69novels Chapter 46 On the Chessboard, the Player
Chapter 46 On the Chessboard, the Player
The night was as thick as ink, completely enveloping Jingzhou City.
The neon lights outside the window flashed, forming a flowing river of light, but they couldn't penetrate this office on the top floor of the Municipal Public Security Bureau.
The main lights weren't on inside; only a table lamp was lit. In the dim yellow light, the ashtray was half-filled with cigarette butts.
Qi Tongwei leaned back in the leather chair, his fingertips rhythmically tapping the armrest.
"Da, da, da."
The sound wasn't loud, but in the deathly silent room, it sounded like some kind of countdown.
On the large monitoring screen in front of them, the red signal dot that had been firmly focused on Ding Yizhen suddenly flickered twice and went out.
Disappeared completely.
This scene was exactly the same as the night in his past life that had filled him with despair.
The slightly trembling voice of the technical investigation team leader came through the walkie-talkie, accompanied by the noise of wind and static:
"Report to Director Qi! The target signal... has been lost."
"The other party used military-grade high-powered signal jamming equipment right at the Jingzhou Port cargo terminal."
"When our people rushed over, all that was left at the scene was a cell phone that was still warm. The person... must have taken the water route."
The squad leader's voice betrayed a sense of dejection, as if he were expecting a scolding. Letting someone escape from a tightly controlled operation was a serious dereliction of duty.
Qi Tongwei remained silent.
He didn't even frown; he simply reached out, picked up the slightly cool teacup, and took a sip.
The bitter tea slid down his throat, making his eyes even clearer.
This feeling is wonderful.
At this time in his past life, he was like a headless fly, angry and terrified, feeling like a discarded pawn.
And now?
He was that mischievous boy who sat on a cloud, watching ants move their nest.
"Let's call it a day."
Qi Tongwei's voice was eerily calm, devoid of any emotional fluctuation. "Scan through all the evidence at the scene. File what needs to be filed, and write reports as required. Don't make too much noise, lest you alert the other 'ghosts'."
There was a visibly surprised moment on the other end of the walkie-talkie, followed by a relieved "Yes."
After putting down the walkie-talkie, Qi Tongwei got up and walked to the French windows.
His cold, stern face was reflected in the glass, a faint hint of mockery playing at the corners of his mouth.
Good thing they ran away.
If Ding Yizhen, this slippery loach, doesn't burrow into the sea, how can those crocodiles hiding in the deep waters feel safe?
They won't relax their guard if they don't feel safe; and if they don't relax, they won't show their fangs.
More importantly, Ding Yizhen's escape was like handing Hou Liangping a knife.
A powerful tool called "Transnational Fugitive Pursuit," which can disregard local rules in Handong.
"Hou Liangping, oh Hou Liangping..."
Qi Tongwei looked out the window in a certain direction, towards the location of the Provincial Procuratorate's guesthouse.
"I've set up the stage for you. You'd better give this 'Upright Magistrate' play a good sing-along."
What's this called?
This is called using someone else's strength against them; it's turning "procedural justice" into a sledgehammer in your own hands.
"Bang!"
The office door was suddenly pushed open.
Chen Hai burst in, his usually impeccable uniform collar askew, sweating profusely, and looking utterly annoyed.
"Tongwei! I'm so sorry!"
Chen Hai was about to say something as soon as he entered the room, but the smell of smoke made him cough twice. "I really didn't expect these bastards to be so cunning! Playing the trick of slipping away right under our noses! I'm taking men to chase after them right now, even if we have to catch them in international waters, I'll get them..."
"sit."
Qi Tongwei turned around, pointed to the sofa, and spoke in a casual tone, as if inviting an old friend to have some tea.
Chen Hai froze, his initial momentum instantly deflated by that single word. He looked at Qi Tongwei, somewhat bewildered: "No... Tongwei, he's run away! The deputy mayor has run away! If this bomb explodes, our municipal bureau will be the first to be hit..."
"If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up."
Qi Tongwei walked over, personally poured Chen Hai a glass of water, and handed it to him, saying, "You, Chen Hai, are just a criminal investigation team leader. This is not your place to take the blame."
"But……"
"No buts."
Qi Tongwei interrupted him, his gaze deep and unfathomable as he looked directly into Chen Hai's eyes. "Hai Zi, remember this."
"Catching fish is all about patience."
"Sometimes, in order to catch that man-eating shark, you have to deliberately let a few small shrimp slip by, so that they can go and stir up trouble."
Chen Hai held the paper cup, feeling the warmth in his palm, his mind a little foggy. He felt there was more to the conversation than met the eye, just like how Qi Tongwei had changed completely after returning from the Southwest.
The former Qi Tongwei was a sharp sword, its edge fully exposed; his ruthlessness was palpable.
Qi Tongwei now is like a deep sea, calm on the surface but full of undercurrents underneath.
"Is the network still in our hands?" Chen Hai asked tentatively.
Qi Tongwei patted his shoulder, his fingertips steady and firm: "I can stop whenever I want. Go back to sleep, tomorrow... is when the real show begins."
After seeing Chen Hai off, who kept turning back to look at him, the office fell silent once again.
Qi Tongwei locked the door from the inside.
He walked to his desk, pulled open the bottom drawer, and entered the password.
"Click".
The safe popped open.
He took out each item slowly and methodically, like a miser counting his possessions.
A black-covered ledger, Cai Chenggong's talisman earned with his life, records every shady bridge loan made by Dafeng Factory.
A black voice recorder, containing Gao Xiaoqin's seductive voice and Zhao Ruilong's arrogant laughter, is irrefutable evidence of the crimes committed by the Shanshui Group.
There was also a crumpled confession, leaked by the drug dealer he had sent to prison, containing a list of people the "Han University Gang" had infiltrated within the police force.
Any one of these three things, if thrown out, could cause a magnitude 10 earthquake in the officialdom of Handong.
What if all three are used at once?
That was a nuclear explosion.
Qi Tongwei's fingers gently traced the black ledger, his fingertips feeling the rough texture.
The system interface flickered slightly in his field of vision, and the "Dignity Value" column jumped up strangely because of Ding Yizhen's escape.
[Host actively guiding the plot has been detected. Control rating: S.]
"No rush."
Qi Tongwei chuckled and locked away the evidence that was enough to get Gao Yuliang kicked out of the provincial party committee compound.
Throwing it out now would mean mutual destruction.
He wants to outmaneuver fate, not become a suicide bomber.
He is waiting.
Wait for Hou Liangping to muddy the waters, wait for Sha Ruijin to start the fire, and wait for that idiot Zhao Ruilong to launch a frantic counterattack out of fear.
The best time for the hunter to pull the trigger is when everyone is in a panic and trampling on each other.
After doing all this, Qi Tongwei took out a small jade pendant from his inner pocket.
The bamboo leaves are shaped like bamboo leaves, smooth and delicate, and feel warm to the touch.
That was given to him by Ye Cunxin.
The Ye family of Beijing is the ultimate goal that many people can't reach even after several lifetimes. It's also the most unreasonable "cheat code" in Qi Tongwei's game.
In this officialdom that values background and lineage, this jade pendant is his "get-out-of-jail-free card" and also his "lower-dimensional attack".
Qi Tongwei stroked the micro-carved character "Ye" on the jade pendant, his eyes becoming both exceptionally gentle and exceptionally cold.
This is a very contradictory emotion.
The gentleness stemmed from the girl, while the coldness arose from what was about to happen.
He took out the encrypted phone and skillfully dialed a number that had no name on it.
Editor's Brief.
Fingertips danced rapidly across the screen, each word like a meticulously crafted bullet:
The fish has entered the sea, its destination America. It departs by sea.
There was no salutation, no signature.
But he knew that within five minutes, this message would appear on the desk of that heavily guarded courtyard house in Beijing, where the old man's every move would cause the military to tremble.
Ding Yizhen thought that escaping from Handong meant escaping death?
Naive.
He escaped the law in Handong and Hou Liangping's pursuit, but could he escape the Ye family's global intelligence network?
This is called a dimensional reduction attack.
Seeing the message "Sent successfully" on the screen, Qi Tongwei threw his phone on the table, leaned back, and let out a long sigh.
The game is over.
It's time for things to change in Handong.
……
The next morning.
A bombshell exploded in the compound of the Hantong Provincial Party Committee.
Ding Yizhen, the vice mayor of Jingzhou City, is suspected of accepting huge bribes and has fled the country!
The news caused an uproar throughout the province.
When Provincial Party Secretary Sha Ruijin slammed his fist on the table during the Standing Committee meeting, the sound was so loud that even the cleaning lady in the corridor was startled.
"A disgrace! This is the greatest disgrace Handong has suffered since the reform and opening up!"
Sha Ruijin's face was ashen, the sound of his knuckles tapping the table like war drums. "This must be thoroughly investigated! No matter who is involved, no matter who is behind them, there will be no leniency!"
That afternoon, the "116" joint task force was quickly established.
And the most crucial position—the head of the special task force—unsurprisingly fell to Hou Liangping.
The director of the investigation department of the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, armed with imperial authority, is ordered to investigate cases.
Hou Liangping stood on the steps of the provincial procuratorate, holding the official document. The wind ruffled his clothes, giving him a sense of tragic heroism, as if he were "appointed to a position amidst defeat."
But he felt no sense of tragedy, only an inexplicable and inexplicable rage.
Ding Yizhen ran away at the perfect time.
It was so coincidental, it was as if someone had a script and a stopwatch in hand, making him run.
Without a second thought, Hou Liangping jumped into the repaired Passat, floored the gas pedal, and drove straight to the Municipal Public Security Bureau.
He was going to see someone.
An old classmate who has been bothering him for the past few days, yet he can't find any fault with him.
Half an hour later.
Office of the Director of the Municipal Public Security Bureau.
Qi Tongwei was reviewing documents when he heard the door being pushed open, but he didn't even look up.
"You're here?"
The tone was so familiar, as if tea had been prepared long ago, just waiting for the guest to arrive.
Hou Liangping strode to his desk, placed his hands on the surface, and stared down at Qi Tongwei with a sharp, piercing gaze.
"Qi Tongwei, did you already know?"
Qi Tongwei paused slightly with his pen, then finally looked up.
Eyes facing each other.
One is as impatient as fire, the other as calm as water.
Qi Tongwei put down his pen, leaned back, and looked at his old classmate with a half-smile, his face clearly showing his dissatisfaction.
"Know what?"
Qi Tongwei asked knowingly, even with a hint of mockery, "You know you're getting promoted? Congratulations, Team Leader Hou."
"Don't play dumb with me!"
Hou Liangping lowered his voice, gritting his teeth, "Ding Yizhen ran away, and the special task force immediately followed. The timing is more precise than a Hollywood blockbuster! If you weren't involved, I'll eat this table!"
Qi Tongwei chuckled softly.
He stood up, walked around the desk, and stood in front of Hou Liangping, the two of them no more than half a meter apart.
This close eye contact is extremely oppressive.
"Ryoping."
Qi Tongwei reached out and gently straightened Hou Liangping's slightly crooked tie, a movement that made Hou Liangping tense up.
"Sometimes, being too smart isn't a good thing."
Qi Tongwei leaned close to his ear, his voice low and carrying a chilling undertone that only the two of them could understand:
"Now that the stage is set, you should focus on performing well."
"Don't keep staring at the people setting up the stage."
"I easily forget my lines."