“Especially when he’s lying on a mountain of money. How can we let someone like this stay in power?"He'll eventually bring Riveria to ruins!"Several officials nodded in agreement, finding what Stephen said was spot on.Stephen led the rest to the front of a villa that was one of Ethan's properties. Though uninhabited, it was clean and tidy, indicating that someone frequently maintained it.He made a call, summoning the community manager to open the door. Seeing it was an official visit, the manager had no choice but to comply.“Click.”As the door opened, the scene inside left everyone stunned. The villa was completely devoid of furniture. Instead, it was filled with suitcases! Every space was packed with suitcases, leaving only narrow pathways to walk through."My God."Several officials felt dizzy. How much money could there be if all those suitcases were packed with hundred-dollar bills? Could the amount even be counted?"This isn't just corruption. It's mega-corruption!"
The bank employee nodded and slowly opened the envelope with his white-gloved hands. There were no money or gold bars inside, just a letter. The handwriting was not particularly beautiful, but it was neat and looked written with care.The employee subconsciously read it aloud, "Dear Mr. Rivers, hello. I'm thirteen years old this year. Our teacher told us that you built our school, provided us with delicious meals, and even prepared clothes for everyone…”The smile on Stephen's face faded, and the officials around also looked shocked."A thank-you letter?"Stephen snapped out of his daze and rushed forward, grabbing the letter to examine it carefully. It really was a thank-you letter!"Impossible!"He hurriedly tore open other envelopes."Thank you, Mr. Rivers. Our family has finally moved on from the earthquake. My sister has started smiling again and often mentions you…”"Respected Mr. Rivers…”"Thank you…”Each envelope contained a letter, and every letter was a note of gra
“Would someone like Ethan be involved in corruption?""Why would he?""If a person of his status and prestige so much as mentioned he was short on cash, people would probably line up to give him money?"Stephen felt dizzy listening to those comments."How could this be? How could none of these suitcases be filled with money?"He simply could not believe that what they found were thank-you letters.While he was grappling with his confusion, another official came running from outside, shouting, "We've made a new discovery at one of the other villas."Stephen's eyes immediately lit up, like a drowning man grasping at straws."What discoveries? Did you find money?"The official was taken aback, not expecting such a strong reaction from Stephen, but he replied, "Not money. They're letters from readers and viewers."Stephen was dumbfounded. "Readers? Viewers?"What was all that about? The thank-you letters were already pretty bizarre, but now there were readers and viewers too?T
“After all the sacrifices, the sleepless nights, and the dedication, how could someone like Ethan end up in prison? How is this fair?""Should we take this as a warning sign? Should we start thinking about quitting our jobs and going back to simpler lives?"If Ethan, who had done so much good, could be arrested, they feared an even worse fate if they did not pack up and resign!At that thought, many of the officials could feel their convictions wavering. Living an ordinary life would surely be better than spending the rest of their lives in prison.Having heard those comments, Stephen panicked and shouted, "Shut up, all of you! This is nonsense."Ethan's imprisonment is based on solid evidence."Someone asked quietly, "Then where's the evidence?"Stephen fell silent. He was left exposed and speechless. He realized he had been too hasty. If the investigation had been more thorough, this would not have happened.Suddenly, he remembered something crucial. When they started searc
"Hello?” George was in quite a good mood. The situation had caught the federal government's attention, and there was talk about an investigation. If the situation proved true, not only would Ethan face punishment, but they would also be rewarded.That was perfect. Not only would it boost his presence in the federal government, potentially paving the way for a future cabinet position, but he could also gain nationwide recognition. It was a win-win situation with no downsides!"George, we have a problem!" Stephen was frantic. "A big problem!"The smile vanished from George's face. "What problem?" He was puzzled. Stephen was supposed to be opening the suitcases to check Ethan's embezzled funds, so why was there suddenly bad news?"Did Ethan have an accomplice who burned all the money? Or did someone help Ethan escape?"Stephen said, "It’s neither of those."George breathed a sigh of relief. "Then why panic? As long as we have Ethan, there's nothing to worry about.""There's no
The reporter picked up the letter, initially puzzled about why he was being asked to read it. How could a single letter answer anything? However, as he read the contents, he felt a shock run through his body, and his eyes widened in surprise. "A thank-you letter? And it's addressed to Ethan Rivers?"His gaze shifted to the suitcases and he quickly crouched down to search through them. To his astonishment, he found that every single letter was a thank-you note from someone."No need to keep looking," said a bank employee standing nearby. "There are eighty-seven suitcases here, and each one is filled to the brim with thank-you letters."The reporter froze as realization dawned on him. Ethan Rivers was not a corrupt official! On the contrary, he was a great man who had helped countless people, so much so that thank-you letters filled an entire villa."Ethan owns over a dozen properties in this neighborhood, all filled with suitcases containing these letters."The reporter gulped,
"What do you mean impossible? They've sent over the evidence. Now everyone knows what your son did wrong," the voice on the phone said mockingly.Then, with a click, the call ended abruptly.Simon stood there frozen, unable to process what he just heard. After a while, he hurriedly investigated the matter. When he learned the truth, he nearly fainted from sheer rage.The person his son had arrested was not corrupt. Worse still, the dozen or so properties were all bought with Ethan's own money, and the suitcases piled inside were not filled with anything valuable.Those heartfelt, touching thank-you letters moved many leaders in the federal government."How could someone like this be corrupt?”"Simon, what's going on here?"Faced with those questions, Simon was now panicking. His earlier pride had betrayed him, and he felt miserable. In such a short time, his son's major achievement had turned on its head and was now a major blunder instead.Thinking about how he had been braggi
“Right now, everyone's focused on whether Ethan is corrupt or not. We definitely can't let this discussion continue. We need to divert everyone's attention," George said. "In that case… His reputation!”A spark of inspiration came to George as he figured out a way to turn Ethan’s move to his own benefit.“I got it! We should be targeting his reputation instead!” With that thought, George finally came up with a plan.“It's no longer about whether Ethan is corrupt or not. We need to tarnish Ethan's reputation first. We can say he's got dirty hands, using his local influence to suppress the regional officials.“We'll also say he has connections at the border, earning him large amounts of ill-gotten gains.”Simon considered it for a moment and found the plan feasible. After all, Ethan had been working there for so long. Surely some people disliked him.They could contact those officials and find a few towns that had issues with Ethan to testify. That could serve as proof that Ethan w