Chapter 956

Eight o'clock in the evening.

When Lin Dongfan got home, his sweet-but-naive wife was curled up on the sofa watching TV, holding half a watermelon and eating it with a spoon.

"Back?"

Chu Lingxi's eyes were glued to the TV, engrossed, not even glancing at Lin Dongfan.

The house felt a bit empty.

While changing his slippers, Lin Dongfan asked, "Where the hell did those two go?"

"Zhao Xia is holed up in her room playing on her phone," Chu Lingxi said, still glued to the TV, "My son went out with Yang Qing and said he won't be coming back tonight."

"Hanging out with Yang Qing? That's bound to be no good," Lin Dongfan said, his brows knitting slightly.

While scooping watermelon, Chu Lingxi said, "You know what kind of person your son is—you're not oblivious. He was born with eight hundred devious thoughts; only he brings harm to others, and no one can harm him."

Lin Dongfan didn't respond, picked up his phone, and dialed Lin Fuxing's number.

It rang five or six times, but no one answered.

He tried again, still no answer.

On the third attempt, the phone was switched off, which made Lin Dongfan furious; he flung the phone onto the coffee table and shouted, "You little bastard, dare to turn off your phone—you're rebelling!"

Chu Lingxi dismissed his worry: "What's there to worry about being with Yang Qing? He's at least a deputy director; he couldn't possibly get your son into trouble."

"I'm not worried about him getting into trouble; I'm afraid Yang Qing indulges him in everything."

Lin Dongfan got up, went to the bedroom to grab a pack of cigarettes, and, as an afterthought, opened the bedside drawer, glanced inside, saw no car keys, and his face immediately darkened.

Returning to the living room, he said, "That unlicensed little brat drives without a license again; when he gets back I'll thrash him."

"What?" Chu Lingxi belatedly realized, turned to Lin Dongfan, and asked, "He's sneaking off with my Porsche again?"

"The car keys were taken; who else could it be but him?"

Lin Dongfan sat down and lit a cigarette.

Chu Lingxi quickly brought over an ashtray and placed it before Lin Dongfan: "Honey, you can smoke, but don't chain‑smoke yourself to death, or I'll have no way to face your father."

Faced with his nervous, sweet‑but‑naive wife, Lin Dongfan was speechless.

Just as Lin Dongfan was about to explain, the doorbell rang. He got up, opened the door, and saw Luo Zhiwei from the City Bureau standing there, holding a briefcase.

"Director Luo, what wind blew you to my house?" Lin Dongfan laughed, "Since I became mayor of Wuzhou, you're the first to come calling."

"Mayor Lin, I'm really sorry to bother you this late."

Luo Zhiwei's expression was extremely complex.

Lin Dongfan stepped aside: "Director Luo, please come in and have a seat."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony." Luo Zhiwei entered the house and greeted Chu Lingxi: "Teacher Chu, watching TV?"

"Hmm, Director Luo's here? Have a seat."

Chu Lingxi got up, brewed two cups of tea and brought them over, then quietly withdrew to the bedroom to give her husband and Luo Zhiwei space to talk.

"Director Luo, coming to see me this late—could it be about the funds?"

Lin Dongfan sat down opposite Luo Zhiwei.

Luo Zhiwei gave an embarrassed smile: "Mayor Lin, I understand the city's tight finances. Tonight I came to discuss your son's matter."

"Your son's matter?"

Lin Dongfan looked at Luo Zhiwei in surprise.

Luo Zhiwei replied solemnly: "Yesterday, Secretary Guo criticized our city's public security at a meeting, saying he saw two youths fighting on the pedestrian street. The situation has now been clarified. One of the youths is Meng Yu, the son of Deputy Mayor Meng; the other is your son, Lin Fuxing."

"So did your son win or lose the fight?"

Lin Dongfan asked offhandedly, leaving Luo Zhiwei baffled—"I'm talking about public safety and you ask who won? Is that a mayor's political awareness?"

"Do you not see me as an outsider, or not even as a scallion?"

Luo Zhiwei swallowed his doubts and steered the conversation back: "Meng Yu was beaten, his face covered in a large bruise. Just now Deputy Mayor Meng personally brought the injury report to me, demanding that I apprehend the suspect within 24 hours. The report shows multiple soft‑tissue contusions plus a mild concussion."

"What do you plan to do with my son?" Lin Dongfan asked calmly.

Luo Zhiwei, veins bulging on his forehead, replied with effort: "We've reviewed the surveillance. It shows Meng Yu threw the first punch, repeatedly shoving your son. Your son, after ineffective warnings, faced an incoming fist and delivered a strong counterstrike. We consider it justifiable self‑defense."

Upon hearing that,

Lin Dongfan replied without hesitation: "Handle it by the book—do what needs to be done. Don't let the fact that the suspect is my son make you hesitate."

!!!

Luo Zhiwei broke out in another black line.

"You're really something," he thought. "With just a casual "by the book," you not only kicked the ball back but also preserved your integrity—truly killing two birds with one stone."

"Just now I didn't say your son acted in self‑defense—why didn't you say "by the book" then?"

"Damn bureaucrat!"

Luo Zhiwei swallowed his resentment and decisively tossed the ball back to Lin Dongfan: "Mayor Lin, the situation is this: your son is involved in two matters—first, he injured Meng Yu; second, he drove without a license."

"Didn't we just say that? Injuring Meng Yu counts as legitimate self‑defense." Lin Dongfan said, "As for the unlicensed driving, handle it as required—don't hesitate."

!!!

Faced with Lin Dongfan's composure, Luo Zhiwei felt glum and speechless.

Old Luo belatedly recalled: the mayor before him was a top graduate of Jianglan Zhengfa University, had served many years in the political‑legal system, and possessed rich experience therein.

A person rich in political‑legal experience.

He surely knew that for a minor driving without a license, if no major traffic accident resulted, the usual response is a fine and education.

That also means trying to make an issue out of the unlicensed driving charge is pointless.

Having thought this through…

Luo Zhiwei steeled himself and said: "The crux is that Deputy Mayor Meng is insisting on this matter and won't let up. My suggestion is that both sets of parents sit down to mediate. Or else, you could send a family representative to negotiate."

"No negotiation, no mediation."

Lin Dongfan kept staring at Luo Zhiwei's every expression change.

Seeing Luo Zhiwei as if bereaved of his parents, with nothing to live for.

Lin Dongfan again said: "Bureau Chief Luo, it's not that I intentionally want to make things difficult for you, let's discuss the matter. My son drove without license; he should be fined as much as he should be fined, educated as he should be educated; I have no objection. As for him injuring Meng Yu, you just said it belongs to legitimate defense. Now it's my son being bullied, you still want me to go beg the other side for forgiveness? This is nonsense. Such evil people who first file complaints, this bad trend should be eradicated."

"That... okay, sigh..."

Luo Zhiwei let out Along sigh, suddenly felt like the tightrope-walking goat in a circus, appearing steady as an old dog, but actually suffering inside; this goat's life basically has to choose.

That evening.

Luo Zhiwei, as soon as he left the Lin Family, called Director Liu of the City Bureau office: "Old Liu, leak some info to Deputy Mayor Meng, just say the person who injured his son is Mayor Lin's son."

"Bureau Chief Luo, you wouldn't be joking, right?" Old Liu somewhat shocked: "If we leak Lin Fuxing's identity information, when Mayor Lin investigates later, it'll be hard to explain."

Luo Zhiwei glumly said: "This is unavoidable; now Mayor Lin refuses to appear, what to do? We can only proactively leak some info to Meng Qinghe, let him know the difficulty and retreat."