Chapter 1358
The whole city is frantically searching for Luo Fei!
The highest levels of government have expressed serious concern about this matter!
He deliberately emphasized the words "highest level," each word like a heavy hammer blow to Zhong Baoyu's eardrums.
"I demand that you, and the Dongguan City Public Security Bureau, utilize all available resources and spare no expense to locate Comrade Luo Fei as quickly as possible and ensure his absolute safety! I want to see efficiency and results! Do you understand?"
Cold sweat was already trickling down Zhong Baoyu's forehead. He quickly nodded into the phone, even though the other person couldn't see him.
"Understood! Completely understood! Director Lei, please rest assured, our Dongguan police will go all out, even if it means turning every inch of Dongguan upside down, to give the National Security Bureau and our superiors an explanation!"
"Okay, I'll wait for your explanation."
After Lei Wanting finished speaking, he hung up the phone decisively.
Hearing the busy tone from the receiver, Zhong Baoyu held the phone for a long time before finally putting it down. He took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling that the back of his shirt was already soaked.
He knew that this was no longer an ordinary assistance in an investigation, but a political task that had to be completed within a limited time and could not be compromised.
The pressure felt like a mountain pressing down on him. Zhong Baoyu didn't dare to delay for a moment and immediately dialed the cell phone of Chen Yunfei, the captain of the criminal investigation detachment.
"Chief Chen, how's the case of Director Luo Fei's disappearance going?"
His voice was hurried.
Chen Yunfei on the other end of the phone was clearly in a highly tense working state, and the background noise could be heard from other criminal police officers discussing and typing on keyboards.
"Director Zhong, we are conducting a full investigation. The information we have so far is that Director Luo did indeed leave the airport arrival hall at around 3:20 pm the day before yesterday, and then took a taxi in the airport's private vehicle lane. Due to the angle and distance of the surveillance footage, the license plate number is very blurry, and the technical department is working hard to improve its identification."
"too slow!"
Zhong Baoyu said with dissatisfaction.
"Immediately expand the scope, retrieve surveillance footage from all intersections and shops around the airport, and conduct a comprehensive inquiry of all taxi companies in the city. You must find out which car he got into and where he went as soon as possible! Director Lei Wanting personally called to supervise this. Do you understand what this means?"
Chen Yunfei gasped on the other end of the phone and quickly replied.
"Yes, Director Zhong! I'll immediately send more people to handle this line as a priority!"
Zhong Baoyu rubbed his throbbing temples and added.
"Also, the central inspection team arrived in Dongguan today, and I'm going to a meeting with them right away. Director Luo Fei had his accident just as the inspection team arrived... tsk. I'll give you, and the municipal bureau 24 hours!"
I need to know Director Luo Fei's exact whereabouts within 24 hours!
This is a direct order!
After saying that, he hung up the phone without waiting for Chen Yunfei's reply, quickly tidied his clothes, and rushed to the municipal government building with his secretary.
Inside the conference room of the municipal government building, the atmosphere was solemn yet slightly reserved. Zhang Wenzhong, head of the central inspection team, sat at the head of the table, with the deputy head and other members seated on either side. Opposite them were the members of the Dongguan Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, led by Mayor Ding Guoliang. The meeting proceeded according to procedure. Ding Guoliang, on behalf of the municipal party committee and government, reported on Dongguan's recent work in economic development and social stability, and expressed his full cooperation with the inspection team.
Zhang Wenzhong listened to the report with a serious expression, occasionally jotting down a few notes in his notebook.
His gaze calmly swept across the faces of every local official present. His gaze wasn't sharp, yet it seemed to penetrate the surface, revealing something deeper. As the report neared its end, just as Ding Guoliang was preparing his concluding remarks, Zhang Wenzhong suddenly and gently closed his notebook, speaking in a voice low but loud enough for everyone to hear, as if casually asking a question.
"Mayor Ding, comrades, before I came here, I heard that a bureau chief in the national security system seems to have lost contact in your Dongguan area? I wonder if any of you are aware of this situation?"
Upon hearing this, the large conference room fell silent.
The air seemed to freeze, and even breathing became clearly audible.
Several officials showed barely perceptible surprise or panic; some instinctively lowered their heads, while others looked at Ding Guoliang.
Ding Guoliang was also taken aback. He hadn't expected that the inspection team would immediately target the very thing that was giving him the biggest headache right now.
He quickly adjusted his expression, leaned forward slightly, and showed a solemn and sincere look on his face.
"Team Leader Zhang, the situation you described is indeed known to our municipal Party committee and government. We are deeply concerned and take this matter very seriously as Director Luo Fei of the National Security Department went missing while in Dongguan. After the incident, we immediately instructed the Municipal Public Security Bureau to establish a special task force, personally led by Comrade Zhong Baoyu, and mobilized our most capable personnel to carry out a full-scale investigation. We believe that, with the guidance of higher authorities and the efforts of the public security organs, we will soon find out the situation and locate Director Luo Fei."
Zhang Wenzhong listened quietly, his face expressionless. Only after Ding Guoliang finished speaking did he slowly nod, the corners of his mouth seemingly curving upwards, revealing a subtle, meaningful smile.
"Oh, full investigation."
It seems there's quite a lot to investigate in Dongguan.
These seemingly casual words, however, were like a cold needle, piercing the hearts of many present.
The phrase "a lot of things" can be interpreted as indicating a complex situation with numerous matters requiring investigation. However, in this context, combined with the supervisory team's authority, its implied meaning is enough to send chills down the spines of many with guilty consciences.
Ding Guoliang's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure and forced a smile.
"Team Leader Zhang is joking. We will definitely cooperate with the inspection team to ensure that all tasks are implemented effectively. We will not cover up any problems and will resolutely rectify them."
Zhang Wenzhong didn't seem to want to dwell on this issue any longer. He waved his hand, and his tone returned to its previous calmness.
"Mayor Ding and everyone's attitude is good. Our inspection team's main task this time is to check the implementation of discipline, investigate safety hazards, and promote standardized work. We hope everyone can understand this correctly and actively cooperate with our work. Okay, let's end today's meeting here."
The meeting ended in a subtle and tense atmosphere. After seeing the inspection team off, Ding Guoliang's smile vanished instantly. He turned and returned to the small conference room of the municipal government, his face so gloomy it could drip water.
He immediately convened an emergency internal meeting with several key members of the leadership team and Police Chief Zhong Baoyu, who had rushed to the scene.
"boom!"
Ding Guoliang slammed his palm heavily on the solid wood conference table, making the teacup lid jump.
"Disgraceful! Utterly disgraceful to the highest levels!"
He pointed at Zhong Baoyu, his anger undisguised.
"A bureau chief from the State Security Bureau has simply vanished right here in Dongguan! Right under the nose of the Central Inspection Team! How am I supposed to explain this to my superiors? How is the inspection team supposed to assess the security situation in Dongguan? How are they supposed to evaluate our management capabilities?"
Zhong Baoyu was filled with bitterness. He had never even met Luo Fei before he was gone. This unexpected disaster was truly humiliating.
But he also knew that when it came to public security issues, especially those involving such important figures, the police department was the first to bear the responsibility.
“Mayor Ding, we do bear responsibility; there were loopholes in our work. I have mobilized all available resources, and Chen Yunfei and his team from the Criminal Investigation Division are investigating day and night…” “Investigate! I want results, not the process!”
Ding Guoliang interrupted him.
"The inspection team has already made their point clear enough!"
If this matter isn't handled properly, not only your police station, but our entire municipal party committee and government will be punished! I don't care what methods you use, you have 24 hours—no, there are less than 20 hours left!
"Find him within twenty hours! Alive or dead...find him!"
Under the mayor's almost roaring orders and immense pressure, Zhong Baoyu left the municipal government building with unsteady steps.
He got into the car and uttered two words to the driver in a hoarse voice.
"City Bureau, quick!"
Back at the city police department's criminal investigation center, it resembled a high-speed wartime command post. Large screens displayed various surveillance screenshots, map tracks, and data analysis charts. The sounds of ringing phones, walkie-talkies, and detectives' discussions mingled together, the air thick with the invigorating aroma of coffee and tobacco.
Chen Yunfei's eyes were bloodshot, clearly indicating that he hadn't slept all night. When he saw Zhong Baoyu enter, he immediately went to greet him.
"Director Zhong, you're back. The inspection team over there..."
Chen Yunfei asked tentatively.
Zhong Baoyu waved his hand, his face tired and stern.
"The pressure is even greater. Forget the fluff, get to the progress! Have you found the taxi yet?"
"found it!"
Chen Yunfei's spirits lifted, but his brows immediately furrowed again.
"By expanding our surveillance and investigation and visiting taxi companies throughout the city, we confirmed the vehicle and driver that picked up Director Luo. The driver's name is Liu Fuquan, and he has been driving a taxi for more than ten years with no bad records."
but……"
He paused, lowering his voice.
"According to information provided by the transportation management department and his family, Liu Fuquan was found dead at home the morning after picking up Director Luo. The preliminary examination results showed that he suffered a sudden myocardial infarction."
"A sudden heart attack? What a coincidence!"
A glint flashed in Zhong Baoyu's eyes; his professional sensitivity immediately detected something unusual.
"Has the time of death been confirmed? Were there any unusual circumstances before death? Is it possible that it was a staged murder?"
"The time of death was approximately twelve hours after picking up Director Luo. The local police station and forensic doctor conducted a preliminary examination of the scene and found no obvious signs of a struggle, no other external injuries on the body, and no missing valuables from the home. The family reported that Liu Fuquan did indeed have a history of heart disease."
Therefore, it is currently being treated as sudden death due to illness.
But at this critical juncture, the coincidence is so striking that it inevitably raises suspicions.
Chen Yunfei quickly reported.
"What's more troublesome is that his car didn't have an internal surveillance system installed, so we can't directly know where Director Luo got out of the car."
The technical department could only deduce the distance traveled was approximately 20 kilometers by using the fare of 57 yuan paid by Director Luo via WeChat and combining it with taxi fare standards.
"Twenty kilometers..."
Zhong Baoyu walked up to the huge map of Dongguan city and looked around at it.
"It's about this distance from the airport to our municipal bureau."
Could he have come directly to the municipal police station? Have you checked the surveillance footage at the station entrance and inside?
Chen Yunfei shook his head with a wry smile.
"I checked it, I checked it several times."
From the afternoon to the evening of the day before yesterday, no one could spot Director Luo, whether it was the surveillance footage of all personnel and vehicles entering and leaving the city bureau or the surveillance footage of the lobby.
He also did not visit any department or contact anyone in the bureau.
"That's strange..."
Zhong Baoyu tapped the location of the airport on the map with his finger.
"If his destination wasn't the Municipal Public Security Bureau, where did he go for those 20 kilometers? Who did he meet? Or did he discover some clues and change his itinerary at the last minute?"
He felt that the case was shrouded in mystery; the driver died under suspicious circumstances, the destination remained a mystery, and Luo Fei was like a drop of water, evaporating into the air of Dongguan.
Time ticked by, and the deadline for his pledge was drawing ever closer. Zhong Baoyu no longer had time to carefully consider the various subtle possibilities.
He turned around abruptly, facing all the officers waiting in the command center, his voice firm and unwavering.
"We can't wait any longer! Captain Chen, adjust the deployment immediately! Delineate a key area with the airport as the center and a radius of 20 kilometers! Mobilize all branch offices and police stations, and mobilize street and community grid workers to conduct a thorough search of all hotels, guesthouses, rental properties, entertainment venues, abandoned factories, and warehouses in this area! Focus on investigating single individuals or those acting suspiciously who have recently checked in or appeared, especially middle-aged women! At the same time, review all police reports, traffic accident records, and emergency medical records in that area for the past three days. Don't overlook any abnormalities!"
His sharp gaze swept over the crowd, finally settling on Chen Yunfei's face.
"Twenty-four hours, that's the deadline. If we can't find Director Luo Fei, I, Zhong Baoyu, will be the first to apologize to the Municipal Party Committee. But before that, your Criminal Investigation Detachment must give me two hundred percent effort! Move out!"
The heavy iron door of the detention center slammed shut behind him, followed by an even more oppressive atmosphere belonging to another system. Luo Fei was formally brought out of the dimly lit temporary detention area, his wrists clad in gleaming but cold handcuffs, the charge clearly stated in black and white—"intentional assault."
The process was swift, giving him almost no time to react or defend himself. Two expressionless police officers flanked him, leading him through a long corridor with walls painted half-green, towards the transport vehicle parked in the yard. He would next be transferred to the Xishan Detention Center, located more than ten kilometers from the city center.
Although he had spent many years as a street thug, prone to fighting and brawling, and had been in and out of detention centers in various districts for brawls and disorderly conduct, he was somewhat "familiar" with the rules and atmosphere there. However, a detention center—a place specifically for holding suspects accused of criminal offenses and potentially facing punishment—was truly a first for him. It felt...somewhat novel, yet tinged with a strange sense of destiny, as if he had come full circle and returned to some starting point, even though the purpose of this trip was completely different. (End of Chapter)