100: Chapter 100 A Sudden Storm

At 10:00 PM, in the compound of the Linjiang Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection, Su Qinghan finished her week of non-stop work and locked the final case file into the secure cabinet.

She rubbed her aching neck, grabbed her car keys, and walked toward the underground parking lot.

This was a rare weekend.

In order to spend more time with Zhu Wenhao, she decided not to go home to rest, choosing instead to drive straight to the provincial capital while it was still early.

She sat inside the white sedan.

Su Qinghan lowered her head, her fingertips stroking a gift box on the passenger seat. It was a gift she had specially selected.

The car drove out of the compound, merged onto the main road, and headed toward the highway entrance leading out of the city.

The road conditions in the urban-rural fringe were poor, and the self-built houses on both sides were scattered and chaotic. This was the main route for entering and leaving Linjiang City.

Just as she passed an abandoned factory, Su Qinghan abruptly lifted her foot from the accelerator.

In the wild grass by the roadside, a thin, small figure was stumbling and running frantically.

It was a boy of about ten years old, his clothes torn to shreds.

Less than ten meters behind him, two young hooligans with dyed yellow hair were giving chase, carrying steel pipes in their hands.

Su Qinghan slammed on the brakes.

The white sedan screeched to a halt, drifting and stopping precisely on the shoulder.

She pushed the car door open, grabbed the boy who had fallen on the curb, and shoved him directly into the passenger seat.

She got in, locked the doors, and floored the accelerator.

The sedan shot forward, leaving the two pursuing youths behind in a cloud of exhaust. Seeing they could not catch up, they took out their phones and started making calls.

She glanced at the rearview mirror, confirming that she had temporarily shaken off the tail.

Su Qinghan controlled the steering wheel with one hand and took out her phone with the other, dialing the number for Police Chief Zhao Gang of the branch criminal investigation detachment. This was the protection Zhu Wenhao had left for her.

"Director Zhao, this is Su Qinghan from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection."

She spoke rapidly: "I just rescued a young boy on the road out of the city who was being chased and beaten by some hooligans."

Director Zhao's tone tightened instantly: "Are you safe right now?"

"I am safe for now." Su Qinghan glanced at the navigation. "I am turning back to the city center now. I will send you the approximate location of the suspects immediately, and I will take the child to the nearest Police Station."

"Send the location, I'm bringing men over immediately!"

She hung up and sent the location.

Su Qinghan found a wide intersection, turned the steering wheel all the way, and reversed direction, cutting back onto the main road leading to the center of Linjiang City.

In the passenger seat, the boy was breathing heavily.

His dark eyes were fixed intently on Su Qinghan, his hands clutching a tattered canvas schoolbag tightly.

"Big sister, are you from the Discipline Inspection Commission?" the boy suddenly asked, his guard extremely high.

"Yes. I am from the Discipline Inspection Commission." She softened her tone. "Why were those two people chasing you?"

The boy did not answer immediately.

He turned his head to look at the scenery flying past the car window for a long time before saying, "My mom's name is Li Qian."

Li Qian.

The name made Su Qinghan's hands tremble. She glanced at the boy's profile, the spacing of his eyes and brows—he had the shadow of Li Qian from the photos in the case file.

"Mom sent me to the countryside overnight two months ago. She told me that no matter who came, I shouldn't leave unless it was her." The boy lowered his head, his voice muffled.

"She also said that if she didn't come to find me within a month, I should follow this road into the city and make sure to deliver this thing to the Discipline Inspection Commission."

The boy unzipped the canvas bag.

"You are from the Discipline Inspection Commission. This is for you."

Su Qinghan pulled the car over to the side and turned on the hazard lights.

She took it and opened the front cover.

Densely packed records of fund transfers and the under-the-table operations regarding the construction funds for the Southern New District project were all listed in the book.

This was the top-secret black ledger left behind by Zheng Jianguo.

Su Qinghan grabbed her phone and dialed the number of Secretary Zhou Zheng of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection.

"Secretary Zhou Zheng. Zheng Jianguo's ledger has been found."

She didn't waste any time with pleasantries: "I ran into Li Qian's child on the road out of the city. I have the ledger."

Secretary Zhou Zheng's voice rose sharply: "Are you certain?"

"I just checked it. I am certain."

Su Qinghan put on her Bluetooth headset and shifted gears to start driving again. "I am escorting the child and the ledger back to the Discipline Inspection Commission compound now."

"Good!" Secretary Zhou Zheng decided immediately. "I'm heading to the office now. I will contact Director Li to send people to support you. Stay safe!"

Ending the call, the car accelerated again.

Just as the car passed two intersections, the dull roar of several engines came from behind.

Su Qinghan glanced at the rearview mirror.

Three unplated black off-road vehicles in a triangular formation forced their way onto the main road from a side street, latching onto her tail.

The other party had come too quickly.

Su Qinghan slammed on the accelerator, and the sedan wove dangerously through the traffic.

She pressed Police Chief Zhao Gang's number again.

"Police Chief Zhao Gang! A fleet of criminal vehicles is chasing me!"

Police Chief Zhao Gang's voice was deafening: "Where is your exact location right now!"

"On Yanhe Avenue, heading toward the city center. There are three vehicles hitting me!"

"I'm over forty kilometers away from you!" Police Chief Zhao Gang roared sternly. "Drive toward us! Floor the gas! I'm turning on the sirens and coming to support you! Director Li is already tracking your mobile signal!"

Before he could finish speaking.

A dull, loud crash came from the rear of the car.

An off-road vehicle behind slammed into the sedan's bumper.

The white sedan swayed violently, and the Bluetooth headset slid off onto the floor mat of the passenger seat.

Su Qinghan clamped her hands tightly onto the steering wheel, forcing the car straight.

She couldn't spare a hand to pick up the headset.

There were only five hundred meters left to the intersection in the city center after entering the city.

If she could just rush through it, the other party would never dare to act in public.

Su Qinghan gritted her teeth, floored the accelerator, and forced her way through.

Just as the front of the car was about to cross the stop line.

From a dead-end road in the right blind spot, a heavy dump truck rushed out at full speed without warning, blocking her path.

Su Qinghan slammed both feet onto the brake.

The three off-road vehicles braked sharply all around, completely sealing off all escape routes.

The car doors were pushed open.

Over a dozen burly men holding iron bars, wearing hats and masks, jumped out of the vehicles.

Iron bars smashed the car windows.

The car door was ripped open violently.

The boy was dragged out, and the tattered canvas bag was snatched away.

Immediately after, two people stepped forward, dragged Su Qinghan out of the driver's seat, and threw her heavily onto the cold asphalt road.

A foot wearing a combat boot stomped down, and the phone on the floor mat was instantly crushed.

A dull sound of a club striking echoed.

Su Qinghan suffered a heavy blow to the back of her head and fell completely unconscious.

The passenger door of the dump truck was pushed open.

A woman wearing a dark cashmere coat stepped out in high heels.

Wang Juan's right-hand woman, Wang Lili.

She walked over, took the hard-covered notebook, flipped through two pages, and tucked it securely into the inside pocket of her coat.

A thug leaned forward and pointed at Su Qinghan on the ground.

"Big sister, this woman is from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection. Right?"

Slap!

Wang Lili backhanded him with an extremely heavy slap, sending the thug stumbling backward.

"Stealing this ledger has already poked a hole in the sky. If you dare to kill someone from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection, do you want to force the Provincial Public Security Department to send armed police to wipe us out!"

The thug clutched his red and swollen face, not daring to make a sound.

Wang Lili glanced at the faint red and blue glow of police lights flashing in the distance.

"Leave her there. The goal has been achieved, retreat."

She turned to look at another subordinate: "Huzi, clear the scene. Set fire to the dump truck and her sedan, and clean up the traces at the scene."

The man named Huzi moved with extreme efficiency.

Gasoline was poured, and a windproof lighter was thrown.

Flames shot up into the sky, and the inferno quickly swallowed both vehicles.

The fleet of off-road vehicles sped away, disappearing into the night.

Ten minutes later.

The shrill sound of police sirens tore through the night sky.

Police Chief Zhao Gang arrived at the scene with several police cars, driving as fast as lightning.

Burning wreckage, debris everywhere.

Su Qinghan lay on the ground, her condition critical.

Police Chief Zhao Gang's eyes were bloodshot. He slid to his knees in a few steps and reached his fingers toward her carotid artery.

Heartbeat normal, consciousness unclear.

"Call an ambulance! Hurry!" he roared at the police officers behind him.

Police Chief Zhao Gang stood up, his fingers trembling.

He took out his phone and dialed Zhu Wenhao's number directly.

Cadre Retirement Home in the southern suburbs of the provincial capital.

The birthday banquet for Old Master Li was reaching its climax.

Zhu Wenhao stood under the pillars outside the main hall.

His phone vibrated, and he pressed answer.

"Zhu Wenhao... something happened." Police Chief Zhao Gang's voice was filled with extreme suppression and panic. "Su Qinghan was ambushed on the road out of the city. She is unconscious, just loaded onto the ambulance, the doctor says it's not life-threatening."

Zhu Wenhao gripped the phone with one hand, a faint cracking sound coming from the edge of the screen.

In the laws of the Great Ming, those who dare to touch the emperor's reverse scale shall have their nine generations executed.

This was an iron law carved into the bones.

Today, someone had touched his person.

"Which hospital is she being sent to?" His voice was as cold as iron.

"The Municipal First People's Hospital."

"Take care of her for me first, I will rush back shortly." Zhu Wenhao issued the order. "Also, notify the people from the Discipline Inspection Commission."

"Understood!"

"Pull all surveillance footage along the route." Zhu Wenhao's eyes were filled with dead silence. "I want to find out who did this."

The call ended.

Zhu Wenhao turned and stepped into the main hall.

Li Zhenguo was talking with Minister Xiao Dingyu, Director Qi Shan, and others.

Seeing his grandson return, his entire being exuding a heavy sense of oppression, Old Master Li restrained his smile.

"Zhu Wenhao, what happened?"

"Grandfather, there is a change in Linjiang." He spoke bluntly. "Su Qinghan, a cadre of the Linjiang Discipline Inspection Commission, was attacked and is unconscious. I must rush back overnight."

Director Qi Shan stood up abruptly, his palm slamming onto the table.

"Ambushing the Discipline Inspection Commission on the street! These people want to rebel, the Provincial Public Security Department will intervene!"

Minister Xiao Dingyu stood up.

"Zhu Wenhao, you go. I will approve your leave from the Party School."

Li Zhenguo leaned on his sandalwood cane and slowly straightened his body.

"Go."

Zhu Wenhao turned and left.

The night curtain hung low.

The black Audi tore through the night of the provincial capital, speeding at full capacity toward Linjiang City.

A sudden storm rose.