Max Level Return—I'll Protect That Fragile One

”She said she couldn’t establish herself in the Xiahou Family and couldn’t completely ruin the relationship between the Xiahou Family and the Jiang Family just because of me.”

”I understand she’s just my senior, and she herself is having a hard time in the Xiahou Family. She indeed can’t cut ties with the Jiang Family for my sake. But does that mean I have no thoughts about it? Maybe not.”

With a long sigh, Xu Xingguang remarked, ”Putting aside the fact that the relationship between the Xiahou Family and the Jiang Family isn’t that deep, the matter of Jiang Heng deceiving me was really the Jiang Family losing its stance. If she sincerely wanted to help me, she only needed to persuade Xiahou Shang to make a big deal out of it. The Jiang Family would be pressured by public opinion, and Jiang Heng would have to back down.”

”In the end, it was Zhang Zhiyi who didn’t care about my life or death.”

Having thought it through, Xu Xingguang had an answer in his mind. ”I just don’t know if our Lord City Lord has already seen the true face of the City Lord’s Wife.”

Upon hearing this, Huo Wen’an asked, ”Then shall we give her a hand?”

Huo Wen’an’s black eyes, soaked in a mist, carried a bewitching allure and an unexplainable ruthlessness.

”Alright, let’s see how you perform.”

*

City Lord Mansion.

Approaching noon, the staff at the City Lord Mansion were preparing to leave for lunch. At this moment, the minister of the statistics department, wearing ten-centimeter-high black heels, pushed open the glass door of the secretary’s office.

She placed a document on desk number 5, saying to the handsome young man sitting behind it, ”Secretary You, last time the City Lord asked for a comprehensive cross-check of the situation in Yujiang City for the past 20 years, where the deceased had not registered their death certificates at the police station, thereby fraudulently obtaining government subsidies. This is the list after thorough verification.”

You Jiaoyang glanced at the document and asked warmly and elegantly, ”How many people in total?”

The minister’s face flushed slightly, and she whispered, ”3890 people.”

”Ha...” You Jiaoyang laughed with an ambiguous tone.

After so many years of fraudulent subsidy claims, it truly is a considerable amount.

One wonders in whose pockets this money ended up.

The minister understood the implication of You Jiaoyang’s laugh. Blushing, she said, ”This is indeed a negligence on our statistics department’s part. However, the previous City Lord didn’t really manage this matter, and the past minister wasn’t so strict with it. This can’t be blamed on me.”

Shaking his head, You Jiaoyang said nothing. He opened the document and quickly scanned through it.

His eyes squinted slightly when passing over a particular list, and he said to the minister, ”You may leave now. I’ll help you deliver this document to Lord City Lord.”

On hearing this, the minister breathed a sigh of relief. ”Thank you, Secretary You. I’ll treat you to a drink later.”

”Not deserved.”

You Jiaoyang stood up with the document and walked towards Xiahou Shang’s office.

Affected by You Mingyue’s plagiarism incident, You Jiaoyang’s reputation wasn’t very flattering. But fortunately, he proved himself and passed the civil service exam for the City Lord Mansion, becoming Secretary Number 5 in the Secretary Office.

Despite Xiahou Shang’s disdain for You Mingyue and Xu Zeqing’s behavior, he had a special appreciation for You Jiaoyang.

”Secretary You.” Xiahou Shang had just taken off his glasses and was rubbing his tired brow. Seeing You Jiaoyang step in, he put his glasses back on and asked him, ”What do you have in your hand?”

”Lord City Lord, this is the document sent over by the minister of the statistics department. After verification, it confirms a total of 3890 deceased who failed to declare their death to obtain insurance fraudulently.”

Upon hearing this number, Xiahou Shang’s expression turned cold, and he extended his left hand towards You Jiaoyang.

You Jiaoyang handed the document to Xiahou Shang. Finding the light too glaring, he picked up the remote control to close the thin curtain in the office.

The lighting inside instantly became somewhat softer. Xiahou Shang looked up at You Jiaoyang and suddenly asked, ”I saw a psychology book on your desk the other day. Do you have some interest in psychology?”

On hearing this, You Jiaoyang replied, ”Being a psychologist was my past career aspiration.”

”Then why did you change professions?”

You Jiaoyang said, ”It was my mother’s expectation.”

Nodding, Xiahou Shang remarked, ”I’ve been feeling anxious and restless lately, and having frequent dreams. Since you’ve learned psychology, tell me, what do you think this indicates?”

You Jiaoyang said, ”Anxiety and frequent dreaming might require a hospital check-up. It could be a case of nervous breakdown?”

Xiahou Shang laughed lightly, ”It was a good decision not becoming a psychologist.”

This level isn’t quite sufficient.

Xiahou Shang flipped through the document, multitasking, saying as he read, ”Maybe it’s the old mother at home urging for grandchildren, the pressure is high.” He shook his head, laughing at himself, ”Even I can’t escape the fate of being urged to reproduce.”

Preparing for pregnancy?