"Bang!"
Just as Lao Fan was about to open the door, it was kicked open from the outside, and a registered police officer rushed in, saying, "Chief Jiang, Chief Fan, the... the chief is here..."
Director Jiang paused for a moment, then asked, "Director? Which director?"
"Our...our Director Lu from the bureau..."
The young police officer had only met the bureau chief once before, at the bureau's welcome party when he first started working. He was now flushed with excitement, never expecting the bureau chief to come to their small station to inspect their work.
"Old Fan, hurry up and get someone to take Yan into custody, then go to the hospital yourself. Be quick, or I won't be able to help you with this..."
Director Jiang had just received Secretary Xie's call when the bureau chief arrived at the station. There must have been a connection between them. Although he didn't bear much responsibility for the matter, fine beads of sweat appeared on Director Jiang's forehead.
"Ah? Oh, oh, I'll go right away, I'll go right away..."
When Lao Fan heard that the bureau chief had arrived, he was stunned. Jiang, the police chief, nudged him before he came to his senses. He couldn't understand who these young people were. How had they managed to get the secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission and the bureau chief to come out?
The police station's courtyard wasn't large, and with Zhuang Rui's Hummer and BMW parked there, there was basically no extra space. There were also three cars parked in front of the police station.
Two cars were parked together: a police car and a BMW driven by a woman. A policeman in his fifties and a woman in her forties were standing next to the car. On the other side of the police station, a Mercedes-Benz with a Zhonghai license plate was parked. Lan Haibei got out of the car.
"Uncle, you're here. I can handle things here. I told you not to come..."
Yan Kai, who was waiting at the police station entrance, went up to Lan Haibei when he saw her. He thought to himself that he was bound to get a scolding again. He had made up his mind that he would quit working in Zhonghai after returning home. Wasn't real estate all the rage these days? Young Master Yan was also preparing to try his luck in the business world.
"Director Lu, welcome to our inspection..."
On the other side of the police station entrance, Chief Jiang and Lao Fan, along with several police officers, came to greet them. However, after Director Lu entered the courtyard, Lao Fan and two other people stayed behind.
Originally, Lao Fan wanted to call Director Liu to get some feedback, but now that the bureau chief has arrived, he naturally doesn't have that opportunity. Now he can only be forced into it and come along anyway.
Old Fan walked straight up to Yan Kai and said, "Yan Kai, I'm sorry, but after our investigation, we found that you filed a false police report..."
"What did you say? I filed a false police report? Old Fan, have you taken the wrong medicine?"
Yan Kai was stunned by Lao Fan's words. This guy had been calling him "Young Master Yan" and clinking glasses with him at the dinner table. How could he turn his back on him so quickly?
Face-changing is a national treasure of Sichuan! How could a lowly policeman in this place know it? Young Master Yan felt his brain was a bit overwhelmed. This was understandable, as Yan Kai didn't use his brain much usually and was prone to oxygen deprivation when nervous.
Since Lao Fan had decided to turn against him, he naturally wouldn't hold back. He said to the two men beside him, "Take him in, take his statement, and find out what his motive was for filing a false report."
Both of them were regular police officers and hadn't drunk any of Yan Kai's drinks that night. They immediately grabbed Yan Kai on either side and headed towards the station.
"Uncle, uncle, they've wronged me! I didn't file a false report! That person really did hit someone..."
Yan Kai then remembered Lan Haibei, and no wonder Lan Haibei had come to teach him a lesson; he loudly cried for help.
Yan Kai's pathetic appearance made President Lan sigh. The old man was a hero all his life, how could he have given birth to such a good-for-nothing?
"What's the panic? Just go in and say that. Remember, you didn't file a false report. I'll handle everything else..."
Lan Haibei said to Yan Kai, "In this situation, he can't just go up and snatch people away, that would only make things more chaotic."
“Secretary Li, I’m in Changhua right now. Xiao Kai is a bit immature and got into some trouble. It’s nothing serious. Young people are competitive, and he’s at the police station. Could you please put in a word and let my father take him back to discipline him?”
Lan Haibei shook her head, took out her phone from her bag, and dialed the number. Although the voice on the other end of the line was very enthusiastic, after hearing about the matter, it replied that it would look into the situation first and then call her back later.
Lan Haibei couldn't help but smile wryly. People these days are really pragmatic. This Secretary Li was transferred here from Zhonghai. He was promoted by the old man himself. Now, for such a small matter, he's acting all high and mighty.
Fortunately, Secretary Li remembered their past relationship and called back soon, telling Lan Haibei to go find Director Lu, who was at the office right now. He said it wasn't a big deal and could be handled as soon as possible. However, Secretary Li's words also implied that Lan should keep a close eye on the little guy.
Suppressing her frustration, Lan Haibei hung up the phone and went into the police station.
Today, in this small town on the border of Zhejiang, many things happened that are hard to understand, and even the people involved are confused.
Let's start with Director Lu. After receiving a call from Secretary Xie, he learned that the vice president of Qi's Group had come to Changhua to handle a small matter, so he rushed over to accompany him. Qi's Group is a leading local enterprise, and even a local like himself has to give it some face.
However, just as Miss Qi had exchanged a few words with the person she was looking for, Director Lu received another call. This call was also from a secretary, but the secretary was two ranks higher than Secretary Xie, and was actually the top official in the city. The matter he was inquiring about was also this case.
After clarifying the details of the incident, Secretary Li's words subtly shifted in favor of the other side, leaving Director Lu completely bewildered.
On one hand, there was his own boss, and on the other hand, there was his boss's boss, the one commonly known as the "big brother." Director Lu suddenly felt a bit frantic. He should have just let a deputy director handle this matter. Why did he have to get involved?
Without a doubt, Director Lu immediately called Secretary Xie again. When Secretary Xie heard that the squad leader had spoken, he had no choice but to tell Director Lu to do as that person said, but he had to save face for the Qi family and try to resolve the matter by turning it into a minor issue.
"Excuse me, is this Director Lu? My surname is Lan, and I'm from Zhonghai..."
As soon as he hung up the phone, Lan Haibei appeared in the courtyard. Director Lu knew that this must be the person Secretary Li had asked to receive.
"Xiao Jiang, tell me what happened..."
With both sides present, Director Lu couldn't easily state his position. He vaguely remembered that the police station seemed to favor Lan Haibei's people, which was why the other side had contacted Secretary Xie. That's why Director Lu had Chief Jiang speak first, to set the tone. "It's like this," he said, "the complainant previously reported that two of his friends had been injured. However, our investigation revealed that the complainant is suspected of filing a false report. We are currently handling this matter. Director Lu, we will definitely distinguish right from wrong and strictly deal with those involved in the false report..."
Director Jiang naturally didn't hear Director Lu's call, and he spoke as he had prepared beforehand. However, he didn't notice that Director Lu's face grew increasingly grim as he spoke.
"Hmm, Xiao Jiang, it's good that you've discovered the problem, but we can't just jump to conclusions that the person who filed the false report. I think there's definitely some misunderstanding involved. Why don't you call both parties out and let them reconcile..."
Director Lu didn't want to offend the Qi family, so he simply tried to smooth things over.
Director Jiang was completely confused by what he had just heard. Wasn't Director Lu supposed to be there to support the people who came in later? Why was he now talking about reconciliation?
Not to mention Jiang, even Director Lu himself couldn't figure out what was going on. It was like a game of chess, with the company commander controlling the platoon leader, and the battalion commander controlling the company commander. Although the rank was currently controlled at the municipal or provincial level, who knew what connections the other side might use to suppress it? The Qi family had a wide influence in the province, which was the main reason why Director Lu was trying to smooth things over.
Zhuang Rui and Peng Fei, who were drinking tea in the office, and Yan Kai, who was in the interrogation room, were all taken to a relatively spacious conference room at Director Lu's order.
Chapter 597 Background (Part 1)
"Mr. Lan, when did you expand your business to Changhua?"
After meeting Lan Haibei, Qi Zhu guessed a little about the reason for Director Lu's change in attitude. As business people, they first need to understand the political system of the place. Qi Zhu naturally knew a lot about the background of the current city leader.
However, Qi Zhu might not be afraid of Lan Haibei. This powerful dragon might not be able to suppress the local snake. In terms of economic strength alone, Qi's Group is stronger than Lan Haibei's company. Moreover, after so many years of integration, its influence in officialdom is not much weaker than that of the Yan family.
"Oh, it's Mr. Qi. What brings your friends here?"
Lan Haibei didn't recognize Qi Zhu when he was at the police station. Now that he saw this woman, he couldn't help but feel a headache. He knew the Qi family's influence in Zhejiang. Even if he brought up Secretary Li, it might not be effective. Of course, it also depended on how much effort the Qi family would put into this matter.
Qi Zhu sneered and said, "Uncle De is an old friend of my father's. He's so old; he can't withstand the torment your nephew is causing..."
Qi's Group and Blue Ocean Bay's company had no relationship to begin with, and were even competitors on some projects, so Qi Zhu didn't give President Lan any face and directly pointed out: This matter was caused by your nephew.
"Miss Qi, that's not quite right. How can you say that Xiao Kai is causing trouble? The situation isn't clear yet, don't jump to conclusions so quickly..."
Lan Haibei was already feeling quite aggrieved today, and now being provoked by a woman made him lose his temper. He had originally intended to settle things peacefully, but now he had the idea of challenging Qi Zhu. He, Lan Haibei, was not someone to be trifled with.
"Gentlemen, gentlemen, please don't get angry. Let's ask the parties involved what happened first. Maybe it's just a misunderstanding. Everyone, please don't worry, they'll be here soon..."
When Director Lu saw the two about to fight, he quickly stepped forward and started to intervene. Director Lan was a powerful figure who couldn't be offended, but Qi Zhu was also a formidable local tyrant and couldn't be provoked either. Despite being the head of a bureau, Director Lu was in a difficult position, caught between the two.
As they were talking, Yan Kai was brought in. With Director Lu present, no one used excessive force. Yan Kai simply couldn't accept the sudden change in the police's demeanor. Upon seeing Lan Haibei, he immediately shouted, "Uncle, they've wronged me! They were fine just now, and then they turned on me like that! Last night when we were drinking..."
"Cough...cough cough..."
As Yan Kai's words became increasingly absurd, Lan Haibei coughed a few times to interrupt him and said, "Xiao Kai, just tell me how the other party hit you..."
Lan Haibei is downplaying the seriousness of the matter and insisting on the fact that the other party assaulted her. In that case, it wouldn't be considered filing a false police report.
Just as Yan Kai was about to speak, Lao Fan pushed open the conference room door, excitedly waving the medical certificate in his hand and loudly proclaiming, "Director Lu, Chief Jiang, I'm back! This is the medical certificate from the town hospital. There were no injuries on those two people, which means that Yan Kai's accusation against Mr. Zhuang for intentional assault is unfounded..."
Behind Lao Fan were Yan Kai's two bodyguards, who immediately lowered their heads upon seeing Lan Haibei.
Distracted by Lao Fan, several people in the conference room immediately turned pale, especially Lan Haibei. She had no injuries at all, so how could she be accused of hurting anyone? Lao Fan's words were like a slap in the face to President Lan.
Director Lu was also embarrassed, inwardly cursing Old Fan for being so unreasonable. With this diagnosis certificate, the other party was even more convinced that Yan Kai had filed a false report, which put him in a difficult position.
"Tsk tsk, if it wasn't intentional assault, then someone filed a false police report?"
Qi Zhu's words left Lan Haibei speechless.
"President Qi, perhaps there was a conflict between them, or maybe there's some misunderstanding..."
Director Lu had no choice but to speak up. He wanted to smooth things over and get both sides off so that everything would be peaceful.
"Conflict? Yes, there was, but they attacked first, and we were just defending ourselves..."
A voice came from the conference room door. It was Zhuang Rui and Peng Fei, who had just been drinking tea and chatting in the office, who walked in, followed by Qin Xuanbing and others.
"Sister Qi Zhu, what brings you here?"
As soon as Zhuang Rui entered the conference room, he saw Qi Zhu and quickly went up to greet her, saying, "I'm so sorry to have troubled you with such a small matter. If you ever go to Beijing, please let me know..."
"It's alright, Uncle De and my father are old friends, Teacher Zhuang, don't worry about this, we can definitely handle it..."
Qi Zhu was unaware of Zhuang Rui's background. She offered him a few words of comfort, thinking that Zhuang Rui was just an expert in the antique business and would probably be anxious and worried in the face of such a situation.
"Afraid?"
Zhuang Rui smiled to himself. Before he even acknowledged his maternal grandfather, he dared to assault someone at the police station. With his current background, as long as he didn't commit murder or arson, his family should be able to protect him.
Of course, Zhuang Rui would not do such a thing as bullying others by abusing his power. He did not say a word about his maternal grandfather's family from beginning to end, because he did not want to rely on his maternal grandfather's power.
Just like that time on CCTV, if Ouyang Jun hadn't felt he had lost face, he wouldn't have revealed the relationship between Zhuang Rui and the Ouyang family. In the eyes of Zhuang Rui, Ouyang Jun, and others, this kind of showing off was a very superficial behavior.
However, in the capital city, many people already know Zhuang Rui, but in this remote town, Zhuang Rui's identity is at most that of an antique expert. Scholars have always been aloof, and rulers throughout history have not paid much attention to such people.
"Teacher Zhuang, they were in the wrong first, and they even filed a false police report. What do you suggest we do?"
Qi Zhu is a feisty person by nature, and now she is even more unforgiving. On the surface, she is venting her anger for Zhuang Rui, but in reality, she is humiliating Lan Haibei.
"Forget it, let them handle it themselves. They should change their surname from Yan to Kuan. They have no manners..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head, speaking softly and slowly, but everyone in the room, including Qi Zhu, was dumbfounded. This young man was not old, but he spoke with an air of maturity.
More importantly, Zhuang Rui's words offended the entire Yan family. You see, although the Yan family patriarch is no longer in power, he is still alive and well. He used to be a member of the Central Committee, and back then, he was a powerful figure who could command respect from all sides.
Even now, if others don't give the old man face, they'll only do it superficially. No one would dare to confront the old man directly. No one expected that the old man of the Yan family would be scolded so casually by Zhuang Rui.
Seeing the astonished looks on everyone's faces, Zhuang Rui felt a little regretful. He had gone a bit too far with his words. He knew that the Yan family patriarch and the Ouyang family had some connection. After all, the Yan family patriarch was his elder, and it was inappropriate to include him in the insults.
Zhuang Rui was genuinely angry that Yan Kai had dragged him into this mess for no reason, so he hadn't been careful with his words earlier. Now that he had already said it, Zhuang Rui didn't want to explain anymore.
"You, you dare to insult my family, Uncle! He even insulted you!"
Yan Kai had always been treated with respect when people mentioned his grandfather since he was a child. So when Zhuang Rui spoke to him, he was stunned and it took him a while to react. However, Zhuang Rui was too cowardly and didn't dare to go up and cause trouble for him, but he dragged Lan Haibei into it.
Everyone who saw this secretly shook their heads; this person was utterly spineless.
"Did I say something wrong? Sigh, never mind, there's no point in talking to someone like you who can't even tell the difference between grains. Sister Qizhu, can we go now?"
Zhuang Rui glanced at Yan Kai indifferently, too lazy to argue with him. After being jostled on that shabby road for half a day, Zhuang Rui just wanted to leave this place as soon as possible, go back to Zhonghai to take a shower, and have a good night's sleep.
"Where...where are you going, Uncle!"
Yan Kai couldn't hold back any longer. It wasn't that Zhuang Rui was cursing him, but the contempt and disdain in his eyes hurt Yan Kai's pride. He stepped forward, grabbed Zhuang Rui's arm, and looked back at Lan Haibei. Yan Kai was a little confused. Why was his uncle still unmoved even after being insulted so harshly?