"To be honest, I might let my cousin Chen Chang off the hook."
Chen Feng replied with a dejected expression.
"If you let such a big hidden danger go, what if your cousin implicates you again next time?"
Qin Yan earnestly advised Chen Feng.
"If that happens, sigh, I don't know what to do."
Chen Feng replied with a pained expression.
Truthfully, if it weren't for his Uncle Chen Tao being involved, he would have unhesitatingly retaliated against his cousin Chen Chang.
After all, he didn't have much affection for his cousin, or his aunt and uncle.
He could have been decisive.
But the problem was, with Uncle Chen Tao involved, it became difficult.
"Chen Feng, I'm not an outsider. Can you tell me why you, who is usually so decisive, have become so indecisive? You weren't like this before. You were known for retaliating against anyone who wronged you. But this time..."
Qin Yan asked, full of confusion.
"Because of my other uncle, who is also your former teacher, Chen Tao. If I were to act against my cousin, my uncle Chen Tao would be in a difficult position. I definitely wouldn't do something like that."
Chen Feng sighed deeply.
"Chen Feng, I really like your gratitude and sense of humanity. But the problem is, you have to analyze specific situations specifically. This matter involves whether you'll go to jail. Sacrificing yourself to go to prison for repaying a favor is too extreme, isn't it?"
Qin Yan strongly advised Chen Feng.
"Mayor Qin, others may not know me, but you do. My gratitude towards Uncle Chen Tao is such that I wouldn't blame him even if I went to prison; I wouldn't regret it even if he died. My great achievements today are largely due to Uncle Chen Tao."
Chen Feng said earnestly.
"You're not wrong in saying that. But the problem is... sigh, it's so agonizing."
Qin Yan was also at a loss for solutions.
On one hand, there was deep loyalty; on the other, there was the risk of imprisonment.
It was truly a difficult choice.
"Mayor Qin, actually, you don't need to worry. I've suddenly thought of a very good solution."
Chen Feng's eyes suddenly lit up.
"Is there really a solution to such a dilemma?"
Qin Yan asked, looking doubtful.
"At first, I really couldn't think of a good solution. However, after talking with you for so long, I suddenly had an inspiration..."
Chen Feng said with excitement.
"Tell me."
Qin Yan asked expectantly.
"I can leverage my connections to transfer my cousin Chen Chang to another province. This way, he'll be outside my sphere of influence, and there will be no need for him to step over my corpse to climb up. The reason my cousin implicated me was to use me to climb higher. If I remove that condition, he won't cause trouble anymore."
"That's a solution, but isn't it letting Chen Chang off too easily?"
Qin Yan said dejectedly.
"Honestly, it is letting my cousin off too easily. But for Uncle Chen Tao's sake, that's how it has to be."
Chen Feng shook his head.
"Yes, Chen Feng, I'm not flattering you. In today's society, it's rare to find someone who endures such hardship for the sake of repaying a favor. No wonder you can achieve great things; there's a reason for it."
Qin Yan sighed.
"You're too kind, Mayor Qin. However, I don't intend to endure hardship. This kind of situation cannot be endured."
Chen Feng suddenly changed his tone.
"What do you mean?"
Qin Yan was taken aback.
"Mayor Qin, you and I are both veterans of the political arena. You should know that in politics, one cannot be overly compassionate. Once people realize we are soft-hearted, it will lead to terrible consequences, and countless scoundrels will try to exploit us."
Chen Feng said sternly.
"That makes sense, but haven't you already decided to let your cousin Chen Chang go? Isn't that already being too soft?"
Qin Yan asked, puzzled.
"I have let my cousin Chen Chang go, and I've explained the reason: it's because of my uncle Chen Tao. However, I have no intention of letting others go. I must retaliate fiercely against others. This will serve as a warning to my cousin and to others who are stirring up trouble."
Chen Feng replied with a murderous intent.
"Chen Feng, your words make me see you in a new light again. I thought you would be too compassionate to the end, but it turns out... I thought so, you're going to enter the higher echelons of China's political arena. How could you be so soft-hearted? Every inch of space in China's political arena is stained with blood. Those who are soft-hearted will meet their demise. By the way, Chen Feng, do you know who the accomplice is?"
Qin Yan said with emotion.
"The accomplice is no one else but the boss of Dali Group in the provincial capital, Wan Jing."
Chen Feng replied calmly.
"Dali Group in the provincial capital? How is that possible? Dali Group is a private company, and you are a government official. They are completely unrelated. Wan Jing has no reason to wish you dead."
Qin Yan asked, confused.
"Mayor Qin, you've always been in politics. You might not be familiar with business matters. The provincial capital's Dali Group, although a private company, has been doing business with the provincial government for a long time and has made a fortune. Last month, I helped the provincial capital attract several major projects, and none of them collaborated with Dali Group. Naturally, Wan Jing resented me, and then my cousin, wanting to gain political favor by betraying me, they colluded."
Chen Feng explained calmly.
"Chen Feng, since you knew that Dali Group had a deep cooperation with the provincial government back then, why didn't you do a favor and let your investment attraction projects cooperate with Dali Group?"
Qin Yan asked, not understanding.
"Mayor Qin, if it were an ordinary project, I would have no hesitation in letting the provincial capital's Dali Group cooperate. Frankly, it's all about making money, so who makes it doesn't matter. But the investment attraction project I secured last month was a technology project, and it was related to China's military technology. Dali Group in the provincial capital couldn't handle it at all. How could I force them to participate?"
Chen Feng said seriously.
"That makes sense, but with your political sensitivity in the officialdom, even if you didn't cooperate with Dali Group in the provincial capital, you should have explained it to the provincial business magnate Dali Group. If you had explained it clearly, wouldn't the misunderstanding have been resolved?"
Qin Yan sighed deeply.
"Mayor Qin, I thought the same way. At that time, I not only explained it to Wan Jing but also specifically gave Dali Group preferential treatment on other projects. Who knew that this Wan Jing was insatiable and wanted to monopolize all the major projects..."
Chen Feng explained dejectedly.
"It's really difficult to deal with such a person. So, how do you plan to deal with Wan Jing?"
Qin Yan asked along the same lines.
"Since Wan Jing refuses to appreciate a good deed, I won't show him any courtesy."
Chen Feng said coldly.
"Chen Feng, have you considered one thing? Dali Group is able to be a business magnate in the provincial capital because it has powerful political backing. If you move against Wan Jing, won't you clash with the provincial government again? You've finally resolved the issue caused by your cousin, and now this again? Are you sure you can handle it?"
Qin Yan asked with concern.
"Mayor Qin, do I seem that reckless in your eyes?"
Chen Feng asked back with a smile.
"You mean, you have a good way to deal with Wan Jing?"
Qin Yan asked excitedly.
"You guess."
Chen Feng deliberately played coy.