Chapter 223: Jianfeng's Cooperation

Ji Weimin was among the first batch of people to join the CC Clique, and he had long since mastered all the ins and outs of the trade.

He would not trust anyone.

Just as others would not trust him.

What he believed in.

What others believed in.

All amounted to nothing but the single item of money.

Just like this officer surnamed Cao beside him; for coming to pick him up, the kickback was five thousand US dollars.

Five thousand for driving a car.

Who wouldn't come?

As for the person who arranged the plane, that high-ranking official in the Ministry of National Defense.

The reason he was still letting him live.

Was because he still had a batch of his goods under his control; if he were dead, these goods would rot in the hands of the merchants.

When it all came down to it, it was still just the word "profit."

……

Pier No. 6, Jinhai.

"Quick, quick!"

"Intercept that ship for me."

With a look from Hong Zhiyou, Xiao Guohua deliberately made a big scene.

Both openly and covertly.

Dozens of section members rushed madly toward the passenger ship at Pier No. 6.

The sailors on the ship had no idea what was going on.

The ship's captain poked his head out and bowed with cupped hands:

"Officer, what has happened?

"We are from the Qingdao pier and have the proper paperwork from the Shipping Bureau."

Someone had paid five times the price to charter the ship tonight.

He hadn't expected such a scene the moment they docked.

"Search!"

Xiao Guohua waved his hand.

Several men drew their guns, forced the crew members aside, and began to search the ship.

Splash!

Accompanied by the sound of someone falling into the water.

A person was seen going into the water.

"Ji Weimin!

"Quick, catch him."

Xiao Guohua shouted, firing two shots into the air at the same time.

The piercing sound of gunfire shattered the silence.

Several section members jumped into the water and quickly grabbed "Ji Weimin" and dragged him up.

……

On the street.

Lu Qiao and Li Ya were each leading a team, rushing toward the pier.

Ji Weimin was too important.

Neither of them could sit still; regardless of whether the news of Ji coming to the pier was true or false, they had to confirm this person's identity at the first opportunity.

Bang! Bang!

The two gunshots made the face of Lu Qiao, who was in the passenger seat, twitch.

"Wh-why are there gunshots?" Lu Qiao looked at Sheng Xiang, who was driving.

"Could it really be that Ji Weimin has come to Jinhai?" Sheng Xiang was stunned.

"Then what are you standing there for?

"Floor the gas, hurry up."

Lu Qiao felt a panic in his heart and shouted.

At the same time.

Li Ya also slammed on the gas.

The sudden gunfire left his mind in chaos.

If Ji coming to Jin was false news.

There wouldn't be any gunfire.

Damn it!

Did that idiot really come?

May the Leader protect me, do not let Yu Zecheng succeed.

Otherwise, the assassination of Li Haifeng.

Plus the capture of Ji Weimin.

The filth on Yu Zecheng would immediately turn into the glorious cassock of a Buddha.

By then, the Leader and Jianfeng would surely promote him, and it would be difficult for him to investigate the cause of his master Liu Xiong's death or purge Yu Zecheng.

The two of them arrived at the pier, anxious as if their hearts were on fire, and ran into each other.

"Division Chief Lu, why are you here?" Li Ya asked with a smile.

"I was afraid there wouldn't be enough manpower here, so I came to take a look and help Director Yu out.

"What about you?"

Lu Qiao said with a fake smile.

"I was eating seafood nearby and came to check when I heard the gunshots."

Li Ya was also spouting nonsense.

Just as they were speaking.

They saw Xiao Guohua and his group escorting a soaking-wet fellow onto the pier.

The two hurried over.

"Ji Weimin!"

Li Ya grabbed the guy, pulled a small flashlight from his pocket, and shone it on the man's face.

"It's not him?

"This..."

Lu Qiao, standing to the side, glanced at Li Ya, and the two looked at each other in dismay.

"Director Xiao, what is going on here?" Lu Qiao's face immediately blossomed into a smile.

Li Ya also stuffed his hands into his pockets, bit his lip, and tried hard to suppress his laughter.

After all that.

It really was a smokescreen.

Yu Zecheng, oh Yu Zecheng, you really are too impatient, too green.

"Old Yu."

Li Ya took two quick steps and knocked on the car nearby.

The window rolled down.

"Old Yu, you're something else, sitting calmly on the fishing platform while letting Director Xiao..." Seeing the person inside, Li Ya's words came to an abrupt halt.

"Secretary Hong?" Lu Qiao exclaimed in surprise from the side.

"It's me.

"Team Leader Li, Division Chief Lu, why have you both come as well?"

Hong Zhiyou smiled, opened the car door, and stepped out.

"Afraid there was a lack of manpower, so we came to take a look," Li Ya said.

"Little Hong, why are you here?" Lu Qiao asked, somewhat displeased.

"Oh, Old Yu had something come up, so he asked me to come and keep watch.

"I'm quite lucky.

"I squatted here and actually caught a fish."

Hong Zhiyou smiled with a relaxed expression and walked up to "Ji Weimin."

"Ji Weimin!" he barked.

"Officer, I, I am not any Ji..." the man raised his head and said in a panic.

"You're not?"

Hong Zhiyou lifted his chin, and after seeing clearly, he backhanded him with a slap:

"Who are you?"

"If it's not Ji Weimin, why the hell are you running!"

"My name is Qiu Daqiang.

"I'm a fisherman from Qingdao.

"Today at the pier, someone gave me a gold bar and told me to put on this outfit and take a boat to Jinhai.

"I, I just came over.

"Who knew that as soon as I arrived, I'd run into this mess.

"I, I got scared and jumped into the water, hoping to use my swimming skills to escape..."

Qiu Daqiang said, shivering all over.

"Damn it!

"I thought I could pick up some credit.

"I didn't expect to pick up a piece of dog shit like you!

"Take him back."

Hong Zhiyou grabbed his collar and pushed him away, feigning anger.

"Yes, Secretary Hong.

"Take him away."

Xiao Guohua accepted the order.

"Calm down, Brother Hong." Li Ya shoved his hands in his pockets, glanced sideways at Qiu Daqiang, and comforted him with a smile.

"That's right.

"Ji Weimin is an old fox; he's not that easy to catch."

Lu Qiaoshan also let out a secret sigh of relief and said.

Immediately, his expression turned serious, and he asked in a deep voice: "Secretary Hong, where did Section Chief Yu go?"

"My two brothers.

"You know how Old Yu is; he's incredibly devious.

"If there's something he doesn't want to say, you could hold a knife to his throat and he still wouldn't say it.

"God knows where he ran off to.

"He definitely didn't go home to sleep."

Hong Zhiyou shrugged, having nothing to disclose.

"Gentlemen, it's getting late. I have a card game at the club, so I'll take my leave first."

He greeted them, ducked into his car, and drove off with a stomp on the gas pedal.

"Li..."

"Lu..."

Li Ya and Lu Qiaoshan exchanged a glance, both wanting to probe Yu Zecheng's background.

But as soon as they saw the other's nauseating face, they immediately dismissed the thought.

They exchanged a look of mutual contempt and went their separate ways.

Hong Zhiyou rushed to the Naval Club at top speed.

He had just arrived in his room.

The phone rang.

Yu Zecheng's hesitant voice came from the other end:

"Secretary Hong, that Lu Xiaoxia you had me tail went to the Qingdao West Ferry.

"She didn't bring anything.

"It's highly likely that Ji Weimin gave her some instructions.

"Ji is very likely hiding at the ferry; I've inquired, and there are many private boats there that specialize in ferrying people to the Minnan area.

"Do you think I should go over there now?"

Hong Zhiyou pondered for a moment and said:

"It's too coincidental.

"It has already been confirmed that Pier No. 6 in Jinhai was a diversionary tactic by Ji Weimin.

"Over there, you have private boats running to Minnan, and military aircraft.

"Things shouldn't happen more than three times.

"Ji Weimin is clearly being overly cautious; for the people in Qingdao, this is the first.

"But since our side has already been exposed, that makes it the second.

"Now there's only the third left.

"Therefore, I think this is still a diversion; Ji Weimin is highly likely using that woman as bait to draw away the attention of the Qingdao side.

"Your manpower there is limited; just send two reliable people to verify.

"The focus must remain on the aircraft."

Hong Zhiyou knew time was tight, and after a brief thought, he stated his opinion.

"Good!

"I'll listen to you."

Yu Zecheng hung up the phone on the other end.

Qingdao.

Ji Weimin carried his money case straight to the airport.

The military aircraft was already prepared.

"Commissioner Liu, this is my friend Liu Kui.

"He is going to Jingling to visit relatives.

"I ask that you please make it convenient for him."

Once on the plane, the officer surnamed Cao introduced him to an officer wearing black-rimmed glasses.

"Got it." The officer turned his head away coldly.

Carrying civilians on military aircraft was an unwritten convention.

They were either relatives or friends of high-ranking officials from the Ministry of National Defense, the local municipal government, or the garrison.

"Thank you."

The disguised Ji Weimin bowed slightly, neither humble nor pushy, and walked toward the back row.

He chose a window seat.

Gazing at the pitch-black sky, a trace of triumph appeared at the corner of his mouth.

So what if it's the Chairman?

If you want to catch me, Ji Weimin, you'd better manage that pack of dogs under your command first.

The airplane engine spun.

The fuselage trembled.

Ji Weimin knew that once the plane took off, he would be completely free.

Yu Zecheng, wearing a black trench coat, entered the air traffic control room with the head of the airport's security section.

"Section Chief Huang, this is Major Yu Zecheng from the Jinhai Station.

"Acting on instructions from the Secret Service Bureau headquarters, he is here to track down Ji Weimin."

The security section chief said.

"Is this your first day as a security section chief?

"Don't you know that outsiders are not allowed to enter the air traffic control room?"

This newly appointed air traffic control chief scolded them with an extremely stern tone.

"Aircraft No. 2, requesting takeoff."

A tower controller on the side requested.

"Section Chief Huang.

"This is my identification..."

Just as Yu Zecheng was about to pull out his credentials, Section Chief Huang didn't even look at them and said with a gloomy face: "Permission to take off."

"Wait, I am on a secret mission dispatched by Comrade Jianfeng." Yu Zecheng said hurriedly.

"Suspend takeoff."

Section Chief Huang's eyes sharpened, and he raised his hand to stop the controller.

"Section Chief Yu, delaying a Ministry of National Defense commissioner and faking instructions from Comrade Jianfeng—if you add all these crimes up, the penalty won't be light. You'd better think it through," Section Chief Huang said righteously.

"You can call Jianfeng to verify," Yu Zecheng said, biting the bullet.

The chief of the Qingdao Air Traffic Control Office had always been a member of Jianfeng's Iron and Blood Youth Corps.

When Hong Zhiyou came, he had repeatedly reminded Yu Zecheng.

If the air traffic control department didn't cooperate, just say it was an order from Comrade Jianfeng.

Yu Zecheng hadn't asked much at the time.

And Hong Zhiyou hadn't said much either.

It was only said that Jianfeng would say yes.

Now that he was rashly bringing up this great deity, his heart could not help but thump wildly.

After all, that was Jianfeng.

Yu Zecheng had previously been a favorite of Boss Dai.

And Dai Li had always been disliked by Jianfeng.

Li Ya had targeted him upon arriving in Jinhai and had produced top-secret intelligence regarding Yang Family Village.

It was clearly done with the instruction and permission of Jianfeng.

To impersonate him now without Jianfeng's explicit permission was simply playing with his life.

Director Huang glanced at him and picked up the desk phone to dial a number:

"Connect me to the No. 2 Residence, Qingdao Air Traffic Control Director Huang Jun."

He waited for a moment.

He straightened his body and stood solemnly: "I am Huang Jun.

"Yes.

"Yes!"

Hanging up the phone, Huang Jun's expression softened significantly: "Director Yu, how would you like me to cooperate?"

Yu Zecheng let out a secret sigh of relief and said:

"I suspect Ji Weimin is on that plane outside.

"Please accompany me onto the plane to arrest this person."

Huang Jun said with some difficulty: "That is one of Commander Liu's men. Commander Liu is very aggressive; if you do not have sufficient certainty, the consequences will be very troublesome."

"I indeed do not have certainty.

"But if Ji Weimin escapes on that plane, it will be very troublesome for the Chairman and Jianfeng.

"Whether to cause trouble for Commander Liu or for the Chairman and Jianfeng, you decide."

Yu Zecheng said with an expressionless face.

"Understood.

"Please come with me."

Huang Jun nodded.

He immediately signaled several guards to accompany him as they walked toward the plane.

On the plane.

The officer glanced at his watch and urged the flight attendant and guards in front: "Why haven't we taken off yet? It's already been three minutes."

"The tower is still confirming."

A guard replied after asking in the cockpit.

"Confirming?

"The weather is great tonight, and there usually isn't this much trouble."

The officer frowned in dissatisfaction.

He glanced at the guy in the corner wearing a wide-brimmed hat.

This fellow was covered up tightly.

There shouldn't be a problem, right?

Just as he hesitated, he saw Huang Jun leading a group of people inside.

"Director Huang, what is this tonight..."

The officer stood up and asked with displeasure.

"Rest assured."

Huang Jun smiled slightly, then suddenly let out a thunderous shout toward the back row:

"Ji Weimin!"

The person in the corner trembled all over and began to shiver.

"Ji Weimin, you cannot escape.

"You know the rules, come out."

Yu Zecheng waved his hand, and several agents from the Confidentiality Bureau rushed up with guns, snatched off his hat, grabbed his hair, and tilted his face up to look.

"Director Yu."

One of the agents nodded efficiently.

"Take him down and we'll talk."

Yu Zecheng was the first to get off the plane.

"Ji Weimin!

"Damn it!"

The officer on the plane changed color and followed closely behind.

"I am Yu Zecheng, Director of the Confidentiality Bureau's Secretarial Office, and I am now arresting you under the orders of the Chairman and Headquarters.

"Name."

Once outside, Yu Zecheng flashed his credentials and stared at him coldly.

"Ji Weimin."

Ji Weimin's face was ashen, and his legs were so weak he could no longer stand straight.

He had calculated everything, but he never expected to fall into the hands of the Confidentiality Bureau.

"Good, come with me!"

Yu Zecheng was very efficient and did not ask any more questions.

He waved his hand.

Someone immediately pressed down on Ji Weimin's head and shoved him into a car.

"Director Huang, you cooperated very tacitly in this operation; I will report it truthfully to Headquarters." Yu Zecheng, well-versed in social graces, shook hands with Huang Jun.

"Director Yu, thank you.

"You saved me.

"If Ji Weimin had escaped from my airport, I would have been guilty of a crime that a hundred deaths could not redeem."

Huang Jun said with heartfelt gratitude.

"You're too kind.

"Director Huang, just wait to be rewarded for your merit.

"When I come to Jinhai in the future, I will host, until next time!"

After saying this, Yu Zecheng prepared to get into the car.

The officer from the plane hurried out: "Director Yu, you and Director Huang must testify for me; I don't know anything.

"This Ji Weimin..."

"Just explain this matter to Director Huang, goodbye." Yu Zecheng had no intention of wading into the muddy waters of their Ludong Theater and climbed into the car to leave.

Without the slightest hesitation.

Overnight, he used a military plane to transfer Ji Weimin to the second basement level of the Jinhai Station, where he was secretly detained.

To ensure safety and prevent Lu Qiaoshan or Li Ya from causing trouble.

Yu Zecheng pulled up a chair and personally guarded the outside of the basement interrogation room.

The next day.

Hong Zhiyou arrived at the station early.

"Old Xiao, where is Director Yu?" he asked.

"Sleeping in his office.

"He personally sat outside the basement door all night last night, terrified that Ji Weimin might be lost. Just now, I locked the basement gate; not even a mosquito could get in. It took a lot of persuasion to get him to rest." Xiao Guohua laughed.

"He has to be serious.

"This is a matter of life and death for him.

"Not everyone is like Li Ya, with Jianfeng covering for him."

Hong Zhiyou laughed.

"Have someone bring him some breakfast." Hong Zhiyou ordered.

"Understood." Xiao Guohua accepted the order.

Hong Zhiyou felt a sense of relief in his heart.

He did not enter the Secretarial Office.

Just as he was about to go to his office, he saw Lu Qiaoshan clutching a briefcase and waving at him:

"Zhiyou, what's the situation?

"I just heard someone say that Director Yu guarded the basement all night last night, it couldn't be..."

"Old Lu, your news is really well-informed; why don't you go to the basement and see for yourself." Hong Zhiyou said with a dry laugh.

"How could I.

"The basement is locked; who would dare go there? The Station Chief would punish them."

Lu Qiaoshan gave an awkward laugh, then spoke in a deep, forceful voice: "Let's talk business, tell me, has Ji Weimin been caught?"

"Director Yu is catching up on sleep."

"Why don't we ask him together once he wakes up?"

He could be polite with him usually, but when it came to the major matter of Old Yu's promotion, Hong Zhiyou would not say a single word.

"You, really."

"Of the three of us brothers, you're still closer to him."

Seeing he couldn't get anything out of him, Lu Qiaoshan gave an awkward laugh and said.

"Brother Shan, I didn't spare any effort helping you fend off Li Ya regarding the Yuan Peilin matter, otherwise he would have been the deputy station chief by now," Hong Zhiyou said, pretending to be impartial.

"That's true."

"Little brother, what do you think about this Old Yu?"

"He acts like a brother to us on weekdays, but if I hadn't pushed for him and held off Li Ya, could this job have fallen into his lap?"

"I didn't expect him to keep even me, the Intelligence Section Chief, in the dark."

"Sigh, human hearts really aren't what they used to be."

Then, he shook his head and sighed, falling back into his petty, sour-minded ways.

"Old Lu, whether he's been caught or not is still up in the air."

"Besides, even if he is caught, so what? Director Zheng has already nominated you; even if Old Yu gets promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, he still can't snatch it from you."

"Set your mind at ease and wait for the news."

Hong Zhiyou smiled.

"That's true, that's true." Hearing him say this, Lu Qiaoshan felt much more at ease.

He went to the station chief's office to tidy up.

A moment later, Wu Jingzhong walked in with a steady gait and placed a food tray on the coffee table:

"Breakfast prepared by Wu Rui's mother for you."

"Crab roe buns."

"Have a taste."

"Thank you, Master and Mistress, for your trouble," Hong Zhiyou said respectfully.

"Wu Rui is due next month."

"Do you have any plans?"

Wu Jingzhong asked.

He was still satisfied with Hong Zhiyou's performance over the last two months.

Aside from work, he rarely went to the club.

He hadn't even visited the Mu family in a long time.

This was more like how a man about to become a father should act.

"Master, you are the grandfather, so I should listen to you."

"Bringing them back has its advantages."

"Staying abroad has the advantages of being abroad."

"Why don't we hear what Wu Rui thinks?"

Hong Zhiyou said.

"Her thoughts are very clear; the child is hers, and you just need to provide the money."

"She wants to stay over there."

"You know, since you are always in contact with outsiders, you have quite a few enemies in both the underworld and the legitimate world."

"Having one more child is just one more worry."

"It's right for them not to come back."

"Once the child is born, you can just find time to go to North America for a couple of days."

Wu Jingzhong said with his hands behind his back.

"Very well, the student will follow the Master's arrangements," Hong Zhiyou nodded.

Sitting down to eat a few bites of the bun, he whispered with a smile:

"Master, I have good news for you."

"Director Yu has caught Ji Weimin."

"Caught him?"

"This, it only took a single day to catch him?"

Wu Jingzhong could hardly believe his own ears.

He had estimated that it would be good if he could even get news of Ji Weimin within three to five days.

He hadn't expected it to be so swift.

"It's true."

"The person is in the basement."

"Director Yu didn't sleep all night; he sat at the entrance of the basement for the whole night."

"He only just fell asleep now."

Hong Zhiyou said.

"Let's go, let's take a look!"

Wu Jingzhong was overjoyed.

(End of chapter)