Zeng Gongzhi had been the Deputy Captain of the Chengguan (Urban Management) Brigade in Mingyue County for several years. By now, he was wealthy, with a retinue of obedient underlings who would strike whomever he commanded, all while maintaining a façade of official righteousness that left no room for complaint. Sometimes, he could scarcely believe that just a few years ago, he was nothing more than a street brawler.

Zeng Gongzhi had exceptionally good fortune. Just as the Chengguan ranks began to truly gain power, he pulled strings, offered a substantial bribe, and secured a minor position. Having been seasoned in the streets, he was ruthless and possessed an uncanny knack for grasping his superiors' true intentions. In several instances of "enforcement" directed by his bosses, he delivered blows that made opponents spray blood, striking terror into their hearts and perfectly aligning with what the higher-ups desired. Consequently, he was rapidly promoted. The former Deputy Captain, a man of scholarly background who adhered strictly to regulations and could not solve the leadership's "practical difficulties," was summarily replaced by Zeng Gongzhi.

After becoming Deputy Captain, Zeng Gongzhi displayed even more formidable capabilities. Once his unit mobilized, there was nothing in Mingyue County he couldn't resolve. In recent years, the real estate economy boomed, and the immense profits drove some people into a frenzy. Under subtle direction from above, during several private demolitions of residential buildings, Zeng Gongzhi treated official property deeds as illegal structures and forcibly tore them down. Anyone who resisted the demolition was brutally beaten and then dumped in a wasteland to "reflect." One incident even resulted in a pregnant woman's miscarriage, nearly causing a death. Yet, under his bloody suppression, those "nail households" dared not cause trouble, and these incidents were forcibly swept under the rug without causing any societal ripples. These successful operations earned him staggering bribes, amassing a fortune that made others envious.

A few months prior, Zeng Gongzhi connected with Young Master Lu from the provincial capital through a mutual acquaintance. Upon learning Lu intended to cause trouble for a rural establishment called "Taoyuan Farm Stay," Zeng Gongzhi eagerly offered his services to resolve the matter. However, after completing the forced demolition, Young Master Lu’s expression was grim, and he berated Zeng Gongzhi for his incompetence. Zeng Gongzhi inwardly blamed the damned owner; if not for his stubborn resistance, how could two lives have been endangered and his potential connection to Lu severed?

That morning, Zeng Gongzhi awoke from the bed of Yuan Ye’s wife and dressed for work. Yuan Ye’s wife, fearful that Yuan Ye might discover their affair, hoped to sever ties with Zeng Gongzhi. Zeng Gongzhi, however, was loath to let go of such a beautiful married woman. He replied with arrogant dismissal: "Your husband, Yuan Ye, is my subordinate. I sent him off to the countryside ages ago when I came here; he’s probably freezing his tail off in some forgotten corner now. Stop worrying."

Zeng Gongzhi left Yuan Ye’s home in high spirits and headed to his office. Every colleague he passed gave him strange looks and avoided greeting him, a stark contrast to the fear they usually showed. Bewildered and muttering curses internally, he resolved to make them suffer later.

Entering his office, Zeng Gongzhi booted up his computer, intending to dive into the World of Warcraft arena for some virtual combat, but he was stunned by a suddenly appearing news pop-up.

"Vicious Chengguan Demolishes Homes, Small Citizens Weep Blood—See Photos of Chengguan Enforcement."

The article was accompanied by about ten photographs, all depicting a Chengguan deliberately assaulting victims during enforcement, even posing triumphantly on the bloodied bodies afterward. While Chengguan brutality wasn't news in itself, what shocked and terrified Zeng Gongzhi was seeing himself as the assailant in these pictures. In the photos, Zeng Gongzhi, in uniform, stood arrogantly upon the victims, grinning broadly and even making victory signs, while the injured citizens lay bleeding at his feet.

The news report explicitly named Zeng Gongzhi’s workplace and contact number, listed the victims' names alongside their photos, and provided timestamps for when the pictures were taken. Aided by a well-meaning individual, the news even uncovered three luxury residences registered under Zeng Gongzhi’s name, complete with their addresses, and even detailed his bank account numbers and the substantial balance within.

Reading this, Zeng Gongzhi's vision darkened, and he nearly fainted. He had no idea how those photos, which he had taken merely for amusement, had leaked online and caught the attention of news reporters, exposing his entire hidden fortune.

As Zeng Gongzhi wrestled with his distress, the phone on his desk rang. He snatched it up, and his superior’s roar blasted through the receiver: "Zeng Gongzhi, what the hell kind of mess have you made? You've disgraced us completely! Get to my office immediately!"

When Zeng Gongzhi emerged from the leader’s office, his face was relaxed, sporting a faint smile. He scoffed internally: Your reports can't touch a hair on my head. Worthless public opinion scrutiny! As long as I have the backing of my superiors, I’m still the Deputy Captain. What can public opinion do to me? My position wasn't granted by the public. Once this blows over, I’ll find the person behind this and teach them a good lesson.

Reporters quickly descended upon the Mingyue County Chengguan Bureau seeking an interview. The Bureau dispatched a Deputy Director to act as the spokesperson. According to this Deputy Director, all the online photos of Zeng Gongzhi enforcing the law were expertly Photoshopped fakes, not genuine images. Comrade Zeng Gongzhi was known for his kind demeanor and excellent rapport with street vendors; he could never commit such acts. As for the supposed luxury properties and large bank deposits, the Mingyue County Chengguan Bureau’s investigation concluded they were fabricated; thus, Comrade Zeng Gongzhi was being framed. The Deputy Director spoke with marked belligerence, demanding that the creators of these photos immediately surrender to the police. He also threatened legal action against any media outlet that continued reporting on the matter.

Just as Zeng Gongzhi and the Mingyue County Chengguan Bureau began to breathe a sigh of relief, another piece of information was posted online: photos of Mingyue County Chengguan Deputy Captain Zeng Gongzhi having an affair with his subordinate Yuan Ye’s wife had been released. The post was richly illustrated with pictures and provided a detailed explanation of the relationships between the key figures.

Yuan Ye saw the reports, especially the graphic photo evidence, and was instantly enraged, forgetting Zeng Gongzhi’s usual iron-fisted terror. He immediately attacked Zeng Gongzhi, but was dragged away by Zeng’s underlings and severely beaten. Realizing he couldn't defeat Zeng Gongzhi directly, Yuan Ye contacted the newspaper, ready to expose the unspeakable secrets of the Mingyue County Chengguan Bureau. However, the information leaked. The Chengguan Bureau learned of his plan, and Zeng Gongzhi dispatched his men to seize Yuan Ye, beat him severely, and then forcibly transfer him to a psychiatric hospital for involuntary commitment.

Before Zeng Gongzhi could catch his breath, a third news story concerning him appeared online. This time it was a secretly recorded video, filmed after the initial media report on Zeng Gongzhi’s assault incidents. The footage showed Zeng Gongzhi discussing strategy with his leader on how to handle the various media reporters. In the video, Zeng Gongzhi threatened his superior, stating that if he were ruined, the illegal and bloody tasks he had performed for the leader would also come to light. To ensure his leader remembered his "contributions," Zeng Gongzhi meticulously detailed every illicit act he had carried out on the leader's behalf. The leader, realizing they were now in the same boat, agreed to protect him and collaborated on a response strategy. The video concluded with a caption stating that Zeng Gongzhi could no longer bear the burden of his conscience and recorded the footage to expose his leader’s true nature and deliver the truth to the public.

After watching this video, Zeng Gongzhi’s head swam, and he slumped into his chair. With the previous reports, he could have relied on his leader's backing to navigate the storm. But this video dragged the leader down too, and more terrifyingly, it looked exactly like something Zeng Gongzhi himself would secretly record—betraying his leader. No one would protect him now; his end was imminent.

Indeed, this time the leader didn't even speak to Zeng Gongzhi, nor did he grant him a meeting. Instead, he sent men to bind him and deliver him directly to the psychiatric hospital for involuntary commitment. Subsequently, the Mingyue County Chengguan Bureau held a press conference, informing reporters that Zeng Gongzhi had recently suffered a mental breakdown and had fabricated the video by cutting and pasting headshots to frame his leader for his own ulterior motives. They announced that Zeng Gongzhi had been confirmed by the hospital as mentally ill and was currently undergoing treatment. The press conference also dragged up Zeng Gongzhi's past as a thug, detailing his outrageous offenses. They claimed he had even deceived his superiors to infiltrate the Chengguan team and operate as a mole, but that the long arm of justice, under the leader's wise decision-making, had finally rooted out this malignant tumor from the Chengguan system. Throughout the conference, there was no explanation offered for why two members of the County Chengguan Brigade had recently been sent to psychiatric hospitals, nor was there any response regarding the earlier defense of Zeng Gongzhi, or even an accounting of who had originally promoted him.

Confined to the psychiatric hospital, Zeng Gongzhi felt utterly miserable, bewildered as to how he had ended up committed and how his life was ruined. He had sent others to mental hospitals before, but now it was his turn. He felt like the unluckiest person alive. Unbeknownst to him, another man in Mingyue County shared his misfortune: Huang Jin, the Political Commissar of the Mingyue County Public Security Bureau.

Huang Jin had no idea how it happened. First, a video of him assaulting a suspect surfaced online. After spending his life savings just to suppress that incident, another scandal broke: an accusation of raping a female suspect. He vehemently denied it, even staking his reputation on it and demanding evidence. But no sooner had the words left his mouth than videos detailing his rape of the female suspect began circulating online.

Given the conclusive evidence, the Municipal Public Security Bureau formed a special task force to investigate Huang Jin. Somehow, Huang Jin managed to manipulate his connections and mislead the task force into halting their investigation. Then, news broke that he had accepted massive bribes, released suspects, and framed innocent citizens. The report listed bribe amounts and dates, even including secretly recorded evidence from the bribe-givers. This news caused an uproar across the nation. Higher authorities took immediate notice, and the municipal task force, still in Mingyue County, swiftly resumed the investigation into Huang Jin. This time, they quickly broke him, and he confessed to all his criminal activities. Huang Jin now faced severe legal punishment.

Mingyue County suddenly became the stage for two major online scandals, both of which were completely resolved with the support of netizens nationwide, causing the county to gain fame—albeit a notorious reputation.

Zhou Tengyun placed several newspapers before Liu Hui. Liu Hui took them, read the contents carefully, and then inquired, "This Zeng Gongzhi, he’s the Chengguan Deputy Captain who declared your farm stay an illegal structure, right? And Huang Jin is that guy from the Public Security Bureau?"

Zhou Tengyun stated calmly, "They are the ones. I am quite satisfied with their current fate."

"Third Brother, you handled that beautifully. Given their actions, this outcome is the least they deserve. How did you manage to gather all that evidence?" Liu Hui asked, curious.

"In Huaxia, officials without issues are rare. If you stick close enough, the evidence piles up naturally."

"Excellent. What are your next steps?" Liu Hui was deeply impressed by Zhou Tengyun’s astuteness.

"That man surnamed Lu is currently in Bashan. I plan to go find him."

～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～ Qianyu Chuhai’s book fell off the new release chart yesterday. A quick calculation revealed that the novel has been uploaded for a full month. Qianyu Chuhai had previously only written 1,000-word essays, often counting words as he went. Now, with the help and encouragement of readers, he has produced a work close to 200,000 characters. Qianyu Chuhai is profoundly grateful and promises to use his efforts to contribute even more brilliant work for everyone. As the old saying goes, readers who find this book appealing, please add it to your collection and recommend it often!