Title: Reborn Qi Tongwei, who defies fate by half a move and refuses to kneel

Chapter 66 A Birthday Gift, the Furious Ye Family of the Capital

This is a three-courtyard siheyuan (traditional courtyard house) located near the Forbidden City. There is no sign at the entrance, only two armed sentries standing ramrod straight. Several century-old locust trees grow in the courtyard, and when the autumn wind blows, the fallen leaves cover the ground.

The atmosphere in the study was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

An elderly man with a full head of silver hair, dressed in a faded old military uniform, sat in a grand chair. Although he was over eighty years old, his posture was still ramrod straight, and his cloudy eyes were burning with raging anger.

The ground was covered with fragments of a purple clay teapot and a puddle of tea.

"Damn it! Absolutely bastard!"

Old Master Ye slammed his hand on the table, making the pen holder on it bounce. He held the dossier sent from Handong in his hand, the veins on the back of his hand bulging, a hand that had truly been on the battlefield and killed the enemy.

"What is this? This is murder!" The old man slammed the dossier to the ground, pointing at the few sheets of paper and roaring, "For a position, for that measly power, he actually sold intelligence about the frontline troops to drug dealers? Is this still a national cadre? He's worse than a bandit!"

The middle-aged man standing beside him was so frightened he didn't dare to breathe. He was Ye Zhenglong, the current head of the Ye family, and also Ye Cunxin's uncle.

"Dad, calm down. The doctor said your blood pressure is high..." Ye Zhenglong quickly went up to support the old man.

"Get over it? How can I get over it!" Old Master Ye shoved his son aside, pointing to the files on the ground. "Look! Take a good look! This is what happened to that little brat Qi Tongwei back then. No wonder Cunxin kept talking about it after she came back, saying that Qi Tongwei was covered in wounds. He was stabbed in the back!"

"If this kid hadn't been lucky, if he had died in Ghost Sorrow Gorge, would anyone have been able to rescue Cunxin when she was kidnapped? Our Ye family's only heir would have been gone long ago!"

Mentioning his granddaughter only fueled Old Master Ye's anger. She was the apple of his eye; anyone who dared to harm Ye Cunxin was tantamount to taking his life.

Although Gao Yuliang's actions back then weren't directly directed at Ye Cunxin, they almost led to the situation where no one could save her later. In the old man's view, this cause-and-effect relationship was a capital offense.

"Investigate! Investigate for me!"

Old Master Ye, panting heavily, suddenly unleashed his decisive and ruthless aura. "Zhenglong, you personally go and contact the Military Commission. Verify this statement. If it's true, don't think that just because he's the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, he's some kind of emperor himself; I'll skin him alive!"

"Yes, sir!" Ye Zhenglong stood at attention and saluted. "I'll take care of it right away."

He picked up the file from the ground, glanced at its contents, and his eyes turned icy cold.

How dare they scheme against our Ye family's benefactor, resorting to such despicable tactics behind our backs? It seems the political landscape of Handong is about to change.

……

Jingzhou City, evening.

The sky was ablaze with crimson clouds, turning the entire city a blood-red hue.

Qi Tongwei drove his ordinary black Passat, but instead of going home, he went to a nursing home in the suburbs.

The environment here is quiet and peaceful, and the residents are mostly retired cadres.

【Ding! 】

The mechanical voice echoed in my mind once more.

[Host critical layout detected to be active.]

The Ye family is furious, and the higher-ups are paying closer attention.

[Dignity Points Calculated: +5000.]

[Blessed with increased power: The Ye family of the capital's will for revenge.]

[Evaluation: You ignited a volcano with a single piece of old paper. You're adept at using others to do your dirty work. Now, your enemy will face an attack from a higher dimension.]

Qi Tongwei tightened his grip on the steering wheel. Five thousand dignity points—that was a huge sum. It seemed the old man was both very satisfied and furious with the gift he'd delivered.

He parked his car, straightened his clothes, and walked into the nursing home.

After passing through a long corridor, there is a small garden in front of you.

A young woman in a pink nurse's uniform was slowly pushing a wheelchair down the path. She looked to be in her early twenties, with a high ponytail that swayed as she walked, exuding youthful energy.

The setting sun shone on her, and although her nurse's uniform wasn't tight, her beautiful figure was still evident. Especially when she bent down to adjust the blanket for the elderly person in the wheelchair, her slender waist and rounded, full hips were faintly visible beneath the thin fabric.

She turned around, saw Qi Tongwei, and a professional, sweet smile appeared on her face. His face was only the size of a palm, his skin was so white it glowed, and his large, watery eyes seemed to speak volumes.

"Director Qi, you've come to see Old Chen?" The young nurse clearly recognized the police chief who was often on television; her voice was crisp and clear, carrying a hint of admiration and shyness.

"Yes, Xiao Liu." Qi Tongwei nodded, his gaze not lingering on her for long. Although the girl was indeed strikingly beautiful, he had something on his mind. "How is Old Chen's spirits today?"

"Old Chen is in good spirits. He was just talking about watering those rose bushes." Nurse Liu straightened up, secretly glancing at Qi Tongwei's handsome figure, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Then I'll go take care of other things first. You can chat with Old Chen for a bit."

After saying that, she pushed the empty wheelchair away quickly, like a frightened little rabbit.

Qi Tongwei walked to the edge of the flower bed.

Chen Yanshi was holding a watering can, bending over, carefully watering a red rose bush. The old revolutionary was wearing a faded Zhongshan suit, and his full head of white hair trembled slightly in the wind.

"Uncle Chen," Qi Tongwei called out.

Chen Yanshi turned around and saw Qi Tongwei, whose wrinkled face broke into a kind smile.

"Tongwei, what brings you here? Aren't you busy today?" Chen Yanshi straightened up and rubbed his slightly sore back.

Qi Tongwei walked over and naturally took the spray bottle from Chen Yanshi's hand.

"I've finished my work and came to see you." Qi Tongwei said, watering the flowers while looking at the bright red petals. "These flowers are blooming so beautifully, as red as blood."

"Yes, these are varieties transplanted from the Martyrs' Cemetery," Chen Yanshi exclaimed. "Only on land irrigated with blood can flowers bloom so beautifully."

The two remained silent for a while. The only sound was the faint rustling of water mist spraying onto the leaves.

Qi Tongwei didn't discuss the resettlement of Dafeng Factory with Chen Yanshi as usual, nor did he talk about the current anti-corruption situation. He simply watered the flowers quietly, his movements focused and gentle.

Chen Yanshi was a sensitive person, and he sensed that Qi Tongwei was different today. This young man had lost some of his former sharpness and gained a deep sense of repression, like the calm before a storm.

"Tongwei, is something wrong?" Chen Yanshi asked with concern. "Did Gao Yuliang give you trouble again?"

Qi Tongwei stopped what he was doing.

Looking at the red rose bush in front of him, he recalled the bloodstains on the southwestern border years ago, and the images of his comrades falling to the ground.

"Uncle Chen."

Qi Tongwei turned around and looked into Chen Yanshi's eyes. His voice was soft, but every word was like a nail hitting the ground.

"The person who leaked the information back then has been found."

Chen Yanshi was stunned. His cloudy old eyes widened suddenly, and he almost dropped his cane.

"You... what did you say?" Chen Yanshi's voice trembled slightly. "You said that the traitor who almost caused you to not return from the border back then... has been found?"

"Found him." Qi Tongwei nodded, a cold smile curving his lips. "And we're all very familiar with him. So familiar... I'd even like to call him 'teacher'."

The wind stopped.

The garden was deathly silent.

Chen Yanshi stared wide-eyed, speechless for a long time. Of course, he knew who Qi Tongwei's teacher was.

That provincial deputy secretary who was always known for his refined manners and spoke fluently of Marxism-Leninism?

"What a tragedy... what a tragedy!" Chen Yanshi slammed his cane down heavily, his eyes instantly reddening. "To climb the ladder, he'd even sell out his own students? Is he even human?"

Qi Tongwei didn't speak, but simply raised his head and looked in the direction of the capital.

Over there, thunder has already sounded.

This rain will soon reach Handong. Then, all the filth will be washed away clean.

"Uncle Chen, take care of yourself." Qi Tongwei put down the watering can and helped Chen Yanshi tighten his coat. "The real show is just beginning."