At the same time, in Cangwu City of the Nanhai East Circuit.
A meeting of the Nanhai Circuit Politics Bureau had just concluded, and the bureau members had reached a basic consensus.
There were two matters: first, to intensify the search for the Ming dynasty prince's demon corpse; second, to launch a strict crackdown on the transport of contraband along national highways.
The former was merely an opening pretext; the latter was the real theme of the meeting.
Inspections and supervisory operations would be carried out across thirteen cities along the route starting from Fangshi to severely strike at smuggling crimes, and a special investigation team led by a Tier-4 superhuman was specially established.
The momentum was immense; the Circuit Politics Bureau intended to round up everyone involved along the entire smuggling chain.
All because of a single petition filed by a border defense junior officer.
Yet it did not touch upon any disciplinary action against Fangshi's city executive, nor did it issue any directives or requirements for Fangshi.
Most of those implicated in the smuggling chain were Federation subjects, and the few executives among them held no official government ranks. In the subject territories, execute ten thousand and there would still be a hundred thousand more; as long as profit existed, countless people would always risk their lives.
At this, the high officials of the Chen faction wore rather grim expressions.
Though their foundation remained unbroken, it was at least a severe blow to their strength, one they would likely struggle to recover from over the next year or two.
Chen Yunming walked out of the magnificent Circuit Politics Building and saw Liu Hanwen's car driving away in the distance.
He got into his own sedan as well and instructed his secretary, "To Chief Liu's residence. We have things to discuss."
Small matters called for large meetings; major matters were settled in private.
Now, Liu Hanwen had seized the opportunity to cut off the overland smuggling industry, yet he had held back and left Zhao De untouched—an intentional show of restraint.
Separated by several hundred meters, the two vehicles arrived one after the other in Haijiang District, the core of Cangwu City.
Along an unassuming street, an antique garden lay hidden behind high walls.
About ten minutes after Liu Hanwen's car drove inside, Chen Yunming's vehicle slowly pulled up.
His secretary said to the guard at the gate, "This is Deputy Chief Chen, here to pay a call on Chief Liu today. Please announce us."
"Yes, sir."
The guard turned and returned to the security post, made an inquiry on the landline, and then came back to reply, "Chief Liu asks that you wait a moment."
Wait a moment?
The secretary unconsciously frowned. What was there to wait for?
In the back seat, Chen Yunming, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them. A gleam of divine light flashed across his eyes, causing the dust in the surrounding air to freeze in place.
In the unseen realm, he had received some manner of warning.
At Tier 4, superhumans possessed a sixth sense, and at Tier 5, that sixth sense resonated with heaven and earth. When a Martial Marquis paid constant attention to something, it was possible for them to receive premonitions.
Though inferior to Fate divine powers, it was more than enough to handle many situations.
For example, beyond-visual-range attacks were completely ineffective against a Martial Marquis.
After about five minutes of waiting, the guard approached the car window and said, "My apologies, Deputy Chief Chen. Chief Liu is unwell today and cannot receive visitors."
"Head back."
Chen Yunming said indifferently, "Something has happened in Fangshi again."
Refusing to meet meant there was nothing to negotiate; Liu Hanwen intended to press the attack.
While the car was underway, the secretary made continuous phone calls inquiring into the situation. From the Dali General Department to prefectural-level departments in Nanhai West Circuit, he asked seven or eight people in succession, yet none could provide specific details.
He even called Zhao De, who reported that everything was completely normal.
Such an eerie circumstance made even this Martial Marquis's secretary grow irritable.
Chen Yunming remained calm and composed, saying, "If nothing can be found, it means someone deliberately bypassed our informants. That Lu Zhao belongs to the border defense system, and in Nanhai West Circuit, only the General Security Bureau isn't staffed by our people.
"Likely, something was delivered to the General Security Bureau that caused Liu Hanwen to change his mind."
The secretary asked, "Then what should we do?"
"Wait for Liu Hanwen to make his move. We will handle each specific issue as it arises."
Chen Yunming pondered for a moment, then set the tone: "All things have a measure; without measure, tragedy follows. As Federation cadres, we must distinguish public from private and know when to advance or retreat.
"We are not bandits of Mount Liang, nor are we the Yellow Turbans."
Embezzlement was not a critical issue, and smuggling was not a matter of principle. But conspiring with outsiders to kill Federation personnel—that was a grave violation of principle.
The secretary nodded. "I will convey this to the cadres at all levels."
———————————
July first, overcast with rain.
Zhao De and Secretary Liu had just arrived at the office when the desk phone rang. He answered it, and the voice on the other end cut straight to the chase:
"Comrade Zhao De, this is Ding Shoujin, Director General of the Yulin Prefecture Supervisory Bureau."
Hearing this, Zhao De immediately sat up straight and said, "Greetings, Director General. How may I help you?"
The Federation's administrative hierarchy comprised three tiers: city, prefecture, and circuit. A circuit generally contained two prefectures, and a prefecture administered a cluster of cities.
In terms of departmental tiers, a city-level unit was a bureau, a prefectural-level unit was a general bureau, and at the circuit level there was only the Circuit Politics Bureau.
Nanhai West Circuit fell under the jurisdiction of Yulin Prefecture.
What officials feared most was the Supervisory Bureau; whenever it crossed their path, trouble was guaranteed.
"The prefecture has recently been conducting a survey of logistics channels across the circuit. We heard that freight traffic on the national highway in your area is quite brisk, so we would like to learn about your city's recent trade and economy."
A note of scrutiny laced the voice on the other end of the line.
Zhao De caught the subtext: what was bound to come had finally arrived.
Though higher authorities had suppressed the fallout from the massive stir Lu Zhao had created, that did not mean there would be no reckoning.
The Federation had always favored settling scores after the fact.
Zhao De was already prepared and answered, "There is indeed freight transport, mainly livelihood supplies. Nothing out of the ordinary."
The Director General of the Supervisory Bureau said, "We checked traffic through the national highway ports. Many vehicles set out from your location. Were they properly registered with you?"
Zhao De replied, "We leave that to the unified management of the Courier Bureau."
The Director General pressed harder: "In fact, we conducted spot checks on several trucks at the national highway checkpoints. The cargo inside did not quite match the customs declarations. Are you aware of this issue?"
Zhao De's heart rate spiked, yet he remained composed as he said, "Those matters fall under the management of subordinate departments."
The Director General's tone softened slightly: "Very well, I understand. When you have a moment, please have Fangshi submit a work report regarding the transport sector."
With that, the call ended.
Zhao De breathed a heartfelt relief.
Secretary Liu, who had remained silent all this while, said with worry, "Chief, could the route have been exposed as well?"
"The route has always been right under the nose of the Circuit Politics Bureau," Zhao De said. "It's just that someone has seized leverage and escalated the situation."
Secretary Liu asked, "Then we won't be in trouble, will we?"
Zhao De fell silent for a moment. Looking quietly at Liu Zhihui, he asked, "Zhihui, I haven't treated you badly over all these years, have I?"
Those words startled Liu Zhihui into stepping back, all color draining from his face as his legs began to tremble.
He asked, "You want me to... end up like Lü Jinshan?"
"It's not like Lü Jinshan. He's beyond saving, whereas you will spend four or five years inside at most."
Zhao De shook his head, his tone softening. "The two Lü brothers did everything; you only took some money. Besides, I can pull strings for you. A sentence reduction in the Court of Judicial Review's second trial only requires paying ten percent of the illicit sum.
"With everything you've helped yourself to over the years, you must have pocketed quite a lot."
His final words had turned into an outright threat.
However sweet Liu Zhihui's corruption had been in ordinary times, today he would have to spit it all back out.
Chapter 83