Chapter 736

Wu Zhou Old Tea House, founded in the third year of the Republic of China.

Carved wooden door, blue-gray bricks and tiles, above the lintel hangs a blackwood plaque inscribed with the three gilded characters "Old Tea House", the corners already somewhat mottled.

2:50 p. m.

In the window-side private room on the second floor of the tea house, Li Zhenyang sat alone.

He wore a dark gray Zhongshan suit, no tie, his hair neatly combed. But the dark circles under his eyes and his slightly trembling fingers revealed his inner tension.

Before him, a purple clay pot brewed fine pu'er, its fragrance wafting, yet he hadn't taken a sip.

Outside the window lay Wu Zhou's old street, flagstone paths, sycamore shadows, occasionally a bicycle bell rang ding-ding-ding. Everything seemed calm as usual, but Li Zhenyang knew that after today, many things would change.

Footsteps came from the stairs.

Neither hurried nor slow, steady and strong.

Li Zhenyang's heart tightened, and he instinctively straightened up.

The door was pushed open.

Lin Dongfan walked in.

He brought no bodyguards, just himself, wearing a light gray casual jacket, jeans, and sneakers, like a touring college student.

But when his eyes swept over, Li Zhenyang still felt a chill.

"Secretary Li, you've kept me waiting." Lin Dongfan smiled, sat down opposite without ceremony, and poured himself a cup: "Pu'er? Not bad vintage."

Li Zhenyang stared at him: "Aren't you afraid I might have set an ambush here?"

"Afraid?" Lin Dongfan sipped tea, set down the cup, half-smiling: "What cards do you still hold, Secretary Li? Zhao Qiang is in custody, Liu Shu is in my hands, Fang Zhanhong… oh right, I heard he suffered a sudden heart attack last night and was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment?"

Li Zhenyang's face changed.

Fang Zhanhong was indeed "ill," arranged by Xu Jijun; I didn't expect Lin Dongfan's information to be so swift.

"It seems you have plenty of eyes and ears in Wu Zhou as well." Li Zhenyang forced himself to stay calm.

"Not many, just enough." Lin Dongfan leaned back, gaze sweeping outside: "This street is interesting—during the Republic era it was an intelligence exchange point, after liberation a black-market trading hub, now… oh, Secretary Li, you should remember, the 2009 extermination case happened in that building across the street, right?"

Li Zhenyang's hand jerked violently.

Tea spilled out.

"What do you mean?" he said, voice dry, eyes like knives.

"Just idle musing." Lin Dongfan turned his teacup, tone casual: "Some places, once stained with blood, can never be washed clean, no matter how many times. Like a person who has done wrong—pretending to be an honest official for years still won't convince anyone."

Those words had already torn away all pretense.

Li Zhenyang stared at Lin Dongfan, then suddenly laughed, though his voice was hoarse: "Lin Dongfan, to drive me to this point, your Lin family indeed has some methods. But you should know, a cornered dog will jump over a wall, a cornered rabbit will bite. You came alone today—aren't you afraid you won't make it out of Wu Zhou?"

"I am afraid." Lin Dongfan nodded, solemn: "So I arranged thirty people beforehand—some seated on the tea house's first floor, some in the opposite snack shop, some at the newsstand on the street corner, and… oh, the sniper now aiming at the back of your head from the fourth-floor window of the building diagonally behind you."

Li Zhenyang's spine went cold; he instinctively wanted to turn around, but forced himself not to.

"Just kidding you." Lin Dongfan laughed: "There's no sniper, I was just speaking offhand. Secretary Li, why are you so tense?"

"You—!"

Li Zhenyang turned purple with anger.

"Just a joke to ease the mood." Lin Dongfan wiped his smile, leaned forward, hands crossed on the table: "Alright, let's get down to business. Secretary Li, you invited me to talk about the Duan Xinhua case. Has your conscience awakened? Are you planning to turn yourself in?"

Li Zhenyang took a deep breath, following Xu Jijun's taught phrasing, adopting a sincere posture: "Over the years, some of the things that have happened in Wu Zhou have indeed been most unpleasant. The disappearance of Duan Xinhua, the death of Duan Xiaobin… these occurred within my jurisdiction, and I bear responsibility for inadequate supervision. I am willing to cooperate with the Capital Inspection Group's investigation, provide leads, but I hope… the Lin family can give me a dignified way out."

"Dignified?" Lin Dongfan raised an eyebrow: "What kind of dignity do you have in mind, Secretary Li?"

"I can take early retirement due to illness, leave Wu Zhou, and turn over all my assets to the organization." Li Zhenyang's voice low and hoarse: "I only ask that my family not be implicated. Shu Ting has already left; I don't want Shu Qin to come to harm as well."

As he spoke, his eyes reddened, his acting spot-on.

Lin Dongfan watched his performance silently, waiting for him to finish, then spoke slowly: "Secretary Li, do you know how old Duan Xiaobin was when he died?"

Li Zhenyang blinked: "Twenty… twenty-two, I suppose?"

"Twenty-one years and three months." Lin Dongfan enunciated each word: "A third-year economics student at Southern University, he had won two national scholarships and was already slated for recommended graduate study. After Duan Xinhua disappeared, he inquired everywhere, and the relevant departments kicked him around like a ball. When the Inspection Group found him, he was killed that very day."

"The Anti-Corruption Bureau has been merged now, and I am no longer a civil servant." Lin Dongfan continued: "You came to me to discuss these matters; I can only retort you without restraint—why bother making yourself unhappy? I think you should go see the Inspection Group; Peng Tianhua is currently stationed in your Wu Zhou, and I believe he would be happy to receive you."

!!!

Li Zhenyang's heart blazed with fury—Damn it! Isn't the Inspection Group sent by your uncle Lin Zhenhua? And you come here saying this to me? You're not leaving me any way out!

After a moment of furious thought.

Li Zhenyang gritted his teeth and replied: "I don't know the truth behind Duan Xinhua's disappearance."

"Unaware?" Lin Dongfan laughed: "Secretary Li, your office safe contains seventeen 'internal reports' on these cases, each one you endorsed—'properly handled, maintain stability!' Those eight lofty words have pressed down how many lives—do you not keep count?"

!!!

Li Zhenyang's face turned completely white—I never imagined Lin Dongfan knew what was in his safe.

"Did Liu Shu tell you?" he asked hoarsely.

"Liu Shu?" Lin Dongfan shook his head: "He hasn't confessed to that extent yet. But Secretary Li, you think that after years of maneuvering in Wu Zhou, the place is a monolith? Let me tell you, since you invited me to this tea house, six people have already contacted me voluntarily, willing to provide evidence in exchange for leniency."

This is a bluff.

But Li Zhenyang believed it.

Because he firmly believed in the truth that "when the wall falls, everyone pushes," he is now that wall about to collapse.

"What must the Lin family do to let me go?" Li Zhenyang finally stripped away all pretense, his voice laced with despair: "State your terms; I'll do whatever I can."

Lin Dongfan stared at him for Along while.

So long that Li Zhenyang thought he would demand something impossible, when Lin Dongfan suddenly said: "I want to see Xu Jijun."

Li Zhenyang's pupils contracted sharply.

"You… what did you say?" he feigned ignorance.

"Drop the act." Lin Dongfan leaned back, crossed his legs: "From the moment you suddenly reached out to me, I knew someone behind the scenes was guiding you. Secretary Li, you're not the type to bow your head. The only reason you'd lower yourself to perform this 'confession play' is that someone has given you hope of a comeback."

He paused, eyes narrowing: "And that person can only be the 'resurrected' Xu Jijun. After all, the former G Xiansheng indeed still has some resources at his disposal."

The teahouse was terrifyingly quiet.

Outside the window, the parasol leaves rustled in the wind.

Li Zhenyang opened his mouth, wanting to deny, but upon meeting Lin Dongfan's eyes that seemed able to see through everything, all his words got stuck in his throat.

"Where is he?" Lin Dongfan asked.