After receiving the call, Zhang Lei rushed out. Zhou Xuan whispered through the car window, "Zhang Lei, get in the car!"
Zhang Lei immediately opened the car door at the back and got in. After closing the door, Zhou Xuan started the car, drove away from the Municipal Bureau, and pulled over in a slightly secluded spot. He then turned to Zhang Lei and asked, "Zhang Lei, what exactly happened?"
Zhang Lei shook her head and said, "I don't know what happened either. Nobody in the bureau knows either, but there are rumors that Director Fu embezzled a huge sum of money. Someone took one of Director Fu's men away. Someone knows one of them and says he's from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Director Fu hasn't come back since he left. Some well-informed people say that Director Fu is under house arrest in the municipal party committee hotel. It's said that he's been placed under investigation by the Party Committee!"
Zhou Xuan said angrily and anxiously, "Impossible, he would never embezzle!" But anger was no problem, so Zhou Xuan immediately drove off again. Zhang Lei and Fu Ying did not know where he was going, but seeing his gloomy face and scary expression, they did not dare to ask him any more questions.
A dozen minutes later, Zhou Xuan stopped the car. Zhang Lei looked out the window and saw that they were at the entrance of the municipal party committee compound, with armed police standing guard at the gate.
Zhou Xuan got out of the car and went to the guardhouse, saying he was looking for Secretary Wei, a friend of Secretary Wei.
The guards naturally ignored him, but one of them did recognize Zhou Xuan. Zhou Xuan had come to the municipal party committee with Fu Yuanshan that time, and Zhou Xuan had gone out halfway through. Later, Secretary Wei's secretary came to pick him up. It hadn't been long, so he remembered it vividly.
Upon seeing that it was Zhou Xuan speaking, the guard respectfully asked Zhou Xuan to wait a moment. Then he took the phone and called the secretariat of the municipal party committee secretary, saying that someone was looking for Secretary Wei, and that it was a friend of Secretary Wei.
Zhou Xuan watched from the side, then saw the guard cover the microphone and ask him, "Sir, what is your name?"
"Zhou Xuan!" Zhou Xuan clearly stated his name, and the guard then added, "Secretary Zhang, it's Mr. Zhou Xuan!"
In a panic, Zhou Xuan used his supernatural ability to probe the phone. The secretary's voice came through: "Wait a moment!" Then there was a very soft voice, as if the secretary was also covering the receiver and speaking quietly. The guard couldn't hear it, but Zhou Xuan could hear it clearly. The voice was very faint, but he could still recognize Wei Haihe's voice: "Zhou Xuan? Tell him I'm not here; I've gone to a meeting at the State Council!"
Zhou Xuanxin shuddered. Why would Wei Haihou speak in such a tone?
The guard put down the phone and said, "Mr. Zhou, Secretary Zhang said that Secretary Wei is in a meeting at the State Council and is not here at the Municipal Party Committee. I'm sorry, please go back."
Zhou Xuan took a couple of deep breaths. Wei Haihe was avoiding him, which meant that Fu Yuanshan's matter was not simple. But Zhou Xuan refused to believe that Fu Yuanshan would embezzle. The key was that he couldn't see Fu Yuanshan now. Without seeing him, he would definitely not understand the situation. However, Zhou Xuan believed that Wei Haihe must know the inside story, but Wei Haihe was not seeing him now!
He didn't have a particularly deep relationship with Wei Haihe. Any tacit understanding he had with Wei Haihong and the old man was only because of his connections. If Wei Haihong wouldn't see him, there was nothing he could do. Zhou Xuan thought for a moment, then got back into the car and said to Fu Ying, "Yingying, you go home. I'm going to see the old man... Zhang Lei, could you please take Yingying home?"
Fu Ying quickly said, "It's okay, I'll just take a taxi home myself. It's not far from here, Zhang Lei doesn't need to take me!"
"It's okay, I'll take Sister Yingying home. The Municipal Bureau is in a mess right now, so it doesn't matter if I go to work or not!" Zhang Lei quickly got out of the car, then went to the front to open the car door and helped Fu Ying out of the car.
Seeing that Zhang Lei insisted on seeing her off, Fu Ying figured Zhou Xuan would be more at ease, so she nodded and then advised, "Zhou Xuan, don't worry, there's always a way. I also believe Brother Fu wouldn't do such a thing. As the saying goes, an upright person has nothing to fear. Don't worry, go find the old man; he'll definitely be able to resolve it!"
Zhou Xuan waved to her, then drove quickly towards the west of the city. When he arrived at Wei Haihong's villa, the guards at the gate immediately came over to greet him upon seeing that it was Zhou Xuan.
Zhou Xuan parked the car, got out, and hurried inside, asking the guard as he went, "Is the old man here? Is Brother Hong here?"
"Yes, yes, they're having tea and chatting in the living room. Old Master Li is here too!" the guard said with a smile.
As soon as Zhou Xuan entered, he saw Old Li and his grandfather sitting on the sofa in the living room, with Wei Haihong sitting opposite them pouring tea. He quickly walked over.
Upon seeing him, Old Li and the old man waved and said, "Little Zhou is here? Come, come, come and sit down!"
Seeing Zhou Xuan hurry over, Wei Haihong immediately stood up, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "It's good that you're here. Sit down and have some tea. It's been a long time since we chatted!"
Zhou Xuan was panting heavily, staring at the old man.
Wei Hai and the old man both noticed that Zhou Xuan was acting strangely. The old man immediately asked, "Zhou Xuan, is something wrong? You don't look well!"
Recently, since Li Wei got married, Old Li's house has become more lively and joyful with the addition of Zhou Ying as his granddaughter-in-law. Today, in high spirits, after Zhou Ying and Li Wei went to work, he asked his guard to drive him to Old Master Wei's place. Unexpectedly, Zhou Xuan also arrived at this time and greeted him with a smile.
Zhou Xuan's eyes were red. He tried to calm himself down before saying to the old man, "Grandpa, I've never asked you for anything before. Today, Grandpa, I'm begging you to help me!"
Zhou Xuan's words truly surprised the three old men. They were the three most familiar with Zhou Xuan, and he had never asked them for anything before. His words and expression now surprised them. What had happened? What could have made Zhou Xuan so panicked?
The old man's face was somber. He stood up and said, "Don't rush, tell me slowly, don't be hasty!"
Zhou Xuan then said, "Grandpa, Brother Fu Yuanshan was taken away by the Discipline Inspection Commission this afternoon. They say he embezzled millions and is under investigation. He's currently being held under house arrest in the Municipal Party Committee Hotel. I just went to the Municipal Party Committee to ask Secretary Wei for help, even just to meet him and get to the bottom of things, but Secretary Wei made an excuse about a meeting at the State Affairs Department and refused to see me. Grandpa... I beg you to help me with this. I absolutely do not believe Brother Fu would do something like embezzlement. I have as much money as I need; he wouldn't need to do such a thing!" The old man then understood what Zhou Xuan was after. Hearing that Zhou Xuan had gone to the Municipal Party Committee to see Wei Haihe, but Wei Haihe refused, saying he was at a meeting at the State Affairs Department, the old man had no doubt that Zhou Xuan knew Wei Haihe was lying. Zhou Xuan definitely had that ability, but his son's refusal to see him made the old man's heart sink; he immediately felt that something bad was about to happen!
After a moment of hesitation, the old man immediately asked Wei Haihong to give him the phone on the table, and then called Wei Haihe directly.
Wei Haihe dared not ignore the old man's call. This time, Zhou An used his special ability to listen carefully.
"Second son, tell me, what exactly happened with Fu Yuanshan?" the old man asked in a deep voice. He was especially angry about Wei Haihe not seeing Zhou Xuan's car. He had put so much effort into building such a close relationship with Zhou Xuan, but his second son's behavior had torn a rift in that relationship!
"Dad, listen to me..." Wei Haihe said after a moment's thought, "I've figured this out. It's like this: Zhou Xuan gambled with some rich people at a nightclub and won six million in cash and a Maserati. This incident also involves the mastermind behind it—Dad, it's Old Zhang's grandson. He had those two people deliver the six million check and the car to the Municipal Public Security Bureau, so Fu Yuanshan could give them to Zhou Xuan. That's where things got complicated. This was a trap set by Old Zhang, and his target was me!"
"If this were just Zhou Xuan's affair, he'd only be charged with gambling, nothing serious. But they used Zhou Xuan to drag Fu Yuanshan into it, and Fu Yuanshan is so close to me, Dad knows that too." Fu Yuanshan received 16 million and a Maserati, worth a total of 10 million. Zhou Xuan didn't want the money; instead, he told Fu Yuanshan to use it as a donation. Fu Yuanshan used the money to buy equipment for the city bureau. He didn't embezzle the money, but the key issue is that his use of the money was illegal, and there were no records of it. Now, Old Zhang's people are using this to try and bring me down. So, regarding the tea... someone has to take the blame. Dad, you have to understand my situation!"
Volume 1, Chapter 625: Lament for the Passing of a Lotus Bud
The old man's face suddenly flushed red, then turned purple, and his eyes widened. His hands trembled. Wei Haihong was startled to see the old man like this and quickly stepped forward to support him, asking, "Dad, what's wrong?"
The old man's face turned from purple to white, and he opened his mouth and spat a mouthful of blood onto Wei Haihong's face before falling backward!
This startled even Zhou Xuan and Lao Li. Zhou Xuan rushed forward and, together with Wei Haihong, helped the old man up. The old man's eyes were wide open, his fingers trembled as he pointed at Zhou Xuan, and his lips quivered, but he couldn't say a word.
Zhou Xuan, needless to say, used his ice energy to probe the old man's body. However, upon testing him, his hands and feet turned ice-cold, and he was so stunned that he couldn't speak!
The old man's heart meridian was already dead. No matter how he tried to improve or stimulate it with his special abilities, it was useless and would have no effect. In fact, Zhou Xuan had already sensed that the old man's lifespan was nearing its end and that this day was coming soon, but he just didn't want to think about it. Now that it had suddenly happened, he still felt an unbearable pain in his heart!
Although the old man's heart meridian had failed, he was still breathing, his eyes were fixed on Zhou Xuan, and his lips moved but he could not speak.
Zhou Xuan quickly reached out and grasped the old man's hand, bringing his face close to his. The old man grinned and spat out another mouthful of blood, smearing Zhou Xuan's face with it as well.
Just as the old man spat out this mouthful of blood, Zhou Xuan's supernatural ability detected that the old man had run out of breath and had not been able to utter a single word before his soul returned to heaven. This founding hero of the nation had passed away!
Wei Haihong was so frightened he was almost paralyzed. He lifted the old man's body and lay him down, only shouting, "Brother, quickly save the old man... quickly..."
But Zhou Xuan didn't answer him or say anything; instead, tears streamed down her face.
Even Zhou Xuan couldn't help, and there was nothing Zhou Xuan could do. This made Wei Haihong feel as if he had fallen into an abyss. He trembled all over and it took him a long time to reach out and check the old man's breath.
Zhou Xuan murmured, "Brother Hong, the old man... the old man... he's passed away..."
Wei Haihong was stunned for a moment, then he buried his face in the old man's body and burst into tears!