Chapter 257: Life or Death Decided Within Hours

Gao Peng retreated, full of resentment.

On the way back to the Municipal Party Committee Office.

Furious, he called Qian Munye of the High-tech Zone Public Security Bureau about one matter, ordering him to make Li Chunyan confess within 24 hours.

One detail of this call cannot be ignored: Gao Peng bypassed Xu Liangyuan of the City Bureau.

Before this, whenever it involved public security matters, Gao Peng always talked with Xu Liangyuan of the City Bureau; it would have been impossible for him to bypass Xu Liangyuan and directly order the sub-bureau.

Today he bypassed Xu Liangyuan.

This means he has lost trust in Xu Liangyuan and even suspects him of leaking the news; otherwise, how would Lin Dongfan know that he had issued a death order to Qian Munye?

The special car sped along the road, and Gao Peng's emotions remained unsettled for Along time.

Unable to hold back, he complained to Jiang Huailiang, the Municipal Party Committee Secretary sitting beside him: "The entire political and legal system of Nanzhou now simply lacks organization and discipline!"

"Secretary Gao, calm down; things aren't that bad."

Jiang Huailiang spoke agreeably, but inside he felt a myriad of emotions, deeply sensing that Nanzhou's political ecology had indeed undergone a subtle change.

The head of political and legal affairs, Luo Xiang, actually confronted Gao Peng with opposing views.

Xu Liangyuan of the City Bureau was secretly undermining Gao Peng.

Chang Ming of the Procuratorate went even further, actually resigning out of fear.

In the entire political and legal system, only Court President Wan Weimin had not yet opposed Gao Peng, but which side Old Wan truly sits on is known only to himself.

Given the current situation, Gao Peng, as Municipal Party Committee Secretary, indeed feels stifled.

Jiang Huailiang deeply knew that Gao Peng was engaged in a time battle with Lin Dongfan, and also knew that Gao Peng feared that if he lost this battle, he would not be able to protect his younger sister, Gao Lu.

But there was no way to give Gao Peng advice or strategies.

Gao Peng's "forceful protection of his sister" ultimately touches the legal bottom line, and Jiang Huailiang also worries that getting too involved would bring trouble upon himself.

Jiang Huailiang reminded Gao Peng: "Secretary Gao, regarding the ethylene warehouse explosion, I personally suggest reporting it to the provincial level as soon as possible. Today you had such a fierce conflict with Secretary Luo; if you don't report it, he will. Since paper can't contain fire, it's better to take the initiative than to suffer passively."

"I have this under control."

Gao Peng, with pent-up frustration and nowhere to vent, rolled down the car window to blow in the cool air.

Ethylene warehouse explosion: four dead, five injured!

If this were truthfully reported to the provincial level, the provincial department would likely send a special investigation team to Nanzhou to thoroughly investigate the accident—a result Gao Peng most wants to avoid.

Gao Peng plans to delay another 24 hours.

After Qian Munye of the High-tech Zone Public Security Bureau settles Li Chunyan's case, he will directly submit the "investigation report" to the provincial level, at which point the provincial department will have no need to send a special team to Nanzhou.

Considering the urgency of the matter.

Although he had just called Qian Munye of the High-tech Zone Public Security Bureau, Gao Peng still felt uneasy.

Gao Peng ordered the driver: "Turn around, go to the High-tech Zone Public Security Bureau."

After all, he's still racing against time, imagining that if Li Chunyan confesses, he will then find a way to inform Zhao Lianyue, who will surely clench his teeth and refuse to confess.

But Gao Peng didn't know that Lin Dongfan would never give him a chance to exploit a loophole.

Clear Lake Guesthouse.

Room 404.

When Lin Dongfan pushed open the door, a strong blast of cold air hit him—how refreshing!

However, Zhao Lianyue in the room certainly wasn't feeling refreshed; Lin Dongfan had taken away the blankets and sheets, leaving him in only a thin short-sleeve T-shirt, enduring a day and night.

"Ha... achoo!..."

Sneezes sounded one after another in the room.

Zhao Lianyue curled up on the bed like a hedgehog, tightly hugging his arms, the goosebumps on his skin rising from the cold.

Lin Dongfan took a glance and asked in surprise: "Director Zhao, little brother sees you shivering all over, sneezing nonstop, with a runny clear nose—could you have caught a chill?"

"Thanks to your misdeeds, I won't die just yet!"

Zhao Lianyue blew his nose hard.

The clear nasal discharge that came out bore bubbles, and his distressed expression was plainly visible on his face.

From last night until now, he has repeated this action who knows how many times; his nostrils are red from blowing, and after blowing his nose he wipes it directly onto the mattress without any tissue.

"As long as he's not dead, take him to the interrogation room."

Lin Dongfan waved his hand, and the accompanying prosecutorial officers immediately handcuffed Zhao Lianyue and took him to the makeshift interrogation room.

Today, the ones in charge of interrogating Zhao Lianyue are still Lin Dongfan and Jian Sining.

Jian Sining disliked Zhao Lianyue flinging his nasal discharge everywhere, finding it disgusting, so she placed a pack of tissues in front of him: "Please pay attention to hygiene."

"Now you talk about hygiene—what were you doing earlier?" he said, blowing his nose again and tossing the tissue he used onto the interrogation table.

He intentionally disgusted Jian Sining and Lin Dongfan.

Lin Dongfan smirked: "Your willpower is still quite strong; after freezing all night, you still have the energy to argue with me."

"As for willpower, it's so-so; more than enough to deal with you." Zhao Lianyue said: "I advise you not to waste your time on me."

Jian Sining said sternly: "Earlier you claimed your several million in assets of unknown origin came from your wife selling meat. We've already summoned your wife, and she denied it—yet you still want to quibble?"

Zhao Lianyue replied righteously: "Selling meat is a shameful thing; of course she wouldn't admit it. But her not admitting it doesn't mean she didn't sell meat. If she didn't sell meat, where would our family get so much money?"

"Stubborn-mouthed."

Lin Dongfan smiled faintly and did not pursue the matter further.

Because there's no need to pursue it further.

His wife, Bai Yulian, when walking her dog, always puts a pure gold collar on it to prove she is a person of social standing and very concerned about her reputation.

Bai Yulian learned that Zhao Lianyue, conscienceless as he is, actually claimed she made money selling meat.

Her temper exploded on the spot; without Jian Sining and others pressing her step by step, she immediately confessed to all her illegal income over the years.

Now, regardless of whether Zhao Lianyue confesses or not, imprisonment is unavoidable.

Lin Dongfan placed the key he had found earlier in the Management Committee Office on the table, his eyes fixed on Zhao Lianyue's reaction: "This key, which door does it open?"

Zhao Lianyue, who had been relatively calm, became nervous and restless the moment he saw the key.

Like a mute.

"Speak!"

Lin Dongfan suddenly slapped the table with a palm.

With a loud bang, Zhao Lianyue shuddered all over, shaking out a lump of clear nasal mucus.

Zhao Lianyue quickly grabbed a tissue to blow his nose: "Before, my family's garage had a rolling shutter door installed; later I found it troublesome and removed it, so this key is useless now—that's all."

"Zhao Lianyue, you truly don't know what's good for you." Lin Dongfan frowned regretfully: "I gave you a chance to come clean voluntarily, but you refused; you will die by stupidity."

"I haven't done anything; what do you want me to confess? Stop threatening me." Nasal mucus flowing nonstop, Zhao Lianyue grabbed two more tissues and blew his nose hard.

Lin Dongfan couldn't be bothered to waste words with him.

He picked up his phone to call Zhang Yong: "Captain Zhang, I need to take Zhao Lianyue somewhere; please bring a reliable team to escort us."

Before Lin Dongfan could finish, Zhao Lianyue's face turned deathly pale from fright.

Zhao Lianyue panicked and asked: "You… you want to take me where? Surname Lin, I'm not going anywhere today! If you push me too far, I'll die right in front of you! I'll bite my tongue to kill myself…"

"You've watched too many brainless TV dramas? Just go ahead and bite."

Lin Dongfan gave a light smile; Zhao Lianyue instantly felt like crying but had no tears, even his lips trembling.

Regarding the matter of biting one's tongue to commit suicide.

After thinking it over, Zhao Lianyue also felt the feasibility was low.

Not to mention humans' limited bite force; even if one could actually bite off the tongue, at most it would cause a nervous faint from extreme pain, the probability of dying directly from the pain is almost negligible.