Chapter 598: with translation of chapter title

Lv Yizhi was apprehended, Wu Changsheng remains at large.

Back at the Anti-Corruption Bureau of Baoyue Province, Lin Dongfan's work pressure had not eased. He set aside the mountain-high pile of case files before him and gently rubbed his temples.

Now a thorny problem lies before him.

Investigative data showed that Wu Changsheng had appeared at Pengcheng port three days earlier, but the border inspection system indicated he had not left the country.

Surveillance tracked him boarding an unlicensed business vehicle, and he ultimately vanished into the dense area of rental houses in the urban village.

Wu Changsheng had once been Wang Daochen's right-hand man.

Arresting Wu Changsheng could create an unfavorable situation for Wang Daochen; not arresting him could also adversely affect Wang Daochen.

At this critical juncture, Lord Wang neither called nor gave any instructions, nor inquired about the investigation's progress.

Is Lord Wang really that calm?

Not the slightest bit anxious?

Is he trying to avoid suspicion, or does he secretly have a plan to turn the tide? If it's the latter, trouble looms—under currents stir, and a collapse is inevitable.

"Thump—thump!"

Just as Lin Dongfan was worrying, Peng Tianhua knocked and entered.

No outsiders were present.

Peng Tianhua didn't stand on ceremony with Lin Dongfan; upon entering he said, "Boss Fan, the loss incurred during the cutting and transport of that coiled dragon pillar amounts to as much as two catties—should we assign responsibility?"

Lin Dongfan gave a white-eye glance, then closed his eyes again and continued rubbing his temples.

He replied leisurely: "A single pure-gold coiled dragon pillar weighing 23.04 tons, suffering only two catties of loss during cutting and transport, is already a miracle. Even the cutting machine and transport vehicle are clean-handed—who should be held responsible? Those brothers below are unlikely to embezzle; clarify the facts before reporting."

"I was just saying—this loss is entirely normal."

Peng Tianhua grinned, his admiration for Boss Fan deepening a few degrees; he felt that Boss Fan's gesture of closing his eyes and gently rubbing his temples was several dimensions more handsome than an ordinary person's.

Peng Tianhua asked again: "These days everyone's exhausted to the point of being snappy; the staff below suggested a meal to relax. Everyone will go Dutch—will you join?"

"You want me to foot the bill, right?"

"What you say, I'm not the kind of miser who can't even go Dutch. Now in Baoyue Province, I've turned things around—my wife can't rein me in from afar, and I've got several hundred bucks in my pocket."

"Got it, you're a poor bastard—bring back the receipts and I'll reimburse you out of my own pocket."

"Boss Fan, I really didn't mean it that way."

"You really don't want me to treat you and pay the bill?"

Saying that, Lin Dongfan lifted his gaze and looked.

Peng Tianhua felt as if that wealthy, imposing gaze had shocked him; instantly his spirit lifted, and he quickly snapped his feet together into a standard attention pose.

He saluted Boss Fan: "Rest assured, leader, we will surely implement your instructions and firmly execute your decisions! It's not that we don't want reimbursement; we insist on the principle of reporting actual expenses—dare to report what's due, must report what's due! We uphold the principle that you pay for our consumption, doing away with tricks, affectation, and pretense…"

"Get lost~~!"

"All right, take your time being annoyed—I'm heading out first."

Peng Tianhua straightened up again and saluted; he had come timidly but left with fervor, as if he had earned meritorious service for his subordinates who were waiting for a big meal.

Lin Dongfan closed his eyes and began rubbing his aching temples again.

Evening.

Everyone from the unit went to the meal.

Lin Dongfan returned early to the provincial committee guesthouse, took a shower, and Jian Sining leaned against the headboard, still carrying the scent of jasmine from her recent bath.

She wasn't idle either, her laptop resting on her legs as she organized the case information.

Seeing Lin Dongfan get into bed,

Jian Sining directly turned the laptop screen toward Lin Dongfan: "This is Wu Changsheng's border-control record; do you want to take a look?"

Lin Dongfan glanced at the red warning on the screen.

The ports of Yuezhou and Pengcheng in Baoyue Province, as well as those of the eastern metropolis Magic Capital and northern Jingcheng, had all triggered border-control alerts, yet Wu Changsheng had never successfully left the country.

"He's probably hiding in the Pearl River Delta," Jian Sining reported truthfully: "We've searched the rental houses and abandoned factories in the urban villages, even the cargo compartments of cross-border trucks, but so far we've found no leads."

"Has Wang Daochen made any move?"

Lin Dongfan closed his laptop and casually placed it on the bedside table.

Jian Sining replied: "Secretary Wang was in Haishan Shi for research last week and just returned yesterday; we haven't yet detected any contact between him and Wu Changsheng."

Saying that, Jian Sining shifted the conversation.

She countered Lin Dongfan: "You wouldn't even suspect Secretary Wang, would you…"

Before Jian Sining could finish, Lin Dongfan suddenly rolled over, pressed her beneath him, and sealed her mouth with his, leaving her no chance to speculate wildly.

In an instant, Jian Sining's breathing grew ragged, and she forgot all work-related matters completely.

In life, only the loosening of one's belt remains, with no regrets.

……

Meanwhile.

One hundred fifty kilometers away, in Pengcheng's urban village,

Wu Changsheng lay in a moldy rental house, staring at a message from G Xiansheng on his phone: "Tonight at three a. m., depart. I'll send you the address then—get ready."

Outside the window, the rain fell steadily, pattering nonstop.

Wu Changsheng then produced the passport hidden beneath his mattress, flipped it open, and looked at it with a bewildered expression. Now, all national entry and exit checkpoints have imposed border-control measures on him.

Even if G Xiansheng possesses great powers, can he really help him exit safely?

Wu Changsheng replied to G Xiansheng with a message: "I suspect they already know I'm hiding in the urban village; today outside there are many special police setting up checkpoints, so I can't go out."

"Are there any places nearby where a helicopter can take off and land?" G Xiansheng replied.

Wu Changsheng replied glumly: "The urban village lacks such conditions."

"Then send me the address, and I'll have someone bring you a special police uniform; you can disguise yourself as an on-duty officer and walk out." G Xiansheng's mind was wide open—he clearly hadn't hesitated to use such muddy-water fishing tactics.

Wu Changsheng simply gave an OK gesture with his smartwatch.

Then he lay in bed, waiting silently.

He waited until after 2 a. m.; the southern spring rain, once it started, poured nonstop, water beads seeped through the walls, and the air gave off a damp, musty smell.

He didn't need to go out to see; he knew.

Even in the rain, special police had to patrol important intersections.

Around 2:40 a. m., someone finally knocked on the door.

Wu Changsheng quickly grabbed his prepared gun, tiptoed to the window, and lifted a slit in the curtain to peek outside.

Seeing no special police outside, it was a delivery person knocking, wearing the signature yellow vest and holding a cardboard box.

Only then did Wu Changsheng relax.

He held the gun in his left hand, concealed it behind his back with a reverse grip, and with his right hand gently slid the bolt open; opening the door, he asked: "I didn't order takeout—did you get the address wrong?"

"That's right, this is the place." The delivery guy handed over the cardboard box: "A boss told me to run an errand and deliver something to you—where should I put it?"

"Just put it on the floor, thanks."

Wu Changsheng pointed to the spot by the door.

The delivery person set down the cardboard box, whether out of curiosity or some other reason, before leaving he glanced up at the room's surroundings and also took a look at Wu Changsheng.

Wu Changsheng's tense expression instantly softened into a slight smile: "Hold on, could you do me another favor and run an errand? The items are inside; come in and get them."