Xu Zhengyang waved his hand, telling Wang Yonggan to step down.
While Ding Changri's thoughts and excuses weren't entirely wrong, ultimately, it was his own greed that was at play. Ask around in Haixia City, and everyone knows that Ding Changri is so extravagant that he astounds everyone, living a life like an emperor.
Wu Juan ultimately couldn't settle down to relax in Haixia City for a few days. Since the chairman firmly disagreed with cooperating with the Far East Group, Wu Juan had no choice but to comply. The company's operations couldn't function without her, and because the cooperation agreement with the Far East Group had changed, she had to rush back to Beijing to make the necessary arrangements. The next day, Wu Juan left Haixia City by plane.
For Wu Juan, she had never done anything so dishonest before; keeping her word has always been a fundamental principle in running her logistics company. If a logistics company loses its credibility in its dealings with clients, it's not far from bankruptcy.
In particular... just how influential is the Far East Group?
Fortunately, before leaving, Xu Zhengyang said to her, "I know you're in a difficult position, but don't refuse directly. We can still delay the cooperation. It won't be long."
What does "not long" mean?
Wu Juan seemed to have a vague idea of what was going on, but she didn't dare to ask.
When Ding Changri learned from his secretary that Wu Juan had arrived in Haixia City but hadn't gone to the Far East Group headquarters to discuss cooperation, instead going to consult Chairman Xu Zhengyang first, he became suspicious. It was unusual that Xu Zhengyang was in Haixia City without informing Ding Changri.
Logically, since Xu Zhengyang accepted the benefits and the conversation that day was relatively amicable, he should have come to Haixia City to discuss the next steps with Ding Changri.
Perhaps he wanted to learn about the Far East Group in Haixia City first, and then wait for Wu Juan to arrive so they could discuss cooperation together.
That evening, Ding Changri called Xu Zhengyang:
"Brother Xu, it's unacceptable that you arrived in Haixia without informing me!"
"Well, I'm just out having some fun, so I won't bother Mr. Ding any longer."
"You're being too polite. How about this? Tomorrow, I'll arrange for someone to pick you up and bring you over. I heard that Mr. Wu visited you first. Why don't you both come over together? I'll make sure you're all well taken care of. How about that? Let me, as the host, show you some hospitality."
Xu Zhengyang smiled and said, "There are some urgent matters at the company that need to be dealt with, so I have arranged for General Manager Wu to return to Beijing early tomorrow morning. After things are settled in a few days, I will personally visit General Manager Ding."
"Oh, is that so?" Ding Changri was full of doubts, but said politely, "Alright, brother, don't be so polite. I'll stay at the company these days and wait for your arrival."
"You're too kind..."
...
It's probably because they're using someone else's methods and are indebted to them that they're causing trouble, right?
Xu Zhengyang admired Ding Changri from the bottom of his heart. Regardless of whether he took the wrong path or committed crimes, he was able to climb from a nobody to the top of the social pyramid and become a celebrity. He was no ordinary person. Moreover, he was able to gain such a good reputation in the local area. How many people can do that?
This is completely different from the nature of criminal gangs.
At least in Xu Zhengyang's eyes, he wouldn't feel too much disgust for this kind of person.
How was it supposed to be? There was even a hint of mutual respect between us; we were both crabs who crawled ashore from the ditch. It's just a pity… you broke the law, you committed a crime.
Xu Zhengyang originally didn't want to use unconventional methods to help speed up the investigation and wanted to stay out of it. However, the thought that Ding Changri actually wanted to drag him and the Li family into the mess was truly despicable, and it made Xu Zhengyang furious.
So Xu Zhengyang called Li Ruiqing and told him to stop arguing and to take everyone into custody. He could investigate any missing evidence later.
Li Ruiqing said no. This case is too far-reaching; if we act blindly, some people will slip through the net.
"Not a single one will be missed."
Xu Zhengyang gave this statement.
Li Ruiqing felt relieved. Well, with Xu Zhengyang's words, what did he have to worry about? It was true that he didn't want the gods to get involved in the case, but if the gods were just helping out, that would naturally be a good thing.
As a result, the investigation team immediately accelerated its progress.
However, none of them expected that Ding Changri's strength had reached an astonishing level.
Just as preparations were underway, Ding Changri received news that three days after speaking with Xu Zhengyang on the phone, he and his family had boarded a plane and left the country.
In fact, after speaking with Xu Zhengyang on the phone, Ding Changri had a premonition that something was wrong.
Ding Changri was a smart man. He suddenly realized that he shouldn't listen to other people's opinions. He thought that he was also making a rash decision in his desperation. At this critical moment, trying to win over and bribe Xu Zhengyang would only force them to act quickly, in order to prevent them from giving him a handle to use against him.
It seems that Xu Zhengyang must have received some instructions from the Li family.
No sooner had Ding Changri and his family left than the special task force and investigation team entered Haixia City. Police officers directly dispatched by the Provincial Public Security Department sealed off the headquarters of the Far East Group and Ding Changri's usual office location—Zhuge, a seven-story red building whose interior was as luxurious as any top-tier club.
The speed of the operation was beyond even Li Ruiqing's expectations. Moreover, the Li family members who were originally in charge of the case had to be replaced at the last minute amidst public outcry. What's even more puzzling is that the task force's speed was so remarkable that Ding Changri was able to get wind of it in advance and flee abroad.
On the day of the incident, after receiving the call, Xu Zhengyang scoffed and said, "What's there to doubt? It's obvious; someone inside leaked the information."
Xu Zhengyang hadn't expected this either; otherwise, he would have kept Wang Yonggan by Ding Changri's side at all times.
It is worth mentioning that because the task force acted too quickly and did not notify the relevant departments in Haixia City, it was unusually obstructed by the Haixia City Customs, the Public Security Bureau, and even relevant personnel of the city government, as well as by employees of the Far East Group during the execution.
Although it was quickly and forcefully suppressed, the task force continued its work swiftly and decisively.
Upon learning the news, Xu Zhengyang immediately arranged for Wang Yonggan to follow them and monitor their work.
Thus, Xu Zhengyang was the first to learn news that infuriated him...
The cooperation agreements signed between Jinghui Logistics Company and Far East Group were naturally discovered. Moreover, Ding Changri had people prepare various contract texts for the joint venture with Jinghui Logistics Company to establish an international maritime logistics company. Ding Changri also had records showing that he gave Xu Zhengyang a VIP gold card of Youfu Club worth more than two million yuan, and gave Li Bingjie a jewelry necklace worth nearly one million yuan.
Yes, Ding Changri, who fled in a panic like a stray dog, deliberately left these things behind.
He's angry!
Who would willingly give up everything they've painstakingly built up? Although he possesses an astonishing amount of wealth, the Far East Group's assets in Haixia City that it cannot take with it are also extremely substantial.
All of this was orchestrated by someone in the shadows.
Volume 5, Spirit Official, Chapter 275: We Have No Choice But to Intervene
The investigation is proceeding smoothly and under strict confidentiality.
More than a month later, whether it was due to someone deliberately leaking the news or because the news that Ding Changri, who had arrived in Canada as a tourist, had his tourist visa expired and filed for refugee status was exposed by overseas media, the domestic authorities were forced to disclose this smuggling case that shocked the world ahead of schedule.
Based on the results of the investigation, which are not yet fully clear, the Far East Group is suspected of smuggling and evading taxes totaling at least 30 billion yuan; however, the specific number and list of relevant officials will not be released at this time.
In the early stages of the investigation, the main focus was on investigating key personnel of the relevant companies and officials involved in the case, based on the list provided in a whistleblower letter from several months prior.
The results of the surprise investigation, which took only a month to complete, were shocking.
Whether it's the amount of smuggling and tax evasion involved, or the number and rank of the officials involved, it can be said that it is second to none since the founding of the People's Republic of China, or even in any country in the world!
However, due to the deliberate arrangement of certain individuals, Li's son-in-law, Xu Zhengyang, did not receive much attention, and no one at Jinghui Logistics Company was even questioned. Because… in the rural saying from Xu Zhengyang's hometown, it's like: "The mouse is carrying a wooden shovel; the big end is at the back."
Actually, after Ding Changri fled abroad, Xu Zhengyang was annoyed by the things Ding Changri left behind. However, he later thought that those contracts, including agreements and shareholding contracts that had not yet been implemented and were only in the planning stage without any formal negotiations, were just empty pieces of paper and did not represent anything at all.
As the saying goes, "If you're upright, you have nothing to fear; what's there to be afraid of?"
However, Ding Changri's escape made Xu Zhengyang secretly curse Li Ruiqing in his heart: "See, you didn't want me to get involved, fine, I won't care, you guys handle it, and now you've let him get away with it? Sigh..."
This was naturally not said directly to Li Ruiqing.
Without him saying it, Li Ruiqing was extremely annoyed, but not because of Xu Zhengyang and Jinghui Logistics Company’s dealings with Ding Changri’s Far East Group, because everyone knew they had just met; Li Ruiqing also did not regret his previous decision not to let Xu Zhengyang get involved.
Relevant national departments have already negotiated with the Canadian government, demanding the immediate arrest and repatriation of Ding Changri. However, the Canadian side has repeatedly delayed the process with various excuses.
As things unfolded, just as Xu Zhengyang had predicted, no one bothered him.
Xu Zhengyang didn't want to worry about these things. The deed was done, and he could leave it to the relevant departments to handle. He didn't have the time or the inclination at the moment. He also stubbornly ignored it and focused on his own affairs.
After leaving Haixia City, Xu Zhengyang returned to his hometown for a few days before heading to Jingniang Lake Scenic Area, where he stayed in a villa at a resort he owned. While seemingly enjoying a quiet and carefree life, he was actually undisturbed and began arranging the City God Temples in various locations. The City God Temples established in seven or eight cities across Nanhai, Tibet, Zhonghai City, and Haixia City during his month-long honeymoon were like seeds sown in haste; they required careful nurturing and cultivation to sprout, blossom, and bear fruit.
He now urgently needs these City God Temples to flourish and bear fruit, because he desperately needs more faith.
Based on Li Haidong's suggestion and Xu Zhengyang's own experience over the years, they formulated more detailed regulations for the discipline of the City God's Ghost Messengers.
For example, the ability of ghost messengers to enforce the law is limited, and they cannot privately punish living people in dreams; only those who are evil and have aroused public wrath, whose character, morality, and conscience are so corrupt that people curse them and pray for divine retribution, should be punished. The punishment is not to enter their dreams to carry out torture with a soul-beating ruler, but to force them to suffer the punishment corresponding to their evil deeds.
For example, you could make him bang his head against a wall, get burned, or go crazy, etc.
Given the strict requirements of Lord Xu Zhengyang, the ghost messengers need to present a vague image before punishing such people. This allows those who have been harmed by evildoers, those who have cursed them, and those who have prayed to Heaven for retribution to receive a kind of revelation—not a clear revelation, but an ambiguous foreshadowing—that the scoundrels they hate will suffer retribution.
The reason for this action is to eliminate people's fear of ghosts and gods.
Xu Zhengyang did not want people's reverence for gods to turn into utter fear, but rather hoped that people would know that these gods, who exist in the unseen realm, are truly benevolent and will not interfere in their ordinary secular lives.
Only when a person commits numerous evil deeds will they be punished.
Although Li Haidong still felt this was inappropriate, he dared not offer any rebuttal, only suggesting that such wicked people should ultimately be punished by human law.
Xu Zhengyang agreed.
Under the current circumstances, the efficiency of the City God's office cannot be improved in the short term. When all the ghost messengers encounter matters that require consultation with their superiors, even if they are thousands of miles away, they have to contact the City God through their ghost messenger tokens. This is a bit troublesome, and Xu Zhengyang does not want to do everything himself.
If enough divine power were available to create a divine artifact similar to the City Scroll and hand it over to Li Haidong, then Xu Zhengyang wouldn't need to worry so much.
Now, whenever Xu Zhengyang receives a work report, he can only use the ghost messenger token to contact either Li Haidong or Su Peng, who travels between the various City God Temples to conduct inspections and work, and ask one of them to rush to the scene of the incident to deal with the situation.
With the busy farming season in May over, the weather is getting hotter and hotter.
Xu Zhengyang became even more reluctant to go out.
My wife and I spend our days relaxing at the mountain resort nestled by the lake in the Jingniang Lake Scenic Area, enjoying a comfortable and relaxing stay.
Of course, beneath this seemingly leisurely and carefree existence lay Xu Zhengyang's relentless work day and night. He had ample energy to carry out his tasks. During his normal work hours, he would share a comfortable life with his wife, occasionally accompanying her to visit her parents in Shuanghe Village, or entertaining his elderly parents and Jiang Lan who were visiting...
Every night, after the two of them had made love and were in each other's arms, Li Bingjie would fall asleep, and Xu Zhengyang's consciousness would enter the City God's Mansion to monitor the progress of all the work in the various parts of the City God's Mansion, as well as Li Haidong's methods and mentality in handling affairs, etc.
The duties of a deity are certainly not an easy job.
One morning around 10 a.m., a light drizzle was falling from the sky.
Xu Zhengyang and Li Bingjie strolled along the Jingniang Lake dam, umbrellas in hand, admiring the picturesque scenery. Just as Xu Zhengyang was about to suggest going back to get his guqin (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument) and have Li Bingjie play a tune, Li Ruiqing called:
"Zhengyang, there's something I want to ask you."
"What is it?" Xu Zhengyang asked, somewhat puzzled, because he could tell that Li Ruiqing's tone was very serious.
"When you were in Haixia City, you asked me to arrange for the swift arrests and interrogations of Far East International Group in their smuggling case, right?"
"That's right."
"Think carefully, who have you told this message to?"
Xu Zhengyang was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "I didn't tell anyone. You all didn't want me to get involved, so I ignored you."
“The problem is…” Li Ruiqing sighed and said, “Ding Changri knew the news in advance and fled overseas. This suspicion of leaking the information might fall on us.”
"Nonsense, it was clearly your superiors who did it, and it involves many officials, doesn't it?" Xu Zhengyang sneered.
Li Ruiqing said in a deep voice, "Very few people know that the task force has arrived in Haixia City."
“The fewer the cases, the easier it is to find out who it is,” Xu Zhengyang said.
“Now the suspicions are with you and with me.” Li Ruiqing sighed and said, “Maybe in a few days I’ll want to talk to you on the phone. But I’m afraid I won’t have the chance.”
"Hmm?" Xu Zhengyang's heart skipped a beat. "Someone has set a trap!"
As he spoke, Xu Zhengyang handed the umbrella handle to Li Bingjie, whose face showed some worry. He patted her delicate shoulder and smiled to reassure her that everything was alright. Then, he gently stepped into the rain and walked to the side. Li Bingjie, being very considerate, stood still, holding the umbrella, silently watching Xu Zhengyang's figure as he walked through the drizzle, his head slightly bowed, phone in hand.