Chapter 836

Wang Qigang called Executive Vice Governor Deng Chunning, originally intending to use his influence to suppress Lin Dongfan's momentum and gain some breathing space.

Unexpectedly, things turned out contrary to his wishes.

Deng Chunning said only one sentence on the phone: "The Zhao Group's messy affairs have always been under the province's watch. Don't try to stop a cart with your arm. Which is more important, political achievements or your political career? You know the answer in your heart."

Those words were like a bucket of cold water, chilling Wang Qigang to the bone.

According to Deng Chunning's meaning, if Wang Qigang continued to protect the Zhao Group, he would end up with nothing but a futile effort! By then he would not only fail to secure his political achievements, but might even ruin his own political career.

That night, Wang Qigang sat on the living-room sofa all night.

A huge crystal ashtray.

Inside, the cigarette butts were piled up like a small mountain, spilling onto the tabletop.

By dawn, he seemed to have aged ten or more years overnight: his complexion was dull and lifeless, and even his hair had turned white in places.

But he hesitated until the very end.

In the end he still picked up his phone and called Li Bin of the Municipal Party Committee Office: "Director Li, pass the word down—require all counties and districts to actively mobilize personnel and fully cooperate with Mayor Lin in reorganizing the audit team."

This signal of compromise quickly spread throughout the officialdom of Wuzhou.

Those who had been sitting on the fence were instantly dumbfounded; after realizing the situation, they were shocked—Wang Qigang himself was about to bow his head, which meant the Zhao Group's ship was likely really going to sink.

Naturally, the most panicked person was Zhao Tianyu.

At ten in the morning, Zhao Tianyu was sitting in his office looking at the progress report for the resumption of work at Cloud Peak Mountain Villa when he received a call from Finance Director Shen Mingyang.

"General Manager Zhao, something's happened!" Shen Mingyang's voice and expression were urgent: "A friend at the Bureau of Audit called and said… said Yan Wenbin has been taken away by the Discipline Inspection Commission! A new audit team has already been formed, personally led by Xu Shiyuan, and it will draw personnel from all counties and districts to re‑audit our Zhao Group's projects!"

"……!!!"

That bolt of heavenly thunder struck Zhao Tianyu's head, instantly shattering all his fantasies.

Resolving the Group's assets within three months has become impossible! And that foreign high‑interest loan of over two hundred million will be the final straw that breaks the camel's back!

"Yan Wenbin's arrest—when did that happen?"

Zhao Tianyu felt as if he were dreaming; even now he could hardly believe it was real. He couldn't understand how, with Wang Qigang backing him from behind, things could have come to this.

Shen Mingyang replied: "Just this morning, the Discipline Inspection Commission stormed the Audit Bureau and took people away!"

He paused briefly.

Shen Mingyang then asked: "General Manager Zhao, what should we do now? Once the new audit team moves in, the re‑audit will take at least several months… our money… probably can't wait that long…"

Can't wait!

Those three words were like three sharp daggers, plunging into Zhao Tianyu's heart with a puff.

It hurt so much he wanted to curse "grass‑mud horse flying over the Gobi Desert!"

Zhao Tianyu slammed the receiver hard onto the desk phone, then slumped into his boss's chair, his eyes glazed with worry.

Two and a half months.

Exactly seventy‑six days!

Every day he counted on his fingers, figuring when the audit team would withdraw, when the assets would be unfrozen, and when that deadly high‑interest loan could be repaid.

But now, it's all over!

Yan Wenbin's arrest, the formation of the new audit team, the launch of the re‑audit procedure! This combination punch leaves no room to struggle in the coming three months.

And the final deadline for repaying that sum is only two weeks away.

Two weeks!

Where in two weeks can we possibly scrape together that much money to repay the debt?

Zhao Tianyu fiercely grabbed the crystal ashtray on the table and hurled it hard at the opposite floor‑to‑ceiling window!

"Bang!"

The ashtray struck the tempered glass, bounced back, and shattered everywhere. The glass window remained unmarked, reflecting his twisted, distorted face.

"Lin Dongfan!!!"

Zhao Tianyu roared in anger, wishing he could devour Lin Dongfan raw! Before Lin Dongfan appeared, his life had been smooth sailing, blessed by the god of wealth.

He simply couldn't figure it out.

Why did Lin Dongfan pick this moment to make the arrest?

Why did he choose this moment to restart the audit team?

Could that bastard Lin Dongfan know about Zhao Tianyu's high‑interest loan? Know that the source of that funds is dirty?

Besides Finance Director Shen Mingyang, the only other person who knows this is…

A figure flashed in Zhao Tianyu's mind—Su Qingyu! That brother‑in‑law who pretends to be a humble grandson while dabbling in arts sponsorship—a useless good‑for‑nothing—Su Qingyu!

He recalled Wang Qigang's earlier warning: "Keep a close eye on your brother‑in‑law Su Qingyu."

And then he thought about how Su Qingyu had been frequently running to Jianglan Daxue, trying to cozy up to the mayor's wife.

Zhao Tianyu's gaze grew increasingly cold!

He picked up the phone on the table, found Su Qingyu's number, and dialed it.

The phone rang five or six times before it was answered.

"Hey, big brother, what's up?" Su Qingyu's voice sounded a little guilty.

Zhao Tianyu restrained his emotions and asked calmly: "Where are you right now?"

"I'm at the company, handling some matters." Su Qingyu replied.

Zhao Tianyu said: "I have something I'd like to talk to you about. Come to suite 404 at the Hyatt Hotel at eight tonight."

After two seconds of silence on the other end came the reply: "Tonight? I… I might have something else…"

"What could be more important than our Zhao family's affairs? Eight o'clock—don't be late!" Zhao Tianyu said in a stern, cold tone, then hung up directly.

Not long after, Zhao Tianyu summoned two of his subordinates—Along and Ahu.

Zhao Tianyu ordered the two: "That dog Su Qingyu is guilty as a thief and might try to flee. You two brothers keep an eye on him—if he dares to run, break his dog legs!"

"Understood."

The Dragon and Tiger brothers nodded and took orders.

After those two brothers had left, Zhao Tianyu put down his phone, walked to the liquor cabinet, poured a full glass of whiskey, and drank it all in one gulp.

The liquor burned his throat, but it could not burn away the panic and killing intent in his heart.

"Su Qingyu!"

"If it really was you who betrayed me!"

"Then you have no need to remain in this world!"

At that moment, Zhao Tianyu was like my 'rational' madman; he set down the glass in his hand, turned around, and picked up the baseball bat that had been placed in the corner of the office.

This is a tool used to play baseball.

However...

Zhao Tianyu prefers to use it to strike people's heads.

He enjoys the thrill of treating others' heads as balls to hit; as long as his strike is accurate enough and his force is fierce enough, the opponent basically has no chance to let out a miserable groan.

Over the past few years, the number of lives that have stained this baseball bat has reached three!

They were all people who had betrayed him.