Chapter 798

The private room was terrifyingly quiet.

Only the tirelessly scrolling lyrical lyrics on the projection screen were still creating a false romantic atmosphere.

Zhou Hongwei sat on the sofa, no different from sitting on a torture rack of a furnace, his hands gripping the fabric at his knees tightly.

Alcohol still surged in his blood vessels, but more so was cold sweat trickling down his spine.

He licked his dry lips, forcing out an ugly smile.

"Mayor Lin, what... what do you mean by this?" Zhou Hongwei's voice carried the sticky quality unique to after drinking, and he tried to maintain that pitiful official dignity: "My recent work performance, you've acknowledged it, haven't you? After work, private time... having a drink with friends to relax—this... this shouldn't count as a violation, right?"

As he spoke, his gaze unconsciously flicked toward the door, as if afraid the head waiter would bring in another bevy of cheongsam girls to let him pick a companion for drinks.

In the adult world, those who understand, understand.

Lin Dongfan didn't respond, just slowly puffing on his cigarette. The red glow of the ember flickered uncertainly in the dim private room, reflecting his calm, expressionless face.

Shi Liantang suddenly took over the conversation.

His voice was like a lump of raw iron, hard and blunt, striking out a solemn authority: "Comrade Zhou Hongwei, the organization is now formally speaking with you; please adjust your attitude!"

"My attitude is perfectly proper, Secretary Shi!"

Zhou Hongwei seemed to have grabbed a lifeline.

Speaking faster, he said, "I just don't understand—why would the mayor and the discipline inspection secretary come together to this kind of place in the middle of the night to find me? You owe me an explanation."

The more he spoke, the more he felt justified.

His back straightened a bit more: "I, Zhou Hongwei, have worked at the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau for so many years; I dare not say how great my achievements are, but at least I've been diligent, contributing to Wuzhou's urban construction..."

"Enough."

Lin Dongfan lightly tapped off the ash, and two words cut off Zhou Hongwei's self-praise.

Zhou Hongwei froze there, the rest of his words stuck in his throat.

"Director Zhou." Lin Dongfan lifted his eyes to him, his gaze devoid of anger, only a detached perceptiveness: "Do you think I praised you this afternoon in the office simply because your work was that good?"

Zhou Hongwei's throat moved, but he dared not reply.

"I praise your solid work because you really made those accounts seamless." Lin Dongfan leaned forward slightly, the cigarette turning in his fingertips: "But the problem is—you made them too perfect, perfect to the point that they don't look like the records a normal government department should have."

"Mayor Lin, this..."

Zhou Hongwei wanted to argue.

"Don't rush, I'll ask you a few questions; answer truthfully."

Lin Dongfan took a slow drag of his cigarette.

His voice remained steady.

But each word rang out like a nail: "In September last year, for the Zhao Group's Cloud Peak Mountain Villa project, the plot ratio for Phase One land was adjusted from 1.2 to 1.8; your signature—what was the basis?"

Zhou Hongwei's forehead began to sweat: "That, that was in line with the planning adjustment procedure, experts had argued it..."

"Which expert? Where are the minutes of the expert meeting?" Lin Dongfan pursued, his pace not fast but questions came one after another: "In March this year, for the Zhao Group's logistics park project in the western city, why did you approve postponing the construction of the required sewage treatment facility by three years?"

"That's because the company needed to turnover funds..."

"Fund turnover?"

Lin Dongfan smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes: "Zhao Group reported a net profit of 1.7 billion in Wuzhou last year, and you're telling me the money to build a sewage treatment plant needs three years of turnover?"

Zhou Hongwei's face turned pale, the alcohol completely worn off.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't speak.

These questions were all too familiar to him—each one a node where he had opened a back door for Zhao, and each he had prepared a seemingly reasonable excuse for.

But those excuses could only fool people during normal reporting.

In the face of this one-on-one interrogation, they were like walls of paper.

"And..." Lin Dongfan gave him no chance to catch his breath: "What exactly is going on with that fish pond at the entrance of your hometown?"

"Fish pond? Fish pond..."

Those two words stabbed into Zhou Hongwei's nerves like needles.

They made Zhou Hongwei's nerves tense.

He jerked his head up, his eyes instantly filling with bloodshot: "Mayor Lin! What do you mean by that? My hometown's fish pond... that... that's managed by my sister—what does it have to do with my work?!"

His voice was loud, but obviously hollow.

Shi Liantang suddenly interjected: "If it has nothing to do with your work, then please explain: tonight our discipline inspection personnel went to your hometown to investigate, why did your sister Zhou Hongying brandish a knife and violently resist the law, and keep shouting that anyone who touches the fish pond will fight them to the death?"

"!!!"

Zhou Hongwei's head buzzed.

He finally understood why his sister had been calling nonstop.

"I... I don't know!" Zhou Hongwei almost shouted: "My sister is just a rural woman, uneducated! Seeing you lot try to pump water from her fish pond, it's normal for her to panic! What does that prove?!"

The more he spoke, the more agitated he became, as if he'd found a counterpoint: "Mayor Lin, Secretary Shi! I, Zhou Hongwei, am at least a Division Level official! You're dragging me out here in the middle of the night over a rural woman's overreaction?! Is this in line with organizational procedure?! I'm going to report to Secretary Wang!"

He finally trotted out the three words "Secretary Wang" as a reliance.

This was his trump card.

And his last source of confidence.

Sure enough, as soon as he said that, the air in the private room seemed to congeal for a moment.

Seeing this, Zhou Hongwei's heart settled a little.

His tone also hardened: "Mayor Lin, you worked in the anti-corruption bureau, you can't tolerate sand in your eyes—I understand these matters. But Wuzhou has its own realities; some work isn't as simple as you imagine. Secretary Wang has always taught us to protect enterprises' enthusiasm and to create a relaxed environment for economic development..."

He began to recite from memory.

Those various platitudes he had heard countless times at Secretary Wang Qigang's meetings now came out of his mouth like lifelines, word for word.

Lin Dongfan listened quietly, without interrupting.

Until Zhou Hongwei spoke until his mouth was dry, and he stopped himself.

"Finished speaking?" Lin Dongfan asked.

Zhou Hongwei panted heavily, staring fixedly at him.

Lin Dongfan pressed the cigarette butt out in the ashtray, his motion slow and meticulous. Then he raised his head, looked at Zhou Hongwei, and suddenly asked an apparently unrelated question: "Section Chief Zhou, where's your phone?"

Zhou Hongwei startled, instinctively patted his pocket, pulled out his phone: "It's, it's here."

"Check how many missed calls." Lin Dongfan said.

Zhou Hongwei unlocked the screen—twenty-seven missed calls, all from his sister Zhou Hongying.

The latest unread text message, sent ten minutes ago, contained only a short sentence: "Brother, the fish pond's ruined—why aren't you answering the phone?"

Zhou Hongwei's hand began to tremble.

"Now..." Lin Dongfan's voice remained calm, but each word struck like a hammer: "You can choose to keep lecturing me here about grand principles, about Secretary Wang's directive spirit."

Speaking, Lin Dongfan stood up, and Shi Lian Tang also rose.

"Or..." Lin Dongfan looked down at Zhou Hongwei, slumped on the sofa: "Come with us voluntarily to your hometown fish pond to see what's really there. See what treasure your sister risked her life to protect is actually hidden in that pond."

……!!!

The color drained from Zhou Hongwei's face at a visible speed.

He tried to stand, but his legs went weak and gave no strength. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but only a "huh-huh" sound came from his throat.

Finally, he squeezed out a sentence of bluster but inner weakness: "Mayor Lin! You're illegally restricting personal freedom! I'll call Secretary Wang!"

Lin Dongfan laughed.

This time it was a genuine laugh, the corner of his mouth curling into a cold arc.

"You really won't cry until you see the coffin." Lin Dongfan turned and ordered Shi Lian Tang: "Secretary Shi, there's no point in continuing talks—cuff him."

"Yes."

Shi Lian Tang pulled a pair of shining handcuffs from his briefcase and walked toward Zhou Hongwei.

"How dare you?!" Zhou Hongwei shrank back in terror, but the sofa blocked his retreat: "I'm the director of the Housing Bureau! A Division Level official! Without the Municipal Party Committee's approval, you…"

"Zhou Hongwei, shut up." Shi Lian Tang had already stepped in front of him, voice cold and hard: "I still have the authority to arrest a lowly section chief like you; no need for Municipal Party Committee approval procedurally."

Click!

The sound of the metal clasp locking was especially crisp in the quiet private room.

Zhou Hongwei lowered his head to look at the handcuffs flashing cold light on his wrist, his whole body stiffening! Alcohol, fear, anger, disbelief… all emotions mixed on his face into a twisted expression.

He jerked his head up and roared: "Mayor Lin! I'm acting on Secretary Wang's orders—if you do this, you'll surely regret it…"

"Take him away!"

Lin Dongfan had already turned and walked toward the door; saying another half-word would count as his loss.

Shi Lian Tang and Lao Ba, one on each side, lifted the limp Zhou Hongwei and followed him out.

In the hallway, the headwaiter and a few cheongsam-clad women who hadn't yet left stared wide-eyed at the scene—the esteemed director of the Housing Bureau, handcuffed, witnessing such a sight for the first time in his life.

No one dared to speak.

Only Zhou Hongwei's heavy breathing and Lao Ba's steady footsteps could be heard.

They walked out of the club's main gate.

A night breeze blew, and Zhou Hongwei shivered.

A black government car was already parked at the entrance, its rear door open.

Lin Dongfan had already gotten into another car, the window half‑down, only his blurred profile visible.

"Get in."

Shi Lian Tang shoved Zhou Hongwei forward—everything was now out of Shi Lian Tang's control.