Chapter 118: Losing the Wife and the Soldiers: A Double Loss

After Ning Weidong finished his meal, Ning Wei went to wash the lunch boxes, and upon returning, he stayed in the Office to keep Ning Weidong company.

Time passed second by second, the sky outside grew darker and darker, and the radio was playing the weather forecast.

Starting yesterday, a cold wave from Siberia collided with a warm current from the Pacific Ocean, forming large-scale precipitation.

It is expected that a wave of snowfall will arrive tonight.

Ning Weidong frowned; the sudden change in weather made him somewhat worried about tonight's plan.

Any unexpected factor could potentially affect the success or failure of the plan.

Ning Weidong did not know how the situation was on Zhou Wu's end, but as the mastermind of the whole affair, he could not be on the front lines and could only sit in command.

By this time, Ning Weidong could no longer play any role; he could only watch the further development of events and wait for the final result.

This period of time was the most agonizing.

Ning Weidong stood by the window smoking cigarette after cigarette; he fully understood why there were so many cigarette butts in the pot of cymbidium on Li Weibing's windowsill—standing here smoking and looking at the scenery outside was indeed a great way to relieve the pressure in his heart.

On the sofa nearby, Ning Wei looked at the telephone on the table from time to time.

At this moment, he was most afraid that the phone would suddenly ring, as that would mean something had gone wrong.

Conversely, the fact that the phone never rang meant everything was going smoothly.

……

Eight o'clock, nine o'clock, ten o'clock... all the way until the second half of the night.

Just past twelve o'clock, the telephone on the table suddenly rang "ding-a-ling."

A somewhat drowsy Ning Wei was startled and nearly jumped off the sofa.

Ning Weidong, on the other hand, was full of energy; he sat behind the desk and picked up the receiver before the third ring, saying "Hello."

Zhang Dajun's voice came from the other end of the line, his words very brief: "Everything went smoothly."

Upon hearing this, Ning Weidong immediately let out a sigh of relief, a smile appeared on his face, he said "Good," and followed up with: "Proceed according to plan!"

He then hung up the phone and clenched his fists, his knuckles making a "crackling" sound.

Although it didn't show on the surface, the pressure Ning Weidong was actually under was quite immense.

In the overall situation, he was in a passive position; the Wang Family and the Zhao Family had both withdrawn from the battlefield, yet he still had to fight.

To put it nicely, it was "advancing despite the difficulties"; to put it not so nicely, it was "overestimating one's own capabilities."

If he luckily won this round, that would be fine, but if he really lost, it would give people a handle against him.

Especially those who were jealous of Ning Weidong marrying into the Zhao Family through Zhao Ruyi.

Setting aside character and ability, Zhao Ruyi's family background, appearance, and figure were all outstanding among her peers.

That such a young woman had actually been cheapened by a stray dog from outside the compound like Ning Weidong—of course, many people were resentful.

Coupled with Ning Weidong's looks and height, it was even easier to provoke jealousy.

When it came down to it, his relationship with Zhao Ruyi was fundamentally different from that of Ning Weiguo and Wang Yuzhen; Ning Weiguo and Wang Yuzhen were a couple who had shared trials and tribulations.

Therefore, the margin for error left for Ning Weidong from the very beginning was quite low; his failure would mean paying a much greater price.

Ning Weidong had long understood this, and the reason he insisted on gambling on this was not out of youthful impulse.

Outsiders didn't know, but Ning Weidong knew in his own heart that he had long passed that age of impulse; he had profound considerations for doing this.

One of the biggest factors was to use this opportunity to establish a persona.

As a pawn in a marriage alliance, Ning Weidong himself did not carry the Wang surname, which was a fatal flaw.

To avoid being dragged down by this flaw, he had to stick out the quills on his body like a hedgehog to create a deterrent force externally.

Instead of counting on the protection of the Wang Family.

Just like this time, the Wang Family would not protect him at the critical moment.

Therefore, Ning Weidong had to show himself to be more paranoid, more ruthless, and possess a drive that would not stop until the goal was reached, in order to bluff those who were preparing to make an issue of him, whether openly or secretly.

To make them understand that once certain things were done, there would be a price to pay.

That is why Wang Kaifeng must "die" this time! Ning Weidong took a deep breath and checked the time again.

Now the first step of the entire plan was complete; what followed was tomorrow morning.

Ning Weidong glanced at Ning Wei and said: "Alright, no need to keep watch here. Find a place to nap for a while; we have to get up early tomorrow and go watch a good show with me."

……

The next morning, not yet seven-thirty.

It had started snowing heavily at three o'clock in the second half of the night yesterday, but fortunately, it only snowed for two hours, so there wasn't too much snow on the ground.

Early in the morning, people from various units arrived early of their own accord to clear the snow from the road sections at their entrances.

At this time, there was no need for notification for such things.

Ning Weidong woke up before six in the morning, had a quick breakfast with Ning Wei in the canteen, and rode his bicycle out of the Manager and headed straight for the Municipal Bureau.

Under pressure, Chu Zhongxin could only detain Wang Kaifeng until this morning.

He had to release the person by eight o'clock at the latest.

By the time he arrived at the Municipal Bureau on his bicycle, it was just seven-thirty.

Ning Weidong took Ning Wei, parked the bicycle with practiced ease, and went straight to find Chu Zhongxin.

He met Chu Zhongxin in the Office.

Seeing Ning Weidong arrive, Chu Zhongxin was not surprised; Wang Kaifeng was to be released today, so it was impossible for Ning Weidong to be indifferent.

Chu Zhongxin hadn't gone home last night; he had kept watch at the Municipal Bureau all night, fearing there might be a variable and Wang Kaifeng would be released early.

Previously, he had promised Ning Weidong he could hold him for two days, but as soon as the big shots over there spoke, a whole day was cut off directly.

It meant that, all told, he had only helped Ning Weidong delay for 36 hours.

Chu Zhongxin felt somewhat guilty about this, but this was all he could do to help.

A day and a half—no more than that—but he had to ensure that Wang Kaifeng was not released before then.

"Weidong..." Chu Zhongxin's face was dim; he called out Ning Weidong's name, not knowing what to say.

Ning Weidong was, on the contrary, more relaxed, laughing as he said, "Fourth Brother, have you been guarding here all night?"

Chu Zhongxin gave a bitter smile: "If I weren't here, in case they tried something else and released the person in the middle of the night, I... really wouldn't be able to face you."

Ning Weidong said: "Fourth Brother, thank you, that is enough."

Chu Zhongxin's heart stirred; he still did not know Ning Weidong's methods.

Last night, Zhang Dajun had not reported to him in advance.

Or rather, the moment he made up his mind to go all in with Ning Weidong this time, Zhang Dajun had decided to completely board Ning Weidong's boat.

Otherwise, it would not be worth it for him to take such a big risk while still being two-faced and having an ambiguous stance.

Not sending word to Chu Zhongxin was his way of showing his position—from now on, he was Ning Weidong's man.

Therefore, Chu Zhongxin did not know Ning Weidong's specific plan, nor was he curious enough to ask.

In any case, there were only a dozen minutes left before the answer would be revealed.

Just at this moment, the telephone on the desk rang.

Chu Zhongxin picked it up and said "Hello," then glanced at Ning Weidong and said in a deep voice: "It's not even twenty minutes until eight o'clock, can't you wait that long? The necessary procedures must be followed~ Let them wait until eight."

After finishing, he hung up the phone and said: "Wang Guoqiang has come to collect the person."

Ning Weidong smiled: "He really is impatient~"

Chu Zhongxin raised his hand to check his watch again and frowned: "What is the situation on your end?" Then he gritted his teeth: "If needed, I can use the processing of paperwork to delay them for at most an hour, any more than that..."

Ning Weidong waved his hand and said: "Fourth Brother, it's not necessary. Just follow the normal procedures on your end; don't worry about me."

Chu Zhongxin nodded, guessing that Ning Weidong's backup plan must be outside.

A moment later, the time reached eight o'clock.

Wang Kaifeng, with stubble on his face and wearing a military overcoat, walked out of the detention room.

Because the situation was relatively special, he had not been transferred to a detention center over the past few days and had been held at the Municipal Bureau the entire time.

Although he had been certain in his heart that Wang Guoqiang would save him, Wang Kaifeng was still under immense pressure.

After all, this was not a place of benevolence.

In the lobby on the first floor, seeing Wang Guoqiang and several others there to pick him up, a look of relief finally appeared on Wang Kaifeng's face.

No matter what, everything was in the past; he, Wang Kaifeng, had made it through! One who survives a great disaster is bound to have good fortune later.

Someone had already passed the situation at the Manager to him earlier.

He knew that after he was brought in, Li Weibing had taken the opportunity to place Li Peihang in the position of Deputy Division Chief.

Originally, this was a good move, taking advantage of his vacated position to seize the Security Division in one fell swoop.

But with his release, this good move became a bad one, effectively propping him up to become the Division Chief.

Based on Li Peihang's ability and level, Wang Kaifeng had even thought about how to grind down and manipulate this old rival.

"Kaifeng!" Wang Guoqiang stepped forward and gave him a bear hug.

Wang Kaifeng pursed his lips; because there were outsiders present, the word "Uncle" didn't come out, but his eyes were brimming with hot tears.

Wang Guoqiang patted his back and introduced him to the Department Head Xu standing nearby: "This is Department Head Xu, who put in a lot of effort for your matter this time."

Wang Kaifeng hurriedly bowed and shook hands: "Department Head Xu, great kindness cannot be repaid with words; I will keep your favor in my heart."

Department Head Xu waved his hand; although the first attempt had been rejected by Chu Zhongxin, the second time, with that old leader speaking up, a specific executor was still needed.

This task fell upon Department Head Xu.

Just at this moment, Chu Zhongxin and Ning Weidong came down from upstairs.

Seeing the group of people there, the atmosphere instantly stagnated.

It was Department Head Xu who laughed: "Zhongxin, you've come at just the right time. Regarding the situation of Comrade Wang Kaifeng, all misunderstandings have been cleared up. Everyone is just doing their job; how about we let bygones be bygones and meet with a smile?"

Wang Kaifeng turned to look over, his gaze sweeping past Chu Zhongxin and resting on Ning Weidong, laughing heartily: "Department Head Xu's words are too heavy. It's all for the sake of work, what grudges could there be? Actually, from my personal perspective, I very much admire Section Chief Chu's persistent spirit."

As he spoke, he took the initiative to reach out, intending to shake hands with Chu Zhongxin.

Chu Zhongxin was expressionless; he shook hands as a matter of etiquette and did not say much.

At this moment, he felt stifled; no matter what Wang Kaifeng said, the fact that Wang Kaifeng was standing there was a mockery of him.

Then, Wang Kaifeng looked at Ning Weidong beside him and said meaningfully: "Comrade Ning Weidong, long time no see~"

Seeing him acting like a victor and extending his hand with a pretentious air, Ning Weidong shook it with a half-smile: "Department Head Wang, I didn't expect you to remember my name; I am flattered!"

Wang Kaifeng said with a double meaning: "I remember all the young talents at the Manager. It's good for young people to be bold and daring, but you must also learn from the old comrades and know how to stay calm and endure loneliness."

Ning Weidong understood his meaning; this was a hint that he intended to put Ning Weidong on the bench.

Ning Weidong chuckled, raised an eyebrow, and said: "It seems Department Head Wang thinks you have already won?"

The smile on Wang Kaifeng's face stiffened; he stared at the tall young man before him with deep eyes, and suddenly, a sense of foreboding welled up.

At the same time, Wang Guoqiang and Department Head Xu, who were standing to the side, also frowned.

They both had a relatively clear understanding of this game, knowing what role Ning Weidong played in it, and his position between the Wang Family and the Zhao Family.

Now, saying this suddenly, what did it mean? Could it be that he was just a young man who refused to admit defeat and was being stubborn? But to have gained the recognition of both the Wang Family and the Zhao Family, did Ning Weidong only have this much capacity?

Almost simultaneously, from the direction of the Municipal Bureau's main gate, a sidecar motorcycle suddenly rushed in at high speed, followed by three bicycles.

The one in the lead, riding the motorcycle, was none other than Zhang Dajun.

Several people were wearing neat blue uniforms and peaked caps.

They entered the gate, arrived in the courtyard, and headed straight for the office building, stopping under the stairs.

Seeing these people appear, Wang Guoqiang's heart sank, while Wang Kaifeng noticed the corner of Ning Weidong's mouth curl into a smile.

Department Head Xu frowned deeply; he had not expected that even at this stage, there could still be variables.

The moment Chu Zhongxin saw Zhang Dajun, his own conjecture was confirmed.

At the same time, he cast a profound look at Ning Weidong.

Obviously, Ning Weidong and Zhang Dajun had done a lot last night.

Yet Zhang Dajun hadn't revealed a thing to him; from now on, Zhang Dajun was no longer his man.

Although giving Zhang Dajun to Ning Weidong had meant exactly this, Chu Zhongxin still felt some turbulence in his heart when the moment arrived.

But it was only for an instant before Chu Zhongxin calmed down.

As a key figure for the Wang Family in the public security sector, there were too many people like Zhang Dajun around Chu Zhongxin.

Zhang Dajun couldn't be considered outstanding among them, and even if he stubbornly followed him, it would be hard to get ahead; it was better to place a bet on Ning Weidong.

Zhang Dajun jogged up from the bottom of the stairs, saluted Division Chief Xu when he reached them, then turned to Chu Zhongxin before lowering his hand: "Reporting, Police Sergeant Zhang Dajun of the Suifu Police Station has an important police matter..."

As he spoke, his gaze landed on Wang Kaifeng.

Wang Guoqiang sensed that the newcomer meant trouble, yet still holding a shred of luck, he rushed to say: "Division Chief Xu, Section Chief Chu, since you have work to do, we won't disturb you."

After finishing, he gave Wang Kaifeng a wink and prepared to leave.

Wang Kaifeng also saw that things were bad and immediately prepared to go down the stairs.

But Zhang Dajun stepped across horizontally, blocking his path, and said in a deep voice: "Wait a moment, you two!"

Wang Guoqiang's eyes were sinister, staring fixedly at Zhang Dajun, who was a head shorter than him because he was standing two steps lower.

If it were possible, he would even want to go up and kick this man away.

Unfortunately, that possibility simply did not exist.

In fact, from the moment Zhang Dajun led his men through the front gate, this trap was one they could not avoid.

Wang Kaifeng's face was gloomy; he had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to leave today.

Chu Zhongxin's eyes lit up, the previous feeling of being stifled swept away; he glanced at the calm and composed Ning Weidong, knowing this was Ning Weidong's handiwork, and immediately stepped forward: "Dajun, what is the situation, and does Comrade Wang Kaifeng need to cooperate?"

He didn't mention Wang Guoqiang; from beginning to end, there was only one target, and that was Wang Kaifeng. At present, given Ning Weidong's status, he wasn't qualified to bare his fangs at Wang Guoqiang.

Ning Weidong was not someone who didn't know the gravity of the situation; this time, the target could only be Wang Kaifeng.

Zhang Dajun immediately said: "Reporting, at 3:00 in the second half of last night, we apprehended a burglar. At the time, this person had just committed the crime and was preparing to go home, and was caught red-handed..."

Speaking to this point, Zhang Dajun's gaze looked toward Wang Kaifeng: "According to this perpetrator's confession, the target of his theft this time was precisely the home of Comrade Wang Kaifeng, of the Red Star Factory Security Division."

Upon hearing this, Wang Kaifeng's brain went "buzz."

He knew he was finished! This wasn't a very clever method, but it was enough to deal with him.

Because there was no need to frame him; there really were things in his house.

Ning Weidong's plan was very simple: let Zhou Wu find a "thief" with real skills to take a turn around Wang Kaifeng's house.

For this, Ning Weidong had specifically made two sets of preparations; according to his estimation, Wang Kaifeng wasn't clean, but one shouldn't fear ten thousand, only the off-chance; in the event his judgment was wrong, he had also made preparations to make him unclean.

But looking at it now, those preparations were redundant.

Last night, when Zhou Wu took his men over and conducted a search, they were truly startled.

Then, it was just so "coincidental" that the "thief" was discovered by the night shift patrol of the Suifu Police Station on his way home; thinking his behavior was suspicious, they brought him back for questioning, and he confessed everything.

This was the cause and effect of Zhang Dajun bringing his men over this morning.

Actually, this kind of tactic wasn't very clever; anyone with a discerning eye could see it.

Wang Guoqiang, Wang Kaifeng, and Division Chief Xu all looked at Ning Weidong.

Ning Weidong smiled calmly; there was nothing to hide about this kind of thing, everyone was a sensible person, and one couldn't shirk it even if one tried.

Wang Guoqiang was so angry his blood pressure rose; he lowered his voice and gritted his teeth: "Young man, you don't follow the rules!"

Ning Weidong said calmly: "Rules, whose rules? Decent people follow rules; what am I? Just a mad dog. Whoever snatches food from me, I bite them."

Wang Guoqiang choked, and Division Chief Xu beside him also felt a chill in his heart, moving half a step to the side.

It wasn't that he was afraid of Ning Weidong, but it wasn't worth provoking such a person—young, impulsive, ruthless in his actions, and yet he had some background; if things went wrong, he would end up splattered with blood.

Moreover, Wang Guoqiang saying Ning Weidong didn't follow the rules wasn't actually accurate.

Ning Weidong understood deeply that some rules could be broken and some could not.

The reason he could use this method to deal with Wang Kaifeng this time was, most importantly, that Wang Kaifeng had already been caught.

Only when there was a flaw on someone could one take the opportunity to kick them while they were down.

If Wang Kaifeng were fine and still the Deputy Division Chief of the Red Star Factory Security Division, this level of mud-slinging would be directly blocked.

At that time, not only would it fail to hurt Wang Kaifeng, it would instead bring trouble to Ning Weidong.

But at this moment, Wang Kaifeng was already carrying a lawsuit, and the halos and buffs on his body had been temporarily removed.

Only at such a time could one successfully plunge the knife into his flesh.

Zhang Dajun glanced at Wang Kaifeng, looked at Chu Zhongxin and said: "Section Chief Chu, it seems you have already released Comrade Wang Kaifeng, so I assume there is no problem with me asking him to go back to assist in the investigation?"

Chu Zhongxin smiled, but didn't answer immediately, turning instead to look at Division Chief Xu: "Division Chief Xu, what do you think..."

Division Chief Xu pursed his lips, ignored Wang Guoqiang's pleading gaze, and sighed: "Everything according to procedure~"

Chu Zhongxin nodded and said to Zhang Dajun word for word: "Then everything according to procedure."

Zhang Dajun stood at attention and saluted, then turned to Wang Kaifeng: "Comrade Wang Kaifeng, please~"

It was called assisting in the investigation, but the things unearthed from Wang Kaifeng's house last night were not few, and after identification by that thief, it was indeed Wang Kaifeng's home.

Originally, Wang Kaifeng's wife had been busy running around after his incident, and her heart was already in chaos.

Then, happening upon their home being burgled left her in a state of utter confusion; before she could even report the case, the people from the Police Station arrived first and muddled through taking her statement.

This further solidified the situation.

According to the information currently grasped, as long as Wang Kaifeng fell into Zhang Dajun's hands, there was no room for maneuver in this matter.

Wang Kaifeng stood blankly on the spot; the impact of the sudden rise and fall of his mood was simply too great.

A moment ago he was high-spirited, preparing to go back and do something big, never expecting that the next moment he would be struck down to the bottom of the valley.

"Comrade Wang Kaifeng, please cooperate!" Zhang Dajun raised his voice and shouted again.

Wang Kaifeng still didn't move; at this time his ears were buzzing, and he couldn't hear the movement around him at all; in his eyes, Zhang Dajun was just flapping his mouth without saying anything.

Ning Weidong frowned and gave a light cough.

Zhang Dajun understood immediately and gave a wink to the people beside him; two men immediately rushed up, grabbed Wang Kaifeng from the left and right, and with a "Click!", directly slapped the handcuffs on him.

Handcuffing him here was not in accordance with regulations, but at this moment, no one cared about such trivial details.

In short, Wang Kaifeng was finished.

Wang Guoqiang came to his senses, and seeing Wang Kaifeng about to be hauled away, he subconsciously shouted, "Wait."

The two men holding Wang Kaifeng paused, but Zhang Dajun reacted faster and said in a deep voice, "I told you to stop!"

Upon hearing this, the two men nimbly continued walking away.

Zhang Dajun then looked at Wang Guoqiang and said with a serious face, "This comrade, please do not interfere with our official duties."

Wang Guoqiang choked on his words.

Zhang Dajun had nothing to do with him, and although there was a vast gap in their official ranks, he had no authority over the man.

Ning Weidong interjected at this moment: "Factory Director Wang, since the comrades from the Public Security department are inviting Department Head Wang to go with them, they must have grasped some information." As he said this, he looked at Zhang Dajun: "Dajun, wouldn't you say so?"

Zhang Dajun knew what Ning Weidong meant and immediately replied: "According to the perpetrator's confession, they committed a residential burglary last night, stealing a total of three thousand yuan in cash, four Swiss watches, seven gold bars of various sizes, gold and silver jewelry, and several antiques and paintings from Wang Kaifeng's home..."

Speaking to this point, Zhang Dajun deliberately paused for a moment before continuing: "In addition, two thousand US dollars in cash were found in the lining of the sofa..."

Upon hearing that US dollars were found, the expressions of the few people present changed.

Although having US dollars didn't necessarily mean anything, there were many places in Beijing now where one could exchange for US dollars, and it wasn't that difficult.

But finding US dollars in Wang Kaifeng's home was quite sensitive.

Don't forget that the reason Chu Zhongxin had previously arrested Wang Kaifeng was because he might be involved with foreign spies; although someone had spoken up and gotten him released, it didn't mean he had completely cleared his suspicions.

Now that several thousand US dollars had been found in his home, it was like mud falling into one's trousers—even if it wasn't excrement, it made people think it was.

Wang Kaifeng had recovered slightly by this time, the "buzzing" in his ears fading, and just as he heard Zhang Dajun's words, his legs went weak and he collapsed; if he hadn't been held up by the two men, he would have sat on the ground.

He knew that this time, he was truly finished.

Given his situation, once that old leader found out, it would be impossible for him to plead for him again.

He regretted it deeply, wondering why he had been so possessed as to let his wife follow the trend and exchange for US dollars.

They said US dollars held their value, and as long as they were exchanged and kept at home, they would double in two years.

It was true that they held their value; he had spent over eight thousand yuan to exchange for two thousand US dollars, and by now, it had risen to over ten thousand.

Who would have thought that these two thousand US dollars would become his death warrant at this moment.

With this stain, he would never be able to wash himself clean again.

Wang Guoqiang looked incredulous; he knew Wang Kaifeng would have problems, but he hadn't expected the problems to be this serious.

The items were simply too many! It sounded truly intimidating—gold bars, US dollars—and the most important thing was that it had been confirmed and brought out into the open.

This was the most fatal part.

Some things, when kept under the surface, could be handled or managed in any way without issue.

But once they were brought into the sunlight, they would die upon exposure.

Wang Guoqiang's face turned pale, realizing that all his efforts had been in vain; he had played his most precious trump card, only to lose both his wife and his soldiers—saving Wang Kaifeng was already impossible.

He only felt a sweetness in his throat, a tightness in his chest, and a sharp pain in his heart; with a "wah," he actually spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Hey! Old Wang, Old Wang! Quick, quick, send him to the hospital!" Seeing this, Division Chief Xu, watching Wang Guoqiang totter and turn deathly pale, hurriedly supported him.

"Uncle~" Wang Kaifeng heard the commotion, looked back, and let out a miserable cry, wanting to break free.

But he was held tightly by the two men on either side; if they let him break free, they might as well quit their jobs.

After a flurry of chaos, Wang Kaifeng was taken away by Zhang Dajun and Wang Guoqiang was sent to the hospital, finally settling things down.

Only Ning Weidong and Chu Zhongxin remained.

The two looked at each other, and Chu Zhongxin smiled and patted Ning Weidong on the shoulder: "Well done!"

Ning Weidong gave a chuckle, shook his head, and said: "Please don't praise me; these are all crooked paths. It's only because I'm young and have a low status that I can disregard the rules and find a loophole. This kind of thing can be done once, but not twice."

Actually, this was exactly what Chu Zhongxin had wanted to say next; he hadn't expected Ning Weidong to see things so clearly himself.

Originally, Chu Zhongxin had been worried that Ning Weidong would get a taste for this and be led astray.

Now there was no need to worry, so he said sternly: "Since you understand, I won't nag you."

Ning Weidong smiled and said: "Fourth Brother, then I'll head back first."

"Go on, go on~" Chu Zhongxin waved his hand, watching Ning Weidong go down the steps, meet up with Ning Wei, and take their bicycles away, his own heart filled with a complex mix of emotions.

He hadn't expected this to be the final result.

He had thought that with that old leader from above speaking up, this time he would have to let Wang Guoqiang fish Wang Kaifeng out.

There was no helping it; after all, the other side was willing to invest, sparing no cost to move that old leader.

Looking at Chu Zhongxin and Ning Weidong's side, neither the Wang Family nor the Zhao Family wanted to put up equivalent resources, so it wasn't surprising that they failed.

It was just unexpected that Ning Weidong would be so tough, directly pulling the firewood from under the cauldron.

But then again, couldn't Chu Zhongxin have thought of this? Of course Chu Zhongxin could have thought of it, but he couldn't do it.

Everything has a price.

That old leader had spoken, and what was at stake was the old leader's face.

This result now was equivalent to having one's face peeled off.

If this happened to Ning Weidong, one could say he was ignorant and young, and not hold it against him.

Taking a step back, even if the other side held onto it, what could they do to Ning Weidong?

Ning Weidong was at the Red Star Factory, with the Wang Family and Zhao Family above him, and Li Weibing blocking for him below.

Chu Zhongxin's position was different; he could not afford to make a mistake.

Therefore, this matter could only be done by Ning Weidong.

……

More than half an hour later, not yet nine o'clock, Ning Weidong and Ning Wei rode their bicycles back to the South Gate of the Red Star Factory.

"Leader!" Wu Bingzhong had sharp eyes; seeing the two from afar, he hurriedly stepped out of the guard room and stood at attention to salute.

Ning Weidong jumped off his bicycle and said with a smile, "Old Wu, not bad, you're looking quite spirited!"

In reality, Wu Bingzhong was not spirited at all; his face was covered in eye bags and dark circles.

He had barely slept last night, fearing that just as he had become the Squad Leader of the South Gate today, Wang Kaifeng would return.

He had been on pins and needles until just now.

Ning Weidong could guess his thoughts and said nonchalantly, "Rest assured, Wang Kaifeng won't be coming back!"

Ning Weidong's voice was not loud, but to Wu Bingzhong's ears, it sounded like a thunderclap, making him widen his eyes in disbelief.

Ning Weidong ignored his expression and pushed his bicycle straight inside.

Ning Wei, on the other hand, gave a chuckle, leaned his bicycle against the wall of the South Gate guard room, and without looking at the still-stunned Wu Bingzhong, pushed aside the door curtain and went in.

Wu Bingzhong came to his senses and hurriedly turned to follow him in.

The guard room at the South Gate was very spacious; besides a duty room, there were two inner suites. Usually, seven or eight people were on duty, but when visitors dropped by, there could be over a dozen.

Ning Wei went in, swept his gaze over the room, lifted his chin slightly, and shouted out of the blue, "Wang Kaifeng~ isn't coming back!"

His shout startled the dozen or so people inside, and only after a moment did they react, filled with disbelief.

Yesterday, rumors had spread through the factory that Wang Kaifeng was returning today, and not only that, but he would be promoted to become the legitimate Division Chief of the Security Division.

This had left many people feeling uneasy.

Now, this announcement from Ning Wei declared that everything was settled; from this day forward, there would be no such person as Wang Kaifeng in the Red Star Factory Security Division.

After the shock, those who leaned toward Wang Kaifeng all fell silent; they still held a glimmer of hope, thinking Ning Wei was just bluffing.

There were also those who were suspicious, because yesterday's rumors all said Wang Kaifeng would make a triumphant return early this morning.

It was already nine o'clock, and there had been no sign of him.

Instead, Ning Weidong and Ning Wei had just returned from outside; could it be that some new situation had arisen?

Their doubts were soon answered.

Ning Wei directly spilled the news about the theft of the massive fortune from Wang Kaifeng's home.

Some were surprised that Wang Kaifeng's family was actually so wealthy, while others realized that Wang Kaifeng was completely finished! Within the next half hour, the news about Wang Kaifeng spread throughout the factory.

Even the news of Wang Guoqiang vomiting blood and collapsing spread out.

……

On the fifth floor of the Factory Office, in Li Weibing's office.

Li Peihang came panting and crashed through the door: "Uncle, Wang Kaifeng... Wang Kaifeng, he..."

Li Weibing was smoking by the window; he turned his head to look, and without much emotion, said, "I know."

Li Peihang caught his breath and said quite excitedly, "And Wang Guoqiang, he was so angry he vomited blood!" After saying this, the pent-up frustration in his heart dissipated, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud: "I never thought it, I really never thought it, he actually managed to turn the tables!"

Li Weibing pursed his lips, knowing full well that Li Peihang was talking about Ning Weidong.

The image of that tall, thick-browed, big-eyed young man surfaced in his mind.

In his heart, however, he was pondering that from now on, the situation in the factory was likely to change completely.

——

Eight thousand words, please subscribe! (End of chapter)