Chapter 474

When a man sees a beautiful woman, he harbors lustful thoughts, just as a lion in heat sees a lioness and wants to mount her; the nature is the same, it is a primal animal instinct.

In the realm of mating and reproduction, the only difference between humans and animals is that humans have a regulatory mechanism.

For example, after calculating on his fingers, he feels the timing is not yet ripe, opening a room carries risk, so he does not open one.

In this regard, Lin Dongfan is undoubtedly a qualified human.

Although he wants to sleep with every beautiful woman in the world, wanting to sleep with someone and being able to do so are two completely different matters, and he is fully aware of that.

For now.

In Lin Dongfan's eyes, Zheng Qingxuan is a woman he cannot sleep with.

But the reason he cannot sleep with her is not because Zheng Qingxuan is the daughter of an enemy, nor because he worries she will set a trap for him.

It is because he does not want to hurt Zheng Qingxuan.

A simple embrace already left him satisfied; he turned around, put aside all his desires, and launched a swift and stern education of Manager Qian.

Two buckets of hot water were poured over Manager Qian's head, and the layer of white frost on his body instantly melted.

Soon after.

His previously frozen limbs gradually regained feeling, curling up on the ground like a dog, shivering violently, his lips also trembling.

Lin Dongfan asked: "Did you switch the dividend list and ledger of the Sea God Foundation?"

"Wh... what switch... I don't know..."

A feeble response.

Manager Qian shivered, rubbing his hands together and blowing on them; this primitive way of keeping warm evoked a feeling of pity and sorrow.

But he does not deserve sympathy!

Lin Dongfan indifferently reminded: "The Provincial Department's task force has already deployed to Haishan, they've arrested Zheng Sanshui, and Zheng Canghai has turned himself in; who are you putting up a resistance for?"

Upon hearing this, Manager Qian lifted his eyes to Zheng Qingxuan and said: "Really... really? Your dad really..."

"Really."

When mentioning these tragedies of the Zheng family, Zheng Qingxuan's emotions still fluctuated greatly; she turned and walked away, evidently wanting to avoid these heart‑wrenching topics.

Lin Dongfan patted the shoulder of the bodyguard beside him and said: "You've worked hard; escort her home." The bodyguard nodded with an "uh" and hurriedly caught up to Zheng Qingxuan's steps.

Only Lin Dongfan, Manager Qian, and one of Lin Dongfan's bodyguards remained in the office.

Three more bodyguards and Lao Ba were waiting outside.

They are all our own people.

Lin Dongfan, having fewer reservations, squatted down and told Manager Qian: "You should be glad I am a person of principles and bottom lines; otherwise, you would already be at the bottom of the sea."

"......!!!"

Manager Qian had already curled up into a ball, his body continually shaking.

His gaze also grew increasingly dazed.

Previously, Lin Dongfan and Lao Ba had been confined in the safe for only three minutes, whereas Manager Qian had been confined for eight minutes.

A five‑minute difference meant the damage inflicted by liquid nitrogen on the body was completely different.

Lin Dongfan reached out and felt Manager Qian's carotid artery.

He then lifted his wrist to check the time: "You don't have much time left; do you want to go to the hospital or to the crematorium? It's your choice."

"In... in the No. 9 safe..."

"Where is the key?"

"In the... drawer..."

Manager Qian's lips turned purple, his voice grew ever weaker, and he was already on the brink of death.

Lin Dongfan stood up, opened the desk drawer, and indeed found the key to the No. 9 cabinet; he then handed the key to the bodyguard beside him and said: "Go get the things."

"Uh."

The bodyguard dared not waste time, for if Manager Qian really died here today, the trouble would be great, and Lin Dongfan would inevitably have to take responsibility.

In less than two minutes, the bodyguard brought the items over.

Lin Dongfan glanced at it roughly; this time it was genuine—the dividend list of the Sea God Foundation clearly bore the names of Guo Lichun, Li Yongyuan, Han Zhang, and others.

"Send him to the hospital."

Lin Dongfan handed the dying Manager Qian to the bodyguard for handling, then stepped out and called Jian Sining, ordering her to immediately bring prosecutorial officers to Haishan to assist in the dragnet.

At the same time.

The interrogation on Chen Shaokang's side also achieved a breakthrough.

Although Zheng Sanshui stubbornly clenched his teeth and refused to answer any questions, his father Zheng Canghai cooperated very actively.

The entire interrogation process.

It was like a personal memoir; Zheng Canghai began speaking from when he was eighteen and started working at the docks, continuing all the way up to the present tumultuous times, speaking for over six hours straight.

Whatever he could recall, no matter how major or minor, he explained clearly.

There was the bitterness of an individual's struggle.

There were also shady deals between officials and businessmen.

When he spoke with myriad emotions, he did not hide his wry smile: "If I had not known Guo Lichun, my life would not have turned out this way."

"Do you have a bit of regret?" Chen Shaokang asked.

Zheng Lunhai said: "Whether or not I regret it depends on which angle you look from..."

After a moment's thought.

Zheng Canghai continued his recollection: "Back then, I had already been doing hard labor on the docks for six years; those bitter days were truly something you could see the end of at a glance. When I was at my most miserable and exhausted, Guo Lichun suddenly ran over and asked if I wanted to be a boss and make a fortune—who could refuse? He indeed changed my fate."

"What position did Guo Lichun hold back then?" Chen Shaokang asked curiously.

Zheng Canghai carefully recalled: "I remember that at the time he seemed to have just been transferred from the Audit Bureau to the Fisheries Bureau. His position was not high, merely a deputy section chief, but he had real authority; he could speak up on matters concerning the old dock area."

"How did he change your fate?" Chen Shaokang asked, growing more curious.

Zheng Canghai replied without hesitation: "At first, they told me to set up a fisheries association, using the pretext of protecting marine resources to catch those illegal fishermen; once caught, they were heavily fined. Although the fisheries association was a civilian organization, back then many fishermen were legally illiterate, unable even to write their own names. They had no idea about this; just scare them a bit and they'd promptly hand over the fines."

"Shouldn't this be handled by the Fisheries Bureau? Why did Guo Lichun have you do it?" Chen Shaokang wondered, unable to figure it out.

Zheng Canghai laughed: "Xiao Chen, you're still too young and inexperienced. If the Fisheries Bureau made the arrests, the fines would go into the national treasury. But with the fisheries association, it's different—the fines just go through the motions of the association and end up in Guo Lichun's private pocket. Of course, I also get a cut."

"Your methods are really corrupt." Chen Shaokang said, smiling but angry.

Zheng Canghai didn't care: "This is just the beginning. Those fishermen are all dirt poor; no matter how much you fine them, the income is limited, and Guo Lichun knows that. He wanted his first pot of gold to grease the palms of the leaders back then. Once the leaders promoted him, he could control more resources, and the Sea Dragon Society sprang up."

"Wasn't the Sea Dragon Society founded by you, Cai Yang, and Chen Yongnian?" Chen Shaokang asked.

Zheng Canghai frowned slightly: "If Guo Lichun hadn't given his approval, could the Sea Dragon Society have gotten a foothold? The Sea Dragon Society is actually an upgraded version of the fisheries association, with different money-making channels—no longer targeting those penniless fishermen, but instead running lucrative gray projects like real estate, bars, KTVs, entertainment cities, and bathhouses. However, the more projects they undertook, the more administrative units they had to bribe, and Li Yongyuan got involved at this stage."

"Putting it that way, does Haishan have any clean units?" Chen Shaokang said with a look of regret.

Zheng Canghai gave an embarrassed laugh: "It's not that I dragged them into the water; they were pushing me forward. As the wealth created by the Sea Dragon Society grew, they too grew nervous about the dirty money. So the Sea God Foundation sprang up, which could not only launder money but also raise social funds—killing two birds with one stone. This is Guo Lichun's masterpiece; I, Cai Yang, and Chen Yongnian are merely his tools."