Forced to marry a disabled man in the countryside? I'll repay you tenfold!

Anyway, if we follow the rules on our end, no one can find fault with us.

If other forces get involved, the situation will become even more difficult to manage.

Meanwhile, more and more people gathered outside the courtyard to watch the commotion. They had all heard that the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection was coming to search things, and they all craned their necks to look inside.

"Is this really a threat? Comrade Su is pregnant."

"If the other party does not come with us, the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection does have the authority to forcibly take them back."

Discussions rose and fell.

Chen Yuchun's mother said smugly to the person next to her, "Those who do wrong should be punished! Accepting so much that she shouldn't have, I think Su Wanqing is finished this time! Just a few days ago she was saying she was a good person, contributing to the country, but it turns out she got in through connections!"

Only Chen Yuchun vaguely felt something was amiss—if Su Wanqing had truly made significant contributions to the country, and the commander had even sent a driver to take her there, wouldn't that prove that the awards were genuine? But if they were genuine, wouldn't her report be considered a false accusation?

Inside the house, Wang Xiaohuang was now in a difficult position.

A colleague whispered, "Are we really going to forcibly take them away? Isn't this going to be difficult?"

"Yes, if the other side really knows some commander, it means there might be something going on. If we've wronged an innocent person..."

Several people whispered among themselves, their voices full of hesitation.

Wang Xiaohuang gritted her teeth and said in a low voice, "Take her away by force! He might be bluffing. If we later confirm that she really did accept a large bribe, that would be a huge achievement! Think about it carefully, since the founding of the People's Republic of China, where has there ever been a reward of 10,000 yuan in cash and so many other things? Did she contribute missile blueprints from another country? Otherwise, why would she receive such a large reward? So there must be something wrong! I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong!"

He made the decision, and his subordinates had no choice but to nod reluctantly.

Since he said that, those people immediately stepped forward to forcibly take him back.

Just then, Su Wanqing felt Zhou Yanshen's warm breath gently brush against her ear, his voice deep and calm: "Cover your ears."

Su Wanqing didn't ask why, and instinctively covered her ears.

The next second, Zhou Yanshen pulled out a pistol from behind his back and fired three shots at the open ground outside the back window.

The deafening gunshots startled the disciplinary committee staff who were about to take action, leaving them frozen in place, completely stunned—the close-range gunfire was truly shocking.

Not only those inside the house, but even the onlookers outside were terrified and screamed repeatedly. Some people's legs went weak and they almost collapsed to the ground, while several timid children burst into tears.

"What happened? Why were shots fired inside?"

"Murder! Someone's going to kill someone inside!"

Chaos reigned outside; some people ran away, while others crouched on the ground covering their heads.

It took Wang Xiaohuang, who was in the lead, a while to recover from the shock. He was so frightened that his legs went weak and he sat down on the ground with a thud.

Only after discovering he hadn't been shot did he become enraged and shout in a trembling voice:

"Are you crazy? You just pulled out a gun and shot us? Did you even consider the consequences? You dared to shoot over such a trivial matter, what kind of behavior is this! You shot your own people, do you know what crime that is? If you killed any of us, you'd be sentenced to death!"

Zhou Yanshen smiled faintly, calmly put the gun away, and said with disdain, "My gun is not for shooting trash. You are not worthy."

Wang Xiaohuang's face turned pale, then red: "What...what do you mean? You're saying I'm useless?"

Zhou Yanshen ignored him, blew away the lingering smoke from the gun barrel, and then calmly explained, "Within a minute, the military will surround this place. You all stay here obediently and don't make any other moves. Otherwise, I can't guarantee your safety."

Wang Xiaohuang and the others then realized that Zhou Yanshen had no intention of shooting anyone; he was using the sound of gunfire to "scare people away."

Su Wanqing's lips twitched; she thought Zhou Yanshen was incredibly handsome.

In an era without telephones or communication, he actually used gunfire to summon reinforcements.

The key is the cool way Zhou Yanshen, this stunningly handsome man, drew his gun, making her want to rush over and kiss him—good heavens, how can there be such a cool person?

Zhou Yanshen said that one minute was a conservative estimate.

Before long, Su Wanqing's house was completely surrounded by heavily armed soldiers.

Commander Lin, the highest-ranking official in the military region, rushed over in person.

When he saw that the incident occurred at the home of Zhou Yanshen, who had just been awarded a special merit, the home of the hero who had captured the enemy's most advanced warplane and made outstanding contributions to the country, his legs almost went weak.

If anything happens to Zhou Yanshen or his family, his days are numbered—the higher-ups are taking this matter very seriously, and they're even planning to have Zhou Yanshen attend the medal-awarding ceremony in a few days! If something happens now, how will he explain it to the central government?

He rushed into the courtyard, his face ashen, and immediately demanded an explanation:

"What's going on? Who dares to cause trouble here? What are all these people doing here?"

Seeing so many heavily armed soldiers, each carrying a gun and staring at them expressionlessly, Wang Xiaohuang immediately realized the gravity of the situation. His tone softened instantly, and he quickly explained:

"Hello, this is the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection. We received a report from a member of the public, alleging that Shen Zhiyuan, the mayor of Bincheng City, abused his power by bribing his daughter's attending physician, Su Wanqing, under the guise of a reward, with the amount reaching tens of thousands of yuan, along with valuable items such as a color TV and a refrigerator. We are simply here to verify and investigate according to regulations, and have no intention of offending anyone."

According to regulations, we have the right to seal and take away the items involved in the case first, and then ask the person involved to return to assist in the investigation. But I didn't expect this... this Comrade Zhou Yanshen to react so strongly, actually firing a gun and sounding the alarm. Can you believe it? Such a small matter has caused the military region to mobilize so many people..."

Upon hearing this, Commander Lin frowned, looking at Zhou Yanshen lying on the bed with a puzzled expression, then at the pregnant woman next to him.

He softened his tone and asked Zhou Yanshen, "Comrade Zhou Yanshen, is everything alright on your end? What are the details?"

Zhou Yanshen slowly began to speak: "These people came in today shouting threats of violence, saying that my wife, Su Wanqing, had accepted bribes and that they wanted to take her away and seal up everything in the house."

The awards my wife received were legitimate rewards issued by the municipal government at the highest level after she contributed top-secret technological achievements to the country. I have clearly informed them that this matter involves state secrets, but they still insist on taking her away and sealing up the evidence.

I suspect they aren't genuine disciplinary officials at all, but rather foreign spies in disguise, aiming to steal the classified technology my spouse contributed. Their behavior is extremely abnormal; they refuse to accept explanations, ignore evidence, and arrest people indiscriminately. What else could this be but espionage?