Chapter 128: Conspiracy
Lin Xingchen slammed the phone down!
He was so angry he could have spat blood!
Lin Ruoxi hung up and looked at Cheng Yuan with a wide grin. "Cheng Yuan, that was a wickedly brilliant idea. My uncle won’t be bothering us for a while. We can use this chance to grow and expand!"
Cheng Yuan’s tone was serious. "Honey, always being on the defensive isn’t a good idea. I think we should go on the offensive and disrupt the Huanyu Group’s tempo."
Lin Ruoxi frowned deeply. She was, after all, of the Lin Family’s bloodline. She really didn’t want to make a complete break with them.
"Cheng Yuan, I know what you mean, but I am part of the Lin Family. I don’t want to completely cut ties with them."
"Alright. If you change your mind, just let me know. I’ll support you with everything I have."
Lin Ruoxi nodded emphatically. "Thank you!"
==========
Meanwhile.
At the Patrol Office, inside the Squad One office.
Wu Mengyao’s expression was grim.
The press conference had just ended when Director Dai handed the trafficking suspect over to Pan Guang!
’Isn’t this just blatant credit-stealing?’
Suddenly, a Squad One officer burst into the office. "Captain Wu! This is bad! The suspect just injured one of our colleagues and escaped!"
A buzzing roar filled Wu Mengyao’s head.
She snapped.
"This is no time for jokes! We’re the Luocheng Patrol Headquarters! How could a suspect possibly escape?!"
Furious, Wu Mengyao stormed out of her office and rushed toward the holding cells. The area was in chaos.
Wu Mengyao grabbed the nearest colleague and demanded, "Did the suspect really escape?"
"Yes, he’s gone."
Wu Mengyao ground her teeth so hard they could have shattered. ’That Pan Guang! All he knows is how to steal credit; he’s completely incompetent when it comes to actual work!’
Wu Mengyao stormed over to the Squad Two office and shoved the door open!
To Wu Mengyao’s mounting fury, Pan Guang showed no sign of remorse for his mistake. He was sitting leisurely at his desk, sipping tea.
"Pan Guang! How can you just sit there? I worked my ass off to catch that suspect, and you just let him escape? What the hell are you paid to do?!"
Pan Guang put on a surprised expression. "The suspect escaped? When did that happen? Why wasn’t I informed?"
Wu Mengyao was livid. "As the lead officer in charge, you didn’t know the suspect escaped? This is gross negligence of duty!"
Pan Guang wasn’t flustered in the slightest. He took a small sip of tea. "Captain Wu, you’ve lost me. As everyone knows, you’re the one who caught the suspect, which makes you the officer in charge. A suspect escaped, and instead of hurrying to track him down, you’re here shouting at me? Why?"
Wu Mengyao’s heart sank.
’Pan Guang is telling a bald-faced lie. There’s definitely a conspiracy here!’
"Pan Guang, is that the tone you’re going to take with me? Do you think you can just weasel your way out of this with absurd arguments?"
Pan Guang shrugged. "I’m sorry, Captain Wu, but the appointment for Deputy Director hasn’t come through yet. Right now, we’re peers. This has nothing to do with me! You’re the one being unreasonable! You can’t pin this on me!"
"You!"
As they argued, Wu Mengyao’s cell phone rang.
Wu Mengyao took out her phone. It was Director Dai. Her expression straightened as she answered, "Director, I..."
Before Wu Mengyao could finish, Dai Zhen cut her off rudely. "Wu Mengyao! Are you even capable of doing your job? You lost the suspect we just managed to catch? I’m giving you 24 hours to bring him back! If you don’t, I’ll have your badge!"
In that instant, Wu Mengyao understood why Pan Guang was so brazen.
She had been set up!
Wu Mengyao struggled to control her emotions. "Director, are you mistaken? You already handed the suspect over to Pan Guang. If the suspect is gone, it’s Pan Guang’s responsibility."
"Wu Mengyao! I’m truly disappointed in you! I never thought you’d not only be careless with your work, but also try to shift the blame! The higher-ups are furious! Remember, you have only 24 hours!"
With that, Dai Zhen hung up.
This was the first time Wu Mengyao had ever been wronged like this. She trembled with rage.
Pan Guang watched Wu Mengyao with a mocking gaze. ’This chick doesn’t know her place. A day like this was bound to come.’
"Captain Wu, what are you standing around for? Aren’t you going to hurry up and catch the suspect? You’ve only got 24 hours."
Wu Mengyao stared coldly at Pan Guang. "Don’t you worry, Pan Guang. I will bring that suspect back, and I will clear my name!"
=====
After hanging up on Wu Mengyao, Dai Zhen dialed another number.
"It’s done. There’s just a small complication with Wu Mengyao. We can’t have any slip-ups with the suspect."
"She’s just a lowly Patrol Captain; she can’t make any waves. Suspect? What suspect? Was there ever a suspect?"
"You’re right. No suspect. There never was any suspect."
=====
「At a high-end private club.」
Zhu Wenhu, fresh from his escape from the holding cells, was led into a VIP room.
Two men were seated in the VIP room.
One was Teng Qingshan, the City Lord of Luocheng. The other was a middle-aged man with several scars on his face, none other than Bai Jiangbo, known in the Jianghu as the Scar-faced Fiend.
Bai Jiangbo rose and slowly approached Zhu Wenhu, looking down at him coldly. "Xiaozhu, you’re not very reliable, are you? You lost my merchandise. How are you going to compensate me for this loss?"
Terrified, Zhu Wenhu’s legs gave out. With a THUD, he fell to his knees and began kowtowing repeatedly.
"Master Bai, spare me! I didn’t know that bloodhound’s nose was so sharp, that he’d actually find the Hope Welfare Institute! I’ll get you another batch of merchandise!"
BAM!
Bai Jiangbo kicked Zhu Wenhu to the ground. "Things are so hot right now, where are you going to find more merchandise? Most importantly, one of them had panda blood! The higher-ups are waiting for that one! I’ve been cultivating that asset for seven damn years, and you lost it?!"
"I..."
"Do you have any idea how precious panda blood is? Selling you a hundred times over wouldn’t be enough to cover it! You goddamn useless piece of trash!"
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
Bai Jiangbo kicked him repeatedly!
Zhu Wenhu was covered in bruises from the beating, but he didn’t dare fight back, only able to beg for mercy.
"Master Bai, there’s a way! I have a way! Please, spare my life!"
"What way? If you dare feed me some bullshit to get out of this, I’ll make you regret ever being born!"
Zhu Wenhu waved his hands frantically. "I wouldn’t dare! How could I dare to lie to you, Master Bai? Don’t you have connections in high places? You could arrange a city-wide health screening in Luocheng. That way, you’re bound to find someone with panda blood!"
Bai Jiangbo’s eyes lit up. He hadn’t expected this piece of trash to have a brain.
Bai Jiangbo turned to Teng Qingshan, his tone fawning. "Sir, do you think this plan is feasible?"
Teng Qingshan said nothing, merely glancing at his secretary.
Secretary Wang Bo instantly understood his superior’s intent. He took out his phone and dialed the number for Shi An, the Director of the Education Bureau.
The call connected instantly, and an obsequious voice came through the line. "Secretary Wang, what can I do for you?"
Wang Bo said smoothly, "Director Shi, the leadership is concerned about the children’s health and has decided to conduct a city-wide medical screening."
"Yes, sir! I’ll see it done without fail!"