Fearing that the person might be someone of great importance, Mayor Chao continued to press, "Who is your friend?"
Chen Xinyu snorted: "Do you have the right to know?"
In the Provincial Party Secretary's office, Secretary Gao gently knocked and entered. The Provincial Party Secretary looked up and asked, "Xiao Gao, what is it?"
Xiao Gao said, "Secretary, I just contacted Jiangquan City, and the matter with Liu Mingzhen should be settled."
The provincial party secretary nodded: "Okay, you may leave."
Xiao Gao dared not say anything more, and quietly turned to walk out. He shared the same surname as Secretary Gao of Jiangquan City, and they were from the same family five hundred years ago. Secretary Gao had always tried his best to win him over, so even if the provincial party secretary did not instruct him, he would secretly take some action.
The provincial party secretary continued reading the documents in his hands when the phone in the corner of the desk rang. The secretary looked up and his expression changed. His secretary, Xiao Gao, who was walking towards the door, happened to turn back to close it and saw the secretary reach for the phone with a grave expression. Xiao Gao was also startled; as the secretary's trusted confidant, how could he not know that this phone was only used when there were major events at the central level?
(Thanks to Wind Blowing Willow Catkins for the 700-coin reward and to Dugu Yu for the monthly ticket support)
Volume Two [725] The Transformation
No one knew that Liu Mingzhen had powerful connections in the province, and he usually wouldn't dare to bother them. But this time was different. If Deng Xiaofu really made public the evidence of his bribery, he would be finished. A number of high-ranking officials in Jiangquan City would also be implicated and fall from grace. He would become a jinx, and no matter which city he went to develop his career in, officials would avoid him. So this time, Liu Mingzhen was willing to spend a lot of money to find someone to suppress the matter and not let that bitch Deng Xiaofu get ahead of him.
In fact, everything happened too hastily. Otherwise, if Liu Mingzhen had communicated with Wang Dong and Secretary Gao first, the situation wouldn't have continued to deteriorate. But now everyone is doing their own thing, and a lot of important information has been missed. When people are angry, they often only see the surface of things, and even some clues are deliberately ignored.
In the private room of Huitong Hotel, Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao looked embarrassed. If it were an ordinary person in front of them, they would have slammed their fists on the table long ago. However, given Chen Xinyu's status, although the two of them would not obey her orders, they did not dare to jump up and down in front of her. When they heard that Chen Xinyu had made a call for outside help, the two of them became nervous, wondering who the 'friend' Chen Xinyu was talking about was.
Mayor Chao said to Zhao Qiang, "Come with us and explain the situation clearly. We'll keep a case file. As long as there aren't any major problems and the injured police officers and special police are treated, we can consider this matter closed. What do you think? We can't be careless about something as serious as assaulting a police officer. Otherwise, if the higher-ups investigate later, Secretary Gao and I will be implicated."
Guo Yang couldn't stand it any longer. He stood up and said, "Secretary Gao, I know you are the top official in Jiangquan City, but you can't just listen to one side of the story and only think about arresting people. Do you even care about the people? Is there pressure from above that you have to kill us? Is the officialdom really this corrupt now? Do ordinary people even have a chance to live?"
Secretary Gao's face darkened: "Who are you? What right do you have to criticize me here?" Even ordinary people would find it unbearable to be pointed at and 'insulted' by a young, unknown boy, let alone the high and mighty Secretary Gao, to whom no one had ever dared to say anything to his face.
Guo Yang, having nothing to lose, said, "My name is Guo Yang. Zhao Qiang's assault on the police was because of my family's affairs. A true hero takes responsibility for his actions. Arrest me; it has nothing to do with Zhao Qiang. But before you arrest me, I want to tell you that we have evidence of Liu Mingzhen's bribery. You two are like grasshoppers in autumn; you won't be able to hop around for much longer."
Upon hearing the "evidence of Liu Mingzhen's bribery," the two officials' expressions changed drastically. They exchanged glances, realizing that this matter was very serious. Regardless of whether the people present had connections, they had to be taken back for questioning first. They couldn't let the so-called evidence leak out, otherwise, based on their understanding of Liu Mingzhen, if the matter came to light, Jiangquan City would collapse.
At this moment, the plainclothes police officers whom Secretary Gao had called in advance had arrived in the corridor. Someone outside the door secretly gave Secretary Gao a "everything is OK" look. Secretary Gao understood, waved his hand, and the plainclothes officers came in. Secretary Gao said, "Take those two away," he was referring to Zhao Qiang and Guo Yang, and after thinking for a moment, he added Guo Gang as well, "and him too."
As for the American girl and Chen Xinyu, Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao would never dare to offend them.
The plainclothes officers stepped forward: "Gentlemen, please." This was quite polite, considering Chen Xinyu's reputation. These plainclothes officers weren't part of the group outside the hospital; otherwise, they would have had some reservations.
Secretary Gao glanced at Chen Xinyu and said, "I don't think Miss Chen will hinder our law enforcement."
Chen Xinyu said, "Secretary Gao, I think you'll regret this soon. You haven't given up yet, and you won't sit down and listen to the people below explain the origins of this incident. You'll regret this for the rest of your life."
Secretary Gao snorted: "Ms. Chen, our respect for you doesn't mean we're afraid of you. Every family has its rules, and every country has its laws. I'm acting in accordance with the law, and the higher-ups won't do anything to us. If Ms. Chen intends to publish distorted reports about us, we will absolutely reserve the right to sue."
Chen Xinyu responded with a heavy snort, her face turning cold. She beckoned to the bodyguards standing behind her: "Take care of them. Don't let Zhao Qiang get his hands dirty." These plainclothes policemen were no match for the heavily armed special forces. With them around, Chen Xinyu wouldn't want Zhao Qiang to make a move.
The bodyguard standing behind Chen Xinyu blocked Zhao Qiang's way. Zhao Qiang was originally going to make a move, but since there was a bodyguard present, there was no need for him to take action. Dealing with these people was not worth his time.
"Get out of the way!" the plainclothes officers shouted. They were on edge too, so they were annoyed that someone was blocking their way.
Without any visible movement from the bodyguards, who merely raised their hands slightly, a soft thud was heard, and several plainclothes officers directly in front of them were sent flying. Their movements were exaggerated, as if they had been struck by a sudden, heavy blow. The impact was comparable to a car hitting a person at high speed, with loud thuds that made people want to cover their ears. The plainclothes officers slammed heavily against the wall, which would have collapsed had the wall of the Huitong Hotel not been relatively sturdy. The officers were knocked unconscious on the ground, blood gushing from their mouths and noses. They were just ordinary people, and even the weakest compression gun had caused them serious injury at such close range.
Zhao Qiang sighed. He really didn't want to hurt ordinary people again. He found himself feeling quite compassionate lately.
Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao were startled. They wisely chose to flee the private room before turning back to threaten, "So, you openly attack police officers in front of us? You have some nerve! This is treason! Our harmonious society will never allow such a thing to happen!"
The plainclothes officers who had been positioned in the corridor suddenly scattered. They were afraid that Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao would order them to go in and arrest people. They could see the scene inside clearly from the door. If they didn't want to die, they had to run. They were willing to lose their jobs. What did jobs matter compared to their lives?
Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao couldn't find him. They looked bewildered, unable to fulfill their harsh words. Was Zhao Qiang really that difficult to deal with? No, it was all because of Chen Xinyu's interference. How could they deal with her?
Just then, Secretary Gao's phone rang, bringing him back to reality. "Hello, President Liu, this is you." It was Liu Mingzhen calling. It was time to exchange information; otherwise, neither side would know the specific progress.
"Secretary Gao, I think you've received instructions from the province, haven't you?" Liu Mingzhen said with a hint of smugness. He usually acted subservient to these officials, but now he was going to let them know the power of his connections in the province.
Secretary Gao hesitated for a moment: "I received it, but things have changed a bit, and I'm just about to report it to the province."
Liu Mingzhen said, "Secretary Gao, things are very urgent now. The most important thing is to take Zhao Qiang into custody and find my secretary, Deng Xiaofu. You have to trust me. If I'm okay, everyone's okay. If I'm finished, no one can escape the consequences. What do you say, Secretary Gao?" Liu Mingzhen's words carried a threatening tone.
Secretary Gao said with great displeasure, "President Liu, there's one thing you need to understand: I'm the one in charge of Jiangquan City, not you." With that, Secretary Gao slammed down his phone. What kind of nonsense is this? A mere company manager dares to threaten me? Does nobody respect me anymore?
Mayor Chao said worriedly, "Secretary Gao, things have gotten out of hand. I think we should just compromise."
Secretary Gao said sternly, "Compromise? How will you explain this to the Provincial Party Secretary?"
Mayor Chao said, "To be honest, we're putting all the blame on Chen Xinyu. It was her appearance that disrupted our entire plan. If the province wants to hold someone accountable, they should go after her."
Secretary Gao was tempted. This matter had indeed changed because of Chen Xinyu, so it was not unreasonable to pin the blame on her. However, it was unknown how Chen Xinyu would hold a grudge and seek revenge on him in the future.
Secretary Gao decided to consult with the provincial authorities, since this situation was related to the instructions of the provincial party secretary's secretary, and now that things had changed, he couldn't afford not to. Secretary Gao picked up his phone, but before he could dial, a call came in. He was surprised to see that the number was the provincial party secretary's own number. Was it some kind of telepathic connection?
"Secretary Gao, it's me. We're already carrying out the matter instructed by Provincial Party Secretary Liu, but something unexpected has happened..."
Secretary Gao said anxiously, "Yes, something has happened. Secretary Liu has instructed you to immediately take good care of a man named Zhao Qiang. This man is extremely important. Whatever his requests or concerns, you must fulfill them unconditionally. If he is even slightly dissatisfied, not only you, but the entire province will be implicated."
Secretary Gao thought he had misheard. "What? Secretary Gao, please repeat. Is it a person named Zhao Qiang? He has a grudge against Liu Mingzhen of Qiushi Trading, and seems to have a relationship with Chen Xinyu of Sky Media."
Secretary Gao said, "That's right, it's him. He's very young. Secretary Liu and I will be heading to Jiangquan City to meet him soon. He has extremely deep connections in the central government and is one of the most important figures in the country. He has immense influence and power. Even Secretary Liu can't afford to offend him. If he's even slightly dissatisfied, Secretary Liu can't bear the responsibility. At best, everyone will lose their positions; at worst, they'll lose their lives."
Secretary Gao's head buzzed, and he couldn't hear a word that followed. Mayor Chao asked him anxiously, "What's wrong? What instructions did the province give? Secretary Gao, please say something! What are you doing? Don't scare me."
"Oh no, how did things suddenly change like this?" Secretary Gao slapped his thigh and squatted down, his face full of frustration.
Mayor Chao said, "What's wrong? Secretary Gao, you're talking nonsense. This isn't your usual style."
Secretary Gao said, "Secretary Liu of the Provincial Party Committee said that Zhao Qiang inside is a very powerful figure with immense influence. He told us to make sure he is satisfied. Secretary Liu of the Provincial Party Committee is on his way to Jiangquan City to personally receive him. If we make a mistake, we could lose our positions at best and our lives at worst."
Mayor Chao looked incredulous: "How could this be? How is this possible? Even the descendants of central leaders wouldn't be this good, but as far as we know, there's no one like this among the descendants of central leaders."
Secretary Gao said, "But would Secretary Liu of the Provincial Party Committee lie to us, or has he made a mistake?"
Mayor Chao said, "Such an important matter shouldn't be a mistake, but oh no! We just followed Secretary Gao's instructions to protect Liu Mingzhen, which offended them. Who knew things would change so quickly? We need to find a way to resolve the current situation immediately."
Secretary Gao said, "I know we need to resolve the current situation, but how do we do it?"
Mayor Chao said, "You're really confused. Of course you should beg them. What else can you do?"
"Beg?" Secretary Gao shook his head in anguish, but it seemed there was no other way. Damn Secretary Gao, you've got me killed this time. No, it should be said that it was damn Liu Mingzhen who caused this mess. If it weren't for him, none of this would have happened.
Volume 2 [726] Melee
Guo Yang and Guo Gang were quite frightened. Even Guo Gang, who had lived abroad for many years, advised Chen Xinyu: "Shouldn't you stop making a big fuss?"
Chen Xinyu said, "Uncle Guo, don't worry, we'll eat our food, everything will be fine."
Guo Yang said to Zhao Qiang, "Let's go. More police will definitely come to arrest us soon."
Zhao Qiang said, "Let them come. It's impressive that they even got into this room. I'm afraid they won't be able to get in."
Guo Yang said, "But we can't just keep pushing things along like this. It will only escalate the conflict. Will that help resolve the issue?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Of course there is. Now, whoever is ruthless will have the upper hand."
Guo Yang fell silent. In the end, Zhao Qiang had done all this for him. It was enough to express his concern about the matter. If he blamed Zhao Qiang too much, it would seem unfair of him. After all, Zhao Qiang had done everything for him.
The only one who seems completely unperturbed right now is Donna. She's eating and drinking as usual, and even advising her father, "Dad, I think you're making a fuss over nothing. Don't worry, Zhao Qiang has weathered many storms in America, so he'll be thriving in China, won't he? This is his territory, so just wait for him to resolve things."
Guo Gang pondered for a moment: "You're right, I shouldn't have underestimated him."
At that moment, a figure flashed outside the private room door, and Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao reappeared. The anger on their faces had completely dissipated in just a few minutes, leaving only humble expressions. They nodded, bowed, and chuckled as they shuffled in step by step, saying, "So it was a misunderstanding, really a misunderstanding. We were so sorry for our rudeness."
When officials change their expressions, it's as commonplace as eating a meal; it's a skill they must master.
Guo Gang and Guo Yang frowned. The changes in Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao were too rapid. Were they being sarcastic? They didn't need to be so humble. Moreover, they actually returned to the private room despite the threats from Chen Xinyu's bodyguards. What were they planning to do?
Secretary Gao looked at Zhao Qiang and said, "This must be Mr. Zhao Qiang."
Zhao Qiang said, "What, Secretary Gao is going to take me away, isn't he? Let your men in; if they can take me away, then they're really capable." Zhao Qiang was also very annoyed at this moment. Dragging things out for so long made him look incompetent, and Xiao Su would blame him if she asked about it later.
Secretary Gao hurriedly waved his hand, "No, no, no, that's not what I meant. I didn't know Mr. Zhao's identity just now. I'm so sorry, so sorry." Secretary Gao didn't seem to be faking it. His tone and attitude after entering were completely different from his previous toughness.
Chen Xinyu naturally knew that Xu Xiaoya had used her connections in the central government to send a message; otherwise, Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao wouldn't have changed their minds so quickly. These two wielded considerable influence in Jiangquan City, but in the eyes of the central government bigwigs, they were nothing more than small fry, dispensable pawns, materials that could be sacrificed at any time to save the king.
Thump, thump, thump—rapid footsteps sounded outside. Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao were puzzled. Just then, they heard someone shouting through a loudspeaker in the courtyard: "Unauthorized personnel, leave immediately! This area has been designated as a cordon. There are criminals inside who have taken Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao hostage!"
Mayor Chao was taken aback: "Ah, what's going on? Who's giving orders randomly?"
Secretary Gao recognized the voice: "It's Captain Lei from the Municipal Armed Police Detachment. He must have received a report from the people who just escaped and is coming to provide reinforcements. This guy has a fiery temper; we absolutely cannot let him ruin things. Go out and stop him immediately."
Zhao Qiang looked up at the window. Five trucks were parked in the courtyard of the Huitong Hotel, and armed police officers jumped down from them. They were fully armed and carrying guns. With such a major incident in Jiangquan City, and special police officers injured, plus that Captain Lei with his fiery temper, it would be strange if they didn't take action. Dealing with major incidents is their duty.
Guo Gang was stunned. He had lived in the United States for a long time and had never seen such a large force mobilized to arrest an ordinary person. In China, officials only care about their political achievements and stability, and they can't hear the voices of the people below, or even want to hear them.
Guo Yang's face turned ashen. The situation was escalating and changing rapidly. He felt terrible for Su Xiaosu. How could he face her if he caused her boyfriend to go to jail?
A large number of armed police rushed into the Huitong Hotel. They learned from the escaped plainclothes officers that the other side had a master who could take down several plainclothes officers with a wave of his hand. So no one dared to be careless and everyone was armed and ready for a major battle.
Chen Xinyu's bodyguard naturally blocked the doorway. His body suddenly changed, and several pieces of shiny metal protruded from under his clothes. These metal pieces then quickly extended and encased the bodyguard in armor. Holding a small pistol, the bodyguard stood at the door, exuding an air of disdain for the world.
"Stop! Stop!" Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao shouted as they ran out, no longer caring to plead with Zhao Qiang. If they let the armed police rush in, even if they didn't hurt Zhao Qiang, they would still alert the authorities. How could they explain this to their superiors? Officials must know how to flatter, but if they flatter the wrong person, then sorry, you'll have to give up your position. There are too many people waiting to kick you when you're down.
At this moment, everyone heard the sound of airflow, and the light above their heads dimmed. Everyone stopped and looked up, and they were surprised to see that six helicopters had appeared in the sky. They could not hear the roar of their engines at all, and they were only discovered when the propellers fanned a lot of turbulence as they approached the ground.
The sight of six helicopters was quite spectacular. Instead of landing at the Huiquan Hotel, they hovered in the air and lowered ropes, allowing squads of soldiers to slide down. These soldiers wore armor almost identical to that of Chen Xinyu's bodyguards and carried what appeared to be ordinary pistols. Upon landing, they immediately surrounded the armed police and then sent troops to charge into the Huitong Hotel. The armed police, unsure of the enemy's strength, dared not make any rash moves. The enemy disarmed them immediately, creating a chaotic scene.
"Who gave the order to disarm my men?" Captain Lei of the Armed Police Detachment ran out, no longer caring about what was happening inside the hotel. Disarming his men was a matter of utmost importance.
Boom! Captain Lei was suddenly struck as if by a hammer. He only saw the armored man opposite him raise his hand, and then he was sent flying backward, knocking down several armed police officers behind him, and then crashing into the glass door of the hall. Crash! The entire glass door shattered, and Captain Lei fell into a pool of blood. He would be injured for two or three months.
When the armed police officers saw their captain being shot, they naturally couldn't stand idly by. At that moment, who cared about anyone else? They turned their guns on the armored men rushing in and, without needing any orders, started firing.
Before Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao could even meet Captain Lei, they heard gunshots outside. The two officials were terrified and stumbled downstairs. By the time they reached the lobby, the melee had already begun.
Judging from the appearance of their equipment alone, the armed police used assault rifles, which looked imposing and intimidating. The soldiers coming off the helicopter, on the other hand, only carried small pistols, which lacked the same commanding presence. However, in a real fight, those small pistols were incredibly powerful, hammering through the ranks of the armed police, causing them to cough up blood. Almost none of them could get up after falling to the ground. The armed police in the hall and courtyard were quickly dealt with, and even the trucks that had brought the personnel were blasted into scrap metal by a few armored men.
Fuel leaked from the tank after the rupture, a spark flashed, and then several explosions followed. Almost all the windows of the Huitong Hotel were shattered, and even the surrounding buildings suffered damage, with many windows broken. The whole street was in chaos, and things had gotten out of hand.
The armed police's assault rifles were powerful, but they found that the bullets had no effect on the armored men. The armored men's armor could easily stop the bullets. They charged forward fearlessly, and then fired a shot with a flick of their wrist. The armed police were knocked away in groups of dozens. How could they withstand such an attack? In addition, without a commander, they were quickly routed, disarmed, and squatted on the ground with their heads in their hands.
Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao were ashen-faced, crying and shouting from the sidelines, "Stop! Stop! They're all on our side! On our side!" The two dared not approach; they had no armor, and if the armed police fired indiscriminately, they would be finished off in no time.
The armored men fought their way to the private room, and no one could stop them. Upon seeing the armored men, Chen Xinyu's bodyguards stepped aside to make way, and the lead armored man removed his armor and walked in. "Instructor Zhao, are you alright?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Hehe, so it's Wang Jin. You've been promoted now?" Wang Jin used to be Yang Shiqi's deputy squad leader when he was in the army. He had lived at Shunfeng Technology for a while. Judging from his rank insignia, he must be a company commander now.
Wang Jin said, "Yes, I am now a company commander thanks to Commander Yang's kind words. Commander Yang will be here shortly. Please wait a moment, Instructor Zhao." Yang Shiqi's special forces unit has developed into a division-level unit, not counting the hidden units. The total number of personnel has exceeded 10,000. The hardware configuration is not only top-notch in China, but also in the world. They can deploy helicopters almost at any moment. The number of newly modified helicopters in a division has reached a terrifying 100 or more, and the deployment speed is unparalleled.
Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao were speechless at this moment, as their identities were unknown and they had been detained by armored soldiers. These soldiers would not listen to any explanations from them, and if they said anything more, they were afraid that they would be shot dead. They could only obediently squat on the ground with their heads in their hands. As for the hotel security guards and plainclothes police officers, they were even more frightened and did not know where to hide.
"What... what's going on?" Guo Yang and Guo Gang exchanged a glance. It seemed that Zhao Qiang had a lot of influence. No wonder he had been so fearless.