Chapter 522: Xiao Jingyu Regrets It Too Late!

At the Wharf in Xiangdu, Xiao Jingyu waited for a small boat to enter international waters; gazing at the vast, boundless sea, he suddenly felt a sense of insignificance and desolation, though he had actually long anticipated that this day would come for him.

During the final period of his governance in Hanzhou, the reason he liked playing golf and liked keeping close to businessmen was that he knew he had done many unspeakable things while walking the ladder of power.

Against the broader social backdrop of twenty years ago, most officials handled the relationship between politics and business in this way.

Therefore, Xiao Jingyu always felt he was not wrong; if he did not do it, how could he make his political achievements stand out?

Of course, he also knew that because he pursued political achievements, many state-owned assets flowed into the hands of certain unscrupulous businessmen.

Rather than letting others get rich, it was better to let his own son live a little more comfortably; thus, although Xiao Jingyu knew during his tenure that Xiao Zi'an was engaged in many illegal activities, he not only did not stop him but even provided protection.

The moment Xiao Zi'an was arrested, Xiao Jingyu realized things were going wrong and immediately initiated his final plan.

Ten years ago, he had begun planning his escape route: enter international waters, then transfer via barge, with Canada as the destination.

Xiao Jingyu's niece, Xiao Pingping, had invested in a company in Canada; it was an enterprise Xiao Jingyu operated secretly. Once abroad, although he would lose his power, he could still live a comfortable life.

After several days of rushing, Xiao Jingyu finally set foot on Canadian soil.

He opened his arms and took a deep breath; the haze dissipated, and he silently shouted in his heart, "Freedom, I have arrived!"

Although Xiao Jingyu was a Department-level Cadre, living in the country—especially in that dyeing vat of officialdom—he always felt constrained in everything he did, and the daily life of intrigue made him incomparably weary.

Xiao Jingyu dragged his suitcase out of the arrival gate, but he did not find the figure of his niece, Xiao Pingping, in the crowd.

At this moment, a Chinese-Canadian man in his thirties walked toward Xiao Jingyu.

"You are Director Xiao, right? My name is Huang He, and I am here specifically to pick you up."

Xiao Jingyu had some impression of Huang He; he seemed to be a distant relative of Huang, and he had met him once.

"Xiao Huang, sorry to trouble you. Call me Jackson from now on! I'm a bit curious, why didn't Xiao Pingping come to pick me up?"

"Xiao... oh, no, Jackson... come with me. I will help you contact her later."

Huang He gave a wink, and his subordinates took the suitcase from Xiao Jingyu's hand.

Xiao Jingyu was a stranger in a foreign land and had not set up international roaming on his mobile phone, but seeing that Huang He was an acquaintance, he did not dwell on it too much and followed Huang He to the underground parking lot.

"For this period of time, you must follow me. Because the domestic side has already negotiated with the Canadian side to extradite you back to the country through diplomatic channels. If you contact your niece now, it is equivalent to exposing your trail and walking right into a trap."

Xiao Jingyu had used fake identity information to board the plane; he suddenly felt his throat tighten and smiled bitterly, "No wonder Xiao Pingping didn't come to pick me up."

Seeing that Xiao Jingyu's emotions were stable, Huang He took out his phone and dialed a number.

"The person has been picked up. Please rest assured, I will take care to protect him well."

Hearing Huang He say this, Xiao Jingyu suddenly felt a sense of security.

After driving for nearly half an hour, the car stopped in front of an inconspicuous restaurant.

Behind the restaurant were the staff dormitories.

Xiao Jingyu was led by Huang He into a multi-person dormitory.

Huang He introduced it to Xiao Jingyu, "I have to wrong you for this period of time; just stay here."

A cramped space, air full of a musty smell, yellowed bedsheets, and a filthy, messy floor.

It was completely different from the free and developed world Xiao Jingyu had imagined.

"Xiao Huang, did you make a mistake? This environment is too terrible, isn't it?"

Huang He glanced at Xiao Jingyu impatiently, "You smuggled yourself into Canada, your identity is fake, and now there are people looking for you everywhere outside; it's already quite good that I can give you a place to stay. Are you still being picky?"

Seeing Huang He suddenly change his face, Xiao Jingyu felt a chill in his heart, realizing that he seemed to have boarded a pirate ship by mistake.

Xiao Jingyu put on a fawning smile and said softly, "Manager Huang, I have arrangements in Canada. As long as you make a phone call to my niece, Xiao Pingping, she will come to pick me up immediately, and she will also thank you properly. I plan to open a foreign trade company; my English is quite good!"

Huang He glanced at Xiao Jingyu with displeasure and sneered, "Do you think you arrived in Canada so smoothly because of your arrangements? If it weren't for our quick reaction, would you have been caught by someone in Hong Kong? Also, do you think I would care about those assets of yours? You being safe and sound now is a form of protection for many people back home. The assets and connections those people hold are beyond your imagination."

Xiao Jingyu looked at Huang He in shock.

He finally realized he had made a mistake.

He had originally thought that going abroad would allow him to breathe free, fresh air.

As it turned out, he had walked into a cage where he was imprisoned.

As for why Huang He and the others brought him to Canada, it was only to protect the group of people behind them.

If he resisted, even if Huang He wouldn't kill him for fear of the consequences, he certainly wouldn't let him have an easy life.

At this moment, Xiao Jingyu regretted it extremely.

Compared to being investigated by the Discipline Inspection Commission and losing his personal freedom, his current life was no different.

After Huang He walked out, a middle-aged man in his fifties followed closely behind and walked in.

This man also had a Chinese face, and Xiao Jingyu tried to talk to him.

"Brother, are you from Huaguo?"

The middle-aged man gestured with his hands for a while.

Xiao Jingyu could not figure out what he meant!

His heart also turned cold in an instant.

This man must be a deaf-mute.

As for being arranged to be in the same room as Xiao Jingyu, it also meant to monitor Xiao Jingyu.

Xiao Jingyu hated his own powerlessness at this moment, and he also hated the cunning of Zhou Chengwu.

He had already retreated to the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, yet Zhou Chengwu still had not given up and was pressing him step by step.

Huang He arrived at his office and dialed a phone number.

"Xiao Jingyu has already been settled by me. If you ask me, knowing he is a disaster, why not just make him disappear from the world?"

A gloomy voice came from the other side, "Although Xiao Jingyu is down and out now, many people are watching him. In this chain of interests, if we don't give him a way to live, it will make others feel cold. Besides, Xiao Jingyu is a smart man; he surely holds a lot of evidence, which is equivalent to holding a nuclear bomb. Once he dies or loses contact, it might trigger a destruction mode."

Huang He breathed a sigh of relief, "I understand what you mean. What should I do next?"

"Keep him busy. Once a person is busy, they won't let their imagination run wild. Also, give him hope; don't let him collapse. After the wind blows over, we will make other plans."