Chapter 43: Trying to Make Amends Now? Too Late!

Yang Dong had never been so thoroughly disgusted by anyone before. Even when it came to Lin Yaodong, the rival who had stolen his girlfriend, his feelings were merely those of aversion. But toward Tian Guanghan, the man before him now, he felt an irritation that seeped into his very bones.

To make matters worse, since his rebirth, he had seen this face no fewer than four times already, each encounter making him feel stifled and uneasy. The lines had long been drawn, everyone’s stance made clear, so why did Tian Guanghan keep appearing before him?

At this moment, Tian Guanghan entered the room with a broad, ingratiating smile, carrying a fruit basket, which he set on the bedside table before unceremoniously taking a seat in the chair. Jiang Hu, seeing this, could only step back a few paces.

“Comrade Yang Dong, how are you feeling?” Tian asked. “When I heard about your car accident, I was really worried. You’ve always been an outstanding writer in the municipal office, and I’ve always cared about you.”

His face was a mask of insincere concern, the sort of crocodile tears shed by a cat mourning a mouse, the sly intentions of a weasel offering New Year’s greetings. The hypocrisy was so thick Yang Dong could almost taste it, especially since he had just finished a bowl of bone broth and was already feeling nauseous.

“Thank you for your concern, Deputy Secretary Tian. I’m fine, not dead yet. I suppose that must disappoint some people,” Yang Dong replied with a polite, courteous smile, though his words barely veiled their true meaning: sorry to let you down.

Tian Guanghan’s smile didn’t waver, his face betraying not the slightest change. He nodded and responded, “I’m just glad you’re all right. You have no idea, Xiao Yang, when I heard about your accident, I immediately called the city disciplinary committee office. You’re one of our own in the municipal office, even if you’re on loan to the disciplinary committee—and now this huge incident happens! I was furious! I made my position clear: the disciplinary committee must urge the city police to solve this case as soon as possible. You deserve an explanation.”

Thick-skinned, isn’t he? Yang Dong stared at Tian’s chubby face, wondering if even a needle could pierce it.

“Is that so? I’m really surprised, Deputy Secretary Tian. I didn’t expect you to be so concerned about me,” Yang Dong said, deliberately feigning shock as he looked at Tian Guanghan. If it was a performance Tian wanted, Yang Dong was more than willing to play along. He was curious to see what medicine Tian had hidden up his sleeve.

He didn’t believe for a second that this man genuinely cared—no, Tian Guanghan was certainly up to no good.

“Xiao Yang, we may have had our little misunderstandings, but you’re still part of the municipal office. I’m very clear about the line between public and private,” Tian said, putting on a stern face for effect.

Public and private, indeed. Yang Dong sneered inwardly. If an old fox like Tian Guanghan could claim to distinguish between the two, then there wasn’t a selfish person left in the world.

“Your visit makes me very happy, Deputy Secretary Tian,” Yang Dong said, “but I need to rest now. If you have no other business, please leave.”

He had no desire to continue this charade.

His meaning was clear: do you have anything else to say? If not, please go.

Tian Guanghan’s expression darkened, a flicker of anger surfacing in his eyes. He was, in fact, holding back his temper. If not for the shifting political winds, he would never have come to visit Yang Dong. He had actually hoped Yang Dong’s accident would be more serious—a stroke of bad luck to teach him a lesson.

But he knew all too well: now that this accident had happened, Yin Tiejun’s release was just around the corner. That was exactly why Tian Guanghan was here today, trying to mend fences, to use Yang Dong as a bridge to convey goodwill to Yin Tiejun. Otherwise, once Yin returned to city government, Tian’s own days would be numbered.

“Xiao Yang, I hear there’s been a major breakthrough in Secretary Yin’s case? That’s good news—it will clear his name, and restore honor to the municipal office. Please, when you see Secretary Yin, let him know that I, old Tian, will throw a banquet to celebrate his vindication. We’ll invite everyone from the municipal office and have a proper gathering. After all, we’re all one family—united, we are strong!”

So the dagger is finally out of the sheath.

Yang Dong found it amusing. Just as he expected, the old fox was here to patch things up. But was it not too late to play nice and mend fences now? Tian Guanghan had undoubtedly played a less-than-honorable role in Yin Tiejun’s case. Everyone’s mask had already been ripped off—did he really expect things to go back to harmony?

The scene reminded Yang Dong of a political drama he’d seen in his previous life, where a chief prosecutor, about to be arrested, still wore a smirk and tried to brush everything off as a minor misunderstanding, suggesting that a simple meal could clear the air.

But who was truly a comrade? How could a meal make everything right? This wasn’t a game—it was a struggle of life and death.

Tian Guanghan was just like that prosecutor—naive to the very end, oblivious to the gravity of the situation.

“Deputy Secretary Tian, I’m hospitalized and can’t see Secretary Yin,” Yang Dong replied firmly, making his refusal plain.

Tian Guanghan’s anger flared at this blunt rebuff. He had endured a lot lately, forced by circumstance to swallow his pride and even bow to a lowly office clerk—a situation unimaginable in the past. Yet Yang Dong refused to give him any face at all. What right did a mere clerk have to treat him this way? He had personally come to offer an olive branch, and this was the response?

“You really don’t appreciate goodwill!” Tian Guanghan’s face fell as he snapped coldly, swinging his arm in frustration and storming out.

“No matter how you act, filth remains filth,” Yang Dong sneered, unafraid to let his contempt show. His voice wasn’t loud, but Tian Guanghan could certainly hear it as he left.

Of course Tian Guanghan heard. He hadn’t even exited the room yet—how could he not? The words only made him angrier. Could Yang Dong really be so lacking in political acumen? Did he truly care nothing for the consequences? Did he not understand protocol?

He, the deputy secretary of the municipal office, in charge of all its affairs, and a deputy division-level official—treated like this?

“You’d better not get too full of yourself, boy,” Tian Guanghan barked from the doorway, pointing at Yang Dong in fury. “Nothing is settled yet. Don’t think your side has already won! And you—after having a car accident, you still haven’t learned your lesson? Want another one?”

Yang Dong’s eyes narrowed. He sat up in bed and looked to Jiang Hu. “Comrade Jiang Hu, did you hear him threatening a member of the city’s disciplinary investigation team? Threatening the leader of the Tenth Special Task Force?”

“Yes,” Jiang Hu replied coldly, his gaze fixed on Tian Guanghan.

Tian Guanghan’s heart skipped a beat. This kid was quick to slap labels—where had he learned such tricks? He dared not say another word and hurried away.

Jiang Hu moved as if to chase after him.

“Let it go. Don’t bother,” Yang Dong said, raising a hand to stop him. “He only blurted out a few angry words. They won’t harm him—he’s still a deputy division-level cadre, after all.”

If a mere threat could topple Tian Guanghan, Yang Dong would have done it long ago. No, to bring him down would require evidence—proof of corruption, dereliction of duty, or other crimes. For others, finding such evidence might be difficult, but for Yang Dong, it was all too easy.

After all, Tian Guanghan had been swept up in the anti-corruption campaign of 2018 in his previous life; all the evidence had been made public, every detail dissected.

Bringing him down would be child’s play for Yang Dong. But politics was never that simple. If he wanted to destroy Tian Guanghan, there had to be a reason, a benefit, a purpose behind it. To do so out of sheer revenge, with nothing to gain, would be pointless. Better to let him go on for a while longer.

In fact, Yang Dong held evidence not only against Tian Guanghan, but also Xu Yuncai, Lin Yaodong’s father Lin Liangming, Wu Sancai, and others. For that, he had to thank the sweeping anti-corruption campaign that would come a few years later—otherwise, he would never have known so much about the dirty secrets of so many corrupt officials.