Official Career Storm
Chapter 456

Chapter 456: Chapter 456

Ten minutes later, Lu Feng sent out a group message, "Withdraw!"

The executives and finance personnel of the nine controlled companies, watching these "police" and "Disciplinary Committee" comrades, all walked together towards the door.

Someone couldn’t help but ask, "Officer, where are you going?"

"Out for a smoke."

Lu Feng pointed to a corner of the room, "Don’t wander off, the room is already equipped with surveillance."

"Sure, of course not."

After they left, Lu Feng and the others responsible for monitoring the personnel swiftly descended the stairs through the fire escape, avoiding cameras the whole way, and quickly left.

Less than five minutes after their departure, Liang Jiajia and her team arrived at different residential complexes.

One team blocked the elevator, another team climbed the stairs through the fire escape.

A short moment later.

They reached the door outside, Liang Jiajia exchanged glances with a colleague, and stepped forward to knock.

Inside the room, footsteps sounded, gradually approaching.

Liang Jiajia had already drawn her pistol from her waist, ready to deceive the other side into opening the door under the guise of checking the water meter.

But...

"Creak~"

The door opened.

The man who opened the door, seeing Liang Jiajia and her team, was a bit stunned.

What’s going on?

Why the change of personnel?

Although puzzled, the man didn’t overthink it and assumed it was just the officers changing shifts.

Just as he was about to greet them warmly, he heard the other side shout, "Take him down!"

Whoosh!

A group of people rushed in, grabbed his hands, twisted his arms behind him, and clapped on handcuffs.

The accountant inside was also swiftly controlled by the police who followed one after another.

Both were pressed to the ground now, clueless about what was happening.

We were promised leniency for honesty!

We’ve confessed everything, why the violence?

Both felt extremely wronged in their hearts.

"Hey, this is the accountant from Haiseng Company." A detective stared at the middle-aged woman, somewhat surprised.

He hadn’t expected to encounter the company’s accountant here, saving them another trip.

"Package all electronic devices properly and take them away!"

...

At four fifty-seven in the afternoon.

Song Guanchao received a call from Liang Jiajia.

"All 26 individuals, including the executives and accountants of the nine companies, have been arrested."

"Nicely done."

Song Guanchao praised, "Truly the pride of the criminal police, I didn’t choose wrong. Once the case is over, I’ll throw a banquet for Officer Liang!"

"..." If her colleagues weren’t around, Liang Jiajia would surely have given him a piece of her mind.

Song Guanchao was in high spirits.

Now, Hou Wen had been caught, and the nine companies that had contracts with Dujiang City as well.

Only Wang Meihua and her two associates were left.

But there was no rush.

Eat one bite at a time, proceed step by step.

Completing these steps too early could attract attention.

Moreover, it wouldn’t showcase his abilities.

If the leaders didn’t realize how big the problem was, how could they appreciate how strong his capabilities are?

"Gurgle~"

Zhou Qian’s stomach growled.

The conference room was large with few people, so the sound was quite noticeable.

She turned her head away, embarrassed, and Song Guanchao said, "I lost track of time, let’s go to the cafeteria for lunch."

"It’s okay." Zhou Qian said, "Work is important, don’t worry about me."

"Most of the work is already done, now we just wait for people to come back."

Song Guanchao had already stood up, "I might be quite busy with work for the next couple of days, but once it’s done, I’ll invite Miss Zhou out for a meal on my own. For today, though, we’ll just have to make do and eat in the cafeteria."

Zhou Qian wanted to say that it didn’t matter where or what they ate, just as long as she could be with him.

Although she couldn’t speak such words, the honey-thick gaze in her eyes said it all, and Song Guanchao spotted it.

That look, it was almost too much for him to bear.

Zhou Qian was like an epiphyllum blooming in the deep of night, her emotions reserved on most occasions, revealing her most beautiful side only at specific times to someone special.

In the cafeteria, the government employees quieted down when they saw Song Guanchao, lining up obediently for their food and eating without making a single sound, as if they were quite frightened of him.

Noticing this, Zhou Qian whispered, "They seem really scared of you."

Song Guanchao had already seen it and replied indifferently, "They’re not afraid of me, but of the power I hold in my hands."

Zhou Qian said, "But they don’t seem to be so wary of other leaders."

Song Guanchao said, "Officialdom is muddy waters, and the more competent you are, the more likely you are to be ostracized. There will be people who talk behind your back, spin tales about you, and even sabotage you."

"They fear me because they know I am not like the others."

"Whoever dares to slander me, I am actually willing to take action."

Zhou Qian let out a ’oh’, and though she had never worked in the City Committee, she could sense from in between the lines that Song Guanchao wasn’t exactly beloved in his official circles.

It seemed there were many who gave him trouble behind the scenes.

Yet, he appeared to resolve them all.

"You’re really impressive," Zhou Qian said softly, her voice carrying a tint of admiration.

Song Guanchao was taken aback but just smiled and said, "Let’s eat."

...

At five twenty-seven in the afternoon, Hou Wen’s flight arrived at Lingjiang International Airport.

Liang Jianfeng personally led the team and the handover with the comrades from the West Mountain City Public Security Bureau was completed smoothly.

Usually, they would stay behind to be entertained by Director Liang, but knowing the current situation in Lingjiang, they didn’t linger and went straight back.

Hou Wen sat in the police car, flanked by officers on both sides.

Looking out the car window, he saw the clean tarmac of the highway and golden wheat fields in the distance.

The wind blew and the wheat swayed.

He had traveled this road many a time.

Each trip from Dujiang City to Lingjiang, he had taken this inter-city expressway.

Over a decade ago, when this road wasn’t yet finished, it was just a concrete road, with dust filling the sky and the environment harsh.

He had watched, bit by bit, as Lingjiang City transformed from an economically underdeveloped town to the modernized city it is today.

"Director Liang, do you have a cigarette?" Hou Wen asked calmly.

Liang Jianfeng, sitting in the passenger seat, took out a pack of cigarettes and tossed it over, saying, "Light it for him."

The officer on the left produced a lighter and lit the cigarette for him.

"Thank you."

Hou Wen took a puff and said, "I’m quite addicted to smoking, I get uncomfortable if I don’t smoke for half an hour, that’s why I don’t like flying."

Liang Jianfeng listened but didn’t speak.

Hou Wen muttered to himself for quite a while and when the car entered the city, he finally asked, "Which leader is in charge of this case?"

Liang Jianfeng replied, "Secretary Wu’s assistant, Song Guanchao."

"Song Guanchao?" Hou Wen looked somewhat bewildered.

He certainly remembered that name.

It was this very Secretary Song who had made him experience jailtime for the first time.

"Is it Secretary Wu?"

"I told you, it’s Secretary Song."

Liang Jianfeng hesitated for a moment before briefly describing what had happened at the Standing Committee meeting that morning.

The suspect had been caught and since Song Guanchao was responsible for the case, it wasn’t a secret and there was nothing that couldn’t be said.

After hearing him out, Hou Wen was completely stunned.

He had considered many possibilities, that it could have been Secretary Lu, Mayor Zheng, or Mayor Jiang, even Secretary Wu...

He had never expected it to be Song Guanchao, a mere deputy section-level secretary!

Moreover, someone who had taken the initiative, assuming full responsibility.

Even Hou Wen, who had remained utterly composed while being handcuffed by the police, secure in the knowledge that he could no longer escape, now felt a surge of emotion learning that the person responsible for his downfall was just a minor secretary.

He couldn’t accept it.

He couldn’t accept that he, a dignified City Secretary, had been brought down by such an insignificant figure.

And for what purpose?

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