Chapter 1377
Mysterious Information Revealed!
The following photos were some blurry but recognizable surveillance screenshots. In one of them, a young man in plain clothes with a cold profile could be vaguely seen talking quickly with several serious-looking and capable-looking people in an inconspicuous corner. That profile... bore a striking resemblance to Luo Fei! Although the photos were not very clear and the timestamps were from several years ago, the feeling was unmistakable.
She quickly browsed through several other documents, some of which were analyses of a new type of technological espionage method, while others were related to summaries of several recent unpublished investigations into unusual fund flows that were suspected of involving economic security.
All of this information is far beyond the reach of ordinary people, let alone something that could be sent casually. The sender deliberately withheld the parts that could prove its special nature, while cleverly concealing the most crucial secrets and specific units and names. The purpose seemed to be singular—to prove someone's identity to her.
Ruan Jiaxin's hand holding the phone trembled slightly, not from fear, but from immense shock and sudden realization! So that's how it is... so what he said might actually be true!
That day at the entrance of "Jingyixuan," his skill in swiftly and cleanly taking down Xue Shihao's men; the unusually calm, even scrutinizing, look in his eyes when he was taken away; and the fact that she had inquired about Luo Fei's background and the way he got involved in the incident from various sources, yet always felt that something was inexplicably "awkward"... All these fragmented doubts, at this moment, were connected by these sudden secret documents, pointing to a possibility that she had previously found hard to believe, but now had to accept—Luo Fei, this seemingly young and even somewhat ordinary man, might really have some extremely special background and identity unknown to ordinary people, such as the "national security police" he claimed to be, or something similar.
His involvement in Xue Shihao's case might not have been a chance act of heroism, but rather... a deeper purpose or mission? At the very least, he was definitely not a simple, impulsive, and violent young man.
This realization left Ruan Jiaxin with extremely complicated feelings.
On the one hand, confirming that Luo Fei was not an ordinary person and likely carried a special mission eased some of the heavy guilt she felt about him "ruining his life because of her." Although her worries remained, at least his situation might not be as desperate and helpless as it seemed on the surface. On the other hand, this identity meant that the world Luo Fei inhabited was a completely different dimension from what she saw and heard in her daily life, full of more unknowns and dangers.
The very fact that she received these materials was proof of danger. Who sent them? Was it Luo Fei's colleague, superior, or some other force? What was their purpose in sending them to her? Was it to seek help? Or to warn her? She had no way of knowing, but she instinctively felt that she had inadvertently been drawn into the edge of a deeper and more turbulent undercurrent.
She quickly deleted the files from her phone and cleared the chat history, her heart still pounding.
Looking at the empty chat interface, Ruan Jiaxin pursed her lips, her eyes gradually hardening from anxiety and confusion to determination. Regardless of who Luo Fei really was, the fact remained that he had saved her, and that he was now in detention.
She may not be able to reach the core of his world, but at least she will try her best to do something within her power.
The three-day deadline given by the manager felt like a tight rein, and also like a urging.
She changed her mind. Instead of going to the police station immediately, she sat back down at the table and began to reorganize her thoughts, considering what more discreet or legal means she could use to learn about the situation or even exert some influence without revealing Luo Fei's special identity. She hadn't dared to dial the phone number Luo Fei had given her, but now it seemed it was time to use it cautiously.
Our attention shifts back to Xishan Detention Center.
The suffocating silence in the visiting room, which had become Luo Fei's private "reception room," had been broken, but the atmosphere had become even more eerie. Upon hearing Luo Fei's demand to "exchange secrets for secrets," Zhou Sheng, the director of the Transportation Bureau, displayed a complex mix of expressions—extreme bewilderment, a sense of absurdity, and the humiliation of being coerced.
"What...what are you after?"
Zhou Sheng finally couldn't hold back and roared into the intercom again, his voice distorted with emotion.
"You're a prisoner locked up here for intentional assault! Why are you so interested in these secrets of officialdom? What good will it do you to know them? What can you do with them? Go out and report them? Don't be so naive!"
He couldn't understand it, absolutely couldn't understand it. Extortion for money—he could understand that, though angry, at least made sense. But extorting a "secret"? What was that? A collecting obsession? Or some madman's bizarre game?
Behind the glass wall, Luo Fei's faint, almost mocking smile never faded.
He adjusted his posture to make himself more comfortable before responding slowly and deliberately.
"Director Zhou, as I said, it's just a personal interest, purely out of curiosity."
As for what happens if I find out...
He paused, his eyes becoming somewhat playful.
“Like now, I know your secret. It may not be able to get me out of here directly, nor can it be turned into money, but at least it can let you sit here instead of comfortably staying in the director’s office, right? It can allow me and you to have this kind of… ‘equal’ conversation.”
He emphasized the word "equality," which, like a fine needle, made Zhou Sheng's cheek muscles twitch.
Curiosity? Equality?
Zhou Sheng was so angry he almost laughed, but he couldn't laugh and could only grit his teeth.
"Fine, even if you're curious! How do I know if you'll keep your word after I tell you? What if you turn around and tell everyone about what happened to me?"
“You have no choice, Director Zhou.”
Luo Fei's tone suddenly turned cold, and the fake smile disappeared, leaving only a cold statement.
"You can choose not to believe me, and then we'll each bear the consequences. Or, you can choose to take a gamble and use a sufficiently substantial secret that you know or that belongs to others in exchange for me temporarily 'losing interest' in your affairs."
certainly."
He leaned forward, closer to the glass, his voice lower but more penetrating.
"If the secret you provide isn't sensational enough, or if I later find out it's fake or just a perfunctory response... then don't blame me for breaking my promise. I hate being lied to the most. By then, the rumors about Young Master Chen's bloodline might not just be a matter of my 'curiosity,' they'll become detailed and specific, accompanied by 'reasonable speculations' about time, place, and even people, and will precisely reach the hands of those who are meant to see them."
Director Zhou is a smart man; he should understand that sometimes, you don't need solid evidence. A single, sufficiently strong seed of doubt is enough to change the course of many things, especially... in the mind of someone of Vice Mayor Chen's stature.
These words completely blocked all of Zhou Sheng's hopes and escape routes.
His face was ashen, and he slumped back in his chair, as if his spine had been ripped out. Yes, he had no choice. His opponent had seized his Achilles' heel, and was displaying a mad, fearless attitude, even willing to die together with him.
His official power, connections, and wealth were meaningless in the face of this "madman" locked up in the detention center.
All he could do was satisfy the other party's incomprehensible "curiosity" and offer up a sufficiently substantial "sacrifice" in order to protect himself.
Time passed second by second, and every second was agonizing for Zhou Sheng.
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead again and again. Finally, as if he had made up his mind, or as if he had completely given up the struggle, he spoke into the communicator in a hoarse, dry voice.
"Okay... I'll talk."
But what I'm about to say has serious implications. If you find out, you'd better keep it to yourself, otherwise... it could really kill you.
Luo Fei did not respond, but simply looked at him quietly, waiting for him to continue.
Zhou Sheng licked his dry lips, his eyes darting around, avoiding Luo Fei's gaze, as if revealing this secret would bring misfortune. He lowered his voice, almost whispering.
“The director of the Land and Resources Bureau, Zeng Ke… his son, Zeng Hao, caused a major disaster three years ago.”
Luo Fei's eyes flickered slightly, signaling him to continue.
"Back then, Zeng Hao had a girlfriend named... I think her name was Shu Mi. She was an art student and quite pretty."
Zhou Sheng recalled, his tone carrying a chilling quality, as if he were telling a horror story.
"I don't know the specific reason, but the two of them had a falling out. It seems that the woman... fell in love with someone else, or broke up with him. Zeng Hao, that kid, was spoiled rotten by his father and had a violent temper. In a fit of rage... he accidentally... killed that Shu Mi."
The air in the visiting room seemed to freeze abruptly because of the word "kill," becoming even colder.
Zhou Sheng took a breath and continued.
"After someone died, Zeng Hao panicked and ran home to find his father. Zeng Ke was also terrified, but he only had one son and couldn't just stand by and watch him pay with his life. Luckily... Zeng Ke had a brother-in-law who worked in construction and had a construction team under his command."
At the time, a new viaduct was under construction on the outskirts of the city, heading towards the development zone; the bridge piers were being poured. Zeng Ke then instructed his brother-in-law to work through the night to find a way to... to seal the girl's body... inside one of the bridge piers that hadn't fully solidified yet!
Even with Luo Fei's resolute will, his brows furrowed deeply upon hearing this. A body hidden in a bridge pier? This method was not only cruel, but also revealed an appalling cold-bloodedness and arrogance!
This means that the girl named Shumi has vanished without a trace, neither alive nor dead, and her family is probably still searching for her in pain and confusion.
Very few people know about this.
Zhou Sheng's voice grew increasingly low, tinged with lingering fear.
"Zeng Ke's brother-in-law personally led a few absolutely trustworthy confidants to do it. Afterwards, it seems that those people all received a sum of money and were arranged to go to other places or even abroad."
Shu Mi's family reported her missing, but there were no leads, and in the end, it probably just faded away. I also pieced together the story from a time when Zeng Ke got drunk, became complacent, and was a little scared. He boasted to me about how capable he was at handling things and how he could settle things. I accidentally let slip a little bit of the information, and I pieced it together with some other rumors I heard at the time.
But I can assure you, it's absolutely true!
That bridge is still standing there perfectly, with cars coming and going every day..."
As he spoke, he shuddered, as if he could see a wronged soul imprisoned within the cold reinforced concrete.
Luo Fei remained silent for a moment, digesting this bloody and dark secret.
Then he asked.
"Anything else? About Zeng Ke himself?"
Now that Zhou Sheng had spoken, he seemed to have opened up and continued.
"Zeng Ke himself is not clean either. The position of Director of the Land and Resources Bureau is the most lucrative position."
He abused his power and repeatedly violated regulations by allocating several prime plots of land in the city to his cousin, who was a real estate developer, at extremely low prices or through targeted bidding.
His cousin developed the project and made hundreds of millions in profits. No one knows exactly how many shares Zeng Ke held or how much he benefited from it, but it was definitely an astronomical figure.
His son Zeng Hao drives a sports car, his wife is decked out in jewelry, and his family owns a manor in Australia… Where did all that money come from? It's as obvious as a bald man's lice, isn't it?
There was a twisted sense of pleasure in Zhou Sheng's tone, as if he were saying something like, "I'm dragging someone down with me."
Look, I'm not the only one who's rotten; there are others who are even worse and more heartless than me.
Based on the details, tone, and the deep-seated fear and certainty in Zhou Sheng's narration, Luo Fei judged that the possibility of the other party lying on this issue was extremely low.
This secret is indeed significant, dark, and deadly.
"very good."
Luo Fei finally gave an affirmative response. Although it was just two simple words, it made Zhou Sheng's tense nerves relax slightly, as if he had heard a suspended sentence.
"Director Zhou, you can leave now. Remember, you didn't see me or say anything to me today. Unless there are any new 'accidents,' I will temporarily forget about your past."
Zhou Sheng felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He nodded repeatedly, no longer caring about his directorial demeanor. He hurriedly got up and almost staggered out of the visiting room, his back view showing panic, as if he were fleeing a den of demons.
Watching Zhou Sheng disappear through the doorway, Luo Fei sat silently for a few seconds, his eyes deep and thoughtful. Zeng Ke, the director of the Land and Resources Bureau, whose son murdered and hid the body on a bridge pier, and who himself was involved in massive corruption... yet another malignant tumor entrenched in a key department.
He felt that although this method was unconventional and even somewhat unorthodox, it was indeed very efficient, like a precise surgical operation that cut directly into the core of decay.
He decided to do the same thing.
After resting for less than ten minutes, and estimating that Zhou Sheng had already left the detention center area, Luo Fei walked towards the cell door again.
This time, he didn't even wave. He simply gave a calm glance to the duty officer who happened to pass by and witnessed Zhou Sheng's disheveled departure, whose face was filled with suspicion.
The guard stiffened, a look of struggle on his face, but in the end, he gave in under the silent pressure.
He glanced around, quickly took out his phone, unlocked it, and handed it through the small window in the door, whispering.
"This is the last time... really, if the director finds out, we're all doomed."
Luo Fei took the phone, nodded, and without saying anything, directly dialed the office number of Zeng Ke, the director of the Land and Resources Bureau, based on the fragments of information he had pieced together from the conversations of He Wenbin, Zhou Sheng, and others. (End of Chapter)