Chapter 81: The Silence-Inducing Xu De |
"Subsidy fraud?"
"I've heard of scamming people, toll extortion, and prostitution scams, but what's subsidy fraud?"
Wang Chao scratched his head, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
Xu De didn't answer immediately. Countless thoughts raced through his mind.
Subsidy fraud...
The concept was too broad. There was simply no way to explain it clearly in a single sentence.
"Generally speaking... think of it as the welfare institute's headcount subsidies."
"If Liu Jingqi truly had a distinct accent and took a long time to correct it... then without a doubt, the time between her leaving her hometown and appearing in Greenwood City must have been extremely short!"
Xu De didn't over-explain, merely stating their immediate focus.
It implied that her appearance at the welfare institute made no sense!
First, the region associated with her accent was at least seventeen hundred kilometers away. Going by the travel speeds twelve years ago, back in 1991...
Even a train ride would take several days and nights.
A pair of parents from out of town arrive in Greenwood City after several days of travel, and then their child goes missing. Both the parents and the child possess extremely distinct linguistic traits. Liu Jingqi then coincidentally ends up at the welfare institute, and strangely enough, neither side ever bothers to call the police...
No matter how you looked at it, something was wrong!
"So what are you saying?"
Lin Yue, standing to the side, understood Xu De's implications. She pondered for a moment before looking at him.
Xu De looked up at the ink-black night sky, dotted with a few sparse stars.
"What time is it?"
Lin Yue checked her watch. "Half past eight."
Xu De raised an eyebrow, crossed his arms, and clicked his tongue in mock amazement, dropping all pretense of seriousness.
"Why do you still need to look at a watch to tell the time?"
Lin Yue paused. "How else would I know?"
Xu De spoke in an earnest tone:
"Oh, Nine Heavens Flying Dragon Jade-Faced Thunder Prime Universal Transformation Living Beings Demon Subduer Longevity True Monarch, shouldn't you be looking up to observe the celestial phenomena and looking down to count on your fingers?"
Lin Yue: ...
"Why do you still remember that!?"
Her eye twitched as she stared at him in disbelief.
Lin Yue was having an internal breakdown. She had only wanted to act cool back then, never expecting him to remember it after all this time...
"What Longevity True Monarch?" Wang Chao suddenly perked up. He immediately realized there was some massive hidden gossip here.
Lin Yue's heart tightened. She hurriedly put on a stern face and denied it. "It's nothing!"
It was one thing if Xu De remembered—he was the only one who knew. But the loudmouth standing next to him was a different story. She didn't want to die of social embarrassment just yet. She shot Xu De a pleading look.
Xu De chuckled, deciding not to tease his two partners any further.
He stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and said, "It's getting late. Let's head back, rest, and recharge."
"And then..."
"Tomorrow morning, we head to Jiaqin Welfare Institute!"
The investigation was urgent, but not so urgent that they needed to launch a surprise raid right this second.
Moreover, there was an art to surprise raids, and no one understood how to ambush someone for evidence better than Xu De!
Therefore...
Before Wang Chao could say anything, Lin Yue was the first to agree.
"Alright."
She replied, secretly breathing a sigh of relief.
Her reputation was saved!
The three of them went to a restaurant for a meal before parting ways, heading home to collapse into their beds and fall into a deep sleep.
The next day.
At 7:30 AM.
Qingwu Province, Greenwood City, Torch Road.
Inside the familiar alleyway.
A sneaky-looking child, dressed in tattered clothes and covered in grime, poked his head out. He looked around in all directions, his face full of confusion.
Xu De, who had been hiding, didn't hold back and immediately flicked him hard on the forehead.
Smack!
A crisp sound echoed, somewhat resembling a hollow watermelon.
"Ouch, what are you doing?"
The little scavenger clutched his head, glaring at him with a face full of grievance. He looked a bit pale and weak.
His voice was somewhat hoarse, lacking any defining characteristics.
"Hah, absolutely zero vigilance. Be careful, or someone will snatch you up and sell you to the welfare institute."
Xu De scoffed.
The boy standing before him was the "wild child" he had been feeding for a long time. After a few months, he looked a bit meatier than before.
Xu De glanced over him, then lowered his head, placing the items in his hands on the ground one by one while casually asking, "Where's the boss? Wasn't he the one who came out before?"
There were two little scavengers, identical in appearance. In the past, it was always the one who called himself "the boss" who came to meet him.
"I..."
The second scavenger was at a loss for words. He kept his head lowered, carefully observing the man through his peripheral vision to see what he looked like.
Xu De couldn't be bothered to figure out what the kid was trying to do. He set down all the things he had brought.
"I might not be in Greenwood City for the next two days."
"These are some unwanted clothes. Take them to use for the winter."
In mid-December, the wind cut like a knife. Without anyone looking after them, it was highly likely these two kids would freeze to death.
The second scavenger asked in a small voice, "Where are you going?"
Xu De didn't reply.
He stood up and said as he walked away, "Be more careful when you go out from now on. Greenwood City is cracking down hard recently. Those lawbreakers... might get desperate and act like cornered dogs."
"Pay attention to your own safety."
The second scavenger had just opened his mouth to speak, but a sudden itch in his throat sent him into a fit of coughing.
By the time he finished coughing, his face had paled several more shades. When he finally looked up, he found that the man was already gone without a trace.
He could only lower his head, scan his surroundings, and quickly leave with the items.
The second scavenger walked for a good while.
He left the nearby residential area and ducked under an abandoned bridge not too far away, where another figure was sitting.
The second scavenger tried to speak, but coughed a few more times. He pressed his lips together, seemingly in a good mood, and said, "Boss, I know what he looks like now."
Meanwhile.
At 7:50 AM.
Xu De arrived at the law firm the three of them had established together, only to find Wang Chao standing at the entrance.
"Tsk, 'Houde Law Firm'."
Wang Chao looked at the firm's name, a look of deep sentimentality on his face.
Noticing Xu De arriving behind him, he turned his head, his face full of admiration.
"Lawyer Xu, this is a great name!"
"To be honest, every time I come to the firm, it gives me a sense of high moral standing!"
Xu De ignored him.
'Houde Law Firm' was the name of the firm he had founded.
Located in the heart of Greenwood City, just two kilometers away from the municipal building, it was an area with abundant political resources. The total space was two hundred and forty square meters, though heaven knew how Lin Yue had managed to secure it.
"Where is Lawyer Lin?"
Wang Chao put away his playful demeanor and pointed to the car beside him. "Waiting for you inside."
Xu De nodded. "Let's get in."
The two of them wasted no more words and briskly walked toward the car.
Clack!
The car door was pulled open. Xu De planted himself in the passenger seat, while Wang Chao took the driver's seat. Seeing everyone was present, he twisted the key and stepped on the gas.
Vroom!
The car slowly began to move.
"Why are you so late?"
From the back seat, Lin Yue checked her watch, a bit suspicious.
"Got delayed by something on the way. It's no big deal."
Xu De replied casually, then asked, "How did the communication with the welfare institute go?"
Lin Yue gathered her thoughts and said, "I spoke with them on the phone last night. We can head over this morning."
Visiting a welfare institute required an appointment. It was best to communicate over the phone in advance. Of course, not making an appointment was also fine.
But for the three of them, it was highly advisable to have one.
Why?
Because gathering evidence and conducting an investigation required following proper procedures!
Otherwise, if something went wrong and no one was willing to take responsibility, they would regret it immensely, not to mention...
Jiaqin Welfare Institute was different from an ordinary orphanage. They were going there to investigate evidence of violations. The chances of something going wrong were genuinely quite high!
Fortunately...
"Currently, the welfare institute is managed by a middle-aged woman named Cheng Tao, who serves as the director."
"Twelve years ago, when Liu Jingqi first entered the orphanage, she and the director at the time..."
Lin Yue trailed off, sounding hesitant.
Xu De frowned and asked, "They had a good relationship?"
"I don't know, but she was the deputy director back then."
Lin Yue shook her head, thought for a moment, and added, "She must have interacted with the director quite frequently, at any rate."
"If the welfare institute truly was engaged in inappropriate practices... it's hard to say whether she was involved or not."
A change in directors was a good thing.
After all, if the previous director really had problems, it wouldn't impact the current one. They would likely be very cooperative with the investigation.
But, if this director was also connected to Liu Jingqi's issues...
"What about the old director?"
Xu De furrowed his brows, suppressing the concern in his heart as he asked.
Lin Yue replied, "The old director is named Zheng Tong. He's in his sixties and has already retired, apparently because... he had a grandson a couple of years ago."
Xu De understood and fell into thought.
If they wanted to shatter Liu Jingqi's death-exemption gold medallion, they could only start with the welfare institute.
As for Zheng Tong... the man would most likely refuse to speak, perhaps even keeping his lips sealed tight. Approaching him rashly would likely drag the case into a quagmire, wasting precious recess time for nothing.
Then they could only start with Cheng Tao!
Suddenly, the two of them felt a sudden jolt.
Screech!
The sound of braking echoed.
Wang Chao looked at the building in front of them and said, "We're here."
Xu De and Lin Yue looked up.
A building that looked like a rural elementary school came into view. The main entrance was blocked by a retractable gate, and just inside stood a flagpole.
On the right side of the main entrance, a sign was displayed.
【Greenwood City Jiaqin Love Welfare Institute】
This was their destination!
"Let's get out."
Xu De didn't hesitate. He unbuckled his seatbelt, pushed the door open, stepped out, and walked toward the security booth.
The security guard made a phone call to briefly confirm with the director. After verifying their identities, they were allowed in. The guard then assigned another security officer to lead them toward the office.
The overall facilities of the welfare institute were very dilapidated.
It couldn't be helped.
In this day and age, government finances were incredibly tight. Across the country, they couldn't even afford to hire enough police officers. It wasn't until the introduction of "auxiliary police"—who were practically nuclear-powered pack mules in reality—that the manpower shortage crisis was greatly alleviated.
If things were this bad for the police, one could only imagine the situation for orphans.
The amount of subsidies entirely depended on the local government. If the local government was dirt poor...
Coupled with the fact that the internet had not yet become widespread and there were very few social donors, it was a common occurrence for welfare institutes to go bankrupt.
As for whether the orphans inside would give back to the orphanage...
There definitely were some, and quite a few at that!
But a problem arose.
There was an issue that had never been brought to the forefront due to moral factors, and that was...
"Is the moral character of an orphan raised in a welfare institute good or bad?"
On the way.
Several children who were still playing stared at the "intruding" strangers with faces full of curiosity.
Entering the lobby of the building.
Wang Chao couldn't hold back and whispered to Lin Yue.
His brows furrowed, his face full of doubt.
"Liu Jingqi, Jiang Yu, and Qiao Wang... all three of them are orphans."
"Especially Jiang Yu and Qiao Wang. They've lived here for many years and were practically raised here. Although they might not have been loved as deeply as one's own flesh and blood, at the very least, they never lacked food or clothing. So how did they..."
He wasn't sure how to voice the rest of his thoughts.
Hearing this.
Lin Yue glanced at the security guard leading the way ahead. After hesitating for a long time, she whispered, "Because..."
"They are from an orphanage."
What was wrong with children from an orphanage?
Ordinary people might instinctively assume they are good, kind, and pure.
After all, theoretically speaking, orphans are raised by the love and charity of society; it should be very difficult for them to turn bad.
But what was the reality?
Take a single-parent family as an example.
After the parents divorce and a child loses one of them, does it cause indelible changes to the child's psychology and mindset?
Some develop depression, extreme thinking, and psychological distortions as a result.
And orphans?
They have no father, no mother, no grandparents. An orphanage can only provide material satisfaction but cannot compensate for the emotional deficit. It absolutely counts as severe childhood trauma!
What does this lead to?
According to long-term tracking by the Bald Eagle Department of Justice, about 71% of the heavy-felony population suffered childhood trauma that led to their adult crimes.
Based on official research by the Dongguo Prison System, statistics from the Haicheng Prison Administration and Sichuan University Psychology Center show that 74.8% of repeat offenders or violent criminals experienced moderate childhood trauma!
And that was just moderate.
As for orphans in welfare institutes...
"They fall under 'Severe Childhood Misfortune,' classified in the most severe first tier, sharing the same high-risk level as those who have suffered physical abuse!"
Lin Yue spoke solemnly. Then, her tone suddenly softened.
"Of course, this doesn't mean orphans are more likely to turn bad."
"Strictly speaking... it should be described as their fate being 'more uncontrollable.'"
When most people face a difficult choice, they have many considerations: family, children, friends, bosses.
But what about orphans?
Put it this way: there's a saying, 'I have nothing left to lose.' Usually, when this is said, it means someone is ready to take their enemy down with them.
And orphans generally live with this phrase from the moment they gain consciousness. Without the worries of family or children, their fate becomes far more uncontrollable.
As for Liu Jingqi...
Her behavior had nothing to do with being an orphan.
She was purely just a bad seed through and through!!!
"So that's how it is."
Wang Chao paused, then suddenly stopped short, instinctively looking at Xu De ahead of them.
"Then wouldn't Lawyer Xu be..."
He gained a slight epiphany.
No wonder the man's thinking and methods were so bizarre... it all made sense!
Just then, Xu De, who was walking ahead in the corridor, looked back, asking in confusion, "Why bring me up?"
"It's nothing,"
Wang Chao said. "Just feeling that these kids have it rough."
"It's not that bad."
Xu De looked puzzled. He glanced at the surrounding facilities and said, "I think it's perfectly fine."
"They're this old and they don't have to live in a donkey shed, they don't have to push a millstone, they don't even have to shine shoes to earn tuition money. They get to study for free."
"They certainly don't need to walk hundreds of kilometers back and forth just for a few dozen bucks of tuition, and if they pass their exams, someone prepares everything for them."
"They just don't have parents, that's all."
Xu De said, "I feel like this childhood is actually quite happy, isn't it?"
Wang Chao: ?
Lin Yue: ?
Security Guard: ?
In the corridor, everyone stopped in their tracks. Unable to help themselves, they looked at Xu De.
Even the experienced security guard was stunned. He turned his head, staring blankly at the man as if looking at some bizarre alien entity.
To be honest, the security guard had worked here for years.
He had heard countless types of evaluations, but this was the very first time he had heard someone say something like this!
Had this person ever actually seen a normal child's childhood?
"Why did you all stop?"
Xu De frowned, scanning his surroundings in confusion.
The security guard's lips moved, wanting to say something, then stopping, then wanting to speak again. He remained silent for a long time, having no idea what to say.
Finally, taking a deep breath, the security guard looked at the door next to him.
"We're here."
The three of them paused, looked up, and saw...
Above the doorway, a sign reading 'Director's Office' hung prominently.
The security guard reached out and pushed open the door.
Creak...
"Director Cheng, the three kind-hearted individuals are here."