Chapter 136: Thanks to Wu Ya

“Team Leader Liu, get to the point! Today is not about whether you are a deputy or not! The question is, what was the origin of this matter! Did you, or did you not, understand?”

Did you understand?

Director Wang slammed the table, his face instantly turning gloomy.

Team Leader Liu was taken aback.

He understood.

This was a clear reflection of Director Wang’s extreme displeasure with his actions!

He had only himself to blame for turning his back at the last minute and attempting to abandon Team Leader Fan!

At this moment, he wished he could slap himself across the face to end it all.

Cleverness had become his undoing.

He had thought that such a surprise tactical pivot would win him the appreciation of both directors.

After all, this was a balancing act he had racked his brains to conceive just moments ago.

It would neither offend Director Zhou nor allow the situation to escalate further.

Who could have imagined that before Director Zhou even expressed his stance, his own director would fly into a rage.

How could he possibly know?

The current situation had already ridden the tiger and made dismounting impossible.

What began as a mere dispute between merchants had escalated into a high-stakes game of chess between two bureau directors!

Things were already reaching a boiling point, and yet he wanted to pull the ladder away?

This was no balancing act.

This was an attempt to throw Director Wang halfway to his doom!

“Yes, yes, yes, this subordinate understands, I understand.”

Yet he dared not talk back.

He could only nod like a pecking chick and, following another preset narrative, began to explain in detail.

The general meaning and main thread were still not much different from Team Leader Fan’s version!

Except…

“What did you say? That Wu Ya and Chai Yanfen address each other as brother and sister?”

The detail of Wu Ya stepping forward—which had been absent in Team Leader Fan’s account—was instantly seized upon by Director Zhou.

“That’s right! At the time, Wu Ya claimed he could make decisions on behalf of Chai Yanfen regarding her stall! Furthermore, whatever he agreed to, Chai Yanfen would certainly agree to as well. If he didn’t agree, even if Chai Yanfen consented, it wouldn’t count! Therefore, we brought him back along with her.”

Seeing that Director Zhou was interested in this detail, Team Leader Liu hastily described it once more, true to every fact.

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Director Wang…

Hiss—

A chill rushed straight to the top of his head!

Director Wang was currently glaring at him with blazing eyes.

The look on his face suggested he wanted to swallow him alive!

“What is going on? Did I say something wrong?”

The consecutive blunders of not knowing where he had erred filled Team Leader Liu’s heart with intense anxiety.

Yet one thing he knew for certain: the bureau chief was thoroughly dissatisfied with him!

A thick wave of terror flooded his mind.

Would he be banished to the suburbs because of this?

Or would it delay his return to the main office?

Or perhaps his entire future would be compromised?

A flurry of question marks assaulted his every thought.

“This damned idiot! Does he really have a pig’s brain inside that human skull? Explaining the relationship between Wu Ya and Chai Yanfen in such explicit detail! Since they are like brother and sister, what the hell kind of obstruction of official duties is there to speak of?”

Director Wang’s back teeth were grinding together with a cracking sound!

Sure enough.

“Heh, Team Leader Liu, since they are like brother and sister, on what grounds do you accuse them of obstructing official duties?”

Director Zhou shifted his tone and went on the offensive.

“This…”

Struck by this sudden question, Team Leader Liu finally understood why his bureau chief was so furious.

Words already spoken, however, could no longer be retrieved like spilled water.

Taking them back was utterly impossible.

What should he do?

In his desperation…

“They claim to be brother and sister, true! But they are not biological siblings; they are merely close friends through business cooperation! Besides, Wu Ya said he could make decisions for Chai Yanfen’s stall, yet even after Chai Yanfen agreed to our conditions, Wu Ya continued to make unreasonable disturbances. Doesn’t that still constitute obstructing official duties?”

He finally managed to cobble together a flimsy excuse.

The two were not true biological siblings!

And since they weren't biological siblings, they were merely using the guise of a sibling relationship to obstruct official duties!

“Mm…”

Director Wang finally nodded.

A trace of relief flashed across his eyes.

His subordinate wasn't a total fool after all!

“Heh, then it seems the crux of the matter is whether the relationship between Wu Ya and Chai Yanfen is truly closer than blood, and whether Wu Ya can genuinely make decisions for Chai Yanfen’s stall!”

Without any hesitation, Director Zhou directly combed out the core of the issue.

Two points.

First, the relationship between Wu Ya and Chai Yanfen.

Second, whether Wu Ya could indeed make decisions regarding Chai Yanfen’s stall as he claimed!

If he could, it meant the stall belonged to Wu Ya just as much!

Whether or not they agreed to the conditions offered by Team Leader Liu was merely an internal disagreement between the two of them!

As for obstructing official duties?

It was nothing more than sophistry!

Straightening out this premise came first before handling what followed.

Causing Director Wang to lose face while fueling his anger would make the next steps much easier to manage.

“Someone, bring Wu Ya and Chai Yanfen over here.”

Thought must be followed by immediate action.

He would give the opposition no breathing room or chance to think!

It was a deeply ingrained method characteristic of a veteran criminal investigator.

Very soon.

Wu Ya and Chai Yanfen walked in.

One behind the other, the former calm, the latter apprehensive.

Yet faintly, Chai Yanfen led Wu Ya by half a step!

Clearly, her subconscious was still trying to protect Wu Ya!

“Both directors, I am willing to submit to the management of the market department. As long as you drop the matter against Wu Ya, I am willing to do anything!”

The moment she stepped through the door, Chai Yanfen repeated the exact words she had uttered countless times already.

She was once again hoping to trade her own submission for Wu Ya’s safety.

After all, she could tell.

This Director Zhou definitely knew Wu Ya.

However, Director Wang was here too!

The so-called official protection of one's own.

Could this man's authority possibly match Director Wang's?

Otherwise, in a situation where she was clearly the one being bullied, why would they go to such great lengths to put on a show and conduct an investigation?

Obviously, they were just putting on a front to offer some comfort to ordinary people like them!

How could she possibly know?

Putting on a front—yes, that part was true.

Yet this front was not meant for the two of them.

It was meant for their adversaries!

It was merely the prelude in preparation for disposing of these two pieces of trash!

“Sister Chai, what wrong have we done? Why should we choose to back down? I still say the same thing! Business is business; everyone operates independently, and naturally, some do better than others! If someone performs well, should they be suppressed by the market department? I ask you, how can society progress or the economy develop under such conditions? Therefore, I firmly disagree with any of the terms you’ve proposed!”

Yet Wu Ya remained resolute.

At the same time, he reached out and grabbed Chai Yanfen’s hand, signaling her to rest easy!

Formal procedures had already begun, and while they were in the adjoining rooms, communication between them had been strictly forbidden.

Consequently, Wu Ya could only use this method to reassure Chai Yanfen.

Otherwise, out of ignorance and panicked anxiety, she would constantly cry out about making concessions.

Not only would it waste time, but it would also make things difficult for Director Zhou.

Sure enough, following Wu Ya’s cue, Sister Chai immediately fell silent.

“Let me ask you—Chai Yanfen, specifically. Is your relationship with Wu Ya truly so close that he can make decisions on behalf of your stall?”

Seeing that both had quieted down, Director Zhou began his inquiry.

“Yes! Without Wu Ya, my business would never be as thriving as it is today! It was his help that first taught me the dividends brought by catching onto market trends! Therefore, my stall is his stall!”

My stall is his stall!

As she uttered these words, the lingering trace of fear in Chai Yanfen’s heart was swept away entirely.

Not only was the statement resolute, but it was also delivered with unyielding strength!

“Good!”

Director Zhou exclaimed, casting a glance at Director Wang beside him before continuing, “Now, tell us the specific origins of today’s incident.”

“Let me explain.”

Wu Ya pulled Chai Yanfen behind him and stepped forward himself.

He feared Chai Yanfen might still harbor reservations and fail to speak the unvarnished truth.

As Wu Ya recounted the events, not only Director Zhou’s expression, but Director Wang’s face as well grew increasingly gloomy.

He had come today indeed to back his subordinates.

Yet that backing was based on the premise that their actions were righteous and they were being bullied!

Listening now, however, it was glaringly obvious that they were the ones bullying others!

They had relied on their official backing to act recklessly and arbitrarily suppress merchants!

Business inherently involved competition.

If someone was selling well, shouldn't they be valued and given greater publicity?

Shouldn't that success be used to spur poorly performing merchants to strive harder?

And what had they done instead?

They had sided with merchants blinded by jealousy to deliberately suppress a rising star!

If the higher-ups ever found out that he not only failed to champion entrepreneurial role models among laid-off workers, but instead turned a blind eye to their persecution and even personally came to support the oppressors?

The consequences could well be imagined.

He would likely be stripped of his position entirely!

At best, he would be transferred away from his post, leaving his future bleak and tarnished.

“Enough! Wu Ya, let me ask you—is every single word you’ve spoken true and reliable?”

Finally, Director Wang could listen no longer.

He raised a hand to halt Wu Ya, then pressed him for confirmation.

“Every word I have said can be submitted as evidence! If there is even the slightest falsehood in the future, I am willing to bear the legal consequences!”

Wu Ya’s response was resolute, firm, and decisive.

He radiated uprightness without a shred of guilt or timidity in his demeanor.

Compared to the two team leaders, it was a striking display of justice triumphing over evil!

Naturally, Director Wang believed him.

“Director Zhou, I apologize. It was my failure to investigate properly that led me to act on impulse. If not for you, I would have ruined my reputation and wrecked my official career!”

Though this Director Wang was intensely protective of his subordinates—even willing to butt heads with Director Zhou on their behalf—he was nonetheless forthright.

Had he not crossed paths with Director Zhou, had the latter not stubbornly refused to yield and insisted on getting to the bottom of the matter...

Disaster would have struck sooner or later without his knowledge!

To say nothing else, take Chai Yanfen.

Assuming she had made concessions this time, what about the next time?

Clearly, their mindsets differed, and the resulting outcomes would certainly differ as well!

If her business remained prosperous in the future and those merchants united once more, would Chai Yanfen be willing to swallow this injustice again?

Certainly not!

When livelihoods were at stake, there could be no forbearance.

Driven to the edge, wouldn't she go and file an official complaint?

And how would he conduct himself when that time came?

Losing face was a trivial matter; losing his official position meant losing everything!

Therefore, at this moment, his gratitude toward Director Zhou was entirely sincere.

“Hahaha, there’s no need for such formalities between us! In fact, Brother Wang, there is another reason why I acted as I did. And this reason is of paramount importance to you!”

Director Zhou waved a hand dismissively, his expression humble.

Yet his final sentence caused Director Wang’s scalp to tighten instantly!

A veteran criminal investigator telling him there was a matter of paramount importance to him?

What matter?

Naturally, a major one!

Would words like "paramount importance" ever cross the lips of a bureau chief lightly?

“Director Zhou, please enlighten me!”

Director Wang rose swiftly to his feet and bowed respectfully to Director Zhou!

This gesture caught Director Zhou completely off guard.

“Director Wang, please don’t do that. It was merely a trifling matter, no need for such courtesy! The reason I interrogated your subordinates in your presence was so you could see their true faces. As for me, I have already secured evidence of them using official authority to bully the market, colluding inside and out, and engaging in corruption and lawbreaking! I hand this over to you now; handle it as you see fit.”

With his hands waving in a flurry, Director Zhou revealed his true intention.

Now it was Director Wang’s turn to be stunned.

“They actually dared to use their identities to bully the market? And colluded inside and out in corrupt and illegal acts?”

Bullying the market—how was that any different from local ruffians and bullies?

This was an act that could easily incite public anger!

If one day a certain merchant grew resentful and desperate enough to take their grievances straight to the higher authorities, and news of an official inspection began to spread, opportunists would undoubtedly flock in to kick them while they were down.

Once all the merchants stepped forward to bear witness, forget these two bastards—even he would lose his official position and livelihood!

“Director Zhou, is this true? If it is, then you are my savior!”

Having sorted out the stakes, Director Wang felt a surge of even deeper gratitude.

Yet—

“Heh, if we are talking about gratitude, the person you should thank the most is actually this young man, Wu Ya!”

Wu Ya?

Hearing Director Zhou mention this so abruptly, Director Wang was stunned.

He had noticed that Director Zhou consistently favored Wu Ya.

Naturally, he had guessed there must be some connection between them.

Yet he never imagined that this seemingly insignificant kid was the one he ought to thank!

Could it be that this youth had blown the whistle on the corruption and illegal acts of his subordinates?

“Heh, these two subordinates of yours colluded with one of my subordinates. The reason I was able to secure the evidence all stems from this young brother! Without him, I wouldn't have found an opening to break through my subordinate, and consequently, I wouldn't have obtained the evidence against these two men of yours.”

Seeing Director Wang’s bewildered expression, Director Zhou smiled and explained.

“That means today I almost ended up repaying a kindness with enmity?”

“Indeed you did!”

“Hahaha…”

Laughter suddenly rippled through the office.

The previous saber-rattling tension and mutual hostility vanished without a trace.

Replaced entirely by an atmosphere of harmony.

Immediately afterward, Director Wang’s smile abruptly faded as he barked sharply, “Someone, take those two away and hand them over to the authorities for justice!”