Don't Investigate Me

Earth.

Duanmu Ren has been living in constant fear and trepidation lately.

Supreme Mystery Sub-Courtyard was already quite popular.

After the elderly man seeking medical treatment died tragically, the story gained even more attention, far surpassing others in popularity.

No one believed the official explanation from Stone Ridge County.

The middle-aged woman who knocked down the elderly man, tearfully accusing the security guard of murder, became a popular online figure for standing up against injustice and exposing the truth.

The news that the security guards present were henchmen of a gangster in Stone Ridge County spread like wildfire, becoming indirect and irrefutable evidence that the guards had committed the murder.

What made Duanmu Ren even more desperate was that, after the incident, Hua Chunning, the key person involved, had completely disappeared without a trace.

So, after netizens pooled their wisdom and gathered information from all sides, the truth of the matter was finally revealed!

Duanmu Ren, the Stone Ridge County, betrayed his faith, listened to the instigation of swindlers, emptied the treasury to carry out vanity projects and fraudulently obtain subsidies, and even acted as a protector of criminal gangs, condoning thugs to beat an innocent, sick elderly person to death!

The calls to punish corrupt officials and organized crime are soaring to the heavens!

Not to mention Duanmu Ren, even provincial and municipal leaders had never seen such a raging public outcry. They could only issue an announcement to remove Duanmu Ren from his post and launch an investigation to appease public opinion.

Duanmu Ren had no room to struggle and could only cooperate obediently, but he did not completely admit defeat. He went directly to his father-in-law's house, and without saying a word, he knelt down in front of his father-in-law's study.

Back then, Duanmu Ren knelt here all night before successfully proposing to his teacher's infamous daughter.

It was called a marriage proposal, but in reality, it was an invitation for the woman to marry into her family.

In his father-in-law's house, Duanmu Ren was treated worse than a nanny and suffered endless humiliation.

Later, as his official rank rose, his status also improved slightly, but he still had to be mindful of others' moods.

After he became the county magistrate by acknowledging a godfather in the province, Duanmu Ren never returned to this humiliating place.

Now, in order to survive, they have no choice but to repeat the events of the past.

I knelt all night again.

The next morning, my father-in-law, looking quite refined with his hair dyed black, appeared much younger than a retired man. After being served breakfast by a rather charming young housekeeper, he leisurely dried his hands, then scoffed and mocked, "Like a pig that flies in the wind, thinking it can fly, huh? It really thinks it has wings!"

Duanmu Ren, having long been shrewd and experienced, was quite adept at handling criticism, and said in a low voice, "Father is right."

Seeing that Duanmu Ren's attitude was acceptable, and unwilling to give up on this son-in-law who was a pillar of the family, the father-in-law waved his hand and said, "I'll ask a few old friends. Go back and wait for news!"

Duanmu Ren breathed a sigh of relief.

My father-in-law was a retired deputy director with real power, and he had extensive connections in the city.

The key point is that I am truly innocent in this matter.

As long as a key figure speaks on their behalf, even if they can't completely escape, they can at least preserve their status and avoid imprisonment.

First of all, it is an undeniable fact that the old miners with pneumoconiosis in the villages surrounding Supreme Mystery Sub-Courtyard were cured, and Hua Chunning is at least not a fraud.

Then, the old man who died at Supreme Mystery Sub-Courtyard, after a joint autopsy by the provincial and municipal authorities, was found to have died from external force.

It's just that netizens don't agree.

Furthermore, it's true that Supreme Mystery Sub-Courtyard received subsidies, and it's also true that its achievements were remarkable.

The investigations, awards, and interviews conducted at the provincial, municipal, and even Beijing levels have never stopped, and all of them are documented.

Most importantly, he was terrified by Li Chengxuan's Law Technique and didn't actually benefit from the project this time. Instead, he had to take out a lot from his private treasury to make up for the shortfall.

Soon, good news came from the city.

A key leader spoke on his behalf, and the investigation team was halted.

Of course, it was impossible for Duanmu Ren to be reinstated.

Go to a peripheral department in the city and lay low for a while.

Duanmu Ren was already content and went to his father-in-law's house every day to fulfill his filial duties.

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

Duanmu Ren lowered his head and hurried into the director's office at the far end of the dilapidated office building, closing the door tightly.

Now, Duanmu Ren is no longer the powerful ruler of a county or the governor of a hundred miles away, but has been transferred to the Civil Affairs Bureau, a peripheral department in the city, as the acting director.

Recently, things have been acting strangely again.

The city's investigation into itself has been halted.

This crisis originated from the provincial level.

Encouraged by some netizens who felt it was right, the deceased elderly man's family went directly to the provincial government to report the incident.

The key point is that this time, they definitely received guidance from someone who was interested in the matter. They didn't limit themselves to Supreme Mystery Sub-Courtyard, but instead dug up some of the engineering projects that Duanmu Ren had done in his earlier years.

Duanmu Ren was now completely panicked.

At Supreme Mystery Sub-Courtyard, I am indeed innocent and have a clear conscience.

But if they bring up old grievances, that would be a real problem.

After news spread that the province was preparing an investigation team, Duanmu Ren once again experienced the coldness of human relationships.

The original henchmen were all in danger, and each tried their best to distance themselves from him.

His subordinates at the Civil Affairs Bureau avoided him, and no one would enter his office unless absolutely necessary.

My wife, who is nominally my wife, is traveling abroad and I can't contact her anymore.

When I went to my father-in-law's house again, the door was locked. He said he had taken his nanny to the southern coast for a vacation and recuperation.

Even when Duanmu Ren looked at the city's arrangements for him, he felt there was a deeper meaning behind them, making him a man who could both advance and retreat.

This practice of transferring cadres from positions of real power to peripheral positions can be seen, at best, as a form of "protection" by the organization.

To put it bluntly, it's like "hanging it up" to facilitate investigation and liquidation.

In terms of despair, Duanmu Ren at this moment was even more desperate than when he was exiled to a poor mountain village.

Back then, it was simply a matter of an uncertain future and a hopeless existence.

Now, knowing full well that disaster is imminent, they are powerless to stop it and can only watch helplessly as their death approaches.

However, Duanmu Ren still refused to give up and accept his fate, just like he had back then.

Duanmu Ren began to organize his thoughts and look for a way to escape.

It is extremely difficult to flee the country; most people are now under border control.

Then... I might as well just flip the table!

Duanmu Ren came from a poor family and was naive and innocent in his youth, even genuinely thinking about cultivating himself, managing his family, and helping the world.

Unfortunately, he was soon brutally beaten down by reality.

Later, he had an epiphany at the pig farm, and his State of Mind completely reversed.

Ideals and beliefs are things you show off to others after you've achieved success and fame.

If peasants want to achieve something, they can only rely on evil and ruthlessness!

It was also thanks to these two words that Duanmu Ren rose through the ranks to become the county magistrate.

Now that I am about to die, I must be even more wicked and ruthless!

Duanmu Ren took out his phone and made a few calls. As expected, no one answered. He chuckled, not surprised, and sent a text message to each of the rejected numbers, containing only a string of numbers.

Moments later, calls started coming in from unknown numbers.

Someone shouted angrily, "Duanmu, what are you trying to do?! You've broken the rules!"

Someone reassured him, "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on things and let you know if there's any news."

Someone threatened, "You're posting random things; be careful what you say!"

Duanmu Ren merely sneered and did not respond.

They're all shrewd people; no matter how embellished their words, their thoughts can still be seen through.

On the contrary, resolute silence is more intimidating.

Duanmu Ren put down his phone and immediately drove to the provincial capital, heading straight for the provincial hospital.

In the intensive care unit, a gaunt old man lay in bed, receiving oxygen. Seeing Duanmu Ren, he waved away the nurses, his voice hoarse, "Duanmu, you've been quite active lately."

"Godfather," Duanmu Ren sat down on the edge of the bed, tucked the blanket over him, and said in a low voice, "I didn't want to either. It's just that someone doesn't want to let me off the hook. The city has already reached a decision, but they still insist on taking it all the way to the province. It's really going too far."

The gaunt old man chuckled, "That's because you usually have a tough style and haven't paid attention to uniting your colleagues."

Duanmu Ren was respectful and bowed his head in apology.

The gaunt old man glanced at Duanmu Ren and slowly said, "The eldest brother just complained to me that you threatened him."

Duanmu Ren didn't deny it, explaining, "Godfather, I didn't want to either. It's just that when someone's down, everyone kicks them while they're down. Many people aren't even answering my calls; it's really going too far. I'm just trying to save myself."

"I didn't say you did anything wrong," the gaunt old man soothed softly, then asked, "Can you still contact the female doctor who treated your pneumoconiosis before?!"

Duanmu Ren's heart skipped a beat. He glanced at the various instruments beside the bed and mumbled, "I'll try them out when I get back."

"Hmm." The gaunt old man nodded slightly, his breathing somewhat labored. The bedside monitors started alarming, and doctors and nurses rushed in.

Before putting on the ventilator, the gaunt old man said softly, "Duanmu, hurry. I don't have much longer to live."

Three days later, a rumor began to circulate in the provincial capital.

A high-ranking leader, without mentioning specific people or events, merely criticized relevant departments in a semi-public setting for their lack of independent thinking, becoming mere echo chambers of public opinion, and even seriously questioned: Who is truly in power now—the seasoned officials, or the most easily swayed netizens?

The joint investigation team, which had already set off halfway, was swiftly recalled and disbanded on the spot.

Back at the Civil Affairs Bureau, Duanmu Ren smiled and nodded at the deputy director who was reporting to him with a broad smile.

Duanmu Ren's life returned to normal.

Even after this incident, many people have changed their opinion of Duanmu Ren and now hold him in high esteem.

Duanmu Ren was also very satisfied.

The only worry is that the promise to my godfather to find the goddess doctor is still unfulfilled.

However, these are all minor details.

I've put in the effort to find them, but what can I do if I really can't get in touch with them?!

Two weeks later, news came that her godfather had fallen into a coma and was being rushed to the ICU.

Since threatening her godfather's eldest son last time, the two have essentially broken off relations, and if she goes there, a fight is likely to break out.

Even Duanmu Ren could predict what would happen next.

The godfather will be left in the ICU by his children, kept on his last breath, then they will divide up his pension and assets, and quickly monetize his remaining influence to extract his last value.

If I go, I might be misunderstood as someone going to claim an inheritance.

After thinking it over, Duanmu Ren decided not to join in the commotion and would wait until the old man passed away before going to see him off on his final journey.

Bite!

Someone sent me a message.

Duanmu Ren casually clicked on it, then immediately sat up straight, as if facing a formidable enemy.

The person who sent the message was none other than Li Jiabao, the nominal major shareholder of Supreme Mystery Sub-Courtyard, whom he had long forgotten!

The message consisted of only a few simple words. "Come to Supreme Mystery Sub-Courtyard immediately."