Chapter Fifty-One: The Hero of Justice

A heartless mistress, a faithless lover—these old sayings ought to be revised in our times: now it is the other woman who is ruthless, and the mistress who has no loyalty. Especially when it comes to the mistresses and lovers of corrupt officials; many have transformed into crusaders against corruption, while others serve as tainted witnesses.

That afternoon, posts appeared on social media and major forums, detailing Liang Hong’s embezzlement, abuse of power, and the keeping of multiple mistresses. The posts quickly gained widespread attention. At the same time, local disciplinary committees and even provincial inspection teams received anonymous letters reporting the same matters.

The accusations were clear and direct: not only words, but also a trove of authentic photos. Among them, a sordid image of Liang Hong holding a pistol, wearing a police jacket with only underwear beneath; pictures of him playing with expensive antiques; snapshots of him posing with large sums of cash in a safe; and, most damning, a bed photo with a woman whose face was obscured.

The posts caused a sensation. At first, there was a flurry of inexplicable deletions—a dark attempt to conceal and cover up—but as countless netizens shared the content, the tide became unstoppable.

Although Liang Hong remained at the forefront, commanding the thunderous anti-drug operation, relevant authorities nonetheless intervened immediately, confining him to his post and launching a secret investigation.

That evening, the special task force issued a statement: Liang Hong’s command authority was revoked, and he was temporarily suspended pending investigation.

In the early hours of the following day, a shocking news broke: Liang Hong had leapt from a building during his isolation and committed suicide.

Soon after, authorities announced a litany of Liang Hong’s crimes: abuse of power, exploiting his position for personal gain, acting as a protector for criminal gangs, keeping mistresses, and possessing wealth of unknown origin. Most striking, however, was the revelation that Liang Hong, despite being a law enforcer, was himself involved with narcotics.

The investigation showed that he had taken advantage of his position; after multiple anti-drug operations, he released confiscated drugs back onto the streets, colluding with local drug gangs to amass huge profits. His actions and their impact were heinous.

“Although there’s no evidence he framed Yuan Xiaoying and caused the death of a police officer, at least he got what he deserved—ruined in reputation and body,” Liu Jingye murmured in the courtyard, pouring a cup of wine onto the earth to honor that innocent officer who died in vain.

“How did you pull this off?” Yuan Xiaoying called immediately, her voice tinged with disbelief.

Who could have imagined that, just a day before, the vice director wielded tremendous power, commanding storms with a word, only to be utterly disgraced and destroyed overnight.

And all of this sprang from a humble village inn, orchestrated by an unremarkable little boss—how could Yuan Xiaoying not be astonished?

Liu Jingye didn’t explain in detail, merely replied vaguely that he’d employed a few tricks. Yuan Xiaoying was barely able to contain her excitement, whispering, “This is justice served, this is true righteousness. You’re a judge in the shadows, a city hunter, a superhero in the darkness!”

That was a bit exaggerated. Liu Jingye, sweating, said, “I’m not as noble as you say. But you can call me the ‘Hero of Justice’.”

“Give you an inch and you take a mile,” Yuan Xiaoying said irritably. “Men really shouldn’t be indulged. Next time, when you’re free, let’s have dinner. I’ll educate you properly, establish your views on life, the world, and values.”

Was that an indirect invitation to a date? Liu Jingye smiled slightly and replied, “I haven’t lived my whole life yet—how can I have views on life? I haven’t seen the world, so how would I know anything about the world?”

“Ugh, shut up!” Yuan Xiaoying said, hanging up in annoyance.

What began as a storm of justice sweeping out evil ended, unexpectedly, with the unmasking of the king of evil within the ranks of the justice alliance—a plot full of drama, leaving the public both cheering and feeling a bitter sense of helplessness.

The thunderous anti-drug operation was drawing to a close. With Liang Hong eliminated, powers like Huang Dynasty lost their protector and became prime targets.

“So, that’s how they planned it,” Liu Jingye deduced from the reports. “Liang Hong used the anti-drug operation first to recall defective goods, then to strike at competitors. Afterward, he secretly handed the confiscated drugs to Huang Dynasty, who sold them again. Two birds with one stone—this is true villainy.”

Liu Jingye sighed. He never imagined that a small figure lurking in the shadows, aided by Lin Shengnan and her ragtag band, would suddenly intervene and disrupt their grand scheme.

Huang Dynasty was thrust into the eye of the storm, becoming the focus of the task force. Entire shipments and countless subordinates were seized—a devastating blow.

At that moment, patrol cars frequently passed beneath the office building of Huang Dynasty. In his luxurious office, Young Master Huang flew into a rage, bordering on madness.

A woman in a short skirt lay at his feet, her long hair tangled over her face, her features unrecognizable from the bruises and blood.

Huang Xing grabbed her hair and slapped her viciously. “Damn slut, I’d throw you in the sea to feed the fish if I could.”

“Brother Xing, I was wrong! Please don’t hit me anymore!” The woman, Huang Weiwei, pleaded in tears, her face bloodied.

“Hit you? I wish I could kill you!” Huang Xing punched her twice more, drawing cries of pain.

“Are you an idiot?” Huang Xing roared. “Vice Director Liang was the hardest connection we ever made, and you took him down just like that. Do you want to be an anti-corruption crusader? I’ll make you a rotting corpse first!

You killed someone yourself—solve it! Pay what needs paying. If necessary, spend a few days in jail. With Vice Director Liang on our side, once the fuss dies down, we’ll have you out in no time. Don’t you understand anything? Are you brainless?”

“I... I was being blackmailed and acted impulsively...” Huang Weiwei sobbed. “I tried to reach Director Liang, but couldn’t get through. I wanted to find you, but couldn’t. I was scared!”

“Scared?” Huang Xing sneered. “You were afraid we’d already fallen, so you wanted to protect yourself, right? Besides, why was your hit-and-run caught on camera, late at night, in the rain, on a deserted road? Were you set up?”

He suddenly realized something. But in this territory, Huang Dynasty was a colossus—everyone gave them face. Who would use such dirty, venomous, and deadly tricks?

“Investigate—track those bank accounts, find those bastards for me,” Huang Xing ordered coldly to his men.

He noticed he’d been ordering investigations often lately: first Liu Jingye, then the mysterious sniper, and now extortionists. Was he cursed, or had he offended some terrifying force?

Just then, a man with a spider tattoo on his neck stepped forward. “Boss, Vietnam called yesterday—they’re pressing us for the remaining payment.”

“Press them all they want!” Huang Xing cursed. “Our goods have all been seized. I thought Vice Director Liang might help, but now he’s gone, and we’re the police’s top target. No goods, no money—how am I supposed to pay?”

“Boss, calm down,” his loyal man advised patiently. “We can’t afford to anger those Vietnamese drug lords. If we refuse to pay, they might come after us—it’ll be a disaster.”

“Yeah.” Huang Xing immediately cooled, sweat breaking out. “Those bastards are deadly outlaws, armed to the teeth—not something we can stand against. But without money, what do we do?”

His subordinate thought for a moment, then gritted his teeth. “We’ve got nowhere else to turn. We can only sell ‘that batch’ now. I met an Arab through Scarface recently—he’s got money and urgency. If we sell, we’ll get a good price. Not only can we pay the Vietnamese, we might even make a profit.”

Huang Xing’s eyes gleamed. He said gravely, “This may be our only chance to turn the tables. If we don’t make money, the Vietnamese will wipe us out. So be careful—everyone involved must be armed. Don’t let anyone interfere.”

The subordinate nodded, about to leave, but Huang Xing called him back, “Even though we need money, it’s our first time dealing arms. Investigate Scarface and the Arab buyer—better safe than sorry.”

Though cornered, Huang Xing remained cautious, showing a hint of a ruthless leader’s spirit—firm in belief and merciless at critical moments.

The subordinate was about to leave again when Huang Xing stopped him, pointing to the wailing Huang Weiwei at his feet. “Throw this woman out. I never want to see her again. And get me another woman—the kind I like. I need to vent my anger.”

The man obeyed, dragging Huang Weiwei out by her hair, showing no pity.

As Huang Xing stewed, waiting for a woman to arrive, another subordinate entered. “Boss, we’ve found some clues about that gunman you wanted investigated.”

“Who is it?” Huang Xing’s eyes flashed with menace.

The man produced a disc, loaded it into Huang Xing’s computer, and played a video. “This is surveillance footage near the company on the day of the incident. Look at this guy on the motorcycle…”

On the screen, Liu Jingye rode a motorcycle through the midnight darkness, vanishing near the main gate. There were no cameras around the Huang Dynasty building—Huang Xing had ensured no trouble for himself.

Later, at dawn, Liu Jingye left, soaking wet, on his motorcycle—the timing matched perfectly.

“It’s definitely him,” Huang Xing affirmed. “Who is he?”

The subordinate replied, “While reviewing the footage, one of the guys recognized him. He’s the same Liu Jingye who cost us several times recently!”

“What…” Huang Xing’s face drained of color in shock.