Watching Ye Qian and Li Wei swagger out, Ouyang Cheng gritted his teeth and snorted angrily, muttering to himself, "Dare to threaten me? Sooner or later, I'll make sure you die miserably."
After a moment of silence, Ouyang Cheng remembered he had forgotten to ask them where they had taken his beloved Meili. Thinking of the sexy young woman, he couldn't help but feel aroused. He searched the villa for a while and finally found her in the bathroom, wearing only a thin, gauzy nightdress, unconscious on the floor with most of her white thighs exposed. Despite countless encounters with her, Ouyang Cheng still couldn't help but feel a surge of desire whenever he saw her. Swallowing hard, he walked over and woke her up.
After leaving Ouyang Cheng's private villa prepared for his mistress, Li Wei couldn't contain his curiosity any longer and asked, "Boss, you don't really plan to cooperate with him, do you?"
"What do you think?" Ye Qian asked indifferently.
"Of course not. Someone like him isn't worth your time," Li Wei laughed.
Giving Li Wei an exasperated look, Ye Qian handed him the documents containing evidence of Ouyang Cheng's bribery and misuse of government projects, along with the sex tapes, and said, "You'll have to make another trip tonight and give these to someone."
Sometimes, Ye Qian really couldn't understand why officials liked to meticulously document their bribes, keeping clear records. Didn't they worry about the disciplinary committee finding them? But then again, as long as they were in power, who would investigate them? And how many officials in China weren't corrupt?
"Who should I give them to?" Li Wei asked.
Ye Qian smiled and whispered a few instructions into Li Wei's ear.
Early the next morning, Li Hao received a call from Wang Ping, asking him to come to his house immediately. Li Hao was slightly puzzled, sensing something important had happened from Wang Ping's tone. His current position was largely thanks to Wang Ping's support, and within the political factions of SH City, Li Hao was considered one of Wang Ping's loyalists. After hanging up, Li Hao wasted no time and drove over.
When he arrived at Wang Ping's home, he found Wang Ping sitting solemnly on the sofa with a thick stack of documents on the coffee table. "Vice Secretary Wang!" Li Hao greeted respectfully.
"Oh, Li Hao, you're here. Sit down," Wang Ping said warmly. He had always appreciated Li Hao for his drive and respectfulness, having personally mentored him. Among the political factions in SH City, Wang Ping's faction was the smallest, and Li Hao was considered a trusted ally.
After a servant served tea and discreetly left, Li Hao took a sip and asked, "Vice Secretary Wang, you called me urgently. Did something happen?"
Wang Ping nodded slightly and asked, "Li Hao, do you have a brother named Ye Qian?"
Li Hao was taken aback. Few people knew this, aside from his childhood friends and a few colleagues at the substation. He wondered why Wang Ping was suddenly asking about Ye Qian. Had he gotten into trouble again? "Vice Secretary Wang, did something happen to my second brother?" Li Hao asked nervously.
"Yes," Wang Ping replied, "Tell me about Ye Qian."
Despite his anxiety about Ye Qian's situation, Li Hao calmed himself and began, "Ye Qian and I are both orphans adopted by our foster father. We were the closest among all the brothers. My second brother is straightforward and loyal. Knowing it was hard for our foster father to support us, he quit school early to work. Once, I inadvertently offended a gang leader and was beaten badly. My second brother couldn't swallow the insult and waited outside that gang leader's house for three days, finally stabbing him. Fortunately, the knife missed a vital spot; otherwise, the gang leader would have died. After recovering, the gang leader hunted for my brother, who fled SH City overnight and was gone for eight years. I only learned of his return a few days ago."
Wang Ping nodded, appreciating Ye Qian's character from a personal perspective. He then asked, "Where did he go during those eight years? What did he do?"
"I don't know," Li Hao said, shaking his head. "He never sent letters or called. We thought he might have been killed by that gang leader. It wasn't until recently, when our foster father called saying the district police had arrested him, that I knew he was back."
"Arrested by the district police? For what?" Wang Ping continued.
Li Hao recounted the incident of Ye Qian beating the coal mine boss from SX Province and then nervously asked, "Vice Secretary Wang, can you tell me what happened? Did my brother get into trouble again?"
Wang Ping nodded and said, "Yes, and it's serious. He's suspected of murdering a government official. The higher-ups have ordered a severe investigation, even instructing that he be shot on sight if he resists."
Li Hao collapsed onto the sofa, shocked. Murder, especially of a government official, was a capital offense in China. This wasn't like the previous incident with the coal mine boss that he could easily resolve. This was a criminal case, and even his intervention might not save Ye Qian.
"Don't worry too much. There's still room for maneuver. I believe he's being framed, and the people behind it are powerful. Otherwise, there wouldn't be such a severe order from above," Wang Ping said, trying to comfort Li Hao.