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Since the last failed attempt to incite thugs to disrupt the scene and suffering a setback during a tax inspection, Ma Guoqiang had been quiet for a while. It wasn't that he didn't want revenge, but Jiang Tao's current reputation and connections made him wary. Especially with Jiang Tao now linked to major organizations like the Cultural Bureau, Education Bureau, and even the City Textile Factory, Ma Guoqiang's influence as the director of a municipal maintenance department was no longer sufficient.
However, Jiang Tao's "rise" felt like a thorn deeply embedded in Ma Guoqiang's heart, causing him sleepless nights. He constantly felt that Jiang Tao's existence was a mockery and a threat to his authority. Secretly, he had not given up on finding an opportunity to crush Jiang Tao completely.
What he did not expect was that before he could make his move, his own downfall would come first.
The city had recently launched a large-scale crackdown on illegal activities in the economic sector. The catalyst seemed to be a severe corruption scandal involving a state-owned enterprise, which drew significant attention from higher authorities. The City Discipline Inspection Commission and the Procuratorate formed a Joint Investigation Team to investigate key units and departments that had received strong public complaints.
At this critical moment, a detailed, anonymous report with a complete chain of evidence quietly landed on the desk of the Joint Investigation Team. This report pointed directly at Ma Guoqiang, director of the Red Star Appliance Repair Service Department, accusing him of embezzling public funds, accepting bribes, and selling state property over many years.
This report was naturally authored by Jiang Tao. He had not forgotten Ma Guoqiang's oppression and schemes against him. As his own power grew and his connections expanded, he began discreetly collecting incriminating evidence against Ma Guoqiang. On one hand, he learned much about internal affairs through Old Master Liu and other former colleagues at Red Star who were also dissatisfied with Ma Guoqiang; on the other hand, he used his contacts among unit leaders or logistics personnel to gather or verify clues about Ma Guoqiang accepting benefits through maintenance conveniences or selling parts at inflated prices. Coupled with several incidents he personally experienced and crucial information gathered by Ability at key moments, this culminated in a report that could be fatal for Ma Guoqiang. He chose to remain anonymous and submitted it through an absolutely reliable channel at just the right time.
The Joint Investigation Team took this report very seriously and immediately launched a secret investigation into Ma Guoqiang. Believing himself to be invulnerable, Ma Guoqiang soon found that the investigation team’s relentless approach—examining bank statements, warehouse records, and testimonies from relevant personnel—quickly exposed all his dirty dealings.
Initially, Ma Guoqiang tried to resist stubbornly, leveraging his meager network for favors and even attempting to shift blame onto Master Qian and others whom he had marginalized long ago. However, the evidence in the hands of the investigation team was too solid; several key bribers and insiders quickly "flipped" and cooperated with the investigation.
Ma Guoqiang was thoroughly panicked. He hid at home, consumed by anxiety, even beginning to secretly destroy some documents and ledgers. But it was all too late.
One morning, several uniformed officials from the Procuratorate knocked on Ma Guoqiang's door and presented an arrest warrant in front of his wife and neighbors before taking him away in handcuffs.
The news spread quickly, causing quite a stir within the Red Star Repair Department and related systems.
Master Qian, as Ma Guoqiang's main accomplice and henchman, could not escape either. Although he voluntarily confessed to some issues in an attempt to "achieve merit through repentance," his previous actions—spreading rumors and inciting thugs—had left a negative impact. Ultimately, he was dismissed from his position and recommended for further investigation by public security for extortion.
Later on, Jiang Tao saw Master Qian once from afar at the market; his hair was gray, hunched over as he helped watch bicycles in a corner—long gone was his previous arrogance.
As for the Red Star Appliance Repair Service Department, after losing both Ma Guoqiang—the "mainstay"—and Master Qian—the "troublemaker"—the already chaotic management and low efficiency worsened significantly. Skilled workers like Old Liu had long since left; what remained were either lazy veterans or inexperienced newcomers who knew nothing. The shop became deserted; equipment aged while parts ran short—it had become virtually defunct.
Soon after, higher authorities decided to dissolve the Red Star Appliance Repair Service Department’s structure; remaining personnel would be reassigned while assets would be publicly auctioned off.
A once-glorious state-owned enterprise thus exited the historical stage entirely.
Jiang Tao heard about Ma Guoqiang’s sentencing and Red Star’s closure from Old Master Liu while pondering how to improve the circuit of a refurbished television set in the shop. Upon hearing the news, he simply responded with a calm "oh" before returning to study his circuit diagram.
Old Liu looked at him with some sentimentality: “Xiao Jiang, seeing Ma Guoqiang end up like this… doesn’t it feel satisfying?”
Jiang Tao looked up and smiled: “Master Liu, there is some satisfaction. But it’s all in the past now. It’s not worth getting angry over someone like that. What we need to do now is live our lives well and make ‘Jiang Ji’ thrive—that’s the best ‘revenge’ against him.”
Old Liu nodded in agreement.
A few days later, the city organized a public auction for the assets of the former Red Star Repair Department. Jiang Tao received notification about it as well. He told Lin Wei: “Let’s go take a look; maybe we can find some good stuff.”
The auction site was rather desolate; most attendees were scrap collectors or small vendors looking for bargains. Equipment, tools, and parts that once seemed decent at Red Star were now covered in thick dust, piled up like garbage in corners.
Jiang Tao activated Ability and quickly scanned around. Most items indeed held little value anymore; however, he discovered several "treasures": an imported oscilloscope that Red Star had deemed scrap but which Jiang Tao diagnosed as having intact core components with only peripheral circuit faults; several boxes of outdated but high-quality new electronic tubes and special resistors; along with some specialized tools that Old Master Liu knew were valuable but which Director Ma had kept unused.
Jiang Tao remained composed as he acquired these items at extremely low prices amidst the auctioneer's lazy calls for bids.
Old Master Liu watched as those familiar tools and equipment were bought by Jiang Tao, his eyes reflecting a complex mix of emotions—both the sadness of witnessing the complete demise of his old workplace and the anticipation for the future development of Jiang Ji.
After the auction ended, Jiang Tao returned to his shop with the treasures he had acquired. Looking around at the bright and clean store, bustling with business and employees diligently performing their tasks, he felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him when he recalled the dilapidated and desolate auction site of Red Star.
"An era has ended, and another is beginning. The downfall of Ma Guoqiang and Red Star is merely a small ripple in the grand tide of change. And I, Jiang Tao, must ride this wave and set sail for new horizons!"
He felt that the last remnants of shackles from his past had completely vanished along with Ma Guoqiang's imprisonment and Red Star's collapse. The road ahead was clear and promising!
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