92: Chapter 92 The Stubborn Shen Jianan

"Hey, it's Jianren. Don't rush off; come over and play a couple of rounds?" Another villager glanced sideways at Qin Jianren, greeting him warmly, though a trace of imperceptible mockery laced his tone, and a playful smile hung at the corners of his mouth.

"No, no, I've still got lots to do. You guys play, you play..." Qin Jianren gave an awkward smile, a hint of bitterness hidden within it. He immediately lowered his head and quickened his pace.

"Hey now, are you joking? What urgent business could there be on a weekend?" A glint of craftiness flashed in Yan Lishi's eyes as he asked a question he already knew the answer to, a meaningful smile curling his lips. "Oh, right, why didn't we see you at noon when the village committee was handing out money to everyone? Didn't you go collect yours?"

Before Qin Jianren could respond, someone nearby chimed in: "Hey, Jianren is Qin Yi's second uncle. He's one of their own, so he must have gotten more than us..."

At the mention of money, Qin Jianren and Su Fangfang involuntarily stopped in their tracks and exchanged glances.

A surge of intense curiosity welled up in Su Fangfang's heart. She turned to look at Yan Lishi, her eyes sparkling with eagerness, her voice tinged with urgency: "What did you say? Handing out money? What money are you talking about?"

"Oh my, you don't mean to say you didn't know?" Yan Lishi feigned surprise, his face beaming with a smug expression as if he held some important secret. "Your nephew, Qin Yi, has really made something of himself! At noon today, he gave every person in our village ten thousand yuan. There are nearly fifteen hundred households! I even collected a share for my son. Oh, right, it wasn't just money; he also gave every household rice, flour, grain, and oil. The scene was truly spectacular! An armored cash transport truck and four box trucks—our village hasn't seen a scene like that in years!"

At this moment, an elderly man chimed in, his words filled with praise and affirmation for Qin Yi: "That's not all. That child, Xiao Yi, even donated the remaining money to the village, letting the village committee help repair bridges and pave roads. He really is a good kid, not forgetting his roots! Your Qin Family has produced a real talent."

Upon hearing this, turmoil churned within Qin Jianren. He widened his eyes in disbelief, as if stunned by this sudden news.

He muttered to himself: 'Damn it, ten thousand per person? Fifteen million yuan just given away to these villagers like that? This nephew is too generous!'

As he thought this, he turned to look at Su Fangfang beside him and found her eyes filled with shock and disbelief, her mouth slightly agape, unable to utter a single word.

"Uh, hehe, is that so... I really didn't know about that." Qin Jianye gave an awkward laugh and shook his head in denial, his gaze drifting, clearly trying to mask his inner turmoil.

"Is that so? What a pity then." Yan Lishi feigned a look of regret, paused for a moment, then changed the subject. "But it's fine. You and Qin Yi are uncle and nephew; you must have received more benefits than all of us. I'm really envious of you. If my son could be even one-hundredth as capable as Qin Yi, I would be content..."

Qin Jianren didn't continue the conversation, merely smiling sheepishly, forcing a curve onto his lips, his eyes revealing a trace of helplessness and embarrassment.

Afterward, the two of them sat inside the Audi. After starting the car, Qin Jianren didn't forget to roll down the window and mechanically wave goodbye to the few people playing chess under the shade of the trees. Then, he drove straight out of Qinjiawan Village, the tires making a rustling sound on the gravel road, much like the unrest and confusion in his heart at that moment.

In the car, Su Fangfang pounded her thighs in exasperation, looking heartbroken, her brows tightly locked, her eyes wide open as if they could spit fire.

"Good heavens, fifteen million yuan! Just given away to those villagers like that? Is Qin Yi burning money? That's fifteen million yuan! Such a huge sum of money—whether investing in wealth management, buying houses, or doing business, anything would be better than giving it away to the villagers!" Her words were filled with intense dissatisfaction and regret, every word squeezed out from between her teeth, as if it were her own money being spent.

Qin Jianren also took a deep breath and shook his head, his sigh echoing inside the car.

"That's enough. Qin Yi has the ability; he could pay off a two-hundred-million-yuan debt, so fifteen million is merely a pittance. It sounds like a lot to us, but perhaps to Qin Yi, it's nothing at all."

"Oh, what kind of business is Qin Yi actually doing in Shanghai?" A curve appeared at the corner of Su Fangfang's mouth, her eyes flashing with curious light. After contemplating for a moment, she added: "Hey, what do you think? Should we have Xiao Yue ask him about it indirectly?"

Recalling Qin Yi's attitude toward them earlier, Qin Jianren immediately shook his head and refused: "I think we should let it be. Judging by the current situation, Qin Yi still has issues with us. However, his attitude toward Xiao Yue is decent. Since Qin Yi could earn so much money in such a short time, he must have special channels. Even if Xiao Yue asks, he might not tell her. Since that's the case, there's no need for us to get on his bad side at this moment. Besides, we have to go over there tomorrow anyway; let's wait until we see Big Brother and Sister-in-law and ask them indirectly then."

"Sigh," Su Fangfang sighed, but after thinking about it, what her husband said made sense. Things like making money should be asked about in person; asking over the phone is ultimately not very reliable. Therefore, she had to nod and reply: "Fine then, let's wait until we see Big Brother and Sister-in-law tomorrow and ask then..."

...

Meanwhile, at the Waitan Police Station of the Shenjiang Branch in Shanghai, Shen Jianan slammed on the brakes, quickly climbed into the back seat, and efficiently changed into her police uniform. A determined fire flickered in her eyes as she strode angrily toward the station director's office.

Arriving at the door of the director's office, she couldn't be bothered to knock and pushed the door open directly, an undeniable aura of presence surging in with her.

At this moment, the director was standing with a bowed posture, holding the phone, his attitude so humble it was almost servile. There was no need to ask to know that the person on the other end of the line was several ranks higher than him.

Seeing this, Shen Jianan couldn't help but feel a surge of strong repulsion. She couldn't stand this kind of obsequious posture; it was completely incompatible with the strength and sense of justice ingrained in her bones. A trace of disdain curled at the corners of her mouth.

The director, interrupted by this uninvited guest, Shen Jianan, was stunned for a moment before his eyes widened in anger. He quickly made a shushing gesture with his index finger and pointed to the chair in front of his desk, signaling her to sit down quietly.

The person on the other end of the line seemed to be continuing their instructions, and the director could only respond with a sheepish smile: "Yes, yes, you are right." He listened quietly, nodding in agreement from time to time, while his gaze turned back to Shen Jianan, filled with reproach. "Yes, yes, when she returns, I will definitely criticize her properly! It is simply too lacking in organization and discipline! Yes, yes, alright, then you go ahead and get busy... Oh, yes, goodbye..."

After hanging up the phone, the director plopped back into his office chair, raised a hand to wipe the beads of sweat from his forehead, and let out a long sigh, as if he had just been relieved from an invisible battle.

Immediately afterward, he looked at the still-standing Shen Jianan with an unkind gaze, pointed at the landline on his desk, and complained: "Shen Jianan, oh Shen Jianan, do you know how many calls I've received this afternoon? From the branch bureau to the General Bureau, and then to the department, leader after leader has called me. You tell me yourself, do you have any sense of organization or discipline left?"

Upon hearing this, a flash of defiance flickered in Shen Jianan's eyes. She straightened her back, her voice tinged with stubbornness, and retorted: "Director Han, how was I lacking in organization or discipline? I reported it to you before, right? There are suspicious points in the International Finance Center case. Since there are suspicious points, I naturally have to investigate them! What did I do wrong?"

The director shook his head helplessly, a bitter smile tinged with fatigue: "Suspicious points, suspicious points—do your so-called suspicious points have any factual basis? You can't drag unrelated people into this just because of a victim's guess! When we police officers handle cases, we rely on evidence!" His tone carried a hint of helplessness, much like someone trying to persuade an ignorant child.

"Director Han, you have worked on the front lines, so you should know that evidence is found through investigation, not appearing out of thin air! I've just found a clue, and you won't let me continue investigating. Where am I supposed to find evidence for you?!" Shen Jianan's retort was filled with urgency and unwillingness, her hands clenched into fists, suppressing the agitation within her heart.

The director raised a hand to interrupt her, picked up the teacup at his side, gently blew away the loose tea leaves floating on top, took a light sip to moisten his dry and itchy throat, and then said in a voice with a hint of unquestionable authority, speaking in a low tone: "Alright, alright, Shen Jianan, I won't argue with you. The case at the International Finance Center will be closed as a case of provoking trouble and disturbing public order!"

"I do not agree!" Shen Jianan's voice was firm and powerful, refusing to compromise.

With a 'bang,' the director angrily slammed his stainless steel cup onto the desk, glaring at Shen Jianan, and said in a low voice: "Shen Jianan, I am not asking for your opinion; this is an order! Before you get off work today, the case must be closed! You have half an hour. Half an hour later, I want to see your closing report!" His voice carried a trace of fury, struggling to suppress the anger in his heart.

Shen Jianan's palms were clenched into fists, her nails almost digging into her palms. She looked straight at the director, took a deep breath, and asked in a low voice, her tone filled with questioning: "Director Han! Tell me the truth—is there a protector for that Brother Dao within our police force?"

As soon as the words fell, the director 'whooshed' as he stood up abruptly from his office chair, his gaze involuntarily turning toward the direction of the office door.

He walked quickly to the door, his movements tinged with urgency and nervousness. After opening the door, he pretended to be nonchalant, carefully peeking outside, his gaze scanning back and forth in the corridor. Confirming that no one nearby was eavesdropping, he breathed a secret sigh of relief, his heart settling slightly.