Chapter 89: Enthusiastic Masses of Chaoyang!

It was noisy outside, so Tang Ye hurried out of the Interrogation Room.

Wan Ming and Guo Chuan had their noses almost touching, nearly "kissing" each other.

Swords were drawn and bows were bent; neither would give an inch.

Guo Chuan stood with his hands on his hips, his eyes wide with rage.

Behind him stood several comrades from the County Commission for Discipline Inspection, giving him confidence.

"Old Wan, move aside. I have received orders from Wei County Magistrate to hand Zhu Ming over to the Discipline Inspection department for interrogation. Do not obstruct me from performing my official duties."

"Are you here to take the person, to protect the person, or perhaps to silence the person?"

Wan Ming was completely blunt!

Back when he served as the Police Station Chief in Pinghu, Guo Chuan had also once come to take someone in the middle of the night; at that time, Guo Chuan had been half a rank above him, and he had been forced to lower his head and speak nicely.

Times had changed; now that Wan Ming and Guo Chuan were both Deputy Bureau Chiefs, he did not care for Guo Chuan's authority at all.

Guo Chuan was a full twelve years older than Wan Ming, and on the surface, his seniority was greater, but in reality, he lacked future potential.

Wan Ming was considered a rising star; the public security sector was not like other posts.

A spirited comrade was more likely to gain the approval of superiors and the support of subordinates than a slick, oily official.

Guo Chuan had long anticipated that Wan Ming would not let him pass easily, so he said in a threatening tone, "Old Wan, your words are too extreme. You and I both have our own positions. If you are unwilling to cooperate with my work, then I have no choice but to show my hand."

Wan Ming rolled up his sleeves and grinned coldly, "Oh, you can try."

The brothers behind him subconsciously gathered around Wan Ming.

The air froze into ice shards.

At this moment, Tang Ye rushed between the two, "Don't be impulsive, both of you cool off. Bureau Chief Guo, there is no need for you to snatch the person. You are a step too late. Everything that should have been said, and everything that shouldn't have been said, Zhu Ming has already said..."

Guo Chuan's lips trembled, and he stood there stunned;

Wan Ming realized what had happened and burst into loud laughter.

Guo Chuan finally came to his senses, took a deep breath, his face ashen, and walked away without looking back.

The comrades from the Discipline Inspection Commission also reacted quickly and dispersed rapidly.

Sitting in the car, Guo Chuan hesitated for a long while before dialing Xiao Jingyu's number, "Mayor Xiao, Zhu Ming has already opened his mouth."

A low voice came through the phone receiver from Xiao Jingyu, "I have also received the news. Just now, Secretary Zhou has already had the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection form an investigation team, which is rushing to Yanjing overnight... Who could have imagined that Comrade Wei Jian would have so little self-respect and trip up over a matter of men and women? Comrade Guo Chuan, you must also take this as a warning."

Mayor Xiao's sudden change in tone made Guo Chuan's hair stand on end.

"I will certainly take this lesson to heart!"

After hanging up on Mayor Xiao, Guo Chuan shook his head and gave a bitter smile.

He had originally thought that siding with Wei Jian would help his official career.

He had not expected that such a bright and shiny exterior would be so rotten on the inside.

Although he had been very close to Wei Jian, he was fortunate that he had only occasionally run errands for him and done some menial labor, without being involved in any economic interests or matters of principle.

The phone screen flickered; the number was very familiar—it was Wei Jian calling.

Guo Chuan did not answer; he waited for the ringtone to end, blocked the number, and tossed the phone aside.

As he started the car, he muttered to himself.

"Wei County Magistrate, don't blame me for not being loyal; when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter, and when disaster strikes, everyone flies their own way..."

Yanjing, Great Wall Hotel.

Through the window, one could see the brilliant lights outside.

Wei Jian had previously enjoyed the feeling of being at the center of power, but at this moment, he was restless and paced the balcony in anxiety.

Ever since the news of Zhu Ming's arrest arrived, Wei Jian had felt like he was suffering every single moment.

His thoughts returned to ten years ago, when he had just been promoted to Deputy County Magistrate; at a dinner table, he had accidentally encountered the delicate and sweet-looking Wu Yun. Every time Wu Yun clinked glasses with Wei Jian, her face would flush red, and that sense of innocence had left a deep impression on him.

Later, at another dinner, Wu Yun drank a lot of alcohol, and Wei Jian lied, claiming he would send Wu Yun home, but instead took her to a hotel without anyone knowing.

When Wei Jian had finished showering and climbed onto Wu Yun, she had suddenly sobered up; amidst the woman's kicking and scratching, he had scrambled to strip off her clothes.

The next morning, Wei Jian coaxed the tearful Wu Yun and left her a sum of money. After some time, Wu Yun invited Wei Jian to the hotel again; this time, Wu Yun seemed like a different person, acting with great enthusiasm, which made Wei Jian lose himself once more.

Afterward, Wu Yun proposed that she wanted to ask him to help her husband transfer jobs, and Wei Jian did not hesitate, agreeing readily. From then on, Wu Yun became his secret garden, and Zhu Ming became his lackey.

Every time he saw Zhu Ming, Wei Jian would think of Wu Yun's alluring appearance, which provided great comfort to his empty soul.

However, at this moment.

Wei Jian held his head, and a painful whimper escaped his throat.

When he could not get through to Guo Chuan's phone, he realized his situation was dire.

His connection to Tianling County had been completely severed; although he was in a prosperous place, he felt as if he were in a desolate desert, like a dying man, hoping for a miracle to happen.

The sky was pitch black.

Wei Jian realized he had to take action.

He picked up his travel bag and put on his trench coat.

Just as he pushed open the door, Wei Jian discovered Deputy County Magistrate Lin Guoyuan standing at the doorway with a phone in his hand.

Lin Guoyuan's expression changed rapidly, from shock to a smile.

"County Magistrate, I was just about to chat with you; are you planning to go out?"

Wei Jian smiled nonchalantly, "Yes, just going for a walk nearby."

Lin Guoyuan frowned and reminded him, "Why don't you just stay in the hotel? It's quite windy outside."

Wei Jian said with a smile, "The New Year is coming soon, and my wife asked me to buy some local specialties to bring back for our relatives. I'm not going to the streets, just the mall; it has heating, don't you worry!"

Lin Guoyuan hurriedly said with a smile, "I'll go with you; I can help you carry things."

If this were any other time, Wei Jian would have thought Lin Guoyuan was trying to curry favor with him, but at this very moment, his heart skipped a beat.

While heading downstairs, they "coincidentally" ran into Liaison Officer Xiao Fang, who worked for Lin Guoyuan.

The three of them walked to a nearby shopping mall.

Wei Jian bought a thick down jacket as a token gesture, then picked out some local specialties like candied fruit and pastries at a specialty shop.

Xiao Fang wanted to pay for Wei Jian, but was refused by Wei Jian.

Wei Jian took out his wallet, which was stuffed with thick stacks of cash.

As for the travel bag that Wei Jian carried on his shoulder at all times, it was also bulging.

They walked out of the mall.

A stage had been set up not far away, and singing could be heard coming from it.

Wei Jian smiled and said, "It's quite lively over there, let's go over and take a look."

Lin Guoyuan nervously grabbed Wei Jian, "There are too many people, let's not go."

Wei Jian stared at Lin Guoyuan and looked at him seriously, "Guoyuan, are you afraid that something might happen to me?"

Their eyes met, and Lin Guoyuan forced a smile, "Wei County Magistrate, since I am accompanying you out, I must of course protect your safety."

Wei Jian smiled, "I'm not some big shot; it's just listening to a song, there won't be any accidents."

Lin Guoyuan had no choice but to follow Wei Jian toward the stage.

When they got close to the crowd, Wei Jian suddenly quickened his pace and disappeared from sight in the blink of an eye.

Lin Guoyuan realized something was wrong and hurriedly instructed Xiao Fang, "We cannot let him escape our sight; this is a task Secretary Du specifically instructed us to carry out."

"There are too many people, I can't find him at all." Xiao Fang stood on tiptoe, but there was no sign of Wei Jian anywhere, and he cursed the old fox under his breath.

After searching for several dozen minutes, there was still no sign of him.

Lin Guoyuan and Xiao Fang realized that their mission to tail him had failed.

Lin Guoyuan took out his mobile phone, preparing to report the truth to Du Chengfeng.

At this moment, Xiao Fang's eyes lit up, and he reminded Lin Guoyuan, "That 'woman' just came out of the men's restroom."

Lin Guoyuan's eyes lit up as he realized what was happening, and he roared, "Stop!"

Then, he used all his strength to charge toward the "woman."

Wei Jian, who was wearing women's makeup, had not expected to be recognized so easily.

He kicked off the cumbersome high heels and sprinted toward the street corner barefoot.

Xiao Fang was young and fast; after a few dozen meters, he caught up to Wei Jian and wrapped his arms around Wei Jian's neck.

Wei Jian bit down hard on Xiao Fang's arm; in pain, Xiao Fang gave a forceful shove and slapped Wei Jian across the face...

Wei Jian let out a muffled groan and plunged headfirst into a flower bed by the side of the road, instantly falling silent.

Thinking he had accidentally killed someone, Xiao Fang collapsed onto the ground, staring at the back of Wei Jian's head, his face deathly pale with fright.

Lin Guoyuan caught up, panting for breath, and checked Wei Jian's breathing, letting out a sigh of relief.

"He just fainted. You reacted quite quickly; if we had lost him, we would have been in big trouble!"

Just as the two were wondering how to bring Wei Jian back to the hotel.

Public-spirited citizens had already called the police:

"Two men are chasing and attacking a woman in broad daylight; we suspect they are vicious kidnappers."

Two police cars surrounded them, one in front and one behind...