Chapter 272

Huang Zhen arrived very quickly, a jeep speeding forward, followed by two large military trucks packed with over a hundred armed police officers. After getting out of the car, Huang Zhen scanned the surroundings before slipping into the sedan of the deputy director of the Security Bureau. His first words upon meeting were, “Lao Yang, I hope your information this time is accurate.” The deputy director, surnamed Yang, opened his small eyes slightly and said, “What are you saying, Brother Huang? Our Security Bureau will never make the same mistake twice.” “Hehe!” Huang Zhen felt relieved and laughed, “I still trust you this time. I hope you won’t disappoint me. Otherwise, you’d better find a good excuse to explain to the Central Committee and Mr. Du.” Deputy Director Yang frowned, cursing inwardly that Huang Zhen was trying to pressure him by mentioning the Central Committee and Mr. Du. With a cold laugh, he said, “Don’t overpromise. We’ve found the person, but whether we can catch them depends on you.” Huang Zhen chuckled and said, “Let’s do our best together!” Seeing that the soldiers below were ready, he and Deputy Director Yang got out of the car. At Huang Zhen’s command, at least thirty armed soldiers rushed toward the hotel entrance. Huang Zhen took the lead—he was more anxious than anyone else, as pressure from above was mounting. If he didn’t find Peng Shulin to give an explanation to the Central Committee, he doubted he could keep his position as division commander. Deputy Director Yang wasn’t slow either; firstly, he wasn’t confident about the cunning Xie Wendong, and secondly, he wanted to claim credit too. If Peng Shulin was indeed found, being on the scene would ensure he got at least as much recognition as Huang Zhen. With their own ulterior motives, the two rushed through the gate straight to the front desk. The group, consisting of both military personnel and civilians, startled the doorman. Just as he tried to stop them, a soldier pushed his hand against his face and shoved him hard, causing him to fall to the ground. Deputy Director Yang rushed to the front desk first and politely asked the receptionist, “Miss, was there a group of people who just came in, including one wearing a black cloth over their head?” While he was polite, Huang Zhen’s soldiers were not—they held their guns, looking fierce, as if ready to shoot at any moment. The girl nodded blankly and stammered, “Y-yes… there was such a group who went… went upstairs.”

Deputy Director Yang let out a sigh of relief and looked at Huang Zhen triumphantly, as if to say, “Well?!” Huang Zhen had no time for him. He grabbed the receptionist’s shoulder without any hesitation, pulled her close to himself, and asked in a deep voice, “Which floor did they go to? Which room? How long have they been up there? How many people are there in total? If you dare lie to me, hehe…” As he spoke, he drew his pistol. With a barrage of questions, under the threat of the gun’s muzzle, the receptionist mustered all her strength to utter a few words: “They… went to room 532…” Before she could finish, her eyes rolled back, her legs gave way, and she fainted.

“Tch!” Huang Zhen stamped his foot, thinking to himself how cowardly this woman was. He handed the unconscious receptionist to the soldiers below and divided his men into two groups—one taking the elevator, the other climbing the stairs. At that moment, he heard countless soldiers rushing into the lobby. The front desk manager, not understanding what was going on, had just stepped out of his office when two soldiers knocked him to the ground without hesitation. Upon reaching the fifth floor, Huang Zhen caught a cleaning staff member and asked for the location of room 532.

Led by him and Deputy Director Yang, they quickly surrounded the room’s entrance. Huang Zhen selected two of the strongest soldiers and gave them some gestures indicating they should break down the door. The two nodded, stretched their muscles, stepped back a few paces, and prepared to charge. Huang Zhen raised his hand high to signal the others to get ready. Thirty soldiers stood with their backs to the wall, ready to storm in as soon as the door opened.

Huang Zhen checked the time and felt it was time. He suddenly slammed his palm down. The two soldiers took a deep breath, let out a grunt, and charged forward with their shoulders against the dark-colored door. With a loud thud, the door broke open, and Huang Zhen and Deputy Director Yang, who were at the forefront, rushed in like arrows, each holding a pistol. They fired two shots at the ceiling first and shouted, “Everyone, stay still!”

There were people in the room, but not as many as Huang Zhen had expected—only two. One thing was certain: neither of them was Peng Shulin. When he and Deputy Director Yang saw the two people on the bed, their minds went blank, and they stood there stunned. The people on the bed were also shocked, staring at Huang Zhen with wide eyes, then at Deputy Director Yang whose face had turned purplish. Time seemed to stand still; no one spoke, not knowing what to say.

The soldiers behind did not know what was inside and rushed in. Upon entering, what greeted their eyes was a rather explicit scene. On the bed, a woman of extraordinary beauty was half-naked, looking around in panic. Though her arms were crossed over her chest, they could not hide her exposed form. Next to her was a middle-aged man in his fifties with a greasy face, who was now completely stunned on the bed. “This… this isn’t Chen…” One of the soldiers recognized the middle-aged man on the bed and cried out in shock.

Before he could finish speaking, Huang Zhen covered his mouth with his hand. His face turned deathly pale, and he whispered, “All of you, get the hell out!”

Hearing this, the soldiers wilted like frost-bitten eggplants, hanging their heads as they quietly left the room. After all the soldiers had gone, Huang Zhen turned his back to the man on the bed and said, “Chen… Governor Chen, I’m sorry for the intrusion. I’ll wait outside.” Then he pulled the still dazed Deputy Director Yang out of the room.

As soon as they stepped outside, he swung his fist and punched them both, furious enough to make his teeth itch, and cursed loudly, “Old Yang! Didn’t you say Peng Shulin was here? Where the hell is he? Huh?” After taking a few deep breaths, he continued, “We’re so great—we even managed to… Governor Chen! I’ve really been screwed over this time. Wait, I’m not done with you!”

A provincial governor caught having an affair—yet Huang Zhen showed no trace of joy. While this wasn’t a major incident enough to oust a governor, it was a matter of face for him. Being caught in front of so many soldiers meant that even if he said nothing now, he wouldn’t let it go in the future. Huang Zhen knew his days ahead would be tough.

It would have been fine if he hadn’t spoken, but his outburst angered Deputy Director Yang as well. He shouted, “Huang Zhen, do you have any shame left? Now it’s my fault? Who dragged our Security Bureau into this? Who pulled me down? Without you, would we have had to run around gathering information these past few days? Would we have had to take such huge risks?” The two of them cursed at each other fiercely.

Suddenly, the door opened. The middle-aged man, now fully dressed, walked out of the room, showing no sign of panic, his face indifferent as he said, “You two, coming out so late to arrest people… really, hard work on your part. Fine, go ahead and arrest them properly!” With a gloomy expression, he passed by them.

“Governor Chen, it’s not what you think. This… that… oh…” Huang Zhen and Deputy Director Yang looked embarrassed, trying to say more but stammering for a long time without getting their words out. By then, the governor had already left by elevator. Huang Zhen stamped his foot and shouted at the soldiers standing there in shock, “What are you still doing here? Get lost!”
The group slowly came down the stairs. They had entered with great pomp, but now they all looked dejected. A young man wearing sunglasses sitting in the lobby saw them leave the hotel, smirked, took out his phone, and said, “Brother Dong, your gift has been safely delivered!”
Xie Wendong was sitting in the car, smoking leisurely. The sedan was parked by the roadside, with a car from the Security Bureau parked not far behind. After answering the phone, his smile grew even wider. He rolled down the window, flicked the cigarette butt away, swung his arm casually a few times, patted the driver’s shoulder, and said, “Drive.” “Where to?” “Back to the villa!” The driver replied and slowly started the engine, heading toward the villa.
There was no conversation along the way. By the time he returned to the villa, Li Shuang, Gao Qiang, and the others had already arrived and were sitting together discussing something. When they saw Xie Wendong return, Li Shuang stood up and said, “It’s a shame you weren’t there, Brother Dong. You missed seeing Huang Zhen’s face turn all colors.”
Xie Wendong took off his coat, relaxed, and flopped onto the sofa, laughing. “I may not have seen it, but I can imagine! He’s just a division commander—compared to a governor, there’s a huge difference. This time he’s really angered Old Chen; he’s in for a tough time ahead.”
Li Shuang shook his head and said, “Although Brother Dong’s idea was good, it’s a pity to give such a beautiful girl like Shu Xiaomei to an old jerk.”
Li Shuang kicked him in the buttocks and joked, “What, you’re not willing to let her go?” Li Shuang nodded seriously and complained, “It would be a lie to say I’m not worried!”
Li Shuang, with experience, said, “Some women are only good for looking at from afar. Give up—Shu Xiaomei isn’t right for you. If it’s just for fun, it’s okay, but if you try to keep her, you’ll end up with a mistress sooner or later.” Li Shuang was upset and snapped, “Why all these explanations? It seems like you know a lot about this!”
Xie Wendong smiled narrowly, glanced around to see that everyone was there, then changed the subject and said, “I’ve decided to leave the day after tomorrow. First, I’ll go to DL, and then transfer to Shanghai.”

Gao Qiang and Jiang Sen had heard Xie Wendong mention it before, so they didn’t find it strange. But the others were different. San Yan asked, “The day after tomorrow? Brother Dong, isn’t this a bit hasty?” Xie Wendong nodded. “It is a bit hasty, but this trip to DL might take a few days. If we don’t prepare in advance, what if something changes in Shanghai? We’d be caught off guard.”

Li Shuang frowned. “If we sort out matters at home, there will be less than two days left—probably not enough!” Gao Qiang rolled his eyes and said, “If you think there’s not enough time, you don’t have to go. No one’s forcing you.” Li Shuang’s face turned red as he glared at Gao Qiang for a while before forcing out, “I’ve never met anyone more annoying than you!” He then turned to Xie Wendong and said, “Brother Dong, don’t worry. I’ll definitely take care of everything in the gang by the day after tomorrow.” “Mm!” Xie Wendong nodded. Looking at these brothers who had shared life and death with him, he felt emotional and sighed, “Actually, I hope none of you have to come with me. Nan Hongmen is no ordinary gang; fighting them is too risky.”

San Yan chuckled and said, “Brother Dong, don’t worry about us. We’ve faced all kinds of challenges together. What’s so scary about a mere Nan Hongmen?!”

Nan Hongmen might not be terrifying in itself, Xie Wendong said. “The real fear is that they have solidified their power in the south, while we’re just an outside gang. Whether it’s the local government or other gangs, it’s hard to get them to side with us.” Xie Wendong’s concerns weren’t unfounded—advantageous location and support from the locals gave a decisive edge to either side in battle. When Xie Wendong first took control of City H, his gang was still in its infancy, far behind groups like Hun Zou and Meng Hu Bang. He was able to defeat and drive them away largely thanks to these advantages. Now that the situation had changed, he naturally considered this factor as well.

San Yan touched the platinum ring on his finger and said slowly, “Brother Dong, money can do wonders. As long as we’re willing to invest, I think it’s not a problem to bring in one or two local gangs. Once we’re established, it’ll be much harder for Nan Hongmen to drive us away.” Xie Wendong smiled. It seemed San Yan was becoming smarter, knowing how to use the sharpest weapon in the world—money. He nodded. “Exactly. That’s what I was thinking too.” Checking the time, it was already late at night. He stood up and said, “Everyone’s worked hard all night. There’s still a lot to handle tomorrow. Let’s go back and rest.”

After hearing this, everyone got up and went back to their homes to sleep. Li Shuang and Gao Qiang found it even more convenient, so they simply stayed behind and decided to spend the night at the villa. Xie Wendong suddenly remembered something and asked, “By the way, have they found Li Yingnan?” Upon hearing this, Sanyan felt overwhelmed and took advantage of everyone’s shock to slip away quickly. Li Shuang shook his head and said with a pained expression, “The guys down there are still searching, but there’s still no news. I think she might not be in City H anymore!!!”
“Not in City H?” Xie Wendong frowned and asked, “Did she have any money on her?” Li Shuang shook his head. “Does she have any relatives or friends in City H?” Li Shuang shook his head again. “I doubt it. Otherwise, they would have come looking for her already.” “If she has no money or friends, how could she leave City H?” Xie Wendong sat on the sofa, lost in thought.
Li Shuang’s face turned red as he scratched his head and asked softly, “Then, Brother Dong, should I go look too?” “No need!” Xie Wendong said. “Everyone has their own fate. If she wants to leave, what good is it to bring her back? If she wants to come back, she will eventually return.” After saying that, he stretched and added, “Everyone, go to bed. Tomorrow might be a nice day!”