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

Those words struck every heart like a hammer.

Li Dakang opened his mouth, but no second word came out.

"Secretary Sha is right!"

The provincial Discipline Inspection Commission secretary reacted first. He bent down and gripped a wooden carrying pole. "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 beneath the coffin.

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

And bowed their backs!

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 choked. "Secretary Sha, uncles, thank you."

"Child, it's your mother we should thank."

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

The other senior officials nodded.

"That's right!"

"Handong has your back!"

Six pairs of hands gripped the same coffin.

Only yesterday, Sha Zhenjiang's hand had signed off on documents affecting millions of lives.

Now it upheld the final dignity of a doctor who had passed away!

"Lift!"

Sha Zhenjiang gave a low command.

All six braced themselves, and the coffin slowly rose from the ground.

There were no horns, no drums.

Yet every footstep rang clear.

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

Provincial leaders carrying a coffin!

Apart from Yue Xiaofei, every bearer was among Handong Province's highest-ranking officials. Even Li Dakang, Jiangcheng's top official, did not qualify.

Before countless watching eyes!

The six 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 short, but they walked it with profound solemnity.

Step. Step. Step.

Yue Xiaofei walked at the front, his back straight.

Then tears slipped down his cheeks.

Fifteen minutes later.

They finally reached the East District burial ground.

A new grave had already been dug, and a white marble headstone stood ready.

Seven gold-inlaid Chinese characters were engraved on it: "Grave of the Martyr Ye Qingmei"!

Thud!

The coffin was lowered slowly.

Yue Xiaofei knelt before the grave and gently touched 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 every child your story!"

"And we'll take care of your son, Yue Xiaofei. You can rest easy."

The wind rustled through the pines and cypresses of the East District.

It sounded like countless voices murmuring in agreement!

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

Perhaps his father's wrongful conviction...

Would one day be brought into the light, just like his mother's deeds!

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

Sha Zhenjiang looked at the headstone, then turned to give Li Dakang the order.

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

"She deserves it!"

Sha Zhenjiang cut him off, his tone brooking no argument. "Are the lives of a million people in Handong not worth twenty-one gunshots?"

Li Dakang did not dare argue further. He immediately took out his phone and made a call.

"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 salute shook the pines and cypresses, setting their branches rustling.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Twenty-one gunshots echoed over Jiangcheng, proclaiming her a hero.

As Yue Xiaofei listened, tears welled up again.

This was the honor his mother deserved, a tribute a year overdue!

The gun salute ended!

Then several security guards brought over the cemetery manager.

"Tell me—who ordered you to move the grave?" Li Dakang demanded.

The manager 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 right here. Do you think you can bluff your way through this?"

The manager looked up, met Sha Zhenjiang's icy gaze, and finally broke.

"It... it was Yang Guohua!"

"What?"

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

"Yes!"

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

"My family has no quarrel with him. Why would he do that?"

Yue Xiaofei clenched his fists, baffled.

The manager drew in his neck and stammered, "He has an only daughter. Her grades were terrible—not even good enough for a vocational college..."

"But children of martyrs get thirty extra points. He wanted to use that benefit and take the honor that should have been yours!"

So that was it!

Fury surged through Yue Xiaofei.

Not only had someone desecrated his mother's grave!

He had tried to steal the honor she had given her life to earn!

He wanted his spoiled, useless daughter to climb over a hero's remains and into college!

"Yang Guohua!"

Yue Xiaofei growled. "My mother saved so many people, and he dared 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 pounding.

Every matter exposed today could cost him dearly.

"Secretary Li, I really didn't mean to!"

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

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

"Bullshit!"

Yue Xiaofei grabbed the manager by the collar and roared through clenched teeth. "Who does he think he is to defile my mother's honor? What's his daughter's name?"

"Yang... Yang Jiaojiao..." the manager stammered.

But Yue Xiaofei looked startled when he heard it.

"What? It's her?"

He clenched his fists, disbelief mingling with rage in his voice.

"Xiaofei, do you know her?"

Sha Zhenjiang raised an eyebrow.

"Do I ever!"

Yue Xiaofei took a deep breath, forcing down his anger. "I applied for my school's financial aid three years in a row. I was turned down 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 labels from head to toe. One pair of her shoes costs months of my living expenses!"

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

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

"Secretary Sha, how is that fair?!"

At Yue Xiaofei's question, Sha Zhenjiang and the other senior Handong officials' faces darkened.

This was another case altogether!

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

"Leaders, this..."

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

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

"I know Yang Jiaojiao!"

At that moment, Gao Zisheng, held by the security guards, suddenly shouted, "She's on my WeChat! Secretary Sha, let me make up for what I've done!"

As though grasping a lifeline, he hurriedly took 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 rubbish."

Yue Xiaofei snatched the phone.

Every post that met his eyes was a display of wealth.

There were selfies outside luxury stores.

She held several large bags printed with brand logos, a smug smile on her face.

The caption read: "Another successful shopping day!"

There were photos of her wearing glittering jewelry—necklaces, earrings, bracelets, all of them looking expensive.

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

There were also photos from her trips around 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, a pointed chin...

The photos had clearly been heavily edited, her legs stretched long and thin.

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

The photo showed her wearing a diamond-studded Cartier bracelet priced at over 200,000 yuan.

[My new treasure! Bought it with the bereavement payment. It just feels different wearing it!]

The comments below were lively.

Someone asked, "Bereavement payment? What happened, Jiaojiao? Did someone in your family die?"

Yang Jiaojiao replied, "Oh, don't ask so many questions! I got the money, and I'll get extra points on my college entrance exam. 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, and his teeth ground together as he read.

Yang Jiaojiao had stolen the compensation paid for his mother's death as a martyr!

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

It was beyond forgiveness!

Outrageous!

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

"Secretary Sha, look! She didn't just take my place. She embezzled my mother's death benefits too!"

Sha Zhenjiang took the phone. After reading what was on it, his face turned livid, and fury radiated from him.

"This is outrageous! They think they're above the law!"

Several senior officials from Handong standing nearby joined in.

"They've gone too far! They must be punished!"

"They even dared to touch a hero's death benefits? Do they have a death wish?!"

Just then, Gao Zisheng's phone lit up.

Yang Jiaojiao had updated her social media feed.

She had posted a photo of an Admission Notice.

It read "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 could only have gotten into a prestigious school like Longdu Film Academy with those thirty extra points.

Sha Zhenjiang stared at the screen, his face livid.

"I will not tolerate this!"

"A hero's blood cannot be shed in vain!"

"A hero's honor cannot be sullied!"

He turned to Yue Xiaofei, his voice firm.

"Xiaofei, since I've come to Jiangcheng, I'll go to that banquet with you as your elder."

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

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

"If anyone dares touch a hero's death benefits..."

"I'll ruin him!"

"If anyone dares climb to the top on a hero's bones..."

"I'll make sure he falls hard enough to shatter!!!"

A sharp intake of breath swept through the crowd.

Everyone present shuddered.

Was this just about seeking justice?

He was going to turn Jiangcheng upside down!

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

Once he gave his word, he never went back on it!

He acted swiftly and decisively!

Jiangcheng might not be under his jurisdiction, but after what he had said today, the city was bound to be shaken to its core!

"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 on an occasion like this. I know Jiangcheng well. I can help you—"

"No! I'm visiting incognito today. I don't need an entourage!"

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

"Yes, Secretary Sha!"

Li Dakang's legs went weak. He nearly fell to his knees.

Sha Zhenjiang gave him no further glance and headed for the Cemetery gate.

"Secretary Zhou, Leng Feng, with me!"

Secretary Zhou snatched up his briefcase and hurried after him.

Leng Feng, a plainclothes Security Guard, straightened his back and rested a hand on the gun at his waist. His gaze was sharp as a hawk's.

"Secretary Sha..."

Yue Xiaofei watched Sha Zhenjiang walk away and suddenly felt his nose sting.

This elderly man held immense power!

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

At the Cemetery entrance, a black Passat waited quietly, utterly unassuming.

No police car cleared the way.

No lights flashed.

"Xiaofei, get in!"

Sha Zhenjiang opened the rear door, then ordered, "Jiangcheng Pearl Hotel. Step on it!"

"Yes, sir."

Leng Feng, the Security Guard, floored the accelerator, and the Passat shot off 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 elderly man and nodded firmly.

No one knew...

Jiangcheng was about to be shaken to its foundations!