Chapter 1396
The Deterrent Effect of a Car Crash and Death
"We cannot retreat!"
Luo Fei's resolute voice rang out, interrupting Gao Linfeng's words. He spoke loudly, clearly intending to be addressed to Fan Chuncheng.
"If we withdraw now, Xue Shihao will immediately relocate or even flee! What if we wait two more days? What if we wait for the paperwork? By then, the place will be empty, and who will be responsible?!"
When Fan Chuncheng saw that Luo Fei had directly contradicted his orders, and in front of so many people, his face immediately turned extremely ugly.
He already had some reservations about Luo Fei, the young National Security Bureau director who was parachuted in and supposedly had connections, feeling that the other party was not very respectful of the local authorities because of his special department status. Now he felt that his authority had been seriously challenged.
He turned around, his obese body facing Luo Fei, his gaze gloomy.
"Director Luo, what do you mean by this? I ordered the police to withdraw, following procedure and the law! Are you trying to incite them to disobey orders and continue creating conflict here?!"
Facing Fan Chuncheng's questioning, Luo Fei showed no fear and coldly replied.
"Mayor Fan, Xue Shih-hao attempted to board a plane at the airport using a fake passport to escape, but was discovered by our surveillance and hastily fled back here."
If it weren't for the swift action, he would have already flown abroad and escaped justice!
This isn't about whether or not there's an arrest warrant; it's about seizing the opportunity! Are you genuinely unaware, or are you pretending not to understand?
"presumptuous!"
Fan Chuncheng was so angry at Luo Fei's blunt words that the fat on his face trembled.
"Luo Fei! Watch your position and your words! Without solid evidence or an arrest warrant, what makes you assume he has attempted to flee? And what gives you the right to act arbitrarily here? You are the Director of the National Security Bureau; what is the scope of your authority? Who gave you permission to interfere in a local criminal case?! I now seriously doubt the legality and legitimacy of your operation!"
He's a master at labeling people, instantly escalating the issue to the level of "overstepping authority" and "breaking the law."
With the vice mayor's backing and the sound of the city leaders standing on their village's side, the surrounding villagers' morale soared, and their emotions, which had been intimidated by the guns, surged again, and the commotion resumed.
"Did you hear that! The mayor said you don't have the proper permits! It's illegal!"
"Get out! Get out of Xuejia Village!"
"Mayor is brilliant! Get rid of these lawless bastards!"
Shouts and jeering rose and fell, and the crowd began to slowly surge forward again, making the situation increasingly unfavorable for Luo Fei and his group.
Seeing this local official so openly showing favoritism, confusing right and wrong, and even going so far as to obstruct law enforcement with administrative orders, Luo Fei felt a mixture of anger and coldness.
He suddenly laughed, a laugh full of sarcasm, his gaze shooting towards Fan Chuncheng like lightning.
"Vice Mayor Fan, you're really sitting on a shady side. If you didn't know better, you'd think you were also surnamed Xue and were from Xuejia Village."
These words were extremely scathing, directly exposing the possible collusion of interests and bias between Fan Chuncheng and Xuejia Village.
"What...what nonsense are you spouting!"
Fan Chuncheng was furious, his finger trembling as he pointed at Luo Fei.
"Luo Fei! I'm warning you, don't spout nonsense here! I'm just stating the facts and handling this matter according to the law and regulations! You're just a young cadre, what do you know about putting the big picture first? What do you know about maintaining stability? By stirring up trouble and escalating conflicts here, you are the biggest destabilizing factor!"
Luo Fei refused to back down, his words becoming increasingly sharp.
"Considering the overall situation? Maintaining stability? Does that mean condoning criminal suspects, protecting violent resistance to law enforcement, and ignoring national laws? Vice Mayor Fan, you really know how to be a good official! For the sake of so-called 'stability,' you can even trample on the bottom line of the law and protect murder suspects. You have a lot of nerve!"
This is practically accusing the other party of dereliction of duty and breaking the law.
"You bastard!"
Fan Chuncheng was thoroughly enraged. He had been in the officialdom for many years, and he had never been so publicly contradicted and humiliated by a young cadre of a much lower rank than himself, especially in front of "his own people" whom he was trying to protect.
He was so angry that his face turned ashen. He pointed at Luo Fei's nose and started cursing.
"Luo Fei! I'm only giving you face because of your Director Lei! Don't think too highly of yourself! Let me tell you, in this small corner of Dongguan, besides the mayor, I, Fan Chuncheng, call the shots! You, a mere section-level director of the National Security Bureau, have no right to point fingers at me, much less question my decisions! I hereby give you my final order: take your men and get out of Xuejia Village immediately! Otherwise, you will bear all the consequences!"
He openly displayed his rank and local power, attempting to crush Luo Fei with absolute official authority. The atmosphere, following his roar, plummeted to freezing point once more. All eyes were on Luo Fei, watching how he would respond to this blatant expulsion order and rank-based dominance from one of the highest levels of local administration. The criminal investigation team members' palms were sweaty as they gripped their guns; the Ghost Team members' eyes narrowed slightly; Xue Jingshan's lips curled into a barely perceptible sneer; and the surrounding villagers were in a frenzy, waiting for the mayor's order, or for Luo Fei to make any further "uncooperative" moves, before swarming forward.
Facing Fan Chuncheng's fiery gaze and aggressive official demeanor, Luo Fei not only did not back down, but instead took half a step forward, instantly closing the distance between them to less than a meter.
His mocking smile grew even more pronounced, and though his voice wasn't loud, it clearly pierced through the clamor of the scene.
"Just passing by? You came here specifically to talk to Secretary Xue? Vice Mayor Fan, your lie is so half-hearted."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Fan Chuncheng's chubby face, flushed red with anger, before turning to Xue Jingshan, whose expression was gloomy. His speech was calm, yet each word was like a knife.
“It takes at least forty minutes to drive from the city to Xuejia Village. We entered the village in less than half an hour, and you, the busy vice mayor, were able to ‘just happen’ to pass by and ‘just happen’ to find us precisely in the scene where hundreds of people were blocking the road—Mayor Fan, your route planning for ‘passing by’ is truly incredibly precise.”
Fan Chuncheng's eye twitched, and he was about to retort when Luo Fei gave him no chance. He continued to press, his voice suddenly rising, carrying a penetrating power, directed not only at Fan Chuncheng but also at all the surrounding villagers and Xue Jingshan.
"I'd like to ask, what urgent matter could a village Party secretary, who also happens to be the chairman of a group, possibly have that requires you, the vice mayor in charge of urban construction and public security, to personally come to the village to 'discuss' it, instead of being in your office, in a meeting room, or making a phone call? And why did you arrive so 'timely'? Isn't Secretary Xue's influence a bit too great? Or is it that..."
He deliberately dragged out his words, his gaze sharp as a sword, scanning back and forth between Fan Chuncheng and Xue Jingshan.
"What you two want to discuss is something that can't be done in the open. It can't be explained clearly over the phone, and it's not safe to discuss it in the office. Why do you have to come to Xuejia Village, your old stronghold, at this critical juncture, to 'communicate' face to face?"
These words were like cold water poured into a boiling oil pan, instantly causing an uproar. Not only did Fan Chuncheng's expression change drastically, but even Xue Jingshan's composure, which he had been maintaining, began to crack.
Although many villagers harbored deep hostility towards Luo Fei, they were not fools. Upon hearing this, and considering the timing and attitude of the deputy mayor's appearance, a hint of doubt and contemplation flashed in some of their eyes.
"Luo Fei! You...you're spouting nonsense! You're talking rubbish!"
Fan Chuncheng was so angry that he was trembling all over, and his finger pointing at Luo Fei was almost poking his face.
"As the deputy mayor, I've gone deep into the grassroots to understand the situation and resolve conflicts. What's wrong with that?! It's you who's stirring up trouble, sowing discord, and undermining local stability! I think you're the biggest destabilizing factor! I'm warning you one more time: take your people and get out of here right now!"
He practically roared out the last three words, spittle flying everywhere, displaying his official authority and attempting to overwhelm the other party with sheer volume and the imposing presence of his position.
Luo Fei was not intimidated at all; instead, he laughed, his laughter filled with undisguised contempt.
"Your territory? Fan Chuncheng, you seem to have forgotten that every inch of land you stand on is the land of the nation! The official hat you wear is a power granted by the people! Who designated this 'territory' for you? Who allowed you to establish an independent kingdom here, disregard national laws, and harbor criminals?!" His voice suddenly rose, overpowering Fan Chuncheng's roar, and was powerful and resounding.
"Let me tell you, under the whole heaven, all things belong to the country; on the shores of the land, all people are subjects of the king! Here, the law is supreme! No one can, and should not even think of, being above the law!"
These words were righteous and awe-inspiring, like a resounding bell, making many people's eardrums buzz.
Some villagers who had initially just blindly followed the crowd began to have their eyes start to gleam.
"you you……"
Fan Chuncheng nearly choked on his words, his face turning a deep purplish-red. He had never encountered such an unconventional and sharp-tongued opponent. Just as he racked his brains for even harsher words in response—
A rapid and distinctive cell phone ringtone came from Luo Fei's pocket.
The ringtone is special; it's not a typical chord or pop tune, but a short yet powerful electronic buzzer.
Luo Fei's expression shifted, and he raised his hand to signal, causing Fan Chuncheng to subconsciously stop the angry curse that was about to be uttered.
All eyes were on Luo Fei, and a brief, eerie silence fell over the scene, with only the bell continuing to ring.
Luo Fei calmly took out his phone from his pocket, glanced at the screen, and his eyes narrowed slightly.
He didn't walk away or lower his voice; he simply pressed the answer button and put the phone to his ear in front of everyone.
"speak."
A clear and concise report came from the other end of the phone. Due to the excessive silence in the room, Fan Chuncheng and Xue Jingshan, who were relatively close to Luo Fei, could only vaguely hear fragmented words such as "...confessed..."
,"……cash……"
"...The female corpse was recovered..."
Luo Fei listened, his expression remaining largely unchanged, but his eyes grew brighter and sharper, like those of a hawk.
He occasionally hummed in agreement, indicating that he was listening.
The whole process took less than a minute, but to the tense crowd, it felt like an eternity.
Finally, Luo Fei replied in a deep voice.
"Understood. Keep the scene under control. I'll be there as soon as I'm done here."
After saying that, he hung up the phone decisively.
He slowly put his phone back in his pocket, then looked up, his gaze no longer fixed on the furious Fan Chuncheng, but directly on Xue Jingshan's face.
That gaze was cold, carrying a sharpness that seemed to see through everything and settle everything.
Xue Jingshan felt a sudden tightness in his heart as he was stared at, and an extremely ominous premonition gripped his heart instantly.
Luo Fei spoke, his voice calm, yet like a heavy hammer, striking the hearts of everyone present.
“The situation has changed. Secretary Xue, I’m afraid we can’t just ask your grandson to ‘assist in the investigation’ anymore.”
Xue Jingshan's pupils suddenly contracted. He tried to remain calm, but his voice trembled slightly.
"Director Luo, what...do you mean by that?"
Luo Fei spoke clearly, word by word.
"We just received a report. Wang Qiang, the director of the city's No. 1 Detention Center, has confessed completely under the pressure of irrefutable evidence and strong psychological pressure."
He confessed, "It was you, Xue Jingshan, who contacted me through an intermediary and offered me 30 million yuan to orchestrate an accident in the detention center to kill inmate Zhu Dafa and silence him."
"impossible!"
Xue Jingshan cried out, his face turning deathly pale instantly. But he immediately realized he had lost his composure, forcibly suppressing his surging blood and qi, and said sternly.
"Luo Fei! This is a frame-up! A blatant frame-up! Who is Wang Qiang? A corrupt and lawless scoundrel!"
Can you really believe what he says? He's just desperate, biting anyone he can!
"Whether you bite people randomly or not, you know in your heart."
Luo Fei said coldly.
"Police technical personnel have found the 30 million yuan in cash in Wang Qiang's secret apartment in the city."
Thirty bundles of 100-yuan bills were packed in a specially made travel bag.
Preliminary examination revealed several clear fingerprints, which are currently being urgently compared. Mr. Xue, should I remind you of the sentencing standards in my country's criminal law regarding bribery, especially bribery leading to murder? Or should I remind you of the consecutive serial numbers of the 30 million yuan in cash, and the bank records showing it flowed from accounts controlled by your Xue family?
These words were like cold iron spikes, chiseling at Xue Jingshan's defenses.
His body visibly swayed, and a fine layer of cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead. Hiring someone to kill, especially someone as important as Zhu Dafa, had been done with extreme secrecy, he was confident he wouldn't leave such direct evidence! How could Wang Qiang have given up so quickly? That cash… how could it possibly have been found?!
Luo Fei gave him no time to catch his breath or think, and dropped the second bombshell.
"In addition, just twenty minutes ago, our bureau, in conjunction with the Municipal Criminal Investigation Detachment, launched a salvage operation at the West Suburbs Reservoir based on a tip. We successfully salvaged a black Mercedes-Benz sedan. After verifying the license plate and vehicle identification number, we confirmed that the car belongs to your grandson, Xue Shihao."
Upon hearing "Xue Shih-hao's car," Xue Jingshan's heart sank to the bottom.
Luo Fei stared at him and slowly uttered the last sentence.
"A female body was found behind the driver's seat in the car."
Preliminary identification confirms a high degree of similarity to 'Miss Sakura,' who was reported missing several days ago. The estimated time of death is several days prior, around the time of Zhu Dafa's murder. A preliminary forensic examination indicates the deceased suffered violent assault before death, with strangulation marks on her neck; the cause of death is mechanical asphyxiation. (End of Chapter)