Chapter 679

Li Mingtang said he didn't want to advance, but when the opportunity was actually right in front of him, he still felt a little shaken inside.

Because at this very moment, he saw a kind of helplessness of being unable to do what one wants on Lin Dongfan.

The former Lin Dongfan was a mover and shaker in official circles, able to get anyone dealt with as he pleased; now, having left office to go into business, he can only ask around for favors when dealing with people—how helpless.

This shows that without power in hand, no matter how much wealth one has, one is just a leek to be harvested.

Lin Dongfan at least has a Manager Lin backing him; what does Li Mingtang have behind him? If he lifts his rear and looks back, there is no mountain to rely on, only an unseen potential club.

If you don't want to get beaten, you can't take off this official robe.

Li Mingtang summoned Xu Qing and Peng Tianhua to his office, ordering the two to go to Wu Zhou to secretly investigate the Wu Zhou fierce tiger.

Mainly because these two guys have a life-and-death friendship with Lin Dongfan, they are reliable in handling affairs, and there's no need to worry that after they arrive in the distant Wu Zhou they'll be turned.

Upon hearing this, Peng Tianhua was instantly speechless with a black line: "Boss, you haven't been drinking today, have you? Li Zhenyang is a big shot—just saying you'll investigate him, can you really? Any orders from above?"

"I said it's a covert investigation—what orders?" Li Mingtang replied.

Hearing that, Xu Qing, standing beside Peng Tianhua, also broke out in a black line: "Sneaking over to touch the tiger's rear like this—isn't that against the rules……"

"In Wu Zhou there's a man named Duan Xinhua who, because of some work-related issues, was publicly scolded by Li Zhenyang, pointing at his nose. Duan Xinhua has been missing for several months now, and that's our excuse." Li Mingtang picked up the tea in front of him, took a sip, then calmly added: "Go ahead and touch it; if anything happens, I'll take the blame."

"Fine, you're hard-headed; you say who to touch, then touch who."

In private communication with Li Mingtang, Peng Tianhua also learned to be as uninhibited as Lin Dongfan, occasionally cracking a joke, knowing Li Mingtang won't get angry.

Li Mingtang waved his hand: "All right, get lost—don't come back to see me until you've dug up some juicy info."

"Got it, you point, we'll strike."

As they turned to leave, Peng Tianhua tossed in a compliment, being far more worldly than Xu Qing.

Xu Qing used to know the importance of flattery, but after having intimate relations with Lin Dongfan, she now scorns using flattery to get by in the world.

Xu Qing asked Peng Tianhua, puzzled: "Old Peng, do you think this might be what Lin Dongfan meant?"

"I should be asking you that." Peng Tianhua chuckled: "No matter how close I am to Lin Dongfan, it's still not as close as your relationship with him; if he has something to say, he'll tell you first."

"What nonsense, I'm just ordinary friends with Lin Dongfan." Xu Qing smiled faintly, as pure as a clear-water lotus, utterly unblemished.

Peng Tianhua smiled, understanding each other without words.

Thinking, old brother, I'm not blind, yet you're pretending ignorance in front of me—if you and Lin Dongfan aren't in league, could your life go as smoothly as if you'd turned on a cheat? What a joke.

Peng Tianhua brushed aside this sensitive topic and sighed: "Come to think of it, Lin Dongfan really is a man of deep feeling and righteousness; being his friend, you won't lose out."

Speaking of that, Peng Tianhua recalled the experience of smashing walls for eight hundred per hammer, feeling endless sorrow.

Now that Lin Dongfan has left officialdom, he can no longer take him to demolish others' ancestral homes; where will he find such a lucrative overnight-rich job in the future?

"No, I have to go pay my respects to Lin Dongfan."

After saying that, Peng Tianhua pulled out his phone and, while walking, sent a message to Lin Dongfan.

Xu Qing rolled her eyes in disdain: "Look at your little ambition; if you really want Lin Dongfan to think more highly of you, once you get to Wu Zhou you should work hard, pick up the tiger-head halberd and strike whoever needs striking—anyway, the boss has your back."

"That's not wrong; I'll give the order to swing the halberd, and you'll do the striking."

Having said that, Peng Tianhua's finger had already pressed the send key, sending a rather flirtatious message to comrade Lin Dongfan.

Lin Dongfan and Lao Ba sat in the car, keeping watch.

The phone suddenly rang; Lin Dongfan picked it up, looked, and couldn't help but exclaim: "Damn, that's awesome!"

The specific content of the message was just one sentence: "On the way to Wu Zhou, if I unfortunately die in the sad lands of Ba Mountain and Chu Water, remember to bring chrysanthemums to see me next Qingming Festival."

The implication of this message is: "Brother, I'm sacrificing my life for righteousness, now shedding blood and giving my all for your ideal—don't forget my kindness."

Put bluntly, it's just a piece of flattery aimed at claiming credit.

Lin Dongfan chuckled and replied: "I'll not only bring chrysanthemums to see you, but I'll also take care of your wife and kids, making sure your sister-in-law never goes hungry."

"Strange, I seem to smell a traitor's aura from you—is that an illusion?" Peng Tianhua replied with a voice message, his tone full of resentment.

Lin Dongfan replied: "Not an illusion; looking after your sister-in-law is my specialty. So you'd better come back alive."

"Heh, I'll strive to live till the grand finale."

After replying to the last message, Lin Dongfan lowered the car window, lit a cigarette, but his eyes kept fixed on the hospital inpatient department's entrance.

Lao Ba, sitting in the driver's seat, also kept his eyes glued to the inpatient department's doorway, closely scrutinizing every person coming and going.

"Little Li has been in the hospital for two days, yet he hasn't sent anyone to retaliate against you—that's a bit odd," Lao Ba muttered, puzzled.

"A dog can't change its habit of eating feces." Lin Dongfan replied lightly: "The quieter he is, the more foul water he's holding in his gut."

Lin Dongfan asked again: "How's Qian Youcai doing over there?"

"He's pretty scared." Lao Ba showed a hint of a mocking smile: "These past couple days he's been like a startled bird, hardly going to the company; I heard he's been burning incense and praying at home for safety."

"Old Dog Qian must have some leverage in Li Hengbo's hands; otherwise, as the head of a state-owned enterprise, he wouldn't be suppressed by Li Hengbo." Lin Dongfan flicked ash from his cigarette, then added: "We need to give Qian Youcai a heads‑indirectly, just enough for him to realize: I already know his situation."

"You want to force him to make a choice?" Lao Ba asked in surprise.

Lin Dongfan replied without hesitation: "Someone like him, a veteran state‑owned enterprise operator, is best at weighing pros and cons. The fact that Li Hengbo has people watching him already shows a lack of trust. As long as Qian Youcai feels that our side can not only keep him safe but also give him a way out, he will inevitably make a choice."

Lao Ba nodded: "Understood, I'll take care of it shortly."

Lin Dongfan stared at the inpatient department's entrance, eyes sharp: "Li Hengbo won't let it go; he can't beat me openly, so he'll likely keep playing dirty—splashing mud online and continuing public‑opinion attacks. We must boost our network and information‑security defenses; this time we can't let him find loopholes again."

Lao Ba stared at the inpatient building, his brow furrowed: "Damn, I really want to go up and pull out his oxygen tube."