Zhang Yang looked up slowly, casting a faint glance at Yu Wenwu. The principal figure had finally arrived.

Yu Wenwu didn't state his name, but his opening words served to announce his identity; after all, no one but this future County Magistrate Yu would speak to Zhang Yang in such a manner. Zhang Yang observed the man before him with detached interest.

He appeared to be in his early forties, somewhat lean, resembling an engineer or a professor—certainly a respectable figure. It was all because of his son, Zhang Yang mused.

His son had chosen the wrong person to provoke, and now that the situation had escalated, it fell to the father to clean up the mess. After a few measured looks, Zhang Yang lowered his gaze again, focusing on manipulating a Rubik's Cube he seemed to have acquired from somewhere.

In his previous life, Zhang Yang had never played with such a toy. As a child, he studied medicine under his grandfather and simply had no time; later, he was relentlessly focused on his career.

Only after transmigrating did he realize how much of childhood joy he had missed. Fortunately, he had a chance for compensation now, though for some people who had made grave mistakes, the opportunity to make amends might be gone forever.

"Zhang Yang!" Anger flared across Yu Wenwu's face. No one had ever treated him as invisible after addressing him.

He had come with what he considered genuine sincerity to resolve the issue, yet the other party completely ignored him. Of course, his perceived "genuine sincerity" was entirely subjective.

"Who are you? Do I know you?" Zhang Yang finally looked up, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Yu Wenwu was suddenly gripped by an impulse to bring his fists down hard on the young man's face. He didn't know that Xu Zeguang had harbored the exact same thought just moments earlier, only lacking the courage to act.

Taking two deep breaths, Yu Wenwu fought to calm his racing heart before speaking, "I am Yu Yong's father. It was wrong of him to damage your car.

I apologize on his behalf. You are both young men; let's not let a woman drive a wedge between us so deeply.

It benefits no one!" With that statement concluded, Yu Wenwu fixed his gaze directly on Zhang Yang, awaiting his reply. "Old fox!" Zhang Yang cursed inwardly, yet his expression remained unchanged.

He had encountered plenty of these wily old strategists. An apology, perhaps, but there was no sincerity in it.

Who apologizes while glaring so menacingly? Furthermore, Yu Wenwu had announced himself as the father, using a paternal identity to apologize for his son's wrongdoing.

This immediately shifted the conflict down to the level of two children's squabble. Then came the veiled threat: pushing things too far would harm everyone involved.

Given the old man's obtuse approach, Zhang Yang, who hadn't intended to let the matter slide easily in the first place, now certainly wouldn't. "That's not right.

Whoever commits a transgression should apologize themselves. Why should I let you stand in for him?

If he dared to do it, he must dare to admit it. Tell him to come and apologize himself!" Zhang Yang drawled the words out slowly, then returned his attention to the Rubik's Cube.

Yu Wenwu's breathing hitched violently, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. In all his years, in all his official capacity, he had never been treated with such outright disrespect.

Unfortunately, the current circumstances were against him; he needed to resolve this quickly. Otherwise, not only his future post as County Magistrate but also his current position could become unstable.

The key to solving the problem rested squarely on the man in front of him. No matter what, he had to stabilize him first.

"Fine, I will add one more condition: he will come to apologize to you personally!" Yu Wenwu uttered this through gritted teeth, feeling he was enduring the greatest insult of his life. Zhang Yang gave a slight shake of his head.

Indeed, rotten wood yields rotten fruit. This Yu Wenwu seemed to believe the entire world owed him and should revolve around him.

Zhang Yang genuinely wondered how such a person managed to climb the ranks to become a magistrate. Wait, he wasn't a magistrate yet.

"Hold on a moment, what do you mean by 'add another condition'?" Zhang Yang waved a hand dismissively. Yu Wenwu blinked in surprise, then quickly countered, "I have already offered three conditions: agreeing to compensate for your car, ceasing all inquiry into your relationship with Mi Xue, and Yu Yong personally apologizing to you.

Zhang Yang, we have shown immense sincerity!" As he spoke, Yu Wenwu fiercely suppressed the anger boiling within him, feeling on the verge of eruption. "You call that sincerity?" Zhang Yang spared him a look of contempt before continuing, "First, you damaged my car; compensation is what you should do—it's the bare minimum.

As for your second point, that's even more laughable. Mi Xue is my girlfriend.

You are not her relatives. What business is it of yours what happens between us?" Zhang Yang spoke without reservation, and he was entirely correct.

He and Mi Xue were in a relationship, and they had never paid the Yu family any mind from the start. Yet, this family acted as if they were some grand entity, believing themselves superior.

"You... you are determined to oppose us!" Yu Wenwu’s face flushed crimson with rage.

He was like a volcano on the brink of eruption, ready to spew fire at any moment. He truly believed that stepping down from his Deputy Secretary rank to personally negotiate with this young upstart was already a massive concession.

If not for the swarm of reporters outside and the wide-ranging impact of this incident, he would have dealt with Zhang Yang right here, right now. But he had never expected Zhang Yang to be so arrogant, so insolent, refusing to grant him any face while openly mocking him.

Deputy Secretary Yu, accustomed to constant flattery, certainly could not tolerate this defiance. "Wrong.

I have no intention of opposing you; it has always been you opposing me!" Zhang Yang held up his index finger, waving it gently in front of Yu Wenwu. "My girlfriend and I were returning to our hometown to visit her parents.

We weren't bothering anyone, and suddenly my car gets smashed. Who should I seek justice from?

Moreover, I am the victim, yet you dragged me down to the Public Security Bureau—detaining me on a whim and releasing me just as casually. What do you take me for?" Zhang Yang peppered him with questions.

Yu Wenwu's face reddened further, but he couldn't utter a single retort. He desperately wanted to say, "What right do you have to make us oppose you?" But such words were impossible to voice; they would only inflame the conflict.

For the moment, he retained a sliver of rationality. "Director!

The reporters outside are increasing in number, and Zhang Yang's lawyer is here too! People from the Municipal Bureau have also arrived; they all want to see Zhang Yang!" A frantic policeman rushed in.

There were now over a hundred reporters outside. Many had somehow gotten word that Zhang Yang, the aggrieved party, was currently being held by the Public Security Bureau.

This was an outrage! Property damage, assault, and now detention—all the reporters swarmed to the scene.

This was a topic of intense public interest. Whoever broke the story first and fastest would see their company's sales soar, as their staff waited anxiously for news.

"Hold steady, we must remain composed!" Xu Zeguang urgently commanded. The reporters and lawyers were one thing, but the arrival of personnel from the Municipal Bureau gave him the terrifying sense that the situation was spiraling beyond his control.

"Are you coming or not?" Yu Wenwu suddenly lunged forward, gripping Zhang Yang's collar, speaking with venom. He, too, sensed the tide turning against them and could afford to care about propriety no longer.

More importantly, Zhang Yang had infuriated him to the point where he only wanted to drag the young man out, secure him, and deal with him properly once the immediate crisis passed. "If I don't go, what can you do?" Zhang Yang maintained his languid demeanor.

His gaze seemed, to Yu Wenwu, like open mockery. Having reached his breaking point, Yu Wenwu could hold back no longer.

He seized Zhang Yang and dragged him toward the exit. If Zhang Yang wouldn't walk, he would forcibly remove him.

They just needed to get out of the Bureau first. "Secretary Yu, Secretary Yu, please, do not act rashly!" Xu Zeguang scrambled over, calling out in alarm.

He had never seen Yu Wenwu behave this way. Yu Wenwu was truly enraged today, primarily because his career advancement was currently at a critical juncture, and this incident—this single damaging news report—could completely derail his ascent.

That explained his desperation, but the other party was completely uncooperative and actively antagonistic at every turn. Unable to tolerate it further, he acted rashly.

As Yu Wenwu grabbed him, Zhang Yang initially considered breaking free to teach the old man a lesson. However, he suddenly heard the chaotic noise from outside.

His eyes flickered, and instead of resisting, he deliberately provoked Yu Wenwu, shouting things like "corrupt official" and "abuse of power." Being cursed at by someone decades his junior, the already volatile Yu Wenwu could not restrain himself. He threw a punch toward Zhang Yang's body.

"Director Xu, was Zhang Yang wrongfully detained by you?" "Director Xu, we need to know why the Mercedes was smashed and why it is currently in your Public Security Bureau courtyard?" "Director Xu..." A group of people suddenly burst in. They first saw Xu Zeguang.

After asking their questions, their eyes immediately snapped toward the detention room. Yu Wenwu, pushed to the peak of his anger and focused solely on punishing Zhang Yang, was now swinging his fists wildly.

Zhang Yang cooperatively let out a few pained "cries." These reporters were undoubtedly the quickest; several immediately raised their cameras and began snapping photos inside—snap, snap, snap. "The man being beaten is the owner of the Mercedes!" Someone shouted, and the reporters' focus sharpened instantly.

Their shutters clicked faster. Yu Wenwu, confused about what was happening, stopped after two strikes, his mind momentarily blank.

He hadn't actually landed any solid blows. Those few punches had landed weakly on Zhang Yang's back.

With Zhang Yang’s abilities, how could he possibly let the old man genuinely hit him? Even if he wanted to set him up, Zhang Yang wouldn't subject himself to suffering.

However, the scene looked entirely different to outsiders, especially to the reporters. They saw only a ferocious middle-aged man brutally assaulting a pitiful, wronged victim.

"That’s Secretary Yu from the County Committee!" Someone else announced, and the reporters clicked their shutters even more enthusiastically. A crowd of journalists then began squeezing into the small detention room, which was soon packed wall-to-wall.

Xu Zeguang was drenched in cold sweat. It was over.

The matter had truly exploded, and Yu Wenwu had ruined him this time. If this incident was exposed, not only would Yu Wenwu be finished, but he, too, would fall with him.

Unless they could completely suppress the story, preventing the reporters from publishing anything—but with this many journalists, many from major newspapers, complete containment was impossible. It was likely only a matter of time before news of this broke.

With so many reporters surrounding him, even a frenzied Yu Wenwu realized the scale of the trouble and could no longer focus on punishing Zhang Yang. The poor 'Zhang Yang' was now being surrounded and shielded by several reporters, making it impossible for Yu Wenwu to even try to pull him aside and offer some conciliatory words.

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