Chapter 36: The Most Beautiful Sight

After leaving the restaurant, Qin Feng spent the entire time mulling over the matter. After weighing his options, he took out his phone and dialed Yang Delin’s number directly.

"Hello, what is it?"

"Come out for a drink. My treat," Qin Feng said bluntly.

Lately, the relationship between Qin Feng and Yang Delin had shifted toward a sense of letting bygones be bygones. Qin Feng often sought Yang out for drinks, and Yang had discovered that Qin Feng was a person after his own heart. Without either of them realizing exactly when it happened, they had become friends.

"Alright, let’s go to Old Liu’s place. I’ll call him."

"Come pick me up; I’m over by the Bishan Restaurant."

"Got it!" Yang Delin didn't waste any more words and hung up.

A few minutes later, Yang arrived on his motorcycle with a sputtering engine. Qin Feng hopped on, and the two headed to a small street-side stall.

Qin Feng clinked his glass against Yang’s and handed him a cigarette. "There’s something bothering me, and I can’t quite make up my mind. I need your advice."

"Go ahead," Yang Delin said, taking a hearty gulp of his drink. He was, in truth, a straightforward and bold man.

Qin Feng recounted the dinner invitation he had received from Wang Yunfei earlier that day. Upon hearing this, Yang Delin let out a cold laugh. He had long harbored a deep-seated hatred for both Wang Yunfei and Chang Yong.

"If you want to follow in Xiao Bo’s footsteps, then go ahead and hand over the money," Yang said.

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? Do you know how Xiao Bo ended up inside? It was because of this exact trick that Wang Yunfei plays." Yang poured Qin Feng another glass of wine.

"Just like today, Wang Yunfei asked Xiao Bo for money under the pretense that the government needed funds elsewhere. Xiao Bo didn't dare offend him, and he figured that with Wang Yunfei as the township head sitting above him, nothing could possibly go wrong. So, he did whatever Wang told him to do."

"Once you agree to the first time, there will inevitably be a second and a third. These funds are allocated from above, and every spot is accounted for. Once the money is taken by Wang Yunfei, the only way for Xiao Bo to cover the gap is to embezzle from the common people."

"In the end, that old man jumped off the building, and everything fell apart. When they investigated, my signature was on the fake ledgers and lists, but the money had been taken by Xiao Bo. Wang Yunfei hadn't left a single piece of evidence behind, and he remained completely untainted by the affair."

"In the end, I was dismissed from my post for creating the fake lists, while Xiao Bo and the others who handled the money were all locked up. Wang Yunfei walked away unscathed and continued being the township head."

"I was lucky that I kept my guard up back then; I only agreed to help them make the fake lists, but I never touched the money myself. Otherwise, I’d be in prison too."

"Now he’s using the same tactic on you. He takes the money, and you take the fall. If things go south, he won't even bat an eye; he’ll push all the responsibility onto you."

"If you aren't afraid of becoming the next Xiao Bo, then go ahead and agree to it." Yang drank heavily, his heart filled with gloom. Everything he had lost was because of Wang Yunfei.

Qin Feng was stunned after hearing Yang’s account. He had suspected something about the previous corruption case, but he never imagined that Wang Yunfei was the mastermind behind it. Recalling Wang’s "amiable" demeanor at the table today, a chill ran down his spine. If he hadn't held onto his principles, what would the outcome have been?

After finishing their drinks, Qin Feng walked back, pulling out his phone to call Lin Xiaoyan.

"Sister Lin, please contact the credit union immediately. First thing tomorrow morning, go there and withdraw all the funds allocated for the impoverished households from our account. Notify everyone to come and collect their money tomorrow morning."

"You must ensure that every cent is distributed tomorrow. Not a single penny is to remain," Qin Feng commanded, his tone stern.

After hanging up, Qin Feng sneered. "So you're eyeing this money, are you? I’ll distribute it all, and let's see how you plan to get your hands on it then."

Qin Feng understood that by doing this, he had thoroughly offended Wang Yunfei, with no room for reconciliation. Yet, he felt no regret. Setting aside the personal risk, those impoverished families were waiting for this money to survive; it was sacred and untouchable. He couldn't fathom how, when these people were so poor they couldn't even afford a meal, someone could still be so heartless as to target their meager subsidies.

When Qin Feng arrived home, he went into the bathroom to shower. He had just finished and was in his bedroom, putting on his trousers—he hadn't even finished getting dressed—when he suddenly heard a panicked scream from Hu Jiayun next door.

After a moment of hesitation, Qin Feng rushed out, wearing nothing but his underwear. He reached her door and called out to ask what was wrong, but Hu Jiayun’s screams only grew more frequent and frantic.

Without another thought, Qin Feng kicked the door open and charged in. The noise was coming from the bathroom. He heard not only her terrified shrieks but also the sound of things crashing to the floor. Assuming she had suffered an accident, he pushed the bathroom door open and dashed inside.

"What’s wrong?" he asked anxiously.

In the bathroom, Hu Jiayun was holding the showerhead, pointing frantically toward a corner on the floor, trembling with fear. "A mouse... there’s a mouse..."

Items were scattered all over the floor. Qin Feng didn't know if she had thrown them or if the mouse had knocked them over. He looked closely and indeed saw a mouse hiding behind a rack.

Qin Feng walked over, moved the rack, and stepped firmly on the tail of the mouse as it tried to bolt, killing it instantly.

With the mouse dead, he turned back and said with a smile, "It's alright, it was just a mouse."

As soon as he spoke, he saw Hu Jiayun standing there, completely unclothed. The sight of her perfect curves caused a sudden nosebleed. Qin Feng would have sworn that it was the most beautiful image he had ever seen in his life—without exception.