Chapter 476: Setting Up the Arrest Operation

At six in the evening, Chen Shaokang finished interrogating Zheng Canghai, carrying a thick stack of interrogation records to report the case to Lin Dongfan.

Upon receiving Lin Dongfan's call, Jian Sining also led a team of prosecutorial officers to Haishan.

A major case in Haishan!

They had entered the final stage of the dragnet operation.

In the temporary meeting room on the twelfth floor of Hai'an Guoji Dajiudian, the atmosphere was extremely solemn, and the electronic big screen displayed the Sea God Foundation's dividend list.

Led by Guo Lichun, the 11-member standing committee had four individuals on the list.

Besides that,

Moreover:

Those involved in public safety management: the Faction, Procuratorate, Justice Bureau, and Emergency Management Bureau.

Those involved in resource and environmental management: the Natural Resources Bureau, Ecological Environment Bureau, Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau, Water Resources Bureau, and Ocean and Fisheries Management Bureau;

Those involved in economic management: the Commerce Bureau and Market Supervision Bureau.

The actual power holders of these units all appear on the Sea God Foundation's dividend list.

After so many years of anti-corruption work, Lin Dongfan and Jian Sining et al. were quite experienced, but seeing this horrifying list still refreshed their worldviews.

Throughout Haishan, any functional department with even a bit of real power hardly has any clean ones.

No wonder Haishan officials privately call Guo Lichun a local emperor.

In Haishan!

It is Guo Lichun who is handing out meat to them.

To consolidate this corrupt network, Guo Lichun established a strict dividend mechanism: who gets more meat, who gets less, is divided according to actual power and influence.

This indirectly fostered a competitive atmosphere in Haishan's officialdom.

In order to get more meat,

everyone sharpened their heads to squeeze into departments with real power.

For example, Han Zhang of the Ocean and Fisheries Bureau never thought of climbing up. The reason is that Haishan's fishery economy accounts for a large share, giving the Fisheries Bureau high authority and generous dividends.

Normally he goes overseas to gamble for a few days or nights, losing 18,000,000, and Han Zhang doesn't even feel sorry.

What if he loses it all?

As long as he endures until the year-end dividend, he can instantly become a wealthy middle-class household, leaving ordinary people far behind—able to buy villas and luxury cars outright, if he wants.

Meanwhile, functional departments like the Civil Affairs Bureau, which oversee social welfare, are poorly regarded in Haishan, because the Civil Affairs Bureau is a money-spending unit, not a money-making one.

Over these years, Zhang Yinlan also deeply understood how severe Haishan's corruption was, but she had little influence.

She clearly understood that only by reaching a higher position could she curb Haishan's unhealthy practices, so she devoted herself to climbing up.

Lin Dongfan analyzed for everyone present: "Looking at the dividend ratio, Li Yongyuan's standing in Haishan's underworld is second only to Guo Lichun. Fortunately, Secretary Yu has already suspended him, so he currently cannot mobilize local public security forces to oppose us. For now, we only need to first bring Guo Lichun under control; the others won't be able to stir up much trouble."

The anti-corruption specialists and anti-blackmail criminal detectives present nodded in deep agreement.

Chen Shaokang thoughtfully proposed: "Before the operation, I believe it is necessary to first block all city exit routes to prevent anyone from fleeing."

"Hmm." Jian Sining nodded in agreement: "Those implicated on the list total over a hundred, with bureau-level and deputy bureau-level implicated cadres numbering as many as four. Currently our manpower is limited, making it impossible to simultaneously launch arrest operations against everyone. Blocking the city exit routes to prevent those implicated from fleeing upon hearing the news is therefore essential."

Lin Dongfan said: "This matter requires Secretary Yu's cooperation."

Saying this, Lin Dongfan shifted his gaze to Chen Shaokang: "As the head of the Provincial Department's special task force, you called Secretary Yu and told him to come immediately for a meeting."

"Okay."

Chen Shaokang immediately took out his phone and dialed Yu Huacheng's number.

Half an hour later.

Yu Huacheng pushed the door open and entered.

Upon seeing that the person presiding over the meeting was Fan Donglin, chairman of Zhengtong Capital, Yu Huacheng thought he had walked onto the wrong set, his expression somewhat surprised.

"Mr. Fan, why are you also here?"

"Let me introduce myself first: I am the newly appointed chief of the Provincial Anti-Corruption Bureau, Lin Dongfan; Fan Donglin is merely my alias. Earlier, due to work requirements, I concealed my identity; Secretary Yu, please don't hold it against me."

In the course of their conversation, Lin Dongfan politely extended his right hand.

Yu Huacheng quickly shook his hand: "You're too kind; if there's anything I need to cooperate with, Director Lin, just say the word."

On the surface, Yu Huacheng remained calm, smiling lightly.

Inside, however, he was tumultuous.

He had long suspected that Fan Donglin's background was not ordinary, but previously he had only guessed that Fan Donglin might have some powerful hidden patron.

He never expected that the other party was actually a deputy bureau-level anti-corruption bigwig.

Yu Huacheng then laughed: "Lin Dongfan, Fan Donglin—you just swapped your names around, and you've kept all of Haishan in the dark; your acting is indeed impressive."

"If you were to give me the Best Actor award, I would surely bring it home to enshrine."

"Haha, if you say that, it actually makes me look like I misspoke."

"Just joking, have a seat."

Lin Dongfan waved his hand to invite them to sit, bearing the air of a great general, just as Su Shi wrote in "Nian Nu Jiao: Reminiscence of Chibi"—in the midst of talk and laughter, the warships turned to ashes and smoke!

Yu Huacheng's administrative rank, although compared to Lin Dongfan Valley.

But in this meeting room, Yu Huacheng could not take the chief seat; he could only sit opposite Lin Dongfan, across the table facing each other.

On the left sat the police team led by Chen Shaokang.

On the right sat the anti-corruption personnel led by Jian Sining.

Lin Dongfan spoke candidly: "Secretary Yu, we asked you to come today mainly to request that you mobilize local public security to assist in sealing the city."

"Are we about to close the net?" Yu Huacheng asked.

Lin Dongfan nodded noncommittally: "I've been in Haishan for almost half a year; if we don't close the net now, I won't be able to go home for the New Year."

"Director Lin's spirit of devoting himself wholeheartedly to work is admirable." Yu Huacheng remarked.

Lin Dongfan laughed and said, "Don't laugh at me, let's get down to business. This time over a hundred people are involved in the case; it can't be solved in a day or two. Locking down the city might take four or five days. To avoid triggering a violent confrontation, the lockdown needs a suitable excuse; we can't alert the enemy."

"Hmm."

Yu Huacheng nodded in deep agreement.

They pondered for a moment.

Yu Huacheng proposed, "What do you think of this? We'll use a vehicle inspection as pretext to block all intersections. They won't expect it; I'll have the traffic police cooperate in carrying out the anti-corruption crackdown."

"'Can we trust the traffic police?' Lin Dongfan asked cautiously."

Yu Huacheng chuckled, "Since Li Yongyuan was suspended, the entire public security system has been on edge. Compared to the criminal police, the traffic police are more trustworthy."

Yu Huacheng looked up at the profit-sharing list on the electronic screen.

He continued, "The leader of the traffic police, Xu Changzhen, is not on this list. He is also someone marginalized by the local gang, and should give us his full cooperation."

"'Since we can trust them, then I'll leave this to you.'"

Lin Dongfan picked up his tea and took a sip.

He cleared his throat and continued the plan: "At nine tonight we'll arrest Guo Lichun. At that time, you will simultaneously lock down the city. As for arresting Chen Yongnian of the Sea Dragon Society, Comrade Chen Shaokang will take charge, also carried out simultaneously."