Chapter 996

At nine in the evening, Lin Dongfan's home.

The living room lights were on, the TV was on, volume turned low, like background music. Chu Lingxi lounged comfortably on the sofa, legs crossed, wearing Bluetooth earphones, watching a Douyin livestream.

Lin Dongfan was hitting a sandbag in the gym, his muscular build soaked with sweat, looking very three-dimensional.

The doorbell rang suddenly.

Chu Lingxi couldn't hear it at all, showing no reaction.

The doorbell kept ringing.

Lin Dongfan picked up a towel, wiped his sweat, walked to the living room, glanced, and was speechless. He didn't know how loud the clueless sweetie had turned the Bluetooth earphones, like a deaf person.

Here I am.

Lin Dongfan stepped forward and opened the door.

Only to see Yang Qing with a solemn expression, entering without changing shoes, just like coming home, he first poured himself a cup of water and said nothing.

Lin Dongfan asked with a smile: 'You came to my place this late just for a glass of water?'

Something happened.

Yang Qing gulped down most of the water in one go, but still felt a bit uneasy.

Lin Dongfan furrowed his brows slightly: 'What happened?'

'Peng Xianjun is dead.' Yang Qing set down his water cup, the anger in his heart unable to subside, his face still solemn.

Lin Dongfan's gaze also turned cold: 'How did he die?'

A car accident.

Yang Qing pulled out his phone from his pocket, flipped through a few photos and handed them over: 'On the airport expressway, he was hit by a Da Yun heavy truck. The car was smashed into a pile of scrap metal, and he died on the spot.'

Lin Dongfan took the phone and flipped through the scene photos one by one.

Only to see the Mercedes S600 smashed like a crumpled ball of paper, the driver's seat completely deformed, blood all over the steering wheel, seats, and shattered windows.

Lin Dongfan returned the phone to Yang Qing: 'And the driver?'

The driver is Yang Jie, 43 years old, has driven trucks for over a decade. He's been detained, but... Yang Qing paused: 'This Yang Jie has a history of epileptic mental disorder.'

Epilepsy?

Lin Dongfan looked puzzled.

Yang Qing nodded: 'Two years ago, he once went on the street with a knife, slashing a businessman who came to Wuzhou to invest in K Entertainment. Afterwards, that businessman withdrew his investment from Wuzhou and never returned.'

Who handled that incident two years ago?

Lin Dongfan took out a cigarette, lit one, then passed the pack and lighter to Yang Qing.

Yang Qing also took out a cigarette and lit it: 'We're investigating, it needs time.'

Hearing that, Lin Dongfan fell into deep thought.

Lin Dongfan sat on the sofa, flicked ash into the ashtray: 'We were just about to arrest Peng Xianjun when he died in a car accident—could there be such a coincidence in this world?'

Are you saying someone silenced him?

Yang Qing sat down opposite Lin Dongfan.

Lin Dongfan didn't answer that question, but his gaze already said everything: 'That driver, Yang Jie, focus the investigation on him. Confirm whether he was truly in an epileptic state at the time of the accident.'

I've already assigned people to look into it.

Yang Qing took a dull drag on his cigarette.

He also said: 'Before coming here, I had already seen Yang Jie in the interrogation room. At that time, Yang Jie gave me the impression of being mentally normal, knowing how to dodge key questions when answering.'

The key is to have evidence; take him for a psychiatric evaluation.

After a moment's thought.

Lin Dongfan further instructed: 'Also, investigate Peng Xianjun's recent social activities to see who he's been in contact with.'

This doesn't need your teaching, I'm the Deputy Director of the Provincial Department, not your student. Yang Qing gave him a sideways glance, as if looking down on Lin Dongfan—don't just spout nonsense.

Probably because he's really gotten older and his status higher, Lin Dongfan now has no interest in arguing with Yang Qing.

Lin Dongfan took a slow drag on his cigarette.

His tone also grew much graver: 'The mastermind behind this is even more ruthless than I thought. We just moved against Xiao Weiming, and he had Peng Xianjun silenced. Acting this fast shows the other side has been watching us.'

Who do you think this person is?

Yang Qing was also guessing the mastermind, but he had no confidence.

Lin Dongfan said: 'Without evidence, we can't just speculate. First, we need to get to the bottom of Yang Jie's lead, as well as Peng Xianjun's recent social activities—who he met, what calls he made, what messages he sent—nothing can be missed.'

Then I'll head back; I'll notify you immediately if there's any news. Saying that, Yang Qing got up and also greeted Chu Lingxi, who was lounging on the sofa scrolling Douyin: 'Teacher Chu, I'm leaving.'

Chu Lingxi's eyes were fixed on the phone screen, still showing no reaction.

Yang Qing tossed back with a smile: 'The toxicity of mental opium is indeed great.' He turned and left, not knowing whether his own family's Teacher Xu was also lounging on the sofa scrolling Douyin.

Once Yang Qing left, the living room grew quiet.

Lin Dongfan stepped forward and removed Chu Lingxi's Bluetooth earphones: 'Time to take a bath and sleep.'

Right away.

Chu Lingxi seemed not to have had enough, her eyes still glued to the phone screen: 'These people are really crazy; that carnival is like free money—swipe once and you get dozens.'

This shows the streamer is excellent, has a routine, can get the big brothers hooked.

Lin Dongfan casually commented.

Chu Lingxi said: 'This streamer's looks and figure aren't as good as mine. Her speaking ability is also average; I really can't see how outstanding she is—don't believe me, take a look.'

Lin Dongfan took the phone and couldn't help but slightly furrow his brow.

The female streamer currently in a live PK battle, ID 'Wan Qing', indeed doesn't match our Teacher Chu in looks and figure, but she seems somewhat familiar, as if I've seen her somewhere.

Lin Dongfan stared at her face for a while—couldn't this be Meng Qinghe's daughter?

Damn!

Old Meng, you can!

He actually turned his daughter into a money-making machine!

Lin Dongfan also looked at the Douyin ID of that big brother who frantically gifted Meng Wanqing.

This person's ID is 'Human World Cherishes Wanqing'; the name is quite poetic, taken from the Tang poem line 'Heaven pities the secluded grass, in the human world Wanqing is cherished.'

Upon clicking in, it was still a private account with zero following and zero followers, with no activity at all.

Lin Dongfan asked Chu Lingxi: 'How much did this Human World Cherishes Wanqing just spend on this streamer?'

"Three PK battles, it seems he brushed over fifty Carnivals." Chu Lingxi counted on her fingers, like a diligent three-good student: "One hua zi is 3,000, ten are 30,000, over fifty is 150,000. I estimate this person is a big tycoon; it's not his first time brushing this streamer, each time he spends lavishly."

"Hmm, go take a shower and sleep."

Lin Dongfan stopped talking nonsense.

After returning to his study, he dialed the phone of Discipline Inspection Commissioner Shi Lintang: 'Old Shi, on Douyin there's a person with the ID "Human World Cherishes Wanqing" who often makes large tips in Executive Meng's daughter's livestream room. Look into this matter, shouldn't your Discipline Inspection investigate?'

"Mayor Lin, you mean…… someone is indirectly bribing Meng Qinghe through his daughter's livestream platform?" Shi Lintang, who was about to sleep, instantly lost all sleepiness.

Lin Dongfan responded with a faint smile: 'Whether it is or not, we'll know after checking.'