Chapter 484: Caught in the Net

Zhang Ping'an thought it over and decided to give Qi Tongwei a push; even if Xu Jiang wasn't entirely evil, he still had to be held responsible for what he had done in the past.

Zhang Ping'an made a phone call to Tong Laosi's son, Tong Jiuyue; Tong Laosi and Jin Ye had both passed away in the last two years, and Tong Jiuyue, being Tong Laosi's youngest son, had inherited his position.

"Jiuyue, I'm sending you a file; find a way to make him return to the country on his own."

"Alright, Uncle Xie."

Jin Ye and his group had become the local overlords in Los Angeles, holding sway over both the underworld and the legitimate world, so making it impossible for Xu Jiang to gain a foothold was an easy task.

That evening, after reading the file, Tong Jiuyue arranged for people to seize Xu Jiang directly; when dealing with someone like Xu Jiang, his family was his Achilles' heel.

"Return to the country and turn yourself in; your family here will be safe and sound. Your crimes aren't severe, and with lenient treatment, you'll be out in eight or ten years at most."

Tong Jiuyue didn't know about Xu Jiang's affairs in Jinghai, otherwise he wouldn't have said that.

Only Xu Jiang himself knew that once he returned to the country, it would likely be difficult for him to ever get out, but fortunately, his family had been properly settled.

He was already over sixty this year; he had seen everything there was to see in this life, so he had no regrets, though there was still some lingering unwillingness in his heart, even if he knew this day would come sooner or later.

"Fine, I need to go back and make arrangements."

Xu Jiang knew he had no room to resist; having lived here for a month or so, he naturally knew who the boss of the Chinese power circles was.

"You may."

Tong Jiuyue waved his hand and let Xu Jiang leave, not worried in the slightest that he would run away.

Xu Jiang returned home to settle his affairs clearly, and the next morning, he followed Tong Jiuyue's group to the airport.

"Uncle Xie, Xu Jiang has boarded the plane; he will land in about twelve hours."

"Very good, thank you for your hard work, Jiuyue."

Tong Jiuyue truly didn't disappoint Zhang Ping'an; in just three short days, Xu Jiang appeared at Jingzhou Airport and was immediately taken into custody by Qi Tongwei.

Then came the surprise interrogation; Xu Jiang was very forthcoming, not only confessing to his affairs in Handong but also laying out everything from his past in Jinghai.

Xu Jiang was no fool; Zhao Lidong thought no one had any leverage on him, but he didn't know that Xu Jiang possessed evidence of crimes not only against him but also against the retired former Political and Legal Affairs Committee Secretary, He Liming.

This left Qi Tongwei quite shocked; he hadn't expected that both the former Political and Legal Affairs Committee Secretary of Linhu Province, He Liming, and the current one, Zhao Lidong, had been protectors of black-evil forces in the past.

However, he immediately became excited; this was a major case, and Qi Tongwei went straight to Gao Yuliang to report the progress of the interrogation.

"What?"

Gao Yuliang paced back and forth in the room; this matter was no small thing, involving two Political and Legal Affairs Committee Secretaries from neighboring provinces, and it was no longer something he could lead—it had to be reported upward.

Finally, Gao Yuliang reported it to Sha Ruijin, Sha Ruijin reported it to the Central authorities, and ultimately, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection came down to lead the investigation.

The result was no surprise; Zhao Lidong confessed to his criminal facts without reservation, and at the same time, he felt a bit more at ease in his heart.

Over these years, Zhao Lichun had cultivated him with all his heart, yet he had failed his uncle's expectations.

Zhao Lichun was also investigated, but aside from using the air conditioning in his office during the summer, he had committed almost no errors, though he did bear the responsibility of failing to supervise Zhao Lidong.

"Uncle, I have failed you." The look of disappointment in Zhao Lichun's eyes left Zhao Lidong feeling utterly ashamed.

"Enough, just reform yourself well."

Because of Zhao Lichun's arrival, Zhao Lidong hadn't committed many more blood debts and was only sentenced to ten years in prison.

Because Zhao Ruilong was still on the run, and due to his connection with Zhao Lidong, Zhao Lichun had now completely retired.

"Dad, this is also my fault; I should have kept Ruilong by my side back then."

"Xiaohui, this has nothing to do with you; if anyone is to blame, it's me. I spoiled him too much since he was a child, which led to him going astray today. I regret not listening to your Uncle Zhang; at least he would have been constrained within the system."

Zhao Lichun truly regretted his past actions; if Zhao Ruilong had stayed in the labor union, he could have at least lived a stable life.

Look at his son-in-law, Lu Zhou, who was steady and solid, and was now the Deputy Mayor of Jingzhou and the Director of Public Security Bureau.

In fact, it couldn't be said that the crimes Zhao Ruilong committed were that severe; at most, he would be sentenced to eight or ten years and could get out, but now his escape had added to his crimes.

"Forget it, don't worry about him anymore." Zhao Lichun closed his eyes to rest, feeling exhausted.

Fortunately, Zhao Ruilong had left behind a son and a daughter for the Zhao Family, which gave the elderly couple something to look forward to in their lives.

The Guangming Peak Project in Jingzhou was now in a state of utter chaos; because of the Ding Yizhen affair, many enterprises had withdrawn their capital and fled.

Li Dakang was now like an ant on a hot pan; he had just discussed the Dafeng Factory matter with Sun Liancheng in the morning, and now Chen Yanshi had come to his door demanding an explanation. He was annoyed beyond measure, but out of respect for the fact that he was Qi Tongwei's father-in-law, he had to receive him.

"Chen Lao, there is no final conclusion on this matter yet; our Shizhengfu will give you and the Dafeng Factory an explanation."

"Very well, Li Dakang, then I shall wait."

Li Dakang rubbed his temples; Governor Liu was about to retire, and he had originally been the absolute contender, but now, after the mess Ding Yizhen had caused, it was truly uncertain who would get the position.

At the moment, he could only talk about other things after solving the problems of the Guangming Peak Project, but the Dafeng Factory employees were blocking the demolition, and with Chen Yanshi standing at the front, Li Dakang was completely numb.

"Godfather, yes, godfather."

Li Dakang's eyes lit up; he thought of Qi Tongwei's godfather. If anyone had the ability to take down the Guangming Peak Project, it was only Zhang Ping'an.

Li Dakang quickly organized his wording in his mind; he wanted to settle this matter while Qi Tongwei was still in Handong.

One had to know that there were rumors that Qi Tongwei would be transferred to Linhu Province to serve as the Political and Legal Affairs Committee Secretary. Others might not be clear, but Li Dakang knew that based on Qi Tongwei's merits, plus the help of his godfather, the news was likely true.

Thinking of this, Li Dakang didn't dare to delay any longer and hurriedly called Qi Tongwei.

"Hello? Provincial Governor Qi, it's me, Li Dakang."

"Hello, Secretary Dakang."

"Provincial Governor Qi, are you busy? I have some questions I would like to ask; I wonder if it would be convenient to meet and talk in detail."

"Secretary Dakang, you are being too formal. I am at the Public Security Department; I will come over immediately."

"No, no, I happen to be passing by; you wait for me, let's leave it at that."

"..."

Qi Tongwei's mouth twitched as he looked at the landline number of Li Dakang displayed on his phone, and he fell into deep thought.

He and Li Dakang were both at the deputy ministerial level, but as a Municipal Party Secretary, Li Dakang held more power; logically, he should be the one going over, so why was it the other way around today?

Li Dakang arrived at the Public Security Department very quickly; the people downstairs reported it immediately, and Qi Tongwei was already waiting at the elevator entrance.

"Secretary Dakang."

"Provincial Governor Qi."

The two exchanged brief greetings and then went to Qi Tongwei's office.

"Provincial Governor Qi, to tell you the truth, I have come to you this time to ask for your help."

"Secretary Li Dakang, please speak; if I can help, I certainly will not refuse."

"It is like this: as you know, because of Ding Yizhen, many businessmen have been implicated, and now the Guangming Peak Project has been shelved, but Jingzhou has paid a great price for it."

"This matter cannot be dragged out any longer, so we now need more powerful enterprises to join, for example, for example, the Oriental Group."

Only then did Qi Tongwei understand the purpose of Li Dakang's visit, but the Guangming Peak Project was now like a hornet's nest, not something to be touched lightly.

However, thinking of his godfather's background, Qi Tongwei did not give Li Dakang a flat refusal.

"This... I can only ask for you and see, but Secretary Li Dakang must surely understand the current situation of the Guangming Peak Project."

"I understand this, then many thanks to you, Provincial Governor Qi."

"Not at all, it is all for the development of Handong."