"Director, it’s Tang Fei." Tang Fei knocked on the door again and called out.
"Haven’t I said? He’s not here," Yan Wenli’s hoarse voice came through, very unfriendly in tone.
"Then where has he gone? Where can I find him?"
"Don’t know, just assume he’s dead."
Tang Fei pushed the door open, looked concerned, and asked, "Director, are you alright? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
"My heart feels very uncomfortable."
"It might be a heart disease, I’ll take you to the hospital for a checkup. I know the director of the Imperial Maritime Hospital, I’ll make sure he gives you a thorough examination."
"Get out!" Yan Wenli downed the whiskey in his glass and said irritably, "It’s because of you that I’m this......"
"Director, how can you say that? I’m here to bring you good news. The case we’re investigating is a major one, and solving it would be a great achievement."
"Great achievement?" Yan Wenli’s eyes were dark as he sized up Tang Fei, as if weighing whether the guy was really stupid or just pretending. "Do you know what you’re doing? Of all the things to investigate... Why must you meddle in the Royal Family’s affairs? Is that something we can interfere with?"
"The Royal Family’s affairs?" Tang Fei looked at Yan Wenli with a puzzled face and asked, "I’m investigating Yu Huoshui. Is Yu Huoshui also one of the Royal Family Members?"
Yan Wenli sighed softly and explained, "Of course Yu Huoshui is not one of the Royal Family Members, but he’s closely associated with the Second Prince... You claim he is plotting to ’overthrow#$the#@$power,’ to humiliate Royal Family Members... Use your pig brain and think about it, why would Yu Huoshui do such a thing? What’s his interest in the middle of all this?"
Tang Fei suddenly realized and said, "He’s been instructed by the Second Prince..."
"Shut up!" Yan Wenli hurriedly interrupted Tang Fei.
He got up, walked to the door, and listened quietly before snapping the door lock shut with a ’click.’
Tang Fei’s face was filled with panic as he said, "Director, what are you doing? You’re not thinking of silencing me by killing, are you? Killing me alone is useless, others know about this case..."
"What’s the use of killing you?" Yan Wenli glared at Tang Fei with a fierce expression and asked in a deep voice, "Who else knows about the case? How many people have seen Yu Huoshui’s confession?"
"Deputy Team Leader Shen Yan knows, he’s working on the case with me. The confidential secretary Tan Yu knows; after all, she helped organize the documents... I suppose those are the people?"
"Starting now, I forbid anyone from touching this case, and I forbid anyone from viewing any files pertaining to this case," Yan Wenli said.
"Yes." Tang Fei respectfully responded, "I absolutely will not allow anyone to touch this case and will seal all the documents in storage, personally kept by myself."
This was Yan Wenli issuing a command with the authority of a director; as a subordinate, he had to obey immediately.
Otherwise, it would be considered insubordination, and he would be held responsible.
Yan Wenli had the power to reassign him to guard the gate of the Monitoring Bureau with just a word.
After a pause, Tang Fei looked at Yan Wenli and cautiously asked, "Director, have I caused trouble?"
"I don’t want what I think, I want what you think," Tang Fei said obsequiously, "Whatever the director says goes."
"You’ve caused trouble, big trouble," Yan Wenli said firmly.
"So what should we do? Should we... act as if none of this ever happened?" Tang Fei asked tentatively.
"That’s not appropriate," Yan Wenli shook his head and said, "If you’d found nothing, we could act as if nothing happened. But since you’ve investigated and even put together a file... pretending it didn’t happen is no longer feasible."
"If something really happens later on, we’d be failing to report what we know, and we can’t escape the consequences."
"If we report it, what will the Royal Family think? What will the King think? Will they assume the Monitoring Bureau has taken sides... that we’ve sided with the Eldest Prince and are helping him eliminate his rivals?"
"Not reporting is not an option, but reporting isn’t either. What should we do?" Tang Fei said with a troubled look.
He thought, if it weren’t serious, I wouldn’t be coming to you.
When the sky falls, a tall person has to bear it.
When the problem is big, naturally, someone with power has to shoulder it.
With his slender arms and legs, he certainly couldn’t bear such a big crime.
"You ask me, who should I ask?" Yan Wenli said in a huff, "People outside call me ’Mad Dog,’ but I know who I can bite and who I can’t... It seems now that you’re even crazier than me. Biting everyone you see, the nickname ’Mad Dog’ should be yours."
"Yes, yes, you’re right, Director," Tang Fei echoed repeatedly.
At times , he had to listen to whatever the director said.
"Come on, follow me to the palace."
Tang Fei feigned ’shock’ as he looked at Yan Wenli and said, "Director, didn’t you say we can’t report it?"
"Reporting it is a matter of approach. But not reporting it, that’s a matter of loyalty," Yan Wenli said.
Yan Wenli poured himself another whiskey, downed it in one gulp, grabbed the hat on the table, and walked outside.
"Young man, let me give you a piece of advice, never let your superior doubt your loyalty."
"Yes, yes, that’s exactly what I was thinking," Tang Fei nodded again and again, "When I found out about these things, I was scared too. But I thought, I can’t deceive the director. You’ve been so kind to me; if I even deceive you, am I still human?"