Chapter 188: Report

Chen Gui returned home.

He also checked the doors and windows, after confirming there were no ears in the walls, he took out his phone and made the call.

Even so, he lowered his voice when speaking.

"Just as I guessed, Wu An indeed did not dock his fishing boat at our village's pier."

"He went to the town pier."

"You've been waiting, right?"

"Good."

"Then just wait to catch them in the urn."

"Good, I'll wait for your good news."

Chen Gui hung up the phone, looked at the night outside, thinking that Wu An was surely dead this time; he wasn't very happy, instead feeling somewhat heavy.

It's not that his conscience had awakened.

But rather, he had indeed been overly abnormal today.

If something happens to Wu An on his side, Wu Yingwei will surely suspect that he's behind it.

Naturally there won't be anything on the surface, but behind the scenes it's hard to say.

This matter, it was done a bit crudely.

He also had no other options.

He could only be used as a pawn.

Chen Gui put his phone on the table, took out the preserved vegetables from the fridge, then took a bottle of good liquor from the cabinet and began pouring and drinking by himself.

……

Wu An was still on the road.

He received a call from Lao Mai.

Connected.

But the voice coming through the receiver was not Lao Mai's, but a stranger's male voice: "Wu An, right?"

"We've received a report that your fishing boat is suspected of operating illegally in the sea during the fishing ban."

"You need to cooperate with the investigation."

"Where are you currently?"

Wu An felt a jolt, his head buzzing, startled badly by the words "operating illegally during the fishing ban."

This is no joke.

If confirmed, if the suspected amount is too large, it's very likely he'll have to go to prison (literally "step on the sewing machine").

He came to his senses and quickly said: "This is impossible!"

"I'm currently heading to the pier."

"About..."

Mai Hangyu said: "Ten minutes!"

Wu An shouted: "I'll be there in ten minutes!"

The other side responded with an acknowledgement and hung up.

Mai Hangyu looked anxious and asked: "Brother, what's going on?"

Wu An forced himself to stay calm: "What could be happening… someone is setting me up."

"No matter what, we need to hurry to the pier."

"I'm not there, but don't let Lao Mai take the blame for me."

Mai Hangyu didn't speak, pressed the accelerator, and the speed kept increasing.

Wu An called Gao Qiangqi.

After learning the situation, Gao Qiangqi asked: "A An, did you engage in any illegal operation?"

"No."

"Then there's no problem." Gao Qiangqi breathed a sigh of relief and said: "Let's still meet at the pier as planned."

Wu An said: "Brother, you don't need to get involved in this, just in case…"

"When it comes to making money, avoiding trouble when things happen—that's not my style."

"Brother Qiang, thank you…"

"What thanks, I might not even be able to help."

After hanging up, Wu An let out a long breath; after chatting with Gao Qiangqi, his heart settled a bit.

Who is setting me up?

Wu An suddenly had Chen Gui's image pop into his mind.

Lao Dongxi has been acting quite unusually today.

Is it him?

But what makes him think that framing me like this will succeed?

Wu An shook his head.

Now is not the time to investigate this; we need to get past this immediate obstacle first.

He himself definitely has no problem.

But what if someone daringly frames him?

……

Arrived at the town pier.

The lights were bright.

The fishing boat had already docked, people were moving about on board, Wu An got out of the car, looked left and right, and did not see Lao Mai.

Mai Hangyu also got out of the car, his face anxious, looking around in all directions.

Right after that, a car drove up, Gao Qiangqi opened the door and got out, saying: "I just contacted Lao Min, but his phone is turned off..."

He stopped mid-sentence, because Gao Qiangqi had already seen Lao Min among the law enforcement team.

No wonder he turned off his phone.

The law enforcement officers also noticed them; several uniformed men and women hurried over, Lao Min did not come over, probably because he was on duty guarding.

However, when Wu An and Gao Qiangqi looked over, a barely perceptible nod counted as a greeting.

One of the young uniformed men scrutinized Wu An and said: "Wu An, the situation is as you already said on the phone."

Now come back with us for questioning.

Wu An asked: "I'd like to ask, do you believe someone just because they reported you?"

What's the evidence?

Did you find anything on my boat?

The uniformed man's face changed, and he shouted sternly: "You still dare to question us?"

I advise you not to be so arrogant.

If we find something, it won't be a matter of you cooperating with the investigation!

Hearing him shout, Wu An felt anger rise, but he restrained himself; first, he could confirm that there was nothing wrong on his fishing boat, and the dreaded scenario of being framed that he had imagined did not occur.

He took a deep breath, didn't shout back, and asked: "What about the people on my boat?"

Someone nearby said: "He has already gone to the town police station for questioning first."

Upon hearing that, Wu An said: "Okay."

I'll go back with you.

As a law-abiding citizen, of course I must cooperate with the investigation!

Lao Mai suffered an undeserved disaster; if he cooperates with the investigation, things should ease up for him, and he should be fine, after all Lao Mai is not an ordinary commoner.

Mai Hangyu was also affected.

He also went out to sea with the fishing boat today, and was taken away for questioning on the grounds of being a "person involved in the case."

Gao Qiangqi was not taken away, but he also has to undergo questioning.

After preliminary investigation, Wu An, you have been in close contact with you and have conducted multiple seafood transactions... Wu An only heard the law enforcement officers say this much; after that, once he got into the car, he couldn't hear the rest.

He didn't pay much attention to it, believing Gao Qiangqi could handle it.

They arrived at the police station.

Coincidentally on duty were Yu Kai Lang and his master Lao Liu; fisheries and maritime authorities conducted joint law enforcement, and since the town had no office, they temporarily used the police station.

Yu Kai Lang and Lao Liu naturally also had to cooperate.

Seeing Wu An walk in, the two were both startled, and the same thought sprang to mind simultaneously: "How come trouble arises again so soon after things had just settled down?"

After these several encounters, they had a feeling that although it appeared Wu An was the one involved in the incident, perhaps the unlucky one was actually someone else.

They arrived at the interrogation room.

Each took a seat separately.

Facing Wu An, the interrogator— the young man who had spoken at the dock— barked in a stern tone: "Wu An, now that you're here, telling the truth is your only way out."

Did you use crab pots, longlines, or even cast nets and other illegal fishing gear on this trip?

Wu An simply replied: "I didn't use any."

Bang!

The man slammed the table and said: "We searched your fishing boat; we didn't find any illegal gear, but we found a lot of seafood."

Don't tell me all that seafood on the boat was caught by hand, one by one?

Wu An laughed: "You actually hit the nail on the head."

You really are qualified to manage us fishermen; you understand us quite well.

Or should I say you're professional?

The uniformed man naturally heard that Wu An's remarks were sarcastic, and he scolded: "Your attitude is self-destructive."

Your problem is serious.

According to our preliminary investigation, you have had monetary transactions worth hundreds of thousands with Gao Qiangqi at the town's seafood market.

I can tell you directly: that amount of money alone is enough to warrant a criminal sentence and land you in jail!