Chapter 714

The night was as dark as ink.

Two black SUVs raced down the highway to Wu Zhou, their headlights slicing through the darkness like drawn swords.

Lin Dongfan sat in the back seat of the lead vehicle, eyes closed, resting.

Lao Ba drove, occasionally glancing in the rearview mirror at He Qixiang, handcuffed in the back seat of the car behind, flanked by two bodyguards, his face deathly pale.

"Boss Fan, should we head straight to the warehouse?" Lao Ba asked.

"Not yet." Lin Dongfan opened his eyes, his gaze clear: "Li Hengbo isn't stupid; with Old Ghost and He Qixiang out of touch, he'll be wary, and the warehouse may already be empty."

"Where should we go then?"

"The inspection team's posting." Lin Dongfan checked his phone: "Let's first meet Peng Tianhua and borrow his law enforcement authority, so we don't leave ourselves open to criticism."

Lao Ba nodded in agreement.

Boss Fan is no longer a public official and holds no law enforcement power.

If we move against Li Hengbo in Wu Zhou without permission, Li Zhenyang will likely accuse us of using extralegal tactics.

That old fox is desperate to clear his name and will do anything.

…… (none)

At 11 p. m., on the seventh floor of the Wu Zhou Guest House.

This is the temporary office of the Clean Wind special inspection team; the hallway is brightly lit, and several rooms still have lights on.

Lin Dongfan waited downstairs for ten minutes before Peng Tianhua came down to greet him.

"Boss Fan, what brings you here so late?" Peng Tianhua, shirt sleeves rolled up, was obviously still working late.

"I've brought you a gift."

Lin Dongfan signaled his bodyguard to escort He Qixiang downstairs.

Peng Tianhua saw He Qixiang in handcuffs, being escorted not by police but by Lin Dongfan's private bodyguard, and his eyes widened in surprise.

Boss Fan, you really don't see yourself as a commoner!

You've been without your official cap for ages, yet you still behave like an official.

If the Wu Zhou authorities find out about this...

Li Zhenyang will surely leap up, slap his thigh, and shout: "The Lin family is utterly lawless! Send police at once and arrest Lin Dongfan for me!"

Just thinking about it gives me the chills.

Peng Tianhua hurriedly pulled Lin Dongfan to the side and whispered: "Boss Fan, this isn't the capital; be careful about restricting people's freedom like that."

"Hold it!"

I knew Old Peng would chicken out.

Lin Dongfan said: "He Qixiang is Li Hengbo's bodyguard and assistant. This afternoon at the Capital Experimental Primary School, he tried to abduct my son and was caught in the act. He carries communication records with Li Hengbo that prove Li Hengbo ordered it."

"Kidnapping?!"

Peng Tianhua's eyes narrowed as he looked at the shaking He Qixiang, then he signaled two inspection team members: "Take him away for an overnight interrogation."

"Old Peng." Lin Dongfan lowered his voice: "I need your help with one more thing."

"Go ahead."

"I need to conduct the next step lawfully."

Lin Dongfan lit a cigarette.

He went on to Peng Tianhua: "Li Hengbo is probably hiding in an abandoned warehouse of the old steel plant in western Wu Zhou. He Qixiang confessed that he killed his ex-wife Xu Yaqiu and her body is likely still there. Tonight you need to personally lead a team out, giving my operation a legal façade."

Peng Tianhua asked cautiously: "Is the evidence enough?"

"We have He Qixiang's statement." Lin Dongfan said: "But we need to verify it; if Xu Yaqiu really died there, it would be a crime scene, adding another murder charge against Li Hengbo."

Peng Tianhua fell silent for a moment, a sharp glint appearing in his eyes.

"If it's a crime scene, the situation changes entirely." He lowered his voice, insisting: "Are you certain the information is reliable?"

"He Qixiang saw the bloodstains himself; the body is hidden in the warehouse."

Lin Dongfan flicked ash from his cigarette.

He urged: "Old Peng, we need to wrap this up fast. Li Hengbo is like a startled bird—any hint of movement and he'll bolt."

Peng Tianhua checked his watch: "It's 11:20. Give me half an hour to rally the team; we'll move at exactly 12:00."

"Does it really take that long to muster people?" Lao Ba interjected.

"This is Wu Zhou, Li Zhenyang's territory; many matters need coordination." Peng Tianhua turned and headed into the guesthouse: "Wait here; I'll go upstairs to make arrangements."

Lin Dongfan called after him: "Wait."

"What's up?" Peng Tianhua turned back, startled.

Lin Dongfan's eyes were deep: "For now, Li Zhenyang must not find out; it's best not to involve Wu Zhou's Public Security Bureau."

Peng Tianhua blinked, then immediately grasped his concern.

Li Zhenyang is now the top official in Wu Zhou, with everyone in the city bureau loyal to him. If word leaks early, Li Hengbo will likely end up in Li Zhenyang's grasp.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Peng Tianhua nodded, said nothing more, turned and entered the guesthouse. His silhouette stretched long in the hallway light, radiating Along-lost air of decisive efficiency.

Lin Dongfan watched his retreating figure, a faint smile touching his lips.

Old Peng remains the same—reliable when it counts.

Lao Ba leaned in, lowering his voice: "Boss Fan, can Old Peng really muster troops? This is Wu Zhou turf—how could he pull people together so quickly?"

"He can." Lin Dongfan stubbed out his cigarette: "The inspection team may be small, but its members are all top-notch. Besides..." He paused: "Don't forget, Old Peng has spent twenty years in the political and legal system. For this 'Clean Wind' operation, his superiors have given him temporary authority to mobilize police from nearby cities and counties."

"All right." Lao Ba let out a breath: "I just worry that old fox Li Zhenyang will throw a spanner in the works."

"He wouldn't dare, at least not openly oppose his superiors." Lin Dongfan's eyes turned cold: "Li Hengbo is already a time bomb; Li Zhenyang's biggest wish now is to erase that bomb from the face of the earth."

Eleven forty-five.

The back door of the guest house opened silently, and Peng Tianhua was the first to walk out, followed by six people. All wore dark casual attire, with solemn expressions and efficient movements.

Among them were two prosecutor officials whom Lin Dongfan knew—both had been his old subordinates and partners during his time at the Anti-Corruption Bureau, one named Zhao Gang, the other Zhou Ming.

"You're fast enough," Lin Dongfan said, smiling as he went up to meet them.

"Time is tight, so I could only spare this many," Peng Tianhua briefly introduced: "You know Zhao Gang and Zhou Ming. The other few comrades were previously transferred from the neighboring county."

Everyone simply nodded in greeting, without any small talk, and immediately got into position.

Peng Tianhua unfolded a hand-drawn simple map, obviously just made upstairs: "West Suburb Old Steel Factory, Warehouse Area No. 3. According to the testimony, the target's hiding spot is here, in the underground compartment at the northeast corner."

He pointed with his finger: "The warehouse structure is complex, abandoned for years, and filled with debris inside. Two points to note: first, the target may be armed and extremely dangerous; second, there may be corpses on the scene, so protect the evidence."

Zhao Gang said in a low voice: "Peng Team, if the target resists…"

"If necessary, we can take coercive measures," Peng Tianhua glanced at Lin Dongfan and said: "But try to keep him alive; the case against him requires his own confession."

Lin Dongfan nodded: "Old Peng is right; Li Hengbo shouldn't die too easily."

"The concrete plan is split into two teams," Peng Tianhua suggested to Lin Dongfan: "Team A, I'll personally lead the frontal assault. Fan Ye, Team B, you lead your people to flank from the side and assist our patrol team in capturing the suspects."

The last sentence is the key: assisting the arrest gives Lin Dongfan's operation a legal guise.

Lin Dongfan laughed: "Just like that, happily decided—action." As for who assists whom, that no longer matters; the important thing is that we can now make arrests legally!