LRAB Chapter 49 The Last Dignity
Chapter 49 The Last Dignity
The Provincial Party Committee compound, Building No. 1, family quarters.
The air in the study seemed to have been sucked out, leaving only a suffocating silence.
The A4 sheet of paper landed lightly on the mahogany desk, but it felt like a red-hot branding iron, making Gao Yuliang's eyes twitch wildly.
The afternoon sunlight streamed through the blinds, shattering the black-and-white photograph into fragments. In the photo, the usually dignified "Teacher Gao," spouting Marxism-Leninism, was now naked, embracing a young woman.
Gao Xiaofeng.
The woman he thought he had met his "soulmate" was now smiling so seductively in the photo, as seductive as a venomous snake flicking its tongue.
"Huff... huff..."
Gao Yuliang gripped the armrests of the armchair tightly, his fingernails digging deep into the leather. His chest heaved violently, like a bellows that had fallen into disrepair.
It collapsed.
Decades of cultivating inner strength shattered into dust in that instant.
What about being the "King of Law and Politics in Handong," the "leader of the Handong Gang," the "reputation of a scholar-official"... all of that becomes a joke in the face of this thin piece of paper. This is a nuclear bomb; once detonated, Gao Yuliang will not only be utterly disgraced, but will also be nailed to the pillar of historical shame, never to rise again!
"Qi...Tong...Wei..."
These three words were forced out by Gao Yuliang through gritted teeth. They carried the taste of blood.
He finally figured it out.
Why has Qi Tongwei been so quiet lately? Why has Zhao Ruilong's side been making so many mistakes?
This wasn't lying in wait; it was clearly the lone wolf that had already sharpened its teeth, circled behind him, and was poised to deliver a fatal blow to his throat!
This kid is going to kill his master!
"Secretary...are you...are you alright?" Secretary Wu stood at the door, his legs trembling. He had only glanced at the paper, and he was terrified.
Gao Yuliang suddenly looked up.
Those eyes, which were usually half-closed and exuded a refined wisdom, were now filled with terrifying red blood vessels, like a trapped beast driven to the brink of despair.
"roll!"
A low growl, hoarse and violent.
Xiao Wu felt like he had been granted a pardon. He scrambled to close the door and fled as if his life depended on it.
Gao Yuliang was the only one left in the room.
His hands trembled as he reached for the teacup on the table, but because he was shaking so violently, the purple clay cup crashed to the ground and shattered into pieces. The scalding tea splashed onto his handmade leather shoes, but he was oblivious.
pain?
The fear in one's heart is ten thousand times stronger than the physical pain.
He lost.
He lost completely. He thought he was playing chess, treating Qi Tongwei as a pawn he could sacrifice at any time. But he never expected that the pawn had already jumped off the chessboard, overturned the table, and even slapped the player holding the chess pieces in the face.
That slap sent shivers down his spine.
"Thump, thump, thump."
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
It was slow and steady, just three notes. The rhythm was so steady it was unsettling.
Gao Yuliang froze.
coming.
He didn't need to ask; he knew who was outside the door.
At a time like this, there is only one person who dares to come, is able to come, and knocks on the door at this pace.
"call……"
Gao Yuliang closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and forcibly suppressed his heart, which was about to leap out of his throat. He bent down, picked up his glasses from the ground, breathed on them, wiped them with the corner of his clothes, and put them back on.
Since we've lost, we should lose with dignity.
He is Gao Yuliang; even if he dies, he will die standing.
"Enter."
His voice regained some of its usual authority, but the slight tremor at the end betrayed his feigned strength.
The door was pushed open.
Qi Tongwei walked in.
He wasn't wearing a police uniform, but a black stand-up collar jacket that made his figure stand out like a javelin. Backlit, his face was somewhat blurry, only his eyes shone with an alarming brightness.
cold.
A bone-chilling cold.
That wasn't the look you give a teacher, nor the look you give an enemy. It was the look you give a dead man, or rather, the look you give a lamb to the slaughter.
Qi Tongwei closed the door behind him, locking it with a "click".
The soft sound was like a heavy hammer blow to Gao Yuliang's heart.
"teacher."
Qi Tongwei spoke up, his tone as casual as if he were chatting about everyday matters, "The teacup is broken? This is your favorite Ming Dynasty replica, what a pity."
As he spoke, he walked to the water dispenser in the corner, took a disposable paper cup, filled it with warm water, and gently placed it on his desk.
The whole process was smooth and natural, as if this were not the study of the deputy secretary of the provincial party committee, but his own living room.
This composure of taking the lead made Gao Yuliang feel an unprecedented sense of pressure.
"Sit down." Gao Yuliang gestured to the chair opposite him, trying to maintain his composure.
Qi Tongwei did not sit down.
He stood in front of the table, looking down at Gao Yuliang. His gaze lingered on the indecent photo for two seconds, and a faint sneer appeared on his lips.
"Well done," Qi Tongwei commented. "The lighting and composition are very professional. Zhao Ruilong might have a better future as a photographer than as a rich kid."
Gao Yuliang's face twitched violently.
This is an insult! A blatant insult!
"Tongwei." Gao Yuliang took off his glasses, rubbed his temples, and said wearily, "You've won. With this photo out, my position as deputy secretary of the provincial party committee is over. Are you here to arrest me? If so, you don't need to lift a finger; I'll call the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection myself."
At that moment, he seemed to have aged ten years in an instant.
Qi Tongwei looked at the dejected old man in front of him.
Scenes from my past life flashed through my mind.
That mentor who once lectured so eloquently on the university stage, that politician who looked disappointed when he knelt down to propose, that vampire who squeezed every last drop of value out of him when he was desperate.
Love and hate intertwined, ultimately turning into nothingness.
"Arrest you?"
Qi Tongwei shook his head and chuckled, "Teacher, you underestimate me and the value of this photo."
"What do you mean?" Gao Yuliang looked up abruptly.
Qi Tongwei did not answer, but instead took out a silver metal USB flash drive from his pocket.
He stroked the cool casing of the USB drive, his fingertips lightly tracing its surface, as if caressing a lover's skin.
"Smack."
The USB drive was thrown on the table, slid a short distance, and came to a steady stop in the center of the indecent photo.
"Here are the original photos of all the pictures, as well as a backup of the recordings Zhao Ruilong used to threaten you."
Qi Tongwei placed his hands on the table, leaned forward, and fixed his deep eyes on Gao Yuliang. "I've already had Zhao Ruilong's files destroyed. This is the only surviving copy in the world."
boom--!
Gao Yuliang's mind went completely blank for a moment.
He stared incredulously at the small USB drive, then at Qi Tongwei.
Did you give it to him?
Nuclear weapons powerful enough to kill him, evidence enough to make Qi Tongwei perform a great service, and he just... gave them to him like that?
"What...what do you want to do?" Gao Yuliang's voice trembled, not from fear this time, but from extreme confusion. "This is your trump card, you're giving it to me...what are you after?"
He didn't believe it.
Having spent his entire life navigating power struggles, he simply didn't believe that anyone in this world would hand the hilt of a knife to their enemy.
"What's the point?"
Qi Tongwei straightened up and looked out the window at the vast sky.
The system interface flickered slightly in his field of vision, and the "Dignity Value" column was jumping wildly.
True dignity is not gained by trampling others underfoot. It is about choosing to spare someone's life, even when you could crush them, so that for the rest of your life, every time you recall that moment, you will feel utterly ashamed.
This is the true meaning of "killing someone by destroying their spirit."
"teacher."
Qi Tongwei withdrew his gaze, his eyes becoming incredibly clear and indifferent.
"Back then, when I knelt down, I broke my dignity and my backbone. When you looked at me then, didn't you find it particularly pathetic and ridiculous?"
Gao Yuliang opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
"You taught me a lot: strategy, checks and balances, and choices. You treated me like a knife, a knife that would fight for you and wouldn't mind getting your hands dirty."
Qi Tongwei's voice was soft, but every word was like a knife, cutting to the bone.
"But I, Qi Tongwei, am a human being."
"I have blood, flesh, and above all, pride."
He pointed to the USB drive on the table.
"This is my 'tuition fee' that I'm returning to you."
"From today onwards, you go your way, and I'll go mine."
"The bond between the students and teachers at Han University was severed at this moment."
After Qi Tongwei finished speaking, he turned and left.
Decisive, straightforward, and without any hesitation.
"Tongwei!"
Gao Yuliang suddenly stood up and instinctively shouted.
Qi Tongwei paused, his hand on the doorknob, but he didn't turn around.
"Secretary Gao."
The way we address each other has changed.
From "teacher" to "Secretary Gao," this change in address has created an insurmountable chasm.
"This USB drive may protect you for a while, but it can't protect your conscience forever."
"I'm giving you this opportunity not so that you can continue to languish in this position, but because I hope..."
Qi Tongwei tilted his head slightly, his profile as sharp and hard as if carved by a knife.
"Next time we meet in the interrogation room, please be more presentable."
"After all, you were my teacher."
"Click".
The door opened, then closed again.
The tall, imposing figure disappeared behind the door.
The room fell silent once more.
Gao Yuliang stood there blankly, like a sculpture whose soul had been emptied.
a long time.
He slowly reached out and grabbed the USB drive.
The moment my fingertips touched it, a cool sensation shot straight to my brain.
He wanted to laugh, to feel grateful that he had survived the ordeal.
But as soon as she opened her mouth to smile, tears streamed down her face.
"Hehe...hehehe..."
His laughter was dry and harsh, even worse than crying.
He gripped the USB drive so tightly that his palms ached.
He knew that Qi Tongwei was right.
Although he survived this round, his heart had been completely killed by that student.
This is hardly "tuition fee".
This is a cup of wine that severs ties.
Drinking it will cause your liver and intestines to break.
……
downstairs.
Qi Tongwei stepped out of the building and took a deep breath of the slightly cool air.
The sunlight shone on his face, warm and comforting.
[Ding! Detected that the host has made a crucial decision: severing ties.]
[Dignity value greatly increased! Reward: Master-level strategic planning ability (advanced)!]
The system notification sounded crisply in my mind.
Qi Tongwei's lips curled up slightly.
He didn't look back at the tall building that symbolized power.
For him now, Gao Yuliang is no longer an insurmountable mountain, but just a moss-covered stone by the roadside.
This game has only just begun.
He took out his phone and dialed a number.
"Hey, Ryohei."
"The stage is almost finished."
"Next, it's time to invite that 'Secretary Dakang' to join the game."