Chapter 176: Game Rules: Better to Kill by Mistake Than Let Go

Du Ziteng hung up the phone.

Turning around, he looked at the middle-aged man in the study; although the man had been awakened from sleep by a sudden incident late at night and his complexion was not good, he was still dressed neatly, his hair meticulously slicked with hair wax, giving him an imposing presence even without anger.

Du Ziteng stood slightly leaning forward and said respectfully, "Wang Yiyuan, I have notified and instructed all parties; the people below will certainly do their best to search for and rescue Hou Mi."

Wang Yiyuan sat in a chair, gently wiping the lenses with a glasses cloth, his movements slow yet solemn, as if using this method to sort out his thoughts.

He pondered for a moment and asked, "Have you confirmed the identity of the kidnappers?"

Du Ziteng said in a deep voice, "According to the person who filed the report, the person who attacked Hou Mi wore a mask, and their face could not be seen, so it cannot be confirmed for the time being."

Wang Yiyuan: "How many attackers were there?"

Du Ziteng responded quickly: "There was only one attacker at the scene. According to the description of the person who filed the report, the Patrol Bureau has preliminarily judged that the attacker should be an adult male."

Wang Yiyuan softly said "oh," a complex expression flashing across his face, and said in a deep tone: "Could it be those people who did it?"

Du Ziteng's heart skipped a beat, and he said even more respectfully: "It cannot be determined yet, but I have already deployed personnel to closely monitor their movements, and so far no abnormal activity has been found."

Wang Yiyuan sighed and said emotionally: "Even before I was elected as a councilor, Hou Mi had been following me; it's been seven or eight years in the blink of an eye. He has been kidnapped, and I am now very worried about his life safety."

Wang Yiyuan paused for a moment, then said meaningfully: "I remember Hou Mi is also a pitiful person; his wife passed away a few years ago, and now he lives alone, with no relatives or companions?"

Du Ziteng lowered his head to look at the floor and answered seriously: "Indeed, Hou Mi's parents also passed away early, and he now lives alone. However, it is said that the owner of the La Mian Guan at the crime scene has a close relationship with Hou Mi."

Wang Yiyuan showed a look of doubt.

Du Ziteng immediately added an explanation: "The owner of that La Mian Guan is named Li Xiuwan, a divorced woman. Coincidentally, she looks very similar to Hou Mi's late wife. Today after Hou Mi got off work, he went to her shop to celebrate Li Xiuwan's birthday."

Wang Yiyuan gently put down the glasses cloth in his hand and asked: "Where is Li Xiuwan now?"

Du Ziteng answered: "Li Xiuwan is currently being detained by the Patrol Bureau and is under investigation."

Wang Yiyuan furrowed his brow and said in a heavy tone: "Investigation? At a time like this, must she endure extra terror? Hou Mi's life or death is unknown now; how can we let his beloved suffer rough treatment from the Patrol Bureau at this time!"

Du Ziteng's heart skipped a beat, feeling a chill, and he immediately responded:

"It was my subordinate's negligence; I will immediately send people to the Patrol Bureau to safely take Li Xiuwan out and ensure she is placed in an absolutely safe place. That way, once Hou Mi is successfully rescued, he can reunite with Li Xiuwan at the first opportunity."

Wang Yiyuan's expression eased slightly, but he still asked uneasily: "I remember the director of the Patrol Bureau is Wang Yilin, right?"

Du Ziteng whispered a correction: "Bureau Chief Wang died in the line of duty some time ago, and since then, the position of Patrol Bureau Director has remained vacant. Currently, a Special Commissioner sent from Upper City is temporarily presiding over the work."

Wang Yiyuan seemed to remember something and said with a solemn expression:

"How can this be? The position of Patrol Bureau Director is crucial; how can it remain vacant for a long time? Moreover, the Special Commissioner sent from Upper City should be inspecting and guiding the work; how can we add an extra burden to the Special Commissioner and overwork them?"

Du Ziteng nodded slightly, his expression solemn and serious, but in his heart he couldn't help but mutter:

"Remember before, you and the other councilors didn't say it like that."

"Back then, you clearly argued that since the Special Commissioner could effectively use the Patrol Bureau's resources, and Bureau Chief Wang unfortunately died in the line of duty, it would be better to let the Special Commissioner guide the Patrol Bureau's work; reported upwards, it would be the Special Commissioner voluntarily taking on heavy responsibility to help build the Nine Districts, a case of the capable doing more work."

Wang Yiyuan pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke, in a tone that seemed to consider the overall situation and every aspect:

"Under the current circumstances, directly holding a meeting to vote on an airborne appointment of a director is indeed not appropriate. How about this: you go directly to the Patrol Bureau to guide the work, and select a suitable candidate from within to promote as leader; this might more effectively advance the search and rescue of Hou Mi."

Du Ziteng understood Wang Yiyuan's meaning; this was to let him promote one of his own people from within the Patrol Bureau, or rather, his own "dog."

A name had already appeared in his Nao Hai.

He answered: "Understood; after I go there, I will promote the most suitable person from the Patrol Bureau as soon as possible."

Du Ziteng paused slightly, a hint of hesitation flashing between his brows, with some uncertainty in his voice: "It's just that I'm a little worried whether the other councilors will..."

Wang Yiyuan waved his hand dismissively and said with certainty:

"Hou Mi is my confidant; now his life or death is unknown, and the nature of the incident is still unclear. At this moment, if anyone dares to jump out and oppose me, it is undoubtedly actively pouring feces on themselves."

A hint of sharpness showed in his eyes as he continued:

"Before the situation is completely clear, keeping a distance and watching the changes is the wisest choice. I have dealt with them for so many years and know them well; none of them will choose to be the one who sticks their head out at such a critical moment."

"And if Hou Mi was really kidnapped by one of them, then this act has already broken our game rules, and he will even less likely jump out into the open at this time to arouse suspicion."

Wang Yiyuan chuckled twice, his laughter carrying a hint of coldness and mockery:

"If such a thing really happens, hehe—, there is no need for us to exert any effort; everyone will join forces to put him in a dead zone."

Du Ziteng suddenly realized, and he gained a deeper insight into the complex game rules among the councilors of the Nine District Executive Government.

He understood that some sinister and cunning methods could only be used under the table, while on the table, everyone must abide by those game rules.

The higher a person's position, the more carefully they need to maintain these rules; they cannot cross the line, otherwise they will incur everyone's fear and attack.

Wang Yiyuan glanced at Du Ziteng; among the few secretaries under him, the one who had followed him the longest and whom he appreciated the most was Hou Wendong; compared to the other secretaries, they were still a bit lacking.

If Hou Wendong and Du Ziteng's positions were switched, facing the current situation, where would there be a need for him to waste so many words to give pointers.

At the moment the incident broke out, Hou Wendong must have already acted quickly, gone to the Patrol Bureau to deploy, and planted and promoted his own confidants; at the same time, he would definitely use the toughest attitude to transfer Du Ziteng's relatives to safety, and before reporting to himself, he would try his best to control the situation from continuing to deteriorate.

Wang Yiyuan sighed deeply and said firmly and heavily: "We must order the Patrol Bureau to do their best, at any cost, and must find Hou Mi's whereabouts."

Du Ziteng remained silent, as if quietly listening, and more so waiting for Wang Yiyuan's next words.

"Do everything possible to rescue Hou Mi, but if the kidnappers make excessive demands, then let Hou Mi leave with dignity; after all, as a councilor of the Nine District Executive Government, I will absolutely never bow and submit to any evil forces."

Du Ziteng raised his head, looking at the cold light faintly refracted under Wang Yiyuan's glasses, and could only respond indifferently: "Yes."

Wang Yiyuan put away the coldness on his face and said gently: "You handle the disposal at the first scene; I give you the power to handle things flexibly according to the urgency of the matter; rest assured and do it boldly. If Hou Mi is gone, in the future I will rely on you the most; don't let me down."

Du Ziteng felt a chill rise from his spine, his scalp slightly numb, with fear and surprise intertwined in his heart.

He took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, bowed ninety degrees, accepted the order, and left quickly.

After Du Ziteng left, Wang Yiyuan slowly opened the desk drawer, took out an old mobile phone, and then inserted a brand new phone card.

His movements were skilled and fast, as if such operations had been repeated countless times.

Then he calmly entered a string of numbers and dialed out. The call was quickly connected on the other end, but no one answered.

"Activate the No. 4 Emergency Plan; clean up all the loose ends on the two lines that Hou Wendong has touched."

"Although the nature of the incident is temporarily unclear, but, better to kill by mistake than let go; we must carry out necessary self-cleansing before the situation possibly worsens further."

A cold voice echoed faintly in the study...

(End of Chapter)