Chapter 1382
A chance encounter with my benefactor on the street!
Luo Fei said.
"Are you all at the Municipal Public Security Bureau's Criminal Investigation Center?"
Yes, everyone is here.
Chen Yifan confirmed.
"Okay, I understand. You can rest there, no need to come pick me up."
Luo Fei glanced at the detention center police officers around him, who were still somewhat at a loss, and said.
“I’ll go there myself.”
There are still some finishing touches to complete here that I need to explain to the colleagues here.
"clear!
We'll wait for you at the Municipal Public Security Bureau!
Chen Yifan responded, hesitated for a moment, and then added a sentence.
"Boss...the Xue family, and the detention center...is it...?"
"Yes, I've learned something. Let's discuss it in detail when we meet."
Luo Fei didn't say much on the phone.
"That's all for now."
After hanging up the phone, Luo Fei could almost imagine the reaction of those tough guys in the temporary conference room of the Municipal Criminal Investigation Center when Chen Yifan announced to the special case team members and ghost team members who had gathered around him, "The boss has been found and is safe and sound." They would probably be silent for a moment, then burst into long-suppressed cheers, followed by a wave of intense fatigue from days of high tension and mental exhaustion.
He guessed right. Later, Chen Yifan told him that after the news was confirmed, several of his brothers collapsed into their chairs and started snoring within seconds. Some even slid down against the wall and fell asleep, and no matter how they were called, they couldn't be woken up.
After returning the power bank to the deputy director, Luo Fei gave a few brief instructions.
"Wang Qiang's case involves accepting bribes and attempted murder. My colleagues will formally hand over the conclusive evidence later. After he regains consciousness, you must ensure tight surveillance to prevent any accidents. In addition, everything that happened in the detention center today, including my visit and the subsequent visits by several bureau chiefs, must be kept strictly confidential by everyone, and all must sign confidentiality agreements. All relevant surveillance footage must be sealed and await retrieval by higher authorities. Understand?"
"Understood! Please rest assured, Director Luo! We will strictly follow your orders!"
The deputy director straightened his back, loudly made his promise, and his face was full of seriousness.
He now clearly understands that he is involved in a matter of utmost importance, and that following the instructions of the young bureau chief in front of him may be his only way out.
Luo Fei nodded, said nothing more, and strode towards the gate of the detention center. The deputy director wanted to arrange for a police escort, but Luo Fei waved him off.
Alone, he walked through the complex passageways and layers of iron gates inside the detention center, finally emerging from that oppressive building.
Outside, the afternoon sun, still slightly scorching, beat down on him, carrying the scent of fresh air. Luo Fei squinted slightly, adjusting his eyes to the light.
The street outside the detention center was rather deserted. He stood by the roadside and flagged down a taxi that happened to be passing by.
"Driver, to the city police station."
Luo Fei opened the car door and sat in the back seat.
The driver, a middle-aged man, glanced at Luo Fei in the rearview mirror. Seeing that Luo Fei was dressed plainly but had a somewhat unusual air about him, he didn't ask any further questions, simply responded, and started the car. The taxi drove away from the heavily guarded area of Xishan Detention Center and gradually merged into the traffic flow of Dongguan city.
Luo Fei leaned back in his chair, his gaze calmly sweeping across the rapidly receding street scene outside the window.
Skyscrapers and bustling traffic—this city appears prosperous and orderly on the surface. But who would imagine that beneath this glamorous facade lies a deeply entrenched, rotten network of vested interests, stretching from organized crime to key officials, and even reaching higher levels? What he heard and verified in the detention center these past few days was merely the tip of the iceberg, yet it was already shocking enough. The heads of departments vital to people's livelihoods and development—education, transportation, land resources, finance, planning…—were so corrupt.
The deputy mayor, Fan Chuncheng, who connected He Wenbin and Zhou Sheng's wives, pushed this corruption and chaos to a disgusting peak. And then there was the Xue family, who acted as the protectors of all this… Luo Fei's eyes grew cold; it was time to close the net.
The taxi drove smoothly through the streets before finally coming to a stop in front of the imposing administrative building of the Dongguan City Police Department. Luo Fei paid the fare and got out of the car.
He stood at the bottom of the steps in front of the building, preparing to climb them, when his gaze was drawn to a scene unfolding at the entrance not far away.
A woman in a simple dress, with a slender and familiar figure, was seen following a group of people who had just gotten out of a black car and were walking towards the main entrance of the building.
The woman's face was etched with exhaustion and urgency, and heavy shadows were under her eyes; it was Ruan Jiaxin.
She tried to explain something to a middle-aged man surrounded by people, wearing a white short-sleeved police shirt with epaulets indicating the rank of Third Superintendent of Police. Her voice was raised slightly because of her anxiety.
"Director Zhong! Director Zhong, please listen to me! Luo Fei is truly innocent! It was Xue Shihao and his gang who provoked me first and attempted to kidnap me. Luo Fei was forced to defend himself to save me! And given the circumstances at the time..."
However, the middle-aged man called "Director Zhong" had a furrowed brow and obvious impatience on his face. He didn't stop walking at all and didn't even glance at Ruan Jiaxin.
His entourage immediately stepped forward, subtly separating Ruan Jiaxin, their tone cold and formulaic.
"Madam, the police will investigate the case thoroughly in accordance with the law. Please do not obstruct us from performing our duties. If you have any clues or requests, you can report them to the relevant departments through normal procedures."
“But I’ve reported this so many times! The officer who received me only took notes each time, and then nothing more! I heard Luo Fei is being held in the Xishan Detention Center, but they can’t explain his situation either! Director Zhong, please, at least let me know if he’s safe now? Is he being treated unfairly? The Xue family…”
Ruan Jiaxin persisted and wanted to continue.
Director Zhong had already reached the glass revolving door of the building. Upon hearing this, he finally stopped, turned half his face to the side, and coldly and distantly uttered a sentence.
"Everyone is equal before the law, and the police will handle every case fairly. We will investigate the situation you reported."
After saying that, he didn't linger and walked straight into the building.
Another policeman behind him, presumably in charge of such matters, waved dismissively at Ruan Jiaxin.
"Alright, alright, we know the situation. You can go back now. We'll let you know if there's any news."
Then he quickly followed him inside.
Ruan Jiaxin was left all alone at the building entrance.
She watched the pedestrians disappear into the distance, her face showing deep disappointment and helplessness. Her shoulders slumped slightly, the exhaustion from the past few days of running around, anxiety, worry, and repeated setbacks seemed to be about to crush her at this moment.
She slowly turned around, head down, instinctively wanting to leave, but because she was distracted, she almost bumped into Luo Fei's arms, who had somehow walked up to her.
"what!"
Ruan Jiaxin gasped, hurriedly took a half step back, and raised her head to apologize.
However, when her gaze fell upon Luo Fei's familiar face, she froze completely, as if struck by a spell.
Her eyes widened, her mouth slightly open, and the color drained from her face before quickly returning. Her expression underwent a dramatic transformation in a very short time, from shock to bewilderment, and then to extreme astonishment and disbelief.
"Luo...Luo Fei?!" Her voice was soft and trembling, as if she was afraid that what she was seeing was just an illusion.
"Is...is it you? You...how did you get here? Shouldn't you be...shouldn't you be..."
She pointed in the general direction of Xishan Detention Center, then looked at the imposing municipal bureau building in front of her. Her logic was completely muddled, and she stammered, unable to speak a complete sentence.
Looking at her pale and haggard face, and the sudden, bright, hopeful light that burst forth in her bloodshot eyes, Luo Fei felt a pang of tenderness and a sense of self-reproach.
This girl has obviously been running around these past few days because of him, facing many rejections and living in fear. She probably hasn't even had a good night's sleep.
"it's me."
Luo Fei softened his voice a little.
"I just came from over there. What are you doing here? You look terrible, haven't you been getting enough rest these past few days?"
Upon hearing Luo Fei's confirmation, Ruan Jiaxin's eyes instantly reddened, but she forced herself not to let the tears fall. She simply sniffed hard, lowered her head, and spoke in a soft, nasal voice.
“I…I’m fine. I’m just…I’m worried about you. You got into trouble with Xue Shihao because you saved me, and I…I can’t just do nothing. I’ve been to the police station many times, asked around, and even went to the detention center to try and see you, but they either made excuses or said there was no such person there…I had no choice but to come here to try and report the situation to the leaders in the bureau, but…”
As she spoke, her voice choked up, clearly recalling Director Zhong's cold attitude earlier, and a sense of grievance and helplessness welled up in her heart again.
Luo Fei sighed softly.
"Thanks a lot.
"This is my fault. If I had finished dealing with it sooner, you wouldn't have had to suffer like this."
He meant to say "let's end the operation sooner," but changed his mind before he could finish.
He looked at Ruan Jiaxin and said earnestly.
"Don't worry about me now, I'm fine. Xue Shihao's matter will be handled fairly. Go home early, get some rest, and don't think about anything."
Ruan Jiaxin looked up at Luo Fei with teary eyes, her worry still lingering on her face.
"But...how did you get out? They...how could they let you out? The Xue family is so powerful, wouldn't they..."
She was clearly still afraid of the Xue family's subsequent retaliation and underhanded dealings.
Luo Fei knew that at this point, there was no longer any need to hide his identity and mission from Ruan Jiaxin.
This girl is kind-hearted and has gone to great lengths for him; she should be at peace with herself.
He paused for a moment, then spoke in a plain tone.
"Jiaxin, you don't need to worry about this anymore."
Actually, I'm a police officer.
Seeing Ruan Jiaxin's eyes widen in surprise, he continued to explain.
"I'm not an ordinary police officer. I'm the head of the special case team from the Ministry of State Security. I've come to Dongguan to investigate some important cases."
He was imprisoned earlier for mission purposes, to gather information about the internal situation. Now that the mission is over, he's out.
Therefore, we will handle Xue Shih-hao's matter, and any potential issues he may be involved in. Don't worry, go home and get a good night's sleep.
This explanation, though brief, is packed with information.
Ruan Jiaxin was stunned, her expression shifting from shock to realization, and then to a complex feeling of relief. The Ministry of State Security…Special Task Force…Mission Requirements…These words were both unfamiliar to her and carried a natural sense of authority.
So that's how it is! No wonder he's such a good fighter, no wonder he was so calm when facing Xue Shihao, no wonder he disappeared without a trace after being captured but suddenly reappeared here unharmed!
Everything seemed to make sense now. The heavy weight in his heart, the boulder of guilt for dragging him down, was finally mostly lifted at this moment.
Looking into Luo Fei's calm and determined eyes, she knew he was telling the truth.
She nodded slightly, quickly wiped the corner of her eye with the back of her hand, and forced a smile.
"So that's how it is... I... I was overthinking things, worried that you... Thank goodness, I'm glad you're alright."
She paused, as if she wanted to say something more, but in the end she only said it softly.
"Then...you go ahead and do your work. I...I'm going back."
"Well, be careful on the road."
Luo Fei nodded to her.
Ruan Jiaxin glanced at Luo Fei again, her eyes still holding a trace of lingering emotion, but mostly showing the weariness that followed her relief.
She turned around and slowly walked towards the roadside, preparing to hail a taxi and leave. After taking a few steps, she couldn't help but look back again, only to see Luo Fei already striding towards the revolving door of the Municipal Bureau's administrative building, his back straight and steady, soon disappearing behind the glass door.
Ruan Jiaxin stood there, gazing at the empty doorway, and finally a faint smile appeared on her face—the first truly relaxed smile she had shown in days, tinged with a touch of complex emotion.
She knew that this turmoil, which she, an ordinary little person, had been unwittingly drawn into, might truly be heading towards a different ending.
As Luo Fei entered the municipal police station's administrative building, a wave of cold air mixed with the smell of disinfectant and marble flooring hit him. The lobby was spacious and bright, bustling with people, mostly police officers in uniform, all hurrying about.
He looked around but didn't see Chen Yifan and the others, so he guessed that the Criminal Investigation Center wasn't in this main administration building.
He needs to find the main leaders of the municipal bureau first.
Just then, a cleaning lady carrying a mop and a bucket came out of the corridor next door, ready to start cleaning. Luo Fei took two steps forward and politely inquired.
"Hello, ma'am, could you tell me which floor the director's office is on?"
The cleaning lady looked up at Luo Fei and saw that although he was dressed casually, he had an extraordinary demeanor and a very polite attitude, so she answered him warmly.
"Oh, the director's office, it's on the eighth floor. Director Zhong just came back, he should be in room 806."
"Ok, thank you."
Luo Fei thanked him and headed straight for the elevator.
Taking the elevator to the eighth floor, the corridor, carpeted with thick layers, was quiet and solemn. Luo Fei quickly found room 806; a bronze plaque reading "Director's Office" hung on the dark wooden door. (End of Chapter)