Chapter 66: Should We Teach Him a Lesson?

Yun Ketian chimed in from the side, "Brother Lu, should we teach him a lesson?"

"Of course he needs to be taught a lesson, but how should we go about it? We can’t just show up at his door and give him a beating—that’s beneath me," Lu Ming replied, blowing out a smoke ring.

At this, Yun Ketian leaned closer and whispered, "Brother Lu, there are plenty of ways to deal with him."

Qin Lan eyed the two of them, noticing their furtive behavior. "What are you two plotting?"

"Since that editor-in-chief is abusing his power, we’ll make him reap what he’s sown," Yun Ketian said smugly.

…

At noon, in the Linxi Pavilion Grand Hotel.

In a lavish private room, Guo Zhennin, the editor-in-chief of the Xijing Daily, was seated at the head of the table, surrounded by flattery and deference.

Liu Qiming, the director of Yongxing Chemical Factory, sat below with two alluring female managers keeping him company.

The two women incessantly encouraged Guo Zhennin to drink and eat, their ample bosoms brushing against him as they hovered at his side. Guo Zhennin reveled in the attention, with a woman on each arm.

After some rounds of drinking, Guo Zhennin set down his glass and addressed Liu Qiming.

"Qiming, you’d better keep a low profile these days. That troublemaker Yang Pengyi tried to expose you again, but luckily I caught wind of it and suppressed the story. Otherwise, you’d all be in hot water."

Liu Qiming responded immediately, "I know, I know. That guy’s been watching me like a hawk for ages, it’s driving me crazy."

"I’m sick of him too. Always stirring up trouble for me. This time, I finally caught him in a mistake and reported it. He’s getting fired," Guo Zhennin said.

"Good, good!" Liu Qiming applauded. "He’s a real nuisance. Getting rid of him is for the best."

As he spoke, Liu Qiming glanced at Guo Zhennin and added with a laugh, "Editor-in-chief Guo, just this morning I had a million sent to your wife, so she can buy herself some new clothes."

Guo Zhennin’s face darkened. "What’s the point of all these gestures, really?"

"It’s just for your wife to buy some clothes, please don’t be upset, there’s no other intention," Liu Qiming said with a smile.

Guo Zhennin shook his head, "Don’t do this again."

"Of course, of course. Understood," Liu Qiming replied, carefully serving Guo Zhennin another dish.

As wine flowed and courses were served, Guo Zhennin became tipsy, his attention drifting to the two female managers.

Liu Qiming gave them a discreet signal, which the women immediately understood.

"Editor-in-chief Guo, you’ve had enough to drink. Let us help you upstairs to rest," they said, supporting him as they led him out, with Liu Qiming smiling obsequiously at their side.

Once Guo Zhennin was out of sight, Liu Qiming straightened up, his face hardening. He spat in the direction of the door.

"What a piece of work—pretending to be so upright. You’re just the editor-in-chief of a petty newspaper; if it weren’t for the money, would I bother flattering you like this?"

Liu Qiming felt a deep sense of resentment. As the head of a large company worth hundreds of millions, it was humiliating to have to curry favor with a mere newspaper editor. But, despite the modest title, the editor’s influence was immense.

His chemical plant had long failed to meet environmental standards and had been secretly dumping waste. Several times this had nearly been exposed, but each time Liu Qiming had managed to smooth things over with money.

This time, however, Yang Pengyi had latched onto the case and refused to let go, giving Liu Qiming a major headache. If the truth came out, not only would the plant be shut down, but the fines would be astronomical—something he simply could not afford.

Fortunately, he had long since allied himself with Guo Zhennin. On previous occasions, when journalists tried to report the violations, it was always Guo Zhennin who suppressed the news.

When the latest incident broke, and he saw it was that infamously stubborn reporter Yang Pengyi behind it, Liu Qiming knew trouble was brewing.

He had always been wary of journalists, and Yang Pengyi’s doggedness was well known. So Liu Qiming spared no expense, sending Guo Zhennin two million to take care of the matter.

Learning that Guo Zhennin was planning to fire Yang Pengyi, Liu Qiming gritted his teeth and sent another million. As long as he got through this crisis, he doubted any journalist would dare come after him again.

With this thought, Liu Qiming chuckled coldly and left the room.

He had already installed a hidden camera in Guo Zhennin’s suite. After today, he had no intention of ever giving him another cent.

…

In the provincial government compound, Yun Ketian returned to Villa No. 1 carrying a case.

Yun Shenguo was off work that day, enjoying a post-lunch nap on the sofa.

Seeing his son’s face still swollen and bruised, Yun Shenguo frowned and asked, "What happened to your face?"

"It’s nothing, I was horsing around with Mr. Lu and took a fall," Yun Ketian replied with an awkward laugh.

Hearing that he was with Mr. Lu, Yun Shenguo let it go.

At that moment, Yun Ketian set the case down on the coffee table. "Dad, Mr. Lu asked me to deliver something to you."

At the mention of Mr. Lu, Yun Shenguo immediately sat up straight.

Anything from Mr. Lu was to be taken seriously.

"What is it?" he asked.

Yun Ketian smiled, "Why don’t you open it and see for yourself?"

Though skeptical, Yun Shenguo slowly opened the case.

The moment he saw what was inside, his face was filled with shock. For a long while, all he could say was, "Is this authentic?"

"If it comes from Mr. Lu, how could it be anything else?" Yun Ketian replied. With this confirmation, Yun Shenguo could no longer contain his excitement. His hands trembled as he stroked the dragon’s head.

This was a national treasure of immense symbolic significance, its every return capturing the hearts of an entire nation.

Now, by some miracle, he had the chance to hold it in his own hands.

After a long time, Yun Shenguo regained his composure and asked, "What did Mr. Lu say?"

"Mr. Lu said to hand it over to the state. Nothing more," Yun Ketian replied.

Yun Shenguo thought for a moment and said, "This is a major event. A grand ceremony will be necessary to celebrate its return."

Yun Ketian quickly added, "Dad, Mr. Lu said not to let anyone know it was from him."

"Then we’ll just say it was donated anonymously," Yun Shenguo smiled.

Yun Ketian understood his father’s intention.

The return of a national treasure was no trivial matter and needed to be done with due pomp. It was also an excellent opportunity to boost his father’s reputation.

After all, countless people across China had worked for the return of the twelve zodiac heads. If the public learned that Yun Shenguo was responsible for returning one, his prestige would soar.

Seeing his father so elated, Yun Ketian said, "Dad, there’s something I want to talk to you about."

"Go ahead," Yun Shenguo replied, still glowing with excitement.

"I heard that the director of the Xijing Municipal Party Committee Office is about to be transferred?"

"Why do you care about things like that?" Yun Shenguo replied, his eyes still fixed on the dragon’s head.

"Well, Mr. Lu has a friend who’s a reporter at the Xijing Daily and seems to have suffered some unfair treatment. Mr. Lu asked if there’s anything we could do."

Yun Ketian sneaked a look at his father’s expression. After all, matters of official appointments were not things he should meddle in.

But since it was Mr. Lu’s request, Yun Shenguo took it seriously.

Sizing up his son for a moment, Yun Shenguo asked, "What’s this person’s name?"

"I think it’s Yang Pengyi."

"Him? I’ve heard of him—a famously stubborn fellow," Yun Shenguo chuckled.

"You’ve heard of him too?" Yun Ketian was surprised.

Yun Shenguo laughed, "Met him once. He’s the kind who won’t even give the municipal party secretary face. Hard to forget him."

Yun Ketian fell silent and simply watched his father.

After a moment’s thought, Yun Shenguo said slowly, "He’s not bad. Our department could use someone as principled as him to shake things up a bit."

Pacing the living room, Yun Shenguo continued, "Here’s what I’ll do—I’ll ask Old Zhang to bring him on as a deputy first, so he can get familiar with the work. In a couple of months, when the current director is transferred, he can take over officially."

"Great, Dad! I’ll tell Mr. Lu right away," Yun Ketian said with a smile.

Yun Shenguo looked at his son and said with a laugh, "When dealing with Mr. Lu, be mindful of your limits—don’t be too mischievous."

"I know, Dad," Yun Ketian replied, clutching his black eye as he retreated to his room.

Watching his son go, Yun Shenguo shook his head with a smile. "You little rascal, I know it was your idea to help Mr. Lu out."

With that, Yun Shenguo picked up the phone, found a number, and dialed.

…

By the banks of the Wei River, watching the rushing water, Yang Pengyi felt a sudden urge to leap in.

He had always done his job conscientiously and maintained his integrity, yet his colleagues disliked him and his superiors found him troublesome.

Now, over some trivial matter, they were planning to fire him. Wasn’t it just because he wanted to expose the problems at Yongxing Chemical Factory? Would Guo Zhennin have defended them so fervently if he hadn’t been in their pocket?

Yang Pengyi, stubborn as he was, was no fool. He had graduated from a respectable university and become a reporter on his own merit.

Yet after more than a decade of work, he felt utterly exhausted and deeply guilty toward his wife and two children.

Had he not clung so tightly to his principles—had he relaxed a little—his family wouldn’t have had to struggle so much, and his wife wouldn’t have to get up at dawn every day to sell breakfast on the street.

Slowly, Yang Pengyi stepped onto the riverbank, walking up to the guardrail.

"Maybe if I jump, everything will be over."

Just as this thought crossed his mind, his phone suddenly rang.

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