I Cultivate in a Government Office

Chapter 208: Chapter 122: An Important Clue, a Smart and Terrifying Woman (Part 2)

After a few seconds, Vice Director Gao’s steady, slightly puzzled voice came through. "Wenqing, what’s happened? You’re using the highest-level communication channel at this hour."

"Director Gao, there’s been a major discovery, but the situation is extremely complex." Yang Wenqing was concise, quickly reporting how Liu Min’s cousin had delivered the ledgers.

"...Besides Vice Director Li, who has already been exposed, the ledgers clearly record that another vice director in charge of commerce, Vice Director Liu, and even County Magistrate Wang’s confidential secretary have been receiving long-term ’gifts’ from the Hongyuan Trading Company. There are also some key figures from the city."

"The one responsible for pulling strings for this network in both the county and the city is a political fixer nicknamed ’Gray Kite.’ He’s based in Coral City. Most importantly, the sources of multiple funding chains all seem to point toward the Zhang family’s Commerce Association in Lingshan Town."

Vice Director Gao’s brow furrowed deeply. His office fell into a long silence as his fingers tapped unconsciously on the desk—a habit of his when in deep thought.

Yang Wenqing didn’t press him, just waited quietly.

After two or three minutes, Vice Director Gao finally spoke. "Wenqing, this ledger is the kind of thing that could cause an earthquake in Qianjiao County. It’s dynamite that could even shake up the power structure in Coral City. Liu Min has handed you a sharp blade, but it also puts you, and us, on the edge of a volcano."

He paused, then asked, "Besides you, who else has seen the original ledgers? Does that man, Wu An, know the specific contents?"

"Since Wu An gave them to me, I’m the only one who’s seen them."

"Good. Wu An must be placed under strict protection immediately. Keep him at the public security station, just as you said. Assign our most reliable people—no, have Xia Meng personally handle his security. Check everything, his food, his living quarters."

Vice Director Gao gave the order decisively. "As for the ledgers, immediately create a summarized copy with only the key data, redacting the specific names and connections. This will be a backup for emergencies. For now, don’t let anyone but you touch the originals."

"Yes, sir."

"We’ll lie low for now."

Vice Director Gao said, word by word, "Now is not the time to reveal this. The backlash and chaos it would cause if made public would be disastrous. County Magistrate Wang would be the first to oppose it, there would be immense resistance from the city, and some might even resort to desperate measures."

"That’s all for now. I’ll meet with Liu Min first, then I’ll contact you. Keep your communication line open."

"Understood!"

"That’s it then. Be careful and protect yourself." With that, Vice Director Gao decisively ended the call.

「...」

In a confinement cell in the basement of the Qianjiao County Town Defense Sub-bureau, temporarily converted into a safe house.

Liu Min sat on a simple chair, dressed in plain clothes. Her expression was calm, but the faint dark circles under her eyes showed she hadn’t been resting well.

The door opened silently, and Gao Zhen walked in alone. He closed the door behind him and activated a portable sound-dampening ward.

"Director Gao."

Liu Min stood up.

Gao Zhen waved his hand, signaling for her to sit, and pulled over another chair for himself. He sat opposite her, a small square table between them.

"Wu An has already given the items to Wenqing."

Gao Zhen got straight to the point, his piercing gaze fixed on Liu Min’s eyes.

Liu Min didn’t seem surprised, merely humming softly in acknowledgment.

"Are you suspicious of the Zhang family?" Gao Zhen asked.

"Perhaps not the Zhang family, but just Director Zhang. On my second day in Lingshan Town, I discovered that this trading company’s financial reports were prepared in the same style as those from Director Zhang’s secretary..."

She paused to explain, "I was responsible for handling Director Zhang’s financial declarations."

Gao Zhen was visibly stunned. He hadn’t expected things to be so dramatic.

"Why didn’t you report it sooner?"

Liu Min looked up, meeting Gao Zhen’s gaze directly. "Report to whom? Before I could confirm just how big that network was, any rash move could have gotten me ’disappeared’ without a trace. I could only investigate and take notes on my own. And..."

She paused. "I needed the right time, and the right person."

Gao Zhen nodded, though it was unclear what he was confirming. He then asked, "So you gave the ledgers to Wenqing, and you also prompted Liu Rong and Wu Yan to investigate the Hongyuan Trading Company?"

Liu Min fell silent. The hand resting on her lap curled slightly.

"I did hope someone would poke at it, to see the reaction. But I never thought they would go straight for the kill. I thought it would be a warning at most..."

Gao Zhen’s eyes were calm as he continued, "You sensed long ago that the net was about to break, or rather, you had a premonition that you would soon be discovered."

"You needed a sufficiently impactful ’accident’ to break the stalemate, to completely muddy the waters, and to get the evidence you held into the hands of someone with enough influence to wield it like a knife."

Liu Min’s body began to tremble slightly. She raised her head to meet Gao Zhen’s eyes and said:

"Director Gao, this powder keg was bound to explode sooner or later. If it had been any later, I would have been buried inside it without a sound, without leaving a single trace. I just didn’t want to die so ambiguously. If it had to explode, I wanted it to make a loud bang."

"Liu Rong and Wu Yan... I’ve failed them. If there’s retribution to be had, I’ll accept it."

Gao Zhen was speechless for a long time. Then he stood up and said, "Get some rest. You’re safe here. You don’t have to worry anymore." After speaking, he didn’t look at Liu Min again and turned to leave decisively.

He returned to his office. After thinking for a long while, he contacted Director Qin at the city bureau through an encrypted channel to report the matter. Only after receiving clear instructions did he contact Yang Wenqing.

"Wenqing, I’ve reported the situation to Teacher Qin." Gao Zhen’s voice came through the encrypted channel. "His advice is to lie low until we have irrefutable, ironclad evidence."

"Therefore, your primary task is to sift through the ledgers for relatively peripheral figures who still hold some key information—for example, some of the junior clerks who handled specific transactions, or regular managers at the Commerce Association. We’ll start from the outside and work our way in, cross-referencing the information in the ledgers to verify its authenticity and secure the evidence."

"Remember, the chain of evidence must be complete. It has to withstand the most rigorous scrutiny."

"I understand. From the bottom up, from the periphery to the core." Yang Wenqing grasped the intent.

"Correct," Vice Director Gao continued.

"As for that political fixer, I’ll figure something out. Also, I’ll find a suitable opportunity to talk with Deputy Director Zhou. It’s about time to lay our cards on the table with him."

"Also, Liu Xin has received her orders. She will travel to Lingshan Town in secret to assist you. She’s experienced and one of our own. She can take a lot of pressure off you and ensure the confidentiality of certain core parts of the investigation."

After relaying all this, Vice Director Gao’s tone softened slightly. "Wenqing, with a major project like Lingshan Town, the stakes are too high and there are too many interested parties involved. Some gray areas, even some unsavory business, are inevitable."

"Take Wang Ze’en and Zhang Li, for instance. Do you really think their hands are completely clean after all this time in Lingshan Town? But as long as they don’t cross major lines and can keep the project moving forward, the higher-ups sometimes turn a blind eye. ’If the water is too clear, there will be no fish.’ You have to understand this principle."

"That even includes ourselves..."

Vice Director Gao lowered his voice, speaking with a hint of sincere frankness. "Whose family doesn’t have some business dealings or personal connections? As long as you don’t cross the line, don’t violate fundamental principles... I’m not telling you to go along with the corruption. I’m reminding you that when handling a case, you must focus on the primary issue."

These words were born of grim reality and political calculation, but more than that, they were a protective warning for Yang Wenqing. Gao feared that, being young and impetuous, he might get eager for a quick victory after obtaining such explosive evidence and try to overturn everything at once. That could lead to him getting burned, or even facing a joint backlash from all sides.

On his end of the line, Yang Wenqing listened to Vice Director Gao’s advice, but he felt no great stirrings in his heart, let alone any impulse to act rashly.

He was, in fact, calmer—or perhaps, more realistic—than Vice Director Gao imagined. The blade Liu Min had handed him was certainly sharp, but it was also scalding hot to the touch.

If he acted impulsively, he might not be able to avenge Liu Rong and Wu Yan, the truth of Lingshan Town could be buried forever, and he himself would likely become the first pawn sacrificed in this game of power.

"Director Gao, rest assured." Yang Wenqing’s voice was calm. "Our goal is to excise the tumor, not to carve up the entire body."

"Good! As long as you understand that, I can rest easy." Vice Director Gao’s tone finally relaxed completely. "Follow your plan. You need to be patient until Liu Xin arrives. And one more thing—when the time comes for a thunderous strike, a lot of people are going to have you in their sights. I hope you’ll be able to withstand the pressure then."

His tone in that last sentence was grave, and his meaning was clear. When the chain of evidence was complete and the investigation began to close in on the core, Yang Wenqing would still become a target for many. That moment would be different from the present, and when it arrived, Yang Wenqing would have to stand firm against the pressure.