Chapter 159 — Upheaval (Part Two)

"They were both brought in after being attacked by thugs. Whether there is any connection between them I do not yet know, because I, like all of you, have only just arrived and am not yet informed of the other circumstances," Markwede said.

"Is that so, Mayor Markwede? But I've heard that your son and Savengis were not attacked by thugs at all—rather, they were beaten by Good Samaritans because they intended to molest the international superstar Shu Ya." This time it was still a reporter from a local paper, but one belonging to the media group that employed Loclari. Though the reporter's question was sharper than those before, Markwede was helpless against it—after all, Councilman Loclari had long been outwardly compliant but inwardly at odds with him, scheming against him for a long time. How could his people let such an opportunity slip?

"There is no such thing," Markwede denied flatly. "It is a rumor. It is a rumor spread by certain people with ulterior motives trying to make trouble for me."

"Is that so? I doubt it," the reporter continued. "We have learned that Commissioner Norton was dismissed by you for enforcing the law impartially, and that the newly appointed Commissioner Rofft instead turned your son and Savengis—two criminal suspects—into victims and sent them to the hospital."

"This is slander—naked slander!" Markwede was instantly alarmed. He could not understand why these reporters, here at the hospital, would not pursue the medical mishap but instead turn their guns on him.

Stirred up by that reporter, several reporters from online media with a stronger independent streak also began to show their teeth: "According to sources inside the police department, the police released the men only because of your intervention as Mayor Markwede. Is that so?"

"In other words, this whole affair began with you. If you had not insisted on releasing your son and Savengis, they would never have landed in the hospital, and this medical mishap would never have occurred—is that not so?"

"Your son may as well have died at the hands of your own indulgence. There is no denying that, is there?"

"This is a punishment from God. When a man does too much evil, sooner or later he is punished for it."

Markwede was on the verge of madness. He could not fathom how these inside details had leaked out, or how the reporters had come to know them. But one thing he understood clearly: once these stories appeared in tomorrow's newspapers and on the internet, his days as mayor would be numbered.

Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his face, and Markwede had no choice but to wave his hand and say, "I am in a hurry to see how my son is doing. Whatever else there is, we can discuss later."

"Then you admit those facts are true?" the reporter pressed relentlessly.

Markwede ignored the reporters and strode quickly toward the hospital. And so the reporters wrote in their notebooks: Mayor Markwede has tacitly acknowledged the above facts.

Seeing his son lying in the cold morgue, Markwede felt he was going mad. Had he truly been wrong? Was all of this his own doing?

At the same time, the lieutenant governor was also on his way to the hospital. Unfortunately, just like Markwede before him, he was surrounded by a pack of reporters at the hospital entrance and asked similar questions.

Only the question had changed to "May we ask, Lieutenant Governor, did you instruct Mayor Markwede to do this?" This infuriated the lieutenant governor.

"Lieutenant Governor, what am I to do now?" Markwede said, meeting him in the morgue, as though he had glimpsed a lifeline.

"Hmph." The lieutenant governor was furious with Markwede as well. His own son had died inexplicably in a hospital; had Maligeben not died along with him, he would truly have torn Markwede to pieces. "What can I do? The first priority now is to clarify public opinion, and then investigate the cause of this medical mishap."

"But those reporters..." Markwede was deeply worried. After all, he was the one who had done all these misdeeds—he was the one who had actually carried them out, while the lieutenant governor had merely dropped a few hints about his affairs.

"I will reach out to my connections again," the lieutenant governor said. Though he too was mired in grief over his son's death, certain matters had to be cleaned up. And he was somewhat better off than Markwede—at least he had three sons, while Markwede had only one.

Unfortunately, the next day, headlines on the front pages of many newspapers and on the homepages of internet portals carried reports that Markwede had interfered with the course of justice, causing his own son's death.

Sitting in his office reading these newspapers and web pages, Markwede nearly had a heart attack and landed in the hospital himself. And just then, the telephone rang at the most inopportune moment.

"Roft, what is it?" Markwede answered the phone with some impatience.

"Boss, we're in trouble this time—you have to save me! I've been chief for barely a day, and I don't want to be out on my ear already. I have a lot of children at home waiting for me to feed them. I can't lose this job—even if you have to pull some strings, I'd settle for being an ordinary officer!" Roft was a man of no great ability, good for nothing but flattery. When he saw the reports in the newspapers, he knew he was finished this time, so he hastily called his patron Markwede.

He did not stop to consider that at such a moment his patron Markwede could scarcely save himself, let alone find the time to look after him. Sure enough, Markwede said somewhat perfunctorily, "All right, I understand. It's nothing."

"That's good, that's good." Roft could only place blind trust in Markwede.

Markwede had clung to a shred of hope, but now the pressure from outside was growing greater and greater. Many citizens called city hall to demand the truth of the matter from Markwede. Many voters who had once cast their ballots for him cried out that they had been deceived, and spontaneously set up forums online to denounce him, railing against one after another of Markwede's deeds.

Under such pressure, Markwede had no choice but to submit his resignation. He could not go on serving as mayor. The council approved Markwede's resignation and voted to install Locklary as acting mayor for the current term.

Roft was brought down along with him. His dream of becoming an officer was never realized, and he was taken away with Markwede to be investigated. And Norton was once again made police commissioner.

All of this was settled in less than a single day.

Though Yang Ce did not understand political affairs well, it was not hard to see from this series of changes that everything had been orchestrated by old Buffon. Old Buffon had merely dropped a hint, and everything else had been handled by his subordinates.

The lieutenant governor was removed at the same time, though who took his place was not Yang Ce's concern. But there was no need to guess—it would certainly be someone from old Buffon's faction.

Markwede's family was ruined as well: not only had he lost the mayor's office, but his son had departed this world. There was nothing he could do about it. When he later heard a hint that the people he had offended belonged to the Buffon family, Markwede could only accept his fate.

By this time, Shu Ya had awakened and was lying in bed watching the news on television. Yang Ce was at her side just then; Wang Yanqiu had tactfully taken her leave earlier.

"Those who wanted to harm you have all gotten the retribution they deserved," Yang Ce said, pointing at the television screen.

"What? Maligeben and Savengis both died in medical mishaps?" Shu Ya's eyes went wide as she stared in disbelief at the report on the news. "They're both dead?"

"Would you rather they were left alive?" Yang Ce said calmly. "Anyone who harms you, I will not let off."