Chapter 70: The Other Three

Xu Wei’s luck was extraordinary. With the assistance of the three titans, his money laundering syndicate quickly gained a formidable reputation in the industry. Crowds flocked to him by name, bringing him vast profits, and many among them even became valuable political capital for Xu Wei. Yet the true turning point in his career was the meeting of three other individuals—three people who would ensure his political journey was smooth and unimpeded.

The first among them was Gui E.

Gui E was born into poverty but, through his own efforts, was admitted to a prestigious university. After graduation, he came to work in Ming City and, thanks to his beautiful calligraphy and eloquent writing, won the favor of the leadership, soon becoming a highly sought-after figure. Gui E was well-known in his organization for his strong work ethic and sterling reputation. His personal life was healthy, untouched by vice, and his only regret was his failure in raising his son.

Having a son late in life and being busy with work, Gui E neglected his son’s education. As the saying goes, “A tiger’s father does not have a dog for a son,” but Gui E’s son was the exception. From an early age, he shirked his studies, preferring to carouse with a gang of idlers, whiling away his days in pleasure.

Gui E was deeply dissatisfied with his son’s conduct, often chastising him severely, but to little avail. In the end, feeling helpless, he resigned himself to fate—it was, after all, his only beloved child.

As a secretary, Gui E was once considered upright and principled. Though flexible in his methods, he abided by his own code. But over time, he was inevitably influenced by his superior, a man who favored cliques and inner circles. Gui E became a member of this group, which in turn became his most valuable political asset.

Maintaining relationships within this circle naturally required funds beyond his salary, especially with his troublesome son demanding expensive school fees, bribes, and tutoring costs. Scarred by childhood poverty, Gui E finally yielded to the pressures of money.

He began to turn a blind eye to those who brought gifts and asked for favors. To preserve his reputation, he never accepted bribes directly, but allowed his wife to receive them in private.

Xu Wei’s promotion to director of the Ming Tan Branch was thanks to this connection with Gui E’s wife. In truth, their ranks were far apart; Gui E helped Xu Wei for the sake of money, not out of friendship. Yet Xu Wei’s skillful flattery soon made him a frequent guest in Gui E’s home, and with his wife’s whispers in Gui E’s ear, Xu Wei’s standing rose even higher. Gui E began entrusting Xu Wei with household affairs.

After Gui E’s son went abroad, Xu Wei introduced him to Yan Donglou. At first, Gui E merely hoped to exchange more living expenses for his son, but Yan Donglou’s methods opened his eyes. Not only could he funnel more money to his son, but he could also transfer his illicit gains abroad as a precaution.

With the anti-corruption movement intensifying, Gui E knew that only by leaving no trace could one escape punishment. He realized he might one day be ensnared and, to safeguard himself, needed a way out. With Yan Donglou’s help, he successfully moved much of his wealth offshore, further strengthening his bond with Xu Wei. Although Gui E never let Xu Wei into his inner circle, he regarded him as a trusted confidant.

Xu Wei, ever perceptive, regularly assisted Gui E with household matters and frequently gifted him calligraphy and paintings by famous artists, which Gui E gladly accepted.

Sometimes Gui E even thought this obscure Xu Wei was a figure of some substance—his official rank was far lower, yet he was lavish in his generosity, outshining many businessmen. This only increased Gui E’s fondness for him.

Gui E did harbor suspicions about Xu Wei, conducting private investigations that uncovered Qiu Luan, but he never managed to unravel the mystery of Yan Donglou’s background. Eventually, Gui E stopped caring. By the time Yan Donglou entered the picture, Gui E and Xu Wei were close, and Yan Donglou’s arrival only made Xu Wei’s largesse more impressive.

It made Gui E marvel at the disparities between departments. On the surface, his own political fortunes eclipsed Xu Wei’s, but in private, Xu Wei’s life was far more comfortable.

Gui E profited greatly from Xu Wei, but the benefits he bestowed were greater still, not only securing Xu Wei’s appointment as director of Ming Tan Branch but also helping him become a Party Committee member at the Ming City Bureau.

When Xu Wei first heard the news, he was worried he would not be promoted, for one of his subordinates had recently been arrested for gambling. Although it had little to do with Xu Wei, the fact that it happened under his watch usually meant promotion was out of the question.

The memory of that incident still made Xu Wei grit his teeth. Personally, he was far from clean, but at work he maintained an image of uprightness. Even without achievements, he believed connections would make up the difference—and as long as there was an opportunity, he could advance smoothly. But this unexpected scandal among his subordinates nearly derailed his plans.

Xu Wei considered concealing the incident until after his promotion, so he would no longer bear any responsibility. But events unfolded too quickly: before he could react, the arrest team had already arrived, and he watched helplessly as they took his subordinate away.

Lagging behind in work performance, Xu Wei sought out Gui E as a last resort, hoping for help. What was a matter of great concern to Xu Wei proved a trivial issue for Gui E, who resolved everything with a mere phone call. Not only was Xu Wei’s career unaffected, but Gui E’s intervention also allowed him to outshine his strong competitors and secure the coveted position.

In the past, this position would have been hard to attain—even if one made the shortlist, a public announcement would invite complaints. For someone like Xu Wei, whose relationship with Qiu Luan could easily be uncovered, and who had engaged in shady dealings during promotions, it was all too easy to be ousted by an informant.

But this time, the reshuffling was unusually low-key; by the time anyone heard, the public review period had passed. Of course, Xu Wei was still reported, but the complaints were suppressed.

The person who handled this was Xu Wei’s second benefactor—Lu Bin.

It is often said that heroes are forged through hardship, and there are few scions of privilege who become great men. But Lu Bin, born into a powerful and wealthy family, was the exception.

He was the kind of “model child” others envied—wealthy, influential, and striking in appearance—yet Lu Bin was humble and cautious, exceptionally low-key. If not for his father’s famous name on his personal file, no one would have guessed his elite background.

Lu Bin entered Ming City Bureau and rose steadily on his own merits, never seeking help from his family. When positions were allocated, those with connections were given good posts, the rest sent to remote outposts. Lu Bin’s file came straight from his university, and since no one made any calls on his behalf, the assigners failed to notice his family background and placed him in a hardship post at the city’s edge.

An ordinary person would have languished there for life, their most likely reward a certificate of honor at retirement for diligent service. But Lu Bin was no ordinary man, and fate would not let him remain obscure. Though slighted at first, within a year he had distinguished himself at work and soon encountered a life-changing opportunity.

A kidnapping occurred—not uncommon for a police officer, whose job is to deal with criminals. But this case was special: the victim was the son of Ming City’s largest state enterprise CEO.

Such a kidnapping drew the utmost attention, yet, incredibly, no one responded—because no report was made. The CEO, frantic when his son was abducted, intended to call the police, but the kidnappers seemed to anticipate every move, warning him before he could act. Facing enemies in the shadows and desperate to protect his son, the CEO abandoned the idea of reporting and prepared to pay the ransom.

The kidnappers, for safety, avoided the city center and rented a cheap house in Lu Bin’s sparsely populated district, where they kept the boy. They rarely left, except to buy food, waiting for the ransom before planning to kill the hostage and flee.

Their plan might have worked, but they neglected fire safety, littering the house with flammables and carelessly tossing cigarette butts. A fire broke out. The kidnappers escaped, but left the CEO’s son behind.

The blaze drew the police. The kidnappers dared not return. Trapped inside, the boy screamed for help, and as he was about to perish, someone rushed in and carried him out—it was Lu Bin.

Fire rescue typically falls to the fire brigade, and Lu Bin’s duty was only to maintain order. But the brigade was far away, and when Lu Bin heard the cries for help, he knew there was no time. He dashed into the flames, ignoring his colleagues’ attempts to stop him, and rescued the boy.

At first, everyone thought Lu Bin was a fool—risking his life for a meager salary. But when the CEO personally came to thank him, all agreed his gamble had paid off handsomely.

The fugitives were soon captured, and Lu Bin was transferred to the city bureau. For Lu Bin, it was not a gamble—he did not know the victim’s identity; he simply wanted to save a life, believing in his own ability to do so.

Lu Bin’s later performance further proved his abilities: he wrote excellent reports and cracked major cases. With the CEO’s backing and his family background revealed, Lu Bin was promoted like a rocket, soon becoming captain of the Inspection Division—a rare feat for someone so young, as most promoted with him were veterans in their forties.

Yet no one opposed the promotion of this least-experienced candidate; all agreed he was worthy of the responsibility.

In Ming City, the Inspection Division occupied an awkward niche. Its duty was to supervise the conduct and discipline of the bureau and its branches—a crucial role. But in practice, it had become a sinecure. Colleagues in the main bureau were all well-connected, beyond their reach, while branch chiefs resented their interference. Aside from minor infractions at the grass roots, there was little for them to do.

Lu Bin changed all that.

Though the Inspection Division was not especially lucrative, it was far better than working at the base level, so most of its staff were well-connected. Naturally, they looked down on Lu Bin, the young upstart, and ignored his orders.

Yet Lu Bin showed no displeasure, nor did he make a show of authority. His demeanor deceived everyone—they thought him a privileged fool, a bookworm unfit to lead.

But soon, Lu Bin acted. The veterans who defied him were either transferred out or forced to retire, many leaving in panic. When they tried to use their connections against him, they found themselves at a loss—not only had Lu Bin gathered compromising evidence, but his powerful background was insurmountable. They left in defeat.

Internally, Lu Bin won a resounding victory; externally, he stunned the bureau.

Lu Bin installed a group of newcomers in the division. Outwardly, these rookies were no different from the old hands—idling about, currying favor in the branches, accomplishing little.

But during cadre transfers, everyone realized the division’s hidden power. One after another, candidates were detained on the eve of promotion, upending the competition, with many landing in jail—among them, even those vying for the Party Committee.

Suddenly, everyone recognized Lu Bin’s formidable skills and the strength at his command. Though the division’s envoys were still not respected in daily work, no one dared underestimate them.

Lu Bin had won the respect of all by his own merit.

Ordinarily, Lu Bin and Xu Wei would have little to do with each other—their ages, personalities, and abilities were worlds apart, sharing nothing but their uniforms. Yet Lu Bin was a member of Gui E’s circle, and Gui E, intentionally or not, introduced Xu Wei to him.

Lu Bin was shrewd. He knew Xu Wei was not truly part of the circle but saw that his relationship with Gui E was special. Xu Wei’s ability to take his seat as a Party Committee member despite complaints was thanks to Lu Bin’s intervention—though by then, Lu Bin, already promoted ahead of Xu Wei, had taken a strong dislike to him, helping only for Gui E’s sake.

Lu Bin’s aversion had a simple cause: his subordinate, Shen Lian.

Shen Lian was a principled and incorruptible officer, whose character Lu Bin admired. Yet he knew that, with no background, Shen Lian’s uprightness would only make enemies in the bureau. So he assigned Shen Lian to Ming Tan Branch for experience, intending to promote him at the first opportunity, hoping Shen Lian’s integrity would transform Ming City.

Lu Bin chose Ming Tan because Xu Wei was director, trusting he would look after his protégé. He never imagined his decision would bring disaster.

Upon arrival, Shen Lian was appalled by the state of the force. He found many problems with Xu Wei’s methods and appointments, and began investigating Xu Wei, discovering that he was secretly funneling benefits to Qiu Luan during the construction of new offices. But just before exposing Xu Wei, Shen Lian’s actions were discovered.

Xu Wei found ways to sideline Shen Lian, transferring him to a remote outpost under Wang Xueyi, who was secretly instructed to deal with Shen. The end result was Shen Lian’s suicide by hanging.

All this happened under Lu Bin’s nose. He was furious, but lacked solid evidence. For the sake of his own career, he did not fall out with Gui E or seek vengeance on Xu Wei, but was deeply ashamed and unwilling ever to speak of it.

Lu Bin carried a profound guilt towards Shen Lian’s family, often sending people to help them in secret. From this incident, Lu Bin grew increasingly distant from Xu Wei.

Xu Wei’s third benefactor was his old classmate, He Qian, who served under him at Ming Tan Branch.

He Qian had remained at Ming Tan since starting work, and when Xu Wei became director, He Qian was merely a station chief, progressing more slowly than his classmate. Their old friendship made He Qian a favored protégé, and he became a dark horse in promotions, landing his current position.

For Xu Wei, He Qian’s value was to help stabilize the team. A familiar face made things easier, and as long as there were no problems, it was enough—achievements were of little concern.

He Qian’s later performance met Xu Wei’s expectations: the force stayed out of trouble, but also accomplished nothing, and their poor results often drew criticism for Xu Wei. He lost face in the bureau and scolded many, but he understood his own motives and did not blame He Qian for lagging performance.

Xu Wei chose He Qian for loyalty, and He Qian proved steadfast—during Xu Wei’s years as director, He Qian was always his loyal supporter. Knowing Xu Wei valued stability above results, He Qian focused all his efforts on maintaining order, even resorting to special measures normally reserved for criminals.

This pleased Xu Wei, who regarded He Qian as proactive and farsighted—a rare, good comrade.

At that time, many in the Ming Tan district lost millions to cybercrime, but for He Qian, cases were closed as soon as they were filed. Thus, Ming Tan’s ability to combat online crime was the weakest in Ming City, at times even worse than that of a county branch. None of this, however, affected Xu Wei’s trust.

He Qian’s greatest service to Xu Wei was not in his official duties, but in helping Xu Wei eliminate a threat—Shen Lian.

When Xu Wei discovered Shen Lian investigating him, he was at a loss—Shen was incorruptible, immune to bribery or threats. Xu Wei, for the first time, felt fear. He Qian provided the solution: he suggested transferring Shen Lian under his former subordinate Wang Xueyi, whom he knew well. Wang was unreliable for good deeds, but highly effective for dirty work.

With no other option, Xu Wei accepted He Qian’s plan, desperate for any remedy. The result was that Xu Wei no longer had to worry about Shen Lian exposing him. Within two years, Shen Lian was silenced forever.

In those years, Xu Wei’s career and finances flourished. He had everything—people, power, and money. With each promotion, happiness overflowed, and he often woke from dreams with a smile on his face.

To Xu Wei, life was perfect—if not for the appearance of Haifeng.