Chapter 1403
Shocking Explosion of 6 Million Yuan in Stolen Funds
Luo Fei was slightly taken aback by the sudden, enthusiastic hug, but feeling the other person's sincere and genuine excitement, a warm feeling welled up in his heart as well.
Only then did he realize from Zhang Wenzhong's words and expression that this inspector, who was a high-ranking official and had never met before, actually had a past connection with his deceased grandfather.
"Minister Zhang, do you know my grandfather?"
Luo Fei asked.
"More than just acquaintances!"
Zhang Wenzhong took a deep breath to calm himself down, but the excitement in his eyes was still clearly visible.
"Back in the army, I was a soldier under your grandfather! My old sergeant was not only my former leader but also my savior! Once, during a mission, we were ambushed. If my old sergeant hadn't risked his life to drag me back from the firing point, I would have been dead long ago!"
His voice was choked with emotion.
"Later, I transferred to civilian work, and my old sergeant also retired and returned to his hometown, so we lost touch. Later, I heard that my old sergeant... I've always thought about him and even asked around about you and your family, but unfortunately... Ah, it's so good to see you today, so good!"
He carefully examined Luo Fei, and the more he looked at him, the more familiar he felt with him, nodding repeatedly.
"You look just like him! That spirit, that look in your eyes, it's all just like him! If the old squad leader could see you like this today, he'd be so happy!"
Luo Fei understood immediately; no wonder Minister Zhang was so excited to see him.
He smiled gently.
“Minister Zhang, I never knew there was such a connection. Grandpa… passed away peacefully.”
"I know I know."
Zhang Wenzhong waved his hand and asked with concern.
"Where's your grandma? How is she? Where is she living now?"
"Grandma is in good health. She lives in her hometown and usually has someone to play mahjong with and watch TV. She's in good spirits."
Luo Fei answered.
"That's good!
That's good!"
Zhang Wenzhong nodded repeatedly, a relieved smile on his face.
"Once I finish my work here, I need to find some time to call up that old man Lei Wanting, and we'll go visit her together! Back in the day, we used to get a lot of meals cooked by your grandma!"
A simple reminiscing session quickly brought the two closer, and the atmosphere became much more harmonious.
Zhang Wenzhong then turned his gaze to Fan Chuncheng lying on the ground, and the emotion and excitement on his face were gradually replaced by solemnity and doubt.
"Luo Fei."
He pointed at Fan Chuncheng, his tone becoming more formal.
"You really brought him here? To be honest, when I received the call from Director Zhong of your Municipal Bureau, saying that you might be sending someone to me, I was still a little skeptical. Our inspection team has indeed noticed some clues about this Vice Mayor Fan and is conducting an external investigation, but... the information we have so far is not substantial enough, and we didn't expect you to 'send' him here in this way."
He glanced at Fan Chuncheng, who was unconscious, and then at Luo Fei.
"What's wrong with him...?"
Luo Fei glanced at Fan Chuncheng with his gaze, smiled, a smile that was both casual and undeniably confident.
"Minister Zhang, it's not appropriate to come empty-handed on our first meeting."
"Consider this a 'gift' from me to you, and to the inspection team, for Vice Mayor Fan."
"A gift?"
Zhang Wenzhong raised an eyebrow; this statement was quite interesting.
"Yes, a gift to mark our meeting."
Luo Fei nodded, his tone calm, but what he said was earth-shattering.
"This Vice Mayor Fan has serious problems. According to our current information, the amount of bribes he has personally received may be as high as this figure."
He extended his right hand, raising his thumb and little finger to make a "six" gesture.
"Sixty...sixty million?"
Zhang Wenzhong asked instinctively, noting that this number was already extremely astonishing for a vice mayor.
Luo Fei shook his head and slowly uttered two words.
"Six hundred million."
Six hundred million?!
Even Zhang Wenzhong, a seasoned veteran of many storms and holding a high position of power, couldn't help but gasp, his pupils contracting sharply. The other team members who had followed him out of the conference room and were watching from a distance also heard the number and immediately let out a collective gasp of shock, their faces filled with horror. Six hundred million!
What does this mean? This goes far beyond the scope of ordinary bribery crimes; it's simply appalling!
"This is just a preliminary estimate; it may be more than that."
Luo Fei added, as if he were talking about an insignificant number.
"Moreover, this 600 million is not just empty talk. I know where he hid the money."
These words struck Zhang Wenzhong and all the team members who heard them like a thunderbolt. Knowing where it was hidden? What did that mean? It meant that finding the stolen money would be irrefutable evidence! No matter how many excuses or connections Fan Chuncheng had, they would all crumble instantly before this real, mountain-like stack of cash!
Zhang Wenzhong's breathing became heavy. He stared intently at Luo Fei and asked in a deep voice.
Are you sure? Is the address accurate?
"determine."
Luo Fei answered decisively.
"Not only do I know the address, but I also know how he hid it and what the contents are like."
Minister Zhang, are you able to mobilize reliable personnel and vehicles on your side right now? Preferably with high confidentiality.
Zhang Wenzhong nodded without hesitation.
Yes! How much do you need? I'll arrange it right away!
His voice trembled with excitement. The "weak point" to break the deadlock had not only been found, but it had been smashed open in the most brutal and effective way! Moreover, the person who smashed the hole had pointed out the most crucial and fatal "stolen goods" inside to him!
"A few escort vehicles or spacious, inconspicuous vans will suffice, along with a sufficient number of reliable escort and survey personnel."
Luo Fei said.
"I'll send the specific address to your phone later. Get ready, just go and seize the stolen goods. Caught red-handed, let's see how he can deny it when he wakes up." Zhang Wenzhong nodded vigorously, then immediately turned to his secretary and said sternly.
"Quickly! Immediately notify all personnel of our core Operations Teams One and Two to equip them with body cameras and investigation tools! Contact the provincial department to arrange for three special operations vehicles! No, four! Assemble downstairs immediately and stand by! All operations must be kept strictly confidential; any leak of even a single word will be subject to military law!"
He used military terminology, which made him sound particularly stern.
"Yes!"
The secretary was also caught up in the atmosphere, her face flushed, and she turned around and ran off to make the arrangements.
Zhang Wenzhong turned around and looked at Luo Fei with a complex expression in his eyes, a mixture of excitement, gratitude, admiration, and a sense of relief at seeing his old friend perform so well.
He patted Luo Fei on the shoulder heavily.
"Luo Fei, this 'gift' is too much! On behalf of the inspection team, thank you!"
Luo Fei smiled.
"Minister Zhang, you're too kind. It's all part of our job. Eradicating parasites is what we're supposed to do."
This person.
He pointed to Fan Chuncheng on the ground.
"It has now been officially handed over to you and the inspection team."
He'll probably be unconscious for a while longer. You can decide how and when he'll wake up. We have other follow-up work to handle, so we won't bother you any longer.
Zhang Wenzhong knew that Luo Fei had a special identity and that he certainly had more than one mission, so he did not try to stop him, but said solemnly.
"Okay! You go ahead and get busy."
Leave this to me.
I'll contact you again once the stolen money is recovered and the situation is confirmed. Also, don't forget about visiting your grandmother!
"must."
Luo Fei nodded, then gestured to Qinglong, Wuming, and the others. Qinglong and Wuming gently placed the stretcher on the platform and returned to Luo Fei's side. Luo Fei nodded to Zhang Wenzhong again, then led the Ghost Team members, turned around, and calmly walked down the stairs, leaving the small building.
Zhang Wenzhong stood at the entrance of the stairwell, watching Luo Fei and the others disappear around the corner of the stairs. After a long while, he slowly withdrew his gaze.
He looked at the unconscious Fan Chuncheng on the ground again, his eyes now cold and sharp, as if he could see through the expensive suit and see the shocking evil hidden beneath and the impending doom.
He turned around and gave a deep order to the team members who had gathered around him, their faces still showing shock and excitement.
"Immediately prepare a safe isolation room, place him inside, and assign someone to guard him 24 hours a day. No one is allowed to approach without my permission! At the same time, the technical team should be on standby immediately. Once the address information is received, we will immediately conduct analysis and formulate the safest recovery plan! The action team should check their equipment, and depart as soon as the vehicles arrive!"
"Yes!"
The crowd responded in unison, their voices filled with long-lost enthusiasm and high morale. The young man had already smashed a huge crack in the eggshell in the most incredible way. Now, it was their turn, like sharp knives, to cut deep into the crack and thoroughly scoop out the rotten, foul-smelling yolk!
The small building was instantly filled with a tense yet orderly atmosphere of busy activity.
A fatal blow against Fan Chuncheng, and even the larger conspiracy behind him, officially began with Luo Fei's special "greeting gift".
Zhang Wenzhong stood by the window, watching the police car carrying Luo Fei quietly drive away downstairs, silently reciting something to himself.
Old squad leader, you have a wonderful grandson!
As night falls, the six-story building in the suburbs of Dongguan is brightly lit, creating a stark contrast with the surrounding silence and darkness.
Standing by the window of his simple office, Zhang Wenzhong watched as the taillights of Luo Fei's inconspicuous police car disappeared completely at the end of the road, his turbulent emotions still not fully subsided. The old squad leader's grandson... He silently savored the title, feeling both the warmth of a descendant of an old friend and the awe he felt at the astonishing energy and style of Luo Fei.
But at this moment, he had no time for sentimentality. The "gift" left by Luo Fei needed to be dealt with immediately, as it might be the most powerful lever to break the deadlock.
He turned around, and his secretary was already waiting at the door with a notebook and an encrypted phone.
"Commander Zhang, the action team and vehicles will be assembled within five minutes."
The technical team is ready and awaiting your further instructions and...address information.
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Wenzhong's personal cell phone vibrated slightly in his pocket.
He immediately took it out, and on the screen was a location message sent by Luo Fei, along with a brief text description.
He quickly scanned the information, his pupils involuntarily contracting again. The message not only provided four different detailed addresses—one in a logistics warehouse on the outskirts of the city, the basement of an upscale villa complex in the north, a hidden mezzanine in an abandoned factory in the south, and a private safe deposit box center behind a bank in the city center—but also described the types and approximate quantities of valuables hidden at each location.
The logistics warehouse mainly contained boxes of cash, the villa's basement held a large number of gold bars and precious jewelry, the abandoned factory's mezzanine contained antique paintings and calligraphy and fine wines, and the safe deposit boxes contained currencies from various countries, luxury watches, and important documents. Luo Fei even marked the special methods or codes that might be needed to enter certain locations.
"This kid... his intelligence work is incredibly meticulous!"
Zhang Wenzhong sighed inwardly, then, without further hesitation, showed the information on his phone to his secretary and the technical team leader.
"Immediately formulate a detailed action plan, divide into four groups and proceed simultaneously to ensure the operation is swift, covert, and safe! All participants shall remain silent on communications until they reach the perimeter of the target location, at which point they shall await further instructions! Move out!"
In the open space in front of the small building, four specially treated, ordinary-looking vans and several SUVs quietly drove in, then quickly drove away carrying the fully armed and solemn-looking members of the action team, disappearing into the night.
Zhang Wenzhong sat in the temporary command center, staring at the real-time monitoring screens and communication channels on the wall. The air was so tense it was almost frozen.
Every minute felt incredibly long.
Time ticked by. About two hours later, the first group sent back a message.
"Target number one has been secured. Target area located... My God, it's piled high with neatly packed cash. Initial visual assessment indicates an astonishing amount. A large number of people are needed to count and move it!"
Immediately afterwards, information from the second, third, and fourth groups also came in one after another.
"Target number two has been successfully discovered! A large number of standard gold bars have been found, estimated to weigh over 500 kilograms! There are also multiple safes filled with diamonds, jade, and gemstone jewelry..."
"Target No. 3 has a hidden entrance, which contains a large number of scrolls, porcelain, bronzes, and an entire wall of top-grade liquor and foreign liquor... Preliminary assessment indicates that many of the items have high cultural value."
"Target No. 4 was found to contain a large amount of foreign currency cash, dozens of world-class luxury watches, as well as property deeds, equity agreements, and other documents..."
The report coming through the walkie-talkie, though striving to maintain a professional and steady tone, couldn't completely conceal the slight tremor and disbelief. In the command center, all the remaining inspection team members held their breath, exchanging bewildered glances.
Although Luo Fei had warned of it beforehand, the impact of presenting such staggering wealth in such a direct and brutal way in the report was still devastating.
This isn't just a deputy mayor's private property; it's a mini-gold mine! It's the ultimate manifestation of insane greed!
Zhang Wenzhong took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and gave a solemn command into the microphone.
"Each team, after confirming the site is safe, immediately conduct preliminary sealing and photographic evidence preservation. Then, organize reliable forces to escort all seized items back intact, with the entire process recorded on video! Note that thorough registration and handover are essential to ensure everything goes smoothly!" (End of Chapter)