Chapter 1378
The Shocking Case of a Corpse Hidden in a Bridge Pier!
The phone rang seven or eight times before it was answered.
A middle-aged man's voice came through, carrying the composure cultivated from long-term holding of an important position and a hint of barely perceptible arrogance.
"Hello, who is it?"
It was Zeng Ke.
Luo Fei didn't waste any words and went straight to the point, his voice so calm that no emotion could be detected.
"Director Zeng? The one from the Land and Resources Bureau?"
"It's me. And you are?"
Zeng Ke's tone was questioning and scrutinizing. The unfamiliar number and the way he was addressed by his name directly made him somewhat displeased.
“My surname is Luo, and I am currently in Xishan Detention Center.”
Luo Fei gave his surname and location, and then, in a low but clear voice, he dropped the first bomb.
"I'd like to talk to you about your son Zeng Hao's ex-girlfriend, Shu Mi, who suddenly disappeared three years ago. It's said she might have been pregnant when she disappeared."
"..."
A deathly silence fell over the other end of the phone! Even breathing ceased. Five or six seconds passed before Zeng Ke's voice rang out again, but his composure and arrogance had vanished, replaced by undisguised shock, panic, and a trembling voice trying to maintain his composure.
"You... what did you say? What Shu Mi? My son has had many ex-girlfriends, how could I possibly remember them all? Who are you? What do you want? I'm warning you, don't talk nonsense!"
His rebuttal was hasty and weak, more like an instinctive denial and intimidation.
Luo Fei remained unmoved and continued to throw out the second bomb, which was even more destructive.
"Really? Perhaps Director Zeng would be more interested in the internal structure of the seventh pier of the Xingye Elevated Bridge, which was built three years ago on the way from the development zone to the suburbs? I've heard that besides reinforced concrete, there might be something else... quite different inside. Should I be more specific? About the story of a concrete mixer truck and several mysterious workers late at night?"
"boom!"
Zeng Ke felt his mind go blank, his ears ringing, his hand holding the phone instantly turned ice-cold, and cold sweat soaked through the back of his shirt! Bridge pier!
He even knows the exact location?!
How could this be?! That incident was handled with utmost secrecy back then, involving only the most trusted confidants, and they were all dealt with properly afterward... Who exactly is this person, this person locked up in the detention center?!
How did he know that?!
Extreme fear gripped Zeng Ke's throat, almost suffocating him.
He abruptly stood up from his large office chair, the movement so sudden that the chair slid backward and crashed into the bookshelf with a loud bang, but he didn't care.
He spoke into the microphone, his voice sharp and distorted with extreme terror.
"Who...who are you?! What do you want?!"
“My surname is Luo, and I am in cell 206 at Xishan Detention Center.”
Luo Fei repeated it clearly.
"You have one hour. Come over right now. We need to talk in person."
"You'll miss your chance, and you know the consequences."
After saying that, just like before, he hung up the phone decisively and handed it back to the ashen-faced guard outside the door.
On the other end of the phone, Zeng Ke, in the Land and Resources Bureau director's office, stood frozen, his face ashen, trembling uncontrollably, as he listened to the dial tone. A body hidden in a bridge pier!
This is the nightmare he fears most deep in his heart, the greatest sin he has ever tried to cover up with all his power and money, and the fatal handle that could bring him and his son to ruin forever!
How could this secret have been leaked? And even leaked to a prisoner in a detention center?! Was it Zhou Sheng? He Wenbin? Or did the person who handled this matter back then make a mistake? Countless questions and immense panic overwhelmed him like a tsunami.
He didn't have time to think it through, nor did he care about any meetings or arrangements. He grabbed his car keys and coat and rushed out of the office like a stray dog, ignoring his secretary's questions. He ran downstairs, started the car, and sped like a madman toward the Xishan District Detention Center, running countless red lights along the way, with only one thought in his mind.
We must see that person! We must shut him up!
Xishan Detention Center, Director's Office.
Wang Qiang had just finished dealing with a bunch of questions and frustrations left behind by Zhou Sheng's hasty departure, and was about to have a sip of tea to calm his nerves when there was a sudden knock on the office door. The police officer who had been on duty earlier rushed in, his face pale, and stammered a report.
"Chief...Chief! Something's wrong! Another one has arrived!"
Wang Qiang's heart skipped a beat, and he almost dropped the teacup.
"Who?! Who's here again?!"
"Director Zeng of the National Land and Resources Bureau! Director Zeng Ke!"
He also specifically requested to see Luo Fei from room 206! He looked... even more frightening than Director Zhou from before!
The police officer's voice was trembling with tears. In one day, three bureau chiefs rushed to the scene for the same detainee, all looking terrified. The detention center had become the eye of the storm, and he, a junior police officer, felt that his career was about to end.
"Zeng Ke?! That Zeng Ke from the Land and Resources Bureau?!"
Wang Qiang was so shocked this time that he jumped up from his chair, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets! He Wenbin, Zhou Sheng, and now Zeng Ke! Education, transportation, land resources... Is Luo Fei a specialist in collecting secrets from bureau chiefs?!
What on earth did he do?! Wang Qiang felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, and his scalp tingled.
This Luo Fei is definitely not an ordinary assault suspect!
He's an absolute menace! A jinx! If he keeps meeting people like this, who knows what even more terrifying figures he'll attract, or how many earth-shattering secrets he'll uncover!
As the director of the detention center, he will probably be the first to be implicated by this series of "bureau chief visits" controversies!
However, Wang Qiang also lacked the courage to stop Zeng Ke, the land bureau chief who also wielded real power and whose influence was even deeper than that of He Wenbin and Zhou Sheng in some respects.
His face was ashen, his chest heaving violently, and he could only manage to squeeze out a few words through clenched teeth.
"...Take him to the visiting room! The usual place! Keep a close watch on the surveillance cameras!"
Record it word for word!
He practically roared it out. At this moment, his fear and disgust for Luo Fei had reached its peak, and the thought in his mind that "this plague must be gotten rid of as soon as possible" was extremely strong and urgent.
Zeng Ke was taken to the familiar visiting room first.
He was restless, constantly checking his watch, his face ashen, his eyes unfocused. Gone was his usual official demeanor and composure; he resembled a frightened bird awaiting its prey. A short while later, the inner door opened, and Luo Fei entered, accompanied by a guard. Zeng Ke stared intently at Luo Fei through the glass. Seeing how young the man was, he was first taken aback, then overwhelmed by a deeper fear and a sense of absurdity—this was the man who held his greatest weakness in his hands?
Luo Fei sat down, picked up the communicator, and before he could speak, Zeng Ke impatiently questioned him in a trembling and hoarse voice.
"It's you?! How did you know... about that?! Who told you?!"
He tried to find the source of the leak, his voice sharp with urgency.
Luo Fei glanced at him, but did not answer directly. Instead, he fabricated a seemingly reasonable and open-ended reason according to his pre-set script. He leaned forward slightly and spoke into the intercom in a low voice that only the two of them could hear.
"Director Zeng, the world is sometimes very small."
Three years ago that night, the development zone was quite remote, but not completely deserted. I... happened to be someone who liked to wander around at night and enjoy the scenery, and sometimes, I would see things I shouldn't have seen.
He paused, a meaningful smile appearing on his face that sent chills down Zeng Ke's spine.
"For example, the construction site was unusually busy late at night, with concrete mixer trucks driving in and out, and... a few people carrying something that looked like a long duffel bag, looking very careful. I have a good memory, especially for numbers and locations."
He didn't say exactly what he saw, but this vague statement, combined with key information, terrified Zeng Ke more than saying "I saw a corpse," because it left endless room for imagination, as if the other party really had more details.
Zeng Ke gasped, involuntarily shrinking back. His eyes were filled with terror as he looked at Luo Fei, as if he were staring at a demon crawling out of hell. A chance encounter? He didn't believe it at all! But the fact that the other man could accurately pinpoint the location of the bridge pier and mention "Shu Mi's" name was enough to prove that the information he possessed was not hearsay. Could it really be that this mysterious guy had secretly spied on him while he was dealing with the scene back then? This was terrifying!
"What...what do you want?"
Zeng Ke's voice softened completely, becoming hoarse with despair.
"How much do you want? Name your price! As long as I can afford it, I'll give it to you! Just shut up!"
His first thought was also to keep quiet with money, which is the solution most familiar to people like him.
Luo Fei shook his head, his expression even showing some regret.
"Director Zeng, just like I told Director Zhou Sheng before, I have no interest in money."
He specifically mentioned Zhou Sheng, which made Zeng Ke's heart sink again. Sure enough, that bastard Zhou Sheng had already come! It was very likely that he was the one who leaked the information!
"It's free?"
Zeng Ke was stunned. If he didn't want money, then what did he want? He looked at Luo Fei nervously.
Luo Fei once again brought out his set of "trading rules" that these officials could not understand at all.
"I have a particular hobby: I enjoy listening to stories, especially those of someone in a high position like Director Zeng, stories about other people that are more interesting and secretive. Secrets for secrets. Tell me a substantial piece of dirt on another official, preferably someone at your level or higher. As long as your 'story' is worth it for me, I can temporarily pretend I never heard of the foolish things your son did or those prime plots of land you approved. Otherwise, I can't guarantee my 'memory' won't suddenly improve, nor can I guarantee that someone else won't also become 'interested' in the internal structure of that bridge pier."
Zeng Ke was stunned, utterly unable to believe his ears. No money, just the secrets of other officials? Was this man insane? Or did he have some deeper, unfathomable purpose? He felt completely out of sync with the man's thinking.
But right now, the other party had his Achilles' heel, and the way Luo Fei looked at him certainly didn't seem to be joking. Beneath that calm gaze lay an unquestionable persistence and a certain... indescribable, cold purpose.
Since Luo Fei is trapped in the detention center, talking to him might not hurt, at least it could keep him calm for the time being. Zeng Ke was struggling internally, his expression shifting. Finally, he tentatively asked.
"The police station chief's secret...would that work? I know a police chief, he..."
"Too small."
Luo Fei interrupted him directly, his tone calm but leaving no room for argument.
"At the very least, they need to be at your level. Like a bureau chief or deputy mayor. I need stories that can generate enough 'interest,' not just gossip from the streets."
Zeng Ke was momentarily speechless, inwardly cursing, "What an appetite!"
He frowned, deep in thought, quickly going through all the secrets he knew about his colleagues. Whom should he mention? How should he say it? He needed to make it impactful enough to satisfy the other party, but also avoid getting too involved or offending anyone he absolutely couldn't afford to offend…
After a while, he seemed to have thought of a "suitable" target, and a strange look appeared on his face, a mixture of contempt, disgust and a kind of "what's the use of trying" attitude.
He leaned closer to the intercom and lowered his voice.
"Director of the Finance Bureau, Qian Youcai."
Is this enough?
Luo Fei gestured for him to continue.
Zeng Ke took a breath and said.
"This Qian Youcai is as his name suggests: greedy for money, but even more so for lustful, a lecherous glutton whose debauchery is outrageous!"
His tone carried an exaggerated and certain quality, as if he were recounting a strange and unusual tale.
"In Dongguan alone, the number of mistresses he has kept, whether openly or secretly, is more than sixty, according to my knowledge and those that are only semi-publicly rumored in our circle!"
Sixty?
Even though Luo Fei was somewhat prepared, his eyebrows still rose high when he heard this number.
This is not just simple moral depravity, it's downright insane.
"More, not less!"
Zeng Ke confirmed this, as if emphasizing the value of the secrets he was providing.
"These women range from their early twenties to their slender forties, and come from all walks of life, including flight attendants, models, teachers, white-collar workers, and even aspiring actresses."
He bought or rented houses for these mistresses in various upscale residential areas and luxury apartments in Dongguan, keeping them like canaries in a cage.
What's even more outrageous is that many of these women have had children with him! Both boys and girls. I've heard that he has acknowledged and regularly pays huge sums of money to support more than a dozen of these children! The annual expenses for supporting these mistresses and illegitimate children alone are astronomical, easily tens of millions!
How much was his salary? Where did the money come from? It was all from abusing his power as the director of the finance bureau, manipulating government funding, project approvals, and the management of state-owned assets to embezzle and accept bribes on a massive scale! The amount involved is absolutely beyond the imagination of most people!
Luo Fei listened quietly. Although this information was astonishing, it was still within his expectations and was considered standard practice for some corrupt officials.
However, Zeng Ke's next words, spoken in a low voice with an almost boastful tone, truly shocked Luo Fei and made him feel nauseous. (End of Chapter)