I Cultivate in a Government Office

Chapter 77: Chapter 77: A Great Purge?

Yang Wenqing studied Wu Yan carefully and immediately understood his subordinate’s thinking. Wu Yan was afraid he wouldn’t want to investigate too deeply, which was why he had held information back during his report. After all, Yang Wenqing’s own career path was wide open; there was no need to stir up trouble at a time like this.

He didn’t dwell on the minor calculations of Wu Yan and Liu Rong, simply asking, "So, what are the results of the investigation?"

Wu Yan instinctively glanced at the conference room door. After making sure it was shut tight, he continued, "This whole business with Zhenyuan Mining runs deeper than we thought. Besides their previously known connection to the Deputy Director of the Civil Affairs Bureau’s General Affairs Department, Zhou Cheng, we also discovered they have people in several influential county departments, like the Resource Management Section and the Port District Planning Office—or at least people who’ve been paid off by them."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "But that’s not the most important part. More importantly, we followed the flow of funds and several key approval records, tracing a line all the way up to the city. It ultimately points to the Zhang family of Dongyang Town."

"The Zhang family of Dongyang Town?" Yang Wenqing’s gaze hardened.

The Zhang family of Dongyang Town was a large Clan alliance influential throughout the entire Donghai Province. Many of its members held key positions in the City Defense System and the Civil Affairs Bureau.

"Correct. The same Zhang family that Bureau Chief Zhang comes from," Wu Yan confirmed. "They did it very covertly, funneling it through several layers of front men and shell companies, but the core transfer of benefits ultimately points to certain businesses run by the Zhang family in the city."

He then added cautiously, "However, I suspect it’s limited to some business ties. Even if this does turn into a real case, it probably won’t be traceable back to the Zhang family."

Yang Wenqing nodded. A powerful family like that likely dealt with countless legal entanglements every day. Their internal Clan rules were probably even stricter than the laws of Wanxuan. Take his own Yang Family Village for example—though pitifully small, it had hundreds of internal regulations. The Clan’s children were taught these rules from a young age. And while there were always a few useless scoundrels, the majority understood the importance of the greater good.

He took a deep breath. His sharp gaze swept over Wu Yan and Liu Rong as he instructed in a very grave tone, "The matter of the Zhang family stops here. I will do my best to communicate with Bureau Chief Gao. If he says we can continue investigating, we will. If not, then this conversation never happened. Understand?"

"Understood!" Wu Yan and Liu Rong were both well aware of the stakes.

"Have you finished investigating the victim and his relationships?" Yang Wenqing asked, changing the subject.

Wu Yan immediately shifted gears and reported, "Li Mo. He’d been an accountant at Zhenyuan Mining for nearly twenty years. He had a reputation for being extremely cautious and meticulous, to the point of being timid. To use his colleagues’ words, he was the kind of person who’d be scared a falling leaf might hit him on the head."

He flipped open the notebook he carried with him, which was filled with detailed notes from their inquiries. "He’s forty-five years old and facing a typical midlife crisis. At work, younger employees with better connections were promoted past him. His chances of becoming the finance supervisor were growing increasingly slim, and he had been effectively sidelined."

Liu Rong added from the side, her voice tinged with a nearly imperceptible sigh, "We visited his home. Right now, his wife is less concerned about who the killer is and more about how much compensation the company will offer. They have an elderly parent on long-term medication, a child in middle school, huge expenses, and a mortgage with over a decade left to pay."

"Li Mo’s death is a devastating blow to his family, but his wife mostly shows a kind of... numbness, as if she’s been crushed by reality, and a desperate need for the compensation money."

Wu Yan picked up the thread. "Li Mo’s cowardice and fear are a reflection of countless middle-aged men just like him. They’re afraid of losing their relatively stable jobs, but even more terrified that if they collapse, they won’t be able to fulfill their responsibilities as a son, a husband, and a father."

Yang Wenqing listened in silence, his mind sketching out the image of an ordinary employee, his sharp edges worn down by life, struggling cautiously through each day. He then suddenly thought of Chen Dahai’s family situation. The minds of both men were in a perpetually strained state, easily guided into extremist thinking with just a little push.

Just then, Wu Yan lowered his voice to reveal the most critical piece of information. "We did a thorough search of Li Mo’s office desk and his home. We discovered that before his death, he had already realized something was wrong with the company’s accounts and was secretly keeping his own records. The main reason we could trace that line to the Zhang family so quickly was thanks to the documents and notes he left behind."

Yang Wenqing’s gaze hardened.

The image of the victim grew clearer in his mind: a timid yet conscientious old accountant who, under the heavy pressure of his life, stumbled upon his company’s secrets. As a result, his inner terror must have reached its peak.

’A person like that would undoubtedly be the perfect offering for some evil ritual!’

But Yang Wenqing showed no emotion. He lowered his head in thought for a dozen or so seconds before looking at Wu Yan. "It’s time to try interrogating the Wang father and son."

The three of them exited the conference room. Wu Yan immediately went to the holding cells to get the Wang father and son, while Liu Rong deliberately slowed her pace to fall behind.

Once Wu Yan was a good distance away, Liu Rong moved closer to Yang Wenqing and explained with a hint of apology, "Wenqing, about the Zhang family... I was planning to wait until we had something more concrete, or for a more opportune moment to give you a detailed report. I didn’t intentionally go along with Wu Yan in hiding it from you."

Yang Wenqing glanced at Liu Rong and nodded, his tone placid. "I understand what you mean, and I understand Old Wu’s concerns as well. Go assist Old Wu with the interrogation for now. See if you can pry any leads from the Wang father and son."