Chapter 124: Playing the Fox Borrowing the Tiger

Under Lin Dongfan's guidance, Ying Jie fearlessly rushed toward the anti-corruption avenue.

While everyone sat before the stage to watch the annual audiovisual feast, she set aside the feast, wrapped 200,000 in illicit cash in a glamorous dance costume, and hurried to the office to find the Station Chief.

The Station Chief wasn't there, so she went to look for the Deputy Station Chief.

She placed the 200,000 in cash on the table.

It seemed she wanted to prove this was a dirty world wrapped in glamorous attire.

But Deputy Station Chief Wang obviously didn't grasp this meaning.

He glanced at the 200,000 in cash, and with just that look his blood pressure shot up to the critical point; he raised his head and glanced again at Ying Jie, who was so nervous she didn't even know how to say hello.

Based on past experience, this seemed to be the rhythm of an early New Year's greeting.

Deputy Station Chief Wang leaned back in his soft leather chair, comfortably pushing up the half-frame glasses on his nose: "Comrade, which department are you from? You've got guts."

"Are you mistaken? I'm not here to give a gift."

Ying Jie is the type who, once nervous, goes straight to the point; for example, now, she says whatever she realizes, with no subtlety or beating around the bush.

Deputy Station Chief Wang responded with a faint, unsurprised smile:

"If you want to advance, the key is to put in extra effort at work; going through the back door won't work. Take this back quickly—I'll pretend nothing happened this time."

"I don't mean that; I'm Li Yunying of the Jianglan Arts Troupe."

Ying Jie finished her introduction nervously, about to further clear up the misunderstanding.

Deputy Station Chief Wang suddenly exclaimed in surprise: "Oh my, you're not from our unit—you've come to the wrong place!"

"You're a leader here, right? I didn't come to the wrong place." Ying Jie said solemnly: "I'm here to…"

"I understand."

Deputy Station Chief Wang interrupted Ying Jie again.

He struck a pose of knowing wisdom: "You arts units all want to get on the variety channel—it's just that little thing? Still, the same saying: going through the back door won't work."

Ying Jie could barely hide her despair: "Can you let me finish what I'm saying?"

"I gave you two friendly tips—why are you getting worked up?"

Deputy Station Chief Wang pushed the 200,000 in cash forward on the table, then chuckled and advised: "Take it back quickly—I really can't accept this money. From now on, you should focus more on honing your professional skills. As long as your technical expertise is solid, you still have a chance to get on the variety vision channel."

"Thanks, our professional skills are top-notch!"

This frustration welled up, and Ying Jie immediately tossed all worldly manners to the winds.

She hurriedly explained: "This money was given to me by the gala's general director, Yu An. He wanted me to swap Chu Lingxi's performance costume, hoping to make her embarrass herself on stage. This is his kickback."

At that moment, Deputy Station Chief Wang's face silently changed.

It shifted from confidence to doubt, then from doubt to shock—a perfect triple jump—and his heart rate likely sped up considerably.

Ying Jie paid no attention to his emotional shift.

She then took out her phone and played the previously covertly recorded audio: "This is his conversation with me just now; listen and you'll understand."

"!!!"

The recording's contents echoed in the office.

Clear and piercing.

Deputy Station Chief Wang listened and listened, his face undergoing another change—this time a look of shame.

Until the entire recording finished playing.

Only then did Deputy Station Chief Wang utter a regretful tone: "Due to some staff members' inadequate professional competence, we've caused you dance troupe plenty of trouble; this is truly regrettable, and we will handle it seriously later."

"He previously killed our program—do you know about this?" Ying Jie asked.

Deputy Station Chief Wang pushed up his glasses again: "I really didn't know that—what kind of program is yours?" He glanced at Ying Jie in surprise.

Ying Jie bluntly said: "A dance program, 'Dreaming Back a Thousand Years.'"

"Dreaming Back a Thousand Years?"

Deputy Station Chief Wang suddenly recalled that Xie Yuxin had mentioned this program at this morning's meeting.

He silently weighed the seriousness.

Deputy Station Chief Wang nodded solemnly: "Just hearing the name of this program evokes a rich cultural heritage; even without watching, you know it's definitely an excellent classic program—some people are truly blind."

Ying Jie earnestly accused:

"What I mean is, someone targeted our Arts Troupe's Chu Lingxi, bribed Director Yu, and wanted to kill our program. After the leadership intervened and the program couldn't be killed, they then turned to wicked thoughts, tampering with the costumes to make Chu Lingxi embarrass herself on stage. This isn't a matter of blindness—it's a ruthless, cruel heart."

Deputy Station Chief Wang nodded habitually: "Understood; if the facts are true, we will handle it seriously."

"Serious handling—how is it done?" Ying Jie pressed.

Deputy Station Chief Wang nodded professionally: "Serious handling means firmly implementing the 'three nots' and 'four nots' requirements. With the determination to scrape bone to cure poison, we will launch a comprehensive responsibility inversion investigation into related events. Based on clarifying the facts, we will take strict supervision, strict discipline enforcement, and severe accountability as our guiding principle, and apply the lessons broadly…"

"I thank you (Grandpa)! Stop—it's not right for me to ask."

Ying Jie finally understood why she couldn't be a good leader: she lacked the great supernatural power of commanding clouds and mist; bluntly, she was missing common sense, only knowing how to get straight to the point.

Looking at the situation now, the so-called serious handling is probably just going through the motions.

If we don't let the surname Yu step down, then today wasn't all for nothing?

Ying Jie had a sudden inspiration.

She directly employed the tactic of "borrowing the tiger's might": "Earlier, when our program was killed, Chu Lingxi's husband Lin Dongfan settled it with just one phone call—did you know that?"

Upon hearing this, Deputy Station Chief Wang's face flickered with surprise.

"Lin Dongfan?"

"Xie Yuxin's husband also surnamed Lin—could it be…?"

After a moment's thought.

Deputy Station Chief Wang quickly rose and personally poured Ying Jie a cup of tea: "Troupe Leader Li, I might not have been clear earlier. I said serious handling, we should handle it exactly as it should be handled. With 200,000 in illicit cash placed here, in this matter we absolutely cannot tolerate and nurture wrongdoing."

Saying that, he handed the hot tea to Ying Jie.

This matter left Ying Jie looking utterly bewildered.

I was just a bit unwilling, taking a gamble, I stubbornly bragged— that's all— yet I managed to scare this big leader; I even personally poured tea and served water.

This world is too crazy!

Could it be that Lin Dongfan really has some heaven-defying background?

Ying Jie held the steaming tea, and suddenly felt that what she was holding was not a teacup but the golden bowl used by Tang Sanzang for begging; seeing it, every government office would have to offer two fresh steamed buns.

Ying Jie tentatively asked Deputy Station Chief Wang, "May I sit for a while?"

"Of course you can, sit, sit, sit."

Deputy Station Chief Wang quickly gestured to the seat and personally wiped the sofa.

This frightening enthusiasm left Ying Jie secretly astonished; she now firmly and confidently concluded one thing: Lin Dongfan's background is absolutely heaven-defying!

When one person attains the Dao, even chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.

Even this team leader, whom I couldn't reach even with an eight-foot pole, also got some of the glory.

Ying Jie collected herself.

Feigning composure, she blew on the hot tea in her cup and asked, "Leader, how should I address you?"

"I am surnamed Wang; you can just call me Old Wang."

Deputy Station Chief Wang sat to the side, smiling apologetically: "Team Leader Li, fortunately you stopped this in time, and it caused no irreparable consequences. In my view, we shouldn't report this to higher-ups; later I will definitely handle it strictly."

"However you handle it is fine, I have no objections." Ying Jie, maintaining her posture, applied pressure: "I'm just worried that Lin Dongfan might feel uneasy; he's from the Anti-Corruption Bureau, and he hates evil as if it were an enemy."

"Anti... Anti-Corruption Bureau?"

His heartstrings trembled, and Deputy Station Chief Wang's tea in his hand almost shook out.

He immediately straightened his posture and solemnly declared: "Rest assured, regarding Director Yu An, those who should be suspended will be suspended, those who should be expelled will be expelled! Tomorrow I will give you a satisfactory resolution."

Hearing that, Ying Jie almost let out a 'pfft' laugh.

She thought:

This feeling of showing off is really satisfying!

Dongfan, oh Dongfan, this signboard of yours is really useful! Haha, I've lived over forty years, and this is the first time I've scared a big leader into stammering.