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Chapter 29: Don't Bully Honest People
The next morning, after Li Yi dropped his daughter off at kindergarten, he met his father, Li Fengnian, and they headed to the headquarters of the meat processing plant.
Today, Li Yi had a confrontation planned. He was going to face off with the Liu family—father and son—and make it clear that he, Li Yi, no longer cared about their threats. They could do whatever they wanted.
Of course, Li Yi was not reckless. There were deeper reasons behind this decision.
Liu Tongfu's investigation had already been set in motion. At this point, he was like a pile of rotten garbage. Anyone close to him would be tainted by his scandal.
For instance, his subordinates—whether they were directly involved or not—would eventually face the same fate. On the other hand, anyone who stood against Liu Tongfu would earn the favor of the higher-ups and would inevitably be rewarded.
Li Yi realized this and decided that, together with his father, he would confront Liu Tongfu directly. The more attention this matter attracted, the better.
When they arrived at the factory, however, Liu Tongfu was nowhere to be seen. Though he was the director, he had a habit of being late to work.
Li Yi wasn't in a rush. He had time to spare.
Father and son went to Li Fengnian's office, brewed some tea, and sat down together to drink it while chatting. At 10 AM, they heard the sound of a car engine roaring from downstairs.
Li Yi glanced out the window and spotted Liu Tongfu's 212 vehicle parked in the lot. Liu Tongfu got out with a briefcase under his arm, looking self-important.
In an era when most people struggled to afford bicycles, owning a car was a point of pride, even if it was just an old military 212. If Liu Tongfu had a brand-new Santana, he would probably be even more smug.
Li Yi turned to his father and said, "Dad, let's go meet him outside and block that old dog!"
"Aren't we supposed to talk in his office?" Li Fengnian asked.
Li Yi laughed. "Liu Tongfu's office is on the fifth floor, and there aren't many people there. If we're going to make a fuss, we should do it here, where everyone can see."
Li Fengnian thought for a moment and agreed. "You're right. Let's go."
Liu Tongfu, meanwhile, had just finished a lavish breakfast of crab roe buns and some side dishes. Though it was expensive, it didn't matter to him—he would get reimbursed by the factory accountant.
He was content with his meal. After all, with the extra 500 yuan coming into his account today, he felt even more pleased.
Though Liu Tongfu had plenty of money, he didn't care much for the amount—he was more interested in making sure the Li family, especially Li Yi, bowed before him. He wanted to remind everyone in the factory that he was the real power, and even the workshop director had to answer to him.
But Liu Tongfu didn't take Li Yi into account. How could a man like Li Yi sit by and endure this humiliation?
As soon as Liu Tongfu entered the building, he saw the Li father and son walking toward him. With a smug smile, he thought to himself, They're here to apologize. That's the only reason they'd come together like this.
He had already decided to spare them—for now. Once the money was in his hands, he would find a reason to fire Li Yi. At that point, the Li family would be furious for having paid up without getting anything in return.
Li Yi, standing in front of his father, spoke up: "I've thought about it. I'm telling you, Director Liu, we're not accepting your conditions."
Liu Tongfu raised an eyebrow. "What did you say?" he asked, confused.
Li Yi repeated, "We won't accept your conditions. Your son molested my wife, and after getting beaten, you want us to apologize and pay compensation. This is bullying. We don't accept it!"
The crowd that had gathered outside started murmuring. They had all been aware of the conflict between the Li family and Liu Tongfu, but everyone thought it had been resolved through some kind of quiet negotiation. Now, they saw that wasn't the case.
Liu Tongfu grew visibly angry. "Li Fengnian, is this really your decision? You need to think carefully."
Li Yi shot back coldly, "We've thought it through. Your son molested my wife. Then, he got what he deserved. Now, you want us to pay money and apologize? This is an attempt to bully an honest family. I'm not accepting it."
Liu Tongfu seethed with rage. "You... You really think you can stand up to me?"
Li Yi countered, "If your wife were molested, would you apologize to the person who did it?"
At that moment, the crowd began to side with Li Yi, thinking that Liu Tongfu had taken things too far. After all, his son was the one who had started this mess by molesting Li Yi's wife.
"Li Yi, we're not done with this. Just wait for the consequences," Liu Tongfu spat.
Li Yi didn't back down. "This isn't over. Your son has been getting away with serious crimes under your protection, but that ends now. I'll report you to the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection. I don't believe the leaders of Jiangnan Province will let you get away with this!"
Liu Tongfu sneered, "Report me if you want. What can you do?"
Li Yi, undeterred, replied, "We live in a society ruled by law. We'll see who's right."
"You're just an ordinary citizen, and you want to report me, a government official? Dream on!" Liu Tongfu sneered.
Li Yi smiled darkly and said, "Have you ever heard the saying, 'Don't bully honest people, because if you push them too far, they'll bring out the devil'?"
Everyone fell silent. It wasn't that the saying was so profound, but the chilling aura Li Yi gave off as he spoke made everyone uneasy. His eyes were filled with such a fierce, murderous glare that it felt like the temperature had dropped to freezing.
Liu Tongfu was taken aback, but quickly regained his composure, shouting, "What's wrong with bullying you? I just want to, and there's nothing you can do about it!"
Just then, a police car appeared outside the building. Several officers in olive green uniforms got out, and the lead officer, Yan Qing, stepped forward. He walked up to Liu Tongfu and said, "You must be Liu Tongfu."
Liu Tongfu looked at the officers suspiciously. "I'm Liu Tongfu. What's going on?"
"Liu Tongfu, you are under investigation for corruption and bribery. The amount involved is huge. Please come with us."
Liu Tongfu's face drained of color. His briefcase fell to the floor with a thud.
"This... this is a false accusation! It's all a lie!"
"Anything you have to say, you can tell us at the station. Take him away!" Officer Yan Qing ordered.
Two policemen quickly handcuffed Lou Tongue and escorted him to the police car. Several others went up to the fifth floor to search his office
Liu Tongue was panicking now, looking wildly around as if trying to find an escape. But it was to late. His fate had been sealed.