Chapter 409

Lin Dongfan smiled and explained: "Director Zhang, I asked Director Han to come along. In warfare, having more friends is better than having more enemies. He might be able to help you at a critical moment."

With Lin Dongfan's backing, Han Zhang got carried away: "Did you hear that? I'm your comrade, not your enemy; from now on, stop trying to pin the blame on me."

That sounded quite reasonable.

But that wasn't the kind of comrade Zhang Yinlan wanted; she gave Han Zhang a cold stare, then completely ignored this fatty over a hundred jin, fixing her gaze on Lin Dongfan.

Please have Lin Dongfan take a seat, then call the waiter to bring a few cups of coffee.

Before the coffee arrived.

She had already impatiently gotten to the point: "Director Fan, I won't beat around the bush. I know the fishermen's disturbance this time was instigated by you behind the scenes. At the same time, I understand you don't really want to cause trouble; you just want to solve the problem. You merely hope the fishermen's livelihood issue will draw attention from our civil affairs unit."

Today was the first time Lin Dongfan met Zhang Yinlan.

Before this, his knowledge of Zhang Yinlan mainly came from the intelligence investigation team's reports, which called her the Iron Lady of Haishan, combining beauty and decisiveness.

Unexpectedly, she speaks quite politely and is very reasonable.

Lin Dongfan nodded in relief: "Director Zhang, you're indeed a sensible person. You're right; I just want to help those fishermen find a livelihood. The fishing ban came down from the sky, which is tantamount to cutting off their livelihood."

Eh, our Lord Fan always puts on an air of utter selflessness.

Actually, he's no saint; while helping the fishermen, he's also secretly using them as tools for anti-corruption.

But he would never admit that.

Zhang Yinlan obviously couldn't see Lin Dongfan's true identity and nature; she simply thought he was a wealthy businessman, a dragon crossing the river, wanting to suppress the local tyrant of Haishan.

She then turned her sights on Han Zhang: "As the head of the Ocean and Fisheries Bureau, how do you think this fishing ban should be lifted?"

"!!!"

Han Zhang frowned glumly, thinking, "You guys are tearing each other apart, and I'm getting hit by stray bullets? Following Director Fan here, sure enough, nothing good comes of it."

Han Zhang collected himself.

He responded righteously: "I declare again, the fishing ban is an order from above, and I truly have nothing to do with it, not even half a cent. The fishermen are people too; several hundred in the village need to eat and support their families. I, Han, could never do something as ruthless as extermination. I'm afraid of divine retribution, really."

Upon hearing that, Lin Dongfan couldn't help but chuckle: "So you're also afraid of divine retribution? This is really damn novel."

Zhang Yinlan, meanwhile, wore a look of indignation.

"Han Zhang, you're the head of the Ocean and Fisheries Bureau, and you issued this fishing ban!"

"Now you casually toss out a line saying it's got nothing to do with you."

"So this really has nothing to do with you?"

"Don't be so shameless!"

"It's obvious someone wants to use the fishing ban as a pretext to force the fishermen to sign demolition agreements! You clearly know there's a shady agenda behind it, yet you still follow the order!"

"Disregarding the fishermen's lives, you're nothing but an accomplice!"

This furious, sharp criticism truly didn't treat Han Zhang as a bureau chief. Everyone is a Division Level official; no one has the right to point fingers at each other.

In Haishan's official circles, probably only Zhang Yinlan dares to openly scold a peer bureaucrat.

And after being scolded bloody, still being able to strike a pose of "say whatever you want, I don't care"—only Han Zhang can reach that state of mind.

One is genuinely angry, the other is genuinely shameless.

Han Zhang replied dismissively: "The superior's directive is to implement safe production work. Whether in terms of awareness or procedure, there's not a single flaw."

Zhang Yinlan angrily retorted: "Safe production? Then why wasn't it checked before, and why only now? You surnamed Han, stop deceiving yourself here!"

"Do you not understand human speech?" Han Zhang answered calmly: "I've made it perfectly clear—it's not that I don't know how dark this scheme is; it's because this scheme wears a label of upright compliance. Even if I know it's a pit, I have to jump in, because I have no room to question."

Seeing Zhang Yinlan's anger not subsiding, she seemed to want to keep fighting.

Lin Dongfan quickly urged: "Let's both say a bit less; mutual blame won't solve anything." As he spoke, the waiter brought over the coffee.

Zhang Yinlan is a tough one—she drinks her coffee without sugar!

Lin Dongfan couldn't help but laugh again: "Only by enduring the bitterest hardship can one rise above others. Director Zhang, with your daring spirit to face difficulties, I'm sure you can overcome this hurdle."

"Don't give me a false praise," Zhang Yinlan scoffed. "You're not exactly an upstanding person either; this was originally the Fisheries Bureau's business, yet you goaded the fishermen into causing a ruckus at the Civil Affairs Bureau. I've been innocently caught in the crossfire, and it's all your doing. If it weren't for your good intentions, I wouldn't let you off this time."

"The more capable, the more work," Lin Dongfan teased with a grin. "Mainly because you're more competent than Director Han, so I can only trouble you to step up and lead everyone to win this battle."

Although Zhang Yinlan said she didn't like false praise, hearing Lin Dongfan's shameless flattery still dissipated more than half of her anger.

As for this cup of bitter coffee in her hand, she didn't find it that bitter.

What truly gives her a headache is that Guo Lichun is a tough person to deal with! If the Dragon King Zheng Canghai is the local tyrant of Haishan, then Guo Lichun is a professional snake breeder!

Guo Lichun climbed from a lowly auditor to his current high position.

In Haishan Shi he's worked steadily for decades, with all kinds of connections tangled and entrenched, covering the sky with one hand! He's not only the local emperor in the eyes of comrades, but also the godfather in the eyes of the underworld.

The former director of the Provincial Anti-Corruption Bureau, Liang Wei, died in a "car accident" shortly after arriving in Haishan City.

That incident also sounded an alarm for Zhang Yinlan—if she directly confronts Guo Lichun, an accident could happen at any moment, putting her life at risk!

This is also the main reason she arranged today's meeting with Lin Dongfan.

She set down her coffee, fixed her gaze on Lin Dongfan sitting opposite: "Director Fan, let me be frank—I currently lack a sense of security. I've heard your bodyguards are formidable; could you lend me two? To ensure my personal safety. If you can help me with this, I'll have the confidence to meet Guo Lichun face-to-face."

"Actually, you have a better option," Lin Dongfan said.

Zhang Yinlan questioned: "A better option? I've never heard of it."

Lin Dongfan gently stirred the milk foam in his coffee with a spoon: "Your rank isn't enough; even a head-on clash probably wouldn't yield results. Why not go see Yu Huacheng? In a showdown, you need to size up your opponent and pick a matched PK."

"That's not a bad idea," Han Zhuo chuckled, then went on to urge Zhang Yinlan: "Director Fan got the fishermen to occupy your unit's cafeteria; you could also get them to set up camp in the Municipal Party Committee dining hall. Copy the approach, toss the headache-inducing health inquiries to Minister Yu, and you'd be free."

Upon hearing that, Zhang Yinlan rolled her eyes and couldn't be bothered to deal with Han Zhang.

Director Fan isn't part of the system, so he doesn't have as many scruples; if I follow his lead, won't Minister Yu just take off my official hat?

This dead fatty harbors no good intentions!

Zhang Yinlan stifled her resentment, refixed her gaze on Lin Dongfan: "No matter who I go to for a PK, I need bodyguards—I hope Director Fan can help out."