After grasping the full situation, Chen Yunming wore a skeptical expression as he said, "You're telling me a mere captain, without Chief Liu's backing, wants to arrest an entire city's leadership?"
"It's still unknown whether someone is pulling the strings behind him, but this captain has ties to your daughter."
The secretary shook his head, then briefly recounted the history between Lu Zhao and Chen Qian.
He had run a background check on Lu Zhao before coming.
After listening, Chen Yunming's expression remained unchanged, not offering even a single word of rebuke toward his daughter.
"A mere captain shouldn't be able to pull off something like this. Someone must be directing him from behind the scenes. Go look into it."
"Yes, sir."
"Also, notify Zhao De and tell him not to act rashly for now—and under no circumstances can he harm that Lin girl," Chen Yunming emphasized repeatedly.
To him, Zhao De getting into trouble could still be salvaged, but if something happened to Lin Zhiyan, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Many people owed favors to the Lin family; fully one-third of the Federation's Martial Marquises had ties to them.
For instance, during the War of National Defense, Lin Zhiyan's father had saved a Martial Marquis named Wang Shouzheng.
-----
At 10:15 AM.
Zhao De arrived at his office. Before he could even settle into his seat, a call came in from his superior.
Learning that charges had already been filed against him and that he could be arrested at any moment, Zhao De leapt out of his chair.
A surge of barely repressible rage and fear rushed over him.
After a brief lapse of composure, Zhao De managed to calm down and analyze the current situation.
He immediately determined that this was Lu Zhao's personal doing.
Unlike the prominent figures far away in Cangwu, Zhao De, as a local official, had heard about Lu Zhao all along and had even met him in person.
Lu Zhao had diligently carried out his duties and received commendations multiple times even while fully aware he was being suppressed and marginalized. Thus, he was entirely capable of filing charges against Zhao De without any regard for personal gain or consequence.
At 10:30 AM, Secretary Liu entered the office as usual to report on the situation.
Zhao De relayed what had happened.
Compared to Zhao De, the twenty-eight-year-old Secretary Liu was far more hot-tempered. He snarled on the spot, "Why don't we just go all the way and find a way to eliminate both Lü brothers? Dead men tell no tales!
"And that Lu Zhao—let's find a way to kill him too."
Zhao De waved a hand. "It hasn't come to that yet..."
"Boss, once he gets the arrest warrant, it'll be too late!" Secretary Liu interrupted, completely unhinged by panic. "He arrested so many people this time. We aren't the only ones who want him dead—plenty of foreign organizations want his head too."
Frowning, Zhao De scolded, "We are officials, and they are outlaws! How can we associate with them? If the Federation wants to arrest me, I will turn myself in.
"Right now, go notify the Public Security Office to coordinate a joint interrogation of Lü Jinshan with the special investigation team, and find an opportunity to have Lü Jinshan apply for medical parole. Only by moving him somewhere we can control will there be any turning point."
"But..."
"No buts! Get out!"
Liu Zhihui was kicked out of the office, his eyes dripping with venom once out of Zhao De's sight.
As Zhao De's white glove, all affairs in the Foreign District had passed through his hands, and countless pieces of incriminating evidence pointed directly to him.
Zhao De could afford to maintain his dignity, but he could not.
-----
Fangshi, Foreign District police station.
Three large truckloads of supplies had arrived from the border defense station, and the cooking squad had pitched a tent in the open area in front of the police station to cook meals.
A black jeep pulled up at the entrance, and Lin Zhiyan stepped out, radiating fury. Because the soldiers from the border defense station already recognized her, none of them moved to stop her.
Soon, she found Lu Zhao organizing reports in an office. He looked up at her and asked, "Have you eaten yet?"
Seeing his calm demeanor, Lin Zhiyan's temper flared.
Striding up to him, she asked coldly, "You still have the appetite to eat?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
Lu Zhao wore a look of mild bewilderment.
He looked like someone fresh out of school who had no grasp of society's unspoken rules and had stumbled into making a massive scene.
Yet Lin Zhiyan had long seen right through him. He understood better than anyone, but was simply more stubborn than anyone else.
"Stop playing dumb with me! Why did you expose what happened in the Foreign District?"
Lin Zhiyan slammed her right hand on the desk, brimming with anger.
She didn't really care about the affairs of the Foreign District; Zhao De ending up in prison had nothing to do with her. But Lu Zhao had actually dared to play her for a fool, using her as a pawn.
And to think she had trusted him so much!
Lu Zhao set down his chopsticks, unhurriedly dabbed the corners of his mouth with a napkin, and asked, "Which regulation did I violate? Which law did I break?"
"..."
Lin Zhiyan was struck speechless.
A bellyful of fury and grievances became lodged in her throat.
Lu Zhao had violated no regulations and broken no laws; on the contrary, he had carried out his duty to the letter.
"You set me up," Lin Zhiyan said, turning to personal matters. "You knew full well what should be investigated and what shouldn't. I brought you into the special investigation team to get you out of a bind, yet you used the team's authority to settle personal grudges!"
"Team Leader Lin, you're mistaken. I am merely following organizational orders."
Lu Zhao remained calm as he answered, "The special investigation team has the authority to mobilize local units, and I have an obligation to comply with mobilization. As a member of the team, I also have a duty to uncover evidence of crimes.
"Every single action I took conformed to Federation law. Every single move I made complied with regulations."
He stood up from his chair, half a head taller than Lin Zhiyan, his imposing presence completely overpowering hers in an instant.
"Tell me, Team Leader Lin, what is public duty, and what is personal interest?"
"You!"
Lin Zhiyan could only glare at him.
There was so much she could say, yet facing Lu Zhao, so much of it could not be uttered aloud.
It felt as if she were standing in an invisible courtroom. Could she really say, 'Everyone should just go with the flow and blend into the murky waters'?
"I'm going to strip you of your post!"
Lu Zhao said bluntly, "As team leader, you have no authority to impose any disciplinary action on me."
"I'll report this up the chain and kick you back to the border defense station!"
Lin Zhiyan turned to leave, but before she took two steps, Lu Zhao's response reached her ears:
"I will obey organizational arrangements."
Like punching cotton, Lin Zhiyan whipped her head around and glared fiercely at Lu Zhao with her beautiful eyes.
She had arrived feeling somewhat annoyed and frustrated, but now Lu Zhao was practically infuriating her to death.
From beginning to end, Lu Zhao had shown no inclination to salvage their relationship.
He did not want to drag her into this, nor did he know the stance of the faction behind her.
Right now, he held two cards in his hand: the substantive evidence intercepted from the smuggling route, and the confessions of the Lü brothers.
His teacher had told him that these two cards did not need to be played immediately; rather, they needed to be shown to the Chen family's rivals.
If they wanted them, he would play them. Only then could they produce the maximum effect, rather than having him strike a rock with an egg.
In truth, his teacher had suggested dragging Lin Zhiyan into the water, using this noble young lady's hand to ensure absolute success.
Regardless, Lin Zhiyan had helped him, and even if it had been an arrangement of mutual convenience, Lu Zhao still acknowledged that favor.
Now that the Lü brothers' confessions were out in the open, it all depended on whether anyone wanted the cards.
Stepping out the door, Lin Zhiyan bumped into Zhang Like, but she didn't even bother greeting him, huffing indignantly as she stormed away.
Chapter 76