99: Chapter 99 A Fine Song of Ambush from Ten Sides

Zhu Wenhao stood by the tree-lined path, watching Minister Xiao Dingyu's car drive out of the Party School gate.

He turned and walked back.

The phone in his pocket rang at that moment.

He took it out and saw Su Qinghan's name flashing on the screen.

Over the past few days, the middle-level cadres of Jiangnan Province had undergone a reshuffle.

With the fall of Executive Deputy Minister Liao Changxing of the Provincial Organization Department and the transfer of Division Chief Liu Haiping to a nominal position, the sensational exam leak case had temporarily come to an end.

Subsequent investigation and interrogation work had been fully taken over by other special case personnel from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Sheltering under the cover of this storm, Team Leader Qiu Rui, the Deputy Head of the Provincial Inspection Team, led his team back for a surprise attack, entering Linjiang City once again.

The target was extremely clear: to dig deep into the suspicious death of the former Development and Reform Commission Director Zheng Jianguo, as well as the drowning of his lover, Li Qian, in the suburbs of Qinghe.

Behind these two deaths lay the whereabouts of huge sums of funds for the new city district in the south of the city.

Secretary Zhou Zheng from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection took the lead, guiding the Third Discipline Inspection and Supervision Office where Su Qinghan worked, to fully cooperate with the Inspection Team, combing through the financial records day and night.

The investigation was tight.

Su Qinghan had been working continuously during this period, and the plan they had previously agreed upon to meet in the provincial capital every week had been postponed again and again.

He answered the phone.

"Yuntong." Su Qinghan's voice came through. "I'll come to see you this Saturday. Secretary Zhou gave me two days off."

Zhu Wenhao didn't stop his pace: "Aren't you all in the Third Office busy auditing accounts? How could they spare you?"

On the other end of the phone, Su Qinghan rarely revealed a bit of a young woman's private thoughts, "I won't tell you now. We'll talk when we meet."

After saying this, she hung up the phone directly.

Zhu Wenhao held the phone, revealing a rare, inscrutable expression unique to a man.

Even an emperor with deep schemes could find it difficult to foresee the thoughts deliberately hidden by a woman.

However, this Saturday came at an inconvenient time.

Friday happened to be Old Master Li's birthday.

As the grandson of Li Zhenguo, he had been repeatedly urged by Butler Wang Jianan over the past few days that he must attend.

This birthday banquet was not just a family gathering, but a social probe by various forces in Jiangnan Province.

Forget it, when Su Qinghan comes, he would go to the Cadre Retirement Home on Saturday and let her make an appearance in front of his grandfather.

Whatever comes, he would handle it.

Time passed quickly, and Friday arrived.

At the Cadre Retirement Home in the southern suburbs, Old Master Li's residence was decorated with lanterns and festoons.

Several important figures from Jiangnan Province were all present, and in such an occasion, it was only natural that the younger generation brought by each family was also present.

Among the Spark Class at the Party School, several descendants with deep backgrounds were also prominently listed.

Class Monitor followed his father to enter low-key. Although Division Chief Liu Haiping had been demoted, the face of the head of Liu Family was still there, and the incense relationship between the two families had to be maintained.

Lei Zhenzi followed behind Secretary Lei Zhen, the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission.

A few days ago, regarding the case of the Jiangnan Red Star Machinery Factory, Secretary Lei Zhen personally took action to let Lei Dong run away, cutting off the clues.

Lei Zhenzi had been keeping a low profile during this time; being brought by his father today to see the world was originally intended to let him make more high-level connections.

In the spacious backyard, there were more than a dozen sets of rosewood tables and chairs.

The elders were reminiscing in the main hall, while the younger generation was arranged in the courtyard to taste tea and chat.

Gatherings always lacked some elegant entertainment programs.

The old master liked to listen to operas and appreciate music; in the pavilion in the corner of the courtyard, a piano and several traditional musical instruments had long been prepared.

Several juniors took turns to play a few tunes, which was both to make the elders smile and to show off their family's cultivation in front of everyone.

Class Monitor walked into the pavilion and sat down at the piano.

A piece of "Für Elise" flowed from his fingertips.

The melody was smooth, and the technique was skillful.

After the song ended, it won the nods and praise of several elders present.

Class Monitor stood up, his gaze crossing the crowd, falling directly on Zhu Wenhao, who was sitting in the corner drinking tea.

A few days ago at the Party School's defense meeting, Zhu Wenhao's report directly ruined Instructor Gao Jianguo's future and also stepped on Class Monitor.

New hatred and old grudges were intertwined at this moment.

He knew deeply that Secretary Zhu Tianhe came from a mason background; children from such families might have some means to fight struggles, but when it came to artistic cultivation nurtured since childhood, he was probably a complete layman.

"Classmate Zhu Wenhao."

Class Monitor raised his volume.

"At the Party School, you always said we should develop comprehensively. Today is Grandfather Li's birthday, and everyone here is a young talent of Jiangnan Province. Classmate Zhu Wenhao, why don't you go up and show us a few tricks to help everyone have fun?"

Lei Zhenzi immediately chimed in: "Class Monitor, you are making things difficult for him. Secretary Zhu's specialty is writing research reports. How can he handle such elegant things? Could it be that he will go up and give a report?"

The two sang in harmony, intending to strip Zhu Wenhao of his face at the birthday banquet.

In front of the main hall, several elders who had just walked out also stopped.

Li Zhenguo, accompanied by Minister Xiao Dingyu, looked at the courtyard with great interest.

Deputy Director Liu Qiang and Director Qi Shan stood at the back, watching the changes.

Zhu Wenhao put down his teacup and stood up.

He did not refuse.

He smoothed his cuffs and stepped into the pavilion.

He didn't choose that expensive Steinway piano.

He walked to the instrument rack where traditional musical instruments were placed and chose a Guzheng.

He sat down and tuned it.

The few test sounds of plucking the strings were crisp and round.

Which musician in the Ming Dynasty harem was not a national master of the time? When he was the Imperial Grandson, he had a very deep attainment in music.

His hands hung above the strings.

He started, without any warning.

Zheng—

A passionate heavy string, like gold and stone colliding, directly split the long sky.

His fingertips flew.

There was no soft language of the Jiangnan water town, nor the decadent music of wind, flowers, snow, and moon.

"The King of Qin Breaks the Enemy Array."

The prelude was like war drums beating, with thousands of troops arrayed on the plain.

A murderous aura soared into the sky, directly crushing the soft piano music just now.

The fingering went from slow to fast, sweeping strings, pressing notes, and harmonics.

The imperial power of the Ming Dynasty for sixty years, the thousands of miles of landscape with golden spears and iron horses, were all poured onto the strings.

The conversation in the courtyard ceased.

Everyone was shocked by this overwhelming momentum.

Those young children holding teacups even slowed their breathing by half a beat.

The mockery on Lei Zhenzi's face had not yet faded, and a layer of cold sweat had already seeped out of his back.

The pressure revealed in the piano sound made him feel like he was facing the blades of thousands of troops, almost suffocating.

On the steps of the main hall, Li Zhenguo's eyes shone brightly: "What a great structure! What a heavy murderous aura!"

The melody reached its climax, like an army surrounding, breaking the array, and capturing the city.

It stopped abruptly.

The lingering sound echoed in the courtyard.

The whole audience was silent.

Zhu Wenhao did not get up.

He pushed the Guzheng aside and picked up a Pipa from the instrument rack.

He held it in his arms.

His right hand plucked the strings, and the timbre changed abruptly.

It was no longer the grandeur of breaking the array, but a murderous intent that was as dense as a net.

This was the situation of being surrounded on all sides.

"Ambush from Ten Sides."

The timbre of the Pipa was cold, and at Zhu Wenhao's fingertips, it turned into a sharp blade flashing with cold light.

Picking, plucking, rolling, sweeping.

Like a hunting net under the night, tightening bit by bit.

Ambush, drumming, setting up the tent, arranging the array, walking the array, ambush.

Everyone sat on the chairs, listening to the pressing piano sound, feeling that the surrounding air had been drained.

Zheng, zheng, zheng!

The music turned into the "Battle of Jiulishan" with rapid pipes and strings.

The sound of thousands of troops fighting, Xiang Yu's wailing, and the defeat of the Chu army were all materialized by the strings.

This piece of music was telling a clear ending: no way to escape.

A very sharp sweep of the strings.

With a loud "Dang," the Pipa sound stopped.

Surrounded on all sides, the army collapsed like a mountain.

At the same moment the music fell.

Outside the courtyard gate, there was a rush of heavy footsteps.

They were not guests coming to celebrate the birthday.

Two rows of fully armed police officers stepped into the courtyard in unison.

Walking at the very front was Captain Xiao Zhan of the Criminal Investigation Corps of the Provincial Public Security Department.

This sudden change made the faces of some people in the courtyard change drastically.

Making an arrest directly at the birthday banquet of the third-ranked figure of the Provincial Party Committee was equivalent to poking a hole in the sky.

Secretary Lei Zhen stepped down from the steps, his face livid: "Captain Xiao Zhan! You led people to break into the Cadre Retirement Home with weapons. Do you still have any discipline in your eyes!"

Captain Xiao Zhan took out a subpoena from his arms.

Without looking at Secretary Lei Zhen, his eyes were locked directly on Lei Zhenzi in the crowd.

"Lei Zhenzi."

Captain Xiao Zhan stepped forward two steps, "Regarding the case of picking quarrels and provoking trouble and embezzling state-owned assets by personnel involved in the Jiangnan Red Star Machinery Factory, the guidance group of the Provincial Anti-Gang Office has made a major breakthrough."

He raised the legal document in his hand.

"According to the confessions of Zhao San and others, you are suspected of organizing and leading a mafia-style organization, as well as instigating others to commit intentional injury."

Captain Xiao Zhan waved his hand.

Two police officers stepped forward, holding Lei Zhenzi's arms from left and right.

"Please come back with us to assist in the investigation."

Lei Zhenzi collapsed in the chair, his legs too soft to stand.

The lingering sound of the previous "Ambush from Ten Sides" was still echoing in his ears.

This was his "Ambush from Ten Sides."

Secretary Lei Zhen's eyes were about to split, and just as he was about to erupt, Director Qi Shan, who had been standing on the steps, spoke: "Secretary Lei, this is the first major case supervised by the Provincial Anti-Gang Office after its establishment. I believe Secretary Lei will destroy his relatives for the sake of justice and set a leading example; after all, the Anti-Gang Office is also your child, isn't it?"

Director Qi Shan brought out the sign of the Anti-Gang Office, and all of Secretary Lei Zhen's arguments were blocked in his throat.

Zhu Wenhao put down the Pipa and walked slowly down from the pavilion.

When passing by Lei Zhenzi, he didn't even spare him an extra glance.