When the true state of the Seventh Drug Rehabilitation Center was laid bare before the officials, it was akin to lifting the lid off a stew pot left simmering all afternoon—only one word could describe it: rotten.

Rotten wasn't the fragrant vegetables and meat; it was the shocking, foul-smelling corruption, decay, and moral collapse.

The armed police soldiers confiscated enough drug proceeds and paraphernalia from the inmates' quarters to fill three entire storage trunks. Rumor had it that a major figure was coming to purge this den of drugs, and the number of people crying out to report things was countless, their voices echoing through the dormitory buildings.

Qin Xue sat in the largest conference room of the rehabilitation center, his face grim, with Ji Yunlei seated beside him, detailing the bizarre and circuitous experiences of the past six months.

The truth was, Ji Yunlei had completed his rehabilitation before the Lunar New Year and had returned to a normal life after leaving the center. Furthermore, the facility where he had undergone treatment was not the Jiangzhou City Seventh Drug Rehabilitation Center, but the Third.

During his time at the Third Center, he had met a woman named Li Mengru; both were recovering addicts, and a shared bond grew into affection the longer they spent time together.

After being clean, Ji Yunlei opened an online shop, determined to leave behind his idle days to prevent relapse. Li Mengru also frequently met and spent time with him post-rehab. However, shortly after the Lunar New Year, Li Mengru relapsed.

Ji Yunlei was the one who personally escorted her to the Seventh Drug Rehabilitation Center.

Later, Li Mengru, undergoing mandatory rehabilitation there, began asking Ji Yunlei for money whenever he visited—and each time, the amounts were substantial. Ji Yunlei sensed something was amiss. After careful observation, he discovered several new marks on her arm that looked suspiciously like cigarette burns.

No official rehabilitation drug regimen would ever utilize the method of heating and inhaling to administer medication to inmates. This meant that Li Mengru, forcibly detained in the center, had managed to relapse into drug use under heavy supervision.

A chill ran down Ji Yunlei’s spine. How had she done it?

He directly challenged her, threatening to report her to the center if she didn't reveal the truth.

Li Mengru, with no other choice, divulged the secret. But the truth struck Ji Yunlei like a sudden clap of thunder, leaving him stunned on the spot: Li Mengru’s supply originated from the center's own staff. A full quarter of the inmates at the entire Seventh Drug Rehabilitation Center were using this channel to relapse.

Ignoring Li Mengru’s warning, Ji Yunlei went back and called in a report. However, his tip vanished like a stone sinking into the sea, causing not so much as a ripple.

He then went to the Jiangzhou City Letters and Visits Office to report it, where he received a relatively fair reception. He told them everything he knew. Yet, the very next morning, several uninvited guests stormed into his rented apartment and, without preamble, seized him and sent him to the Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital.

Committed as mentally ill.

Ji Yunlei’s real-world experience wasn't as extensive as Wang Zhuo's; he should have been in despair facing such a situation. But, by chance, he was fond of films like Prison Break, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Shawshank Redemption, and Get the Gringo, and had even watched the old Japanese film Stray Dog. After a battle of wits and evasions, he actually managed to escape the mental hospital.

As he recounted this part, the assembled leaders and officers struggled between wanting to laugh and fearing to do so. Some with vivid imaginations were already contemplating whether his experience could form the basis of a novel—and perhaps, if adapted into a film or TV series, it might even become a hit, earning a fortune.

Of course, any discerning eye knew that Qin Xue would absolutely suppress this story. This modern-day Du Qiu’s tale would most likely only be passed by word of mouth before finally rotting away in the collective memory of those present.

After escaping Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital, Ji Yunlei made minimal preparations, hid for two days, and then bought a high-speed rail ticket, intending to travel to the capital to appeal directly to the central government. Throughout this entire ordeal, he kept his mother, Li Yunzhi, and his sister, Ji Qiong, completely in the dark. On one hand, he didn't want to burden them; on the other, he was driven by a desperate pride, wanting to accomplish something significant to show them.

He hadn't sought Wang Zhuo’s help for similar reasons, plus he understood that his sister and Wang Zhuo inhabited different worlds. He didn't want to lose face by begging Wang Zhuo for assistance with his own troubles.

Thus, armed with two thousand yuan gifted by classmates, he arrived at the high-speed rail station. Beforehand, he had used connections to confirm that he was not on the police department's wanted list for online pursuit. He assumed this meant he could board the real-name registered bullet train smoothly, but less than two minutes after passing the ticket check, he was apprehended.

Hearing this, Wang Zhuo interjected with a wry smile: "Are you an idiot? They catch those on the online wanted list, but they wouldn't catch someone heading to the capital to present a grievance? Given your circumstances, you fit that description perfectly; you were guaranteed to be added to the apprehension roster."

The conference room fell silent. Qin Xue sipped his tea, while the other leaders shifted uncomfortably or cleared their throats. Such messy affairs were not unique to Jiangzhou; they were endemic nationwide, present in every province and city—an established bureaucratic unspoken rule. But Wang Zhuo was the first commoner they had ever encountered who dared voice it openly in such a setting.

"I was indeed quite foolish," Ji Yunlei admitted honestly. "After they grabbed me onto the train, they said exactly that. It was identical to what you said."

Wang Zhuo sneered: "Why do you think they told you that?"

"They figured I was a dead man walking, so telling me wouldn't matter," Ji Yunlei said with a self-deprecating laugh. "The river embankment project in Dongchang—the people at the bottom of society know exactly what that means."

The leaders remained silent, but their expressions suggested they understood the implications of the river embankment project perfectly. Qin Xue, who had just put down his cup, immediately frowned deeply.

Pi Shaochong and Xiao Wanjun, the chief and deputy secretaries, started sweating. They had heard murmurs about the embankment work, but Qin Xue had only been in Jiangzhou for just under two years and truly knew nothing about this sordid business.

However, when everyone else exhibited signs of recognizing the issue, and Qin Xue, the top official governing the region, was kept in the dark, the problem suddenly became serious.

What do leaders care about most? They care most about matters that have become common knowledge among the lower ranks while they themselves are kept ignorant—it signifies incompetence, something every superior finds hardest to tolerate.

Indeed, Qin Xue directly addressed Ji Yunlei: "Don't keep us in suspense. Speak plainly."

Ji Yunlei also sensed the atmosphere shift, realizing he had unintentionally uncovered a massive secret. He spoke, both excited and nervous: "It’s actually... it’s much like the illegal brick kilns or coal mines. I only heard it from others; I have no proof."

"What is there to be afraid of saying?" Wang Zhuo sneered without restraint, adding: "No personal freedom, meager rations, constant beatings—if they get maimed, they’re sold to the Beggars’ Sect to roam the country begging. If they’re killed, they’re buried straight in the river dyke. In my view, these people deserve to die, because what right does a powerless commoner have? After all, the New China has no Dou E or Meng Jiangnü; only the people in capitalist societies suffer tribulations."

"Bang!"

Qin Xue slammed the table violently, startling all the officials present.

"Get out!" Qin Xue pointed a grim face at Wang Zhuo. He could no longer tolerate this unrestrained, sharp-tongued youth.

Wang Zhuo gave a silent sneer, rose, and walked out grandly. He had a few more sarcastic remarks ready, but considering the Provincial Party Secretary’s standing, he swallowed them.

Ji Yunlei was deeply shaken by Wang Zhuo's demeanor and remained lost in thought for a long time. This was Qin Xue—a vice-ministerial official under fifty, a man who might enter the Politburo Standing Committee, possibly even aim for the highest office in the nation. Did Wang Zhuo have the gall? To mock and ridicule someone like that in front of him—this wasn't just powerful; it was suicidal.

The atmosphere in the conference room immediately grew heavy, as if brewing a thunderstorm. Outside, however, Wang Zhuo felt quite content. Having the chance to slap these bureaucratic faces felt intensely satisfying.

Walking to the window, he took a deep breath of fresh air. While casually observing the activity inside the conference room, he strolled to the end of the corridor until he was sure the four armed police guards stationed at the door couldn't hear him. Only then did he take out his phone and dial Yuan Xinyu.

The call connected instantly. He chuckled softly and said, "Director Yuan, were you getting impatient?"

"Not impatient, hehe, not impatient," Yuan Xinyu said, though in reality, he was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

His two vehicles were parked on the street near the rehabilitation center. Ever since Qin Xue's motorcade entered, he had been waiting for Wang Zhuo's call, yet he dared not call Wang Zhuo first. An opportunity to perform was right in front of him, but without instructions, he couldn't act.

Wang Zhuo's gaze suddenly turned deep and unfocused. Within his line of sight, a panicked figure was moving quickly, head down. While tracking this person's movements, he told Yuan Xinyu: "You must immediately take your men to the outer perimeter wall on the east side of the rehabilitation center and cordon off that street. If any suspicious individual appears, arrest him immediately!"

"Understood, understood! I’ll be in position right away!" Yuan Xinyu responded, both excited and nervous.

"Tell your men, they must withstand the test," Wang Zhuo warned emphatically before hanging up.

Yuan Xinyu hastily directed his subordinates, driving to the east side of the rehabilitation center. Before they could even finalize their deployment positions, a sharp-eyed subordinate exclaimed: "Director, look over there!"

The officers all followed his gaze and saw Chen Libin, a man of slightly stout build, climbing down from a second-story window of a corner building using a rope tied to an indoor pipe.

His clothes were disheveled, his expression frantic, and a large travel bag lay on the ground, clearly tossed out beforehand. Who could be more suspicious than him?

"Damn it all!" Yuan Xinyu’s forehead wrinkles smoothed out with unrestrained joy as he waved his hand wildly: "Get him!"