Was a Gold Digger Behind It All? Secretary Sha Demands Justice Himself!

Those words struck everyone like a hammer to the heart.

Li Dakang opened his mouth, but no more words came out.

"Secretary Sha is right!"

The provincial discipline inspection secretary reacted first. He bent down and gripped one of the coffin's wooden carrying poles. "Comrade Ye Qingmei protected the people of Handong. Let's see her off together!"

The other senior officials stepped forward one by one, each taking hold of a pole.

Five gray-haired men stood amid the desolate weeds of the Sin Mausoleum...

And bowed their backs beneath her coffin!

Yue Xiaofei watched, his eyes instantly reddening.

He hurried forward and placed his hand on the pole at the front of the coffin. His voice caught. "Secretary Sha, uncles, thank you."

"Child, your mother is the one we should thank."

Sha Zhenjiang turned to him, his gaze warm. "If you ever need help, come to us."

The other senior officials nodded as well.

"That's right!"

"Handong will stand behind you!"

At that moment, six pairs of hands held the same coffin tight.

Just yesterday, Sha Zhenjiang's hand had been signing off on documents that would shape the lives of millions.

Now it supported the final dignity of a doctor who had passed away.

"Lift!"

At Sha Zhenjiang's low command, all six men braced themselves, and the coffin slowly rose from the ground.

There were no suona horns, no drums or music.

Yet every footstep rang clear.

Li Dakang and the officials behind him held their breath as they watched the astonishing sight—

Provincial leaders were carrying a coffin!

Apart from Yue Xiaofei, every bearer was among Handong Province's most powerful figures. Even Li Dakang, Jiangcheng's top official, had no place among them.

Before countless watching eyes!

The six of them walked out of the Sin Mausoleum step by step, like guards escorting a hero.

The road from the Sin Mausoleum to the East District was not long, but they walked it with solemn care.

Step. Step. Step.

Yue Xiaofei walked at the front, his back perfectly straight.

Then tears suddenly slid down his cheeks.

Fifteen minutes later.

At last, they reached the East District cemetery.

A new grave had already been dug, and the headstone had been replaced with one of white marble.

Seven gilded characters were carved into it: "Tomb of Heroic Martyr Ye Qingmei"!

Thud!

The coffin was lowered slowly.

Yue Xiaofei knelt before the grave and gently stroked the cold stone. "Mom, you're home. Rest in peace."

Sha Zhenjiang stood behind him and bowed deeply to the headstone.

"Comrade Qingmei, the people of Handong haven't forgotten you!"

"We'll tell your story to every child!"

"And we'll look after your son, Yue Xiaofei. You can rest easy."

Wind swept through the pines and cypresses of the East District, setting them rustling.

It sounded like countless people murmuring their agreement.

Looking at his mother's new headstone, Yue Xiaofei suddenly felt the shadow hanging over the Yue Family begin to lift.

Perhaps the injustice done to his father...

Would one day come to light, just as his mother's deeds had!

"Secretary Li, arrange a twenty-one-gun salute!"

Sha Zhenjiang looked at the headstone, then suddenly turned and gave Li Dakang the order.

Li Dakang froze, his expression changing. "Secretary Sha, that's the standard for a state funeral..."

"She deserves it!"

Sha Zhenjiang cut him off, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Aren't the lives of a million people in Handong worth twenty-one gunshots?"

Li Dakang did not dare argue further. He immediately took out his phone and dialed.

"Send the ceremonial artillery unit to Qingshan Cemetery!"

"Twenty-one shots. Do it now!"

Three minutes later.

A muffled boom came from outside the cemetery.

Boom!

The first ceremonial shot rang out, shaking the branches of the pines and cypresses.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Twenty-one shots rang out over Jiangcheng, as though proclaiming a hero's rightful honor.

As Yue Xiaofei listened, tears welled up again.

This was the honor his mother deserved—a tribute that had come a year too late!

The gun salute ended!

Then several guards dragged the cemetery director over.

"Talk. Who ordered you to move the grave?" Li Dakang demanded.

The director collapsed to the ground, drenched in sweat. "Secretary Li, I... I don't dare say..."

"You don't dare?"

Li Dakang glared at him. "Secretary Sha is standing right here. Do you think you can bluff your way through this?"

The director looked up, saw the coldness in Sha Zhenjiang's eyes, and finally broke.

"It was... Yang Guohua!"

"What?"

Yue Xiaofei jerked his head up. "That real estate tycoon in Jiangcheng?"

"It was him!"

The director swallowed, his voice trembling. "He gave me a million yuan to move Ms. Ye's grave to the Sin Mausoleum!"

"My family has no grudge against him. Why would he do that?"

Yue Xiaofei clenched his fists, baffled.

The director hunched his shoulders and stammered, "He has an only daughter. Her grades are terrible. She couldn't even meet the cutoff for a junior college..."

"But the children of martyrs get thirty bonus points on the college entrance exam. He wanted to take the place that should have been yours and claim that honor for her!"

So that was it!

Yue Xiaofei was furious.

Someone had desecrated his mother's grave!

And now they wanted to steal the honor she had earned with her life!

They wanted a spoiled brat who never studied to trample over a hero's remains on her way to college!

"Yang Guohua!"

Yue Xiaofei growled. "My mother saved so many people, and he dared to drag her name through the mud!"

"Investigate him!"

Sha Zhenjiang's face darkened as he gave the order.

"Yes!"

Li Dakang nodded quickly, his heart in his throat.

Every scandal exposed today could cost him dearly.

"Secretary Li, I didn't mean to do it!"

The director lay on the ground, his face crumpled. "Yang Guohua said that if I moved Ms. Ye's grave to the Sin Mausoleum, nobody would care about a 'criminal'!"

"He also said he'd move her grave back once his daughter got into college..."

"Bullshit!"

Yue Xiaofei seized the director by the collar and roared through clenched teeth. "Does he think he can stain my mother's honor? What's his daughter's name?"

"Yang... Yang Jiaojiao..." the director stammered.

But Yue Xiaofei looked startled when he heard it.

"What? Her?"

He clenched his fists, disbelief and anger filling his voice.

"Xiaofei, do you know her?" Sha Zhenjiang asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Know her? That's putting it mildly!"

Yue Xiaofei took a deep breath and forced down his anger. "I applied for my school's financial aid three years in a row. I was rejected every time."

"But Yang Jiaojiao? She got it all three years!"

"How is she poor? She rides to school in a luxury car every day and wears designer brands from head to toe. One pair of her shoes costs more than several months of my living expenses!"

"I scrimp and save every day. I eat steamed buns and pickles for every meal, just to scrape together tuition and living expenses."

"But she takes financial aid meant for students in need and spends it on the latest phone and meals at fancy restaurants."

"Secretary Sha, how is that fair?!"

Sha Zhenjiang and the other senior officials from Handong looked grim in the face of Yue Xiaofei's question.

Another scandal!

Yang Jiaojiao had not only taken the bonus points but also claimed financial aid meant for the poor. Her greed knew no bounds!

"Leaders, I..."

Li Dakang stood to one side, sweating and stumbling over his words.

He knew all of this had happened in Jiangcheng. He could not escape responsibility.

"I know Yang Jiaojiao!"

Just then, Gao Zisheng, still held by the guards, shouted, "She's on my WeChat contacts! Secretary Sha, let me help make up for what I did!"

As though grabbing a lifeline, he hurriedly pulled out his phone, opened Yang Jiaojiao's Moments feed, and handed it to Yue Xiaofei.

"Look. This is her feed. It's full of all kinds of nonsense."

Yue Xiaofei snatched the phone.

All he saw were posts flaunting her wealth.

There was a selfie of her outside a luxury boutique.

She carried several large bags printed with logos and wore a smug smile.

The caption read: "Another great haul today!"

There were photos of her wearing glittering jewelry—necklaces, earrings, bracelets. Every piece looked expensive.

The caption read: "A few new little trinkets!"

There were also photos from her travels across the country.

She wore a bikini on a beach in Sanya.

She wore an expensive ski suit on a snowy mountain.

She struck pose after pose in an ancient town.

She was fairly pretty, with the standard influencer look: big eyes, a high nose bridge, a pointed chin...

The photos had clearly been carefully edited, stretching her legs long and slim.

But when Yue Xiaofei scrolled to a post from six months earlier, rage surged through him. His whole body shook.

The photo showed her wearing a diamond-studded Cartier bracelet with a price tag of over 200,000 yuan.

[My new treasure. Bought it with compensation money. It just feels different on my wrist!]

The comments below were lively.

Someone asked, "Compensation money? What happened? Jiaojiao, did someone in your family pass away?"

Yang Jiaojiao replied, "Oh, don't ask so many questions. I didn't just get compensation money—I'll get bonus points on the college entrance exam too. Two birds with one stone!"

A flood of comments followed.

"Jiaojiao, you're incredible!"

"That's our Jiaojiao! Take us along for the ride!"

"Only you could pull that off!"

Yue Xiaofei's chest heaved as he read them, his teeth grinding together.

Yang Jiaojiao had stolen the compensation paid for his mother's sacrifice!

She had used that blood money to buy a bracelet worth 200,000 yuan!

It was unforgivable!

It was an outrage against humanity!

Yue Xiaofei immediately handed his phone to Sha Zhenjiang, his voice hoarse with anger.

"Secretary Sha, look! Not only did she steal my place, she also took my mother's death benefits!"

Sha Zhenjiang took the phone. By the time he finished reading, his face was livid, and fury rolled off him.

"This is outrageous! She thinks she's above the law!"

The other senior officials from Handong condemned it too.

"She's gone too far! She must be punished!"

"She even dared touch a hero's death benefits? Does she have a death wish?!"

Just then, Gao Zisheng's phone lit up.

Yang Jiaojiao had updated her social feed.

She had posted a photo of an Admission Notice.

It said "Longdu Film Academy."

[It's official! I got into Longdu Film Academy! I'm holding a celebration banquet today at the Jiangcheng Pearl Hotel! It's five-star, so come celebrate with me!]

It was obvious.

A poor student like her had only gotten into a prestigious school like Longdu Film Academy because of those thirty extra points.

Sha Zhenjiang stared at the screen, his face livid.

"I won't turn a blind eye to this!"

"A hero's blood must not have been shed in vain!"

"A hero's honor must not be tarnished!"

He turned to Yue Xiaofei, his voice ringing with conviction.

"Xiaofei, since I'm here in Jiangcheng, I'll go to that banquet with you as an elder."

"We'll get your mother the justice she deserves!!!"

His last words struck like steel nails driven into a metal plate, carrying a ferocity that made hearts tremble.

"Anyone who dares touch a hero's death benefits..."

"I'll ruin them financially!"

"Anyone who dares climb over a hero's remains..."

"I'll bring them crashing down!!!"

A sharp breath went through the crowd.

Everyone present shuddered.

Was this about getting justice?

He was about to turn Jiangcheng upside down!

Who in Handong's official circles didn't know Sha Zhenjiang's temper?

His word was final!

He acted swiftly and decisively!

Jiangcheng might have been outside his jurisdiction, but after what he had said today, the city was bound to be shaken to its foundations!

"Secretary Sha, I'll go with you!"

Li Dakang's face was white as a sheet. He hurried two steps forward. "Someone needs to coordinate things at a gathering like that. I know Jiangcheng well. I can help you—"

"No! I'm going in plain clothes today. I don't need an entourage!"

Sha Zhenjiang cut him off, then fixed him with a stare. "Li Dakang, investigate the Gao Family. Get to the bottom of it!"

"Yes, Secretary Sha!"

Li Dakang's legs went weak, and he nearly dropped to his knees.

Sha Zhenjiang gave him no further glance and headed for the cemetery gates.

"Secretary Zhou, Leng Feng, with me!"

Secretary Zhou snatched up his briefcase and hurried after him.

Leng Feng, the plainclothes guard, straightened his back. His hand rested on the gun at his waist, his gaze sharp as an eagle's.

"Secretary Sha..."

Watching Sha Zhenjiang walk away, Yue Xiaofei suddenly felt his nose sting.

This powerful old man!

He had traveled all the way from Handong to Jiangcheng. Now, for Yue Xiaofei and his mother, he was ready to bring Jiangcheng's powerful elite to their knees!

A black Passat waited quietly outside the cemetery, utterly inconspicuous.

No police cars led the way.

No emergency lights flashed.

"Xiaofei, get in!"

Sha Zhenjiang pulled open the rear door, then gave the driver an order. "Jiangcheng Pearl Hotel. Step on it!"

"Yes."

Leng Feng, the guard, floored the accelerator, and the Passat shot away like an arrow from a bow.

Then Sha Zhenjiang turned to Yue Xiaofei again.

"Don't be afraid, son!"

"I'm here today. No one will stop you from getting justice!"

Yue Xiaofei looked at the old man and nodded firmly.

No one knew...

Jiangcheng was about to be shaken to its core!