Not a word was spoken throughout the night, and the next morning, Zhang Yang was up at the crack of dawn. This was his routine, but what was rare was that Su Zhantao was also up early; that fellow usually slept until the sun was high in the sky, never stirring unless roused.

It was only during breakfast that Zhang Yang learned the reason: the young man had suffered a terrible nightmare, waking up in the middle of the night and unable to fall back asleep, sitting awake until daybreak. After finishing his meal and wiping his mouth, Zhang Yang addressed Su Zhantao, "Hurry up and eat, then come to my room!" "Why?

You look really strange!" Su Zhantao regarded Zhang Yang suspiciously, primarily because Zhang Yang had never invited him over like this before. Zhang Yang paused slightly, then laughed and cursed playfully, "What are you thinking?

I'm going to give you a few needle treatments so you can sleep soundly through the night. If you don't want it, just say so!" Hearing Zhang Yang’s words, Su Zhantao’s expression underwent an immediate one-hundred-and-eighty-degree shift, and he chuckled heartily, "That sounds great, I’ll take the needles!

Just keep the nightmares away; they were terrifying!" Su Zhantao held absolute faith in Zhang Yang's medical skills; this man was a true master physician hidden within the city. Back in the room, after Zhang Yang administered the acupuncture to Su Zhantao, he also wrote out a prescription.

Since decocting herbs was inconvenient here, he instructed him to take some prepared Chinese patent medicines instead. The young man had been completely consumed by his internet company lately, his mind filled only with computers, coupled with an irregular rest schedule, resulting in a mild autonomic nervous disorder.

These were minor ailments, and with Zhang Yang’s personal intervention, they would soon be resolved. Handing the prescription to Su Zhantao, Zhang Yang added, "Go, buy the medicine yourself, and bring back the newspapers!" "Newspapers, got it!

I'll bring them back in a moment!" Su Zhantao immediately agreed, pulled on his clothes, and headed straight out the door. Today’s papers should be out, and once this round of reporting hit the stands, it would be more than enough for Yu Wenwu to choke on.

It was almost his own fault for running headlong into this, conveniently saving Zhang Yang a great deal of trouble. If this menace were left unchecked, neither he nor Mi Xue could live in peace.

While Yu Wenwu could do nothing about him, Mi Xue's family was still here, and he couldn't allow them to suffer misfortune because of him. Before Su Zhantao returned, Mi Xue arrived first.

She rushed over immediately after breakfast, a brilliant smile lighting up her face. "Zhang Yang, you are incredible!

You were right! When I spoke to my father yesterday, he finally agreed to us being together!" Seeing Zhang Yang, Mi Xue gave him a hug first.

She had been overjoyed when her father consented the previous day. With both parents’ approval, the whole family could finally be together happily.

Mi Xue was currently filled with an immense sense of contentment. Zhang Yang grinned wickedly, "A son-in-law as wonderful as me is hard to find even with a lantern; of course, he wouldn't object!" "Show-off.

By the way, where are the clothes you changed out of? Bring them here, I'll wash them for you!" Mi Xue rolled her eyes at Zhang Yang, then busied herself gathering his clothes, looking every bit the dutiful partner.

Zhang Yang simply smiled foolishly; having such a thoughtful girlfriend was truly a blessing, as she always considered his needs first. Su Zhantao returned soon after, bringing several newspapers with him.

Today’s provincial paper dedicated a full half of its social section to reporting yesterday’s events. The language used this time was even sharper than the day before, and it included several photographs.

The article even directly posed several rhetorical questions: “Without cause, why detain an out-of-town vehicle owner?” “Why could the Deputy Secretary assault someone inside the Public Security Bureau, with the Director watching by?” “Which holds greater sway: power or the judiciary?” Each of these questions pointed directly at Yu Wenwu. Such sharp rhetoric in the provincial paper was rare enough; targeting one individual so directly was even rarer.

Seeing the contents of the paper, Zhang Yang knew that Yu Wenwu’s position as County Magistrate was certainly finished. With an article like this in the provincial paper, even as the acting magistrate, his confirmation by the People's Congress would be impossible.

Aside from the provincial paper, the other newspapers Su Zhantao bought were all focusing on the same incident. The reporting in those papers was no less severe than the provincial one; some accounts were exaggerated to the point that even Zhang Yang was stunned, admiring the reporters' flair for fabrication.

However, every single story shared one common element: Zhang Yang was the victim, and the Yu father and son were portrayed as villains who abused their authority. Some papers even included numerous graphics—pictures of Zhang Yang’s facial injuries and artistic renderings depicting him being savagely beaten by the ‘fierce’ Secretary Yu in the detention room—which garnered widespread sympathy.

With today’s reports published, Zhang Yang’s initial plan had been completely realized. As for what punishment Yu Wenwu would ultimately face, that was no longer his concern; it depended on the resolve and magnitude of action from the higher-ups.

However, given that Yu Wenwu had casually offered him two million yuan, Zhang Yang knew he wasn't an honest official; if the Discipline Inspection Commission investigated, they would surely uncover problems. This meant the final outcome still rested on the attitude of those above, an attitude Zhang Yang couldn't control, and frankly, he was too lazy to inquire further...

In Yu Wenwu’s office, after arriving for work, he locked himself in, sitting alone. He too had seen today’s newspapers, and he hadn't moved from this spot since reading them.

All his maneuvering, and in the end, he had failed. Yesterday’s incident had been exposed, and it was far more serious than he had anticipated, with multiple newspapers covering the story.

Setting aside the other papers, the stern questions printed in the provincial report were like daggers piercing him, making him feel as if he were bleeding without end. Yu Wenwu wasn't unintelligent; possessing a sharp political instinct, he forced himself to endure, carefully reading every word.

After finishing the papers, he understood: he was done for; his future as County Magistrate was gone. He would have to expend tremendous effort just to retain his current position, and failure meant losing it entirely.

“Ring! Ring!” The phone on his desk rang.

After a moment of hesitation, Yu Wenwu answered. “Big Brother!” Upon connecting the call, Yu Wenwu hastily addressed the caller—his elder brother, a member of the City Standing Committee.

He was always the first to inform him of any developments. “Yes, I understand.

Rest assured, I will not act rashly again!” A few moments later, Yu Wenwu hung up, his face utterly pale. The situation was far more severe than he had imagined.

The city had just concluded a meeting specifically to deal with his affairs. The city had already made its decision: all his duties would be temporarily suspended, an order expected to be issued soon.

His elder brother had advised him to rest easy until this storm passed. His brother had explained that this was a necessary decision; the impact of his affair was massive, far eclipsing the damage caused by his son smashing the car.

The city had already received numerous inquiries from the provincial level today; if they failed to take action against him and allowed the province to send investigators, the consequences could be far worse. Suspending him, in a way, was also a form of protection.

This outcome was truly unexpected for Yu Wenwu. Had he known yesterday that his intervention would lead to this, he certainly wouldn't have acted, perhaps not even setting foot in the Public Security Bureau.

Had he known his son smashing a car would cause such an uproar, he would have kept Yu Yong locked at home. But alas, it was all too late.

There was no antidote for regret in this world. The decision to suspend Yu Wenwu was announced across Lieshan County that morning.

Many people felt sympathy for him; the matter hadn't been inherently complex or troublesome, but the media’s involvement had turned it complicated and messy. Yet, there was sympathy, but no pity.

Yu Wenwu could only attribute his fate to bad luck. In later times, there would be others ruined by saying the wrong word or smoking the wrong packet of drugs, ultimately losing office and facing imprisonment—people far unluckier than him, relatively speaking.

Besides Yu Wenwu, the most miserable one was Yu Yong. The young master who had smashed Zhang Yang’s car with a sledgehammer was still confined to the hospital.

The shock he sustained hadn't worn off; he was frequently drenched in cold sweats, sometimes trembling uncontrollably, and even speaking incoherently. Suggestions were already being made to transfer him to a psychiatric hospital, as his condition clearly indicated mental collapse.

No one knew that even if he were transferred to a mental institution, it would be futile. The effects of the Fox-Tail Sable Poison were apparently capable of driving a person insane and neurotic—a result Zhang Yang himself likely never anticipated.

Time slowly passed, and finally, the reporters from Lieshan dispersed. Lawyer Hu's lawsuit proceeded very well.

Although Yu Yong had been dismissed from the Municipal Bureau, he had been an employee there previously, and the associated responsibility could not be evaded. The County Bureau was also implicated.

The case involving Yu Wenwu assaulting Zhang Yang eventually reached a resolution. Both the county and the city authorities were keen to close the matter quickly, which made Lawyer Hu’s case proceed smoothly.

First came compensation. Zhang Yang’s Mercedes would be compensated jointly by Yu Yong and the Municipal Bureau, with the county also bearing a portion of the responsibility.

Since Yu Yong was now insane, his share of the compensation couldn't be immediately settled, but the other reimbursements were promptly arranged. Next was the County Public Security Bureau.

Director Xu Zeguang was stripped of both his Party membership and public office (Shuang Kai). Several police officers involved in the case also received disciplinary actions.

Someone had to take the fall for this case, and Xu Zeguang became that unlucky scapegoat, primarily for foolishly allowing Zhang Yang’s Mercedes to be towed into their bureau yard and then standing by while Yu Wenwu assaulted Zhang Yang. Given that he only received the Shuang Kai and no further criminal prosecution, he was considered fortunate.

Finally, there was Yu Wenwu’s punishment. The light injury assessment Zhang Yang received had cost him dearly; ultimately, he was detained for fifteen days—and this was only after considerable effort on his part, or the sentence would have been harsher.

Following this, Yu Wenwu returned to the city to rest temporarily, awaiting a chance to stage a comeback. Even if he managed to return, his career trajectory was set; he would never ascend further, as the stain on his record was too deep, affecting his future prospects.

His fate was slightly better than Xu Zeguang’s. However, he was unaware that someone else had begun targeting him.

Su Zhantao had never forgotten the incident where Yu Yong smashed Zhang Yang’s car. Since Yu Yong had gone mad, Young Master Su held that debt against him.

With the current political climate being tense, Su Zhantao took no immediate action. Once this period passed, he would find an opportunity to utterly crush Yu Wenwu.

Young Master Su certainly possessed the capability to do so. Of course, all of that was for later.

For Zhang Yang, the current matter was completely resolved. He and Mi Xue had also gained family approval—a situation leading to happy outcomes for all involved...

Fourth update, more to come... RQ