Chapter 957: Show yourself!

"Did someone tell you how to resist interrogation?"

Li Xuewu leaned on his arm, looking at Chai Yongshu, and asked: "Confess a part voluntarily, be vague about a part, and adamantly refuse to speak about a part, right?"

"No, no!"

Chai Yongshu grinned awkwardly and said: "I was just speaking in a rush earlier, I didn't pay attention and it slipped out~"

"It won't happen again~ It won't happen again~"

Seeing Li Xuewu's face drop, he explained cautiously.

Li Xuewu looked at him and said: "Continue about the letters."

"That... it's just about the letters."

Chai Yongshu scratched his head, stuttered, and seeing Li Xuewu squinting, he instantly became honest and said: "I didn't write the letters."

"Nonsense, did I ask you that?"

Li Xuewu frowned and said: "Do you have a relationship with Du Xiaoyan? Want to help her take on some of the blame?"

"No! No relationship!"

Hearing Li Xuewu say this, Chai Yongshu waved his hands repeatedly and said: "She doesn't look down on me, and I don't look down on her. That woman's pants are looser than Liu Lan's."

"Speak seriously."

Li Xuewu demanded: "How did you have the guts to play the branch bureau for a fool? You don't look like someone who's lost their mind."

"That's why I say I'm wronged~"

Chai Yongshu knew how to climb the pole, complaining repeatedly: "I had just recovered when Young Master Lai had someone call me over, saying there was a good job for me."

"Damn it, last time he said there was a good job, it turned out to be disposing of a corpse. He said the same thing this time!"

"You could have refused~"

Li Xuewu smoked a cigarette, raised his eyebrows and said: "No one forced you to do it."

"Of course you can say that~"

Chai Yongshu said helplessly: "When Zhang Shuqin died, someone reported it. You would investigate it as a major case. If I were silenced, no one would care."

He pointed at himself and said: "Do you think Liu Lan would notice if I went missing? My parents don't care about me; if I die, I die."

"I took their money, so I had to do things for them. I didn't dare ask what, and I didn't dare speak."

Chai Yongshu recounted: "He took me to Du Xiaoyan's house and told me to wait at the door, saying he had business to attend to."

"And business it was. You don't know how fiercely that woman was screaming when I saw the curtains drawn~"

"I was standing at the gate, at least three meters away from the room. Guess what? I heard her shout 'No'…?"

"I can't say this, right?"

Chai Yongshu paused as he looked at the expressions of Li Xuewu and the others in the room, and said somewhat embarrassedly: "Off-topic, off-topic. I'll start over."

"Speak seriously, speak about the situation you think is valuable to the case."

Li Xuewu emphasized impatiently: "Who am I supposed to tell these messy things to?!"

"Yes! Yes! I'll speak."

Chai Yongshu thought for a moment and said: "They were at it for a while, then I heard that woman... Du Xiaoyan crying. It was a long time before Young Master Lai came out."

"He handed me three letters, a stack of money, and some documents and introduction letters. He told me to go to Zhili first, find a post office to mail the letters once I arrived, and then find a guesthouse to call here. He would tell me the next stop then..."

"Wait a minute, you took Zhang Shuqin's documents."

Li Xuewu frowned and asked: "You are a man, she is a woman. How could the guesthouse let you use her paperwork to check into a room and make calls?"

"I didn't use Zhang Shuqin's documents to check in. I was afraid of trouble."

Chai Yongshu explained: "I knew he was up to no good, so I couldn't put myself in the middle of it."

"I... I just found a random woman to help me open a room, then took advantage of the daytime to make a call from that room and mail the letters. I didn't even stay there at night."

"..."

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows in slight surprise and asked: "How did you find the woman? Just 'random'? Was she willing to take responsibility for you?"

At this time, saying "the world is so big, I want to go for a walk" was impossible; it wasn't that casual.

Those employed needed introduction letters from their units; students needed them from their schools; those without jobs needed to go to the neighborhood office to handle travel procedures.

Along the way, buying train tickets, staying in hotels, and eating, one would often encounter inspections. If you couldn't produce the paperwork, you risked detention and repatriation.

Such people were later commonly known as "drifters."

Chai Yongshu was a representative of this type of person. He had no unit, and certainly wouldn't get any proper introduction letters from the neighborhood office.

So how did he manage to travel north and south, roaming the world?

It can be said that the strong are never confined by rules or complain about their environment.

Chai Yongshu looked at Li Xuewu helplessly and said: "Do you think all the women in the world are good girls, all decent women?"

"Of course, you are a decent person, so the people you associate with, meet, and see are all decent women."

"But I'm different. I'm just a low-level, negative element living in the dark corners of the city. The women I meet are also that kind of person. It's about social strata."

He actually had some education; what he said had substance.

"Do you not believe what I'm saying?"

Chai Yongshu looked at Li Xuewu, raised his eyebrows, and said: "How about I take you out for a stroll?"

"Hey! We find a crowded place and stand there. As for women, as long as they pass before my eyes, I know if they're decent or not!"

"Don't believe it? I've lived these thirty years entirely on these two eyes!"

He tried to raise his hand to indicate his eyes and said: "Who has money, who has power, who can fight, who can talk—I know it all."

"You want to know how I found someone to help me? When I arrived in Zhili, I just walked around the street once and saw at least three who had sold themselves before."

Chai Yongshu tapped the small table with a "I'm the best" look and said: "Women, once they enter the world of vice, they can't shake that air of vice until they die!"

"Hey! Leader, do you want me to tell you how to judge from a woman's walk..."

"Alright, alright, are you showing off?"

Li Xuewu interrupted impatiently: "I told you to speak seriously, and you're starting again, right?"

Does he need to be taught this bit of social experience? What knowledge hasn't Li Xuewu learned, and what kind of person hasn't he seen?

But listening to his account, Li Xuewu knew this matter wasn't fabricated.

In later generations, ordinary people might live their whole lives without encountering the dark corners of society, because you yourself are a person of the light, or you don't have the capital in your pocket.

Prostitution, gambling, and drugs—without some strength, you can't even touch these three things. You'd be lucky to just encounter prostitution.

As for the other two, don't even think about it without money; those are games for the rich.

However, these three have something in common: birds of a feather flock together.

They all gather together to play or share stimulating experiences.

Take drug addicts, for example. You walk down the street—do you know who is one and who isn't?

Hey! You take a drug addict and throw them into a strange city. As long as they go out for a walk, they'll know where people play with that in this city.

For those people, or for the entire environment, this is something that can never be cleaned up.

It's like certain internet addresses. No matter how many times you delete them from your phone in a "saintly" state, you can always find new ones once you revert to your "lecherous" self.

So, Chai Yongshu could roam the world and still return to Beijing in one piece because he had experience and lived through it.

He told Li Xuewu how to find the right person in a strange city. It didn't cost much; just a little bit was enough to get the other party to help you open a room at their unit's guesthouse using their work ID.

To Li Xuewu, this kind of "slick operation" wasn't a high-level ability or technique, but to the others in the interrogation room, it was undoubtedly an interesting new piece of knowledge.

He also told Li Xuewu how to ride the train without worrying about being checked for documents, and even if checked, he had excuses and ways to get away.

In an era where one needed to carry an introduction letter and household registration book to travel, such a person roaming north and south was truly quite skilled.

Even in the most prosperous metropolis, there is space and rules for the survival of the "little people."

After he finished explaining that the first letter was mailed, and after hearing the next address Du Xiaoyan gave him over the phone, he erased his tracks and set off on the road.

You tell me, in an era without surveillance, would the woman who opened the room for him tell the truth to the investigator who came to inquire, saying she opened a room with a man?

Especially since the appearance of the investigator proved that the man had committed an offense; I reckon even a fool wouldn't say it.

Li Xuewu listened to him finish, and finding no new discoveries, turned his head to ask about Lai Yide's situation.

"Besides doing the projects you mentioned, and that 'grand ideal' thing, are there any other situations with Lai Yide? Be specific."

"Specific..."

Chai Yongshu thought for a moment, shook his head and said: "He's just a half-grown kid, no extraordinary business ability."

"Things taken from raids, things taken from warehouses, and things taken out by other young masters in their group—we were the ones who processed them all."

"These are all 'no-cost' deals. As long as you go to the black market, you make at least sixty or seventy. What business can compare to that?"

Chai Yongshu recounted: "These young masters often went out to eat together, either at 'Old Mo's' or for barbecue, or hot pot. Every meal had to have wine and meat; they were very carefree."

"Just because of drinking, they once got into trouble. They were raided while with some girls, and it was his dad who stepped in..."

"No need to talk about this, talk about something else."

Li Xuewu interrupted Chai Yongshu. He was quite familiar with this part—very familiar, one could say.

"Does Lai Yide have anyone he associates closely with, or any special hobbies?"

"Do girls count?"

Chai Yongshu said with a cheeky face: "Of course these little brats eat, drink, and play once they have money."

"This point is actually the same as us; the people we associate closely with and our hobbies are the same thing, no conflict."

Seeing Li Xuewu squinting at him, Chai Yongshu knew he had gone off-track again, talking about useless things.

"Special hobbies... there is one."

He widened his eyes and said: "Lai Yide has a gun in his hand, and he even called us to go to the suburbs to practice shooting."

"Damn it, why didn't you say so earlier?!"

Li Xuewu stood up instantly, his eyes wide, and pressed: "Long or short? Do you know the model?"

"Long, and he's very accurate."

Chai Yongshu said helplessly: "I don't know how to play with guns, and I don't recognize the kind he shot. Anyway, it's not common, and the bullets are different."

"Oh, right."

He suddenly reminded: "Lai Yide said he was on the school shooting team and had even won medals."

"You really deserve to be shot!"

Li Xuewu glared at him fiercely, stood up and said: "You talked a whole lot of nonsense, and only said the most useful thing now!"

"I didn't know..."

Chai Yongshu wanted to explain, but saw Li Xuewu had already walked out the door quickly.

He didn't understand why Li Xuewu was in such a rush. He was fine just a moment ago; how could he get so angry so suddenly?

Getting angry was mild; Li Xuewu really wanted to take out a small hammer and beat him up.

He walked out of the interrogation room and bumped into Zheng Fuhua coming downstairs in the lobby, and quickly reported the situation to him.

Zheng Fuhua was also startled, hurried to the duty room, arranged for someone to call the school to understand the situation, and at the same time sent a notice to Yu Daru and the others to be careful of Lai Yide—there was danger.

Li Xuewu and Zheng Fuhua both knew that Lai Shanchuan having a gun wasn't scary, because Lai Shanchuan was an adult with reservations and wouldn't dare to shoot easily.

But these hot-headed young people—with a gun in their hands, especially with shooting skills, the danger coefficient increased infinitely.

Just as the two finished their calls and before feedback from the school and the front line came in, headlights flashed at the gate, and then two cars turned in.

There were lights at the gate, and Li Xuewu saw that one of the cars coming in was a Volga M24.

When the car got closer and he saw the license plate, he realized that wasn't Old Li's car.

Could it be for Liu Lan? Or did he not get in touch and come directly here?

The car stopped at the gate, and Li Xuewu watched Liu Lan get out of the front branch bureau car, and Li Huai De get out of the Volga behind it.

What slightly surprised him was that Zhou Miaomiao also got out with Li Huai De. What the hell was this for?

Love connection!

Li Xuewu walked out of the duty room door and stood face-to-face with the group that had just entered.

Liu Lan was being led this way by a criminal officer, her face full of innocence.

Even more innocent were Li Huai De and Zhou Miaomiao following behind, with two criminal officers behind them, looking like they were afraid they would run away.

Li Huai De had remained silent all the way here, and even Zhou Miaomiao, who wanted to talk to him, was ignored.

He was the top leader of the steel mill, a big cadre, the type who wouldn't change his expression even if Mount Tai collapsed before him.

However, having maintained his composure the whole way, the panic in his eyes betrayed him the moment he saw Li Xuewu.

He looked at Li Xuewu, not knowing what to say.

Li Xuewu looked at him, also not knowing what to do.

The officer who went to pick them up hadn't noticed the eye contact between them, and seeing the leader here, took the initiative to introduce them.

The reason so many people were summoned was complex, yet very simple.

Complex was the relationship between them; simple was that this watch had linked the three of them together.

To please Liu Lan and want to remarry her, Chai Yongshu had used the children as an excuse, paying back money and giving a watch.

Although Liu Lan didn't agree immediately at the time, seeing Chai Yongshu had become successful, she couldn't help but feel secretly happy, thinking her luck had turned around.

She didn't have a watch herself; for so many years, Chai Yongshu hadn't even given her a stone, let alone a watch.

Liu Lan liked this watch very much; it was brand new and looked valuable.

Of course, she didn't know that this watch was an imported one that Zhao Ziliang had scrounged up just to please Zhang Shuqin.

The two were still hesitating while flirting, but the spoils of war had fallen into Liu Lan's hands.

Liu Lan liked the watch, but she liked "progress" even more. She wanted to advance so badly.

After being neglected by Li Huai De, she got the position of director of the small canteen as compensation, and had no more opportunities to contact Li Huai De.

And after the propaganda team was established, she heard that Li Huai De often went to find those dance troupe girls to dance.

And it was in the middle of the night, dancing "proper" dances. What do you think she was thinking?

She didn't hate Li Huai De, and she hated those dance troupe girls even less; she only hated herself for having a low position, no status, and no power.

If she had power in her hands, she would also want to find people to dance with. If there were no men in the dance troupe, weren't there any in the propaganda team?

Find young men, find strong young men!

Find strong young men who were both talented and handsome!

It was the end of the year, catching up with the personnel adjustment period. She had also heard that the newly appointed deputy director of the management committee office, Shi Ruoweng, had ability, courage, and ideas.

So, wasn't it just that? The watch she had just gotten her hands on, not even warmed up yet, was packed in a box along with some local specialties, and she found Shi Ruoweng, asking him to help, wanting to plot for the position of deputy general manager of the newly established Red Star International Hotel.

Zhang Songying was at the same level as her when they were at the guesthouse. Why could Zhang Songying be a deputy general manager, but she couldn't?

Her focus wasn't on Zhang Songying going from the guesthouse to the International Hotel, but on the fact that this deputy general manager position was a deputy section-level post.

Originally at the guesthouse, the deputy director position wasn't considered a cadre position at all; it was just a transitional post that could be removed at any time.

But a deputy section-level post was different; it was a proper career path. She just wanted to advance.

Shi Ruoweng was also a daughter-in-law who had finally become a mother-in-law after many years. In the past, he had only watched and heard about others giving gifts to leaders; this was his first time receiving one himself.

He had reservations about Liu Lan's active approach; after all, Liu Lan's relationship with Director Li in the past was much "closer" than his.

Having followed Li Huai De for so many years, Liu Lan had become a bit enlightened. She took the initiative to say nice things, saying she wanted to learn from him, that she would work hard in her new position, and that she would follow his example.

These words were very much to Shi Ruoweng's liking. He was going to plant his flag at the Red Star International Hotel; how could he do it without his own people?

Liu Lan's past with Director Li was naturally a problem, but it also proved that her loyalty wasn't a problem.

So Shi Ruoweng was bold and really accepted Liu Lan's gift.

When he checked the gift afterward, he discovered this valuable watch. Compared with other local specialties, his heart panicked.

Doing things for Liu Lan could have an impact using his own identity, but the appointment of a deputy section-level cadre, especially at the International Hotel, was something he didn't dare to guarantee without the leader's approval.

So he hardened his heart, accepted the local specialties, and took the watch to Li Huai De's house.

He had been in the office for many years and naturally understood the way to get along with leaders. He didn't mention Liu Lan's request to him, but directly framed it as Liu Lan asking him to request Li Huai De.

Liu Lan had worked at the guesthouse for a period of time and had proven herself in the position of small canteen director, so promoting her was justifiable.

Li Huai De didn't pay much attention to the watch he sent over; he just thought Liu Lan had changed.

In the past, in the relationship he had with Liu Lan, the other party would come directly to him and mention it afterward.

He was also afraid that Liu Lan's promotion would cause questions and affect him; at the very least, the reputation wouldn't be good, so he had never agreed.

Now that the two had grown distant, Liu Lan knew how to use the rules of the agency to ask him for things, which gave rise to a strange emotion in him.

Since Liu Lan knew how to do this, it showed she had grown up, matured, and wouldn't cause him trouble.

So Li Huai De didn't express a clear attitude, but he didn't tell Shi Ruoweng to take the watch back either.

How could Shi Ruoweng not know that the matter had been handled? When he left, he didn't even look at the watch; he was afraid he wouldn't be able to help but feel the pain.

He felt the pain, but Li Huai De wouldn't. No matter how good the watch was, a person only had one hand to wear it. He had never heard of anyone wearing watches on both hands; that would be a fool's act.

So, after discovering it was an exquisite ladies' watch, he turned around and gave it to Zhou Miaomiao, who had come over to teach dance.

This was also the reason why Liu Lan was summoned, Li Huai De followed, and Zhou Miaomiao also came along.

It was laughable and speechless.

The three of them were brought to the reception room. After hearing their explanation, Li Xuewu didn't know what else to say.

Liu Lan stood there with her head down, not speaking. Li Huai De sat on the bench, frowning in silence. Zhou Miaomiao stood to one side, pinching her fingers, so embarrassed she wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Knowing they were from the steel mill, Zheng Fuhua didn't follow them in and went to wait for news from the front line.

Only Li Xuewu and a criminal group officer were here, and the other party took the notes.

Li Xuewu heard that the questioning was finished, pressed down on the notes the officer was about to take away, patted his shoulder, and called him out the door.

After saying a few words outside the door, the criminal officer entered the room and took Liu Lan away, leaving Li Huai De and Zhou Miaomiao behind.

In fact, the three of them still didn't know what happened to the watch. Initially, Liu Lan thought it was stolen by Chai Yongshu.

But after coming to the Discipline Inspection compound, seeing the situation in the lobby, and seeing Li Xuewu, the three of them were a bit confused.

It was just a watch; was it worth a joint investigation by the branch bureau and Discipline Inspection?

After Liu Lan was brought out, she wanted to talk to Li Xuewu, but was stopped by him.

"Remember, cooperate well with the investigators in their investigation and evidence collection. Say what you have to say, and don't try to be clever, otherwise you'll harm others and yourself."

Li Xuewu pointed at her and gave this reminder, then signaled for the criminal officer to take her to redo the notes.

After watching the other party enter the interrogation room, he pushed open the door and walked into the reception room.

Li Huai De looked at Li Xuewu awkwardly and asked: "What's going on?"

"A bit of trouble."

Li Xuewu walked to Li Huai De's side and sat down. Ignoring Zhou Miaomiao standing to the side, he explained softly: "The case is very big. I told you I'm so busy here I can't get away."

"I didn't think you were here, sigh~"

Li Huai De sighed speechlessly and said: "I didn't think I would be involved in this case."

"I know."

Li Xuewu smiled slightly, patted Old Li's knee in comfort, stood up and walked toward the desk, saying: "That watch was stripped from a corpse by Chai Yongshu. Of course you wouldn't know."

"Ah?!"

Li Huai De didn't react much to this, but Zhou Miaomiao, standing to the side, was scared to death. She sat down on the bench with a thud, her face turning pale.

It would have been better if she hadn't "ah-ed." This "ah" gave Li Huai De a shock. He glared at her, turned his head, frowned, and looked at Li Xuewu, asking: "Is it the case you're investigating?"

"Yes."

Li Xuewu picked up the notes on the table, looked at them, folded them, turned around, walked back, and handed them to Li Huai De.

Li Huai De looked at Li Xuewu, reached out and took them, nodding: "I didn't think it was so serious."

"A bit of trouble, too many people involved."

Li Xuewu pulled a chair and sat diagonally opposite him, took out a fountain pen, tapped the notebook in his hand, and said: "Just those above deputy section level, I'm afraid there are nearly two hundred people."

"Really?!!!"

Li Huai De widened his eyes in surprise this time, looking at Li Xuewu in disbelief.

It wasn't that he didn't believe what Li Xuewu said; it was that he didn't believe he was involved in such a big case.

"Ugh~~~"

After the sudden surprise, Zhou Miaomiao finally reacted, but it was a bit intense. I don't know if she had done any "indecent" actions with that watch.

This time, it was Li Xuewu's turn to look at her in surprise.

Li Huai De understood Li Xuewu's surprise and said with an embarrassed face: "She might be scared."

"Oh~ oh~"

Li Xuewu twitched the corner of his mouth and looked at Li Huai De. Since he was so confident, it meant Zhou Miaomiao was really scared, not trying to frame someone.

When a person is extremely nervous, or when inner fear triggers certain experiences, they will have this nauseous feeling.

Hearing Li Huai De's explanation, Li Xuewu didn't bother with her and continued: "Think carefully again, does this matter have anything to do with you?"

Since things had reached this point, Li Huai De knew what to say.

He thought carefully and said: "I don't know about the previous things; it was Shi Ruoweng who sold this watch to me."

"Is that so?"

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and asked: "Wasn't it sold directly to Comrade Zhou Miaomiao?"

Zhou Miaomiao was still holding back her nausea, but suddenly hearing Li Xuewu mention her name, she froze.

Li Huai De turned his head and looked at Zhou Miaomiao, who was feeling nauseous, and said: "You bought this watch from Deputy Director Shi, right?"

"Right... right?"

Zhou Miaomiao wasn't a fool either; she understood what was going on by now, but her words were vague, not knowing if this would involve her.

Li Xuewu was making notes quickly in his notebook, while saying: "Zhou Miaomiao, you bought this watch from Deputy Director Shi for 160 yuan. He didn't say where the watch came from."

"Yes... that's right."

Zhou Miaomiao understood the look in Director Li's eyes, covered her chest, and agreed vaguely.

Li Xuewu continued: "Summoned today because of fear, and worried about problems with the cadres in the factory, you took the initiative to report to Director Li and asked him to come along, right?"

"Yes, that's how it is."

Zhou Miaomiao nodded in agreement. She heard what Li Xuewu meant; he was teaching her how to answer if anyone asked in the future.

Since she was linked with Director Li, and her procedure of taking the initiative to report was stated, she gradually felt more secure.

At this moment, she was distracted, no longer thinking about the watch, and didn't feel nauseous anymore.

Li Huai De sat to the side and stopped speaking, listening to Li Xuewu straighten out the threads of the relationship and keeping them in mind.

He had been a bit panicked just now; not only did he fail to explain it clearly, but he also didn't extract himself from it.

And with Li Xuewu's arrangement, this case had nothing to do with him, and all the links no longer existed.

Li Xuewu looked at Li Huai De and asked: "Leader, where is Deputy Director Shi? I'm afraid he needs to make a statement."

As he spoke, he tapped the notebook in his hand with his fountain pen as a reminder.

Li Huai De nodded and said: "Comrade Shi Ruoweng is injured and hospitalized. I'm afraid we'll have to wait until tomorrow for him to come over. I will arrange this as soon as I go back."

"Alright, it's explained clearly."

Li Xuewu smiled slightly, placed the redone notes in front of the two, and said: "The misunderstanding is cleared up, everyone is happy. Press your fingerprints and go back. You still have work to do."

After looking at the more detailed notes, Li Huai De nodded and pressed his fingerprints on them.

After Zhou Miaomiao pressed hers, Li Xuewu put away the notes and whispered: "I'll coordinate with Discipline Inspection here; there won't be any problems."

"But over at our factory..."

Li Xuewu squinted his eyes, shook the notebook in his hand, and reminded: "There can't be any problems with Deputy Director Shi."

Li Huai De nodded and said: "You focus on the case; I'll arrange this."

"That's good."

Li Xuewu stood up with a smile and said apologetically: "This afternoon I was tied up by Director Zheng and Discipline Inspection, and I couldn't find you when I called, so dinner tonight..."

"I understand. I didn't mean to blame you for calling."

Li Huai De stood up, patted Li Xuewu's arm, and said warmly: "Dinner tonight won't happen; it's not very auspicious."

As he spoke, he smiled slightly and said: "We'll talk after you finish this case; no rush."

"I will finish the work here as soon as possible."

Li Xuewu promised seriously: "I'll return to my post as soon as possible and won't delay the factory's work."

Li Huai De wasn't in high spirits today; his patience had worn thin. Since Li Xuewu wasn't an outsider, he nodded and walked out the door.

Li Xuewu wanted to follow him out, but when he turned his head, he saw Zhou Miaomiao still sitting on the chair.

"Li... Deputy Director Li, I'm sorry."

Zhou Miaomiao looked at Li Xuewu with shame, lowered her head to admit her mistake, her voice trembling.

Li Xuewu looked at her and asked: "Where are you uncomfortable? Do you need me to call a doctor?"

"No, no need."

She raised her head, her face flushed, and said in a low voice: "My legs aren't listening to me..."

So she was scared. Li Xuewu thought she had peed herself.

"There's warm water in the teacup on the table. You rest for a while. I have a few words with the leader, and I'll wait for you outside."

He wouldn't help her up, and certainly wouldn't offer to take her home. This kind of girl couldn't be touched, especially a leader's girl.

At the door, Li Huai De was smoking, obviously waiting for Zhou Miaomiao.

Li Xuewu also lit one for himself, signaled that he would send the other party to the car, and explained Zhou Miaomiao's situation while walking.

Li Huai De sighed after hearing it, shook his head slightly, and criticized himself: "It's my fault. This whole thing, sigh~"

"A twist of fate, I suppose."

Li Xuewu gave a simple evaluation. The wind wasn't small outside at this moment, and the smoke blown out quickly dissipated.

The parking lot was still bright, and there was no one around, so the two had no reservations in their conversation.

"This time, quite a few factory and collective leaders are involved."

Li Xuewu said this first, and while Li Huai De was stunned, he changed the subject and chatted about the business tour group.

Li Huai De responded, but his mind had long since started calculating.

Even Qin Hui had three or five friends; he also had his own circle. This news was worth a fortune.

Li Xuewu had leaked it to him on purpose, clearly reminding him that if he wanted to make arrangements, he had to act quickly.

This favor wasn't smaller than the previous one. Li Huai De was increasingly satisfied with Li Xuewu, who was walking beside him and reporting on his work.

Seeing Li Haiyang trot over, he signaled toward the office building, indicating for him to go pick up Zhou Miaomiao.

Li Haiyang glanced at Director Li's expression. Seeing it go from cloudy to sunny, he knew that Deputy Director Li had done a big favor again.

The chaos on the day the International Hotel opened wasn't something the leaders hadn't asked about afterward. Deputy Director Shi had even slandered Deputy Director Li in front of the leaders.

Now it seemed that Deputy Director Li was clearly a step ahead, blessed by heaven, and even heaven was helping him.

Li Haiyang didn't know what Director Li was thinking, but he knew that Director Li had walked right into Deputy Director Li's gun barrel today.

After Li Haiyang helped Zhou Miaomiao into the car, Li Huai De patted Li Xuewu's arm and smiled slightly. Everything was understood without words.

And Li Xuewu watched Li Haiyang help Zhou Miaomiao into the car, waved his hand, and watched the Volga M24 drive away with its flashing lights.

Of course he had to protect Li Huai De. If he hadn't stepped in this time, Li Huai De would have turned danger into safety anyway.

This wasn't a big problem at all; Li Huai De couldn't be dragged out, and there was no way to pin this case on him.

Furthermore, he and Li Huai De were getting along quite harmoniously now. Although the other party already had the heart to balance him, there was ultimately no great malice.

This shield had to be kept; after all, the wind hadn't blown over yet, and it wouldn't be easy to find another one as suitable.

Li Huai De and Zhou Miaomiao could leave, but Liu Lan had to stay here to accept further questioning.

Because she was the first link in the watch flowing from Chai Yongshu's hands, and she and Chai Yongshu were a former married couple, it had to be clarified.

He should have known where Chai Yongshu got the watch. After Li Xuewu entered the building, he heard her crying and cursing in the street.

She cursed Chai Yongshu for not being a human, not being a thing, for actually giving her such a thing, and that he should never think about remarrying her.

Li Xuewu looked at the crowd in the lobby watching the excitement, and couldn't help but feel amused. Today was truly chaotic.

"Xuewu, come."

Li Xuewu was participating in an interrogation in the interrogation room; the target was the former station master of the grain station.

The main interrogation task was basically completed, and he couldn't leave, so he chose this room.

It wasn't to avenge Wei Wei or anything; he wasn't that childish or ridiculous. He just wanted to know how this station master opened Pandora's box.

Just halfway through the interrogation, he saw Zheng Fuhua standing at the door, frowning and calling him.

Li Xuewu stood up and hurried out. If Zheng Fuhua came in person, something must have happened.

"Something happened."

Zheng Fuhua pulled Li Xuewu with a serious face and signaled toward the lobby: "Let's go, talk while we walk."

Li Xuewu frowned slightly. The "something happened" in Zheng Fuhua's mouth wasn't the level of severity an ordinary person could imagine.

As a leader of his status, he was extremely cautious in his choice of words in his daily life.

Although there wasn't much panic on his face, one could still feel the tense atmosphere from the frequency of his steps.

"Two pieces of news, one good, one bad."

Zheng Fuhua said while walking: "The good news is that Lai Yide has been found at the Mingde Building Restaurant near the train station, and Lai Shanchuan is also there."

"The bad news is that Lai Yide has gathered more than a dozen young people of the same background. They have several long guns in their hands, and the possibility of explosives cannot be ruled out."

"Also."

Zheng Fuhua took Li Xuewu out the door and reminded: "The situation you reported has been confirmed by the school. Lai Yide is indeed a standout on the school shooting team."

"The good news isn't very good, and the bad news is really bad!"

Li Xuewu leaned on the door, let the other party go first, and then asked: "What do you mean by calling me out?"

"Director Gao is already at the scene. He ordered me to coordinate the support of the Third Guard Regiment, so you have to go to the scene to coordinate and command."

Zheng Fuhua waved to the driver in the parking lot to bring the car over, and said: "I specifically named the special service team you told me about."

"How about it? Show yourself!"

"Show what? A fool?"

Li Xuewu looked at the jeep that had driven over, as well as his own command car with its lights on, with a bitter smile.

"Director Zheng, we agreed that I'm responsible for interrogation. Isn't Yu Daru responsible for field operations?"

"Don't be polite at a time like this."

Zheng Fuhua didn't take his bait. When the car arrived, he personally opened the car door for Li Xuewu, signaled to the command car, and said to Li Xuewu: "Let your car follow behind. Once this is over, you can go back to sleep."

"Do you think I'll believe that?"

Li Xuewu signaled to Han Jiankun helplessly, then held the car door and invited Zheng Fuhua to get in first.

The two sat in the back seat. As the car started, Zheng Fuhua began to brief Li Xuewu on the actual situation.

Investigators had been following Lai Shanchuan. From the moment he walked out of the branch bureau building with his luggage and got into his jeep, they had followed him.

After Discipline Inspection pried Lai Yide's problem out of Du Xiaoyan's mouth, the investigators had been looking for the kid.

They had searched Lai's house, the school, and places the other party often visited.

As a result, Lai Shanchuan's actions were strange, and Lai Yide had also disappeared.

Lai Shanchuan took his jeep back home first. The investigators monitored the phone and didn't find any calls, and then staked out for nearly an hour and a half.

They waited until the driver left alone, arranged for someone to follow the driver, and waited for Lai Shanchuan to appear.

And after it was completely dark, there was still no movement. If the lights hadn't been on in the room and the investigators hadn't determined that people were talking inside, they would have broken in.

They were afraid that Lai Shanchuan would take extreme measures or make a bigger reaction.

News from the rear was that high-concentration potassium cyanide had been found in Lai Shanchuan's office.

The office secretary said that when washing the leader's teacup, they found white powder that hadn't completely dissolved. They didn't know what it was at the time, but it had a slightly bitter taste.

The instruction given by the leaders above was to monitor who he had been in contact with to the greatest extent while ensuring Lai Shanchuan's safety.

This case had already involved too many people. The leaders above weren't afraid of the hole getting bigger; they just needed someone tall to stand up and take the hit.

Pre-arrest judgment and post-arrest interrogation were two completely different levels of difficulty. The best result was, of course, to determine more people before the arrest.

And Lai Shanchuan had already sensed that something was wrong, and he didn't leave them a chance, nor did he leave one for himself. ===== CHAPTER 958 =====