"As long as it's not the army coming with planes and artillery, I'm not worried about you. I'm not afraid of you!" Li Yang lit a cigarette, tossed the butt away, and made his decision. His immediate priority was getting through this legal trouble—the matter of Li Yang assaulting Zuo Tengfei. If he couldn't resolve it, he'd be charged with intentional assault. If he fled, he'd be wanted nationwide, which wouldn't be good. Although he had Bloodwing and wasn't worried about being caught, his family would definitely be worried sick about him.
Li Yang drove off and dialed Su Xiaoxiao's number while driving, asking, "Xiaoxiao, how's the case going?"
"Don't worry, the witnesses in the neighborhood have all been dealt with. They won't cause any problems and won't come forward to testify," Su Xiaoxiao said confidently.
"When the Shadow Group investigated, the disciples of the Thick Eight Trigrams Sect came out, and those people immediately became incredibly submissive, not daring to utter a single word or waste any more time. After all, the Eight Trigrams Sect is an extremely powerful force in Jiangdong City, and anyone with a modicum of knowledge wouldn't dare to cause trouble with them. This time, with the Eight Trigrams Sect involved, no one dared to step forward. Zuo Tengfei's case has no witnesses, and there's not much evidence at the scene. It's really difficult to get results based solely on your words. Unless there are photos or other strong evidence, the Zuo family's efforts will be in vain, without any real significance."
"That's right. As long as there are no direct witnesses, the Zuo family can only play along," Li Yang said smugly. Without witnesses, they had already lost half the case.
Just as Su Xiaoxiao was confidently discussing the lawsuit, Zhao Yunlong, the secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, received a special phone call. He was enjoying tea in his office, feeling quite relaxed. However, when that special internal call rang, he immediately had a bad feeling.
"Hello, this is Zhao Yunlong," Zhao Yunlong said in a deep voice.
"Zhao Yunlong, Secretary of the Political and Legal Committee of Jiangdong City..." The person on the phone then revealed his identity as being from the Ministry of Public Security, and recounted his previous resume before asking, "Zhao Yunlong, what is your relationship with Li Yang, the head of a criminal gang?"
Zhao Yunlong's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately had a bad feeling. He quickly said in a deep voice, "It's nothing, he's just in Jiangdong City."
Zhao Yunlong's words weren't entirely wrong. While Li Yang and Zhao Lihua had a good relationship, essentially a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship, they weren't husband and wife, so it wasn't really a relationship. In today's society, breaking up is as easy as eating a bean. This answer was also a way to protect himself, distancing himself from Li Yang and ensuring his position remained unaffected. That way, he could be more effective in helping Li Yang. Otherwise, if the higher-ups wanted to deal with Li Yang, they would definitely transfer Zhao Yunlong to an inconspicuous position first, at least preventing him from interfering. Now that Zhao Yunlong answered that there was no relationship, he was very likely to avoid being transferred. However, Zhao Yunlong also knew that this idea was somewhat naive. After all, the people in the Ministry of Public Security weren't stupid; they had their own intelligence departments and certainly had information about his relationship with Li Yang. They would still take action against him first. His previous thought was just doing his best and leaving the rest to fate.
"The Bagua Sect is a criminal gang with extremely negative influence in the country. As the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, you have the responsibility and ability to clean up these lawbreakers, restore a clear sky to the people, and create a quiet and harmonious urban living environment for the citizens. What did you do?" The other party immediately began to sternly accuse Zhao Yunlong.
Zhao Yunlong smiled bitterly to himself; it seemed he had indeed guessed correctly.
It seems they won't let this go this time. After all, in officialdom, even if someone is about to be transferred, there's no such direct criticism or reprimand. Such tone and action are extremely harsh and violate official protocol. But they did it anyway, demonstrating how powerful those above are and how seriously they take this matter.
He thought to himself, "Li Yang, you've really stirred up a hornet's nest. It seems like this time you're in big trouble."
"Yes, it was my dereliction of duty, it's my responsibility. I will strictly follow the regulations to wipe out this gang and clean up Jiangdong City, giving the citizens a good, healthy, and harmonious living environment," Zhao Yunlong said immediately in a deep voice, his back ramrod straight.
"Um,
"Recognizing the seriousness of the problem is progress, and it's not too late. You must know your identity and responsibilities. As public servants, don't let the people down..." This was another round of tireless lecturing. Only then did he hang up. Zhao Yunlong wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, muttering "Damn it!" Who was this idiot who pointed at his nose and cursed him?
Zhao Yunlong immediately called Li Yang. After the call connected, Zhao Yunlong said in a deep voice, "Li Yang, your problem is serious. Are you prepared for this?"
Li Yang had already received a lot of bad news from Ye Qing, so he wasn't too surprised to hear Zhao Yunlong's words this time. He asked, "What? Did you hear something or do you know something?"
Li Yang's calmness and shock surprised Zhao Yunlong slightly, and he also admired him somewhat. If he were in such a situation, he would probably be as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. Li Yang's ability to remain composed was indeed remarkable. However, it could also be inferred from another perspective that Li Yang had received some prior information, which explained his lack of reaction to Zhao Yunlong's message.
"Have you received any information? Who told you?" Zhao Yunlong asked in return.
Chapter 944: Is something the matter? Counterattack
“Oh. I just spoke with Mayor Ye. I’ve learned some things from him. But you don’t need to worry, I don’t think I’ll lose. No matter how powerful that person up there is, he still wouldn’t dare touch my family. But dealing with me, I don’t think he can do it with ordinary methods. I’m not afraid. You don’t need to worry too much, things aren’t that bad. It’s just that the situation is a bit unfavorable,” Li Yang said calmly.
Since the incident has already occurred and cannot be avoided, there is no need to rush. Being anxious and flustered will not help in resolving or developing the situation. The most important thing to do at this time is to remain calm and think about ways to solve the problem.
Zhao Yunlong immediately felt a pang of regret. He'd lived most of his life, yet he was less composed than a young man in his early twenties. What a failure! Zhao Yunlong chuckled and laughed loudly, "I was just reminding you, afraid you wouldn't be prepared and might make a mistake. It seems you're indeed different, not nervous at all. That puts my mind at ease. Think of a way to turn the situation around and make it work for you."
Li Yang chuckled and said, "Secretary Zhao is right. I'll listen to you. I'll find a way to turn things around. Don't worry!" Zhao Yunlong's mood improved somewhat, after all, Li Yang still respected him and gave him face. It wasn't for nothing that he was so anxious and worried about him.
"Alright then, I've already warned you. Just be careful. I have something to do, so I'll hang up now!" Zhao Yunlong felt he had done his job and there was no need to say anything more. He hung up the phone.
After hanging up Zhao Yunlong's call, Li Yang's face suddenly darkened. He snorted coldly and said, "Fuck you, looks like he's really going to fight me to the death."
After his cold laugh, Li Yang wasn't particularly panicked; his experiences over the years had honed his composure to a high degree. He sat in his car for a moment, then pulled out his phone and dialed the General Staff. He felt he should take the initiative; waiting until they attacked him before launching a forced counterattack would be pointless.
The phone at the General Staff rang for quite a while before being answered, and the person on the other end sounded impatient and gloating, clearly recognizing Li Yang's number. They had also heard rumors that Li Yang's situation was critical, and he seemed about to lose his sword. Why should they be polite or care about someone about to be in trouble?
"It's you. Aren't you Li Yang, the one who just joined the National Security Bureau? Everyone from the National Security Bureau and the Dragon Group sacrificed their lives for the country during that mission in Xishan and became martyrs. And you? You're still unharmed. Did you desert?" The person who answered the phone mocked Li Yang with a hint of sarcasm.
Li Yang gave a silent, cold laugh and said, "Sorry, I'm perfectly fine. As for desertion, I've never considered it. I don't think I am. I just have some important intelligence to report. Anyway, although the National Security Bureau and the Dragon Group are gone now, and whether those two units will be reorganized in the future is none of my business."
However, as a member of the National Security Bureau, and still currently serving in the Bureau, I have an obligation to report this intelligence.
"Oh, really? Well then, tell me what you think?" The man was clearly taken aback, but his tone remained nonchalant. He obviously thought Li Yang was only saying that to protect himself, and it didn't have much practical meaning. If Li Yang hadn't still been officially employed, he would have hung up long ago.
Ignoring his attitude, Li Yang said calmly, "When I was on a mission in Xishan, I felt a violent tremor in Xishan. I tried to study and observe the cause of the tremor and thought it was going to be an earthquake. But after a careful inspection, I finally became sure that it was not a tremor caused by an impending earthquake."
Li Yang's words immediately caught the attention of the operator. Imagine, a continuous mountain range, not trembling due to an earthquake, a terrifying event of the earth itself, what could be causing it? Isn't that amazing?
"What could be the reason?" the operator asked immediately, curious.
"A terrifying creature, but I'm certain it wasn't human. It was hiding at the bottom of West Mountain, incredibly powerful and terrifying. I only got a little close and I broke out in a cold sweat. I was so scared that I immediately fled. I have no idea what happened in West Mountain afterward. Especially the cause of death of the National Security Bureau and the other members of the Dragon Group, I know even less!" Li Yang said sincerely, not at all like he was lying.
With a "gulp," Li Yang heard a very distinct sound of swallowing saliva, clearly the operator swallowing. He was startled. As the direct superior department of the National Security Bureau and the Dragon Group, these members naturally helped handle the problems encountered by the National Security Bureau and the Dragon Group, meaning they had access to many strange events that ordinary people couldn't. These matters couldn't be made public, otherwise it would cause social panic and chaos. Therefore, they weren't staunch atheists, and they almost immediately chose to believe what Li Yang said.
"You...you're telling the truth? Such a thing exists?" the operator asked nervously. His rank was too low, and he had very little information, but he was still a member and had heard some rumors and knew some inside information. There was so much research and speculation about Xishan; he had heard far too much and was already extremely curious about it. Upon hearing Li Yang's news, he immediately chose to believe it.
"Of course I'm telling the truth. If you don't believe me, you can report it to your superiors. I guarantee it with my integrity," Li Yang said in a deep voice. He had only recently joined the National Security Bureau and didn't have that powerful general's contact number, or even the phone numbers of senior staff members. Only Zhou Tong and Fei Ling had them. And it was only Li Yang who had the authority to know this number. However, the operator's rank was too low.
"You, you have to promise me. I won't get in trouble if I report this?" the operator said nervously.
"Of course I won't be criticized, because the information I provided is extremely important. The higher-ups will also take it very seriously. I'm sure they've been troubled by the Xishan issue lately. Once they receive my information, they'll definitely pay close attention," Li Yang said confidently.
"Okay, then I'll risk reporting this to my superiors, but don't mess with me, or the consequences will be severe," the operator threatened Li Yang.
Li Yang curled his lip in disdain. "You're threatening me now? How serious can it be? I'll just... well, you know. Hmph." But he needed the kid's help, and couldn't afford to anger him. Li Yang assured him, "Don't worry, I'll take responsibility for anything."
as a result of."
"That's more like it. I'll give it a try then," the operator said smugly. In his mind, however, he was making a plan. If the information was truly important, he could claim it as his own, claiming it was the intelligence he discovered, thus taking credit for it. If any problems arose, he could pin the blame on Li Yang. After all, Li Yang was currently in the spotlight; his superiors were very dissatisfied with him and wanted to deal with him. What a perfect opportunity!
The operator hung up on Li Yang and walked towards the chief of staff's office. This chief of staff was a young man in his forties, with a refined and scholarly air, but his eyes were exceptionally bright and piercing, making most people afraid to look him directly in the eye. He was practically the head of the entire staff department, because the old general rarely managed affairs anymore, and most of the daily business was handled by this deputy chief of staff, Fu Jianjun.
The operator knocked cautiously on the door, his heart pounding. This was the first time in his life that he had ever taken the initiative to knock on this door.
"Come in." A calm voice, tinged with a subtle air of authority, rang out.