Chapter 41

The day after the car accident, Xiao Yunce personally led a group of officials to visit the hospital, raising the level of importance by one notch.

Those accompanying him included Prosecutor General Chang Ming and Secretary Bai Wentao, among others.

The president of Nanzhou Renmin Yiyuan, Wang Shutong, accompanied them the whole way, responding carefully to Xiao Yunce's questions, daring not to make the slightest mistake.

Official media reporters followed and reported throughout.

At the entrance of the ICU, the group ran into Leng Chuan, head of the 9·28 Task Force, and Xiao Yunce stepped forward to greet him: "Director Leng, what's the situation now?"

"Lin Dongfan and Jian Sining's injuries are no longer serious, but Dai Fengnian has not yet escaped mortal danger."

Saying that, Leng Chuan made way for Xiao Yunce.

Xiao Yunce entered the ICU and carefully observed the unconscious Dai Fengnian lying in bed; he saw only Dai Fengnian's head wrapped in bandages, exposing only his eyes and nose and mouth.

Various medical monitoring devices were attached to his body.

Xiao Yunce glanced at the complex monitoring data, his eyes glazed; as a layman he could only watch the spectacle, utterly unable to grasp what those numbers meant.

Xiao Yunce turned to Wang Shutong and asked: "Director Wang, will he be able to wake up?"

"That's hard to say," Wang Shutong replied conservatively: "Dai Fengnian mainly suffered severe head trauma with intracranial bleeding; if it affects brainstem function, there is a certain probability he will become vegetative."

Xiao Yunce solemnly instructed: "Dai Fengnian's condition is no minor matter; from the city to the province, all levels of leadership attach great importance to it, and we must spare no effort in rescuing him."

"We will do our utmost."

This instruction left Wang Shutong bewildered, momentarily unable to discern the leader's true intent.

Xiao Yunce then led the party to another ward.

To visit Lin Dongfan.

As soon as they reached the doorway, they saw Lin Dongfan sitting up against the headboard, contentedly sipping milk.

On another empty hospital bed lay piles of condolence gifts, all of high quality, practically like a gift exhibition.

Having become a gold‑son‑in‑law of the Chu family, his connections are simply different.

Xiao Yunce felt scorn in his heart, yet his face bore a harmonious, affable smile as he stepped forward and asked: "Comrade Lin Dongfan, how do you feel today? Better?"

"Yo, Mayor Xiao, what brings you here?"

Out of basic courtesy, Lin Dongfan wanted to sit up straight and shake hands with this acting mayor.

Xiao Yunce hurried forward to soothe him: "Lie still, don't move, be careful not to pull at the wound." He placed his left hand on Lin Dongfan's shoulder and his right hand clasped Lin Dongfan's hand.

This down‑to‑earth, people‑first demeanor, inside and out, was quickly captured by the official media reporters.

A set of photos was taken; the reporters were full of admiration, feeling this was a grand, impressive scene—the leader's acting was so damn natural it didn't look like a performance at all.

The leader's acting skills are good, so the reporters' pressure is also low.

They could snap away with the photos, never worrying about details going wrong, because the leader had already handled every detail perfectly.

Xiao Yunce, holding Lin Dongfan's hand, praised: "You are a soldier lent by the Provincial Anti‑Corruption Bureau from our Nanzhou City, repeatedly meritorious—this is an honor for both the bureau and our Nanzhou. Be sure to keep up this fearless, hard‑working spirit, strive for renewed glory, and help the Provincial Anti‑Corruption Bureau get to the bottom of the case."

Damn!

I almost believed your nonsense.

You really want me to achieve renewed glory? I see you damn well wishing you could kill me right now!

Lin Dongfan suppressed his inner angry laugh, striving to keep a calm appearance: "Please rest assured, Mayor Xiao, I will certainly not let go until I drag out the big turtle behind the scenes."

Saying that, Lin Dongfan covertly exerted force, gripping Xiao Yunce's hand tightly.

Xiao Yunce clearly felt the force of a declaration of war.

Yet he kept a pleasant smile on his face: "As long as you have fighting spirit, work hard and don't let down the Party and the people's expectations." Meanwhile, he also exerted force in secret, wanting to match strength with Lin Dongfan.

You don't know until you try; once you do, you'll regret it a little.

This kid Lin Dongfan must have trained; his right hand is as strong and powerful as a tiger's clamp! Compared to his terrifying grip, my right hand is just a paper decoration.

I feel my bones are about to be crushed.

Xiao Yunce embarrassedly pulled his hand back; his right hand had been squeezed into a pallid hue, the result of impaired blood flow from the hard grip.

After releasing, it took a few seconds to return to normal.

When Xiao Yunce and Lin Dongfan locked eyes again, both wore a half‑smile; on the surface they looked like heroes admiring each other, but inside each wanted to kill the other.

"Mayor Xiao, would you like to go see Jian Sining as well?"

Bai Wentao, skilled at reading faces and tones, instantly saw that Xiao Yunce and Lin Dongfan were secretly competing, and quickly spoke up to set a rhythm, easing the leader's predicament.

"No rush."

Otherwise, how could Lao Xiao be mayor? His mindset is truly as steady as an old dog; even though Lin Dongfan secretly provoked him, the pace of this condolence visit was not disrupted.

Xiao Yunce glanced at the silent Leng Chuan.

He then shifted his gaze to Prosecutor General Chang Ming:

"Comrade Chang Ming, as the Prosecutor General and the superior authority over our city's Anti‑Corruption Bureau, do you bear any responsibility for dereliction or inadequate oversight in the Dai Fengnian case?"

"Mayor Xiao, I bear responsibility for this; I reflect on it."

Chang Ming stood at attention, straight as a board, like an obedient three‑good student.

While meekly accepting the reprimand.

Chang Ming could not help but add a defense: "Regarding the Dai Fengnian matter, I had previously reported it…"

"What did you report?" Xiao Yunce rebuked sharply: "Earlier he bought villas and luxury homes; I told you to jointly talk with the Discipline Inspection Department to have him restrain himself—did you do that?"

"We actually did talk about that," Chang Ming explained: "After investigation, we found the money for his villas and luxury homes mainly came from stock trading, which is legal income. His current main issue is not buying a villa, but rather building a secret little vault inside it, hiding tens of millions of unexplained cash…"

"That's the root of the problem! Before the provincial task force came to Nanzhou, what were you people in the Prosecutor General's Office Anti‑Corruption Bureau doing? Dai Fengnian ignored political discipline and ethics, letting small graft grow into big graft. Your supervision department has been numb and oblivious all these years. To say you neglected your duty—is that a false accusation? Do you still want to explain? Speak."

Xiao Yunce's criticism came at breakneck speed, giving no chance to catch a breath.

Despite being extremely depressed.

Chang Ming still maintained the posture of a three‑good student accepting a lecture: "Sigh… I have nothing to say. Mayor Xiao, I self‑criticize, I reflect, I obey your orders…"

"That's right, straighten your attitude."

Xiao Yunce's anger had subsided by half: "The urgent priority is to ensure Dai Fengnian's personal safety. This is not only the demand of the provincial special task force, but also a responsibility we must bear. Immediately assign a few prosecutorial officers to keep watch in 24-hour shifts. If Dai Fengnian loses even a single hair, I'll hold you accountable."

Yes, I'll arrange it as soon as I go back.

As this terrifying mountain loomed down, Chang Ming broke into a cold sweat, thinking, "Cold River and Chu Jinsong pressed you to protect Dai Fengnian at the meeting, yet you turn around and force me to bear the blame—what did I ever do to deserve this..."

Leng Chuan, who had remained silent the whole time, felt a myriad of emotions as he watched events unfold.

I never expected that this Xiao guy would not only be a superb actor, but also top-notch at shifting blame.

Once tomorrow's news comes out, Mayor Xiao's image of self-reflection, integrity, and wholehearted assistance to the special task force in rooting out corruption will loom large on the page.

No wonder he's fit to be a leader—he really knows how to play!

After Yingdi left with his consolation team, Leng Chuan closed the hospital room door and anxiously reminded Lin Dongfan: "Yingdi's acting is top-notch; what lies before us is no longer a mountain of blades and sea of fire, but Avīci hell—he could drag himself into it at any moment, so you need to be mentally prepared."

I know what I'm doing; rest assured—if he lacks any real ability, I have no interest in messing with him.

Lin Dongfan smiled faintly; this confidence wasn't feigned. If he weren't absolutely certain, he wouldn't have been secretly competing with Xiao Yunce just now.