Sent to the countryside, I turned the health center into a top-tier hospital.

He intended to use this incident to remind the city to pay attention to the chaos of school bullying and to rectify the atmosphere.

But after listening, Li Jizhong simply waved his hand casually, his face showing no emotion whatsoever, clearly indicating a lack of interest.

"Dr. Chen, this kind of thing is all too common."

Li Jizhong spoke calmly, with the insight and indifference of a seasoned official: "Every school has student conflicts and bullying to some extent. If it blows up, it becomes a public opinion issue; if it's suppressed, it's a minor matter."

"As long as it doesn't cause large-scale casualties, trigger mass incidents, or affect the city's performance indicators, it's not a big deal."

"As you know, I'm about to be transferred to the provincial capital, which is the most crucial period for stability. I'm most afraid of any unexpected complications."

"It's not worth it to delve into such trivial school disputes; it's a thankless and exhausting process, and it's easy to offend people in the education system."

"The police have already intervened, so just let them follow the procedures."

These words were straightforward and realistic, completely exposing the weighing of pros and cons in officialdom.

Li Jizhong is so concerned about the heart stent issue and wants to investigate it thoroughly because it directly threatens his career and interests.

He has to give the people an explanation.

But what kind of thing is it for a student to jump off a building after being bullied?

However, the fact that Li Jizhong could speak so frankly to Chen Ping proves that he didn't consider Chen Ping an outsider.

Chen Ping instantly saw through Li Jizhong's thoughts, felt a chill in his heart, and completely gave up the idea of ​​continuing to persuade him.

Further discussion is pointless.

"Okay, I understand."

Chen Ping stood up and said calmly, "Then I won't disturb Secretary Li's work any longer."

"Alright, you go ahead and do your thing. I won't give you any updates on the stent issue, but I'll let you know as soon as there's any progress."

Li Jizhong also got up to see them off, making polite remarks but offering no real assistance.

Stepping out of the city hall, the autumn wind outside was even colder, making one's mind clearer and one's heart more chilled.

The officialdom is riddled with layers of barriers, and everyone is trying to protect themselves. Bringing down a powerful and influential figure like Xiao Lei is far more difficult than curing a disease and saving a life.

Especially since Li Jizhong was about to be transferred, he didn't want to complicate things too much.

Xiao Lei's father is the vice mayor and has his own connections and network.

If things end up with both sides suffering a fatal defeat, Li Jizhong will likely not escape unscathed.

Without any delay, Chen Ping took a taxi directly to the detention center.

The only breakthrough now is Su Wenzong.

The detention center was heavily guarded, and the atmosphere was oppressive and cold.

After going through layers of registration and security checks, Chen Ping finally entered the visiting room and saw Su Wenzong through a thick glass barrier.

Su Wenzong seemed somewhat surprised to see Chen Ping arrive again.

What was even more surprising was that Chen Ping was indeed quite capable, able to come and visit at any time.

Picking up the intercom, Su Wenzong spoke first, his voice hoarse and dry: "Why are you here again? Where's Meng'er?"

Through the thick glass, Chen Ping looked directly at Su Wenzong and said, "Meng'er is preparing to sell the house to raise money to help you return the stolen goods."

"Return the stolen goods?" Su Wenzong was taken aback, then his expression turned regretful and helpless. "Tell Meng'er not to worry about me anymore. As long as she's doing well, that's all that matters."

"Even if she returns the stolen goods, she won't get a long sentence. She's already sold the house, how is she going to live?"

"You know Meng'er's personality, how could I possibly persuade her?" Chen Ping smiled helplessly.

"I came here to make things clear to you. The culprit behind the substandard stent case is Xiao Lei. You know all the inside stories. You don't need to take all the blame on yourself."

"By taking the initiative to point out Xiao Lei and submit evidence, you can not only confess and gain merit to fight for a lighter sentence, but also give justice to all the victims."

Su Wenzong lowered his head and gave a bitter smile, his eyes full of self-mockery and helplessness: "Chen Ping, you are too young and don't understand the ins and outs of this."

"Xiao Lei is a man with deep roots, wide connections, and ruthless methods. If I dare to bite him, my life is over, and I won't be able to live a peaceful life after I get out of prison."

"Besides, if I point out his wrongdoing, his connections and influence will definitely target Meng'er. I only have one daughter, and I can't afford to gamble with that."

Chen Ping frowned, his eyes filled with determination: "You don't need to be afraid of his threats. As long as you are willing to provide truthful evidence, I will protect Su Meng's safety. I will absolutely not let her suffer any harm."

Chen Ping spoke loudly and firmly.

But after hearing this, Su Wenzong simply looked up at him coldly, his eyes full of helplessness.

"You'll vouch for me? What will you use to vouch for me?"

Su Wenzong shook his head. "In Tianhai, without power or influence, how can you fight against a local tyrant like Xiao Lei? Even if you know a few important officials in the municipal government, what can you do?"

"Do you understand the concept of officials protecting each other? You're talking a good game now, but when things really get out of hand, you won't be able to protect anyone."

Chen Ping frowned: "You can't keep backing down and compromising. The more you fear him and give in to him, the more unscrupulous he will become. Your only way out is to take the initiative to confess and provide evidence."

Su Wenzong remained silent for a long time, his cloudy eyes fixed on Chen Ping, as if he were engaged in a difficult gamble.

A few seconds later, he slowly spoke, his tone leaving no room for doubt, which completely stunned Chen Ping.

"It's not impossible for me to point out Xiao Lei's mistakes."

"You should remarry Meng'er."

A simple sentence instantly froze Chen Ping in place.

He had no idea that Su Wenzong would put forward this condition.

Seeing his astonished expression, Su Wenzong's tone became even more solemn: "I know I wronged you before. The Su family's decline and my own disgrace are all my own fault for being greedy."

"But Meng'er is innocent. I know better than anyone how hard she has been."

"I can tell she still has feelings for you. She's too ashamed to ask you to get back together, but as her father, I can't watch her live a lonely and miserable life."

"As long as you are willing to remarry Meng'er, take good care of her, and protect her for the rest of your life, I will immediately cooperate with the Discipline Inspection Commission and the police to confess all of Xiao Lei's dirty deeds and all the evidence."

"I'd accept even a few more years of extra sentence."

Chen Ping was completely stunned. His chest felt like it was blocked by a huge rock, making him feel suffocated.

He could understand Su Wenzong's thoughts.

When a person is in distress, they have few desires left.

Having reached this point, Su Wenzong no longer cares about his future, reputation, or sentence. The only thing he is worried about is the future of his daughter, Su Meng.

He used his confession and evidence as leverage, not to reduce his own sentence, but purely to seek a stable home for Su Meng and someone who could protect her for life.

On one side is Xiao Lei, whose crimes are heinous and who remains at large, and on the other side is justice for the hundreds of victims.

On one side is Su Meng's peaceful life, and on the other is herself, caught in the middle, in a dilemma.

Chen Ping remained silent for a long time, his throat tightening, unable to utter a single word.

Seeing his hesitant expression, Su Wenzong's eyes flashed with disappointment. He slowly said, "Think about it carefully. Don't rush to answer. Tell me your answer when you've thought it through."

As soon as he finished speaking, Su Wenzong put down the intercom without looking at Chen Ping again, slumped back in his chair, his face full of vicissitudes and determination.

Chen Ping sat there, stunned for a long time, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

He finally stood up slowly, turned around and walked out of the visiting room.

Stepping out of the detention center, the sky was already dark, and the autumn wind was bleak, chilling one to the bone.

An incredibly difficult choice was laid bare before Chen Ping, with no compromise and no way out.