The people inside the room finally snapped out of their shock. The sheriff picked up the syringe from the ground, the nurse hurriedly got up to get the medicine bottle and IV set, and the other two policemen rushed over to the doctor and knelt down to check his breathing.
The official next to him awkwardly stepped forward to ask Xu Zhengyang what had happened.
The doctor did not die, but went into shock due to suffocation. He suffered severe congestion and hypoxia and was sent to the emergency room.
The drug test results came back quickly, confirming it was a neurotoxin that could block neuromuscular transmission, causing muscle paralysis and death. The doctor, after being revived, was arrested and investigated by the police. The doctor didn't hide anything and quickly confessed to the case. According to his plan, after injecting Xu Zhengyang with the poison, there wouldn't be any immediate adverse effects, and he would calmly go to Ding Changri's ward to inject him with another dose.
Then, he would leave the hospital and disappear.
The mastermind behind it all was a Chinese-American named Chu Shousheng, an engineer at a pharmaceutical research company. Chu Shousheng paid the doctor $200,000, and promised to pay him another $300,000 after the deed was done.
However, by the time the police went to arrest the man named Chu Shousheng, he had already disappeared.
For safety reasons, Xu Zhengyang also underwent a physical examination, which confirmed that the other drugs he was injected with did not contain toxins and that he was healthy.
The pretty young nurse who was in charge of Xu Zhengyang was also under police investigation.
The investigation concluded that she was innocent and unaware of the situation. Because Xu Zhengyang explained things on her behalf, the police did not make things too difficult for her.
This incident once again shocked the Canadian authorities and police! They immediately increased the protection and security for Xu Zhengyang and Ding Changri. The hospital made special arrangements for the doctors and nurses who cared for Xu Zhengyang and his group, and they all underwent strict screening to ensure that a similar situation would not occur again.
Meanwhile, back in China, upon learning the news, the government departments angrily questioned the Canadian government, expressing serious concern. They stated that the Chinese government and people have doubts and anxieties about the safety of Canadian citizens; to ensure the personal safety of Chinese citizens, they demanded that they be immediately brought back to China for treatment; furthermore, they hoped that the Canadian authorities would investigate the case as soon as possible and apprehend the mastermind.
Li Ruiyu, Jiang Lan, and Ye Rongchen were all in a real panic!
It seems they've gone mad and are determined to kill Xu Zhengyang and Ding Changri, preventing them from returning alive.
Meanwhile, the other two groups were equally furious. Their seemingly foolproof plans had all failed. Now, assassinating Xu Zhengyang and Ding Changri again, while not insurmountable, was... was there any other way? Did they really have to send an armed force to storm the hospital? To challenge the entire Vancouver police force, and even... the military?
How is that possible?
Meanwhile, top domestic officials gleaned some clues from the two assassination attempts on Xu Zhengyang and Ding Changri. Initially, they hadn't wanted to pay much attention to such matters; frankly, as far-sighted leaders observing from the sidelines, they were perfectly aware of the factional infighting within the bureaucracy. But now, the situation was escalating, reaching a point of life-or-death conflict.
Therefore, they had to sternly reprimand several parties, warning them not to escalate the situation and become a laughingstock for foreigners and the public! As leaders and members of the same ruling faction, they wouldn't actually side with one side against the other. Because… their left and right arms, like the ten fingers connected to the heart, couldn't be moved lightly; each arm had extremely strong muscles, and moving one would have far-reaching consequences.
In an effort to quell the tensions within the Li family faction, Li Ruiqing was released after being placed under quarantine for less than a week.
Of course, the outside world has no idea that Li Ruiqing is under quarantine for investigation.
At the same time, the investigation into the major smuggling case in the Far East made new progress. The children of a high-ranking official and two retired high-ranking officials in Beijing were found to have some clues and were implicated.
The seriousness of this largest smuggling case has risen to a new level.
Li Ruiyu and Li Ruiqing finally breathed a sigh of relief. They could say they had overcome this hurdle. This major smuggling case in the Far East, and the open and covert struggles between several factions over it, had come to an end. The Li family… had won. But they both knew in their hearts that this was merely a pawn sacrificed to protect the king by the other side, who had encountered unfavorable circumstances and needed to secure their own position.
However, they couldn't continue causing trouble for the time being. They had to stop now, otherwise, if they continued fighting, the result would only be mutual destruction, and it would also make other factions think that the Li family was unforgiving and would leave them isolated. Moreover, Li Ruiyu and Li Ruiqing believed that after this incident, the other side would not dare to make any rash moves for several years. In a few years, the person who was truly capable of confronting the Li family should also retire.
As for the other faction, well, for the sake of the bigger picture, let's take it slow.
As long as there is politics, the struggle will never stop.
Whether in one's own country, another country, or any country in the world, the open and covert struggles between politicians and factions have never ceased.
Ultimately, it's just human selfishness at play.
However, other factions are not worried, believing that the Li family will definitely back down. They have made some contact with each other, compromised, and agreed to coexist peacefully. But the Li family, as the current leaders, the brothers Li Ruiyu and Li Ruiqing are still worried because they are concerned about how to persuade Xu Zhengyang.
Undeniably, the reason why the situation could suddenly turn around in such a short time, despite being so unfavorable to our side, was entirely due to the existence of Xu Zhengyang, this outlier.
Ultimately, the old saying "It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark" is the most accurate.
Everyone knew Xu Zhengyang had gone to Vancouver to bring Ding Changri back. The Li, Ye, and Jiang families believed him, while the other two families didn't. However, events forced them to resort to drastic measures. So, while the enemy might be willing to kill at any cost, the Li, Ye, and Jiang families couldn't very well resort to drastic measures to protect him, especially abroad. How could they defend against such underhanded tactics? Would they deploy the military for protection?
Everything depends on the power of the deity Xu Zhengyang.
The thing that Li Ruiyu and Li Ruiqing were worried about still happened.
When Li Ruiyu spoke to Xu Zhengyang on the phone, offering heartfelt words of comfort and hoping that Xu Zhengyang could be tolerant and let the matter rest, Xu Zhengyang simply said, "This matter cannot be left unresolved."
These words sent a chill down the spines of both Li Ruiyu and Li Ruiqing, who were listening nearby.
Before they could say anything more, Xu Zhengyang's cold voice came through the phone again: "Dad, Second Uncle... As elders, I am a junior, so naturally I cannot disrespect you. Similarly, regarding this incident, we cannot rule out that I had ulterior motives, and it was because of our relationship that I acted this way; however... putting aside our kinship, I need to make one thing clear to you, which is... I have never intended to get involved in your political struggles, much less help anyone. I am doing my own thing, I have my own ideas, and I will not be used by anyone..."
“Zhengyang, your second uncle and I have no such thoughts,” Li Ruiyu said in a deep voice.
"Is that so—?" Xu Zhengyang asked in a cold, drawn-out voice.
Li Ruiyu and Li Ruiqing both fell silent. To be honest, although they had considered not using Xu Zhengyang's identity and power every time, they couldn't help but think of one thing when doing anything or considering any issue: what did they have to fear about their son-in-law's divine identity? And they had inadvertently started to use Xu Zhengyang's identity.
"So, since you've all dragged me into this, and that old bastard dared to try and kill me!" Xu Zhengyang's voice was serious and deep, and he even referred to himself as "this official," intending to remind his two fathers-in-law that this matter was no longer just a struggle between them! "It's unimaginable that someone in such a high position would resort to such despicable means, colluding with foreign criminal forces... How can this be tolerated!"
"Perhaps political struggles are darker, more brutal, and bloodless, but that's relative to you."
"When the old man was alive, he didn't elevate you two to higher positions. Firstly, Father, your decisiveness in killing was only suitable for war; secondly, Uncle, in the cruel struggles of politics, you had enough strategy but not enough ruthlessness, so you couldn't hold a high position..."
"Since this matter involves me, I have no choice but to make changes."
Xu Zhengyang's voice was arrogant and domineering, brooking no argument. He said, "What is Wan Yun's phone number? Tell me."
“Zhengyang…” Li Ruiyu’s heart trembled, and he said, “He has nothing to do with the Far East smuggling case. The people involved are now under investigation and will not have a good end.”
"It has nothing to do with the Far East smuggling case!" Xu Zhengyang's voice suddenly rose.
The brothers Li Ruiyu and Li Ruiqing were both stunned, or rather, somewhat afraid.
However, at that moment, an old figure appeared out of nowhere in this office where no one was allowed to enter casually—Li Haidong.
"Tell him."
"Dad..." Li Ruiyu and Li Ruiqing exclaimed in surprise.
Li Haidong sighed and said, "Even if you don't tell him, he'll find out anyway..."
These words were like a wake-up call. Li Ruiyu and Li Ruiqing both frowned, feeling sorry for the Li family's rival. Why did they have to do this?
Yes, who would have thought things would develop to this point?
Since the General Administration of Customs discovered a serious discrepancy between the tax and quantity of imported goods in mainland China last year and launched an investigation, and the whistleblower letter was submitted to the Ministry of Public Security and the General Administration of Customs at the beginning of this year, in accordance with the decisions and arrangements of the Central Committee, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Supervision, the General Administration of Customs, the State Administration of Taxation, and the Central Financial Work Committee, in accordance with their respective duties and powers, organized investigators to investigate and deal with smuggling crimes and corruption issues that occurred in the Haixia Customs District.
No faction or individual dared to obstruct the investigation of this case.
It was at that time that the two opposing factions seized the opportunity presented by this major case and began to plot how to strike at the Li family in order to benefit their own side.
To reiterate, the higher-ups don't care about Ding Changri or the Far East Machinery Group at all.
Even the most powerful smuggler, Ding Changri, could never reach the summit.
It's just that because the tallest tree in the forest is bound to be felled by the wind, it was fortunate enough to become a pawn that could be used.
But when it came time for the showdown, the situation changed drastically...
Volume 5, Spirit Official, Chapter 286: The Mastermind
In this world, coincidences, big or small, happen all the time.
However, many of these seemingly coincidental events are actually orchestrated behind the scenes. From the beginning to the middle stages, and finally to the end, everything may have been anticipated and arranged by some cunning and scheming individuals.
It was bound to happen.
From the day Ding Changri fled, it was time for all parties to confess and finally confront each other.
But then, out of nowhere, Xu Zhengyang appeared, stubbornly insisting on going abroad to bring Ding Changri back, much to everyone's dismay. This was already unbelievable enough, so all parties were closely watching what the Li family and related forces were doing behind the scenes, and how they were cooperating with Xu Zhengyang to accomplish this obviously impossible task.
On the contrary, they didn't have too many doubts about Xu Zhengyang, but simply arranged for people to keep a close eye on him, to see who he contacted and what kind of help he needed...
Who would have thought that Xu Zhengyang would find Ding Changri so easily and have a brief conversation with him, and Ding Changri would actually agree to return to China.
All the plans and arrangements seem to have fallen through, been useless, and been a complete waste.
Wan Yun sat calmly in the study. Wisps of steam rose from the spout of the purple clay teapot on the desk in front of him, filling the air with the aroma of tea.
As the saying goes, walls have ears. No matter how thorough the secrecy measures taken by the Vancouver police and authorities, it's impossible to completely conceal the truth of some matters. In particular, for some people with absolute power, even if they are on opposite sides of the world, they can still know the truth about many things.
For example, Xu Zhengyang was seriously injured in the explosion, but he still managed to kill four thugs on the street with his extremely brave and astonishing strength and skill! His personal combat power was simply unbelievably terrifying, far beyond what a human could do.
The following day, a shootout between gang members in East Vancouver resulted in the deaths of all five people, with two of them even dismembered.
Upon closer examination, one cannot help but suspect that this case is absolutely connected to the bombing attack.
Because they were a group of people, all key members of the gang led by Lerner in Warcowyn.
Wan Yun certainly didn't know any of Hua Gewen's gang members, and he had never even met Ding Changri. Ding Changri had previously asked someone to arrange a meeting and a meal with Wan Yun, but Wan Yun had never given him such an opportunity. As for later attempts to bribe him, Wan Yun firmly refused.
Therefore, nothing could possibly implicate Wan Yun. To put it bluntly, he is an innocent person. Even if other factions were determined to destroy Ding Changri and the Far East Group, Wan Yun would have stirred up this case sooner or later, even if others didn't make a move.
But no matter what, Wan Yun couldn't feel at ease.
In this covert struggle with the Li family, our side failed and had to sacrifice several pawns.
His remaining time in power was running out. After he stepped down, would anyone in his faction be able to withstand the Li family? Wan Yun was self-aware; he was no match for the old Li family of yesteryear, who, even after retiring for twenty years, was still able to control the political situation from behind the scenes.
Wan Yun slowly brewed a cup of tea, picked it up, blew on the steam, took a small sip, and muttered to himself, "This son-in-law of the Li family is really something else."
Just then, the phone on my desk rang urgently.
Wan Yun frowned. It was already past nine o'clock at night. Who would call him at this hour?
I checked the caller ID, and it was an unfamiliar number.
Wan Yun became increasingly puzzled.
For people like them, their phone numbers are special, and they usually don't receive any strange, spam, or other harassing calls.
Picking up the phone, Wan Yun asked rather calmly, "Who is it?"
"This is Xu Zhengyang." A chilling voice came through the receiver.
"Hmm?" Wan Yun frowned, then relaxed. "Oh, Xiao Xu, what brings you calling me? Is there something you need?"
"I have a question for you."
"Speak."
"Are you tired of living?"
"Hmm?" Wan Yun's composure and shrewdness were on full display; he wasn't angered by such an extremely rude remark. He said calmly, "Xiao Xu, do you know who you're talking to?"
Xu Zhengyang said, "Other people's lives are lives too. Don't take human life for granted..."
"I don't understand what you're talking about."
"Oh, then let me make it clear to you, wait until I get back, okay?"
*Click!* The sound of the phone being hung up rang out, followed by a dial tone.
Wan Yun stared blankly at the phone.
What's this?