Chapter 795: Discipline Commission's Late-Night Fishpond Prying

At 9:27 p. m., the lights in the Mayor's office were still on.

Lin Dongfan and Shi Liantang sat side by side on the sofa, with several documents spread on the coffee table; the wall clock ticked, and a night breeze blew in through the half-open window, bringing the chill of early autumn.

The phone ring broke the silence.

Shi Liantang glanced at the caller ID, saw it was Sun Yongwen, and immediately answered and put it on speaker.

"Secretary Shi."

Sun Yongwen's voice came through the speaker, background noise a bit noisy, rural wind audible: "We've found something at the fish pond. Using professional equipment for detection, there is a dense, large-area metal reaction at the bottom, depth about 2.5 meters. The metal distribution is very orderly, not like scattered debris."

Lin Dongfan and Shi Liantang exchanged a glance, their eyes lighting up.

"But..."

Sun Yongwen's silvery-white tone shifted.

His tone became difficult: "The water is too deep and murky, and the countryside has no streetlights. If we try to feel around underwater with miner's lamps, it's unrealistic. We suggest the safest method is to drain the pond."

Shi Liantang looked at Lin Dongfan, seeking his approval with his eyes.

Lin Dongfan nodded.

Shi Liantang immediately gave an order into the phone: "If we confirm there is indeed something in the pond, then drain it."

"The problem is..."

Sun Yongwen's voice lowered, full of difficulty: "Zhou Hongwei's sister Zhou Hongying, with a few relatives, is causing a fuss here, refusing to let us drain the pond, claiming we're deliberately ruining their feng shui. We explained it's needed for the investigation, but she won't listen, crying and making a scene, utterly unreasonable."

Shi Liantang furrowed his brows: "Do some ideological work with her, explain the stakes clearly."

"We can't reason with her, Secretary!"

Sun Yongwen's voice carried helplessness and a hint of anger: "I've said everything I could; a woman is just a shrew, impossible to reason with. She's cursing fiercely, saying we're bullying the common folk and threatening to call the media to expose us. Now our people have been shoved by her so they can't even approach the pumping equipment by the pond."

Hearing this, Lin Dongfan reached out and took the phone from Shi Liantang's hand.

"Comrade Yongwen..." Lin Dongfan spoke, his voice steady and clear: "I am Lin Dongfan."

There was a noticeable pause on the other end.

Then came Sun Yongwen's respectful voice: "Mayor Lin, please instruct."

"The situation in the city is complex; you must uphold the bottom line of handling cases according to law and enforcing civilly, to avoid escalation of conflict." Lin Dongfan spoke not quickly, but each word struck like a nail: "But if the parties obstruct law enforcement with violence, threats, etc., and warnings are ineffective, you may take necessary measures according to law."

After a brief thought.

Lin Dongfan then added further:

"Give her one final verbal warning, clearly informing her of the legal consequences of obstructing law enforcement. If she continues to block, or even takes extreme actions, treat it as obstruction of official duties. Remove those who should be removed, control those who should be controlled. Throughout the law enforcement process, full audio and video recording must be maintained; under no circumstances should we leave ourselves open to criticism."

"Understood!"

With Lin Dongfan's instructions, Sun Yongwen also gained confidence.

"Stay safe."

After Lin Dongfan finished speaking, he returned the phone to Shi Liantang.

Shi Liantang then gave a few more details.

Afterwards, he hung up.

The office grew quiet again, but the air seemed still to echo the faint clamor from the other end of the line; this seemed an irreconcilable contradiction.

"That Zhou Hongying..." Shi Liantang shook his head in comment: "She's utterly lawless."

Lin Dongfan walked to the window, gazing at the quiet Municipal Party Committee compound below, his eyes deep: "The more she acts like this, the more it shows that whatever is in that fish pond cannot see the light."

……

Ping Shan County, front courtyard of the Zhou family's old residence.

Several strong emergency lights illuminated the area around the fish pond as bright as daytime.

Two water-pump trucks marked with "flood control and emergency rescue" were already in position, their thick hoses reaching the pond's edge, but the engines had not yet started.

Sun Yongwen stood with six or seven workers beside the pumping equipment; opposite them were Zhou Hongying and the three cousins she had summoned.

Zhou Hongying, in her forties, slightly plump, with a permed short curly hairstyle, now had her hands on her hips, pointing at Sun Yongwen's nose and cursing, saliva almost spraying onto his face.

"... What are you lot?! Breaking into my house in the dead of night, what right do you have to meddle with my fish pond? Who gave you the right?!"

Beside her, a burly nephew also shouted: "Malle Gobi, the Commission for Discipline Inspection is something, huh? If you don't leave, watch out—I'll sue you for trespassing on a private residence?!"

Facing these unreasonable remarks, Sun Yongwen suppressed his anger.

And he issued a final warning: "Zhou Hongying, we are performing our duties according to law! We suspect the fish pond may hide case-related evidence; draining it for inspection is a necessary procedure! Your current conduct already constitutes suspected obstruction of official duties. Please clear the way immediately! Otherwise, we will take compulsory measures against you according to law!"

"Compulsory measures? Come on! Try laying a hand on me!"

Zhou Hongying not only did not retreat, she stepped forward two paces, shouting like a brainless shrew: "I dare you to try draining the pond today! Unless you step over my corpse! Let me tell you, my brother is the director of the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau! He's a leader in the city! If you dare act recklessly, getting you fired is just a matter of minutes!"

The more she scolded, the more agitated she became.

Seeing Sun Yongwen's face turn dark as he retreated half a step, she actually pressed her advantage, reaching out to shove a young worker who was adjusting the water pump: "Get lost! Don't touch my stuff!"

The young man, unprepared, was shoved and staggered, his tool falling to the ground.

"Stop!"

Sun Yongwen completely lost his temper, stepped forward to block the young man, and shouted sternly: "Zhou Hongying! You openly shoved law enforcement personnel; the nature is extremely vicious! I now lawfully summon you orally; please cooperate!"

"Summon? Summon your mother's head!"

Zhou Hongying totally lost it, turned and ran toward the main hall.

Sun Yongwen thought she was trying to flee, and signaled two workers to follow and restrain her.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Hongying rushed into the main hall, and within less than five seconds came back out, now holding a gleaming kitchen knife!

"Don't come over! Nobody come over!"

Zhou Hongying brandished the knife, eyes wild: "Anyone who dares approach, I'll let you watch me die!"

The next second.

Sun Yongwen and the others were shocked into stunned pallor.

Only saw Zhou Hongying place the kitchen knife horizontally against her neck, the sharp blade pressed to her skin. Her left hand trembled as she pulled out her phone from her pocket and frantically unlocked the screen.

"You forced me… you forced me…"

She cried out while clumsily scrolling through the contacts with her left hand, wanting to call Zhou Hongwei. She found the number, but when she dialed, a mechanical voice response came back.

No one answered the phone.

Zhou Hongying's complexion grew paler with each busy tone, the madness in her eyes gradually replaced by overwhelming panic.

Just as she was about to dial the number for the second time.

Sun Yongwen said: "Don't call; if I'm not mistaken, your brother Zhou Hongwei has already been controlled and cannot answer your call."

As his words fell, the scene fell into a deathly silence.