Chapter 107: Bring Down His Entire Family

After nightfall that evening, Li Jiawei, the deputy director of the Haizhou Public Security Bureau, felt his right eyelid twitching incessantly. There is a common saying that a twitching left eye brings wealth, while a twitching right eye warns of disaster; this persistent tremor left him feeling deeply uneasy.

His intuition told him that danger was imminent, yet he could not pinpoint exactly what it was or where it originated. Having sat in this position for many years, he had been involved in his fair share of illicit affairs. Upon reflection, he concluded that his greatest current threat was the hit-and-run case involving Wu Dong. The special investigation team sent from the provincial department reported only to Director Du Cheng, leaving him completely in the dark. However, he had instructed Wu Dong to find a scapegoat to take the fall. If Wu Dong had truly followed through, he would surely escape the reach of the law, and as long as Wu Dong remained safe, Li Jiawei felt he would have nothing to worry about.

Settling on this thought, Li Jiawei hurriedly dialed Wu Dong’s number.

"Beep... beep... beep..."

There was no answer.

Anxious, Li Jiawei called again.

Meanwhile, in a hotel on the outskirts of Haizhou, Hu Haibo, the leader of the special investigation team, stared at the bloodshot-eyed Wu Dong and said coldly, "Wu Dong, there is no point in putting up a desperate struggle. The driver who helped you dispose of the vehicle and the car dealer have already confessed. We have also recovered blood and clothing fibers from the two victims inside your imported BMW. Your fingerprints and hair are in that car. Even if you refuse to admit it, we have sufficient witness testimony and physical evidence to prosecute you."

Wu Dong was in a state of panic. Although he had already secured a subordinate willing to take the blame, he had never imagined that the investigators would seize him right at his doorstep the previous night and bring him here in secret. Caught off guard, Wu Dong had been bombarded by 24 hours of interrogation, during which the team showed him various pieces of evidence and the signed statements of his own associates.

Though Wu Dong knew in his heart that he was doomed, he clung to a shred of hope, wanting to resist until the end.

At this point, Hu Haibo, losing his patience, said coldly, "Wu Dong, let me be honest with you. I still hold a sliver of hope for you, and this is your final chance at redemption. Our team is here not just for you, but for Li Jiawei as well. If you confess now, I will ensure it is recorded as a voluntary surrender, and I will request a lenient sentence from the judge. Furthermore, if you take the initiative to expose Li Jiawei’s bribery, I will count it as a meritorious service, which will grant you even greater leniency on top of the initial reduction."

Upon hearing this, Wu Dong’s mental defenses began to crumble. He had resisted only because he was afraid to face the reality of his situation. Now, Hu Haibo had offered him two opportunities: one for a voluntary surrender and one for meritorious service.

Wu Dong was no fool; he realized the investigation team was actually targeting Li Jiawei. Li Jiawei had been his greatest pillar of support within the public security system. He had originally counted on Li Jiawei to save him, but seeing that Li Jiawei could not even protect himself, he knew there was no hope there. If he exposed Li Jiawei now, he could earn credit for meritorious service and salvage something; otherwise, he was truly finished.

After about half an hour of deliberation, Wu Dong finally nodded and said dejectedly, "Fine, I will confess."

Hu Haibo was visibly excited and immediately said, "Li Jiawei has been calling you for a long time. Call him back and tell him you were drunk last night. You must make him believe you and put his mind at ease..."

Just as he was speaking, Hu Haibo received a call from a friend at the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection. It turned out they were also in Haizhou, investigating the corruption case of Guo Lin. They wanted to know if, after arresting Wu Dong, Hu Haibo could help interrogate him regarding Guo Lin’s affairs. While they had already gathered substantial evidence of Guo Lin’s corruption, Wu Dong was the key to the entire case.

Hu Haibo looked at Wu Dong with a smile and said, "You are truly lucky; another opportunity for meritorious service has arrived!"

Wu Dong was stunned.

Hu Haibo continued, "The Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection is investigating Guo Lin. If you confess to your financial dealings with him, that will be another major achievement!"

Wu Dong’s expression brightened. "I’ll confess! I’ll confess everything! I have a ledger at home that records every single bribe I gave to Guo Lin."

...

Early the next morning, Guo Lin arrived at the Xiling Coal Mine in his company car. He had been having a rough time lately. Having been inexplicably dragged into that city-wide hit-and-run scandal, he had been viciously attacked by netizens. The immense pressure caused him to suffer from insomnia every night, leaving him physically and mentally devastated.

Fortunately, his old superior, Han Lu, was still covering for him. Despite the pressure, he could still hold onto his position as the mine manager. By next year, or at the latest the year after, the Xiling Coal Mine would undergo bankruptcy restructuring. Once he held out until the bankruptcy, he could retire comfortably within the group.

As the car finished its bumpy journey and reached the parking lot of the Xiling Coal Mine, Guo Lin stepped out. Unexpectedly, agents from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection suddenly appeared. Two investigators flanked him, restraining him as they quietly displayed their credentials. "Comrade Guo Lin, we are investigators from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection. We need you to come with us to assist in an investigation."

The moment the words were spoken, Guo Lin’s legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed to the ground. At the critical moment, the two investigators held him up. Guo Lin knew that if the Commission had come for him, it meant they had already uncovered his crimes and were placing him under "Shuanggui" (a disciplinary measure requiring a party member to report at a designated time and place).

Guo Lin knew it was all over. The sudden arrival of the Commission meant there was no way to transfer or hide the tens of millions he had embezzled. His only thought now was of his wife, Xue Guilan. She was also a party member and a leader at the Xiling Coal Mine; she had been just as corrupt as he was during her many years in the labor union. If the Commission investigated her too, would they both end up in prison? What would happen to their son?

Overwhelmed by panic, as if a mountain were crushing his chest, all the strength drained from his body. As the investigators escorted him to the car, he lost consciousness.

Although the investigators kept a low profile and his departure did not cause a major scene, the news spread with incredible speed. Twenty minutes after Guo Lin was taken away, the news had permeated the entire Xiling Coal Mine.

Xue Guilan had not gone to the mine with Guo Lin that morning; she had asked her older brother to drive her and her son, Guo Yuhang, to the hospital for a check-up. But as soon as she arrived at the hospital, she received a frantic call from her younger sister. Her sister’s voice was filled with despair and tears: "Sister, it's over! Brother-in-law has been taken by the Commission!"

"What did you say?!"

Xue Guilan’s brain felt like it had exploded. The blood rushed to her head, and she began to tremble uncontrollably.

"Sister, it just happened! Brother-in-law had just arrived at the mine when he was taken away by the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection in the parking lot!"

Xue Guilan could not stand and nearly collapsed. Her brother hurriedly supported her. Trembling in panic, she clutched her chest and muttered to herself, "This must be a dream, this must be a dream..."

"Sister, you should go into hiding for a while so this doesn't implicate you. Brother-in-law is already caught; you cannot let yourself be taken too!"

Xue Guilan looked at her son, Guo Yuhang, in despair. She forced herself to calm down and told her sister on the phone, "Hurry to the apartment at the north gate. I’m having my brother take me and Yuhang there now."

...

Li Mu had just woken up. His mother, who loved to go out early to buy groceries, had returned with breakfast. Li Mu had just finished washing up and started eating when his father walked in from his morning exercise. Seeing them both, his father smiled and said, "Let me tell you some good news I just heard."

Li Mu, who was drinking bean curd soup, looked up. "Dad, what good news?"

His father raised his eyebrows excitedly but deliberately kept them in suspense, sitting on the sofa to light a cigarette first.

Li Mu’s mother rolled her eyes at him and said to Li Mu, "Your father always likes to be mysterious; it’s probably nothing real."

His father hurriedly said, "I’m not teasing you this time; it’s truly great news!"

He sat up straight and said seriously, "I just got a call from an old colleague. He said that Guo Lin was taken away by the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection this morning."

"Really?" his mother asked in surprise, and Li Mu was even more stunned.

After meticulous preparation for so long, this was the day Li Mu had been waiting for. Given the amount of Guo Lin’s embezzlement, once the Commission moved against him, he would never see the outside of a prison cell for the next ten or twenty years.

His father laughed out loud. "Of course it’s true. Many workers at the Xiling mine are already buying firecrackers to set off; the whole mine is celebrating."

Guo Lin had been in power for years, not only manipulating personnel and creating a toxic,怨聲載道 (grievance-filled) environment but also plundering vast sums of money from the workers. As a result, benefits were nonexistent, and the staff and their families had long hated the old man. Seeing him taken away, they were naturally overjoyed—the atmosphere was more festive than any holiday.

His mother said excitedly, "Guo Lin has been doing evil for so many years; his retribution has finally come!" She then asked, "What about Xue Guilan? She has been just as corrupt in the labor union. She sold countless worker positions for tens of thousands each. She sold a whole heap of positions for production captains and department heads. She hasn't taken a small amount of money either!"

His father nodded. "I’m not sure about Xue Guilan’s situation, but since Guo Lin has been taken, she definitely won’t be able to escape. If she tries to run now, she might even become a wanted criminal."

Li Mu did not join his parents' discussion. Instead, he suppressed the excitement in his heart and sent a text message to Zhao Kang: "The matter regarding Guo Lin has come to an end. Give each of your core personnel a bonus of one thousand yuan. I will cover the cost, but make sure they keep their mouths shut."

The overwhelming excitement made Li Mu want to find a place to roar at the top of his lungs. Despite the twists and turns, he had achieved his goal. In his previous life, that old turtle Guo Lin had retired safely from the group with his reputation intact, and his spoiled son, Guo Yuhang, had owned hundreds of millions in property in Yanjing within just a few years. In a small place like Haizhou, their family of three was undoubtedly a massive winner at life. But to that, Li Mu would shout a loud "BUT!"

But! In this life, no one—except himself—ever expected that Guo Lin would end up being investigated by the Commission! All of this was thanks to him! Although he had just graduated from high school and possessed no power or status, he had won! He had not only toppled Guo Lin but his entire family as well!

Though his methods were not entirely honorable, who the hell cared? Those who achieve great things do not sweat the small stuff. He had accomplished this great feat and permanently eliminated the threat Guo Lin posed to his parents. That was what mattered most to Li Mu.