Chapter 306: Everyone Feels Endangered

Early morning.

Lin Dongfan was awakened by the thoughtful little junior sister; his eyes still wouldn't fully open, his limbs felt weak, and he was terribly thirsty.

Last night he got drunk, not caring about his image.

He thought Mayor Dong was a Confucian scholar, but didn't expect him to be a drunkard, seriously underestimating his alcohol tolerance, and got completely plastered.

When the gathering ended, they slung arms over each other's shoulders and bragged, almost becoming sworn brothers on the spot.

"What's this…?"

Lin Dongfan rubbed the sleep from his eyes, looked at the little junior sister Jian Sining sitting on the bedside, seeing her flushed complexion, he couldn't help feeling a bit apprehensive.

His memory was quite hazy.

He only remembered staggering back to the hotel last night, asking the front desk for a glass of water, then sitting in the hotel lobby to rest, originally intending to sober up, but he fell asleep while trying to stay awake.

How he later returned to his room, he has no recollection whatsoever.

Lin Dongfan lifted the blanket to check; his red underpants were still on, but that was all he was wearing—his trousers and white shirt had vanished.

Lin Dongfan anxiously asked Jian Sining: "Last night, was it you who helped me upstairs?"

"What else? Your mouth must be dry—have some water first." Jian Sining picked up the prepared cup of brown sugar water and handed it to Lin Dongfan; brown sugar water replenishes energy.

Such thoughtful service, so thoughtful that Lin Dongfan inexplicably felt guilty.

Lin Dongfan propped himself up on the mattress, leaning against the headboard: "Last night…… I didn't have a 'Wushan cloud and rain' dream, did I? I can't recall…"

"What dream you had, how would I know?"

Jian Sining blushed embarrassed, turned her head aside, feeling too shy to look directly at Lin Dongfan's eyes.

The phrase "Wushan cloud and rain" is a mythological allusion referring to King Xiang of Chu, who longed for the goddess of Wushan, entwining with her in dreams each night, overturning clouds and rain.

Such a lewd beautiful dream, just thinking about it makes Jian Sining blush.

The redder her face grew, the more dazed Lin Dongfan became—could he really have made a mistake last night? Alcohol is a poison that pierces the intestines, lust is a blade that scrapes the bones; no wonder he feels drained and weak.

His throat was also very dry.

Lin Dongfan gulped down the entire cup of brown sugar water, set the cup back on the bedside table, and retorted: "Next time, please keep your composure; don't take advantage of someone's vulnerability."

"???"

Jian Sining stared at Lin Dongfan in a daze, and after two seconds of bewilderment she suddenly realized, as if a huge black pot had smashed down on her.

"I took care of you all night, made you brown sugar water early this morning—is that not being composed? Senior brother, don't think that just because you're the boss you can keep passing the buck."

Jian Sining pursed her lips with a resentful expression.

Lin Dongfan lifted the blanket, pointed confidently at his red underpants, and said: "You took them off without my consent; I'm stating the facts, truly not blaming you…"

"!!!"

A sideways glance showed Jian Sining's pretty cheeks quickly flushing and heating up.

She got up, turned her back to Lin Dongfan, and replied embarrassedly: "Who… who took off your pants? If I'd known you were so improper, last night I would have…"

"You would… what?"

Lin Dongfan wondered, "You still want to castrate me? Don't flatter yourself—you don't have the guts."

Castration is definitely out of the question.

What Jian Sining really wanted to say was, "If I'd known you were so improper, I shouldn't have restrained myself! Whether I'm restrained or not, you'll label me a hypocrite anyway, so why suffer in silence?"

But she dared only to think those words, not speak them.

Once spoken aloud,

it would become truly improper—no amount of jumping into the Yellow River could wash it clean.

Jian Sining huffed and reminded: "Can't be bothered to argue with you—hurry up and get up. The special car has arrived downstairs; everyone's waiting for you. Today we're escorting Gao Peng and others back to Wuzhou."

"Don't be angry—although you went against a man's will, I don't blame you."

"!!!"

Jian Sining slumped her shoulders in despair, thinking this black pot couldn't be shaken off; the self-satisfied senior brother would never realize how shameless he is.

Nor is it his fault.

Someone as handsome and wealthy as him, with a red family pedigree, is naturally a delicacy in the eyes of countless women; every day they rack their brains trying to sneak into his bed, from political circles to the entertainment industry.

"I'm not angry, not at all angry—hurry up and come down."

Jian Sining walked out of the room with her head down, listless.

She casually closed the door.

Seeing her aggrieved look, Lin Dongfan couldn't help shaking his head and sighing: "Sigh… she's so psychologically fragile, it's just two criticisms—I didn't even ask her to take responsibility for me…"

Quite dizzy.

Lin Dongfan supported his forehead to clear his head.

He thought it'd be better to quit drinking—alcohol isn't good; every time he drinks, something goes wrong, the key being his mind goes blank, unable to recall any pleasant Wushan memories.

He got up, dressed, and washed up briefly.

By the time he went downstairs it was already nine a. m.; the anti-corruption task force and the Provincial Department task force were present, and everyone had already escorted Gao Peng, Zhao Lianyue, Qian Muye, Wang Anping, Gao Lu, and others onto the vehicle.

Lin Dongfan poked his head out and noticed one person missing from the vehicle—Wang Minjuan.

So he pulled Director Qi aside to ask: "Last night, wasn't Wang Minjuan apprehended?"

Bringing up the matter, Director Qi's face filled with regret: "Forget it—last night we urgently sealed all the city's outbound routes, yet she still got away; someone was covering for her."

"Who would dare so brazenly?" Lin Dongfan wondered.

Director Qi pondered and replied: "We still can't confirm the other party's identity; I suspect it's the elusive G Mr. who appears and disappears like a dragon. He's a political fixer, and this isn't the first time he's helped someone flee."

Hmm, let's head back to Wuzhou first and discuss later.

Speaking of that elusive G Mr., Lin Dongfan's mind was full of question marks—he simply couldn't guess the other party's origins; he'd need to investigate thoroughly, which isn't something that can be resolved overnight.

The convoy slowly set off, arriving in Wuzhou already at noon.

When it was four o'clock in the afternoon.

Officials at the county level and above in Jianglan Province also arrived one after another in the provincial capital Wuzhou to attend the hastily convened warning education meeting on rectifying conduct and discipline.

The meeting was personally presided over by Jiang Huan Tian.

Lin Dongfan, representing the Anti-Corruption Bureau, was invited to go on stage and speak.

The content of the speech was nothing but clichés.

Lin Dongfan stood on the stage, scanning the audience; what interested him more was the expressions and reactions of the officials below, many of whom were in a state of sitting on pins and needles, unable to hide their panic and unease.

From the Provincial Committee Secretary Xia Chaosheng up to the Prosecutor General Liu Yishou of the Provincial Procuratorate, everyone was nervous; even the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Committee and Secretary of the Provincial Political and Legal Committee Feng Weishan had a face that grew extremely solemn.

Being nervous is appropriate.

If you weren't nervous, then I, this imperial envoy, would be nothing but a decoration.

Toward the end of the speech.

Lin Dongfan emphasized his anti-corruption resolve:

Our bureau's task force will, starting today, be stationed at the Jianglan Provincial Procuratorate to handle cases.

I hope some of those present will voluntarily surrender and confess their problems, rather than stubbornly resist like Gao Peng.

Although the motherland's land is vast, it will not give corrupt elements even a foothold!

That's all I have to say.

Thank you all for patiently listening to me speak so much.

When Lin Dongfan's speech concluded, one could say everyone felt personally threatened, the atmosphere grew extremely solemn; this solemn and silent scene lasted a full four or five seconds.

Only when Jiang Huan Tian led the applause did the venue erupt in warm applause.

But Jiang Huan Tian's complexion was not good.

After the meeting adjourned, Jiang Huan Tian kept Chu Jinsong back for questioning: "Jinsong, didn't I ask you to communicate with Lin Dongfan? What's going on today? He seems to want to use the whole province as a cutting board."

"Secretary Jiang," Chu Jinsong gave an embarrassed laugh: "I communicated about this matter, but it was useless. He said the Anti-Corruption Bureau wants him to be stationed there to handle cases, and the Provincial Committee hasn't received any notice?"

That final question was like a soul-striking blow, leaving Jiang Huan Tian speechless.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau's task force wants to be stationed in Jianglan, yet as the top official of the Provincial Committee I haven't even received notice! It seems this time we can't just rely on Lin Dongfan staying calm; I, Jiang Huan Tian, also need to stay calm.

Without a doubt, the bureau intends to root out the Zou family's forces.

Having thought this through in silence.

Jiang Huantian solemnly instructed Chu Jinsong: "Secretary Jinsong, find some time to arrange this; I want to personally talk with Lin Dongfan about the Jiang Lan issue."