Over there, Huo Sining couldn’t help but let out a sardonic laugh when she learned that Jiang Weide’s father-in-law had made no moves.

It seems that Jiang Weide’s father-in-law is also someone who prioritizes benefits. Jiang Weide isn’t very smart, thinking that by latching onto a high-ranking official for a father-in-law, he could do whatever he wants. But with the personality of his Taishan Authority, should anything happen, Jiang Weide might not escape being held as a scapegoat.

Huo Sining has no goodwill towards dogs like Jiang Weide who bully others, nor toward their masters behind them. Even though the top man hasn’t shown any unusual action until now, Huo Sining doesn’t believe that this man is truly clean.

However, this isn’t the best time to make a move. Like they say, attack a snake at seven inches. For Jiang Weide, a little trick will suffice, but for his Taishan Authority, ordinary measures won’t work.

Jiang Weide’s case progressed quickly because the matter was given a high priority. The court soon accepted it and handled it faster than other cases. Almost in the same week, the courtroom had already started its trial proceedings.

Although it was not a public hearing, most participants were important figures from Fucheng.

With the judge’s gavel striking, the case reached a conclusion that very day: Jiang Weide’s cold storage was found stealing 13.7 million kilowatt-hours, violating criminal law, and was ordered to compensate the Fucheng Electric Power Bureau at market price. Also, involved personnel, including the cold storage staff, were sentenced to varied terms of three to six months.

Jiang Weide himself escaped sentencing, which wasn’t surprising. His wife had been working behind the scenes to help. On the day the case was filed, she hired a well-known lawyer to handle the lawsuit.

After understanding the entire case, the lawyer made a swift decision, advising Jiang Weide to find a way to pass the blame. He also contacted several other involved cold storage employees, offering them a considerable sum to persuade them to admit to the electricity theft and take the fall, thus extricating Jiang Weide from the issue.

In court, Jiang Weide claimed ignorance about the electricity theft but, given that the involved employees were under him, his poor oversight meant he bore some responsibility. Therefore, he agreed to cover the full compensation to the Electric Power Bureau without objection.

Moreover, on the day of the case trial, Jiang Weide offered his apologies to the Electric Power Bureau’s executives.

Because of Jiang Weide’s sincere attitude and his willingness to compensate a vast sum, the Electric Power Bureau had no choice but to relent. Soon, they expressed that they would not pursue the matter but hoped Jiang Weide would agree to their handling request to release his apology video, serving as a warning to others.

The day Jiang Weide was caught, the news had already spread through Fucheng. In just a few days, it was a hot topic. Jiang Weide knew it was already widely known; his reputation was thoroughly tarnished. Therefore, he felt indifferent towards the bureau’s request to release the apology video.

He had already shifted the blame, letting his subordinates take the fall. By releasing the apology video, it might even salvage his public image, letting uninformed masses see he was a victim too.

Jiang Weide’s thought process was undeniably shrewd; as he predicted, after the apology video was released, many sympathized with him after learning the bizarre details of the electricity theft and the trial result.

Losing over ten million for no reason and bearing the theft’s stigma—such unlucky events would bring gloom to anyone encountering them.

After being released, Jiang Weide promptly paid the compensation to the Electric Power Bureau. However, upon returning home, his facial expression darkened.

His wife had been aiding him all this time, but his father-in-law hadn’t stepped forward. This left Jiang Weide uneasy, secretly breeding resentment and dissatisfaction towards his father-in-law.

While it’s easy to add flowers to brocade, providing charcoal in snow is difficult. Jiang Weide felt his Taishan Authority could’ve intervened during the investigative bureau’s case filing, finding some people to speak on his behalf. Yet he chose to stand by, and given Jiang Weide’s inherently petty nature, he naturally felt wronged by his supportive father-in-law.

Nonetheless, Jiang Weide dared not let his wife discover these thoughts; it was a thorn buried deep within him.

Jiang Weide’s wife was unaware of her partner’s mindset. After bringing him back, she dutifully reported what she had done:

"Father mentioned the municipal planning notice is nearly out. I sped up the process during this period, buying back most of the remaining land and properties, except a few stubborn households which are hard to deal with. I’ll leave them for you to handle."

"Make sure to give Dad a call, even though he said he wouldn’t help, he privately arranged something for you. He has his difficulties; you shouldn’t hold anything against him, as you know well what he does is always for our good."

While his wife was rambling, Jiang Weide didn’t absorb any of it. He picked up the stack of documents she handed him, going through it until suddenly pausing, frowning:

"Has Zhang Zhiwei’s house still not been settled?"

His wife paused, glanced at the documents in Jiang Weide’s hand, seeming to recollect something, nodding: "I investigated that house; indeed, it’s the prime one in Anmin Alley. But the owner is no longer Zhang Zhiwei but his son, Zhang Chao. This Zhang Chao is a stubborn fool, dissatisfied with our offer, and unwilling to meet me." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Jiang Weide’s gaze sharpened: "Unwilling to meet? Isn’t Zhang Zhiwei seriously ill? I gave instructions last time for hospitals not to take him in. Zhang Zhiwei should have nowhere to go, right? That Zhang Chao is still a teenager; where does he get his audacity?"

His wife shook her head: "I’ve inquired; Zhang Zhiwei is now at the City Center Hospital, personally arranged by Director Hu. Zhang Zhiwei’s social ties are simple, and logically, he wouldn’t know any important figures. Yet, it’s clear someone intervened, but who it was, I couldn’t find out."