LE BINWEI’s car had already driven off into the distance, but Ding Yi hadn’t missed that deep, lingering look Le gave him before leaving.

　　Since transferring to Hedong Commercial Bank, Ding Yi had seen Le Binwei several times, but mostly in formal settings like meetings or training sessions. They had never had any private interactions or conversations.

　　However, the way Le had lowered his voice on the phone earlier, saying, “We’ll talk about it at home.” struck Ding Yi as oddly familiar.

　　It took him a moment to remember where he had heard that voice before. After saying his goodbyes to the inspection team members, Ding Yi replayed the day’s events in his mind while driving home. That’s when he realized he had missed a crucial clue.

　　That was Manager Wang from the immigration investment firm. When he entered the room, Ding Yi had only noticed the forms laid out on the table, but he overlooked the fact that Manager Wang had flipped a few of them face-down.

　　Upon arriving home, Ding Yi was about to call Jhan Syudong, but Jhan beat him to it.

　　“I’ve found out about Lee Jhihgao’s family ties. Let me give you a sneak peek, see if it connects with anything you know,” Jhan said. Since the investigation involved Ding Yi’s unit leaders, Jhan thought there might be some relevant information on Ding Yi’s side.

　　“Go ahead,” said Ding Yi.

　　“You won’t believe it. Lee Jhihgao is actually related to your chairman, Le Binwei—strictly speaking, he’s the cousin of Le Binwei’s wife, Lee Syuehyan,” Jhan Syudong said.

　　“Really? Keep going,” Ding Yi said. He was utterly shocked and realized how blinded they had been by the layers of deception.

　　“Lee Jhihgao and Lee Syuehyan’s fathers were brothers. But their lives took completely different paths—one stayed in the countryside as a farmer, while the other climbed to a high-ranking government position. Lee Syuehyan’s father was the governor of Hedong Province before he retired,” Jhan Syudong said.

　　Ding Yi had always felt that this web of events was like a knotted rope, and in this moment, it seemed the knot was finally loosening.

　　“I saw Le Binwei today, and I suspect that the ‘Dad’ Lee Lesi mentioned—the mysterious figure she called—is him,” Ding Yi said. Normally, when Ding Yi saw Le, he was speaking loudly from a podium. But today, when Le was on the phone, his voice was soft and low, instantly triggering Ding Yi’s memory.

　　“I’ll have someone look into the connection between Le Binwei and Lee Lesi. And don’t forget about Sieh Singlan,” Jhan Syudong said. Ever since Jhan saw that photo, he had been suspicious of Sieh Singlan, especially after their previous attempt to arrest Gu Wei had been compromised. That leak had been a particular sore point for him.

　　“There’s another lead. I have a business card from an immigration consultant who’s helping Lee Lesi’s group with their plans to leave the country. I’ll send you a photo in a bit. You should take a close look at this guy and check if he has any documents related to Le Binwei’s overseas travel plans,” said Ding Yi.

　　“No wonder things felt off. The bribery records in the ledger go back more than ten years, but at that time, Syu Yujhou was only a deputy. Lin Haichao was still at Linghai Rural Commercial Bank, and Syu didn’t have the influence to help him back then,” Jhan Syudong said.

　　They had been so focused on the role of money brokers, thinking that Syu and Lin’s relationship was purely based on financial dealings—Syu acting as a bridge for capital flows and receiving countless bribes along the way. With all the hard evidence against him, Syu had no defense.

　　But now it seemed that Syu might have been a pawn in a much larger scheme. The question was whether he had willingly played the role or been forced into it.

　　“You need to act fast and get Lee Jhihgao to talk,” Ding Yi urged.

　　“I know,” Jhan Syudong said. And he understood the urgency. After Lee Lesi had confessed, she was released on bail, restricted from leaving linghai. She was now awaiting further legal procedures, including trial and sentencing.

　　But if they couldn’t gather evidence quickly, Jhan feared that these people might flee the country illegally, making everything far more complicated.

　　Feeling the pressure, Jhan immediately arranged for someone to bring in Manager Wang, the immigration consultant, for questioning. He also sent a team to investigate the relationships between Le Binwei and the others, then called in his colleagues from the interrogation team to strategize the interrogation of Lee Jhihgao. They decided to bring him in for an overnight session.

　　Time was of the essence.

　　While the interrogation was underway, Manager Wang, the immigration consultant, was brought in. Jhan personally questioned him.

　　Realizing the gravity of the situation, Manager Wang quickly came clean. Not only did he have files on Lee Lesi and Syu Yujhou, but also on Le Binwei and Sieh Singlan.

　　It turned out that Lee Lesi and Syu Yujhou’s wife had been the primary applicants for investment immigration. They had already completed the process, and Syu Yujhou had merely been filing additional paperwork as a dependent. He planned to leave the country after retiring next year.

　　As for Le Binwei and Sieh Singlan, they had applied for family reunification immigration under Lee Lesi’s name. Initially, the plan was to handle the paperwork slowly, but suddenly, just before National Day, Lee Lesi became anxious, pressing Manager Wang to rush the process. He worked overtime to complete the documents, which were sent to Canada during the holiday.

　　Jhan had Manager Wang retrieve the original documents from his office. Once the documents were in hand, Jhan flipped through them carefully and found a copy of Le Binwei and Sieh Singlan’s marriage certificate—it had been issued in Las Vegas.

　　Jhan sent the documents to the interrogation team. When the lead interrogator saw the evidence, he didn’t waste any more words with Lee Jhihgao. He simply sighed deeply and laid the papers in front of him.

　　“Look at this. It’s pathetic. You’re sitting here covering for them, while they couldn’t care less about your fate. The whole family’s getting ready to move abroad and live a carefree life,” Jhan Syudong said.

　　Upon seeing the contents of the documents, Lee Jhihgao’s eyes filled with blood, and his face contorted in rage. He clenched his jaw so hard that the muscles in his face bulged, and the veins in his neck looked like they might burst.

　　Sensing the moment, the interrogator added fuel to the fire.

　　“We’ve also found out that your son, Lee Mu, has been doing plenty of favors for Le Binwei. We’ll be inviting him in for a chat soon too,” He turned to the young officer taking notes, “Alright, Jhang, print out the transcript and have him sign it. It’s getting late—we could all use some rest.”

　　The young officer placed the printed confession in front of Lee Jhihgao. At that moment, Lee broke down completely, collapsing onto the table in tears and said, “That bastard! He’s ruined my entire life, and now he wants to destroy my son too. I’ll kill him...”

　　It took a while for Lee to calm down, but once he did, he began to recount everything he knew in painstaking detail, no longer holding anything back.

　　Lee Jhihgao’s father and Lee Syuehyan’s father were brothers born in a remote village. Lee Syuehyan’s father, the elder brother, had always been academically gifted. To support his studies, Lee Jhihgao’s father, who had no interest in academics and was a poor student, voluntarily dropped out of school to lessen the burden on the family.

　　As time passed, Lee Syuehyan’s father continued his education, cLeembed the ranks in his career, and gradually gained resources. He proposed to his younger brother that the family move to the city so he could help set up a business for him, providing capital for a small venture. However, after spending his entire life in the countryside, Lee Jhihgao’s father, now middle-aged, had lost the ambition to start over and didn’t want to uproot himself. Instead, he asked his brother to help his son, Lee Jhihgao, find a well-paying job.

　　Although Lee Jhihgao didn’t have much education, he had a good sense of mechanics and managed to earn a truck driver’s license. With his brother’s connections, he secured a position in a trucking company through one of Lee Syuehyan’s father’s old acquaintances.

　　Driving trucks was tough and dangerous, but the pay was decent. After working for a few years, Lee Jhihgao saved up some money, got married, and started a family. When his son, Lee Mu, was three years old, disaster struck. While on a long-distance delivery, the brakes on his truck failed, and the vehicle plunged into a river, taking both the truck and Lee Jhihgao with it.

　　At the time of the accident, there was another man around Lee’s age in the passenger seat, someone who had asked for a ride along the way. Lee, feeling sympathetic, had agreed to take him. When the truck crashed, that man drowned before Lee Jhihgao could pull him out of the cabin, as he couldn’t swim.

　　Though Lee narrowly escaped death, the accident occurred in a remote, mountainous area in another province. He wandered through the wilderness for over ten days, surviving on wild fruits and vegetables before finally making his way back to the highway.

　　When he eventually managed to contact his wife, Jhang Shulan, she was both shocked and overjoyed. It was only then that Lee learned what had transpired in his absence. After the accident, the police recovered the truck and found the drowned man’s body, swollen and unrecognizable from the time spent in the water. He was mistakenly identified as Lee Jhihgao.

　　Since Lee had always been on the road, a high-risk profession, he had taken out an insurance policy. After receiving the death certificate and accident report from the police, Jhang Shulan submitted the documents to the company. Given that she was the spouse of an employee, the company expedited the process for her, and by the time Lee Jhihgao contacted Jhang Shulan, the insurance payout had already been issued.

　　The payout amounted to 300,000 yuan, a considerable sum at the time—equivalent to a few million today. With such a large amount of money suddenly in their hands, the couple didn’t quite know what to do. The money felt both precious and overwhelming.

　　Lee had always maintained a good relationship with Lee Syuehyan, and his first instinct was to turn to her for advice. When she mentioned the situation on the phone, Le Binwei overheard and advised them not to throw away the windfall they had so unexpectedly received.

　　It’s true what they say—wealth can stir the heart. Le Binwei arranged for a contact to help create a fake identity for Lee Jhihgao, and together they concealed the entire incident.

　　From that moment on, Lee lived like a rat hiding in the shadows, unable to show his face or leave his home, always ducking and dodging whenever he saw anyone.

　　This life went on for over a year until one day, Le Binwei approached him with a proposal. He had a way to make some money, but he needed Lee’s help.

　　Lee’s first instinct was to refuse, suspecting that whatever Le was up to couldn’t be legal. But Le tempted him with promises, painting a picture of a future where, once they had made enough money, they could all emigrate and leave behind this life of hiding and fear.

　　Lee, already exhausted from living in the shadows, was deeply tempted. In the end, he couldn’t resist and helped Le by impersonating loan applicants to take out bank loans.

　　Over the next decade, apart from the few cases handled by Huo Yanjhih, Lee impersonated over ten different people, applying for loans each time. Le provided him with all the necessary identification, and Lee simply followed his instructions, pocketing the commissions. He never concerned himself with where the loan money went or what consequences might follow.

　　In 1994, Le told him about a Korean plastic surgeon he knew and suggested that Lee undergo cosmetic surgery. If it worked, Lee would never have to live in hiding again.

　　Excited by the prospect, Lee went along with Le’s plan and had the surgery. After recovering, Le gave him a new identity card, complete with a photo of his post-surgery face. From that day on, he was no longer Lee Jhihgao—he became Lee Fonghan!