He had to strike hard!
Lü Jinshan began scheming, and a plan came to him in a flash.
Punish the entire reinforced platoon severely, scatter them across the various companies, and thoroughly eradicate Lu Zhao's influence.
Even if he couldn't wipe out Lu Zhao's sway all at once, he could at least smash his foundation.
"Send notice—"
*Knock, knock, knock!*
Lü Jinshan was cut off by the sudden knocking. Frowning slightly, he felt an unexplainable thumping in his chest.
Before he could answer, the door swung open.
Chen Hongtao strode into the room, followed by Zhang Like and Lu Zhao.
Lü Jinshan had already sensed something unusual. Rising to his feet, he asked, "Adjutant Chen, what is the meaning of this?"
Chen Hongtao walked up to the desk, laid a suspension notice upon it, and said, "Comrade Lü Jinshan, you have been temporarily suspended pending investigation due to dereliction of duty."
Lü Jinshan's beady eyes went wide and round. Picking up the document, he read through it again and again, beads of cold sweat breaking out across his forehead.
Beside him, his lackey Liang Fei snapped to attention. For some reason, his gaze hardened with absolute resolve as he declared, "Reporting to superiors: I'll excuse myself!"
Lu Zhao glanced at him, utterly convinced in his heart:
*Looks like this Liang Fei's hands aren't clean, either.*
In his past life, Lu Zhao had heard from brothers specialized in hunting down corruption that no matter how pompous and formidable those big officials acted on normal days, their legs turned to jelly when disaster struck. Their theatrical expressions were more dramatic than anything on television.
Meanwhile, those who truly had nothing to hide would crane their necks to enjoy the spectacle, wishing they could clap and cheer.
Liang Fei turned to leave the room, but suddenly a large hand gripped his shoulder from behind. The powerful grip shattered his psychological defenses.
The boulder in his heart crashed down, and fear washed over his entire body like a tidal wave.
Lu Zhao said, "Platoon Leader Liang, stay put for now."
Liang Fei collapsed right onto his backside. Turning his head, he mustered a smile uglier than weeping and asked, "Staff Officer Lu, is something the matter?"
"You'll find out in a moment."
Lu Zhao offered a faint smile and said nothing more.
At first, Zhang Like and Chen Hongtao were confused. This was merely an ordinary suspension pending investigation; what was Lu Zhao doing?
The next second, they realized: Lu Zhao was just messing with Liang Fei.
*What a wicked heart!*
Lü Jinshan finished reading the notice carefully. Confirming there were no defining phrases such as 'severe violation' or 'major losses,' he instantly breathed a sigh of relief.
This indicated the investigation concerned dereliction of duty—likely stemming from when he had held up Lu Zhao earlier, nearly causing the mission to fail.
Procedurally there had been no problem, but the Federation weighed both outcomes and procedure; even having good intentions while causing harm still earned punishment.
The only thing Lü Jinshan could not fathom was that with him leaning against the towering tree of Martial Marquis Chen, and with the entire Nanhai West Circuit crawling with members of the Chen family, who could possibly possess such immense clout?
The face of Lin Zhiyan came to mind.
If there was anyone in Nanhai Circuit capable of contending with the Chen family, it could only be the Lin family.
Lü Jinshan then shifted his gaze toward Lu Zhao, his expression turning somber. Lu Zhao met his stare head-on.
Lu Zhao said, "Lü Jinshan, do you want me to carry you out, or will you walk out on your own?"
"You!"
Lü Jinshan barely managed a single syllable before Lu Zhao cut him off again.
"You are now suspended. This is an administrative office. Unauthorized personnel are not permitted inside. Leave at once."
The moment those words were spoken, a dense flutter of snickers broke out.
The doorway had long been crowded with onlookers. When Chen Hongtao had led Lu and Zhang aggressively toward the station chief's office, people had rushed over like sharks scenting blood.
"Pfft, hahaha!" Zhang Like burst out laughing right in front of everyone. "Old Lu, you sure have a sense of humor."
With a face full of solemn seriousness, Lu Zhao replied, "I am merely adhering strictly to rules and regulations."
Lü Jinshan was so furious that the fat on his face wobbled, his complexion turning as red as pig liver.
"Lu Zhao, don't push things too far!"
Several onlookers openly laughed out loud. It was hard not to laugh, and they felt compelled to laugh—because they might never get another chance.
On ordinary days, who would dare mock Lü Jinshan? Today he was suspended, and Lu Zhao was leading the charge from the front. If they didn't laugh now, they might never get the chance.
*He doesn't intend to show him the slightest shred of face.*
Chen Hongtao glanced at Lu Zhao, a flicker of wariness rising within him.
*This Lu Zhao holds a terrible grudge. Better not offend him in the future.*
He gave a light cough and stepped in to smooth things over. "Station Chief Lü, head back and rest for a while. I will temporarily take over your duties. I hope we can continue working together in the future."
Lü Jinshan reined in his temper, patting his chest to steady himself, and said, "I am willing to submit to any and all investigation."
There was still room to maneuver. As long as the giant tree he relied upon didn't fall, he would eventually return; at most, he'd receive an administrative reprimand.
Lü Jinshan rose to leave, walking wide around Lu Zhao to exit the room.
"What are you all crowded here for?!" Lü Jinshan barked exasperatedly, pointing at the crowd blocking the doorway. "Get the hell out of my way!"
The crowd instantly parted into a corridor. Not a single person dared meet Lü Jinshan's eyes.
There were words only Lu Zhao dared to say, and deeds only Lu Zhao dared to do.
Once Lü Jinshan left, Chen Hongtao looked at Liang Fei. The latter immediately trembled twice, thinking his doom was at hand.
"Platoon Leader Liang, regarding the flood-prevention work, I have new arrangements."
Hearing this, Liang Fei froze for a second, realizing he seemed to have dodged a bullet. He hurriedly declared, "I fully obey the organization's arrangements!"
Chen Hongtao said, "Flood prevention is this station's top priority. I do not wish to see any issues arise. Since you have never held a frontline post before and lack practical experience, I intend to appoint Captain Lu as temporary instructor to assist you in coordinating the work."
Liang Fei was a hundred times unwilling in his heart.
Even without actual authority, Lu Zhao had been able to sideline him. With the title of temporary instructor added on top, he might as well not come to work at all.
Yet it was not for him to refuse, and Chen Hongtao had no intention of negotiating.
Chen Hongtao turned to Lu Zhao and asked, "Captain Lu, you have no objections, I presume?"
Lu Zhao snapped to attention and saluted. "I obey the arrangements."
"These past two years, flood prevention has relied entirely on Captain Lu." Chen Hongtao patted Lu Zhao's shoulder. "I'm being transferred in July. If you do well, perhaps you could take on this deputy station chief position yourself."
The deputy station chief and station chief held equal rank; many departments in the Federation operated under a dual-chief system.
If Lu Zhao could become deputy station chief before Lü Jinshan returned, he could completely hollow out Lü Jinshan's power.
"All right, everyone get back to work."
As Chen Hongtao's voice fell, everyone began returning to their posts.
As Lu Zhao walked out of the room, countless gazes clung to him—gazes brimming with reverence.
With Lü Jinshan suspended, Chen Hongtao and Zhang Like backing him, and flood-prevention operations underway, no one at the border defense station could rival him over the coming month.
Yet he felt no sense of relaxation. Lü Jinshan was merely a running dog; the real enemy was the Chen family behind him.
Chapter 42