Chapter 9: Who Doesn't Know How to Take Action?

Lin Dongfan had also given careful thought to Li Hengbo's retaliatory measures.

Given Li Hengbo's current limited authority.

He figured Li Hengbo was merely trying to pressure him at work—either dumping a pile of public safety research reports on him, finding fault in the reports to force him to work overtime.

Or blowing things out of proportion, targeting him in public to marginalize him.

What Lin Dongfan never expected was that, upon entering the office Monday morning, he was met with a reprimand from Office Director Wang.

"Is this speech draft—'Creating Peaceful Nanzhou'—by Deputy Secretary Yuan yours?" Director Wang flung a draft at Lin Dongfan, his indignation plain.

Lin Dongfan picked it up and gave it a quick glance.

Then put it back: "I wrote it. What's the problem?"

"Did you write this without using your brain?!"

Director Wang directly flung the draft at Lin Dongfan's face.

He shouted angrily:

"I told you clearly before: the economic loss from the Green Bamboo Ridge forest fire still has room for upward revision in the specific figures! And the death toll really exceeds three?! You left the draft unchanged, didn't correct the data, and actually submitted the original! If this draft reaches Deputy Secretary Yuan, do you know what consequences could follow? Are you trying to get me killed?"

"Impossible. At the time I followed your instructions and adjusted all the data."

Lin Dongfan picked up the scattered draft from the floor, checked it carefully, and was dumbfounded—sure enough, it was the unaltered original.

Director Wang angrily demanded: "Why aren't you defending yourself?"

"!!!"

Lin Dongfan was left speechless by the questioning.

He had indeed revised the draft last Friday and handed it to Secretary Li before leaving work—there's no doubt Li Hengbo tampered with it, submitting the unaltered base draft.

Barring any surprise, the revised draft has probably already been destroyed by Li Hengbo.

Now even jumping into the Yellow River couldn't wash this clean.

Lin Dongfan steeled himself and replied: "Director Wang, I'll revise it now—give me half an hour, and I'll have a satisfactory new draft for you within that time…"

"No need."

Director Wang coolly ordered Lin Dongfan: "This is negligence, dereliction of duty, serious malfeasance! You nearly caused irreversible serious consequences! Effective today, you are suspended for reflection, and your eligibility for commendation is cancelled."

"Director Wang, I…"

"Get out!"

Lin Dongfan had wanted to add a couple more explanations, but Director Wang barked an order to cut him off.

With no room left to explain, Lin Dongfan realized that before power he was truly just a tiny ant at anyone's mercy.

Director Wang doesn't care about the truth; he only wants results.

Damn it!

What does 'nearly causing irreversible serious consequences' mean? 'Nearly' means it hasn't actually happened yet! And just for that they give me a suspension and cancel my commendation eligibility?

Lin Dongfan went to the restroom and splashed cold water on his face, trying to cool down.

Li Hengbo suddenly walked over, rapped the washbasin, and ordered arrogantly: "Being suspended doesn't mean you do nothing. From today on, you're in charge of cleaning the restroom."

"No problem."

Lin Dongfan looked in the mirror and carefully groomed his hair.

Li Hengbo sneered mockingly: "Did someone die at home? You look like you've sucked a bitter melon. Director Wang told you to reflect on your suspension—is that how you're reflecting? Are you dissatisfied?"

"That's all you've got. If you're capable, expel my Party membership and my public position."

Lin Dongfan swallowed his anger and returned a smile.

Li Hengbo glanced at the restroom door, saw no idle passersby, and declaimed: "Don't rush—if I could kick you to death with one foot, that would be boring."

"Any other tricks? Lay them out."

Lin Dongfan kept a calm smile.

Li Hengbo said arrogantly: "As someone with a law background, haven't you heard of the execution method called death by a thousand cuts? The flesh must be sliced bit by bit—only then is it satisfying."

"Fine, I'll go along to the end."

Lin Dongfan met Li Hengbo's eyes, not angry, just a faint smile showing he wouldn't back down.

That same unwillingness to yield made Li Hengbo feel his words weren't sharp enough—they hadn't turned into a dagger stabbing Lin Dongfan's vital point.

After a brief thought.

Li Hengbo sneered again: "I can not only suppress you in officialdom, I also want to sleep with your fiancée Fang Xiaoqian whenever I please! What do you have to match me? Just that green hat on your head?"

"Impressive!"

Lin Dongfan smiled and clapped.

Li Hengbo blinked in mild surprise, probably thinking he'd hallucinated.

After a moment's thought.

He curled his lip with a faint smile of sudden realization: "Just keep pretending! Like you, a coward who dares to be angry but not speak, aside from acting fine, what else can you do? Right?"

"Fang Xiaoqian is just a cheap toy I've grown tired of; you trail behind me, sleeping with my leftovers—where do you get any sense of superiority?"

Lin Dongfan stared at Li Hengbo in astonishment, as if he'd never seen such a fucking idiot.

That look of shock and doubt wasn't a knife, yet sharper than one! It stabbed Li Hengbo in the face unseen, turning his complexion ashen, leaving him momentarily unable to retort.

Lin Dongfan smiled and asked: "Compared to Chu Lingxi, Fang Xiaoqian is just a defective human product. Do you think I want to marry Chu Lingxi or Fang Xiaoqian?"

"You motherfucker, you're asking for death!"

Upon mentioning Chu Lingxi, Li Hengbo's emotions exploded; he flew into a rage and grabbed Lin Dongfan's collar.

Lin Dongfan had been waiting for this moment; he calmly smiled and asked: "There's no surveillance in the restroom—I'll give you a chance to regret. Will you let go or not?"

"If you dare touch Chu Lingxi, watch out—I'll chop you up and feed you to the dogs!"

Li Hengbo clung tightly to Lin Dongfan's collar, showing no intention of letting go.

"Chopped up and fed to the dogs, right!"

Before his words even finished, Lin Dongfan had already grabbed Li Hengbo's two fingers.

The wider he pulled them apart.

The pain on Li Hengbo's face became ever clearer, and he finally had to release Lin Dongfan's collar, his face flushed as he angrily shouted: "Break... broken! You damn, let go!"

I already said there's no surveillance here!

They were about the same height, but in terms of strength Li Hengbo and Lin Dongfan couldn't be compared. Li Hengbo either went to banquets or dated girls after work, while Lin Dongfan punched sandbags after work.

Lin Dongfan drove his knee into Li Hengbo's abdomen.

Accompanied by a miserable groan of pain, Li Hengbo's body bent into a painful shrimp-like shape. If Lin Dongfan let go now, Li Hengbo would surely kneel.

Lin Dongfan did not let go.

Lin Dongfan reached out, pulling Li Hengbo's neck closer, and whispered in his ear: "Let me tell you a secret—Fang Xiaoqian got pregnant with your bastard, but I killed it. Are you angry or not?"

Speaking, Lin Dongfan drove his knee up again.

Ugh!!!

The heavy, miserable groan was so pleasant.

At this time, Su Yuhong should be squatting in the neighboring women's toilet, looking at stocks on her phone, and I don't know if she heard the miserable groan from the men's toilet; either way, there was not a sound.

Lin Dongfan again laughed, leaning close to his ear: "There's one thing you got right—being a law major, I truly know what lingchi is!" As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Dongfan thrust his knee up again.

Ugh!!!

This knee thrust was far more powerful than the previous two.

Li Hengbo was thrust so hard that his stomach acid surged, and he spat out a mouthful of bitter fluid on the spot; his ashen face looked like that of a sickly invalid after a serious illness, ugly to the extreme.

When Lin Dongfan loosened his grip slightly, Li Hengbo collapsed to the ground.

Lin Dongfan pulled out his phone and dialed emergency services: "Hello, 120? This is the Political and Legal Affairs Committee office in Nanzhou City. Yes, the Political and Legal Affairs Committee. We have a damn unlucky person here who just got beaten up by his father. Yes, yes, yes, his injuries look pretty serious—he's lying on the ground and can't even crawl. Please come over and take him away…"

Lin! Dong! Fan!

Li Hengbo clutched his stomach and curled up on the ground.

He tearfully cursed: "Damn! You!... Mare Gobi!..." He was in so much pain he couldn't even muster a roar; his voice was miserable and weak.

Not convinced?

After hanging up the phone, Lin Dongfan squatted down and patted Li Hengbo's face.

He jeered: "Either you admit your father beat you, or I'll tell the Faction that someone climbed the wall to peek into the neighboring women's toilet—I thought it was a voyeur, so I beat him up; only afterward did I realize it was our Secretary Li. I'm a democratic sort—you can pick whichever answer you like."

Me!... You damn, wait for me... vomit!...

Li Hengbo clutched his churning abdomen, feeling a surge of acid rising up his esophagus, wanting to vomit but unable to; the feeling in two words—miserable.