Chapter 305: From now on, Fan Ye is the center

Nanzhou City.

Section Chief Huang of the Jiling Sub-bureau escorted Gao Peng to the Qinghu Guest House for handover with Peng Tianhua. Peng Tianhua showed Gao Peng the arrest warrant from the Supreme Procuratorate, and Gao Peng's heart turned to ashes on the spot.

Meanwhile.

Accompanied by Lin Dongfan and others, Lin Yuzhi finished the memorial rites and returned to the urban area already past six in the evening.

Since Gao Peng's arrest, Mayor Dong Chengshi took over the reception duties.

Mayor Dong Chengshi's conduct gives the impression of being neither boastful nor eager to steal the limelight; everywhere he displays the refined manners of a scholar.

At seven o'clock in the evening, Mayor Dong Chengshi held a banquet at the Municipal Party Committee guesthouse, following the "not exceeding the standard" guideline.

The main guest was Lin Yuzhi.

Those accompanying him were Lin Dongfan, Section Chief Qi of the Provincial Public Security Department, Luo Xiang, secretary of the Nanzzhou Municipal Political and Legal Affairs Commission, Xu Liangyuan, chief of the Municipal Public Security Bureau, and the leaders of the Culture and Tourism Bureau and the Veterans Affairs Bureau.

Wang Xiaosheng of the Municipal Party Committee's Propaganda Department has been suspended pending investigation for falsifying the monument.

Waiting for the dishes to be served.

Mayor Dong Chengshi solemnly set the tone: "General Lin, today you have come to our Nanzhou to commemorate the loyal martyrs entrusted with the orphaned, adding another brilliant legendary chapter to our city's annals, which is an honor for our Nanzhou. Today, on behalf of Nanzhou's nine million residents, and also on behalf of the late Mr. Lin Xu Chang beneath the nine springs, I have prepared a modest toast to thank you."

Saying this, Mayor Dong Chengshi rose personally to pour wine for Lin Yuzhi.

The attentive waiter also poured drinks for the others present; certainly no one else was worthy of the mayor's personal hospitality.

After the glasses were filled.

Mayor Dong Chengshi humorously invited Lin Yuzhi to speak: "General Lin, you are a peerless national hero, a peerless beauty who shakes the world—say a few words."

"Mayor Dong, as a man of letters, you speak eloquently." Talking and laughing, Lin Yuzhi turned her gaze to Lin Dongfan beside her: "Dongfan, you speak a couple of sentences for me."

Upon hearing this, everyone present turned their eyes to Lin Dongfan, awaiting solemnly.

They are all old oil hands in officialdom.

Everyone could see that Lin Yuzhi was trying to establish authority for Lin Dongfan, telling those present: from now on, Lin Dongfan will be the spokesperson for our Lin family—keep your eyes peeled!

Now Lin Dongfan is no stranger to big scenes—he has taken down bureau-level officials, department-level officials, and when he drew the forty-meter-long anti-corruption greatsword, it shocked the whole province.

Stage fright? Impossible.

Lin Dongfan rose and said: "First, I must thank the Nanzhou municipal government for recording my grandfather Lin Xu Chang's deeds in the city annals, which will now be remembered in history."

Upon hearing this, Mayor Dong Chengshi, who had facilitated this, smiled sheepishly: "This is what we ought to do."

"Mayor Dong, you've handled this splendidly," Lin Dongfan praised with a laugh, then continued: "Today's theme is commemorating the martyrs and promoting red culture. I won't waste words—digressing would be a great disrespect to the martyrs. I propose we all raise our glasses, first to those predecessors who held the nation's great cause close to their hearts. Without their sacrifice of life and limb, there would be no today's peaceful prosperous age. May the strong liquor honor the martyrs; may their spirit never perish."

Who says Fan Ye is a brute?

When Fan Ye gets serious, he is utterly earnest, completely keeping pace with the main theme; under his call, everyone present raised their cups in unison.

Mayor Dong emphasized: "Section Chief Lin spoke well—may the strong liquor honor the martyrs, may their spirit never perish!"

Saying this, he turned and poured the wine onto the ground.

Everyone followed suit.

Regardless of whether the martyrs beneath the nine springs can drink it, the ritual must not be omitted.

At this moment Lin Yuzhi also showed a satisfied smile, mainly discovering that her grandnephew had mastered the core skill of gauging propriety, not wasting the deep foundation of the sect.

"Everyone, don't stand on ceremony, sit." Lin Yuzhi picked up her chopsticks, smiling at the full table of dishes: "The last time I came to Nanzhou was over ten years ago; speaking of it, I really miss your local specialties."

"General Lin, try this beauty's liver—it's a local specialty, the texture is good."

Section Chief Qi, who had never had a chance to interject, acted swiftly, quickly moving that plate of beauty's liver in front of Lin Yuzhi.

Lin Yuzhi laughed: "Really? Let me try it."

This enthusiastic scene made Lin Dongfan instantly recall episodes of weeping at graves, tilling fields, and drinking poison to commit suicide.

He couldn't help but want to laugh.

Fortunately, this Section Chief Qi is not the same as the Section Chief Qi in the TV drama; although their fates share some similarities, their life paths are not entirely identical.

Lin Dongfan asked with interest, smiling: "Section Chief Qi, do you have a classmate called Monkey?"

"How do you know?"

Section Chief Qi smiled faintly, but left Lin Dongfan looking bewildered.

Just joking around, he actually does have an old classmate named Monkey? Holy smokes! Section Chief Qi is born with a dark Yintang, destined for terrible luck.

Lin Dongfan wondered: "Where does he work now?"

"The circus." Section Chief Qi, seeing Lin Dongfan's doubtful expression, added with a laugh: "If Monkey doesn't work at the circus, where else could he work?"

"Section Chief Qi, you're just messing with me."

Lin Dongfan suddenly realized, after the fact, that Section Chief Qi was just joking.

Section Chief Qi laughed: "It was you who started teasing me; if my classmate is Monkey, then what are you? You're taking a roundabout way to insult me—I can't fall into a pit."

"I meant Monkey as a nickname for a person—I really wasn't insulting anyone," Lin Dongfan said with an embarrassed laugh.

Section Chief Qi shook his head: "There's no such person."

"All right then, let's cooperate happily." Lin Dongfan raised his cup in a toast.

Section Chief Qi had just clinked his cup, hadn't even taken a sip, when his phone rang. Seeing it was Yang Qing calling, he hastily set down his glass: "I'll take this call."

"Mm."

Lin Dongfan drank a cup himself.

Less than two minutes later, after finishing the call, Section Chief Qi returned to the restaurant with a grave expression to bid farewell: "Everyone, something has come up at the scene; I can't stay today, I must leave first."

"Section Chief Qi, what's the matter? So urgent." Luo Xiang, the secretary sensitive to political and legal affairs, sharply asked: "Is it about the arrest of Wang Minjuan?"

"Exactly that."

Section Chief Qi nodded and explained to those present: "The brothers who intercepted Wang Minjuan at the airport failed; they were all beaten up. Yang Qing led a pursuit but couldn't catch her; I must immediately set up a dragnet."

Upon hearing this, everyone present broke out in a cold sweat.

Luo Xiang sighed: "Wang Minjuan really is no ordinary person—so many criminal police couldn't catch him."

Lin Dongfan said, "She inherited her father's martial arts from a young age; at sixteen, she single-handedly knocked over a dozen yellow-haired youths in a KTV, coming out unscathed—ordinary people can't even get close to her."

"Should we get military help to catch them?" Lin Yuzhi asked Director Qi.

Director Qi smiled sheepishly and said, "Let Lieutenant General Lin laugh at us—this minor matter shouldn't alarm the military. You go ahead and eat; I'll deploy some surveillance for the pursuit."

After Director Qi left, Lin Yuzhi glanced at Lin Dongfan's reaction.

Lin Dongfan seemed worried.

Lin Yuzhi asked, "Are you worried about your brother Yang Qing's safety?"

"No, I'm afraid… forget it, let's drink." Lin Dongfan hesitated back and forth; in front of so many officials, it wasn't convenient to speak, so he finally decided to keep his worries to himself.

That guy Yang Qing is sly; he won't easily risk his life—nothing to worry about.

What Lin Dongfan really worries about is Wang Minning.

Wang Minning hasn't done anything wrong, but she's been dragged along by family ties with Wang Minjuan in their flight; if the two sides clash, she might easily get caught in crossfire and killed.

He thought it over for a while.

Lin Dongfan pulled out his phone and sent a message to Director Qi: "Don't hurt Wang Minning; she's innocent."