Chapter 295

After Lin Dongfan and Yang Qing were arrested, it was like a single stone stirring up thousands of waves, causing panic. Whether it was Xu Liangyuan of the City Bureau or Provincial Department Chief Qi, they all fell into anxiety.

Initially, Chief Qi thought it was Xu Liangyuan who ordered the arrest.

Upon inquiry, he learned that Xu Liangyuan had never issued such an order; it was Gao Peng who directly commanded the Jinling Branch personnel, citing 'human life is paramount,' to arrest them immediately.

This matter left Chief Qi so vexed he couldn't sleep, and he rushed back to the province that night to find Lin Dongfan's father-in-law, Chu Jinsong.

The next morning.

Accompanied by Chu Jinsong, Chief Qi went to see Provincial Party Committee Secretary Jiang Huan tian.

In the office.

Jiang Huan tian evidently anticipated their purpose, and he said at once, 'You needn't say anything; handle Lin Dongfan and Yang Qing's case however you see fit.'

'Secretary Jiang, I have to say something today,' Chief Qi said solemnly. 'Lin Dongfan is the team leader dispatched by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, and Yang Qing is a member of our Provincial Department's task force. They are working together on the case—how could they possibly know the law and break it? Behind this, I suspect someone deliberately set a trap.'

'Whether they knew the law and broke it is not for you to say, nor for me to say; the evidence decides.'

Jiang Huan tian looked at Qi and Chu.

He paused briefly.

He continued: 'The surveillance at the Wang family's front gate shows that only Lin Dongfan and Yang Qing went to the Wang residence that night. After they entered, the surveillance failed—who cut the power line? After the surveillance went out, Yang Qing fired his gun and killed a dog, with bullet casings as evidence. Wang Minjuan is missing, her life or death unknown—this is also a fact.'

Chief Qi: '……!!!'

Chu Jinsong: '……!!!'

Seeing that Qi and Chu were speechless, Jiang Huan tian added with a sigh: 'I understand your feelings, but I hope you two can stay calm. Before this case is clarified, you cannot keep saying someone set a trap. If you, Chief Qi, keep insisting on that, how will the people below investigate the case?'

Hearing this, Chief Qi gave a bitter smile and said nothing.

He never imagined that raising a doubt would earn him Jiang Huan tian's criticism. As the head of a province, Jiang Huan tian, surely you can see that this is a trap set by Gao Peng and Wang Minjuan?

Chief Qi then turned his gaze to the silent Chu Jinsong.

Chu Jinsong smiled calmly: 'Secretary Jiang, Lin Dongfan and Yang Qing both come from the political and legal system and understand the importance of evidence. Especially Yang Qing, who has worked in criminal investigation in the public security organs for years, excelling in both investigation and counter-investigation. If he really intended to commit a crime, how could he leave evidence of having fired his gun at the scene? Moreover, he used his own police pistol.'

'The specific circumstances will be clarified by the investigators,' Jiang Huan tian said.

Chu Jinsong gave Jiang Huan tian a meaningful reminder: 'Secretary Jiang, I'm not saying this just because Lin Dongfan is my son-in-law. After all, he is an imperial envoy dispatched by the Anti-Corruption Bureau; a few important suspects have just been netted, yet our Jianglan Province has gone and arrested the imperial envoy. I worry that the superiors will mistakenly think our Jianglan is a den of collusion. Then it will truly be mud falling into one's pants—whether it's feces or not, it's still feces.'

"Secretary Jinsong, your concerns are not without reason." Jiang Huantian said that with his mouth, but then he gave a dismissive laugh: "But, the identity of an imperial envoy cannot be used as a talisman. Now Wang Minlei's life or death is unknown, and besides, there are bloodstains in her bedroom. This is a human life; how could we not investigate just because the person involved is an imperial envoy?"

Having fulfilled his duty to remind, Chu Jinsong said no more.

Isn't this just like riding a donkey to watch a play?

We'll see.

After returning to his office, Chu Jinsong immediately called Lin Zhenhua to personally report Lin Dongfan's arrest.

This matter greatly angered Lin Zhenhua, who was abroad on a visit.

Considering it inconvenient to intervene, Lin Zhenhua promptly called his elder sister Lin Yuzhi.

As soon as Lin Yuzhi learned of this, it was as if the whole family knew. She was lying on the living-room sofa with a face mask on, taking the call on speakerphone.

The old man who had been playing with his great-grandson suddenly lost interest in shaking the rattle drum.

He turned and scolded Lin Yuzhi: 'You're a menopausal woman over fifty—do you think slapping on a face mask every day will turn you back into eighteen? Hurry up and go to Jianglan!'

'What have I done to you? You just got the call a second ago, and the next second you're yelling at me.' Lin Yuzhi lay motionless on the sofa: 'If you try to force me to go, I certainly won't.'

"What have I done to provoke you? I just got the phone call a second ago, and the next second you're scolding me." Lin Yuzhi lay motionless on the sofa: "If you force me to go, I'll stubbornly refuse."

The old man looked left and right, but saw no sign of his whip.

The next moment, his sensible daughter-in-law Chu Lingxi promptly handed him his cane: 'Grandpa, be careful not to fall.'

'Watch the child, don't mind me!' the old man said, taking the cane and, a second later, striking Lin Yuzhi's leg with it: 'You've rebelled!'

He struck twice in quick succession, the third blow coming half a beat later.

Before the cane could come down, Lin Yuzhi had already jumped three feet and run to her own room.

All that could be heard from the room was her resentful roar: 'Chu Lingxi, are you afraid Grandpa will fall? You're handing him a weapon! I can forgive you for one foolish act, but for countless foolishness I'll keep it on the ledger, Grandma! Don't say I didn't warn you—when the day comes that I collect debts, I'll demand principal and interest together!'

All I could hear from the room was her resentful roar: "Chu Lingxi, are you afraid the old man will fall? You're handing him a weapon! I can forgive you for one stupid act, but for countless stupidities, I, the grandaunt, have noted them all in my ledger! Don't say I didn't warn you—when the day comes that I collect my dues, I'll definitely demand principal and interest together!"

The old man glared toward the bedroom, then turned to encourage Chu Lingxi: 'Women like her who can't marry won't ever run the household or have authority, so you needn't pay her any mind. If you really aren't at ease, go buy ten or eight whips, stash one wherever handy, and I'll whip her each time I see her.'

'Grandpa, that… isn't very proper,' Chu Lingxi said, smiling and showing two sweet little dimples.

From the room came Lin Yuzhi's voice again: 'Chu Lingxi, Chu Lingxi, you're simply hopelessly stupid. Now your husband has been arrested, and the whole family is counting on me to get him out. You not sucking up to me is bad enough, but you actually oppose me. Do you know what kind of behavior this is? You're calling the thief your father!'

From the room came Lin Yuzhi's voice again: "Chu Lingxi, Chu Lingxi, you're truly stupid beyond hope. Now your husband has been arrested, and the whole family is counting on me to get him out. You not only fail to curry favor with me, but you actually take the opposite stance. Do you know what kind of behavior this is? This is calling a thief your father!"

Upon hearing those words, the old man's eyes bulged wider than a bull's; he stormed over and angrily pounded the door: 'You've rebelled! Come out! Get out here……'

Upon hearing that word, the old man's eyes widened bigger than a bull's; he rushed over and angrily pounded on the door: "You've rebelled against heaven! Come out! Get out here……"

That terrifying fury frightened Chu Lingxi, who hurried forward to support him: 'Grandpa, Aunt Lin isn't scolding you; she's calling me stupid. Don't get angry—take care not to harm your health.'

'I'm fit to be tied—how did I end up raising such an ungrateful, worrisome daughter!' The old man, aided by Chu Lingxi, returned to the hall and sat down on the sofa.

Chu Lingxi quickly brought him a cup of water: 'Please have some water to calm yourself.'

'Still, my daughter-in-law is sensible—go about your business, I won't die.' The old man took a sip of water, then shouted toward the bedroom: 'Lin Yuzhi, I warn you—if anything happens to Dongfan, I won't spare you!'

'I'm going to Jianglan—don't I need to change clothes first? Why the rush?' Lin Yuzhi said disdainfully: 'Just wait and see; those scoundrels of Jianglan Province will soon be weeping and begging my grandnephew to show mercy.'

"I'm going to Jianglan, I gotta change clothes first, right? What's the rush?" Lin Yuzhi said disdainfully: "You just wait and see, those dog things in Jianglan Province will soon be bawling and begging my older nephew to show mercy."