Donna chuckled: "Zhao Qiang, I finally believe you, this is your territory."
Zhao Qiang said, "This is the most troublesome thing for me. Actually, this matter is very easy to solve."
Chen Xinyu said, "Alright, do you think I don't know your solution? It's nothing more than using your fists, but do you know that using your fists to talk to these officials as an ordinary person will only make things worse?"
Zhao Qiang stood up and looked at the chaotic scene outside the window. "It's already bad enough."
Chen Xinyu said, "But if it can solve the problem, you don't want to drag it out any longer, right?"
Zhao Qiang glanced at Guo Yang. "Yes, Uncle Guo can't wait any longer. He needs to resolve his inner conflict to be cured. Wang Jin, I'm giving you a task."
Wang Jin stepped forward and saluted: "Please give instructions, Instructor." Zhao Qiang used to be their instructor, and now everyone following Yang Shiqi calls him that.
"Bring Liu Mingzhen and his son here. If you don't know them, that's fine too. Go down and look for them. The Party Secretary and Mayor of Jiangquan City should be at the hotel. Have them take you to arrest them."
(Thanks to D**ID问天 for the 100-coin reward, and thanks to 梦想腾飞 and 小龍子 for the [2 images] monthly tickets)
Volume 2 [727] I'm Doomed
(First, I apologize: the character '卦' in Chapter 725 was mistakenly written as '褂'. I'm correcting it now, please forgive me, and thank you for your support.)
When Guo Yang heard Zhao Qiang give orders to Wang Jin, and Wang Jin solemnly saluted and obeyed, he asked Zhao Qiang in a low voice, "What kind of instructor are you? Xiao Su didn't tell me."
Zhao Qiang said, "She doesn't know much about it."
"Ah," Guo Yang found it hard to believe that Su Xiaosu, who should be deeply in love with Zhao Qiang, was actually quite unaware of his identity.
Donna said to Guo Yang, "Brother, don't worry. I met Zhao Qiang in America. You don't know as much about him as I do. He will definitely surprise you."
Guo Yang had no other choice, and besides, things were developing in a direction that was favorable to the Guo family, so he was naturally happy to see it happen.
Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao were quickly found by Wang Jin. The two were terrified and asked Wang Jin with trembling hands, "Which unit are you from? How can you act so arrogantly? This is a peaceful society, not the era of bandits." Although Secretary Gao's words were full of accusation, they lacked confidence and sounded ridiculous.
Wang Jin sneered: "Secretary Gao, is it? Don't try to reason with me. Even if your provincial party secretary came, you'd better be honest with us. You're saving your excuses to fool the people. Now I'll give you a chance. Take me to find Liu Mingzhen."
"Liu Mingzhen?" Mayor Chao asked doubtfully, "Are you saying this whole thing started because of him?"
Wang Jin said impatiently, "Why ask so many questions? Just do as I'm told." As Wang Jin spoke, two special forces soldiers stepped forward, dragged out Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao, and shouted sternly, "Lead the way!"
These guys are practically bandits! Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao have completely lost face. They haven't encountered anything like this since they were adults. But seeing the wounded armed police all over the place, they knew that disobeying orders would mean the same fate as those officers. These armored soldiers didn't care about their identities at all, which meant their background was unimaginably powerful.
"I...I'll call Liu Mingzhen and ask where he is," Secretary Gao demanded of Wang Jin, otherwise where would he find him?
Wang Jin said, "Hurry up and attack! I can wait, but the commander upstairs can't."
Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao didn't dare ask who the leader upstairs was. Secretary Gao immediately dialed a number, and Liu Mingzhen answered quickly. There was some noise on his end, and Secretary Gao asked him loudly, "Liu Mingzhen, where are you?"
Liu Mingzhen said, "Secretary Gao, I'm on my way. How's it going? I hope you can give me the results as soon as possible. I can wait, but Secretary Liu of the Provincial Party Committee can't." Liu Mingzhen was using Secretary Liu to pressure Secretary Gao of Jiangquan City.
Secretary Gao revealed a sinister smile: "Where are you? We'll come find you. There are some things we can't say over the phone."
Liu Mingzhen was taken aback: "What? Something happened? Where are you? I'll come over. How can I let Secretary Gao come looking for me?"
Secretary Gao said, "We are at the Huitong Hotel. It's a bit chaotic here, but you don't need to worry about it. Just tell the people outside your name and come in."
Liu Mingzhen said, "Okay, I'll be there in ten minutes. See you later." With that, Liu Mingzhen hung up the phone.
After putting down his phone, Secretary Gao said to Wang Jin, "You see, I've already sent him over, so we don't need to look for him anymore. Just tell the people outside to bring their men in whenever they hear his name."
Wang Jin nodded, and Mayor Chao took the opportunity to ask, "Sir, what is your name?"
Wang Jin ignored him, but Mayor Chao gave Secretary Gao a wink. Secretary Gao then stepped forward with a smile and said, "Sir, let me give you some inside information. We're all in the dark right now, and we'll never forget your great kindness."
Wang Jin said, "Why ask so many useless questions? Let me tell you, if even a hair on the head of that government is harmed, the country will skin you alive. Do you believe me?" Of course, Wang Jin knew how important Zhao Qiang was to the country. This importance had been proven by several bigwigs in the country through practice. Now they would not hesitate to protect Zhao Qiang without hesitation.
They wanted to ask more questions, but Wang Jin ignored them. Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao could only step aside. Not long after, special forces soldiers brought Liu Mingzhen over. Liu Mingzhen breathed a slight sigh of relief when she saw Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao. She said from afar, "Secretary Gao, what are you doing? Why are you treating me like a prisoner? I strongly protest! What's going on here? Why are these soldiers so strange?"
Secretary Gao said evasively, "Don't ask, this is the leader, he's looking for you."
Liu Mingzhen sized up Wang Jin: "Looking for me? I don't know him. Secretary Gao, what are you doing? Don't you respect Secretary Liu? Where's Zhao Qiang? And Deng Xiaofu? If something happens to me, none of you will escape responsibility." Liu Mingzhen was furious. Secretary Gao was clearly just going through the motions; this was a complete disregard for the opinions of the provincial leaders.
Wang Jin slapped Liu Mingzhen across the face, sending him spinning. He fell to the ground with a thud, dumbfounded. Lying there, he covered his face with one hand and pointed at Wang Jin with the other, shouting, "You, you, how dare you! I'm a People's Congress representative!"
Wang Jin stepped forward and stomped on Liu Mingzhen's arm, which was pointing at him, twisting it hard. Liu Mingzhen screamed like a pig being slaughtered. Wang Jin said, "Damn it, stop talking nonsense. Even if you were the King of Heaven, you'd better obediently take him upstairs."
At Wang Jin's command, someone carried Liu Mingzhen upstairs. Wang Jin beckoned to Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao, "You two come up too. The leader might have some questions for you in a bit. Don't say I didn't warn you beforehand. Tell the truth, or you'll be in trouble."
Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, we will definitely cooperate with the leader's investigation and tell you everything we know."
Everyone walked up to the private room in the hotel. A special forces soldier came over and whispered something in Wang Jin's ear. Wang Jin looked slightly surprised and said, "Let him come up with us. You're pretty quick. Did you take a private jet?"
The door to the private room creaked open, and Wang Jin entered, saluting, "Instructor, the person has been brought in. The leaders of Jiangquan City are waiting for your orders outside. Also, it seems that people from the Provincial Party Committee have arrived. They've moved very quickly; they must have taken advantage of our situation."
Zhao Qiang nodded. "Let them all come in."
As Liu Mingzhen was pushed in, he immediately sensed that something was amiss. Zhao Qiang and Guo Yang were sitting right in front of him, their presence almost painful to his eyes. How could this young Zhao Qiang not have seen through him? He actually had a powerful background in the military. It seemed that the officials in Jiangquan City were definitely not in control. He needed to find an opportunity to call Secretary Liu of the Provincial Party Committee. Liu Mingzhen thought to himself.
Zhao Qiang glanced at Liu Mingzhen and said, "Is there anything else you want to say?"
Liu Mingzhen said, "Of course I want to tell you, who exactly are you?"
Zhao Qiang said, "My name is Zhao Qiang. What, you still have illusions?"
Liu Mingzhen asked, "Then do you know who I am?"
Zhao Qiang shook his head: "I really don't know. Are you some kind of alien?"
Liu Mingzhen was taken aback: "You're very humorous, but this isn't funny. You may not care about the officials in Jiangquan City, but what about the people in the provincial party committee? Do you dare to lay a hand on them?" Liu Mingzhen had to bring up his bargaining chips, otherwise he knew the consequences; Zhao Qiang and Guo Yang would not let him off the hook.
Wang Jin leaned down and whispered in Zhao Qiang's ear, "Secretary Liu of the Provincial Party Committee is requesting an audience outside. I think he must be the backer of that kid Liu Mingzhen."
Zhao Qiang smiled and said, "Let Secretary Liu come in. After all, he is a high-ranking official in charge of a region. We can't be negligent towards him."
Zhao Qiang ignored Liu Mingzhen. Liu Mingzhen wanted to say a few more generous words, but suddenly saw two people enter the private room. One in front of the other was Secretary Liu of the Provincial Party Committee and his secretary. These two had indeed taken a special plane directly to Jiangquan City, otherwise they would not have even reached one-fifth of the journey yet. By the time they arrived, it would be too late.
Secretary Liu had never met Zhao Qiang before, but he had obtained a faxed photo from a friend in Beijing, so he recognized him as soon as he entered the room. With a forced smile, he extended his hand and walked towards Zhao Qiang, saying, "Mr. Zhao, hello, hello." Zhao Qiang didn't hold any official position at the moment, so it wasn't appropriate to use official jargon in his address.
Zhao Qiang shook hands with Secretary Liu lightly. The old man looked energetic and was a shrewd fellow; otherwise, he would never have reached his current position. Provincial Party Secretary—this was no small official. However, Zhao Qiang, who had never been afraid of even the central government's top brass, was naturally not intimidated.
"Secretary Liu, you've come all this way, thank you for your hard work," Zhao Qiang said.
Secretary Liu said, "It's no trouble at all, Mr. Zhao. I've heard so much about you." But this was a lie. Before receiving the faxed photos, Secretary Liu didn't really know much about Zhao Qiang. He had only vaguely heard some rumors, but the central government's information blockade was too tight, so he couldn't find out more. He didn't even know the other party's name.
Zhao Qiang said, "Secretary Liu, you flatter me. I wonder what instructions you have?"
Secretary Liu hurriedly said, "I wouldn't dare to give instructions. The Central Committee has already given me instructions regarding Mr. Zhao's matter, telling me to make sure that your requirements are met. That's why I came here specifically to see if there's anything Mr. Zhao is still dissatisfied with." Secretary Liu didn't mention that he had previously spoken to the leaders of Jiangquan City to severely punish Zhao Qiang.
Zhao Qiang remained silent. He would never bring up Liu Mingzhen's matter to Secretary Liu, as that would make him indebted to Secretary Liu. Zhao Qiang was not stupid.
Secretary Liu dared not wait any longer. Even special forces had been mobilized. If Secretary Liu did not take the initiative to assume responsibility and solve the problem, he was absolutely certain that Liu Mingzhen would not survive, and he himself might even be punished by the Central Committee.
“I heard that Mr. Zhao and the Guo family have quite a connection. This Guo Zhen seems to have some disputes with Qiushi Trading Company.” As he said this, Secretary Liu glared at Liu Mingzhen, who was standing dumbfounded to the side. Liu Mingzhen was truly dumbfounded at this moment. Even if he were blind, he could tell that Secretary Liu was fawning over Zhao Qiang. His biggest backer was speaking to the enemy in such a flattering tone, which meant that he was doomed.
Secretary Liu was very dissatisfied with Liu Mingzhen's performance. He glared at him, and his secretary behind him kicked Liu Mingzhen, saying, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and apologize to Mr. Zhao!"
Liu Mingzhen stumbled forward two steps and said to Secretary Liu, "Secretary Liu, I..."
Secretary Liu interrupted Liu Mingzhen: "What? Did you do something wrong? Let me tell you, Mr. Zhao is the most trusted figure in the Central Government. You'd better explain your sins clearly. Don't try to blame others or complain. It won't do you any good." Secretary Liu emphasized "explain your sins clearly." Even if Liu Mingzhen was deaf, he would understand that Secretary Liu was telling him to take responsibility for his sins and not make a big fuss, otherwise he would not benefit at all.
Volume 2 [728] Ending
Liu Mingzhen felt utterly dejected. He felt as if he were in Antarctica. The provincial party secretary, Liu, was no longer protecting him. Hadn't they agreed on things before? Why had he changed his mind again? Could it be that this Zhao Qiang was really so powerful that even the provincial party secretary was wary of him?
Liu Mingzhen didn't have much time to think. He was quite straightforward and immediately knelt down before Zhao Qiang. "Mr. Zhao, I deserve to die. I was blind. Please forgive me." Liu Mingzhen burst into tears. He knew a little bit about acting.
Zhao Qiang glared at Liu Mingzhen with some disgust: "What's the use of you treating me like this? You're not the one who's offended."
Liu Mingzhen immediately turned to Guo Yang and said, "Yangzi, I'm your Uncle Liu. It's all my fault. I caused your father to lose everything. I'll compensate him. For the sake of our two families' long-standing friendship, please beg your friend to let him not pursue this matter against me."
Guo Yang turned his face away, snorted, and said nothing. Liu Mingzhen knew that it was impossible to turn the situation around with just a few words, so he immediately went to beg Secretary Liu of the Provincial Party Committee. He crawled to Secretary Liu's side on his knees, hugged Secretary Liu's leg, and cried out, "Secretary Liu, I really didn't know Mr. Zhao had asked for help. I meant well but did something wrong. How could I have known that such a serious virus crisis had broken out in the United States? Actually, my original intention was to make more money with my old friends. Secretary Liu, please plead for me."
Liu Mingzhen knew that as long as Zhao Qiang relented and expressed his satisfaction, Secretary Liu would not pursue the matter further, given their established relationship. However, he had offended Zhao Qiang too much before, which was why he had turned to Secretary Liu for help.
Secretary Liu, with a businesslike expression, said, "Liu Mingzhen, you've been a people's representative for so many years, have you lost all your conscience? Tell us your criminal activities clearly, and we'll make everything clear today. Let me tell you, if you behave well, Mr. Zhao might spare your life. But if you dare to play tricks, I won't let you off the hook."
After being scolded by Secretary Liu, Liu Mingzhen realized that the key figures were still with Zhao Qiang and Guo Yang. Therefore, he had to give up the idea of going through Secretary Liu and knelt down in front of Guo Yang to recount how he had swindled Guo Zhen out of his money. However, he still defended himself at the end: "Yangzi, I really didn't mean any harm. I just saw that your father had money sitting idle and couldn't make use of it. But who knew that the American economy would collapse so quickly? It's true that man proposes, God disposes. But I will definitely make up for the money your father lost. Please believe me."
Guo Yang hadn't expected things to escalate to such a degree, even alarming the provincial party secretary. What surprised him even more was Zhao Qiang's identity. He felt that things should stop now, as further involvement would likely harm countless people. So, upon seeing Liu Mingzhen admit to his fraud, Guo Yang looked at Zhao Qiang.
Zhao Qiang did not imply that Guo Yang should agree to Liu Mingzhen's words. He said, "President Liu, you won't give up until you're completely convinced. Wang Jin, bring the person in." Zhao Qiang called out to the outside, and Wang Jin brought in a woman, Deng Xiaofu. Zhao Qiang knew that Liu Mingzhen would be arrested soon, so he had Jiu Wenlong bring Deng Xiaofu over. Only with witnesses and physical evidence could the matter be truly resolved. Otherwise, Secretary Liu of the Provincial Party Committee would gossip behind his back about his autocratic behavior.
Deng Xiaofu was very pleased with herself. She was glad she had made that choice. If she were still with Liu Mingzhen, she would probably be in jail. So when she saw Liu Mingzhen, her first words were: "I have found evidence of your crimes. You can wait to go to jail."
Liu Mingzhen looked at the woman who had once shared a bed with him but whose dreams were not his own, "You, you, how could you do this?" Liu Mingzhen absolutely believed Deng Xiaofu's words. Didn't he know perfectly well what he had done? And he hadn't been on guard against Deng Xiaofu much. In fact, most of the things were handled by Deng Xiaofu. It would be easy for her to testify against him.
Deng Xiaofu smiled and said to Liu Mingzhen, "Can't I abandon darkness and embrace the light?"
Secretary Liu said, "Comrade Deng Xiaofu, welcome! We have always welcomed comrades who have abandoned darkness for light. Just speak frankly about what's on your mind. As the provincial party secretary, I guarantee you that no one will dare to retaliate against you."
Deng Xiaofu then realized that the person in front of her was the provincial party secretary. In fact, she didn't know much about the progress of the whole incident, but she had seen that Liu Mingzhen had completely collapsed. Even the powerful backer that Liu Mingzhen had secretly told her about in the past no longer supported Liu Mingzhen. At this time, she should kick him while he was down. It would be too unwise to get mixed up with Liu Mingzhen again.
Deng Xiaofu stepped forward excitedly and grasped the hand of the provincial party secretary. "With Secretary Liu's words, I feel much more at ease," she said. Deng Xiaofu was genuinely afraid of retaliation from the people of Jiangquan City, since if she spoke up, half of Jiangquan City's leaders would have to step down.
Secretary Liu glanced at Zhao Qiang, a smug look on his face, and said, "Protecting vulnerable groups is something our government should do. Do you have evidence of Liu Mingzhen's crimes? Speak up boldly in front of so many people today. If he is guilty, we will convict him; if he is innocent, we will not wrong an innocent person." Secretary Liu then looked at Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao of Jiangquan City, "Don't you agree?"
Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao were already drenched in cold sweat, nodding repeatedly: "Secretary Liu is right."
Deng Xiaofu, carrying a woman's bag, unzipped it and took out a large roll of documents. "Secretary Liu, I'm giving you these. This is evidence of Liu Mingzhen's bribery over the years, as well as materials on his financial fraud. In order to operate more effectively in Jiangquan City, he spared no expense in bribing and corrupting a large number of state cadres. Even his position as a representative to the National People's Congress was bought with money. You must sentence him according to the law."
Secretary Liu solemnly accepted it, saying, "Comrade Deng Xiaofu, rest assured, I will definitely have someone investigate thoroughly."
Secretary Gao and Mayor Chao of Jiangquan City collapsed on the spot due to their weak legs.
The hospital had returned to quiet. Guo Yang's mother looked out the window anxiously. Her son, brother-in-law, and niece had all gone out. She wondered what was happening outside. If Guo Yang had an accident, it would only mean losing some money. But if something serious happened to her son, how would they survive?
There were noisy footsteps at the door, but they quieted down when they reached the outside of the ward. When Madam Guo opened the ward door, the first thing she saw was Liu Mingzhen, which startled her. "You, how did you get here?" she asked angrily. This was the Guo family's sworn enemy.
"Sister-in-law, I've come to apologize to Lao Guo." Liu Mingzhen looked dejected. He never imagined he would end up like this. He was already guilty, but he still had to act like a coward and apologize. He did it for no other reason than that if he didn't, someone would beat him up right away, and in front of the provincial party secretary. Liu Mingzhen used to be an unruly person in Jiangquan City. He was used to being arrogant and unrestrained, but now he could only be arrogant and unrestrained by others.
Guo Zhen, lying in his hospital bed, suddenly shouted, "Give me my money back!"
Liu Mingzhen was startled. "I will pay you back, I will definitely pay you back. Even if I don't pay back others, I will pay back yours first, Lao Guo." Liu Mingzhen didn't have much cash, but he owned several properties. Selling his houses and other assets to pay off some debts would be a piece of cake. However, Liu Mingzhen had never even considered selling his houses before. Now that his life was in danger, what use were the houses?
Guo Yang walked to his father's bedside and said, "Dad, don't dwell on this anymore. Liu Mingzhen is despicable, but he will be punished now. Just focus on getting better. Only when you're healthy can you wait to hold your grandson."
Guo Zhen jumped up from the hospital bed: "Yangzi, you have a girlfriend? Is it that Miss Su you mentioned before?"
Guo Yang glanced outside the ward and said, "Dad, it's not her. But I promise you, I'll bring my girlfriend back to meet you soon. But you have to promise me you'll get well soon and not get angry or upset over such trivial things."
Guo Zhen nodded repeatedly, and said to Liu Mingzhen, who was standing in the corner carefully serving him, "Do you really admit that you cheated me out of my money?"