Chapter 698: The Crafty Rabbit

Little Li's skill at finding loopholes is still quite good.

The saying 'There are so many people surnamed Li in the world' was like a drowning dog grabbing the last piece of driftwood, squeezing a spark from his nearly extinguished arrogance.

At this moment, despite his deathly pale face, his eyes burned with the fierce light of a cornered beast still fighting.

"This is utterly absurd!"

Li Hengbo's voice was hoarse, but he struggled to raise his volume, trying to make everyone in the memorial hall hear him.

He spoke confidently and angrily retorted to Lin Dongfan: 'Based solely on a recording of unknown origin and vague wording, you want to pin the murder charge on me? You damn well are as absurd as your father—absurd! In the recording, one phrase "Boss Li," who knows which Boss Li you mean? This is malicious framing, outright entrapment!'

The more he spoke, the more he felt he had grasped the truth.

He also straightened his back a bit.

He turned to the wavering‑faced Li Zhenyang, his tone filled with grievance and indignation: 'Secretary Li! You just heard that! He's trying to add a crime! No lack of excuses! Just because I also bear the surname Li, I have to take the blame? Is there still any law?!'

He skillfully lumped himself together with 'all people surnamed Li,' trying to blur the focus and muddy the waters.

The clamor inside the memorial hall eased somewhat, and some of the onlookers' faces showed a hint of doubt.

Indeed, convicting someone based solely on the title 'Boss Li' seems a bit hasty. Although the Duan family's relatives were still angry, they couldn't help but glance worriedly at Lin Dongfan.

Li Zhenyang secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Li Hengbo's rebuttal, though strained, did indeed provide a workable opening. Li Zhenyang immediately straightened his face, adopting the dignity of a high‑ranking official.

He said in a low voice: 'What Hengbo says is not without reason!'

Speaking…

Li Zhenyang's gaze swept over the entire crowd, finally settling on Lin Dongfan.

His tone carried an unquestionable resolve: 'Investigating a case, especially a major one involving lives, must be rigorous!'

We must speak of the evidence chain!

Relying solely on a recording with unclear reference, it is indeed impossible to determine that Hengbo is the mastermind.

Comrade Dongfan.

Your concern for the case is understandable, but you cannot grasp at shadows and jump to conclusions.

After all, your special status means your words could easily affect the judicial department's normal judgment, even mislead the public and cause unnecessary panic!

His words seemed fair.

Actually, he was giving Li Hengbo an out, labeling Lin Dongfan's so‑called 'ironclad evidence' as 'grasping at shadows' and placing Lin Dongfan in the position of 'interfering with justice.'

Seeing this, Li Hengbo felt relieved and quickly echoed: 'Secretary Li perceives even the finest details! I, Li Hengbo, act with integrity and could never do such a heinous thing! This is definitely someone deliberately framing me, trying to kill me with a borrowed knife!'

He said this while giving Lin Dongfan a pointed, fierce stare.

Faced with this sudden reversal and the two of them pressing him in tandem, Lin Dongfan showed no panic; indeed, the corner of his mouth curled into an even more meaningful smile.

That smile made Li Hengbo, who had just relaxed, feel his heart skip again.

"Secretary Li's lesson is that investigating a case really requires an evidence chain." Lin Dongfan nodded agreeably, as if fully accepting the criticism, but his next words made Li Zhenyang and Li Hengbo's hearts leap again: 'So, I never said that this recording alone could convict General Manager Li.'

Lin Dongfan spread his hands.

He then put on an innocent look:

'I just feel that this recording's content is sensitive, involving the wrongful death of a young life and the disappearance mystery of an elderly cadre, a matter of extreme gravity.'

So……

Out of a sense of responsibility to life and to the law, I deliberately made this public.

Please, Secretary Li and fellow villagers, let us jointly evaluate this, after all, the people's eyes are discerning.

He casually swapped 'conviction' for 'evaluation,' removed himself from the blame, and instead kicked the pressure and the ball back to Li Zhenyang—'You just said we must investigate rigorously, didn't you? Then this crucial clue, will you handle it? How will you handle it? In front of all these people, if you, Li Zhenyang, dare to cover up, that is blatant favoritism!'

Li Zhenyang was left speechless, his face growing even uglier.

He realized he had been outmaneuvered again by Lin Dongfan! This youngster of the Lin family may be young, but his tactics are extremely ruthless!

Without waiting for his reaction, Lin Dongfan again fixed his tax‑profit gaze on Li Hengbo.

He said slowly:

'As for General Manager Li's question just now… why would I suspect you?'

It's simple.

First, before Comrade Duan Xinhua disappeared, the last person he contacted and with whom he had a fierce conflict was you, Li Hengbo, General Manager Li.

As for this, there are records that can be checked.

Second……

Saying this,

Lin Dongfan deliberately emphasized his tone:

'According to our understanding, before Comrade Duan Xinhua disappeared, he had possessed some unflattering material about you and certain people behind you.'

After he disappeared, those materials also vanished. Is that a coincidence?

Third, and most crucially……

Lin Dongfan's voice suddenly turned cold.

Carrying an invisible sense of oppression:

'After Duan Xiaobin underwent questioning by the relevant authorities in an attempt to clarify his father's disappearance, he encountered an "accidental" silencing within twenty‑four hours!'

And during this period.

The one who seemed most eager to jump in and most wanted to stop the investigation from proceeding was apparently you, General Manager Li.

Even today, in this memorial hall, the words of 'comfort' you spoke to Duan Xiaobin's mother sound nothing like what an innocent person would say!

Lin Dongfan laid out his argument clearly and logically, each sentence like a knife peeling away Li Hengbo's layers of disguise!

Although he produced no new 'ironclad evidence,' he linked these events into a highly persuasive chain of reasoning!

The public opinion inside the memorial hall reversed once again in line with Lin Dongfan's exposition!

Everyone present looked, without prior agreement, toward Li Hengbo; each pair of eyes filled with suspicion and anger!

Li Hengbo was left speechless by the questioning, and the cold sweat that had just dried on his forehead broke out again.

He suddenly realized that he seemed to have carelessly fallen into Lin Dongfan's verbal trap, and the more he struggled, the more flaws were exposed.

"Lin Dongfan, you're twisting the facts!"

Li Hengbo could only weakly repeat his feeble rebuttal, his momentum completely crushed.

Li Zhenyang knew he couldn't let Lin Dongfan continue speaking! He had to immediately put an end to this public questioning that was turning increasingly against him.

"Enough!" Li Zhenyang swept his hand fiercely, his tone and expression stern: "Lin Dongfan! This is a memorial hall, not your stage for deduction! The specific case details will be investigated by the judicial authorities! You are now recklessly speculating here, stirring up emotions, which has seriously disrupted social order! If you persist, don't blame me for punishing you on the charge of obstructing official duties!"

In the end, it was a desperate move.

Li Zhenyang actually directly used administrative authority to threaten, trying to forcibly suppress Lin Dongfan.

Lin Dongfan looked at the flustered Li Zhenyang and the outwardly fierce but inwardly weak Li Hengbo, feeling that today's enmity had been pretty much settled.

Today had successfully planted seeds of doubt in everyone's hearts, torn off Li Hengbo's hypocritical mask, and driven Li Zhenyang into a corner where he had no choice but to declare an investigation.

The goal has been achieved.

Following the strategy of securing gains and then stopping, Lin Dongfan responded to Li Zhenyang neither humbly nor arrogantly: "Since Secretary Li says so, I will naturally respect Wu Zhou's judicial procedures. I believe that under Secretary Li's personal oversight, the truth will surely come to light. I will not disturb the peace of the departed; I take my leave now."

Having said that, he no longer glanced at the Li uncle and nephew whose faces were ashen; he only gave Mother Duan and the crowd in the memorial hall a comforting and resolute look, then departed calmly.

He left in a carefree manner, leaving behind a mess and two opponents trembling with inner panic.

Li Hengbo watched Lin Dongfan's retreating back, his legs went weak and he nearly collapsed again. He knew that although he had temporarily escaped disaster, a greater storm had now formally arrived because of Lin Dongfan's actions today.

Right now we must immediately, at once, think of a way to respond!

And Li Zhenyang, gazing at Lin Dongfan's back, his eyes grew so dark they seemed ready to drip water; he knew that this young man had become the biggest variable and threat to his official career.

He must be eliminated as soon as possible!