Chapter 838: Disappear Like an Ant

Bang!

With a heavy thud, Su Qingyu's head lolled to the side, he collapsed on the spot unconscious, and a pool of blood quickly spread across the ground.

Zhao Tianyu kept his bat-swinging stance, silently watching for a few seconds before slowly lowering the baseball bat.

He called the Dragon Tiger Brothers to come in and clean up the mess.

Soon after.

The Dragon Tiger Brothers lifted Su Qingyu's body into a large suitcase, rolled the suitcase down the staff passage, and loaded it onto a black minivan.

The vehicle left the urban area and got onto the mountain road.

Late night on Old Eagle Mountain was pitch black, only the car lights illuminating the winding road ahead. After driving for over half an hour, they stopped beside a patch of forest.

This will do.

Along got out first to check the surroundings.

After confirming no one was around, they casually picked a spot and dug a pit over two meters deep. As they lowered Su Qingyu's body into the pit, there was a clear jolt from inside the suitcase.

But the Dragon Tiger Brothers paid no mind, directly filling in the grave.

2:30 a. m.

The mountain road was silent as if forgotten by the world; the taillights of the black minivan flickered once at a bend, then vanished completely at the road's end.

In the forest, the newly filled large pit was covered with some broken branches and leaves, making it look undisturbed.

Morning.

At Lin Dongfan's home in the Municipal Party Committee compound.

The dining room smelled of frying eggs, the maid bustled before the stove in her apron.

In the living room, Chu Lingxi roared like a tigress: 'Just got up and you're already on your phone! Can't live without it, huh? Not even going to eat breakfast?!'

She confiscated Lin Fusheng and Lin Xiaxia's phones on the spot and drove them to the table to eat breakfast.

The two didn't dare utter a sound.

This mother, meek as a kitten before their father, but when dealing with her two siblings she never goes easy, and will really beat them if provoked.

Lin Dongfan, standing on the balcony smoking, had his phone suddenly ring.

'Boss Fan, there's movement on Zhao Tianyu's end.'

It was Lao Ba's voice on the line, somewhat excited, with faint traffic noise in the background.

Lao Ba reported over the phone: 'Last night at 7:30, Su Qingyu drove to the Hyatt Hotel, entered the underground parking lot and never came out. In the same time frame, Zhao Tianyu opened room 404 at the Hyatt, registering with someone else's ID under the name Wang Jianguo.'

Lin Dongfan frowned slightly: 'Did Su Qingyu go in?'

'The cameras caught him entering the parking lot, but not leaving the hotel or going upstairs.' Lao Ba said: 'Even more suspicious, after nine last night, room 404 called for room service. When the attendant came in with a fruit platter, they smelled strong alcohol, saw the coffee table glass shattered, and the carpet soaked over a large area.'

'What did Zhao Tianyu say?'

'He compensated the hotel two thousand yuan, claiming he'd accidentally smashed it while drunk.' Lao Ba paused, then added: 'This morning, people from Su Qingyu's company came to have him sign documents, but couldn't reach him by phone. His secretary said Su Qingyu told them yesterday when leaving the office that he was going to meet an "important friend," but didn't say who.'

Lin Dongfan fell silent for a few seconds.

Thinking of Su Qingyu entering the Hyatt, Zhao Tianyu opening a room at the same time with a fake ID, the coffee table shattering, the alcohol...

These fragments need no piecing together; they already form a complete picture.

'Boss Fan.'

Lao Ba asked again: 'Should we keep an eye on Zhao Linlin, Su Qingyu's wife?'

'No need.' Lin Dongfan said: 'Zhao Linlin won't care whether Su Qingyu lives or dies; she might not even know he didn't come home last night.'

'Then...'

'Keep watching Zhao Tianyu.' Lin Dongfan said calmly: 'See where he goes today, who he meets, what he says. Get hold of the original surveillance footage from the Hyatt Hotel somehow.'

'Understood.'

After hanging up, Lin Dongfan stood on the balcony for a while.

The morning breeze blew in.

Carrying the coolness of an early summer dawn.

Recalling two days ago in the rehearsal room, Su Qingyu's face slick with cold sweat, that hesitant, timid demeanor, Lin Dongfan couldn't help but worry a little for him.

It's likely already more misfortune than fortune.

Lin Dongfan shook his head helplessly, pushed the door and returned to the dining room. Chu Lingxi had already placed the fried eggs on the table; seeing her husband preoccupied, she casually asked: 'Anything up at work?'

'Mm, there's a bit of a situation.' Lin Dongfan sat, picked up his chopsticks, expression normal: 'By the way, have you been in touch with Su Qingyu lately?'

Chu Lingxi shook her head and replied: 'We haven't been in touch since the last rehearsal; why are you suddenly asking about him?'

'Nothing, just asking casually.'

Lin Dongfan picked up a fried egg, took a bite, and chewed slowly.

His mind raced.

If Su Qingyu really came to harm, that would lose us a foothold for probing into the Zhao family's details.

But this also means Zhao Tianyu has been backed into a corner! Dare to commit murder and silence, showing he no longer cares about consequences.

A lunatic who doesn't care about consequences is the most dangerous.

'Dad, what are you thinking about?' Daughter Lin Xiaxia waved a hand in front of his face: 'You're about to poke that fried egg into a honeycomb.'

Lin Dongfan snapped out of it: 'Just thinking about work. You two hurry up and eat; when you're done, do what you need to do.'

Lin Xiaxia: 'What about the amusement park...'

'Next week, next week I'll definitely take you.' Lin Dongfan dotes on his daughter sincerely; seeing her pout displeased, he immediately explained: 'This week I'm swamped with work, I really can't get away.'

'Alright then, don't keep pushing it to next week.'

The pretty girl who had been in a decent mood—Lin Xiaxia—suddenly lost all interest, having no appetite for anything.

9 a. m.

Zhao Group president's office.

Zhao Tianyu threw the financial report that Finance Director Shen Mingyang had just brought, slamming it hard onto the floor, and the pages scattered everywhere with a rustling sound.

"Thirty million?!"

He pointed at Shen Mingyang's nose and cursed: "You fucking kidding me?! A hole of over two hundred million, and you show me a thirty-million account?! Shen Mingyang, do you think I, Zhao Tianyu, am easy to fool?!"

Shen Mingyang's voice trembled with nervousness: "Zhao... General Manager, most of the money on the accounts is project funds; if we misuse it without authorization, there will be trouble down below..."

"Trouble? Let them cause trouble!"

Zhao Tianyu grabbed the purple clay teapot on the table.

This was something he bought for over ten thousand yuan, and he didn't care at all. He suddenly smashed it hard onto the floor; with a crisp "bang," shards flew everywhere.

"I'm about to die, why should I care whether they cause trouble or not?!"

Zhao Tianyu's current frenzied state is, frankly, no different from a wild animal driven to desperation.

The high-interest loan of over two hundred million is due in twelve days.

The audit team for the re-review entered yesterday; this time they're clearly intent on digging deep. Although Su Qingyu, that useless guy, has been dealt with, there could still be unseen repercussions.

"General Manager..." Shen Mingyang spoke cautiously: "Why don't... we consult with Secretary Wang again?"

"Wang Qigang?"

Zhao Tianyu gave a cold smile.

Gritting his teeth in hatred: "That old bastard is avoiding me like the plague! Yan Wenbin got arrested, and he doesn't dare to fart! Now that the re-audit process has started, he dares not move at all! He just wants to clear his own name!"

In this situation, Shen Mingyang didn't dare to speak further.

Zhao Tianyu walked to the window, looking at the bustling street scene below, and suddenly uttered coldly: "Even if I die, I'll drag a few down with me!"

"!!!"

Shen Mingyang felt a chill run down his back upon hearing that.

Zhao Tianyu suddenly turned around, staring fixedly at him: "Mingyang, how many years have you followed me?"