northernbook Chapter 141 The Provincial Department's Fire Spreads to the Agricultural Compound
Chapter 141 The Provincial Department's Fire Spreads to the Agricultural Compound
The black Audi A6, like a silent beast, glided into the evening rush hour traffic in Beijing.
The lights inside the carriage were not on.
The back seat felt somewhat cramped, and the air was filled with an indescribable scent. It was Chanel No. 5 perfume, a blend of masculine hormones and the aroma of heather.
"Where to?"
Zhao Donglai sat in the passenger seat, his eyes fixed on the windshield, trying his best to block out the rustling of clothes coming from the back seat.
Qi Tongwei leaned back in his leather seat, a smoldering cigarette between his fingers, his voice as calm as still water.
"Provincial Department of Agriculture"
"Go find Director Liu and have a cup of tea."
The leather seats in the back row made a slight creaking sound.
Ye Cunxin slumped against Qi Tongwei like a well-fed cat, her body limp and weak.
Her black, bodycon mini dress was torn and misshapen, the neckline tilted to one side, revealing a large expanse of smooth, fair skin with several faint red finger marks on it—the traces of their earlier passionate encounter on the desk.
She stretched out one hand and slowly adjusted the black stockings on her legs.
The originally extremely thin black stockings now had a tear at the base of the left thigh. Fair, pink flesh peeked out from the tear, creating a striking visual contrast with the edge of the black stockings.
"Tongwei, you were too rude just now."
Ye Cunxin's eyes were alluring, and her voice was so soft and sweet it seemed to drip with moisture. Instead of trying to cover up the bruise, she deliberately raised her leg and placed her jade-like foot, clad in a red-soled high heel, on Qi Tongwei's knee.
Her toes gently brushed against his trouser leg.
"These stockings are a new Balenciaga design; they're very hard to find."
Qi Tongwei reached out and grabbed her slender ankle. The scalding heat of his palm seeped through the thin stockings, causing Ye Cunxin to tremble slightly and let out a sweet moan.
"If it breaks, just buy a new one."
Qi Tongwei pinched her calf lightly, but his eyes were fixed on the street scene flashing past the window. "If we catch this net well tonight, we can buy Balenciaga stockings, let alone stockings."
Ye Cunxin giggled, her ample breasts heaving violently with each laugh, as if they might burst free from the neckline at any moment. She leaned in and bit his cold, handsome profile.
"I love the way you look when you're ransacking the place."
"That's awesome!"
The convoy drove through the congested overpass and headed straight for the compound of the Provincial Department of Agriculture.
It was already 7 p.m.
The lights were still on in the Agriculture Department's office building. For this usually quiet government office, tonight's overtime work seemed particularly unusual.
Since the cover-up in Yantai City was lifted, the entire officialdom of Handong has been like a frightened bird.
Destroy accounts, transfer assets, book airline tickets.
This is a race against time.
"Splash—"
Instead of slowing down, the police cars accelerated and crashed through the barrier gate.
The old man in the security booth was so frightened that he dropped his teacup. Just as he was about to press the alarm, two special police officers rushed down and pinned him against the wall.
"Police investigation! Everyone cover your heads!"
Zhao Donglai was the first to jump out of the car, immediately loading his submachine gun.
Immediately afterwards, dozens of fully armed special police officers stormed into the building like wolves, their dark gun barrels blocking all exits.
Qi Tongwei got out of the car.
He straightened the slightly wrinkled collar of his police uniform, put on his sunglasses, and strode into the hall.
Ye Cunxin followed closely behind. She didn't care at all about her slightly disheveled skirt and torn stockings, instead using this decadent sexiness as a weapon.
She wore high heels, and her long, beautiful legs, encased in black stockings, strode with an extremely arrogant gait, each step making a crisp "clack-clack" sound on the marble floor.
"Who goes there! Do you know where you are?"
Hearing the commotion, the director of the General Office ran out and was about to scold Zhao Donglai when Qi Tongwei slapped him so hard he spun around three times.
"Snapped!"
The crisp sound of a slap echoed through the hall.
Qi Tongwei didn't even glance at the fat man covering his face, and walked straight to the elevator.
"When I arrest people in Handong, I never need to know what kind of place it is."
The elevator is going up.
Ninth floor, the director's office.
Liu Sheng was squatting in front of the safe, his brow beaded with sweat.
The paper shredder in the room had been running at full capacity for an hour, emitting a burnt smell. Scattered fragments of documents were everywhere on the floor.
"Faster...faster..."
Liu's hands trembled slightly as he stuffed stacks of US dollars and gold bars into his travel bag.
He was Zhao Lichun's old secretary, and he knew all too well the trajectory of this political storm. The moment the explosion occurred in Yantai, he knew the fire would eventually reach him. But he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.
As is customary, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee will hold a meeting to discuss the matter, and the Discipline Inspection Commission will follow the established procedures.
There should be at least a three-day buffer period.
Three days is enough for him to fly to Vancouver and sunbathe on the beach.
"bite--"
The elevator arrival announcement sounded particularly jarring in the quiet corridor.
Liu's hand trembled, and a gold bar fell to the ground with a dull thud.
He turned around abruptly and looked at the thick mahogany door.
"Bang!"
There was absolutely no nonsense.
The door was kicked open from the outside. The sturdy lock snapped at the joint, sending splinters flying.
Startled, Liu fell to the ground with a thud, scattering the US dollars from his travel bag all over the floor, a vibrant green that covered half the room.
Qi Tongwei stepped across the threshold, his leather boot landing on a hundred-dollar bill.
He took off his sunglasses, his hawk-like eyes fixed on Liu Sheng, who was lying on the ground, and a cruel smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
"Director Liu, where are you planning to travel to?"
"Aren't you worried about exceeding the weight limit at security with so many local specialties?"
Liu Sheng's face turned deathly pale, his lips trembling as he stammered, "Qi...Qi Tongwei? What are you doing! I'm a provincial-level cadre, you don't have the proper paperwork..."
"formalities?"
Qi Tongwei sneered, took out a piece of paper from his pocket, and slowly unfolded it in front of Liu Sheng.
That was an arrest warrant.
In the signature column, the three characters "Sha Ruijin" were written in a bold, flowing style, the ink still wet.
"You used to follow the rules because they were in your favor."
"Now I want to change the rules."
Qi Tongwei bent down, picked up the gold bar from the ground, and weighed it in his hand. It was heavy, pure gold, and engraved with the four characters "招财进宝" (meaning "bringing in wealth and treasures").
"How many lives could this piece of gold buy?"
Liu Sheng collapsed completely. He knew it was over. Sha Ruijin's signature meant that Zhao Lichun could no longer protect him, or rather, had already given up on him.
Ye Cunxin then slowly walked in.
She leaned against the door frame, holding a freshly lit cigarette in her hand.
Her long legs, encased in black stockings, were crossed, and the fair skin peeking through the slit in her skirt looked particularly dazzling and alluring against the backdrop of the scattered US dollars.
"Is this the 'God of Wealth' of Handong?"
Ye Cunxin exhaled a smoke ring, her eyes full of disdain. "What terrible taste. So much money, just piled up on the ground like this, like a nouveau riche."
She walked up to Liu Sheng in her high heels, the tips of her shoes lifting his chin.
"Director Liu, I overheard someone downstairs saying you've hidden some good stuff in your office. It's not just this little bit of cash, is it?"
Liu Sheng's eyes darted away: "No...nothing, it's all here."
"Dishonest."
Ye Cunxin chuckled lightly, then suddenly lifted her leg and stomped hard on Liu Sheng's hand with the back of her slender high heel.
"ah--!"
Liu let out a bloodcurdling scream like a pig being slaughtered.
Ye Cunxin seemed not to hear, and continued to grind her feet down. The sharp heels pierced her skin, causing excruciating pain.
I don't like hearing lies.
Ye Cunxin bent over, her neckline wide open, revealing her unfathomable cleavage right in front of Liu Sheng's eyes, but he had no time to appreciate it, only feeling a cold sweat running down his back.
"Since you're in charge of agriculture, let's talk about tea."
Ye Cunxin straightened up and glanced at the mahogany bookcase that covered an entire wall in the office.
The bookshelf was filled with various exquisite tea gift boxes: Da Hong Pao, Pu'er, and Longjing, all with extremely luxurious packaging.
"Director Qi, don't you think these tea canisters are arranged too neatly?"
Upon hearing this, Qi Tongwei turned to look at the wall.
【Eagle Eye Vision - Activated】
Under the gaze of those pale golden eyes, the ordinary bookshelf instantly became transparent.
Those exquisite tea canisters didn't contain tea leaves at all.
It is a high-density metal.
And the wall behind the bookshelf has a strange hollow structure.
"Smash it."
Qi Tongwei only said one word.
Zhao Donglai waved his hand, and two special police officers rushed forward with demolition hammers.
"Bang! Bang!"
The mahogany bookcase was smashed to pieces. Tea canisters were scattered all over the floor, their lids broken open.
No tea leaves floated out.
What rolled out were thumb-sized diamonds and high-purity gold polished into round beads.
Under the lights, the entire office instantly became radiant and dazzling.
Liu Sheng's face was ashen, and he looked as if his spine had been removed, collapsing into a lump of mud.
"continue."
Qi Tongwei pointed to the wall behind the bookshelf.
The special police officer swung a sledgehammer and smashed it hard against the wall.
"boom!"
The plaster has peeled off, revealing the underlying layers.
The moment the wall completely collapsed, everyone present gasped in shock.
That's not a wall.
Those were "bricks" made of bundles of pink hundred-dollar bills.
The entire wall is five meters wide and three meters high.
It's all money.
The visual impact of this is ten thousand times stronger than the US dollars on the ground just now.
This isn't an office, it's a gold mine!
"Tsk tsk tsk."
Ye Cunxin walked over, reached into the wall and pulled out a wad of money, then smelled it.
"They're all brand new banknotes; the ink smell hasn't even dissipated yet."
She turned around, leaning against the "wall of money," her hands supporting her weight, her chest rising in a proud arc. Her black-stockinged legs were slightly bent, and her skirt slid up, revealing even more alluring scenery.
This scene was both extremely absurd and extremely erotic.
Money, power, sex, desire.
At this moment, they intertwined to form a highly ironic picture.
"Director Liu, your hobby is quite unique."
Qi Tongwei walked to the wall and casually patted the banknotes, as if he were patting a solid brick.
"Using poverty alleviation funds to build a wall for myself."
"Aren't you afraid that the wronged souls of those who froze or starved to death will come after you and claim your life if you sleep here at night?"
At this point, Liu Sheng's psychological defenses had completely collapsed. He crawled over, trembling, and hugged Qi Tongwei's leg.
"Director Qi...Master Qi! Spare me!"
"This money doesn't belong to me alone! I'm just a custodian! I'm just someone who handles it!"
"There are people up there... there are people up there!"
Qi Tongwei kicked him away and disgustedly patted his trouser leg.
"Of course I know I have connections in higher places."
"Gao Yuliang is in jail, Zhao Ruilong is crippled, and Gao Xiaofeng has also been arrested."
Qi Tongwei squatted down, grabbed Liu Sheng by the collar, and lifted him up, his eyes as cold as ice.
"Now, it's your turn."
"As for the rest of you..."
Qi Tongwei leaned close to Liu Sheng's ear, his voice low and menacing, like the whisper of a demon.
"Don't worry, I'll take your account book and send them down one by one to keep you company."
"take away!"
Two special police officers rushed up and dragged Liu Sheng away like a dead dog.
Liu Sheng was still struggling desperately, shouting incoherently, "I want to report this! I want to do good deeds! Part of this money is going to the capital..."
"Shut up!"
Zhao Donglai took off his socks and stuffed them into Liu Sheng's mouth.
The world is peaceful now.
Only Qi Tongwei and Ye Cunxin remained in the office, along with the wall of embezzled money.
Looking at the money, Ye Cunxin suddenly felt a little bored. She walked to Qi Tongwei's side, pressed her soft body against him, and wrapped her arms around his lean waist.
"What should we do with so much money?"
Her cheek was pressed against Qi Tongwei's chest, her breathing slightly rapid. The thrill of controlling someone's life and death had stirred something within her again.
"Confiscated."
Qi Tongwei answered very decisively.
"Boring."
Ye Cunxin muttered something, her fingers restlessly sliding down the buttons of his police uniform, her fingertips circling over the hard belt buckle.
"The thing we didn't finish in the car earlier..."
She raised her head, her large, watery eyes filled with longing, her red lips slightly parted, revealing a hint of her pink tongue.
"There's no one here now."
Qi Tongwei looked down at the enchanting woman in his arms.
That wall of banknotes became the most expensive backdrop.
He smiled slightly, grabbed the back of her head with his large hand, and leaned down to kiss her.
Domineering, ruthless, and plundering with a bloody stench.
Ye Cunxin responded passionately, gripping his back tightly with both hands, her nails almost digging into his flesh through his police uniform.
"Director Qi!"
Just then, Zhao Donglai came running back, panting, holding a black notebook in his hand.
"Major discovery! There's a hidden compartment in this wall, and inside it lies..."
Zhao Donglai rushed in and slammed on the brakes.
The scene before him made him wish he could gouge out his own eyes.
Qi Tongwei released Ye Cunxin, whose face was flushed and eyes were glazed, calmly helped her adjust her slipped bra strap, then turned around without any embarrassment on his face.
"What's hidden?"
Zhao Donglai swallowed hard and quickly handed over the notebook, not daring to look at Ye Cunxin, even though the torn black stockings were exuding a deadly allure.
"This...this is a list."
"It involves 13 cities and prefectures across the province, and 128 cadres at or above the division level."
"and……"
Zhao Donglai lowered his voice and pointed to the name circled in red on the last page of the list.
"Half of this money ultimately went to this person."
Qi Tongwei took the notebook and his gaze fell on that name.
His pupils contracted sharply.
It was a name he knew intimately in both his past and present lives, yet he never imagined it would appear here.
No wonder Zhao Lichun has been running his business in Handong for so many years.
No wonder Liu dared to build money into the wall.
It turned out that the line was longer and deeper than he had imagined.
"That's interesting."
Qi Tongwei closed his notebook, a bloodthirsty glint flashing in his eyes.
"It seems that the situation in Handong is not just about to change."
"It's going to collapse."