Yuan Wenhai could clearly tell that Party Secretary Wang Xingmin was not in the same camp as Fan Chunjiang and Xiao Yujun. The problem was that Wang had deliberately kept out of sight these past few days, allowing Fan Chunjiang to organize large-scale search operations without interference. Yuan Wenhai doubted that Xiao Liang simply bringing evidence directly to Wang Xingmin would accomplish much.

To avoid suspicion, Wang Xingmin might even report Xiao Liang and have him arrested on the spot.

In short, the risk was enormous.

But when Xiao Liang fell silent after pointing out Wang Xingmin’s connection to the entire affair, Yuan Wenhai suddenly realized Xiao Liang’s real intention. He slapped his forehead with a pained expression and asked with a wry smile,

“You’re not expecting me to take those materials and go talk to Wang Xingmin on your behalf, are you?”

“Wang Xingmin has been hiding these past few days. Most likely he’s imagining my situation to be far worse than it is—thinking Xiao Yujun and Fan Chunjiang already have some solid leverage over me,” Xiao Liang said lightly with a faint smile. “As for you, Captain Yuan, I’m not really counting on you either. I was thinking that Officer Sui might be able to clear things up for Wang Xingmin a little.”

He paused.

“Right now, all that’s missing is for you to help clear things up for Officer Sui.”

“….”

Only then did Yuan Wenhai truly feel the headache coming on.

“Don’t think of it as using Officer Sui,” Xiao Liang added calmly. “Surely that’s better than spending the rest of your life feeling guilty for standing by while an honest, innocent young man is wrongfully destroyed?”

Yuan Wenhai rubbed his temples and went through the whole situation again in his mind before asking suspiciously,

“You won’t even hand the materials to Sui Jing directly, so what excuse would I have to give them to her? What am I supposed to say—that I intentionally let you escape the crash scene? Kid, are you trying to strip this police uniform off me?”

“No,” Xiao Liang replied. “The materials will reach Wang Xingmin through someone else.”

He continued steadily,

“I’ve worked in Yunshe for two years. I understand Wang Xingmin’s character better than you do. If we want him to step forward now, the first step is for Sui Jing to meet him and lay out all the inconsistencies in the case. Let him know that Xiao Yujun and Fan Chunjiang are trying to bury me alive—but their scheme isn’t airtight. It’s far from flawless. He needs to realize that this ‘pawn’ of his still has a strong chance of being saved. There’s no need for him to abandon me so quickly.

“And besides, didn’t Fan Chunjiang just drag your Deputy Director Zhao down here? When Officer Sui approaches Wang Xingmin, she can represent a certain attitude within the police force itself. Otherwise Wang Xingmin might think the entire police system is colluding with Fan Chunjiang and Xiao Yujun. That would be a serious misunderstanding.”

Regardless of Zhao Zhishan’s real stance on the case, Yuan Wenhai knew that now that he himself was in Yunshe yet unable to keep Sui Jing from stirring up trouble, Zhao Zhishan would certainly remember this later.

Still, things had already progressed to this point. Yuan Wenhai could hardly worry about everything anymore.

“So some misunderstandings do need clearing up with Wang Xingmin,” he admitted. “But why can’t Sui Jing be the one to deliver the materials to him?”

Xiao Liang explained calmly,

“If both the case inconsistencies and the evidence against Xiao Yujun are handed over by Sui Jing alone, while no one within Yunshe Town dares stand firmly on Wang Xingmin’s side, he might feel isolated and retreat again. Or he might not dare push the investigation against Xiao Yujun too strongly.

“Like I said earlier—I know Wang Xingmin better than you do. These two things have to happen simultaneously, but through separate channels. Even then, I’m not completely certain it’ll work. Before making his final decision, I suspect Wang Xingmin may come visit you.”

“Why would Wang Xingmin visit me?” Yuan Wenhai asked, puzzled. “You think a deputy captain in the criminal investigation team carries that much weight? Let me tell you something—there are five deputy captains in the county bureau’s CID. We’re not exactly valuable. Just people who’ve served long enough but haven’t been given real positions.”

“That’s just my guess,” Xiao Liang said. “We’ll see when the time comes. I can’t stay here too long. If someone catches me here, you’d have no choice but to arrest me.”

Without waiting for a definite answer, Xiao Liang glanced out into the courtyard, pulled his mask back on, and quietly slipped away.

—

“Captain Yuan, what are you looking at? You seem lost in thought. Do you also think Xiao Liang’s case is full of doubts?”

Sui Jing knocked and entered the ward, noticing Yuan Wenhai standing by the window staring absently into the courtyard.

“Nothing,” Yuan Wenhai replied casually. “Just looking around.”

“I called my sister-in-law,” Sui Jing said. “She said she’ll come to Yunshe right after work. There’s an empty bed here in the ward. Should I get someone to prepare new bedding for her? Then she won’t need to book a room at the town guesthouse.”

“Yeah, that’ll do. She can stay here,” Yuan Wenhai said quickly. “My arm’s just in a cast—I’m not going anywhere. She worries too much.”

He chose not to imagine the scene when his wife arrived in Yunshe and started scolding him. Instead he changed the subject.

“You should pay more attention to the search operation. And in the future, don’t say things without evidence. Don’t think I can always cover for you if you keep stirring things up.

“By the way, I just arrived in Yunshe and haven’t been fully briefed on the search operations. Was Mayor Fan personally overseeing everything before this? Has the town Party Secretary Wang Xingmin shown any concern about the situation?”

“Wang Xingmin?” Sui Jing looked surprised. It was the first time she had even heard the Party Secretary’s name.

“I’ve been in Yunshe for days and haven’t seen him once,” she said in frustration.

“Wang Xingmin is the town’s top leader,” Yuan Wenhai said casually. “Mid-thirties, maybe thirty-six or thirty-seven. Tall and thin, wears gold-rimmed glasses—easy to recognize. If he’s in town, he shouldn’t stay invisible during something this big.”

He muttered these words as if thinking aloud, then waved it off.

“But since Fan Chunjiang is the mayor and has taken full responsibility, things should be fine. Our role here is really just to cooperate with the town’s operation. Don’t create unnecessary complications. Just follow Mayor Fan’s arrangements.”

“Oh…” Sui Jing responded thoughtfully.

After staying a while longer, she left the ward and headed back toward the police station.

No matter how proactive the town government was, the search operation still had to be formally organized by her and Yuan Wenhai on behalf of the county public security bureau.

—

After meeting Yuan Wenhai at the town clinic, Xiao Liang rode with Gu Peijun on his motorcycle toward Xiwadun Village.

Fan Chunjiang and Xiao Yujun had posted many people around town to monitor developments, yet none of them imagined Xiao Liang would ride openly through town on Gu Peijun’s motorcycle.

Only Gu Peijun himself felt nervous—he drove his Xingfu-brand motorcycle at breakneck speed.

As soon as they stepped into the wholesale shop, Gu Xiong hurried them into the back courtyard.

“Gu Ling just called,” he said. “She said Officer Sui ran into Secretary Wang Xingmin outside the town government gate. She stopped him right there in the street and talked to him for a while. Now she’s gone with him to his office.”

Xiao Liang had expected that even with Yuan Wenhai’s hint, Sui Jing might hesitate for a while before approaching Wang Xingmin. He hadn’t imagined she would stop him right in the street.

After thinking for a moment, he said to Gu Peijun,

“Call Sister Gu Ling back. Ask her to watch closely how Wang Xingmin reacts after meeting Sui Jing—and also pay attention to how Fan Chunjiang and Du Xuebing respond.”

Two hours later, Gu Ling arrived at the wholesale shop on her bicycle.

Xiwadun Village was only a little over a kilometer from town. It was easier to ride over and talk in person than to keep making phone calls from the office, which might attract suspicion.

The evening sun slanted through the glass window, illuminating drifting dust in golden beams.

“Sui Jing didn’t stay in Secretary Wang’s office for long before leaving,” Gu Ling reported. “After that, Wang Xingmin stayed in his office the whole time. During that period, Du Xuebing and Fan Chunjiang both went to see him separately. They probably noticed Sui Jing talking to him and went to test his reaction.

“When Du Xuebing left, Secretary Wang didn’t come out. But when Fan Chunjiang left, Secretary Wang personally escorted him to the door and even stood in the hallway chatting with him for a while.

“So… should Peijun still deliver the materials to Secretary Wang?”

Knowing her younger brother had joined Xiao Liang in exposing the problems at the Nanting Juice Factory—and that Xiao Liang had now been framed because of it—Gu Ling had stepped forward without hesitation to help.

Originally the plan was for Gu Peijun to hand the materials directly to Wang Xingmin. But seeing Wang’s ambiguous reaction today left her disappointed. She worried that if her brother showed up, it might accomplish nothing and instead expose them all to retaliation from Xiao Yujun and Fan Chunjiang.

Although Gu Xiong was also worried things might spiral out of control, they had already come too far to retreat.

Compared to his daughter, he remained calmer.

“Tomorrow is the weekend,” he said thoughtfully. “If Secretary Wang doesn’t return to the county tonight, then there’s still hope.”

Gu Xiong had retired before Wang Xingmin was transferred to Yunshe as Party Secretary, so they had little direct contact.

But he knew that during Wang Xingmin’s year in Yunshe, he usually stayed in the town dormitory during the week and returned to Shishan County on weekends to see his family.

If Wang Xingmin still went back to the county tonight despite the massive search operation happening in town, then they could not count on him.

But if he stayed in Yunshe tonight, there might still be a chance.

“Station Chief Gu is right,” Xiao Liang said, nodding. “Whether Wang Xingmin returns to the county tonight is crucial. But I also believe that after hearing there are so many inconsistencies in my case, Secretary Wang wouldn’t lack the courage to look deeper into the truth.”

Turning to Gu Peijun, he said,

“Wait until night, avoid being seen, and take the materials to Secretary Wang’s dormitory. Even if he still doesn’t want to get involved after seeing them, at most he’ll just pretend the documents never existed. He won’t cause extra trouble.”

In his previous life, Wang Xingmin’s knowledge of the Nanting Lake Juice Factory scandal had been limited to Gu Peijun’s original anonymous report, which lacked strong direct evidence.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yujun and Fan Chunjiang had acted quickly and efficiently in framing Xiao Liang. The case had been transferred to the county public security bureau the very same day. Even with weak evidence, they had used their connections to keep Xiao Liang locked in the detention center for months, leaving the town government little room to intervene.

Under those circumstances, Wang Xingmin choosing to protect himself had perhaps been understandable.

But now that Xiao Liang had been reborn in 1994, things were different.

The scheme against him had not yet shown its full force, and Sui Jing’s unpredictable actions had already thrown Fan Chunjiang and Xiao Yujun onto the defensive.

Xiao Liang refused to believe that Wang Xingmin lacked the courage even to investigate the truth.

If Wang Xingmin truly were that spineless, then why had he ever tried stirring up trouble over the Nanting Juice Factory in the first place?