As expected.
When Qi Wei saw the spread of home-style dishes on the table, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
"These are all my favorites, especially your family’s fish with cornbread pancakes. I’ve been craving it for a long time."
Liu Yutong feigned dissatisfaction: "Uncle Qi, the way you say that makes it sound like our restaurant’s prices are too high. A distinguished district police chief like you can’t possibly afford fish with cornbread pancakes?"
Qi Wei laughed heartily: "It’s not that—just busy with official duties. I rarely have time to come."
"No matter how busy you are, you still need to eat well."
Liu Yutong picked up the wine bottle and poured Qi Wei a small cup: "I heard your stomach hasn’t been too good lately, so I asked the kitchen to go easy on the spices. The wine is also warmed—gentler on the stomach."
Qi Wei paused slightly, then chuckled and shook his head: "You even found out about that? Seems you’ve been paying close attention to me."
"Uncle Qi, back in Wushui County, you stood up for justice and helped ordinary folks like me. It’s only right that I care about you."
Liu Yutong added: "There’s a saying—if you want to go far, you need good health first. Don’t you agree?"
"Fair point."
Qi Wei picked up a small fish with his chopsticks, tasted it, and praised: "Still as delicious as ever."
Then he set down his chopsticks and got straight to the point: "Miss Liu, you didn’t invite me here just for a meal, did you?"
Liu Yutong didn’t beat around the bush either: "I heard Minister Zheng from the Second Inspection Division of the S Supervision Bureau has also tried our fish with cornbread pancakes. Unfortunately, I never got to hear his thoughts on our signature dish—whether he liked it or not."
Qi Wei’s eyes flashed with a shrewd glint: "Miss Liu, you’re remarkably well-informed."
"We’re old acquaintances—no need for roundabout talk. What do you want?"
Liu Yutong answered frankly: "What I wanted before, I still want now. That will never change."
Qi Wei had to admit—this young woman’s ambition and methods were truly astonishing. She left no loose ends, unwilling to give anyone leverage.
"What do you know about Deng Liang’s case?" Liu Yutong asked.
Qi Wei was equally candid: "The case isn’t under our jurisdiction, so technically, I shouldn’t interfere. But I’ve always felt there’s something major hidden there."
Liu Yutong: "To be honest, Uncle Qi, I have some materials in my hands. I hesitated about whether to hand them over, but you’re the only person here I can trust."
"Perhaps you could use this information to approach Minister Zheng…"
Qi Wei couldn’t directly intervene in Deng Liang’s case, but if the Supervision Bureau formed a special task force to investigate, he could be assigned to assist.
The case involved big players—anyone who got involved stood to gain significant credit.
This was also why Liu Yutong had held onto the ledger.
If she was going to hand it over, it had to be to someone she trusted—someone reliable. And…
After a brief silence, Qi Wei suddenly smiled: "Miss Liu, everything you bring to the table is impossible to refuse."
Liu Yutong replied earnestly: "Uncle Qi, I’ve told you before—I’m a good person. If you ever need me, I can keep working as your informant."
Qi Wei set down his chopsticks, stood up, and extended his right hand: "Pleasure doing business!"
Liu Yutong placed her fair, delicate hand in his and shook it firmly: "Pleasure doing business!"
...............
Two days later.
Liu Yutong’s newly acquired—or more accurately, freely obtained—villa had been fully furnished after some tidying up. It was now ready for immediate move-in.
At the same time.
Liu Yutong arranged for someone to drive the company’s original million-yuan Mercedes to pick up her grandparents.
She had instructed them to bring nothing, so once the car arrived, it simply collected them and headed straight back.
However, the sudden appearance of a luxury Mercedes in the village, whisking away Old Liu Chengjiang and his wife, caused quite a stir.
In this day and age, the entire Duan Village barely had a handful of cars. Most villagers still relied on tractors or three-wheelers for transport—let alone a Mercedes, the kind of car only big bosses could afford.
Yet today, a sleek black Mercedes had rolled into the village and taken the elderly Liu couple away without warning.
The middle-aged women who loved gossip at the village entrance naturally seized on this as the day’s hottest topic.
Aunt Wang, cracking sunflower seeds between her teeth, sprayed saliva as she spoke excitedly.
"Oh my, you should’ve seen that car! Black as polished onyx, with that big three-pointed star on the hood—must be one of those fancy Benzes!"
"And Old Liu’s parents, dressed in their shabby clothes, were treated like VIPs and ushered right in!"
"Really? Who could it be? I’ve seen people drive in to pick up the old accountant before, but those were just township cars—nothing like this Benz!"
"This Benz—even the richest guy in our town couldn’t afford it, right?"
"Of course not! I heard these cars cost a fortune. What kind of money does our little rural ‘rich man’ have compared to a real city tycoon?"
"Tsk tsk tsk… Old Liu must’ve hit the jackpot. First, his youngest son gambled away their land, and now a Benz comes to fetch him. Wonder which relative struck gold?"
"……"
The news of the Mercedes picking up Old Liu and his wife inevitably reached Liu Jianyi, who was busy cleaning out the village gambling den.
When he heard, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"What?! Someone drove a Benz to take my dad away?"
His first reaction was disbelief. But when he rushed home, he overheard neighbors discussing it—some even teasing him, saying his father had been taken away by wealthy relatives to live the high life.
Liu Jianyi’s face turned green with fury.
A Benz ride and a life of luxury—and they didn’t even invite him? Unforgivable!
He racked his brain but couldn’t think of any relative who’d made it big enough to own a Benz.
His gambling buddies, upon hearing the news, couldn’t resist ribbing him:
"Maybe it’s your daughter who struck it rich."
"Yeah, didn’t Guo Longzhi come back the other day saying some girl in Bright Pearl City with the same name as your daughter became some billionaire? Made the news and everything."
"Guo Longzhi’s full of hot air. What girl could go from rags to riches like that? And let’s not forget—Liu Yutong’s just a freshman in college. What could she possibly pull off?"
"Exactly. Probably just a coincidence—same name."
"Who knows? If it really is her, Old Liu’s hit the motherlode! Hahaha…"
Liu Jianyi grew angrier by the minute. He knew they were mocking him.
"Bullshit!" he roared at his so-called friends. "That useless girl making money? I’ll call her ‘Dad’ to her face if she did!"
