"Easy, we'll just make the fake real," Chen Feng said with a calm smile.
"Will that work?" Qin Yan asked tentatively.
"Of course! It's just making the fake real, not letting it go at that. We'll make the fake real first to lull them into a false sense of security. That way, I can gather evidence. To eliminate crimes with huge backing, we need solid proof," Chen Feng explained placidly.
"Chen Feng, I'm impressed by your courage, your strategy, and your composure. Don't worry, I'm an old hand in the political arena. I can't guarantee much, but when it comes to acting, I'm top-notch," Qin Yan said with excitement.
"Then I'll trouble you, Mayor Qin."
"Wait for my good news."
With that, Qin Yan, along with Cheng Lu and several members of the Mingshan City committee, descended to the streets in the guise of an inspection team.
Chen Feng, not one to dawdle, went straight to a street-side infectious skin disease testing site.
"Young man, come over quickly for a test, it's free," the medical staff called out excitedly.
"Are there still free things in this world? I don't believe it," Chen Feng said deliberately.
"There are indeed no free things in this world, but don't worry about the test. To be honest, it's not truly free; the testing fees are covered by the government." the medical staff explained.
"I think I'd rather not do it? I feel quite healthy and don't need it," Chen Feng continued his act.
"Young man, you're still too young. Truly, you don't have to do it, but if you take public transport or go to a mall, they'll check if you have a test result. Without this result, you can't do anything," the medical staff said enthusiastically.
"It seems I have no choice but to do it," Chen Feng said with a deep sigh.
"That's the result we want. You, don't think too much about it. We ordinary people just do as the authorities say," the medical staff said while swabbing Chen Feng with a cotton swab.
It was just a casual swab, and Chen Feng doubted if enough saliva could be collected from such a light touch. Without enough saliva, how could it be analyzed?
"Should I swab again?" Chen Feng asked intentionally.
"No need, it's just a formality," the medical staff replied with a sly smile.
Chen Feng didn't press further and left the testing site.
In the evening, as Chen Feng was eating at a roadside stall, an ambulance suddenly stopped beside him.
"Are you Chen Feng?"
Two medical staff members alighted from the vehicle and grabbed Chen Feng.
"Yes, I am Chen Feng. Is there something wrong?" Chen Feng asked, momentarily taken aback.
"Your test results are out. You have an infectious skin disease and need to be treated in isolation for half a month. But don't worry, the costs for these half a month will all be covered by the government. Just get in the car with us," the medical staff stated calmly.
"But I don't have an infectious skin disease," Chen Feng replied word for word.
"You're not a doctor, so how can you claim you don't have an infectious skin disease?" the medical staff's tone instantly soured.
"To be honest, I was tested at a hospital. It was an expedited test, and the result was that I do not have an infectious skin disease," Chen Feng said, pulling out his hospital test report for the medical staff to see.
The medical staff didn't even look at it, directly tossing the report onto the ground.
"We don't look at this. We only recognize our own test results. The results show you indeed have an infectious skin disease, so come with us. Otherwise, I'll call the police immediately," the medical staff said menacingly.
"Then go ahead and call the police. I refuse to believe that my hospital's test results aren't valid," Chen Feng replied with a frown.
Seeing that Chen Feng was serious, the two medical staff members became furious and hurled a threat.
"Fine, kid, you're stubborn, aren't you? We're offering you free accommodation in an isolation room, and you refuse. Alright, your records are with us, and we have a thousand ways to deal with you. Just wait."
With that, the two medical staff members got back into the ambulance and left dejectedly.
At this point, Chen Feng was 100% certain that this so-called infectious skin disease, which had been going on for so long, wasn't difficult to control. The issue was that there were scoundrels who didn't want the disease to be controlled. For them, as long as the disease persisted, they could continue to make money. They could profit in various ways: testing fees, building isolation rooms, selling special medicines, and so on. In short, as long as the infectious skin disease was not contained, they could make money every day. He hadn't believed it before, that these so-called volunteers earned three thousand yuan a day, but now he finally understood it was true. They deliberately exaggerated the destructiveness of the disease. It was undeniable that at the beginning, the infectious skin disease had indeed been very destructive, even causing death. However, as time passed, the virulence of the infectious skin disease decreased, becoming no different from an ordinary skin condition. At this point, the situation should have been relaxed. But these scoundrels, in order to continue making a lot of money, kept spreading propaganda online through paid trolls that the infectious skin disease was terrifying, potentially fatal in severe cases, and that everyone had to be controlled. This allowed them to continue testing everyone, arbitrarily isolating people in special rooms, and openly selling special medicines without restraint. They made a lot of money every day, but the entire economy of Mingshan City was in ruins. How could anyone work if they were confined to an isolation room for half a month? Without working, how could they earn money? Furthermore, they would frequently intimidate businesses with the infectious skin disease, ordering them to shut down for a month. The economy needs to circulate, and once a halt is artificially imposed, the economy will be severely damaged. Fortunately, this chaos hadn't lasted too long. If it had continued for one or two years, the economy would have been completely ruined. Therefore, it was imperative to turn the tide and eliminate these scoundrels. Those who dared to profit from a national crisis must die. Even if these scoundrels had a powerful background from the capital, they must be dealt with. The common people absolutely could not be left unable to pay their mortgages, car loans, or their children's tuition fees because of these scoundrels. After a week of investigation and observation, Chen Feng had fully grasped the group that was making a fortune from the infectious skin disease in Mingshan City. The ringleaders were five people. The accomplices numbered five thousand. Chen Feng showed no mercy and immediately arrested and executed the ringleaders. The accomplices were sentenced to prison terms ranging from over ten years. From case filing to sentencing, it took less than a week. Swift and severe punishment! Only in this way could the economy of Mingshan City recover quickly.
"Chen Feng, I never imagined you would be so decisive," Qin Yan said, full of admiration. Honestly, after being in the Chinese political arena for a considerable time, she had never encountered anyone as resolute and decisive as Chen Feng.
"I know some people outside call me a tyrant. I accept that nickname. I will show no mercy to those who profit from a national crisis. If such people aren't killed, it defies heavenly justice," Chen Feng said with firm conviction.
"Chen Feng, only some people call you a tyrant. The general public is very understanding. They know your decisiveness isn't authoritarianism, but a decisive strike against evil. They strongly support you. What worries me is that big shot from the capital. He definitely won't let this go. You killed his own brother; do you think he'll just pretend nothing happened?" Qin Yan said with concern.