Urban Crisis [Complete] - 9

page views:1 Publication date:2023-03-24

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Car Accident Case Comes to Light, but the Whistleblower's Claim Remains Unresolved.

To secretly investigate Yang Ke, Tao Tieliang went to the Horizon Hotel. Jiao Dongfang, of course, knew
the importance and, wanting to cultivate a good relationship, condescended to play tennis with this lowly department head at the hotel's tennis court, while Yang Ke
watched from the sidelines.

Jiao Dongfang volleyed the ball, but Tao Tieliang missed, and the ball rolled to the side. Yang Ke ran over, picked it up, and handed it to
Tao Tieliang, saying, "Director Tao, your tennis skills aren't very good."

"Yes, not as good as your boss."

Tao Tieliang served and smashed the ball.

Sally walked over with her mobile phone and came to Jiao Dongfang's side.

"Boss, your overseas call, from France."

Tao Tieliang put down his racket, walked up to Jiao Dongfang, wanting to hear what was going on.

"...Um...um...behave yourself, don't cause trouble. Okay, I'll contact you again." "

Dongfang, you're really busy."

"Not as busy as you. You rarely come to my place, how can I not keep you company, Chief of the Criminal Investigation Department?"

"Let Yang Ke keep me company."

Jiao Dongfang thought for a moment.

"Alright. Yang Ke, take good care of him. I'm sorry, Director Tao, I've fallen for him."

Jiao Dongfang and Sha Li left.

"Yang Ke, what fun things do you want to do?"

"Tell me what you want to do, the entire Horizon is open to you for free. I'm with you, you definitely won't be
interested . How about finding two mistresses?"

"Let's go for a drive. I'll ride in a Mercedes."

Yang Ke drove, and Tao Tieliang sat next to him smoking.

"Director Tao, where are we going?"

"I'm going to see a friend. There's a Bee Alley behind the Municipal Party Committee compound, do you know it?"

"Yes. "

Yang Ke drove into the alley he had climbed over the wall into.

"Just a hundred meters ahead and we'll be there."

Tao Tieliang signaled to stop, and the car stopped right where Yang Ke had climbed over the wall last time.

Tao Tieliang got out of the car. "Let's go in together."

"I'll wait for you in the car."

"Then I'll be out in a bit." Tao

Tieliang entered through a narrow gate.

Yang Ke sat in the car smoking. Soon, Tao Tieliang and a child came out of the gate. The child was holding a
soccer ball.

"Yang Ke, my friend's child insists I play soccer with him for a while. Why don't you get out and play with him?"

"This place is too narrow. It's better to play in the restaurant square."

"I'll just entertain him for a bit. Who has time to play with a child?"

Yang Ke got out of the car. The child kicked the ball to Tao Tieliang, who was in goal.

"Uncle, let's shoot together."

Yang Ke kicked the ball, and Tao Tieliang caught it with his foot, turned around, but kicked it into
the courtyard .

The child jumped up anxiously, "Oh no, the ball went in!"

The child cried in distress.

Tao Tieliang comforted him, "It's okay, I'll buy you one."

"No, I want this one."

Tao Tieliang walked to the wall, trying to climb over, but after several attempts, he couldn't get over.

Yang Ke couldn't hold back any longer, "Watch me. " Yang

Ke took a few steps back, ran, and nimbly climbed the wall, jumping over the courtyard wall.

Tao Tieliang nodded thoughtfully; this was likely the person who had scaled the wall from He Kedai's house that night.
This was why he had brought Yang Ke here.

The ball was thrown from inside the courtyard.

Yang Ke appeared on the wall and jumped down.

The child hugged the ball and shouted,

"You're awesome! Uncle, you're awesome!"

Tao Tieliang patted Yang Ke on the shoulder and said, "I never expected you to be so capable."

"I practiced martial arts when I was little."

After playing football, Tao Tieliang had Yang Ke pull him along the road for over ten kilometers before parting ways.
Back at the police station, he called Chen Hu.

"This Yang Ke is as light as a swallow. I saw him scale the high wall, and he seems very familiar with
the terrain . The person He Kedai saw scaling the wall in the middle of the night was very likely Yang Ke."

Chen Hu said suspiciously, "Yang Ke isn't short of money. If it was him, then who instructed him to steal the documents?" “

I’ll go to the motorcycle repair shop in a bit and contact Zhang Ertie. We’ll get a breakthrough from Zhang Ertie.”

Tao Tieliang took out a photo Chen Hu had given him of Yang Ke talking to someone in front of the motorcycle repair shop,
pointed to the man, and said, “His name is Zhang Ertie. After Shi Hai died, he became the owner of the repair shop.”

Tao Tieliang, dressed in plain clothes, rode a motorcycle along the mountain road leading to Yeshanpo. He parked the motorcycle in
front of the repair shop, got off, and shouted, “Boss! Boss!”

Zhang Ertie came out, looked at the stranger, and thought, “Another business opportunity.

” “You’ve arrived.”

“This motorcycle has a problem; the brakes aren’t working. Can you fix it?”

Zhang Ertie moved a chair over and brought out a pot of tea.

“Please have some tea, I’ll fix it for you right away.”

Zhang Ertie inspected the motorcycle.

“Your motorcycle has a broken important part. Should we replace it with a new one?”

“It’s up to you.”

Zhang Ertie removed a part, went inside, and brought out another part to replace it.

“Try it.” "

Fixed? So fast?"

"I guarantee it'll be fine. If it breaks down again, just come back to me."

"How much?"

"I replaced a part, 150 yuan."

Tao Tieliang paid.

"Take care."

"If it breaks down again, I'll come back to you, don't try to deny it."

Zhang Ertie hurriedly said, "No problem, just come on over."

That night, two police cars stopped at the Yeshanpo motorcycle repair shop, and four policemen rushed in.

Zhang Ertie was dragged out, handcuffed.

The two police cars drove into the city. Zhang Ertie hung his head in the prison van.

The car stopped in the police station courtyard. Zhang Ertie was taken out of the car and brought into the interrogation room.

Tao Tieliang and Chen Hu sat behind the table.

Tao Tieliang said sternly, "Zhang Ertie, raise your head and see who I am?"

Zhang Ertie timidly raised his eyes and saw that the man in the police uniform was the same person who had come to repair his motorcycle that morning. "

You are...right, you've had your motorcycle repaired here before. But you were in plainclothes. If I had known you
were a police officer, I wouldn't have accepted your money!"

“We met once, and you remember it? You should remember everything else too. That motorcycle has no problems
at all . Check it out. They replaced a new part with an old one and charged 150 yuan. Are you
ripping off customers?”

Zhang Ertie breathed a sigh of relief and said, “It was my fault, it was my fault. I’ll refund your money.
Whenever you and your brothers need repairs, it’ll be free, quality guaranteed.”

“Zhang Ertie! Do you really think we invited you from over a hundred miles away just to rip you off?
What contact did you have with Yang Ke? Tell the truth!”

Zhang Ertie’s thick-skinned smile vanished.

“Yang Ke?…I don’t know this person…”

“Show him the photo.”

A policeman took the photo from Tao Tieliang and held it up to Zhang Ertie’s eyes.

Seeing the photo of him and Yang Ke talking outside the motorcycle repair shop, he suddenly became furious.

“You’ve already confessed. Now we’re leaving you a way to clear your name. Don’t forget, you have a criminal record. Do you
want to resist to the end?”

Zhang Ertie slid off the chair and knelt down.

“I’ll tell you everything, can I have a cigarette? I’ll think about it.”

Tao Tieliang nodded to Chen Hu, and the policeman gave Zhang Ertie a lit cigarette.

“…It’s like this…”

Zhang Ertie and Shi Hai were repairing a three-wheeled motorcycle in front of the motorcycle repair shop.

Shi Hai’s eyes were constantly monitoring the vehicles passing by on the road.

Chen Hu’s 2020 Jeep drove past the motorcycle repair shop.

Shi Hai whispered to Zhang Ertie, “It’s this car, it’s definitely parked at the bottom of the hill. Go up there and find
a chance to break its brakes.”

“Brother Shi, this is a matter of life and death, I’m scared.”

“You just got out of prison a few days ago, and you’re already afraid of losing your head! Don’t worry, no one will know. If you get this
back , I’ll give you this much.” Shi Hai held up one finger. “A thousand!”

“Ten thousand!”

“Then I’ll do it! Just you wait and see.”

Zhang Ertie picked up an adjustable wrench, a screwdriver, and a pair of pliers, left the repair shop, and walked towards the hillside.

The 2020 Jeep was parked on the hillside.

Seeing no one around, Zhang Ertie approached the car.

He knocked on the door, and finding no one inside, he took out a bunch of keys and tried to open it. On the fourth key
, he opened the door and climbed inside. Less than five minutes later, he came out and relocked the door.

Shi Hai, seeing Zhang Ertie return, quickly put down his work.

"Did you finish?"

"Just you wait and see. I don't even know whose car it is, but he's going to be in trouble this time. He's bound to overturn when he turns down the
slope ."

"Don't ask around. If he overturns, you'll make ten thousand. If nothing happens, you're fired tomorrow. That's
a wrap."

Shi Hai and Zhang Ertie pushed the tricycle into the house.

Zhang Ertie removed the door panel and hung up a small wooden sign that read "Rest Now."

Shi Hai took out a bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) and placed it on the table.

"Let's drink, and wait for 2020 to come down the mountain."

"Even if he's a god, he'll overturn."

It quickly got dark, and Zhang Ertie grew impatient.

“Damn it, even the King of Hell is getting impatient, why isn’t 2020 here yet?”

“What if they find out?”

“What if they crash?”

Just then, the sound of a car came from outside. Zhang Ertie looked out through the crack in the window.

“Hey! 2020 is coming down the mountain!

” “Get a motorcycle and follow 2020 at a distance. If it crashes, come back immediately for the money.”

Zhang Ertie pushed a two-wheeled motorcycle out of the house, started the engine, and chased after it.

There were no signs of an accident at several sharp turns. Zhang Ertie was getting anxious and spat hard.
Finally , when he was fifty meters away from 2020, he saw 2020 swaying left and right as it rolled down the hillside.

Zhang Ertie stopped at the accident site, glanced at the wrecked 2020 at the bottom of the hill, turned around, got on the motorcycle, and drove back to
the motorcycle repair shop.

“Brother Shi, mission accomplished, here’s your money.”

“Really?”

“I saw it with my own eyes. I must say, the driver was great. I figured
he should have crashed at the first sharp turn down the hill.” "I didn't expect this kid to overturn on the fourth sharp turn."

Shi Hai took out ten thousand yuan.

"Here you go. Don't let the money go to waste and cause trouble everywhere. Keep your mouth shut, this will cost you your head if it gets out."

"Don't worry, I'm not that stupid!"

After Zhang Ertie finished speaking, he glanced at Tao Tieliang.

"Reporting to the government, you didn't ask or remind me about this, so I'll consider it a voluntary confession, right?"

Tao Tieliang was shocked after hearing Zhang Ertie's confession. Sure enough, the overturning case was related to Shi Hai. He said
calmly , "You have shown practical efforts to seek leniency, which is a good start.
Who instructed Shi Hai to have you sabotage the 2020 brakes?"

"He didn't say, and I don't need to ask. Knowing would only cause me more anxiety."

"Hmm, continue your confession."

"I will confess, and I will not only confess, but I will also try to make a contribution!"

Zhang Ertie was repairing his motorcycle at the door when Sun Rui, the deputy director of Yeshanpo Police Station, came over carrying a bottle of liquor.

"Ertie, where's Boss Shi?" "

He went to take a dump. Come inside and wait for him, he'll be back soon."

"I'm not waiting. Give him this bottle of liquor, it tastes amazing."

Zhang Ertie took the liquor, went inside, and when he came out, the deputy director was already far away.

Zhang Ertie went back inside, found a glass, poured half a glass of liquor, and was about to drink when Shi Hai came in.

"Where did this come from?"

Zhang Ertie was still holding the glass.

"Deputy Director Sun just brought it. I wanted to have a sip, but you're back."

Shi Hai snatched the glass away.

"Hey, you little rascal, trying to sneak a drink while I was gone. Go, get back to work!"

"You have two sips, I'll have one, okay?"

Shi Hai said with a smile, "Then you wait here, I'll finish it all in two sips." Shi

Hai downed his drink in two gulps, then his head slumped onto the table.

Zhang Ertie panicked.

"Shi Hai! Shi Hai!"

There was no response. Zhang Ertie put his finger to Shi Hai's nose, felt nothing, and quickly pulled his hand away,
muttering to himself , "My God! He's poisoned! Luckily I didn't drink it."

Zhang Ertie quietly slipped out of the repair shop, but then, still feeling uneasy, he mustered his courage and returned. There he
saw Tao Tieliang, Chen Hu, and several other policemen carrying Shi Hai's body out.

He stuck out his tongue and quietly slipped away.

"Reporting to the government, could I have another cigarette? My throat is dry."

"You're quite the smoker,"

Tao Tieliang nodded, and the policeman handed him another lit cigarette.

Zhang Ertie took a deep breath and said, "Reporting to the government, if Shi Hai hadn't snatched the cup that day, I wouldn't be sitting here suffering
today . The wine must have been poisoned; I'm just lucky to be alive."

"Are you sure the wine was taken by Deputy Chief Liu of the police station from Ye Shan?"

"No."

"After he put the wine down, did anyone else touch it?"

"Absolutely not. Shi Hai came back in the blink of an eye. When he died, I panicked and quickly ran away.
Later, I was worried and came back to wander around, and I saw you carrying Shi Hai's body into the car from afar. Reporting to the government,
this matter has nothing to do with me. Can you consider this a meritorious service? I was the one who brought up both of these things first; please have mercy!"

Tao Tieliang suddenly realized that he was the one who called Deputy Chief Liu to immediately arrest Shi Hai; he never expected that the problem
would be with him.

“Zhang Ertie, you need to make amends thoroughly. Continue confessing.”

“The Yang Ke you mentioned, he told me his name is Yang Zhong, and you can tell at a glance he’s not a good person.”

“How can you tell he’s not a good person at a glance?”

“I’ve been in this business for so many years, can’t I tell the difference between good and bad people? I can even guess which gang a bad guy belongs to with
pretty much the same accuracy.”

“So, which gang does Yang Ke belong to?”

“He’s got a big ego. He wears a huge diamond ring, Italian leather shoes, speaks crisply
and decisively , and his eyes are different from ordinary people. Don’t let his big ego fool you, he’s definitely not a gang leader. If he were, he wouldn’t bother
with me; I’m just a henchman of a gang leader. I’ve only met him once, I don’t know if I’m right?”

“What does Yang Ke want with you?”

“He told me to go find Deputy Chief Sun of the police station and come to the repair shop. He told me to report to the government that after Shi Hai died, I
spent two thousand yuan to take over the motorcycle repair shop from Shi Hai’s wife. I didn’t want to cause any trouble or
offend anyone in the area, or I’d be out of business. Yang Ke gave me a thousand yuan, and I
called my repair shop. They talked inside while I stood guard outside. I didn’t
hear a word they said. I didn’t dare to listen; I figured it wasn’t anything good. About twenty minutes later, Yang Ke came out first, got on
his motorcycle into the city. The deputy chief also came out, patted me on the shoulder, and said that if I encountered any trouble in the future, I should just go to him.
After that, I never saw Yang Ke again.”

“Is there anything else you need to confess?”

“I’ve told you everything I know.”

“Get him to sign the statement.”

The stenographer handed the statement to Zhang Ertie. He looked at it, signed his name, and then proactively put his finger into the inkpad
the police handed him, pressing it on every page of the statement. His movements were fluid and
practiced, clearly those of a repeat offender with a history of multiple convictions.

Zhang Ertie was taken away.

Tao Tieliang picked up the phone and connected with the Yeshanpo Police Station.

"Chief? This is Tao Tieliang from the Municipal Public Security Bureau. Detain Deputy Chief Sun immediately, without
delay. You must go personally."

Tao Tieliang hung up the phone and said, "When I gave the order to detain Shi Hai, it was this Sun Rui who answered the phone.
I never expected the problem to lie with him, that scoundrel. I was afraid someone within our ranks was colluding with the enemy. Unfortunately, Shi Hai was
poisoned to death by the deputy chief. Zhang Ertie's testimony is credible, but he doesn't know who exactly ordered Shi Hai to do it."

Chen Hu, with his scarred face, said, "I estimate that the person who ordered Shi Hai to sabotage my brakes and the person who ordered the chief to poison Shi
Hai to silence him are the same person. The purpose is likely to prevent me from investigating the cause of Deputy Mayor He's death."

"That makes sense. If it's true that Yang Keyou stole documents from Deputy Mayor He's house, then
the person who ordered Yang Keyou might be the same person who ordered the deputy chief."

"I agree with your analysis. There's a powerful hand behind us."

"Start with Sun Rui."

The phone rang, and Tao Tieliang answered.

"This is Tao Tieliang... What... Damn it, he beat us to it again."

Tao Tieliang slammed down the phone and said, "Sun Rui fled with a gun after finding out we detained Zhang Ertie
."

Chen Hu jumped up and then slumped back into his chair.

Sun Rui, dressed in plainclothes, slipped into a payphone booth and dialed Yang Ke's cell phone.

"Yang Ke, something terrible has happened. Zhang Ertie has been arrested. If I hadn't run fast, I would have been caught too. Zhang Ertie will definitely
implicate you. You'd better think of something quickly."

Yang Ke hung up the phone and went to Jiao Dongfang's desk.

"I need to talk to you alone."

"Sally, go out first and don't let anyone in."

"Yes."

Sally went out and searched the room for Yang Ke and Jiao Dongfang.

Yang Ke took everything out of his suit pocket—wallet, documents, identification—and placed them one by one on
the desk .

“Something’s happened, and it’ll be my turn soon. If you’re worried, you can kill me right now. I
can’t finish what I haven’t done for you. We’re brothers, and our bond is there. As long as I can protect you, I’ll die without
regret.”

Jiao Dongfang shed tears, stood up from his chair, and hugged Yang Ke’s shoulders.

“Good brother, I knew something was going to happen to you. If I wanted to deal with you, I would have done it long ago. I couldn’t wait until today. I really
can’t bear see you leave me.”

“With those words, I have everything. Come, let’s have one last drink!”

Yang Ke took out a bottle of Moutai from the liquor cabinet, poured a small glass for Jiao Dongfang, then poured a large glass for himself, clinked glasses,
and drank it all in one gulp.

"There's something else I need to tell you. I think your sister, Jiao Xiaoyu, knows too much. She'll be a
menace sooner or later. Behind your back, I had one of my brothers steal her suitcase, intending to kill her. But it didn't work out, and
he lost his life instead."

Jiao Dongfang was about to get angry, but he suppressed his temper in this situation. "Is that so? Never mind, thankfully nothing
serious happened."

Jiao Dongfang took out another bottle of XO from the liquor cabinet, poured a glass for Yang Ke, and then poured himself a large glass.

“Yang Ke, go in peace. As long as I live, I will never forget our friendship. Your
parents back in Sichuan, I, Jiao Dongfang, will take care of them.”

“Please, cheers.”

The two drank it down in one gulp. Yang Ke smashed the glass on the ground, then walked to his safe, turned the combination
lock, opened it, took out a small glass bottle only three centimeters long and one centimeter in diameter, and put it in his mouth.

Jiao Dongfang stepped forward and grabbed Yang Ke’s hand.

“Why are you putting potassium cyanide in your mouth?”

Yang Ke said firmly, “I’ll bite it when I need to. The police won’t get a single
penny from me. Brother, as long as you’re safe, I don’t care.”

“My good brother.”

Jiao Dongfang hugged Yang Ke tightly.

Sha Li rushed in, looking flustered, and said, “Boss Jiao, the police are here looking for Yang Ke!”

Before Sha Li could finish speaking, Tao Tieliang rushed in with four policemen.

Tao Tieliang showed the detention warrant.

“Yang Ke, you’re being detained. Come with us.”

Yang Ke didn’t resist at all, extending his hands, and a policeman handcuffed him.

Jiao Dongfang stopped two policemen who were about to take Yang Ke away.

"Director Tao, please explain clearly, what crime has Yang Ke committed?"

"Yang Ke is suspected of a major criminal case. Comrade Dongfang, please don't obstruct our official duties, take him away."

"Wait, I need to call Director Jiang and ask him before taking him away."

Tao Tieliang smiled faintly and said, "You make your call, I'm taking my man away. He's being detained according to the law,
and no one can stop him."

Jiao Dongfang took a t-shirt from the hanger and covered Yang Ke's handcuffs.

"Covering him up a bit is fine, I don't want to make the restaurant guests feel unsafe."

Yang Ke nodded silently to Jiao Dongfang, his eyes filled with the desolation of impending death.

"Take him away!"

Yang Ke was led out of the office and down the indoor stairs.

Tao Tieliang and four policemen escorted Yang Ke up the elevator to the lobby. The passing guests didn't notice
that this was an arrest operation. Yang Ke was pushed into a prison van with iron bars on the windows. He turned his head and saw Jiao Dongfang waving

to him from the driveway . The prison van sped towards the Public Security Bureau. A policeman found Yang Ke leaning weakly against him. The policeman pushed Yang Ke, who fell towards another policeman on the other side. The policeman hurriedly checked Yang Ke's eyelids; his eyes were already closed, and his face was ashen. "Director Tao, the prisoner is dead!" Tao Tieliang hurriedly pried open Yang Ke's mouth and found shards of glass on his tongue. "Quickly, take him directly to the Public Security Hospital!" The atmosphere was heavy. Jiao Pengyuan, his face ashen, sat at the head of the municipal party committee meeting room. Fang Hao, Deputy Director Ding of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and a deputy secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection sat in the middle. The municipal party committee standing committee meeting had never been as so gloomy as this one. Jiao Pengyuan sat at the head of the room, silent. His silence posed a potential threat to the other committee members; at this delicate moment, everyone knew that saying the wrong thing would mean certain death. But everyone also knew that their stance at this meeting was unavoidable. They couldn't rely on the ambiguous responses of the past, like "Yes, doing it this way is good; of course, doing it that way is also good." They could either side with Jiao Pengyuan, even though Secretary Jiao hadn't explicitly stated his position; or side with the central government official, thoroughly exposing corruption, which would inevitably put them in opposition to the municipal party secretary. Their rich experience in political struggle taught them that the consequence of failing to defeat someone was terrible retaliation. It was like a boxing match: if you can't knock your opponent down with one punch, you'll inevitably face a heavy blow in return! Lin Guanghan smoked one cigarette after another. He knew very well that although there were only seven or eight people in the meeting room, countless eyes were watching this meeting, watching his stance. Would he, as before, unreservedly support the municipal party secretary ? If Jiao Pengyuan truly bears undeniable responsibility for the problems of He Qizhang and Hao Xiangshou, then he will find himself in an increasingly passive position. Supporting Fang Hao 's suggestion to "use Hao Xiangshou as a breakthrough point to thoroughly investigate corruption" would inevitably lead many comrades to accuse him of ingratitude, comparing him to Khrushchev who called Stalin "father" while he was alive but secretly reported him after his death. Moreover, Li Haoyi had served as his secretary. Qianzhong, constantly drinking water and chewing tea leaves, was racking his brains trying to figure out how to protect Jiao Pengyuan while simultaneously demonstrating support for the central government's policies. If Jiao Pengyuan were to fall, his own disappearance from the political stage would be inevitable sooner or later , but preventing the deepening of the anti-corruption campaign was far beyond his individual capabilities. The other committee members were also weighing the outcome of this struggle. They didn't know the details, but the problems that had been revealed so far were already extremely serious. Each of them had a copy of Hao Xiangshou's letter and a letter from overseas Chinese in France. Hao Xiangshou and Sun Zhuan were both close associates of Secretary Jiao. Should Jiao Pengyuan bear only the responsibility for oversight, or a greater responsibility? And how should the issue of He Qizhang be explained? Organization Minister Zhang Guangda was well aware that the Central Organization Department had repeatedly rejected He Qizhang's nomination ; it was Jiao Pengyuan who had pushed through the opposition to promote him. This was probably more than just "favoritism." Fang Hao observed his comrades' reactions, hoping that each comrade could extricate themselves from the entanglement of personal gain and loss. He was confident in the final outcome of this struggle, but restrained his attitude, avoiding being aggressive, and giving each comrade time to reconsider. Lin Xianhan, Fang Hao, Kong Xiangdi, Zhang Guangda, Qian Zhong, and several others, including two female cadres, sat around the long conference table. Jiao Pengyuan presided over the meeting: "The Standing Committee meeting of the Municipal Party Committee is now in session. Today, we have come from the Central Committee to attend this meeting, including Deputy Director Ding of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and Comrade Feng Mingguang, Deputy Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection." Deputy Director Ding and Comrade Feng Mingguang nodded to the attendees. "First, please convey the instructions from the Central Committee." "Comrades, Hao Xiangshou, Deputy Director of the General Office of the Municipal Party Committee, fled to Hong Kong to evade punishment, which has attracted great attention from the Central Committee. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau have decided to open a case for investigation against Hao Xiangshou. The Municipal Party Committee not only failed to notice Hao Xiangshou's crimes, but also allowed him to intervene in the work of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, presiding over the investigation into the cause of He Qizhang's death. This is a serious matter..."

This is a major oversight, and the city's top leaders bear undeniable responsibility for it. Significant
progress has been made in the investigation into He Qizhang's death; preliminary evidence suggests he was involved in a major illegal fundraising case. The Central Committee has decided to merge
the cases of Li Haoyi, former director of the Municipal Government Development Office; Hao Xiangshou, former deputy director of the Municipal Party Committee Office; Sun Qi, former general manager of the Steel
Company ; and He Qizhang, former executive vice mayor, into a single investigation. The National Anti-Corruption
Bureau and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection will lead the investigation, with me as the team leader and your city's deputy secretary and secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, Comrade Fang Hao, as the deputy
team leader, reporting to the Central Committee. The Central Committee's decision has been announced. Deputy Director Ding of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau will further deploy specific
tasks .

Jiao Pengyuan said, "On behalf of all the Standing Committee members, I support the Central Committee's decision, and the Municipal Party Committee fully supports
the investigation . What instructions does Deputy Director Ding have?"

Deputy Director Ding was not in a hurry to respond; intentionally elevating Fang Hao's status, he said, "Would you please have Deputy
Secretary speak about the relevant situation first?" Jiao Pengyuan said with a hint of mockery, "

Comrade Fang Hao, the Central Committee has appointed you, so you'd better do your job well.
How are you going to manage these three fires?"

Fang Hao held two letters in his hand. He picked up one of them and said, "Let's appreciate this remarkable article together and analyze any doubts we may have.
We received a letter from Hao Xiangshou in Hong Kong, and now it's time to share it with our comrades."

Fang Hao gestured for his secretary to read the letter: "

To the Municipal Party Committee Leaders—My Several Explanations: Secretary Jiao Pengyuan and other members of the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee: I believe you are all aware of my
unauthorized departure from the country, and I can imagine your indignation. To clarify the facts, I feel it is necessary
to make the following points:

1. My departure was to escape persecution. Some people are using the pretext of anti-corruption to attack and persecute comrades at the forefront of reform
. Some people with ulterior motives are specifically targeting others' faults and fabricating charges by any means necessary. I do not want to
become a victim of power struggles. My departure was truly out of necessity. However, I will not do anything that would harm
the cause of the Party and the people; all I seek is to live out the rest of my life in peace.

2. My departure was purely a personal act and has nothing to do with others. Before leaving, I did not discuss it with anyone, including my
relatives; it was purely a personal choice. I hope you will not..." This incident could become an excuse for those with ulterior motives to attack
and persecute others. I had Shen Shi handle all the procedures; he thought it was normal work and was unaware of the situation. I also
hope the organization will show leniency and not implicate my relatives.

Third, leaving does not mean treason. I love the Party and the socialist cause. My forced departure was purely
for personal safety; I have no ill political motives whatsoever. I will never betray the Party. I earnestly request the organization to understand
my predicament and not to falsely accuse me, lest it harm my relatives and affect their future.

Finally, I wish all comrades good health and happy work.

Fang Hao picked up another letter. "I also received another letter, a letter from France.
A copy of this letter was also distributed to the comrades. These two letters seem unrelated, but they can help us make
a comparison. Read them." "

To the esteemed leaders of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection:

I am an overseas Chinese living in France, making a living by running a gambling den. A little over a month ago, I wrote a letter to your Municipal Party Secretary, exposing Mr. Sun Qi, a

representative of your city's steel company , who had lost a huge sum of money gambling in my den and other gambling establishments. I have no prior dealings with Mr. Sun; my only purpose was to prevent him from squandering state funds in this way. However, for some reason, I have not received a reply from you, nor have I seen Mr. Sun Qi's gambling addiction subside in any way. Recently, he has lost another eight..." One million francs. My heart aches for you, hence this letter to your committee. I've heard you're an organization specifically tasked with cracking down on party and government officials who violate discipline and commit crimes, and I hope this letter won't be in vain. At the same time, please keep this a secret, as I've noticed Mr. Sun's close ties with Chinese underworld figures in France. With my highest respect! Huang Yaxing, a Chinese expatriate in France , pushed the international express mail envelope from the table to Jiao Pengyuan's side, saying, "Actually, the last letter is a report , accusing Sun Qi of gambling extravagantly in France and losing a huge sum. The overseas Chinese writer, Mr. Huang, owns a gambling den; of course, he wouldn't complain about making more money, but his Chinese conscience prevents him from seeing Sun Qi lose the country's money in his gambling den, hence the letter." Jiao Pengyuan exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? Is that so?" "What particularly caught my attention is that Mr. Huang mentioned in the letter that he had previously sent a report to the municipal party secretary. I wonder if Secretary Jiao received it? " Jiao Pengyuan's tone revealed obvious displeasure: "No, I've never reviewed any whistleblower letters from France . As you know, all the letters sent to me are sorted and opened by Shen Shi, and only the important ones are given to me. Why don't you ask Shen Shi if he received any letters?" "Are you asking or am I asking?" Jiao Pengyuan was very dissatisfied with Fang Hao's aggressive approach, but he didn't say anything. "Alright, if it doesn't affect our meeting, you can call Shen Shi and we'll ask him together." Fang Hao picked up the internal phone and dialed. " Comrade Shen Shi, please come to the meeting room immediately." Shen Shi knocked and entered. Jiao Pengyuan said sternly, "Little Shen, have you received any letters from France recently?" "I've sent all the important ones to you for review. There are many letters; I can't remember every single one." Fang Hao calmly asked, "There are many letters, but there can't be many letters from abroad, can there?" " There are quite a few, mostly inquiries about joint ventures, product catalogs, exhibition invitations , etc., generally unimportant. I usually don't send these kinds of letters to Secretary Jiao for review." Jiao Pengyuan waved his hand impatiently. "Go back and find out if you've received a letter from Paris. If you find it, bring it to me immediately . Go." "I'll go back and look for it now." Shen Shi left. Fang Hao flipped through the documents and said, "Since Mayor He Qizhang's death, strange things have been happening in our city. First, Li Haoyi, the director of the Municipal Government Development Office, was detained and interrogated by a brother province for allegedly being involved in a major illegal fundraising case; then, Chen Hu, who was in charge of investigating the cause of Vice Mayor He's death, was ambushed and his car overturned, and Comrade Tao Suling died on the spot; later, Hao Xiangshou intervened in the Anti-Corruption Bureau's work without the Standing Committee's discussion and approval, causing an important piece of evidence—He Qizhang's black notebook—to disappear, and its whereabouts are still unknown; Hao Xiangshou then fled to avoid punishment; Shi Hai, who caused the car accident, was arrested by the Yeshanpo faction."

The deputy director of the police station was poisoned; the deputy director also fled with a gun. During the investigation, He Qizhang's safe was burglarized,
with a large amount of foreign currency and two documents stolen; a private investigator named Ye Baoxin died in a car accident;
Comrade Yi Baozhu heroically sacrificed his life fighting criminals on a train. From these signs, it is clear that the investigation surrounding He Qizhang's
death involved a serious struggle between investigation and counter-investigation. Now, two more
incidents involving the international community have occurred. One is the contract dispute over the Wucai Plaza. After signing
a contract with our city to develop Wucai Plaza, the chairman of Hong Kong Wucai Group transferred the land use rights to the American Global Travel Company under the guise of cooperative development.
However, because the American fast-food restaurant refused to relocate, citing a prior contract, the American fast-food restaurant sued our city for breach of
contract . The American Global Travel Company sued our Wucai Group for concealing the truth. These two international lawsuits have caused
a great stir in the world media, severely damaging the government's international image. Another matter is the case just read aloud, involving
Mr. Huang, who exposed the egregious incident of Sun Qi, the deputy general manager of the municipal steel company, gambling recklessly in Paris and losing a large sum of national foreign exchange.
Strangely, we didn't see Mr. Huang's first letter of complaint. I checked the mailroom and indeed
received an express mail from Paris, France; the Jiao office also stamped it with their seal.

A knock sounded at the door.

Fang Hao stopped speaking, and his secretary opened the door.

After knocking and entering, Shen Shi placed two letters together in front of Jiao Pengyuan.

"Secretary Jiao, these are two letters from France. I glanced at them briefly; they were inquiries about joint ventures,
so I put them aside. I don't know which one you're looking for."

Jiao Pengyuan first looked at the letter on top; it was indeed a letter from a French company inquiring about joint ventures, so he passed it to
Fang Hao.

"It's inquiring about joint venture procedures; take a look."

Jiao Pengyuan pulled out the second letter, Huang Yaxing's letter of complaint, and angrily slammed his hand on the table, saying, "This
letter is so important, why didn't you send it to me for review?" "

Shen Shi feigned surprise and said, "You never read inquiry letters. I was afraid of taking up your time."

"Nonsense! Look, is this an inquiry letter? It's a report!"

Shen Shi lowered his head.

"I didn't look closely. Maybe I was a little sleepy at the time. What is it reporting?"

Fang Hao took the letter from Jiao Pengyuan, first looking at the envelope, which had been carefully cut open with scissors; then he looked at
the letter paper, which already had fingerprints on it, obviously having been read. He said calmly, "It's good that it was found. If
Secretary Jiao has nothing else, you can leave."

Jiao Pengyuan tapped the table and said, "Little Shen, Little Shen, why have you been so absent-minded lately? Hao Xiangshou asked you
to handle the procedures for going abroad, and you did it without hesitation; but you didn't send the letters that should have been sent to me for review. Go and check them carefully."

"Yes, Secretary Jiao, I will definitely pay attention in the future."

Shen Shi withdrew.

Fang Hao closed the file, "I'll stop here for now. I'll add more if I think of anything else."

Jiao Pengyuan looked around at each attendee. "Who would like to speak?" The

attendees exchanged glances.

Breaking the silence was Qian Zhong, a member of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee and Assistant Mayor.

"Secretary Jiao, Deputy Secretary Feng, Deputy Director Ding, comrades, I believe the two letters we hold
are completely different in nature. Hao Xiangshou is making excuses for himself; a defector talking about loving the Party and socialism
is both infuriating and laughable. The patriotic overseas Chinese, disregarding personal gain, reported Sun Qi's gambling addiction; Mr. Huang's patriotism
is . Hao Xiangshou's letter clearly states that he fled behind Secretary Jiao's back and behind the Municipal Party Committee's back, so
he should bear all the consequences. I believe that, including Secretary Jiao, we have all been
deceived by Hao Xiangshou's enthusiasm for his work for a long time, and have relaxed our vigilance against him. We all bear the responsibility for our oversight, and Secretary Jiao
is no exception, is he?"

Jiao Pengyuan nodded. "I accept Comrade Qian Zhong's criticism. I will bear the responsibility for the oversight first;
it has nothing to do with you."

Qian Zhong took another sip of water. "Secretary Jiao's willingness to take responsibility sets a good example for us, and I should
also make a self-criticism. As for Sun Qi's gambling spree, further investigation is needed. The Party's policy has always been to not let a
bad person go unpunished, but also not to wrong an innocent person. I suggest recalling Sun Qi. There's also the issue of Vice Mayor He.
Like Hao Xiangshou, he did some bad
things , and naturally, I don't know either, but I support a thorough investigation into He Qizhang's case.
I want to point out that under Secretary Jiao's personal leadership, our city has achieved great success in all aspects of work—
that's nine fingers; the corruption of individual cadres and our work errors are one finger; the relationship between the nine fingers and
the one finger has always been a matter of principle. Our central task remains reform and opening up; we cannot allow
any deviation that impacts the central task and the two basic points. At the same time, we must cherish the vast majority of cadres, not erase their achievements,
nor dampen their enthusiasm. The primary concern is stability and unity, and
the stability and unity is even more important." Disloyalty, underhanded tactics, and even sabotage are all unacceptable. We must
strive for cooperation, not sabotage. Finally, I would like to offer a profound self-criticism to Secretary Jiao, Mayor Lin, and all comrades
. I was in charge of urban construction, but due to negligence in my work, and because Hong Kong businessmen violated agreements and engaged in unauthorized
land speculation on the international market, an international dispute arose regarding the Wucai Plaza project. I feel deeply ashamed of this. Secretary Jiao
severely , and I humbly accept his criticism and will continue to reflect deeply on it. My self-criticism is complete. I humbly request the central
leaders, Secretary Jiao, Mayor Lin, and comrades to offer their criticism.

Fang Hao immediately assessed the weight of Qian Zhong's speech in his mind, considering it a model of "overt criticism, covert protection, and actual
suppression . "

On the surface, it criticized Jiao Pengyuan for oversight, while subtly praising Jiao Pengyuan's
undeniable . If you wanted to investigate further, a whole host of accusations awaited you: "using one finger to negate nine fingers,
affecting stability and unity, engaging in underhanded tactics, alienating others, sabotaging others, attacking the vast majority of cadres, and undermining the 'one center, two
basic points' principle." Fang Hao remained calm, not wanting to refute for the time being, and waited to see
what else he would do.

The gloom on Jiao Pengyuan's face dissipated; he was very satisfied with Qian Zhong's tacit understanding, especially since Qian Zhong's speech set the tone for
the Standing Committee meeting. Following this tone would prevent them from straying from the main focus. However, he still said aloud, "
Comrades, speak freely. It's rare to have a meeting where we can have such a good exchange of ideas, especially with comrades from the Central Committee present. In the past,
we've discussed too much specific work. It's good to be theoretical; we can only be practical if we start with the theoretical. Who wants to speak?"

Kong Xiangdi stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.

“Let me say something. My views may differ somewhat from Comrade Qianzhong’s. I don’t think the anti-corruption campaign will impact the ‘one
central task and two basic principles.
’ Comrade Xiaoping repeatedly emphasized that both hands must be strong; failing to thoroughly combat corruption will instead jeopardize the ‘one central task and two basic principles.’”

Jiao Pengyuan’s face clouded over again. Kong Xiangdi continued, “What I just said was the abstract aspect. In
practical terms, the corruption already exposed is shocking. Li Haoyi, Hao Xiangshou, and Sun Qi are bureau-level cadres;
Hao Xiangshou is also a member of the municipal party committee, and He Qizhang is a vice-ministerial-level cadre. So many important cadres have problems; it can’t
be explained by simple oversight. It exposes various loopholes in our work. Power,
without effective supervision, becomes a tool for power-money transactions in the hands of some cadres. Everything they do
has the backing of power. Feng Wenju’s illegal fundraising case is a prime example.” For example, why did Li Haoyi embezzle as much as 20 million yuan from
our city so easily? The 100 million yuan of unplanned funds from the Finance Bureau is still missing,
and how did Sun Qi transfer such a large sum of money abroad for his extravagant spending? Why was Hao Xiangshou
so brazen after arriving in Hong Kong, even sending such an arrogant letter? Was there any procedural irregularity behind the Wucai Square incident
?

Kong Xiangdi cautiously chose "procedural irregularity," not using what he originally intended as "behind-the-scenes deals,"
leaving room for Qian Zhong. However, this already startled Qian Zhong, whose heart pounded wildly.

Deputy Director Ding, behind his glasses, surveyed the speeches and attitudes of every participant. This
Standing Committee meeting was crucial to turning the tide, and he felt it necessary to correct the chaotic situation caused by Qian Zhong's remarks. However, Jiao Pengyuan was presiding over the meeting; his rank was much higher than all the other participants, even higher than several

from the central government , so he too had to be cautious in his speech.
He spoke during the silence after Kong Xiangdi finished speaking
: "Covering up mistakes is not the attitude we should have. It is indeed
time for a serious review of the work of the municipal party committee and government. Achievements are certainly important, but this does not mean that in certain units or certain departments,
all nine fingers are rotten. For example, the massive bribery case in the Fujian Minjiang
Engineering the party secretary and director, four deputy directors, and others—
70% of the bureau's bureau-level officials! Nineteen of the perpetrators were division-level officials, 21% of the total! It was
a typical 'nest case,' where the leadership was essentially rotten. Another example is the
40-member financial inspection team from the Tieling City grain system in Liaoning Province, who, under the guise of an inspection at the grassroots level, indulged in lavish meals and entertainment, taking 590,000 yuan." Everyone accepted bribes,
not one escaped! Such examples abound. Specific problems must be analyzed specifically; we cannot continue with dogmatism.

What we should all deeply consider is how much effective oversight our power has received? Comrade Fang Hao's
suggestion to use the cases of Li Haoyi and Hao Xiangshou as a breakthrough point to deepen anti-corruption work is a good
one. Please criticize me if I've said anything incorrect.

Jiao Pengyuan stood up with a stern face and said, "Everyone, please continue your discussion; I need to use the restroom." (

Chapter 23 onwards: A Matter of the Restroom)

Fang Hao glanced at Deputy Secretary Feng and Director Ma, then said, "Let's take a short break and wait for Secretary Jiao
to return to chair the meeting."

When the meeting is unfavorable to him, promptly going to the restroom is
a tactic Jiao Pengyuan has used effectively in managing meetings for many years. The top leader leaving the meeting is tantamount to announcing a break, just like a basketball coach calling a timeout
when , using the short break to adjust the pace of the meeting and ease the tension.

After Jiao Pengyuan went to the restroom, the meeting entered a break. Some people smoked, some stretched
, and some chatted about trivial matters unrelated to the meeting. At this time,
it would be very unwise for small groups to continue discussing meeting-related matters. Holding back conversations during the meeting and then gossiping afterwards is often considered
unauthorized behavior, a taboo in officialdom.

Qian Zhong also went to the restroom three minutes after Jiao Pengyuan left. He couldn't follow closely behind, as it would give others the impression of a secret meeting in
the restroom . There's also an unwritten rule about going to the restroom: don't
go in with the top leader or superiors at the same time. Whether defecating or urinating, it's considered impolite; watching the leader unzip their pants or wipe their bottom
is disrespectful and won't bring any benefit. Therefore, one must hold it in and wait for the superior to come
out before going in. Holding in urine and feces is also a skill in officialdom.

Jiao Pengyuan suffered from urinary hesitancy and urinary retention, and stood on the small platform for a long time without being able to urinate. Qian Zhong,
standing on the urinal, said while urinating, "Secretary Jiao, is your prostate problem acting up again?"

"It's getting worse, I can't urinate."

Qian Zhong looked to make sure no one came in, then lowered his voice, "Fang Hao's move was quite insidious. In
front of the comrades from the Central Committee, he questioned you about receiving the whistleblower letter from France. He was deliberately trying to embarrass you. He should have
asked you before the meeting started."

"Fang Hao is a new broom sweeping clean, and his first act was against me. I'm still the Municipal Party Secretary, is
he trying to become Lin Biao? To seize power?"

"Secretary Jiao, look at my speech..."

"Your speech was very good."

"I wanted to set a tone, to get them to sing in that tone, but Kong Xiangdi sang off-key." "
That's why I went to the toilet. This meeting can't continue like this. When people from above come, we're in chaos. We must dare
to uphold the truth." "Then I'll go back first. It's not good to go back together."

Lin Guanghan waited for Jiao Pengyuan and Qian Zhong to return before getting up to go to the toilet. He didn't want to
run . The others had to patiently wait for them to use the restroom. While this wasn't a formal occasion like attending a meeting, banquet, or
meeting model workers, where there were unwritten
but strict rules about who walked in front, in the middle, and at the back, the ubiquitous hierarchy still had to be followed.

Jiao Pengyuan returned to the meeting room.

"Sorry, my prostate is acting up again. Don't underestimate this excretory organ; it's nothing
serious , but it can still cause you some trouble. Let's continue the meeting. Although our city has achieved great
success under the central leadership—achieving nine 'heads'—we cannot ignore the 'one finger' issue. Denying the nine 'heads' is certainly wrong;
that was the tactic the rightists used to attack the Party back then. They attacked one point, ignoring the rest. But
turning a deaf is also wrong. I've said this before, and I still hold this view. Only after stability can we move forward."
"Stability is the prerequisite for development. Therefore,
we cannot tolerate those who muddy the waters and undermine stability and unity, no matter what their pretext or what nice words they utter. Who would like to speak next?"

Jiao Pengyuan's gaze swept across each face like a camera lens, and they all understood the unspoken message.

Zhang Guangda spoke: "I'd like to say a few words. I work in organizational work, and I always talk about my profession. I'd like to share some thoughts from the perspective of
cadre selection. The problems of Li Haoyi, Hao Xiangshou, Sun Qi, and even He Qizhang
, not only have personal factors, but also expose major flaws in our organizational work. As the person in charge of organizational work, I
should first examine and improve my understanding. For many years, there seems to have been an unquestionable rule in promoting cadres: those
who serve as secretaries to ministerial-level cadres, if not at the division level, should be promoted to division level; after working for a few years, they must be promoted to bureau level.
This has created the common perception that being a secretary is a good way to get promoted. Li Haoyi is a case in point. He wasn't very competent as a secretary, which is why he
was replaced, but he was still promoted to bureau level, as if he couldn't pass without being promoted." Hao Xiangshou was a capable person,
but his sense of organization was always weak. Due to some biases in our cadre selection process,
the mentality of seeking official positions has become rampant within the organization. It seems that getting an official position means getting a house and a car, and some
people have indeed achieved their goals. There's a popular saying in our organization: "Praise those who call a deer a horse,
promote those who flatter, make life difficult for those who work like oxen and horses, and punish those who work alone." The saying is a bit harsh,
but it incisively points out the abnormal phenomena in cadre selection. Those skilled at maneuvering adhere
to the principle of "linking theory with practical benefits, maintaining close ties with superiors, and combining praise with self-praise." They say that in a market economy,
one must be good at self-promotion, with the aim of gaining practical benefits. Regarding anti-corruption, I've also heard a saying: "
If you put something in the wrong pocket, taking it out makes you a good comrade; if you take the wrong bus and turn back, you're a model citizen." It seems that petty corruption
has become commonplace, and once it's exposed, one becomes a good comrade. In the past, when we promoted an experience or implemented a
policy, we often made mistakes by focusing on one aspect while neglecting another. Sun Qi was once
a model of reform who was heavily publicized in our newspapers and on television, but he ended up causing such a big problem. When we tried to correct it, it was inevitable that it would cause misunderstandings among the masses,
and even sympathy for Sun Qi. There's also a saying: "Just learned it, and now it's wrong; said it wouldn't
change , and then another document comes."

Even Jiao Pengyuan was amused. "Guangda, you're really resourceful. Where did you get so many
sayings ?"

"The sayings may be easy to say but hard to hear. Two of them criticize our organizational work, so I remember them very clearly.
I'll stop here for now."

Lin Guanghan wasn't in the mood to laugh; his tone was heavy.

"Secretary Jiao, Deputy Secretary Feng, Deputy Director Ding, comrades, I am writing this self-criticism to the organization with a heavy heart.
Due to my low level of competence, although I had the subjective desire to do a good job, I did not do a good job in practice." The problems
exposed —Li Haoyi's, He Qizhang's, Sun Qi's, and the Wucai Square issue—all
fall within my jurisdiction. I cannot forgive myself for negligence. These egregious incidents have caused
losses to our city and, to some extent, shaken the public's trust in our Party. This lesson is profound. I
will certainly reflect on myself, improve my understanding, and do my job well. I also request that higher-level organizations review my case, and
I am prepared to resign as mayor when the organization deems it appropriate.” The atmosphere in the meeting room suddenly became tense. Lin Guanghan's resignation was unexpected

by everyone, including Jiao Pengyuan . Jiao Pengyuan stared at Lin Guanghan in astonishment and said, “Old Lin, what are you playing at? No one is asking you to take responsibility alone. Even if the sky falls, I'll hold it up!” “I am sincerely considering resigning out of the interests of the Party and the people. But before I resign , I will continue to do my job well. Below, I would like to make a few suggestions. First, under the pretext of returning to China for a work report, immediately summon Sun Qi back to China to investigate his gambling and other issues.” Second, regarding the issues revealed by Li Haoyi, under the leadership of the Central Committee, the Discipline Inspection Commission and the Procuratorate will continue to investigate and collect evidence. No matter who is involved, no leniency will be shown. Third, Hao Xiangshou will be expelled from the Party, removed from all his posts, and his materials will be transferred to the Interpol China . Measures will be taken to apprehend Hao Xiangshou. Fourth, the investigation and evidence collection regarding He Qizhang will continue. Fifth, an investigation will be launched into the whereabouts of the unplanned 100 million yuan. Sixth, the issues left over from the Wucai Square will be handled by me and Qian Zhong. Responsibility must be clearly identified, and if corruption is found, it must be investigated simultaneously. These are my suggestions; please consider them, Secretary Jiao and comrades. Finally, I reiterate my application to resign from the position of mayor . I will submit a written self-criticism and resignation report. However, I solemnly assure the organization that while in office , I will do my job well, and I will never shift the responsibilities that are mine to other comrades. That concludes my remarks . " Jiao Pengyuan waved his hand, "Now, a break. We will resume the meeting in ten minutes. Old Lin, let's talk." Lin Guanghan followed Jiao Pengyuan into a meeting room. Jiao Pengyuan immediately berated him, "Old Lin, you didn't even consult me beforehand! You rashly offered your resignation at the meeting. Aren't you undermining me? I'm already in a bad situation with the deaths of two vice mayors, He Qizhang and Li Shangmin; your resignation is just adding insult to injury. In front of people from the central government, are you deliberately trying to make me look bad?" Lin Guanghan silently smoked and said, "Secretary Jiao, with such a big problem in the city, someone has to step forward and take responsibility. I'm the mayor; if I don't take responsibility, who will? Besides, I truly feel that I'm not capable enough to shoulder this heavy responsibility . I just said that I will continue to do my job well until the organization approves it." Secretary Jiao waved his hand and said, "Nonsense! Nonsense! You're not capable enough, but you're a genuine university graduate. What about me, a man from a military background? Go back to guard duty? Old Lin, I've said it again and again, I'll hold up the sky if it falls . You have to stand with me through thick and thin and get through this difficult time." "If you don't become mayor, where am I supposed to find a mayor? Have the higher-ups send another one? Or should I let an ambitious person take over? Have you even considered my feelings? I'm telling you clearly, as long as I'm the Party Secretary, you'll be the mayor for me. You can resign after I step down. There's no room for negotiation ." The meeting resumed ten minutes later, still chaired by Jiao Pengyuan. "Meeting is now in session. During the break, Mayor Lin and I exchanged views; this meeting did not discuss personnel matters."

The agenda for the issue. Mayor Lin adopted the "if I don't go to hell, who will?" approach, offering his resignation to take
responsibility . His spirit is good, but his method is wrong. His resignation is not even worth considering. Now, let's continue. Who wants to speak?

Fang Hao also felt that Lin Guanghan's sudden resignation had shifted the focus of the meeting. He said, "I'll say a few words. I
agree with Secretary Jiao's view that Mayor Lin has no reason to take responsibility by resigning from his position. I
fully agree with the six suggestions Mayor Lin just made. Once these six suggestions are approved by the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee, they will be
a major anti-corruption measure. I suggest that Mayor Lin's six suggestions be discussed and approved. That concludes my remarks."

Jiao Pengyuan didn't want the meeting to last too long. "Today's meeting was very good. The six suggestions should be
documented as soon as possible and implemented immediately, especially by the Discipline Inspection Commission, which bears the brunt of the responsibility. Finally, I want to emphasize
two points Sun Qi is still abroad; whoever leaks information will be held responsible. Second, anyone here who is corrupt
should quickly clean up their act; I cannot protect anyone. Deputy Secretary Feng and Deputy Director Ding, do you have anything else to say?" "

Deputy Secretary Feng picked up his notebook. 'Then I'll take a few more minutes of your time.'

Jiao Pengyuan said unhappily, 'Please, please.'

'Among the high-ranking Party and government officials who have been investigated, we have discovered a problem that should alarm us all:
some people have become corrupt and turned to crime because their faith in socialism and communism
has wavered, their hedonistic mentality has resurfaced, and they have become prisoners of bourgeois and feudal consciousness. We
Communists have no special interests of our own apart from the interests of the people. This point must never be forgotten. There are also
some leading cadres who put power above the law and personal relationships above the law, interfering with judicial investigations under various pretexts and protecting corrupt officials
. This is unacceptable. The whole Party must maintain political consistency with the Central Committee; this is the fundamental guarantee
for . For those
cadres who are politically alienated from the Central Committee, who go their own way, and who are corrupt, no matter how great their past merits or how strong their abilities, they must be resolutely removed.'

Deputy Director Ding pressed on, saying, 'Deputy Secretary Feng is conveying the spirit of the Central Committee; please comrades carefully understand it. '"
I'd like to add that through anti-corruption efforts, we, the people of the Communist Party of China, have the ability to cleanse ourselves of corruption,
becoming healthier and stronger, and fully leveraging the role of the ruling party. Those who doubt this will see
our actions time and time again. Those who harbor illusions and defy the rules will inevitably suffer
heavy losses .

Secretary Jiao was the first to stand up. "Meeting adjourned."

In the car carrying the leaders of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, Fang Hao looked somewhat melancholy. Deputy Secretary Feng
seemed to understand Fang Hao's predicament, shaking his hand and saying, "Old Fang, after this meeting,
the lid has been lifted somewhat. Your pressure will be even greater. When the top leader is involved in a case, things are often very difficult."

Deputy Director Ding said, "With direct leadership from the Central Committee, difficulties can be overcome. I
think went well. Except for a few cadres with ambiguous attitudes, the vast majority of leading cadres are aligned with the Central Committee,
including Mayor Lin Xianhan."

Fang Fa explained, "Comrade Lin Xianhan is cautious. Nominally the mayor, but in reality, everything
is decided by Secretary Jiao." "Secretary Jiao's rank is much higher than his, so it's normal for him to have some concerns,"

said Deputy Director Ding. "After we go back, we will ask the central leadership for instructions and immediately have the Interpol China Center issue
a red notice for Hao Xiangshou."

Fang Hao gripped Deputy Secretary Feng's hand tightly. "Secretary Feng, do you have any other instructions?"

"No matter who is involved, we cannot be lenient. Anti-corruption is an inevitable trend, and no one can stop it. We must
be firm on both fronts, and we cannot be ambiguous about this. Keep us informed at all times; the central government has great
confidence in your city's anti-corruption efforts."

The emergency meeting of the Municipal Party Committee was held at 10 p.m. that night. Shen Shi left the Municipal Party Committee and got into a taxi.

Chen Hu and Jiao Xiaoyu secretly followed in their Cherokee.

The two cars arrived at the Horizon Hotel one after the other.

Chen Hu stayed in the car, while Jiao Xiaoyu got out and followed Shen Shi into the hotel lobby.

Shen Shi walked to the hotel's internal telephone and picked up the phone.

"I'm here. Shall I come to your office?"

"Don't go to the office. I'll have Sally pick you up. " Jiao

Xiaoyu saw Jiao Dongfang's secretary, Sally, walk into the lobby and wave to Shen Shi.

Shen Shi followed her into the elevator.

Jiao Xiaoyu didn't dare enter the elevator, afraid of being recognized.

After the elevator started moving, she noticed the floor display outside the elevator lobby indicated it was on the sixth floor.

Jiao Xiaoyu took another elevator, which stopped on the sixth floor. In the corridor, she saw Jiao Dongfang enter a
guest room , the door just closing.

She walked to the guest room, saw the room number was 616, and turned back to the elevator lobby.

She got off the elevator, walked out of the lobby, and returned to the car, saying, "Chen Hu, you guessed right, Shen Shi came to see
Jiao Dongfang . I saw Jiao Dongfang enter guest room 616. It's a pity, I don't know what they talked about."

"We're keeping watch here, seeing when Shen Shi comes out and where he goes after he comes out. He's like
an ant on a hot pan, so busy."

In guest room 616, Shen Shi looked flustered.

"...The committee passed a six-point resolution, the first of which is to summon Sun Qi back to China to report on his work. As soon as the plane lands, he will be
arrested!"

Jiao Dongfang extinguished the lighter he was about to use to light a cigarette. "

Did you attend the Standing Committee meeting?"

"No, they won't let me take meeting minutes anymore. Ever since Director Hao's incident, your father doesn't
trust me. I found out from the confidential typist, that's right."

"What was it about?"

"Nothing else is important. Expel Director Hao from the Party, continue the investigation into Li Haoyi and He Qizhang, and investigate
the whereabouts of the 100 million yuan. Oh, and the aftermath of the Five Colors Plaza. The most important thing for us is the first one;
if Sun Qi is arrested, we're finished! You have to think of a solution quickly!"

Jiao Dongfang lay helplessly on the bed, silent.

Seeing that Jiao Dongfang was at a loss, Shen Shi panicked even more.

"Dongfang, don't be silent! I don't want to go to jail."

Jiao Dongfang's mind never stopped; he already had a plan, but he didn't want to tell
Shen Shi, who could betray him at any moment. He got out of bed.

"Stay calm, things won't fall apart. Go back, I have my own arrangements." From now on, I won't contact you. Don't come to see
me or call me. If there's something you absolutely must say, use a public phone to reach me. Be especially
careful at that time.

"What are your plans? Tell me, so I can have some peace of mind."

Jiao Dongfang sneered.

"Pigs have peace of mind? You want to live like a pig? Even dogs and cats don't have peace of mind, let alone humans. 'Struggling with the earth
is endlessly enjoyable , struggling with the land is endlessly enjoyable, struggling with people is endlessly enjoyable,' is what Chairman Mao taught us. What I
like is people fighting with each other, it's interesting, more exciting than playing with women. Watch how I deal with them. Shen Shi, I'm warning
you, from the moment you accepted your first bribe, you've never had a peaceful day, and you never will. You
're guilty of two death sentences with room for maneuver; you only have one path left. As long as you cling tightly to my and my father's
legs, I won't kick you away. If you soften your spine, the court won't forgive you, and neither will I.
Go on."

Shen Shi slunk out of the Horizon Hotel lobby. Reaching the entrance, he hailed a taxi.

Chen Hu secretly followed in his taxi.

Exhausted by fear, Shen Shi suddenly thought of a way to numb himself. He asked the taxi
driver, "Hey, I heard nine out of ten taxi drivers are pimps. Do you have any girls with you?"

The driver chuckled.

"Looks like you're a seasoned prostitute, you know your stuff."

"To tell you the truth, this is my first time. I saw this business in the documents."

The driver put on a fawning expression.

"Oh, what do you do?"

"I'll scare you to death if I tell you."

The driver curled his lip. "Don't tease me. You'd be more likely to scare yourself if I told you. You think
I've never seen this before? Officials are most afraid of others finding out their secrets. Hey, all the money I earn from sweeping the roadside today is
yours. As long as you dare to tell me what you do, I'll even pay for your 'brokerage'!"

Shen Shi was stunned by the driver. He really didn't dare reveal his identity as the secretary of the municipal party secretary. How could these drivers
not know anything?

"Let's get serious. Do you have any girls? Clean ones, please. I don't want to get a bunch of diseases."

"Sir, as long as you're willing to spend the money, I can even get you a virgin. Never been deflowered, how could she have AIDS?
How many 't's do you have?"

"What's 't'?"

"You're forcing me to be funny again. 'T' is money. Someone like you, with 't's on your hips and a mistress by your side, you can take a taxi
anywhere! Isn't that right?"

"How much does it cost to find a virgin?"

"A regular one is two thousand five, but the pretty ones are priceless. Sir, rest assured, I won't lie to you. I
'll take 20%, whoever takes the client gets the cut. In your official terms, that's called transparency, right?"

"Okay, two thousand five it is, hurry up."

"Have you been eating too much deer antler velvet? Hold on, one, two, three, it's not worth it."

"Do you have a place?"

"Sir, so you're looking for a brothel? Every virgin has parents, you can't
just grab a weapon in front of them, can you? If you want a virgin, you have to book a hotel room. We have hotels, the security guards won't
bother you, they even take a 10% cut!"

"Do you know any hotels like that? Safety is guaranteed?"

"I can't say for sure, but I have seven or eight."

The taxi stopped in front of a public phone booth, and the driver got out to make a call.

Chen Hu's car stopped twenty meters away.

Jiao Xiaoyu wiped the windshield of her Cherokee and said, "Who is the driver calling?"

"I don't know, you'll find out once you follow."

The driver finished his call and returned to the driver's seat.

"All done. We'll pick up that virgin, and then I'll take you to a good place. I've already negotiated the price
, two thousand five."

"You're pretty efficient."

"Be efficient, next time you want to 'dig a hole,' won't you come to me again?"

Chen Hu's car followed the taxi at a distance.

The taxi stopped at an intersection, and a girl in a white dress got in.

Jiao Xiaoyu looked outside curiously.

"What's going on? It's a young girl."

"Let's go down and talk."

The taxi stopped in front of the Huikang Hotel. Shen Shi paid the fare and led the girl into the lobby.

Shen Shi went to the lobby to register and pay.

The girl sat on the sofa at a distance, waiting.

Jiao Xiaoyu and Chen Hu also followed into the lobby, hiding in the shadows to monitor.

Shen Shi took the check-in form, waved to the girl, and she followed him. He took the girl to the first-floor
service desk exchanged the check-in form for a room key, and entered room 125.

Chen Hu and Jiao Xiaoyu saw everything. They returned to the car, and Jiao Xiaoyu asked in confusion, "What's the relationship between Shen Shi and
this girl?"

Chen Hu, his right hand twisting the rubber grip on the steering wheel, said, "That Shen Shi guy is a scoundrel!"
The morning after Shen Shi revealed the city committee's six-point resolution, Jiao Dongfang checked the
Tongan , then put them in the inside pocket of his suit jacket and left the office. Wearing sunglasses and
carrying a briefcase, he got into a taxi.

The taxi sped towards the airport.

“Master, play some cheerful music.”

“What would you like to hear?”

Jiao Dongfang pulled out a cassette tape.

“Play this.”

“You bring your own tapes, looks like you’re no ordinary person.”

(An aria on the G string) filled the car.

Jiao Dongfang listened intently.

“What is this? It’s not even singing…”

“Don’t talk, drive your car.”

He didn’t let anyone see him off, not even his confidential secretary Sally and his only remaining bodyguard knew he was going to
the airport.

He was never worried about being arrested one day; he always received advance notice and boarded
a plane to a foreign land with a foreign passport.

He was also never worried about Interpol hunting him down once he fled abroad, because he knew
many instances of Interpol’s unwillingness to cooperate with Chinese police. Unless he was facing certain death, he would never leave easily; in his
words, “I must not be eliminated.”

Last night, after Shen Shi left, he called Ge Mengmeng in Hong Kong and asked her to inform Sun Qi to come to
Hong Kong a meeting.

As the plane took off, a wave of sorrow washed over him, as if, like Hao Xiangshou,
he would never set foot on his homeland again. The figures of the female bodyguard Zhu Ni and the male guard Yang Ke flickered before his eyes; he couldn't forget Yang Ke.
The calm expression on his face as he put potassium cyanide in his mouth, the loss of a good friend—all these things made him sigh with regret.

Next to him sat a young mother with her two-year-old son, visiting her husband in Hong Kong. The child spilled a glass of
Coca-Cola , splashing it on Jiao Dongfang's suit. He wasn't angry; instead, he took out a Parker pen and gave it to the child. Childhood
was gone forever, and he was suddenly overcome with a sadness he rarely experienced. If life could start over, he wouldn't want to be born into
a family of servants.

The plane landed at Kai Tak Airport. Hong Kong—he couldn't remember how many times he'd been there. Usually,
prominent figures would personally greet him at the airport, but this time, he'd instructed Ge Mengmeng on the phone not to let anyone know.

Ge Mengmeng greeted him, and Jiao Dongfang got into her black Volvo.

Ge Mengmeng drove herself.

"Sun Qi won't arrive until this afternoon. He said he'd definitely come to see you. Dongfang, what happened?"

"Sun Qi was gambling heavily in France and was reported by an overseas Chinese. The municipal committee decided to summon him back to China for a report;
he'll ."

Ge Mengmeng's hand on the steering wheel trembled slightly.

“Sun Qi brought this on himself.”

“If he brought it on himself, I wouldn’t have come. We might have all been wiped out. Let’s talk at your place.”

The car drove towards Ge Mengmeng’s residence. Suddenly, Jiao Dongfang changed his mind.

“You said Sun Qi won’t arrive until the afternoon?”

“Probably around four or five o’clock.” “

Then we won’t go to your place. Contact Uncle He for me. I need to see him.”

“At his building?”

“No, I’m not going to that godforsaken place. I want to negotiate with him on equal terms. Let’s find a place that both sides can agree on and
invite him over.”

“How about my hotel? It’s already open. You can take a look at how our business is
operating .”

Jiao Dongfang immediately interrupted her, “Absolutely not! Your hotel has a lot of mainland guests. What if we run into acquaintances
? Find another place.”

Ge Mengmeng smiled and said, “Okay, there are plenty of places. Do you want to find a Miss Hong Kong to keep you company?”

“Are you out of your mind? What time is it now!”

Jiao Dongfang’s irritability frightened Ge Mengmeng into silence.

At a villa halfway up the mountain, Jiao Dongfang met with Uncle He. Ge Mengmeng didn't participate in the conversation; she took Uncle He
's lawyer to study the real estate purchase contract.

Uncle He wasn't old, just over sixty, and had influence in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. His investments in the north, facilitated by
Jiao Dongfang, not only allowed him to open a five-star hotel in a prime location but also to become a municipal government advisor,
laying a political foundation for Hong Kong's return to China in 1997. Politics is business; he was well-versed in the ways of the mainland
business world, so he always obeyed Jiao Dongfang's orders without question.

"Brother Dongfang, you don't look too good. How about we find a massage girl to help you recover?"

"Next time, I'm going back tomorrow. Let's talk about Hao Xiangshou first. Is he feeling better?"

"Of course he is! That place is more lawless than any other country in the world; violence is law,
even Interpol doesn't dare touch them. If Hao Xiangshou is lucky, he might last six months; if he's
unlucky, he'll be dead in less than three months!"

Jiao Dongfang laughed smugly.

Deep in the jungles of a Latin American country, in a sugarcane plantation, Hao Xiangshou, under the watchful eyes of heavily armed guards, and other laborers
wielded machetes to cut sugarcane. Whenever he could no longer lift the machete, he would be struck heavily by the butt of a rifle.

He wiped the blood from the blisters on his lips and, with a sigh, raised his machete to chop at the sugarcane roots.

The laborers here included illegal immigrants, escaped convicts from all over the world, and migrants who had fallen into
despair . Once they entered the armed, isolated sugarcane plantation, they could not escape alive; after death, they were cremated on the spot,
their ashes used as fertilizer. There was virtually no income; their monthly wages, after purchasing assigned necessities, went back into the boss
's pocket. Their only right was to allow their ashes to fertilize the sugarcane plantation after death.

Hao Xiangshou, a Chinese man, encountered his compatriots here: six young men from Fujian who had bought fake passports for $20,000 to come
here . They had been tricked by human traffickers as soon as they left the airport and were forced to take up the machete.

Hundreds of people lived in a leaky shed, in bunk beds, with strict work and sleep schedules. Violation of these rules
resulted in beatings. Hao Xiangshou had only seen scenes of concentration camp life in World War II movies; he felt these overseers were worse off
than the disciplined German soldiers.

He attempted suicide several times, but under such close surveillance, death was difficult. Once, he tried to sever his
arteries , but was discovered and tied to a tree to be eaten by mosquitoes. A swarm of mosquitoes covered his entire body, even his eyelids
swelled and he couldn't lift them. He begged for mercy, promising never to attempt suicide again, before being untied.

The once pampered Hao Xiangshou became skin and bones in less than a week. He desperately wanted Interpol to
arrest him and extradite him back to the mainland; he'd rather be shot than suffer a life sentence here.

He hated Jiao Dongfang. If he could stand in the dock, he would expose Jiao Dongfang completely. "I served you and your son
faithfully for twenty years, and you saw I had no use for you, so you tricked me into this hell on earth!"

He hated Uncle He for swindling him out of all his money, including the ten million Hong Kong dollars he won at the golf course. Before leaving,
he had brought four blank bank drafts that could be cashed at foreign banks. Uncle He said he would hold the money in his purse and
return it to . But all those promises had vanished, and now penniless, he truly understood
the ruthlessness of a triad boss.

Beside Hao Xiangshou was a young Chinese man who helped Hao Xiangshou up from the ground, who had collapsed unconscious.

"Get up, or you'll get whipped again."

"Thank you. Where are you from?" "

Fujian. I spent twenty thousand US dollars on a passport, but it was fake. As soon as I entered the country, I was tricked into coming here."

"Just you?"

"There were six of us. Three of us died. If I had known I was going to suffer like this, I would have stayed home fishing! What about you?
How ?"

I was tricked by a friend; it's a long story. The foreman

blew his whistle, and the laborers returned wearily.

Hao Xiangshou staggered and fell to the ground.

It started to rain.

Covered in mud, Hao Xiangshou followed the laborers back to the workers' shed.

The shed was flooded and filthy.

Hao Xiangshou struggled to climb onto the raised bed. He found a razor blade, placed it on his wrist, and was about to cut his artery when a
pair of hands grabbed his hand holding the blade and pointed to a foreman walking towards them.

Hao Xiangshou had no choice but to hide the blade. Alas, here he didn't even have the right to commit suicide. He remembered his last suicide attempt...
Then, recalling the time he was naked and tied to a tree to be eaten by mosquitoes, he buried his head deep under the dirty pillow and murmured
, "Kill me! Kill me! Jiao Dongfang, I hate you!"

Jiao Dongfang was very satisfied with Uncle He's description of Hao Xiangshou's current situation. He nodded with a smile and said, "You made a
brilliant move. Let Hao Xiangshou go cut sugarcane; it's good for cadres to be sent down for training! He dared to run away without my father
's knowledge. All those who betray my father deserve their fate. Now let's discuss what to do with Sun Qi?"

“You want Sun Qi to cut sugarcane too? How about sending him to a coffee plantation? He’s young and strong, picking coffee beans won’t be
a problem.”

Jiao Dongfang shook his head and said, “Sun Qi isn’t Hao Xiangshou. Hao Xiangshou has no
financial strength except for the small amount he embezzled. Sun Qi has billions! If you send him to cut sugarcane, those billions will all be gone. He
’s the legal representative, his self-protection mechanisms are very sound, especially the large sums of money he transferred abroad. Nobody knows the exact
figures , and international financial procedures are very complicated. We can’t dig up the money without him.
We need to find a way that satisfies both sides, so that he doesn’t fall into the hands of the mainland’s anti-corruption bureau and Interpol, but we can also force
him to comply and return the money. Can you do that?”

Uncle He looked at Jiao Dongfang slyly and said, “It’s difficult, but why not do business? How will we
split the profits ?”

“The old rule, 50/50.” Uncle He extended his palm and slapped Jiao Dongfang’s palm together with a crisp “snap,” a binding force even more effective

than signing a contract . Uncle He smiled meaningfully. “Brother Dongfang, if I’m not mistaken, I’m paving my own way out! Do you need my help?” “Uncle He, my father is still sitting comfortably on the fishing platform. Your investments on the mainland still rely on his protection. If you try to play me like you played Hao Xiangshou, you’re doomed.” Uncle He smiled ingratiatingly. “Brother, you’re being suspicious. I just want to help you. Without Secretary Jiao’s support, could I have become a municipal government advisor? We’ve been through thick and thin together, sworn brothers. How could I dare to have any ill intentions!” “I know Uncle He is a righteous man. Even the Governor of Hong Kong gave you face, which is why he entrusted you with this important matter. Tell me your plan to deal with Sun Qi…” At 4:30 p.m. that day, Sun Qi met with Jiao Dongfang. He hugged Jiao Dongfang and said, “We meet again.” “Brother, you’ve lost half of the steel plant you bought in France, haven’t you?” Sun Qi’s face froze in surprise. "How do you know?" "It's not that I know, it's that the Municipal Party Committee knows everything. The Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee has passed a resolution to summon you back to China to report on your work . You will receive the notice soon. You're going to be in the newspapers again, not as a model of reform, but as a model of a major case!" Sun Qi was stunned, and his whole body shrank a lot. "Then what am I supposed to do? Go back and I'll just be waiting to die!" "I came here specifically to save you. The municipal party committee has the evidence and will soon send people to France to collect it and take over your work. You have nowhere to run. With a case this big, the Public Security Bureau will definitely use Interpol to arrest you . You won't be granted political asylum in France or any other country because you're a criminal and not eligible. Sun Qi, you're doomed this time." Sun Qi broke out in a cold sweat, his lips pale. He grabbed Jiao Dongfang's hand and said, "Trying to touch me isn't so easy. I'm the leader of the mainland's stocks listed in Hong Kong, the leader of the Red Ribbon Dance. If they bring me down, the mainland's stocks in Hong Kong will inevitably plummet, nearly 10 billion yuan will go down the drain. Do they dare? Besides, you can't just stand by and watch me die , can you?" "Trying to save you isn't so easy either. You went to France and didn't even call me. If it weren't for Ge Mengmeng, I wouldn't have been able to find you. Do you want to go back and turn yourself in?" "Of course not. I'd rather stick my neck out and get stabbed. What a joke." "Then you only have one way: disappear quickly." "How exactly do you want to disappear? What will happen to my stocks if I disappear?" "Do you have any friends in France?" "I have quite a few, but none of them are reliable. I have relatives in the US, how about I go there?" "Aren't you afraid of extradition? Relatives are high-profile, they'd be easily discovered." "Then what do you suggest? Dongfang, do you have any reliable connections?" "I do have connections, but if you run away, the billions of dollars you painstakingly transferred abroad will be wasted. Besides , you can't help someone in an emergency, you can't help someone who's always been dependent on you. Can you endure the hardship of living under someone else's roof?" "Then I'll transfer the funds out first and then run?" "Okay, there's still hope for you. You've finally woken up from the entanglement of roulette and foreign women! I have six accounts here, two in Hong Kong, two in Switzerland, one in the US, and one in Thailand. Quickly transfer the money from Paris to these six accounts, and then I'll arrange a way out for you. The money is still yours, you just need to pay a 0.3% handling fee." Sun Qi shook his head doubtfully. "Is the account reliable? What if I can't withdraw the money after transferring it?" "These are all my accounts, how could they not be reliable? Of course, if you can find another account, that's fine too, I'm worried about taking risks." "Okay, give me the account. We're brothers in the same boat. If I don't trust others, how could I not trust you?" "This matter must not be known to any third party besides you and me, not even Mengmeng. Hong Kong accounts aren't very safe, just transfer a small amount, most of it to the Swiss account. I guarantee your money is absolutely safe with my personal integrity. Xu, return to Paris immediately to handle this. When you receive the notice to return to China for your work report , call the municipal party committee immediately and tell them you're coming back right away, so they can rest assured. After the money is transferred out of France, call me, and I'll take you to a completely safe place to hide for a while. Once things have calmed down, we'll make a big splash." Sun Qi took a sip of his drink. "So, I immediately rushed back to Paris and, before the officials arrived, transferred the money to six separate accounts ." "Remember, don't gamble when you get back. That overseas Chinese man surnamed Huang is a bastard who doesn't make money and only cares about snitching ." "Damn it, I'll settle the score with him someday!" Jiao Dongfang took the train from Hong Kong back to Shenzhen that same day and then flew back. He didn't take an international flight to avoid attracting attention. He was extremely pleased with himself; his one-day trip not only solved Sun Qi's imminent exposure crisis but also secured at least 500 million yuan for his overseas treasury.

He left in a hurry and returned in a hurry, without even Sally noticing.

He had just settled into his boss's chair when Sally came in.

"Mr. Jiao, your cousin is here to see you. Should I let her in?"

"Xiaoyu? Quickly, Qing."

Jiao Dongfang got up and went to the coat room to greet Jiao Xiaoyu.

"Xiaoyu, what brings you here today? You never come to visit me usually."

"It's like being in a deep, dark place. Who would dare to come to you?"

"Even the deepest door can't stop you! What would you like to drink? Oh, right, I have World War I wine.
Even Clinton might not have tasted it. Want to try a glass?"

"Brother Dong, do you have World War III wine? I'd like to try it." "

The Third World War hasn't even started yet. You want to drink wine from the future? Brother Dong can't find it for you.
After you finish the World War I wine, I'll treat you to World War II wine. Maybe the Third World War will
start !"

Jiao Dongfang poured a glass for Jiao Xiaoyu but didn't pour one for himself.

Jiao Xiaoyu took the glass and took a sip.

"I can't smell the First World War, why aren't you drinking?"

"I don't drink during work hours. So, Xiaoyu, have you and Chen Hu finalized your relationship?"

"Why are you worrying so much? Won't you get gray hair?"

"I just want to hold my little nephew!"

"Don't be so smirking. I came here specifically tonight to talk to you about work."

"Hey, the prosecutor's getting serious, interrogating me?"

"Pretty much, Dong-ge, this pot is enough for you. Is it okay to talk here?"

"No problem, just the two of us. Sally's outside; she won't come in unless we call her."

"Your precious Yang Ke tried to commit suicide as soon as he got in the car, but Tao Tieliang found him and pried a potassium cyanide bottle out of his mouth
. "

Jiao Dongfang blurted out, "Yang Ke isn't dead?"

Jiao Xiaoyu stared intently into Jiao Dongfang's eyes.

"How did you know he was going to die?"

Jiao Dongfang smiled evasively and said, "You just told me. I didn't know what his problem was."

"He wanted to die, but he didn't. I got it out of Chen Hu. I heard Yang Ke confessed to a lot of
things , but Chen Hu probably doesn't know the specifics. He only heard one thing: your transporting the box to the train station
. What was in that box?"

As arranged by Chen Hu, Jiao Xiaoyu was there to find out about Jiao Dongfang. After Yang Ke's suicide by poison, Tao Tieliang
immediately ordered the news to be kept secret and sent him to prison as if he were still alive.

To prevent leaks from insiders, all the formalities
of detention registration and imprisonment were completed as usual. Even the police chief, Jiang Dabing, believed that Yang Ke had been arrested and was under interrogation. Chen Hu decided to use
this tactic to frighten Jiao Dongfang and see how he would react.

Jiao Dongfang's smile vanished. He desperately wanted to confirm Yang Ke's fate through Jiang Yuexiu
, but said calmly, "The wooden box contained tableware ordered by the restaurant. It was substandard and returned. However, Xiaoyu,
I'm still grateful you told me; it shows you still care about your brother Dong."

"I can't help you much. If you really have a problem, you should take the initiative to clarify it, so you don't end up in a passive position."

"What problem could I possibly have? But I can't avoid being resented and framed. The tallest tree catches the
most wind! Xiaoyu, my dad has never treated you like an outsider. In the future, if anything happens, talk to me more.
We're family after all."

"That's true, Uncle."

"My dad is also very troubled. It's all because of those good-for-nothings like He Qizhang, Hao Xiangshou, and Li Haoyi.
By the way, Xiaoyu, has your birthday passed? I've been too busy to give you a gift."

Jiao Dongfang took out $100,000 from the safe beside him and placed it on the table. "

This $100,000, buy whatever you like, consider it your birthday present."

Jiao Xiaoyu moved the money around in stacks.

"Wow, that's quite generous! I couldn't earn this much in ten lifetimes."

"This is nothing. As long as you're on my side, I'll arrange your life. I'll buy you
a , a Mercedes-Benz, and even start a company for you."

"You're bribing a government official!" "

What a joke! You're not afraid of being bribed, but I'm not afraid of offering bribes? Between siblings, what's this about bribery? What's mine is yours
. Xiaoyu, you're smarter than Lin Doudou."

"How could I be smarter than her?"

"You're much smarter than her! She exposed and denounced Lin Biao, and what did she get in return? Nothing. She fell from being
China's second princess to an ordinary citizen. When the father makes a mistake, no matter how the son tries to distance himself, no one will believe him anymore."
"We both depend on my dad. Even if he's not in trouble, you can't be as foolish as Lin Doudou."

"Lin Doudou is an ordinary worker now, living a pretty stable life."

"Isn't she stable? Xiaoyu, I'm really happy you came today. You can work at the anti-corruption bureau for now
; our family just needs someone in anti-corruption. We can move to America later and enter the 21st century ahead of time."

"What about Yang Ke? If he exposes your serious problems, I can't save you."

"By the time I need you to save me, I'll be finished. Don't worry, nothing will happen. Get your
bag and put the money in."

"My bag can't even fit 20,000 yuan."

Jiao Dongfang found an unused combination lock box, put the money in, and handed it to Jiao Xiaoyu.

Jiao Xiaoyu smiled and said, "You're the one who put this in my hand!"

"Consider it a bribe, okay, my prosecutor sister?"

"Then I'm leaving."

“Okay, be careful not to run into robbers.” Jiao

Xiaoyu carried the money box out of the restaurant, went to the parking lot, opened the door of the Santana, threw the money box onto the passenger
seat, and then got into the driver's seat.

Looking at the money box, Jiao Xiaoyu was overwhelmed with emotion. How could her brother have used $100,000
for a bribe ? Memories of her childhood with Jiao Dongfang flooded her mind: playing embroidery
together under their uncle's guidance; fighting over comic books; Dongfang standing up for her when she was bullied by other children;
Dongfang helping her study before the college entrance exam; Dongfang driving her to university after she got in…

Was the bond between them about to be severed by the sword of the law? If Dongfang had committed a heinous crime,
what would he face…? She didn't dare think any further. She

slammed her fist on the money box. She burst into tears.

“Brother, brother, how could you become like this?”

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