Chapter 1699 The aftermath
Ding Feng was indeed heartbroken by the heavy fine imposed by Qiu Yuan. The amount of money was almost equivalent to requiring the Ding family to work for nothing for a year, and all the income was used to pay the fine to barely make up the amount. But after accepting the fine, Ding Feng no longer has to worry about what happened before. Qiu Yuan made it very clear that as long as he accepted the punishment, he could forget the blame. This attitude was far beyond Ding Feng's expectations. Of course, if you dare to commit another crime, it won't just be fined. I'm afraid the entire Ding family will have to be expelled from Manila.
As for what role Francis played in this matter and how Qiu Yuan dealt with him, Ding Feng did not ask at the moment and did not dare to ask again. If it was something he should know, he believed that Qiu Yuan would take the initiative to mention it even if he didn't ask. But since the other party didn't bring Francis up to talk about it, he would have the wisdom not to mention it. But Francis was able to leave safely after meeting Qiu Yuan, which at least showed that he did not hide the things he had done before from Qiu Yuan. Otherwise, given Qiu Yuan's purpose of summoning them, Francis would have been ordered to be arrested and imprisoned on the spot.
As for the condition of another client, Ding Feng recalled his previous conversation with Qiu Yuan and found that the other party did not seem to take the initiative to mention Qin Huacheng's name. He thought that this person might have been a whistleblower, so he only regarded himself and Francis as tigers. beat. How could he expect that although it was Qin Huacheng who was the informant, it was also Qin Huacheng who was the most unlucky among the three. Qiu Yuan's punishment for these two people was mainly a warning. Only Qin Huacheng, who had little background and influence, was sentenced to exile. He might never have the chance to return to Manila in the future.
Of course, for Ding Feng, the whereabouts of Qin Huacheng actually didn't matter. Even if Qin Huacheng was gone, with the Ding family's connections and financial resources, it wouldn't be too difficult to find Zhang Huacheng or Li Huacheng in the future. What Ding Feng is more concerned about right now is how to deal with himself in the future and how to deal with his relationship with Francis.
After such a big incident happened, no matter whether Francis had betrayed him or not, Ding Feng didn't dare to trust him 100% anymore. In the future, the two parties may continue to maintain the relationship of in-laws, but it is no longer possible to sit together and plan some big moves like before. If he was caught by the temporary management committee again, Ding Feng simply didn't dare to imagine the consequences.
The anxious Ding brothers and sisters finally waited until Ding Feng returned safe and sound. Naturally, they were overjoyed and hurriedly welcomed him home. However, after listening to Ding Feng's story, the three brothers and sisters also fell into a brief silence. Of course they don't want their family to be severely punished by the government, but the Ding family has indeed benefited from Ding Feng's behavior that exceeded the rules. Now that they are being investigated by the government, they are very tolerant if they are not jailed, and they are fined heavily. There is really nothing to say. It's just that in this way, the Ding family will probably have to live a busy life for a year and a half, and usually have to tighten their tails and be a good person, and they can't be caught by the government for any other reasons.
"Dad, do you want to go and say hello to your brother-in-law's house?" Ding Pingsheng asked cautiously.
Ding Feng shook his head and said: "It's not appropriate to contact his family at this time. Let's wait until the news has passed. If my father is not mistaken, his family is probably not in peace at this time. I'm afraid no one involved in this matter can be fully recovered." And retreat!”
Just as Ding Feng thought, after Francis returned home, he ordered all visitors to be declined, and then called his son to the study for a long talk. As the planner and participant of the recent series of events, no matter how good his attitude in pleading guilty, Francis cannot completely avoid subsequent punishment. Although Qiu Yuan considered various factors and did not remove Francis from his position as director of the Western Management Bureau, it was impossible to just reprimand him and let him go.
Qiu Yuan's punishment for him was to require little Francis to leave Manila. The specific destination would be arranged by Haihan officials, but Francis continued to remain in his current position. Francis understood what Qiu Yuan meant, which was to use his son as a hostage, but Qiu Yuan promised him that he would send little Francis to a more prosperous place in Haihan instead of a harsh environment of exile, and would Ensure that little Francis has food and clothing, a stable livelihood, and the freedom to communicate with his family. After Francis's term of office expires, the father and son can reunite and choose their future destination.
Seriously speaking, this is not even a punishment. To some extent, it may be a rare opportunity for little Francis. Of course, whether he can seize this opportunity depends on little Francis' own luck.
Francis, who has been in officialdom for many years, is naturally aware of this potential opportunity. Although Qiu Yuan's purpose was to make him fearful and ensure that he would not make the same mistakes again during his future service as an official, since he had the opportunity to let his son strive for a better background, Francis was not the kind of person who couldn't afford to let go, so he might as well just let him go. I agreed, and then went home to give my son face-to-face instructions so that he could be prepared for changes in his living environment in the future.
"Leave Manila? Go to live in Haihan Country? But I know almost nothing about Haihan Country..." Little Francis still found this sudden arrangement a bit difficult to accept. He is not a person who pursues advancement. If it were just an optional path, then he would probably not choose to leave Manila to live in a foreign country. But his father also made it very clear just now. This is the opinion of the high-ranking officials of Haihan on the Francis family. A disciplinary measure, there would be jail time waiting for his father if he was unwilling to leave Manila. In comparison, of course it would be more cost-effective to accept this kind of punishment. He couldn't just watch his father being arrested and imprisoned.
But going to a completely unfamiliar country, without the protection and guidance of his father, little Francis felt that this arrangement was full of unknown risks, and he was still unwilling to accept such a situation out of instinct. If he had a choice, he would still rather stay in Manila. Even if he was just an ordinary person, he would at least feel more at ease.
Francis didn't think so. Although he was a little reluctant to leave, in summary, perhaps Qiu Yuan's arrangement was the most beneficial result for his father and son. His many years of military career made him more accepting of separation than ordinary people, even if It was his own son, so he could still harden his heart and make arrangements.
"Don't forget that Manila is also the territory of the Haihan Kingdom... The specific situation will be the same after you go there." Francis did not waver at all because of his son's hesitation, and still insisted on him accepting the arrangement.
Little Francis did not dare to disobey his father, so he had to change the subject and said: "Then shall I go alone? Maybe I should bring my wife with me."
"About your wife... To be honest, I'm not sure how the higher ups are going to deal with the Ding family. I don't know if your wife can go with you." Francis immediately thought of the scene where he met Ding Feng in the corridor. What is Ding Feng's situation at this moment? He didn't dare to think about it in detail, because in the previous conversation with Qiu Yuan, he had put the responsibility for many things on Ding Feng without leaving any trace. It might not be that easy for the Ding family to escape safely.
"You should avoid suspicion these two days. Don't go to the Ding family for now. When the situation stabilizes, I will try to find out about the situation of the Ding family." Francis had no better way at the moment. He could only seek safety first and try his best. Avoid getting your son involved.
The two old foxes unanimously chose to temporarily stop contact with each other, so as not to be thought by the superiors that they were still fighting against the wind, and at the same time, they also tried their best to avoid being implicated by the other party. They were not sure whether the other party had betrayed themselves to get away, but they also knew that their handling of this matter was not clean and they had poured a lot of dirty water on the other party. Before the situation becomes clear, they don't want to act rashly and contact each other. Why did Qiu Yuan want to investigate their small group? Which link made the mistake? Is it related to the recent plot against Chaosheng Commercial Store? They did not dare to dwell on the connection. The best thing now is not to let them hear anything related to "The Rising Tide" anymore, and to stay as far away from this broom star as possible.
As for the real unlucky man in this matter, Qin Huacheng, it seems that he has been forgotten. Except for his family, no one cares about his whereabouts. When Francis and Ding Feng escaped one after another, Qin Huacheng was still detained in a secret place controlled by the Military Intelligence Agency outside the city. It wasn't until Xiao Liang's order was conveyed that Qin Huacheng's fate finally came to a conclusion.
"Qin Huacheng, get up!" The expressionless guard kicked Qin Huacheng who was sleeping on the floor: "Your sentence has been handed down."
When Qin Huacheng heard these words, he immediately got up and looked at the guard expectantly.
The guard stepped back and gave way, and another Haihan officer came up and said in a deep voice: "Qin Huacheng, the following is the verdict of the Manila Provisional Management Committee on you, please listen clearly!"
Although Qin Huacheng was mentally prepared to be sentenced for what he had committed, the result of the sentencing still made him collapse instantly. He was punished for several crimes including dereliction of duty, abuse of power, accepting bribes, and endangering national security. In addition to being dismissed from public office, he was also sentenced to ten years of exile in an overseas hard labor camp. However, because he showed repentance afterward, the ten years of hard labor were shortened to three years. The sentence took effect from the date of sentencing, and the place of exile was temporarily designated as Nanhai Xingdao.
Three years of hard labor, and the sentence was served overseas. This punishment far exceeded Qin Huacheng's expectations. He originally thought that if he made a meritorious report, he would lose his job as a security police officer, but he did not expect that he would receive the severe sentence of exile. As for where Nanhai Xingdao is, he doesn't know at all. At this time, all he can think about is how to reduce the punishment and whether he can find a way through his family to change the judgment of the Interim Administration Commission.
"Master Jun, can it be convenient for me to see my family?" Qin Huacheng asked pitifully.
The officer shook his head and said: "No. We will inform your family about your situation. Don't think about too many things. We will set off early the day after tomorrow."
Qin Huacheng quickly asked: "Master Jun, where is Star Island in the South China Sea? How far is it from Manila?"
The officer responded: "Xingdao in the South China Sea is an important place on the southern border of our country. It happens to be separated from Manila by the entire South China Sea. As for the distance... it is about five thousand miles!"
Qin Huacheng almost fainted when he heard this. The farthest place he had traveled since he was born was only a few dozen miles outside Manila Bay. He couldn't even imagine how far it was across five thousand miles of ocean. What it will be like in such a distant place, whether you can survive three years of hard labor there, and whether you can leave alive are all unknown. Qin Huacheng suddenly realized how big a mistake he had made this time, and it might have cost him his whole life.
Of course, Qin Huacheng didn't know that the main reason why he was sentenced to exile was because he knew the details of Chaosheng Merchant Store. The official did not want more people to know the background of Chaosheng Merchant Store. This secret must continue to be maintained. . Otherwise, based on the things he committed, at most he would be sentenced to serve his sentence locally, and he would not be exiled to a place as far away as Star Island. If he knew that both Ding Feng and Francis had gone home safely and were not sentenced to prison terms, he would probably be even more angry and vomit blood.
But there is nothing that can be done. If the Interim Management Committee imposes severe punishment on those two people, it will definitely affect the local social stability. But there is nothing to be afraid of when dealing with a small person like Qin Huacheng, who was not silenced by Qiu Yuan's order. He is already considered lucky. The Interim Management Committee needs the local social order to continue to remain stable, and Qin Hua Cheng has to become a victim.
That night, a commissioner from the Police General Administration visited the Qin family and announced to Qin Huacheng's family the interim verdict of Qin Huacheng. This was also a sudden blow to the Qin family. A police officer who had been a public security police officer suddenly became a prisoner for a series of crimes, and was directly sentenced to a severe sentence of being exiled overseas. The Qin family tried to obtain more information about the case from the Police Headquarters, but all of them were blocked on the grounds that it was "related to national security." As for their request to see Qin Huacheng, they were also sternly rejected, which can be described as miserable. .
The Qin family is not yet a very influential family in Manila. Although the eldest son Qin Huaming has also joined the Haihan Yamen to work, the clerical work at the Immigration Department is not as good as Qin Huacheng's security police detachment leader. There is basically no room for improvement in such a situation. The family was busy running around all day, looking for all the relationships they could trust, and finally found out that Qin Huacheng would be sent overseas to serve his sentence the next day. At most, they could meet at the port. .
So in just a few moments when Qin Huacheng was escorted to the dock to board the ship, he finally met his family before leaving Manila. However, the soldiers on the escort mission did not give them a chance to talk and pushed him onto the boat.
(End of chapter)