CHAPTER 594: CHAPTER 594: END OF DONG SHIN-1

Everyone already knew she had let his mother go before. If he tried to accuse her, they would only laugh at him, call him spoiled, and criticize him instead.

His mother had always taught him tricks, schemes, and how to twist words. He wasn’t stupid. He understood he couldn’t win this way.

So his face turned darker. He gritted his teeth until they squeaked.

"Fine!" he spat. "If you don’t help me, then I’ll tell everyone that you captured my mother. I’ll say you’re keeping her locked up so she can’t reunite with me. Then everyone will hate you!"

He thought he was smart. He thought his plan was perfect.

But Su Jiyai only tilted her head, smiling coldly. "Go ahead. Tell them. Do you think they’ll believe you? Everyone in this base already knows the truth. They know I released your mother. They know she left on her own. Your lies won’t stand."

Her tone was calm, but it was like a knife cutting through his heart.

Su Han trembled with fury. He wanted to scream, but his throat tightened.

Qiang Zhi, still in Su Jiyai’s arms, rolled his eyes and said loudly, "You’re just a crybaby. Even if others don’t play with me, I won’t cry like you. I’m not weak."

The words hit Su Han like arrows. His fat face burned. He pointed at Qiang Zhi, trembling with rage.

"You... you..." His finger shook. But deep down, he didn’t dare make a move. Not when Su Jiyai was watching with that deadly glare.

Furious, he turned toward Su Rong and tugged on her sleeves, "You! Why don’t you take a stand on my behalf? Can’t you act like a eldest sister?"

Su Rong pulled away her sleeves and said in a wronged tone, "Younger brother, you are in the wrong; I can’t take a stand. It would be better if you apologize to Sister Jiyai."

"I am not your sister." Su Jiyai warned, and Su Rong immediately put away the calculations in her mind.

"Boss Su, please don’t be offended I was swayed by my emotion." Su Rong put on a flattering expression while Su Jiyai ignored her.

Han Weilin, who had been quiet so far, suddenly laughed. She patted Qiang Zhi’s head. "Wow, Jiyai. Your brother is cooler than I thought. He even stood up to a spoiled fat kid."

Qiang Zhi lifted his chin proudly. "Of course. I promised to protect my sister. I’ll never let anyone bully her."

Su Jiyai’s eyes softened. She hugged him tighter, whispering, "Silly boy."

Su Han saw the warmth between them, and it made his chest ache with jealousy. Once upon a time, he was looked after by Su Jiyai.

Even if he didn’t treat Su Jiyai well, she always backed him when other kids tried to bully him. But now... she has her own brother and is doting on him while ignoring him.

That jealousy twisted into more anger. He stomped his foot. "This isn’t over! If you don’t help me, I’ll make sure you regret it!"

Su Jiyai didn’t even flinch. Her lips curled into a mocking smile. "Try me."

The crowd that had gathered whispered among themselves.

"Su Han is at it again."

"He still dares to challenge the leader? What a spoiled brat."

"Serves him right. That little boy is braver than him!"

Hearing the murmurs, Su Han’s face turned red with shame. He glanced around, saw the disgust in people’s eyes, and finally shut his mouth.

He clenched his fists, glared at Qiang Zhi one last time, and then stormed off, dragging Su Rong with him.

Han Weilin let out a long sigh of relief. "Phew. That was messy."

Su Jiyai just stroked Qiang Zhi’s head gently. "Don’t mind them."

But Qiang Zhi looked up with his serious little face. "I don’t care. He can say whatever. You’re my sister. That’s all that matters."

Her heart melted. She smiled softly and kissed his forehead.

Weilin covered her mouth and squealed. "Oh my god, too cute! Jiyai, you’re seriously blessed with the best brother ever."

Qiang Zhi puffed his chest proudly. "I told you. I’m mature."

Both girls laughed until their stomachs hurt. The street’s heavy air lifted, replaced with warmth.

For Su Jiyai, it didn’t matter what Su Han said or threatened. She had already built trust with the people.

..................

Inside a quiet office in the military base, the air was thick with tension.

Wang Qingshan sat at the head of the table, his hands pressed flat on a stack of reports. His sharp eyes stared at the man standing in front of him. Dong Shin shifted uneasily, but he tried to keep his face calm.

"I never thought," he said slowly, his gaze cutting into Dong Shin like a blade, "that behind closed doors, you would be such a person."

Dong Shin flinched but tried to keep his face neutral. "Commander... it’s not as serious as you think."

Wang Qingshan’s expression grew colder. He slapped the thick stack of reports on the desk with such force that the papers scattered across the floor. The sound echoed through the room like a whip crack.

"You call this not serious?" Wang Qingshan’s voice boomed. "Look at it! Read every word! Do you think I would summon you here if it was just a small mistake?"

Dong Shin’s jaw tightened. He bent down, picked up one of the reports, and skimmed through it. His face remained calm, but his heart sank deeper and deeper with every line.

Those three... Fang Qian, Hao Chen, and Xie Liang...

He had trusted them. He had brought them into his team because they looked loyal, because they looked desperate for someone to rely on. He had thought they would be grateful.

But instead, they had betrayed him.

They had recorded every bribe, every underhanded deal, every scheme he had hidden so carefully. Then, like snakes, they had slithered to Wang Qingshan and spilled everything.

Dong Shin clenched his fists. His teeth ground together.

"I admit," he finally said in a calm voice, "that I... may have made mistakes. But..."

"Enough!" Wang Qingshan slammed his hand on the desk again, cutting him off. His voice was filled with fury. "Mistakes? You call this corruption a mistake? Do you take me for a fool?"

Dong Shin’s lips pressed together tightly.

"I should expel you this very second," Wang Qingshan said, pointing at him with trembling anger. "The military has no place for people like you!"

Dong Shin’s calm mask began to crack. His eyes flashed with anger. "Commander, please... you are speaking in anger. You should not judge me so quickly. You..."

Wang Qingshan chuckled, but it was a laugh filled with bitterness. He leaned back in his chair and shook his head slowly.

"Too quickly?" His voice dripped with scorn. "Do you know how long I have been watching you? From the beginning, I knew you were scheming. I knew you had flaws. And yet, I still defended you. I told everyone that you had potential. I told myself that, even if you were greedy, your heart was still pure."

He leaned forward again, his eyes narrowing.

"But now... now I see it was nothing but my blind favoritism. It was my fault. I let you stay. I gave you chances again and again. And this," he gestured at the reports, "is the result."

Dong Shin’s face turned pale. His chest heaved with anger and panic. "Commander, this is too much! Expelling me over this is... unfair!"

"Unfair?" Wang Qingshan’s voice rose with fury. He grabbed another report from the desk and threw it at Dong Shin. The papers scattered across the floor again.

"You were not just a soldier. You were a regulator! You decided whether bases could enter the alliance. You held power over people’s lives! Do you even understand what your so-called small mistakes have caused?"

Dong Shin’s lips trembled, but he forced himself to stay quiet.

Wang Qingshan picked up one report, slammed it on the desk, and jabbed his finger at it.

"Look at this base! Because of your bribe, they were allowed to join. And what do they do? They allow women to be raped, children to be trafficked. Is that a small mistake?"

Dong Shin’s face turned ashen.

Wang Qingshan grabbed another file and slammed it down.

"This one! A base where humans feast on other humans like beasts. And you let them enter the alliance! You gave them legitimacy!"

He picked up another report, his hands shaking with anger.

"And this one! A base that scams other bases, using its own members as bait. And you called it qualified! These are not mistakes, Dong Shin. These are crimes!"

Dong Shin swallowed hard. His fists trembled at his sides. He wanted to shout, to argue, but no words came out.

Inside, his heart screamed: ’How? How did those three get all this? How could they dig out things I had hidden so deeply? Those b*stards!’