rpbooks Chapter 52 The embers have not yet been extinguished, and the beautiful snake enters the game.
Chapter 52 The embers have not yet been extinguished, and the beautiful snake enters the game.
Jingzhou Detention Center, Special Care Detention Cell.
There were no windows, only a single, perpetually lit lamp covered by barbed wire overhead, casting a stark, nerve-wracking light. The walls were padded to prevent prisoners from self-harming. The air reeked of disinfectant mixed with stale urine.
In front of the monitor screen, Qi Tongwei held an unlit cigarette between his fingers, his eyes indifferent.
On the screen, the "Young Master Zhao," who once swaggered around Handong Province, now huddled in a corner like a mangy dog with its spine broken. His right leg had already received basic medical treatment, wrapped in thick gauze, the blood seeping out and spreading across the white gauze like a disgusting rotten flower.
Zhao Ruilong looked dazed, muttering something to himself, and occasionally twitching violently like a startled rabbit.
"It's ruined."
Standing behind Qi Tongwei, Zhao Donglai said in a low voice, with a hint of unbelievable pleasure in his tone, "The psychologist has seen him and said it's severe post-traumatic stress disorder. Zhao Ruilong now is worse than a three-year-old."
Qi Tongwei turned around, broke the cigarette in half, and threw it into the trash can.
"He's not crippled, he's awakened." Qi Tongwei's voice was soft, yet chilling. "He used to live in a dream woven by the Zhao family, thinking he was a god. Now he's awakened and realizes he's just a piece of flesh."
【Ding! 】
[System Detection: The destiny node "The End of the Prodigal Son" has been shattered.]
[Comment: The methods were ruthless and hit the nail on the head. A piece of the Zhao family's fortune has been severed.]
[Dignity Value: +200.]
Qi Tongwei glanced at the system panel and smirked slightly.
Only two hundred points?
It seems this good-for-nothing who only knows how to eat, drink, gamble, and whore is only worth two hundred yuan in the system's eyes. The real "big prize" is yet to come.
"Keep an eye on him." Qi Tongwei straightened his collar. "Don't let him die, but don't let him go completely insane either. Keep him alive; there are still people who want to watch the show."
……
Shanshui Manor, Villa No. 1.
Although the rainstorm has stopped, the air remains humid and sticky.
Gao Xiaoqin was curled up alone in the huge European-style leather sofa. The deep purple high-slit cheongsam she was wearing was wrinkled, and one of the buttons at the collar had popped open, revealing a large expanse of her fair and delicate skin.
Excessive fear caused a fine layer of cold sweat to cover his skin, which rose and fell slightly with his breathing. His collarbone was deeply sunken, exuding a morbid yet terrifying allure.
She gripped her phone tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.
Zhao Ruilong is finished.
That arrogant man, like a cigarette butt that has been extinguished, was completely put out on that rainy night last night.
What about her?
As Zhao Ruilong's front man and the apparent owner of the Shanshui Group, what awaits her? Imprisonment? Or will she be discarded quietly as a pawn?
"Ring ring—"
In the deathly silent living room, the sudden ringing of the telephone was like a thunderclap.
Gao Xiaoqin shuddered violently, almost jumping off the sofa. She stared in horror at the black, secure cell phone on the coffee table.
There were no numbers on the screen, only a red "Z".
That's the Zhao family's private line.
Gao Xiaoqin reached out her hand, her fingertips touching the cold screen. She took a deep breath and pressed the answer button.
"Feed..." Her voice was dry and trembling.
"Xiaoqin".
A woman's voice came through the receiver. The voice was soft and magnetic, like the gentle Wu dialect of the Jiangnan water towns, but to Gao Xiaoqin, it was more terrifying than the thunder from the previous night.
Zhao Xiaohui.
The eldest daughter of the Zhao family, Zhao Ruilong's older sister. If Zhao Ruilong is a mad dog that bites anyone it sees, then this woman is a beautiful, venomous snake hiding among flowers.
"Miss...Miss..." Gao Xiaoqin felt an invisible hand gripping her throat.
"What's the panic?" Zhao Xiaohui's voice remained languid. "Ruilong brought this on himself. I told him long ago that the waters in Handong are deep, and he shouldn't think he can act recklessly just because the old man is in power. He wouldn't listen and insisted on provoking that Qi Tongwei. Now look what's happened, his leg is broken, and he's in jail. Good thing, it'll teach him a lesson."
Gao Xiaoqin was stunned.
That's my own brother! His leg was broken, he was thrown into a detention center, and this woman's explanation was simply that he was "learning a lesson"?
Are the people in the Zhao family all cold-blooded?
"Then... what should I do now?" Gao Xiaoqin asked, her voice trembling with tears. "Qi Tongwei definitely won't let the Shanshui Group off the hook. Although some of the account books were destroyed, but..."
"You don't need to worry about the account books," Zhao Xiaohui interrupted her. "I've already had them taken care of. As for Qi Tongwei... heh, he's a ruthless guy. Since he wants Ruilong's head to establish his authority, then give it to him."
"Wh...what?" Gao Xiaoqin's pupils shrank suddenly.
"Sacrifice the pawn to save the king, don't you understand?" Zhao Xiaohui's tone turned icy. "The scum that Ruilong did, like forced sales, rape, and murder, he'll take the blame for it all. As long as it doesn't involve the old man or me, he's fine as he is."
Gao Xiaoqin felt a bone-chilling cold rush from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. She instinctively hugged her arms tightly, her full breasts heaving violently, and her two long, shapely legs pressed tightly together at the hem of her cheongsam, as if this could bring her a sense of security.
It's too cruel.
In order to preserve the Zhao family's core interests, they were willing to sacrifice even their own younger brother without hesitation.
"A 'letter of approval' will be delivered to the provincial department tomorrow morning," Zhao Xiaohui said calmly. "The Shanshui Group is still yours for the time being. Just remember one thing: you are a businesswoman, a legitimate businesswoman. All that dirty work before had nothing to do with you; Zhao Ruilong forced you into it. Do you understand?"
"I...I understand."
"If you understand, go take a shower, change your clothes, and put on some makeup." Zhao Xiaohui chuckled. "You're Sister Qing from Handong; you need to maintain Sister Qing's dignity. Don't let those stinky men look down on you."
"Beep, beep, beep."
The phone hangs up.
Gao Xiaoqin slumped onto the sofa, her phone slipping to the floor. She gasped for breath, sweat trickling down her long neck and into her deep cleavage.
survived.
But she knew that from this moment on, the chain around her neck had a more terrifying owner.
……
Municipal Public Security Bureau, Director's Office.
Qi Tongwei looked at the exquisite kraft paper envelope on the table.
The envelope was unsigned and had been sent via same-city express delivery ten minutes earlier. Inside, there was only a thin sheet of A4 paper.
The above is a list.
There were no titles, no names, only strings of seemingly unrelated numbers and codes. But in Qi Tongwei's eyes, this was clearer than any code.
This is a list of "outsider personnel" that Zhao Ruilong has privately bribed in the officialdom of Handong over the years. They are not high-ranking, but their positions are crucial. Some control the seals of powerful departments, while others manage checkpoints at key intersections.
"This is both a greeting gift and a demonstration."
Qi Tongwei tapped his fingers lightly on the table, making a rhythmic "tap-tap" sound.
The list arrived shortly after Zhao Ruilong went inside. What does this mean? It means that the other party not only had prior knowledge of Zhao Ruilong's every move, but had even predicted Qi Tongwei's action schedule.
Sending him this list makes the meaning very clear:
I'll clean up Zhao Ruilong's mess for you. These small fry will help boost your performance. But in exchange, don't touch the real core interests.
"Zhao Xiaohui..."
Qi Tongwei narrowed his eyes, and the image of that woman, who was even more troublesome than Zhao Ruilong in the original work, came to mind.
If Zhao Ruilong is a good-for-nothing who relies on his father's connections, then Zhao Xiaohui is a born business genius and political broker. She knows how to make choices, how to advance and retreat, and even more importantly, how to use the rules to kill.
【Ding! 】
[Warning: A "high-IQ game-playing" opponent has been detected!]
[System Function Upgrade: "Officialdom Simulation Sandbox" Now Available!]
[Political Simulation Sandbox: Allows you to deduce your opponent's next political intentions and mark potential risk points. Current opponent: Zhao Xiaohui. Danger level: S-level (Snake Beauty).]
On the retina, a phantom map of Handong Province slowly unfolds. Red dots flash in places like Jingzhou and Lüzhou, forming a huge, invisible net.
"That's interesting."
Qi Tongwei picked up the lighter on the table and lit it with a "click".
Blue flames licked the edge of the A4 paper. The paper quickly curled, charred, and turned to ash.
Accept the deal?
nonexistent.
Qi Tongwei didn't come back this time to catch a few small fry to appease his comrades. He wanted to overturn the entire table.
"Miss Zhao, do you think you can feed a wolf by throwing a few bones?" Qi Tongwei watched the last embers in the brazier go out, a cold, sharp smile curving his lips. "Your brother is a mad dog, and you are a venomous snake. This zoo in Handong is getting more and more lively."
Just then.
"Bang!"
The office door was pushed open from the outside.
You can't find many people in the entire Handong area who would dare to push the director's door like that at the Municipal Bureau.
Qi Tongwei raised his head, his gaze passing over the drifting cigarette ash and looking towards the doorway.
Hou Liangping stood there in a sharp dark blue suit, briefcase in hand, brows furrowed, exuding an air of righteous indignation. In the corridor behind him, several junior officers looked embarrassed, wanting to stop him but not daring to.
"Qi Tongwei!"
Hou Liangping strode in, tossed his briefcase onto the sofa, and said with a hint of accusation and dissatisfaction, "What are you up to? Where's Zhao Ruilong? I just finished the paperwork and was about to interrogate him, why have you detained him first? This isn't in accordance with the rules!"
Qi Tongwei leaned back in his chair, looking at his old classmate whose face was written all over with "business as business," a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes.
The monkeys are here.
Unfortunately, this grand drama no longer needs you to play the leading role.
"rule?"
Qi Tongwei gently blew away the ashes on the table and said calmly, "Liangping, in Handong, the people I, Qi Tongwei, arrest are the law."