dismissed!” Cai Qingni stood in the center of the stage, holding the Nightclub Queen in her arms, looking down at the crowd like an emperor, and said calmly.
"Are you Cai Qingni? Please show me your identification." The SWAT team leader stared coldly at Cai Qingni and said.
"Are you talking to me?" Cai Qingni said mockingly.
"Are you Cai Qingni? Please show me your identification. We are from the Special Police Investigation Unit of the Ministry of Public Security. This is my identification. My name is Li Ke!" The team leader took out his identification with the police emblem and showed it to Cai Qingni.
Cai Qingni looked puzzled and surprised. The Ministry of Public Security? He had a bad feeling. "That's right, I am Cai Qingni. But I didn't bring my identification today!" Cai Qingni said reluctantly.
Li Ke glanced at him indifferently and said, "I'm certain you are Cai Qingni. Then we don't need your identification. Come with us. We suspect you're involved in a murder case!"
Cai Qingni frowned and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Let me tell you, you need evidence to support your claims, or I'll sue you for defamation!"
“We always insist on evidence. Don’t worry, this is the arrest warrant!” Lin Ke showed another arrest warrant, the red seal on it making Cai Qingni’s eye muscles twitch uncontrollably.
"Are you sure you've made a mistake somewhere?" Cai Qingni realized something was wrong and softened her tone.
“Come back with us and we’ll talk. Everything you say will be used against you in court. Do you know where Xie Siya is?” Link waved Cai Qingni away, then inquired about Xie Siya instead.
Cai Qingni subconsciously glanced at the crowd, where Xie Siya was hidden. He had just seen her. The crowd was closely watching this sudden event. Hearing their conversation and seeing Cai Qingni's actions and eyes, they immediately made way, and Xie Siya stood quietly at the end of the path.
Link waved for his two men to handcuff Cai Qingni, while he led the documents and people toward Xie Siya.
"Are you Xie Siya?" Link asked.
“Yes. That’s right. I am.” Xie Siya nodded and said.
“We suspect you are involved in a murder case. Please come back with us to assist with the investigation!” Link said.
“No problem.” Xie Siya didn’t try to argue. She nodded in agreement. The two were taken out by the special police and locked in a police car. From that day on, no one in Jiangdong City ever saw the Cai family father and son again, nor Cai Qingni’s lover, Xie Siya. They seemed to have vanished into thin air. The Cai family, which had held power in Jiangdong City for decades, collapsed overnight.
public security bureau.
Zheng Guo, the secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, and Wang Gang, the bureau chief, were in the conference room, full of confidence, when the prosecutors suddenly burst in, startling them. Zheng Guo had only recently been promoted to secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, barely settled into his post, and today he found an excuse to launch into a tirade in the Public Security Bureau, giving them a stern lecture. His spittle flew everywhere. Guan Ling, the captain of the criminal investigation team, felt her eyebrows twitch and almost couldn't resist leaving the room on the spot.
"Zheng Guo, Secretary of the Political and Legal Committee of Jiangdong City, we suspect you of illegal bribery and accepting bribes. Please come back with us to assist in the investigation!" the prosecutor said sternly.
"Are you mistaken? I am Zheng Guo, the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission. If you want to investigate me, you must communicate with me in advance and obtain approval from your superiors." Zheng Guo was a little confused. What was going on here? This was not in accordance with the rules.
"Here's the document from above, please take a look." The prosecutor pulled out a document and handed it to Zheng Guo. After reading it, Zheng Guo felt his head buzz; it was an approval document from the Provincial Procuratorate. "Can I make a phone call first?" Zheng Guo felt his legs cramping and couldn't help but want to collapse on the ground.
"Okay. But we can only call one, we're in a hurry!" the prosecutor said understandingly.
“Okay, just one…” Zheng Guo nodded happily and dialed the municipal party committee office number. It took a long time for the office director to answer. “Hello, who is this?” This formulaic and unfamiliar question and answer once again struck Zheng Guo like a thunderclap, leaving him dizzy. Just two days ago, they were drinking and chatting with this municipal party committee office director, then went to karaoke, and finally even had a sauna with two chicken dishes each to warm their beds. Today, he didn't even recognize his own phone number. Was something about to change? Cold sweat broke out, and the phone slipped from his hand and fell to the ground with a thud.