Inside a tent on the other side.

Curses and complaints never stopped.

“How come more people keep coming in? Get out, get out, get out! No more entry here, are you trying to crush people to death?”

“This tent is like it’s made of paper, it doesn’t keep out the cold at all.”

“Exactly, exactly.”

“Can the leaders give us some coal? We want to light a fire.”

“Hey, when are they going to hand out food? My kid’s starving.”

Wang Anmin walked past the tent, surrounded by a continuous stream of pleas and complaints.

His face was pale; he didn’t accept the hot water that Xiao Rong offered him, instead, he went to find Zheng Weiyang.

Zheng Weiyang had been protected by the higher-ups; his tent was specially made, with luxurious leather and felt spread inside.

On the table were date cakes, glutinous rice dumplings, and a small plate of fried rice noodles.

Seeing Wang Anmin come in, Zheng Weiyang smiled indulgently: “You’re still young. I won’t hold what happened this time against you.”

Zheng Weiyang had a face like the laughing Buddha—easy to make people feel at ease on first meeting.

He never acted condescending, gentle like an old man playing chess in the park before the end of days.

“What benefit do the Sun God Cult’s actions bring you?” Wang Anmin asked.

Zheng Weiyang said, “Although I don’t understand what you’re saying, we have to look at things dialectically. Things have already come to this point; we should see the positive side. The underground shelter has limited capacity and limited resources, it simply can’t support so many people, right?”

“How can it not? The research institute has already cultivated the strains.”

“Production can’t keep up,” Zheng Weiyang replied.

“Arrest all you parasites, and they’ll survive. They’re all people, just like you.”

Zheng Weiyang smiled.

“I know you have a grudge against me, but whether you believe it or not, none of this is what I intended.

I have dealings with the Sun God Cult only because I’m in this position and have to unite all useful forces.

The accident has already happened. Now is not the time for internal strife. The urgent task is to unite and settle the survivors.”

Wang Anmin sneered, “Are you going to hand out charity to them again?”

Zheng Weiyang said, “They will be grateful to me.”

Wang Anmin left the tent; the survivors, seeing his cold expression, all stepped back.

Zheng Weiyang’s people were distributing food.

Dark bread, as hard as wood.

The Sun God Cult had been completely crushed.

In the eyes of these survivors, Zheng Weiyang was the new god.

After Wang Anmin left, Zheng Weiyang’s smile faded a little.

He pressed his temples: “Why was such a troublemaker chosen to lead the patrol team?”

His secretary brought him hot tea: “Wang Anmin’s transfer order has already been submitted. He won’t last long.”

“I remember he investigated my son’s case, but there’s been no progress.”

Although Wang Anmin annoyed him, Zheng Weiyang respected his abilities.

His son was dead, his food supplies were gone.

If he still had that batch of food, things would have gone much smoother. The underground shelter would already be reorganized the way he wanted.

Now, to carry out his original plan, he had to put in ten times the effort.

The secretary shook her head: “I’ve been following up on it, but indeed no progress. Wang Anmin hasn’t focused on that case either.”

Zheng Weiyang said, “Waiting until he’s transferred isn’t a solution. Let’s give him some trouble.”

The secretary said, “I heard Wang Anmin has a lover, also in the inner circle.”

“Who?” Zheng Weiyang tilted his head.

“You’ve met her before. She attended the auction — Yu Xifeng.”

Zheng Weiyang pressed his temple again. He had always felt something off about Yu Xifeng.

It was intuition.

Zheng Weiyang didn’t rely on intuition but wouldn’t ignore it either: “Go check if He Yuan is still alive. Have him come see me at four.”

He Yuan soon arrived and waited outside Zheng Weiyang’s office until four.

The He family was overshadowed by dark clouds.

Their already limited wealth was burnt to ashes in a fire.

The He family was completely ruined.

Who would have thought that now, Zheng Weiyang would want to see him!

He Yuan’s father was overjoyed and personally brought him to the door.

To avoid giving Zheng Weiyang the impression that He Yuan wasn’t independent, his father stood outside, nearly frozen but stubbornly refused to come in.

“Later, you went to find Yu Xifeng’s stepmother and stepdaughter, but there was no news?” Zheng Weiyang confirmed with He Yuan. “What did they say at the end?”

He Yuan dared not play tricks in front of someone of Zheng Weiyang’s rank.

He told everything truthfully.

He was a top student with an excellent memory—almost photographic.

“That’s not something you should have,” Zheng Weiyang repeated He Yuan’s words.

Zheng Weiyang stood and paced twice around the simple desk.

“You said that the next day you went to look for that mother and daughter but couldn’t find them. Your dad is in charge of funerals, so you must have asked him, but no bodies were found, right?”

He Yuan nodded.

“They disappeared,” Zheng Weiyang whispered.

He Yuan didn’t know what Zheng Weiyang was thinking. He stood there, afraid to speak or even breathe loudly.

After a while, Zheng Weiyang looked up: “You can leave now.”

The food was gone.

The mother and daughter searched for Yu Xifeng for a long time, but after finding her, disappeared.

He knew his own son well. Yu Xifeng and Zheng Chengfan were matched.

Zheng Chengfan must have offended Yu Xifeng.

He died.

Deng Feiyu, originally assigned to burn political enemies alive, ended up setting fire at Yu Xifeng’s door and also died.

Many clues surfaced then sank again. There must be a crucial key in this.

This key must be extremely important.

Zheng Weiyang arranged: “She has lives in her hands. Find an opportunity to leak this to Wang Anmin and have him test it out.”

“Yu Xifeng!”

After finishing in the bathroom with Sister Yun, feeling like half his blood had frozen, Yang Rong heard someone calling but didn’t catch clearly at first.

He thought it was the fat guy, but turning around, he saw Yang Rong with a complicated expression.

Zhang Qiu came out from inside and asked Yu Xifeng: “Who is it?”

Yang Rong hurriedly said, “Who is he? Is he your boyfriend? Yu Xifeng, you’re still young, don’t be fooled.”

Yang Rong looked much older. That face seemed ready to chase after Old Man Cai.

“Dad was wrong. Dad treated you badly before. Don’t blame Dad.”

Yang Rong said, “It’s all that woman’s fault. Dad shouldn’t have listened to her. Give Dad one more chance, okay?”

Zhang Qiu was shocked, glanced back, and looked at Yang Rong’s face again.

His facial features did indeed resemble Yu Xifeng a bit.

Yu Xifeng showed no expression—not forced.

She was natural, completely indifferent to the man claiming to be her father.

Looking again, it didn’t seem like it.

Yang Rong opened his mouth, about to say something, but saw Yu Xifeng walk past him and go straight into the tent.

Yang Rong’s son was gone, his wife and daughter missing.

Finally catching Yu Xifeng.

She was also his daughter!

He couldn’t just ignore her.

Yang Rong was determined to cling on.

Seeing Yu Xifeng unmoved, he shifted his gaze to Zhang Qiu: “You’re Yu Xifeng’s friend, right?”

Yu Xifeng ignored him; Zhang Qiu certainly wouldn’t respond either.

He scratched his nose, stepped forward and blocked Yang Rong’s sightline.

Yang Rong tried to squeeze into the tent after Yu Xifeng, flashing a flattering smile at Old Man Cai inside: “Children are all debts.”

Yu Xifeng raised her blade and said simply: “Get lost.”

“When your mother left, she told me to take care of you…”

“You brought your mistress home just to take care of me?”

“I was wrong to you,” Yang Rong acted like a clinging dog.

Old Man Cai said, “Your daughter is already an adult. She knows what’s wrong, let her do what she wants.”

She wants you to leave.

Yang Rong’s face flushed: “She’s my daughter, none of your business.”

Old Man Cai sneered, “If she recognizes you, then she’s your daughter. If she doesn’t, you’re nothing but dog poop.”