Chapter 847

The tea room is very small, with only four tables.

At this time, aside from the boss dozing off behind the counter, there are no other customers.

Lin Dongfan chose the innermost seat, with his back to the door.

Zhao Linlin sat down opposite, her silk skirt brushing his trouser leg—a slight contact, but enough for the sense of smell to catch more of her perfume.

"Boss, a pot of ripe pu'er," Lin Dongfan said.

"Mayor Lin also likes ripe pu'er?" Zhao Linlin interjected timely: "When my father was alive, he loved collecting pu'er tea, and we still have some old tea cakes from the 1990s at home. Next time I'll bring some for you to try."

"No, thank you." Lin Dongfan politely declined: "General Manager, what do you want to say?"

Zhao Linlin held the tea cup with both hands, her fingertips turning slightly white.

She lowered her brows and eyes, putting on a pitifully weak appearance: "My brother... in the few days before his death he acted strangely. He told me that if anything happened to him, I should go find someone."

Lin Dongfan's eyes flickered slightly: "Who?"

"He didn't give a name, only said... he was someone from the province."

Zhao Linlin lifted her gaze, staring straight at Lin Dongfan: "He left me a USB drive, saying it contained something that could save my life. But when I got it, I found the USB drive was encrypted and I can't open it."

"Where is the USB drive?"

"In the safe at my club."

Zhao Linlin leaned forward slightly, the spring light beneath her V-neck faintly visible: "Mayor Lin, my brother did many wrong deeds and deserved to die. But that USB drive might contain more than just his affairs; I dare not hand it over to anyone else, for fear..."

She stopped at the right moment, leaving endless room for imagination.

The boss brought over the teapot.

Lin Dongfan poured himself a cup, without responding.

Zhao Linlin bit her lip.

She continued to pour out her bitterness: "I know what I'm saying now might not be believed, but I truly have no ill intent. Now my brother is dead, Su Qingyu has gone missing, and our Zhao family is finished. In this situation I haven't thought of anything else; I just want to live my own life honestly. As a woman, I really can't bear so many secrets."

Upon saying this, she finally let that tear slide down, slowly tracing her cheek, glittering faintly in the light.

No sobbing, no embarrassment—only a sense of broken beauty.

"Mayor Lin, could you... help me?" Her voice was light as a feather: "I ask for nothing else, only that you point me to a way. That USB drive—who should I give it to? How should I say it? I... I really don't know what to do. I don't want to get involved in trouble; I just want to toss away this hot potato..."

Lin Dongfan slowly sipped his tea.

The mellow richness of the pu'er melted in his mouth, yet it could not suppress that faint perfume—the top note of incense had dissipated, the middle note of lily was strong, deeply entwining.

"Regarding the USB drive," Lin Dongfan finally said: "You can hand it over to the Municipal Discipline Inspection Commission or the Municipal Faction. Follow proper procedures and state the facts truthfully."

"But..."

Zhao Linlin wore another troubled expression: "I've heard there are also people in the Discipline Inspection Commission... Mayor Lin, I'm not suspecting anyone, I'm just afraid. My brother died because he trusted the wrong person..."

She didn't finish, but the meaning was clear.

Lin Dongfan set down his teacup: "If you don't trust the municipal departments, you can hand it directly to the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission; I can help you make contact."

"The Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission..."

Zhao Linlin murmured the repetition, then suddenly reached out to break the sense of boundary, an ambiguous probe, her palm lightly covering the back of Lin Dongfan's hand resting on the table.

Her fingertips were icy cold, yet her palm was warm.

"Mayor Lin." She gazed pleadingly at Lin Dongfan, her eyes holding dependence and a barely perceptible probe: "Could you... accompany me? I really don't dare go alone."

That expression truly evokes pity.

Said so naturally, so fragile, as if she were truly a woman with nowhere to turn, seeking shelter from the only person she could trust.

Lin Dongfan naturally withdrew his hand.

The motion was small, but clear.

"Zhao Linlin." Lin Dongfan's voice remained steady: "Your brother's case will be handled by the judicial organs according to law. You are a lawful citizen, and your lawful rights will be protected. As for the USB drive, I suggest you deliver it directly to the Municipal Discipline Inspection Commission tomorrow morning and find Secretary Shi Liantang; he will handle it properly."

Zhao Linlin's hand hovered in midair, stiff for a few seconds, then she awkwardly withdrew it.

She lowered her head, her shoulders trembling slightly.

The first round came up empty.

When she lifted her head again, her face had already broken into a smile, albeit a bit forced: "I understand, thank you for the guidance, Mayor Lin. Sorry for taking up your precious time."

She stood up, grabbed her bag: "I'll pay for the tea... you... go home and rest early."

Having said that, she turned and walked toward the counter.

As she paid, her back was ramrod straight, her silk dress hugging the curves of her waist and hips, outlining an alluring silhouette in the dim yellow light.

Lin Dongfan also rose and walked out of the tea room.

The night grew deeper.

Zhao Linlin walked slowly toward her car, the wind lifting her hair.

She glanced back at Lin Dongfan once, her eyes complex—filled with disappointment, unwillingness, and a hint of stubborn refusal to admit defeat.

Before opening the car door and getting in, he turned back and said: "Mayor Lin, that USB drive... I'll keep it myself for now. I'll let you know once I've figured things out."

Lin Dongfan smiled without speaking, merely giving a polite wave to see her off.

Seeing that, Zhao Linlin said nothing more, got into the car and opened the makeup mirror to touch up. She dabbed her lipstick, looking at her still-perfect reflection in the mirror, the corner of her mouth curling into a hint of confident smile.

USB drive? It simply doesn't exist.

But tonight she had probed Lin Dongfan's bottom line—this man isn't immune to female charms, he just can endure! That makes things easy; we'll see how many times he can hold out.

Maintain patience, and there will be an opportunity.

She put away her lipstick and sent a WeChat message to the club's finance: "Deliver that fifty thousand in cash tomorrow to Driver Zhang's home at the Municipal Party Committee's motor pool. Have you sobered up? If so, deposit it back."

Investment must be staged; tonight is merely a preliminary probe.

On the drive home, Zhao Linlin kept thinking about how to make her next move.

Throwing caution to the wind and charging straight up definitely wouldn't work—it would make her look cheap. Giving Mayor Lin an opportunity to play hero rescuing a beauty also seems inappropriate; the plot would be too melodramatic.

Still, let's first set a personal image; truly excellent men absolutely do not like women who are easily obtained vases.

She kept thinking.

Zhao Linlin then thought of another official's wife—Liu Yun, whose husband is the chief of the Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau, belonging to the pro-Lin faction.

A few days later, the Social Care Assistance Center had an event visiting disabled children.

This matter is hosted by the Civil Affairs Bureau, and Mayor Lin will personally attend.

If I could be invited to participate in this event, my social image could completely change, turning from a criminal's relative into an enthusiastic public-benefit figure, thoroughly cutting ties with the Zhao Family's shameful past.

Thinking of this, Zhao Linlin immediately dialed Liu Yun's phone: "Liu Sis, are you free tomorrow? Our beauty salon just received a new batch of products; I'd like to invite you to try them for free……"