Chapter 884: An Unexpected Incident in the Detention Center

When Xu Jialiang left Zheng Congwen's office, his legs still felt a bit weak.

Lin Dongfan's words were like a nail stuck in his mind—"Give it a shot, bicycle-to-motorcycle upgrade! As long as you don't get into a horrendous traffic accident, you won't die!"

It sounded like a joke at first, but on reflection it's all a trap.

He returned to his own office, closed the door, and lit a cigarette.

In the smoke, he stared at the ceiling, dazed for a good while.

Fifteen years in criminal investigation, the cases he's solved could fill a truck. He always thought that as long as his work was solid, he'd eventually move up. Only today did he realize that solid work means nothing; political studies are the final, major lesson in life.

Now it's fine—he didn't get the Deputy Brigade Commander's big promise, but instead got handed a hot potato.

Huang Jintang!

If this person dies in the detention center, Xu Jialiang will be the primary responsible party. Lin Dongfan's words weren't a simple threat, but a foreshadowing of fate.

Xu Jialiang stubbed out the cigarette and picked up the phone.

"Old Li, take two people and go watch Huang Jintang at the detention center. Twenty-four hours, never leave his side. If anything abnormal happens, call me immediately."

The Old Li on the other end of the line is a veteran criminal investigator he's known for years, reliable in his work.

"Captain Xu, how closely should we watch him?"

"Until his case is finished in court." Xu Jialiang paused: "Also, keep your eyes open. If someone in the detention center is overly enthusiastic, think about why."

Old Li fell silent for a second: "Understood."

……

Detention Center, Cell 206.

Huang Jintang crouched in the corner, clutching a cigarette in his hand, unlit.

This cigarette was handed to him by a bald inmate in the same cell. The bald guy had only been inside a day, yet managed to get cigarettes. He claimed it was from a fight, but his demeanor was even more arrogant than the usual thugs outside.

"Boss Huang, why aren't you smoking?" the bald guy leaned over, smiling affably.

Huang Jintang glanced at him, still didn't dare to smoke, and replied, suppressing his craving: "I've quit."

The bald guy clicked his tongue and laughed: "What quit, just smoke. In this damned place you can't touch women; if you even quit smoking, are you still a man?"

Huang Jintang didn't respond.

He'd been mixing in society for over twenty years—what kind of person hasn't he seen?

This bald guy's eyes were off, his smile was off, even the way he offered the cigarette was wrong. Too enthusiastic, enthusiastic enough to send a chill down one's back.

The bald guy wasn't annoyed; he lit his own cigarette and leaned beside him.

"Boss Huang, you're a big boss outside. I heard the Cloud Peak Mountain Villa project is a major registered provincial key project—you must have made a lot of money, right?"

Huang Jintang's heartstrings tightened: "Who told you that?"

The bald guy smiled: "Everyone who comes in has some story; we chatted and ended up talking about you. Boss Huang, I really admire your type—daring to stand up to the big bosses, you've got guts."

Huang Jintang didn't speak.

The bald guy kept on rambling, jumping from topic to topic—from Cloud Peak Mountain Villa to Zhao Tianyu, then from Zhao Tianyu to the newly arrived Mayor Lin Dongfan.

Huang Jintang listened, and the more he heard, the more alarmed he became.

This bald guy knows too much—damn it, is this something a lowly thug who only knows how to fight should know?

Just as Huang Jintang was guessing uncertainly.

The bald guy suddenly blurted out with deep meaning: "However... Boss Huang, there's something I don't know whether I should say."

"Go ahead, I'm listening." Huang Jintang listened attentively.

The bald guy leaned close to his ear, lowering his voice: "Someone outside asked me to give you a message—if you talk nonsense, your wife and kids will have no one to look after them."

"!!!"

Huang Jintang was startled, his pupils constricting sharply.

Having finished his task, the bald guy stood up, stretched, and walked back to his bunk. Huang Jintang stared at his back, the cigarette in his palm clenched into a ball.

……

2 a. m.

Old Li sat in the monitoring room, staring at the screen showing Cell 206.

In the footage, most people were asleep, except for Huang Jintang curled up in the corner, completely still.

It looked like he was sleeping.

But Old Li watched him for over two hours and noticed he moved every few minutes—turning over, changing posture.

He wasn't asleep.

Old Li frowned, thought for a moment, then picked up his phone and dialed Xu Jialiang's number.

"Captain Xu, are you asleep?"

"No, what's up?"

"Huang Jintang's condition seems off—he keeps tossing and turning, unable to sleep, looking very tense, like a startled mouse."

"Has anyone been in contact with him?"

"No. Everyone else in the cell is asleep, no one near him. But after dinner he's been like that, as if frightened by something."

"Keep a close watch on him; report any movement immediately."

"Understood."

After hanging up, Old Li stared at the screen showing Huang Jintang, not daring to be the slightest bit careless.

He endured until seven in the morning; when handing over the shift, Old Li deliberately went to the door of Cell 206.

Through the small window, he saw Huang Jintang crouched in the corner near the toilet, holding half a steamed bun, looking preoccupied—he took a bite, stared off for a moment, then took another bite.

But the other inmates in the cell appeared normal.

Old Li turned and walked away.

He didn't notice that, shortly after he left, the bald man sidled up to Huang Jintang again, chatted casually for a few sentences, and Huang Jintang became so nervous he couldn't even swallow his steamed bun.

……

9 a. m., the mayor's office.

Lin Dongfan had just sat down when Secretary Xiao Chen came in to report: "Mayor Lin, everything was fine at the detention center last night. Huang Jintang had no incident, ate breakfast this morning, and his mood is stable."

Lin Dongfan nodded: "What about Xu Jialiang's side?"

"He has people watching him around the clock," Secretary Xiao Chen replied.

Lin Dongfan laughed: "Looks like yesterday's warning still had some effect. Xu Jialiang isn't stupid either; at least he has some self-preservation instinct."

"I'm just worried his experience isn't enough and his defenses aren't comprehensive, leaving an opening for someone to exploit," Xiao Chen reminded.

Lin Dongfan said: "No problem, as long as he sits properly, everything else is fine."

In fact, as early as the day Huang Jintang was detained, Lin Dongfan had already notified Xie Xiaofeng, ordering him to send a professional bodyguard into the detention center through normal channels to secretly protect Huang Jintang.

That bodyguard was named Xiao Yong; he was arrested for a traffic accident and was held in the same cell as Huang Jintang.

Lin Dongfan cut off the topic.

He then instructed Xiao Chen: "Go notify Ye Jiaying of the Mortal Group; the resistance on Huang Jintang's side has been cleared, so have her push forward the construction at Cloud Peak Mountain Villa as soon as possible."

"All right."

As Xiao Chen turned and left, he happened to close the office door.

Lin Dongfan picked up the red telephone on his desk again and called Yang Qing, who was far away in Baiyue Province, to ask about the assessment of Zhou Zheng's injuries.

Yang Qing vented glumly: "Damn, the brother who took a bullet for me really betrayed the organization. This is a big blow to my spirits—do you want to think of a way to comfort me?"

"What kind of comfort do you want?" Lin Dongfan asked.

Yang Qing held back a laugh and replied:

"My house was burned to the ground, it's been over three years, you know that. Now my wife and kids are in Jingcheng, and I want to settle down there.

The point is, I had a dream last night.

I dreamed you waved your hand and slammed a ten-million-dollar check hard against my face, then, with domineering flair, snapped at me—within three minutes, I must see your whole family happy!

To be honest…

In the dream, your domineering CEO aura really had me feeling completely subdued.

Hearing this, Lin Dongfan's brows knotted into a twist; I've seen shameless people, but someone as shameless as Yang Sansui is really rare.

But I have to admit, Yang Sanfan's begging posture is really unique.

Lin Dongfan snapped back: "Damn, what's with calling me a domineering CEO in my dreams? In reality, I am the domineering CEO who waves his hand! It's just a house—buy it!"