Chapter 972: Anticipating the Other Party's Anticipation!

The man was around forty years old.

He wore glasses and was dressed in a black administrative jacket.

He appeared calm and composed, with a faint smile at the corners of his mouth.

This smile was somewhat eerie, carrying a chilling coldness in the dark of night.

The man took the initiative to walk toward Xudong and introduced himself, "Hello, I am Tao Guangyi from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection. Which unit are you from?"

Upon hearing the words "Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection," Xudong went numb instantly.

Tang Ye introduced him in detail, "This is Director Tao from the Ninth Inspection Office of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection."

Xudong stammered and stumbled as he said, "D-Director Tao, hello! I, I am Xudong from the Yanzhou Public Security Bureau."

Tao Guangyi feigned surprise and said sarcastically, "Comrade Xudong, in the middle of the night, you brought a group of people to set up a blockade at the highway exit; is this to welcome me? This is surely too ostentatious."

Xudong struggled to manage his out-of-control expression and explained, "I received a notice from a superior department that I needed to take away a criminal suspect, so I was specifically lying in wait here. I didn't expect to run into you; this is truly a misunderstanding."

Watching Xudong shed his previous arrogance, Xing Zhijun felt inexplicably gratified.

Tang Ye, meanwhile, mused to himself that Xudong was no brute; his reaction speed was quite fast.

Tao Guangyi explained, "I received instructions from Secretary Huang to head to Dayu County to investigate a case of a vile nature. To be honest, seeing you here is very unexpected. When I think about it carefully, are you welcoming me, or are you demonstrating against me?"

Xudong looked at Tao Guangyi awkwardly and defended himself, "I am also just acting under orders."

Tao Guangyi pressed, "Under orders? Whose orders are you acting under?"

Tao Guangyi's voice was not loud and had a somewhat feminine quality, but every sentence, bolstered by his professional status, was full of confidence and struck straight to the depths of the soul.

Xudong had strong psychological fortitude, but at this moment, a chill rose from the soles of his feet.

"It is the instruction of Mayor Xie," Xudong chose to tell the truth.

Xie Zhan was the Executive Vice Mayor, and he had to cooperate with his arrangements.

However, the Tao Guangyi before him was even less someone he could afford to offend.

He was effectively an imperial envoy.

He was cursing Xie Zhan in his heart now; wasn't this putting him on an iron rack to be roasted?

"The Mayor Xie you speak of, is it Comrade Xie Zhan?" A profound look appeared in Tao Guangyi's eyes.

"Yes!" Xudong gritted his teeth and decisively pushed the blame onto Xie Zhan, "More than an hour ago, I received an order from Mayor Xie requiring me to intercept a black sedan returning to Dayu County from the Provincial Capital here.

He stated that Haibin is involved in a major illegal case and needs to be interrogated by the Provincial Public Security Department."

"So that's how it is. You can relay this to Mayor Xie. We conducted the handover at a service area, and Haibin has already been taken over by the working group of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection. If the Provincial Public Security Department has any objections, they can contact the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection directly."

"I will report the truth to my superiors."

Xudong was a person extremely sensitive to unknown dangers.

At this moment, he had already realized,

that he might be involved in a vortex of struggle with a massive scope.

Tao Guangyi nodded and swept his gaze over the people around, "It's quite cold; everyone has worked hard. You should disperse early."

"Understood, Director Tao, we will leave now." Xudong waved to his subordinates and led them away.

Tao Guangyi got back into the car and glanced at Tang Ye, "You successfully anticipated the other party's anticipation. If you hadn't thought to hand over Haibin midway, they would have intercepted you as soon as you got off the highway."

Tang Ye said softly, "Thank you for your cooperation, Director Tao. If you didn't have such a deterrent presence, Xudong likely wouldn't have let it go so easily."

Tao Guangyi sighed, "Haibin's issues are more serious than imagined, especially in Yanzhou. We actually have already grasped certain clues and evidence. Moreover, you catching Bao Wenlong this time plays a vital role in clarifying the case."

……

Xie Zhan had been waiting for Xudong's call.

He hoped Xudong could bring good news—that Haibin had been successfully intercepted...

As long as Haibin was protected,

there would still be room for maneuver.

Xudong sat in the car and dialed Xie Zhan's number.

"Mayor Xie, we lay in wait for the vehicle Tang Ye and Xing Zhijun were in, but we did not find Haibin inside. On the contrary, a director from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection came to Dayu County with the car!"

Xie Zhan was shocked beyond measure.

He realized he had been played by Tang Ye.

"I know!"

Xudong asked softly, "Mayor Xie, is there anything else you need me to do?"

Xie Zhan said, "I do have a matter I need you to help me handle."

"What? Mayor Xie, my phone signal is poor. I will hang up first and call you back."

After hanging up on Xie Zhan, Xudong turned his phone off directly.

Although Xie Zhan had been a benefactor to Xudong, and it was he who recommended him for his position as Deputy Bureau Chief back then.

However, a gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall.

Now he clearly felt that a storm was coming.

He had to protect himself, understand the specific situation, and then make plans.

Xie Zhan did not wait for Xudong's call; he dialed back and found that the other party's phone was already off.

He realized that Xudong was deliberately avoiding suspicion.

Xie Zhan was so angry he threw his phone, sat on the sofa, took out a cigarette, lit it, and smoked in silence.

Guo Sisi had already left.

He also wanted to leave, but he knew he could not move an inch.

From the rapid response of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, his own position had likely already been locked on as well.

……

Xie Zhan picked up his phone, bypassed the middleman at the Provincial Department, and dialed the phone number of Vice Provincial Governor Hai.

"Vice Provincial Governor Hai, this is Xie Zhan. I apologize for disturbing you so late. There is an urgent matter I need to report to you."

Vice Provincial Governor Hai's tone was stern, "Speak!"

Xie Zhan said, "We failed to intercept Hai Bin. The Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection working group transferred Hai Bin halfway, and his current whereabouts are unknown."

Vice Provincial Governor Hai was silent for a moment, "Your competence is very disappointing to me."

Xie Zhan hurriedly defended himself, "Vice Provincial Governor Hai, I have always followed your instructions. This time, the other party set a trap targeting me and Hai Bin, but in reality, they were also aiming at you."

Vice Provincial Governor Hai secretly thought that Xie Zhan was panicking, which was why he was speaking without a sense of propriety.

He frowned and said displeased, "I have long heard that Hai Bin has been running wild outside using my name, and I have warned him many times. I have never given you any instructions; have you made a mistake?"

Upon hearing Vice Provincial Governor Hai's words, Xie Zhan felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

Vice Provincial Governor Hai was also distancing himself from him.

Three years ago, in order to quell the aftermath of a mining disaster, Xie Zhan had specifically sought out Vice Provincial Governor Hai.

At that time, Vice Provincial Governor Hai hinted to Xie Zhan that as long as the number of mining disaster casualties was controlled from seven to three, Xie Zhan could be spared from accountability.

After the matter concluded, Hai Bin found Xie Zhan.

Subsequently, Hai Bin took on many municipal engineering and infrastructure projects within Yanzhou City...

Because he was enticed by Hai Bin, Xie Zhan's life also became rich and colorful.

Promotions, beautiful women, and all kinds of high-end consumption experiences; he had been enjoying them in a very low-profile manner...

Deep down, Xie Zhan actually knew that no matter how low-profile or hidden it was, there would eventually be a time when it was exposed.

Everything right now had long been destined; it was only a matter of time!