As Huo Sining predicted, Jiang Weide was arrested, and now Jiang Weide, including his wife and father-in-law, are all caught up in their own troubles, so no one is in a position to consider acquiring Zhang Chao’s house.

The Zhang Family’s Young Aunt seemed to have heard about the Jiang family’s affairs and dared not act rashly for the moment, even the families of Zhang’s uncle and great-uncle quieted down considerably.

However, after this incident, Zhang Chao lost any desire to stay in Anmin Alley, fearing that one day his aunt and uncles might come around causing trouble, and if his father got agitated, his condition might worsen, which is the last thing Zhang Chao wanted to see.

So, two days later, when Father Zhang awoke from a deep sleep, Zhang Chao told him everything that had happened during this time, and also informed him that he would be heading to Imperial Capital soon to work and study under Liu Cheng, and to take care of him, Zhang Chao planned to bring Father Zhang along.

Father Zhang had never been out of the provincial capital, so he was quite surprised and at a loss when his son proposed going to Imperial Capital. However, upon seeing the determination in his son’s eyes, Father Zhang inexplicably felt a sense of trust. After thinking it over, he nodded in agreement.

There was a trace of relief in Father Zhang’s eyes; his son had grown up without him realizing it. In such a situation, he shouldn’t hold his son back. No matter what comes in the future, he should support his son and provide the most solid backing.

Huo Sining was waiting for news over there. After the cold storage incident, Gu Xu immediately sent people down, and the Headquarters of the Power Bureau issued documents demanding a thorough investigation into the matter.

However, no matter how thorough the investigation, it couldn’t possibly lead to Huo Sining, as the cold storage was connected to industrial cables, with regular appliances being absolutely incapable of consuming such a large amount of power unless there was extensive machinery involved. Yet, despite how much the Criminal Investigation Bureau interrogated him, Jiang Weide consistently refused to confess.

But, Jiang Weide’s denial was useless, as the Power Bureau filed a lawsuit immediately, taking the cold storage to court, with Jiang Weide, naturally, becoming the defendant as its responsible party.

Jiang Weide’s wife was anxious upon learning her husband had been taken away by the Criminal Investigation Bureau and immediately called her father. However, when she got through, there was a moment of silence; no matter how much she cried and pleaded, Jiang Weide’s father-in-law remained silent.

Jiang Weide’s wife was both furious and desperate, crying and yelling at the person on the other end, "Dad, Weide has been handling matters for you all these years. Now that he’s in trouble, you’re dropping the ball and ignoring it, this is a clear case of not helping in times of peril!"

The person on the other end dearly wished he could help, as Jiang Weide was like his right arm. Suddenly losing him would make carrying out future tasks challenging, but despite the heartache, he had to be ruthless and abandon that arm; it was the only choice.

"Daughter, it’s not that your dad is heartless, but your dad is afraid to act recklessly now! This matter concerning Xiao Jiang has alarmed not just the Power Bureau but even those above, with documents already issued."

"In past situations, if a factory or similar small entity illegally connected cables and stole just several tens of thousands worth of electricity, it might have been overlooked, with the Power Bureau likely not pursuing it excessively. But this time is different; more than ten million’s worth, such a massive figure isn’t something anyone can casually turn a blind eye to."

"This is the most typical and largest case of power theft the Power Bureau has caught in years, with the Power Bureau and Criminal Investigation Bureau taking it very seriously, and those above demanding strict punishment. In such conditions, even if your dad gets involved, Xiao Jiang cannot be extracted, and instead, your dad might get implicated; is this a situation you wish to see?"

Jiang Weide’s wife fell silent at the phone, finally saying after awhile, "Dad, is this really how we’re going to leave it? Doing nothing and letting the matter develop? This is clearly a false accusation; I know a bit about Weide’s cold storage, and while issues like illegal connections and insufficient cooling exist, saying Weide stole more than ten million’s worth of electricity is something I would never believe; Weide isn’t that bold nor foolish to dig his own grave; he’s not that stupid!"

The person on the other end laughed bitterly, "You don’t believe it, neither do I, but what can disbelief do? The cause is his cold storage, he’s the responsible one, he must bear the responsibility. If he had the ability to find the culprit, he could clear his name, but can he? The Criminal Investigation Bureau has even turned his cold storage upside down, yet found nothing; the Power Bureau clearly won’t let go, they want him to fill the over ten million hole, what can he do? Just resign to bad luck!"

Jiang Weide’s wife was gnashing her teeth in hatred, yet knowing deep down her father was right and there wasn’t a thing she could do. Though her father is Fucheng’s leader, he’s not so powerful as to suppress both the Power Bureau and Criminal Investigation Bureau, especially with elections coming next year, her father mustn’t act rashly lest they end up losing instead of gaining, ending up smeared even without capturing any prey.

"Don’t be anxious now, I’ll have people watch the progress of this closely, and if need be, even the worst-case scenario, we might have to compensate the Power Bureau for all their losses; I’ll then find someone to help discreetly, Weide won’t go to prison."

The person on the phone, perhaps softened by hearing his daughter’s tears, couldn’t help but comfort her as he spoke, "You’ll need to work a bit harder during this time, running tasks on Weide’s behalf, completing his unfinished work immediately. The municipal planning application has been submitted and notice should come in less than half a month; by then, acquiring land and properties will be difficult, so you must hurry."

"As for the Power Bureau, it’s merely trivial, even if it means compensating over ten million, it’s a small matter. Compared to our upcoming planning, such compensation is insignificant; tell Weide not to fret about it, he should look long-term and not get tangled over this!"

"I understand."

Under her father’s comfort, Jiang Weide’s wife finally calmed down, and upon careful reflection, realized her father was right; once the subway planning announcement is out, the land and properties they hold will earn them a fortune. At that time, the over ten million will be nothing more than a drop in the ocean, entirely unworthy of the torment and distress they’re currently experiencing.