"Dad, you’ve been here nearly a day, what’s your overall impression of Yuanzhou Mine?" Luo Ye shifted her expression, no longer teasing.

"Are you examining your old man?" Luo Zhenggang glanced at his daughter and checked the time, "Alright, it’s getting late, Ye’er, go back and rest early."

"Dad..." Luo Ye helplessly hugged her dad’s arm and shook it, "Okay, it’s my fault, I shouldn’t have used such a formal tone with you.

But, I’m asking you because I’m genuinely angry with the mine’s actions. This afternoon, my coworker and I stayed behind the hospital wards.

You know, when folks gather together, they love to chat about family gossip, but the biggest problems can be uncovered from these chats.

I asked you because I wanted to see how much the official information differs from what I’ve discovered by eavesdropping. Of course, if you weren’t my dad, I wouldn’t dare to probe into this stuff."

"What’s your main mission this time?" Luo Zhenggang’s expression turned serious, "If it’s inconvenient to say, just tell me what I can listen to."

"Dad..." Luo Ye felt exasperated, "I found that you’re getting more humorous, even if you weren’t my dad, given your level, what’s inconvenient to say as long as you’re not involved?"

Luo Zhenggang smiled, patting his daughter’s head, signaling her to continue.

"My colleague and I are in the roles of marginalized actors, transferred to the mine art troupe. The purpose is to verify the big fish behind the mine owner. The commission assigned investigators before but the outcome was inconclusive, so this time, it’s our turn."

"This is indeed an opportunity. With such a big incident at the mine, the big fish will surely stir, Ye’er..." Pausing, Luo Zhenggang’s face became solemn, "Your mom and I only have you."

"Dad..." Luo Ye moved forward to hug her dad’s neck, planning to make a joke but recalled everything from the past life, causing her nose to sting and tears to naturally flow.

The daughter who is usually sensible suddenly cried like a tearful mess, making Luo Zhenggang panic immediately: "Ye’er? What’s happening, tell dad, Ye’er, don’t worry, even if dad’s not an official, he’ll stand up for Ye’er no matter what..."

"Dad, I’m okay." Luo Ye’s head rested against Luo Zhenggang, her voice buzzing.

Crying like this for no reason? Of course, Luo Zhenggang didn’t believe it, pulling his daughter to the front: "Ye’er, be honest with dad, what’s really happening?"

"Dad, really, nothing’s wrong." The sad feeling passed, Luo Ye broke into laughter, "I was moved by dad, originally thought dad would say, ’Ye’er, you have to work hard, dad’s waiting to throw you a celebration dinner.’"

Luo Zhenggang felt exasperated: "Ye’er, what your mom and I desire most is for you and your brother to be safe and happy." He’s usually not good at expressing emotions in front of family, so saying these words wasn’t easy for him.

"I must tell this to brother, he’ll definitely be moved too, haha..."

"Look at you, grown up yet one moment crying, another moment laughing, sigh..." Luo Zhenggang patted his daughter’s head, looking helpless.

"I only act like this in front of you. By the way, dad, after completing the task, I’ll come home for a few days. Don’t tell Grandpa and mom, I want to surprise them."

"Alright, dad won’t tell them. Now, let’s talk business, after the Yuanzhou Mine incident, I got a call from your Uncle Lei and rushed over.

On the surface, the compensation seems adequate, the rescue timely, and the final outcome relatively ideal. But, the more things appear perfect, the more issues might exist.

Compensation is currently fifty thousand per person, post-rescue, adding thirty thousand for the injured and fifty thousand for the deceased. What puzzles me is why there’s no disagreement over this? A human life, worth only a hundred thousand?"

"There’s deception involved here, superficially it looks like this but in reality, more than half of the families received sixty thousand on top of the original fifty thousand. I don’t need to say, dad knows why.

As for the remaining few, they’re thinking about fighting for their relatives’ living rights, but before they could act, you dispatched the rescue team.

Thus, whether injured or deceased, or getting more or less, everyone has calmed down temporarily, waiting for the results.

And the result, as you said, is relatively ideal, even for those doctors have declared unlikely to wake, I snuck in to see, with proper treatment, there’s still a chance to recover.

This is what I need to tell dad, I can’t intervene, dad should arrange reinforcements from the provincial central hospital. With them, this incident can ensure truly no injuries or fatalities."

"Fine, I’ll call them now."

Luo Ye quickly stopped him: "No need, I’ve secretly administered acupuncture on them, till tomorrow morning the treatment won’t be delayed, suddenly mobilizing people now will alarm some."

"Ye’er is certain the workers’ health won’t be negatively affected? Compared to catching the mastermind, dad believes ensuring the workers’ health is paramount, these people are in their prime, most have families, young and old."

This is her dad.

In her past life, her dad was beloved by the people for this personality, but because of it, Liu Zhengxing exploited his weakness, forcing him step by step into a trap, losing his life in the end.

When she didn’t understand, Luo Ye also despised her dad’s pedantic ways. But in this life, truly understanding her dad’s hardships, she can only say that the ending for an official whose heart is filled with the sufferings of the people, is certainly different whether he has connections or not.

"Dad, have you ever met the deputy mine owner of this mine?"

Luo Ye found it inconvenient to probe anyone, and eavesdropping yielded no information, which made her feel something was very off.

"He went on a business trip a few days ago and hasn’t returned yet," Luo Zhenggang said, "Ye’er, do you feel he has any problems?"

"His daughter is Brother Xiao Su’s girlfriend," Luo Ye shrugged, "According to Brother Xiao Su’s girlfriend, after the mine accident, he would absolutely not allow it to be covered up."

"The key problem now is to find out whether he is truly on a business trip or if there’s some issue. However, I estimate Zan Wenxing wouldn’t dare do anything to him. The biggest likelihood is that he’s being detained somewhere. But, how can he be brought back into the public eye? Dad, I’ll have to rely on you."

"Alright, I’ll take care of this."

"Dad, I have to go now, there are still many things to do. If I have any news, I’ll update you through a private line." Luo Ye said as she got up and walked toward the window.

"Be careful." Luo Zhenggang would have preferred his daughter leave through the front door, but considering her current status, he was afraid a lapse in judgment might bring her danger, thus his furrowed brow was enough to crush a mosquito.

"Dad, this kind of thing is a piece of cake for me." Luo Ye blinked her eyes, opened the window, and swiftly slid down a rope outside.

Leaning against the window, watching her daughter’s small silhouette merge with another figure and quickly disappear, Luo Zhenggang let out a small sigh of relief, withdrew, glanced at the time, and his heart tightened again. That girl leaving at this hour certainly wasn’t going back to sleep. Given that the matter of the mine had been hidden for so many years, how could that group’s influence be weak?

...

Zan Wenxing’s home.

"Weiwei, listen to your uncle and aunt when you get there. Dad and Mom will come find you soon. Be good... Change clothes quickly and get going." The speaker was a plump woman in her forties with fair complexion and quite pretty peach-shaped eyes. She was Zan Wenxing’s wife.

"I’m not going! You didn’t explain why when I returned. Plus, I haven’t even said goodbye to my classmates."

Leaning outside the window, Luo Ye and Zhao Qianqian exchanged a glance, made a gesture, and quietly moved closer. The girl called Weiwei was an old acquaintance they met on the train—a girl who complained about the noise in the hard sleeper. No need to ask, that plump woman was certainly Zan Wenxing’s wife, Li Ailing, and the girl was their daughter, Zan Weiwei.

The plump woman looked anxious but had to soften her voice to continue persuading, "Weiwei, listen, Dad and Mom only have you as our child, naturally all plans are for your own good. Listen to Mom, change clothes and head to the airport, don’t make your dad mad."

"When I came back, you said planes couldn’t be taken, how come now it’s okay?" Zan Weiwei glared at the plump woman, "Without telling me the reason, I won’t leave no matter what you say."

"Little ancestor, would Dad and Mom hurt you?"

"Why isn’t Mom leaving with me?"

"Weiwei, of course, Mom wants to go with you, but the current situation doesn’t allow it. Listen to Mom, hurry and leave, or later when your dad returns, he won’t be as gentle as Mom in urging you."

"Mom, it’s because you can’t leave Dad, right? Just sending me away?" Zan Weiwei glanced at the woman’s belly, "Tell me honestly, is there another one?"

Li Ailing looked helplessly at her daughter, "Weiwei, given Mom’s age, how could you think that? Oh..." She sighed and didn’t continue.

"Then is it Dad who has someone outside?" Zan Weiwei pursed her lips, "I knew it, with just me, Dad wouldn’t be content."

"Bastard!"

A sturdy man in his forties came in and instructed the servant standing aside with luggage, "Take things to the car, Ah Xin and Ah Dong, get the young lady to the car."

"You dare!" Zan Weiwei stood up and glared at him, "Dad, if you dare have them tie me up to the airport, you’ll definitely regret it. Try me if you don’t believe!"

Zan Wenxing waved his hand at the two strong men behind him, "Take the young lady away!"

Zan Weiwei took a step back, "Zan Wenxing, it’s just a mine accident, is it necessary to be so terrified?" His daughter, in a moment of desperation, didn’t even call him dad.

Outside the window, the corners of Luo Ye’s lips curled into a smile. Well, he couldn’t hold back. Good, she liked that!

---

Supplementing the second update of yesterday, four minutes late.

Today’s update, Nuan will continue to work hard. Special thanks to Pink for Nuan’s genuine subscription, guys—love you. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) and cast recommendation and monthly tickets; your support is my greatest motivation.)