Chapter 81: Ashes to Ashes

Whether Wang Wei had committed a crime was naturally a matter for the public security authorities to investigate. Zhou Xuan and Li Yunxi took a taxi back to the county town, then returned to their respective homes.

Early the next morning, during the weekly Monday flag-raising ceremony, the principal delivered a speech on the achievements made at the city’s middle-school athletic meet, singling out Zhou Xuan for his significant contribution. He then encouraged the ninth-grade and twelfth-grade students to study hard in the time remaining and strive for excellent results.

At the midterm examinations, Zhou Xuan once again lived up to everyone’s expectations and secured first place. The final parents’ meeting of his middle-school years was also scheduled for that Saturday. Since it was the last semester, Teacher Liu, the head teacher, hoped that every parent would attend if possible. Zhou Xuan’s father was busy in the countryside overseeing the house repairs, so this time only his mother could go.

Meanwhile, under Wei Lian’s management, the company in Rongcheng was developing in an orderly fashion, leaving Zhou Xuan with little to worry about. The nationwide promotion of the Internet-café management software was also proceeding smoothly, with daily sales far outstripping those of Liu Ze’s Tengfei Internet-Café Management System. Since the people Liu Ze had sent over had been beaten and driven back, there had been no further movement from his side.

Amid these peaceful days, Zhou Xuan and the others drew ever closer to the high-school entrance examination. In the blink of an eye, May Day of 1998 was nearly upon them.

On April 30, in a private dining room at a hotel in Rongcheng, more than twenty core figures from the Tengfei Group were feasting and drinking. Among them were Chairman Liu Teng, his son Liu Ze, General Manager Fang Biao, Security Manager Quan Xingqing, Wu Junyuan, general manager of Yangcheng Juncheng Real Estate Development Company, and Guan Yingyi, general manager of Tengfei Logistics.

They discussed how many construction projects they had secured in the first five months of the year and speculated about how much money they could earn before the year was out. They dined on delicacies from land and sea and drank Rémy Martin. Wealth and extravagance permeated the room.

Yet Liu Ze was visibly unhappy, standing apart from the others in spirit.

Thinking of how he had twice suffered defeat at Zhou Xuan’s hands, Liu Ze seethed with anger. A fire seemed to burn inside him, liable to erupt at any moment. But with Zhou Xuan on Chen Yulin’s turf in Rongzhou, Liu Ze had no way to deal with him. Old Ba was already one of the most formidable fighters within their organization, yet Zhou Xuan had brought him down in an instant. It was easy to imagine how powerful Zhou Xuan was. Unless they used a gun, taking him down would be extremely difficult.

But if they used a gun, the consequences would be grave. Liu Ze would never dare resort to such a method unless driven to the very limit. Glancing at Liu Teng, seated at the head of the table, Liu Ze decided that he would bring up the matter that evening and see what the old man thought.

He took a sullen sip of wine and was just about to rise and go to the bathroom when the private-room door was suddenly shoved open. Several company guards were pushed inside, followed by more than a dozen police officers.

All twenty-odd people in the room rose to their feet, staring in astonishment at the officers who had just entered. Liu Teng, seated at the head of the table, also stood up and walked forward without a word.

“Officers, what is the meaning of this?” he asked.

At that moment, a police official in his thirties entered amid the escort of several officers. He was none other than Qiao Yingbo, director of the Rongcheng Public Security Bureau.

Seeing that everyone was present, and spotting Liu Teng in the middle of the room, Qiao Yingbo gave a mocking chuckle.

“Liu Teng. Long time no see.”

Seeing so many officers arrive, all clearly armed and carrying loaded weapons, Liu Teng’s heart lurched. An ominous feeling rose within him.

“Director Qiao, may I ask what this is about?”

Qiao Yingbo smiled.

“Liu Teng, we have sufficient evidence proving that you and your subordinates are connected to multiple criminal cases. We are therefore formally placing you under arrest. Here is the arrest warrant. You may examine it.”

After he finished speaking, an officer beside him produced the warrant and held it out for Liu Teng and the others to see.

“Wait! Director Qiao, does Mayor Zhou know about this?”

Hearing that Qiao Yingbo had come to arrest them, Liu Teng’s heart trembled. He hurriedly invoked the powerful official backing him.

“Heh. Take them away.”

Qiao Yingbo did not answer. He merely swept his imposing gaze across the more than twenty people in the room and sneered.

“I advise you to give up resisting. Otherwise, you’ll suffer for it!”

Liu Teng had already tried calling Mayor Zhou, only to hear that the phone was switched off. Seeing Qiao Yingbo act so boldly, he realized that something must have happened on the mayor’s side. In the past, Qiao Yingbo would never have dared arrest them so openly.

But under the circumstances, Liu Teng had no options. Qiao Yingbo’s men were all fully armed, and there was no chance of fighting their way out.

I wonder whether I’ll make it through this, Liu Teng thought bleakly.

Thus, Liu Teng and more than twenty other core members were arrested and taken to the police station for questioning. At the same time, Mayor Zhou was summoned by personnel from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and formally placed under shuanggui investigation.

With Liu Teng and Mayor Zhou taken down, several other department-level officials in S Province who were implicated in the case, along with more than a dozen bureau-level and section-level officials, were also arrested and interrogated. The authorities began digging deeper into the case and investigating every detail.

On May 1, news spread throughout S Province that the criminal organization headed by Liu Teng had been crushed by the public security authorities with overwhelming force. The news that Mayor Zhou of the provincial capital had been placed under shuanggui caused an even greater shock throughout the province’s officialdom, while a much broader investigation continued.

On the night Liu Teng was arrested, Zhou Xuan received a call from Deng Cheng and learned that Qiao Yingbo and the others had finally begun their operation. When he heard that Liu Teng and his core group had been drinking at a hotel and had then been captured in one sweep by Qiao Yingbo, Zhou Xuan could not help laughing.

They had brought it upon themselves. Now there would be no fish that had slipped through the net, and Zhou Xuan could finally set his mind at ease.

“Uncle Deng must be very pleased now. Our company can finally develop without interference,” Zhou Xuan said.

Deng Cheng was equally delighted.

“Of course! My father was thrilled when Liu Teng was arrested. He drank several cups that evening. I haven’t seen him this happy in years. Oh, right—my father said that the next time you come to the provincial capital, you must visit our home. He also told me to spend more time with you and learn how to do business from you. I find it strange. Why does my father seem to like you even more than he likes me?”

Zhou Xuan naturally could not tell Deng Cheng that he had played a direct role in the downfall of Liu Teng and the others. He merely chuckled.

“I wouldn’t know. Maybe he just finds me more agreeable.”

“Haha, I think that’s it too. It feels as though our luck turned around the moment we met you. As the saying goes, those who survive a great disaster are blessed afterward. Haha, Zhou Xuan, you’re about to take the high-school entrance examination, aren’t you? With grades as good as yours, why not come to Rongcheng for high school? The city’s famous No. 4, No. 7, and No. 9 High Schools are renowned throughout the country. Every year, countless students from them get into Yenching University, Tsinghua University, or go abroad.”

“I’ll still spend one year attending high school here. As for the rest, we’ll talk about it later. Who knows? I might return to the provincial capital next year to attend university.”

“Wait! You’re not planning to skip a grade and take the national college entrance examination early, are you?”

“Heh. You guessed it!”

“You’re incredible!”