Chapter 625: Fan Ye Begins to Fight Back

Lin Dongfan's conceited, overambitious yet talentless "buffoon" act was like a carefully prepared bait, precisely fed into Xu Jijun's heart.

It also ignited Xu Jijun's innate sense of superiority.

Inside the sea-view suite of Haishan Shi's highest-end hotel.

Xu Jijun stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the glittering city lights under nightfall, a hint of a composed smile playing at the corner of his mouth, as if everything was under his control.

Han Jinling, whose legs were disabled, sat quietly in her wheelchair, a thin blanket over her knees, engrossed in reading One Hundred Years of Solitude.

In this restless age.

Women who can calm down to read One Hundred Years of Solitude are truly as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

This likely also stems from her disabled legs, which make movement inconvenient; staying each day in this small world, she needs a spiritual refuge.

"Jinling."

Xu Jijun turned around, his gentle voice tinged with an irrepressible excitement.

He proudly told Han Jinling, "Let me share some good news: I now have absolute confidence in sending Wu Changsheng out of the country."

"Didn't you say Lin Dongfan was watching him closely before?"

Han Jinling turned to the next page of her book and continued reading without lifting her head.

Xu Jijun smiled dismissively: "I previously overestimated Lin Dongfan's ability; today I probed his depths and found he's still the same, unchanged. He acts impulsively, loves to boast—just a conceited buffoon. His rise to this position rests solely on his family's modest red background."

"He's your college buddy; you wouldn't want to destroy him, would you?"

Han Jinling suddenly set down her book, lifted her head to look at Xu Jijun, and seemed to attach great importance to this question.

Faced with her concerned gaze,

Xu Jijun furrowed his brow slightly, pondered for a moment, then replied helplessly: "Between ally and enemy, he chose to be my foe, and I can't help it. But rest assured, as fellow alumni I won't drive him to utter ruin—I merely sent a few sets of photos to the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection to push him out of officialdom."

"Sometimes I can't fathom why you're helping Wu Changsheng—going so far as to ruin Lin Dongfan just to get him out of the country." Han Jinling said, looking somewhat gloomy.

Xu Jijun said: "If Wu Changsheng is caught, he will be sentenced to death."

Over the years, Xu Jijun's certain "legal" notions have remained unchanged; he believes the death penalty should not exist in this world.

He hopes the legislative body will change the death penalty to life imprisonment, so no one dies unjustly.

Han Jinling lowered her head again to read, saying as she did: "Wu Changsheng is not only a corrupt official but also a murderer; there is no room for misjudgment here."

"A true murderer should be made to live in this world, enduring suffering and slowly atoning. If he were killed with a single shot, that would merely let him off easy."

Xu Jijun steadfastly clung to his viewpoint; in his world, he is the only one who is right.

Han Jinling knew she couldn't convince him.

She also couldn't be bothered to argue about it.

She then reminded Xu Jijun: "The last time I saw Lin Dongfan at the seaside, I felt he had changed—no longer the mediocre incompetent he used to be; don't let your guard down."

"Heh, you overestimate him; he's merely riding on good fortune. Without that thick red genealogy to back him up, he amounts to nothing."

Saying this, Xu Jijun went to pour Han Jinling a cup of water.

He then sat down to massage Han Jinling's legs and stimulate her paralyzed meridians. Though the effect was modest, he had persisted for seven years and had specially studied Chinese massage.

As he massaged, he said: "Everything remains firmly under my control. Rest assured, no matter how Lin Dongfan tosses and turns, he won't escape my Five Finger Mountain..."

This tone of confident arrogance was not an act.

In Xu Jijun's eyes, Lin Dongfan was merely an opponent who failed to conceal his hand and got lost in empty flattery—no longer any substantive threat to him.

But he did not know:

Fan Ye, after years of navigating officialdom, had realized the importance of performance and thus drawn a clear line between himself and the label buffoon.

At this very moment.

In the Municipal Party Committee building of Haishan Shi, the lights were blazing in Yu Huacheng's office.

Lin Dongfan and Yu Huacheng sat facing each other.

The atmosphere was solemn.

"Chief Dongfan, do you mean… halting the citywide manhunt and lifting traffic controls?" Yu Huacheng stared at Lin Dongfan in disbelief: "Wu Changsheng hasn't been caught yet; lifting traffic controls now would hardly give him a chance to flee the city. If he escapes, you and I will both bear responsibility."

Yu Huacheng's worries were all within Lin Dongfan's expectations.

At this moment, Lin Dongfan's demeanor was not ordinary calm; one could say it was a stark contrast to his arrogant, ignorant display on the fishing boat earlier that day.

Lin Dongfan explained calmly and without haste:

"The citywide manhunt has already gone on for over half a month; even the Haishan Security Zone has been combed through, yet no trace of Wu Changsheng has been found.

"Continuing like this is no solution.

"Long-term traffic control, with daily roadblocks and vehicle checks, has drawn complaints not only from traffic authorities but also from ordinary citizens, seriously affecting everyone's travel."

Lin Dongfan lifted the cup of tea before him to wet his throat.

He then continued speaking to Yu Huacheng:

"Now we are in the open, while Wu Changsheng and the masterminds behind the plot lurk in the shadows, secretly watching our every move, leaving us perpetually half a step behind in action.

"Since a hard approach won't work, let's switch to a soft strategy.

"Lift the blockade, put on a show of weakening the manhunt—or even preparing to abandon it. These are mere smokescreens on the surface, aimed at making those lurking behind the scenes lower their guard.

"Let someone think the heat has passed and an opportunity has arisen; only then will he try to get Wu Changsheng out of the country.

"Once they move, we can close the net."

Upon hearing Lin Dongfan say that, Yu Huacheng laughed with sudden realization: "You mean… to catch by letting go, to cast Along line for a big fish?"

"Exactly; only when we withdraw the net and show weakness will it dare come out to feed."

As for the tactic of casting Along line to catch a big fish, this is what Lin Dongfan grasped today on the boat.

Lin Dongfan further declared: "Wu Changsheng is not the real big fish. He is a key witness, and likewise the bait. What we want to catch is the true big fish behind him—G Xiansheng!"

Hearing this, Yu Huacheng nodded in deep agreement.

G Xiansheng!

This mysterious code name has, over the years, been regarded by corrupt officials deep in desperation as a last lifeline; despite years of investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Public Security Bureau, his true identity remains unknown.

If we could catch G Xiansheng.

Not only would Lin Dongfan be reinstated, but Yu Huacheng himself would also add a bold stroke to his performance record.

Yu Huacheng solemnly declared: "Dongfan, rest assured. Although you are currently suspended, I will certainly devote all my efforts to the matter of apprehending Wu Changsheng and G Xiansheng."

"Thank you for your trust, Secretary Yu," Lin Dongfan said with a calm smile.

Yu Huacheng rose with a smile: "We've worked together before; we're old acquaintances and comrades—don't be so formal with me. Haven't you eaten yet? Come on, I'll treat you."

Lin Dongfan replied unhurriedly: "A good meal isn't afraid of being late; let's make our arrangements first."

"You really are the type who acts on impulse," he said, chuckling. As they talked and laughed, Yu Huacheng sat down again, picked up the desk phone, and while dialing said, "Alright, I'll notify the relevant personnel to come over for a meeting now..."

That evening, Yu Huacheng convened a deployment meeting.

Following Lin Dongfan's strategic deployment, he ordered the Traffic Management Department to lift the citywide lockdown, while the Criminal Police Department also halted its overt search operation.

However, the covert surveillance was not lifted.