Two vans moved in tandem, one following the other, cruising smoothly down the street toward the rehabilitation center, the occupants chatting at ease, utterly oblivious to the fact that they were already firmly grasped by an invisible hand.

Following the data analysis provided by Siyuan, Wang Zhuo quickly closed in on the vans’ location. The moment Sun Donghao called him from a public phone booth to report the appearance and license plate numbers of the two vehicles, Wang Zhuo immediately expanded his field of vision and, in mere moments, locked onto his targets.

He then relayed the license plate numbers of the two vehicles to Siyuan over the phone. Before long, Siyuan provided him with the registered vehicle information she had uncovered.

“Both cars belong to Qingshan Mental Hospital. There are dozens of pages concerning traffic violations and accident reports, and every case from four years ago until now is marked as pending review.”

“Pending? How did they pass inspection?” Wang Zhuo asked, surprised.

“There must be something wrong here. Wait a moment, I’ll ask around,” Siyuan said.

Wang Zhuo drove, keeping a considerable distance behind the two vans. Aided by his X-ray vision, he wasn't worried about losing them. While driving, he also kept one ear tuned to what the people inside the vans were saying.

His perspective-reading ability was superior and more accurate than lip-reading. Lip-reading could sometimes lead to misinterpretations, but by analyzing the vocal cords and observing the position of the tongue within the mouth, he could ensure over ninety percent accuracy, virtually the same as listening right beside them.

His X-ray vision acted as an all-encompassing scanner, completely locking onto the two vans. Every movement, every word, every action of the people inside was laid bare before Wang Zhuo.

“I got an answer,” Siyuan’s crisp voice suddenly came through his earpiece. “The mental hospital is actually one of the unofficial 'violence agencies.' Many departments have some sort of connection to it. When those powerful figures need help, they call on the mental hospital, so in return, they turn a blind eye to some of the hospital’s irregularities.”

This explanation aligned perfectly with Wang Zhuo’s own assessment. He asked out of curiosity, “Where did you find all this out?”

“In a hacker forum,” Siyuan laughed. “Some of those guys there know a lot of the dirty secrets of society—they just choose not to make them public.”

Wang Zhuo chuckled. “Knowing this is enough for now. I’m busy, so I don’t need you for anything else for the time being.”

Siyuan giggled playfully. “I don’t help for free, you know. What reward am I getting?”

“You did so little, and you still want a reward?” Wang Zhuo lowered his voice and said slyly, “I’ll treat you to a jumbo lollipop.”

“You’re terrible,” Siyuan whined coquettishly. “I want it tonight! You have to keep your promise.”

…

The vans pulled into the suburban rehabilitation center, and Wang Zhuo parked his car on the opposite side of the street.

From start to finish, the group apprehending Ji Yunlei never detected Wang Zhuo’s presence.

This was an apprehension that involved multiple factions; at least four or five departments participated in the operation, including the railway department that provided the initial tip, the police who cleared the way with green lights, the mental hospital staff who carried out the arrest, and the rehabilitation center that received Ji Yunlei.

On the surface alone, the incident reeked of impropriety. If Ji Yunlei were merely an ordinary drug user, the police or the rehabilitation center should have been the ones to apprehend him; the mental hospital should have had nothing to do with it. If Ji Yunlei were mentally ill, he should have been sent to the mental hospital for treatment, not secretly escorted to a drug rehab facility.

Furthermore, these people had lied to Sun Donghao, claiming to be police officers. Not only did they fail to present identification, but they aggressively confiscated Sun Donghao’s cell phone—pure bandit behavior.

From his surveillance along the route, Wang Zhuo had already analyzed the general situation from their conversations and found the whole mess so absurd he almost laughed.

There was no time for pleasantries; he dialed Xiao Wanjun directly, reasoning that officials at Yuan Xinyu’s level wouldn't be able to handle something of this magnitude.

When Xiao Wanjun received Wang Zhuo’s call, he was waiting outside a conference room; Qin Xue was inside meeting. Upon hearing Wang Zhuo say he had something urgent that required immediate attention, Xiao Wanjun had to find someone for a temporary replacement before hurrying back to his office to return the call.

“Wang Zhuo, go ahead, what is it?”

“A piece of nonsense,” Wang Zhuo replied with a bitter smile. “An acquaintance of mine was arrested an hour ago by people from Qingshan Mental Hospital, who were impersonating police officers. They just transported him to the Seventh Rehabilitation Center in the suburbs.”

“Uh…” Xiao Wanjun immediately scratched his head. That short sentence involved the mental hospital, the police, and the rehab center, and it sounded completely illogical. There was definitely foul play involved.

“He completed rehab successfully in June and hasn’t relapsed,” Wang Zhuo stated the details, then added, “I’m worried he might face unjust treatment, so I had to ask you for help.”

“Are you certain about the sequence of events?” Xiao Wanjun asked solemnly.

Wang Zhuo gave a faint smile. “I saw it with my own eyes. I’m right outside the rehab center now; they took the man inside ten minutes ago.”

“This…” Xiao Wanjun paused, his mind rapidly calculating countermeasures. Having been a civil servant for so many years, he had heard of every bizarre event imaginable. He wouldn’t even be surprised if the living man ended up dead inside the rehab center a few minutes later.

Regardless, since Wang Zhuo had called, the matter needed addressing. Normally, Wang Zhuo shouldn't be able to command the services of Secretary Qin’s second-in-command secretary, but just half a month ago, Shengshi Dynasty had arranged a very desirable post for Xiao Wanjun’s elder sister and awarded a small construction project to Xiao Wanjun’s brother-in-law. Now that the other party needed a favor, Xiao Wanjun couldn't afford to drop the ball.

The difficulty of this matter lay in the high probability that the departments involved were all rotten to the core. Xiao Wanjun understood that as capable as he was, if he just made a single call to the relevant leaders, the people below him might twist the situation into something ugly. What if major internal secrets were involved? Those subordinates might actually dare to make the person Wang Zhuo wanted simply vanish.

Was that possible? Absolutely. If nothing important were at stake, why would they mobilize multiple departments for a joint, ‘illegal’ apprehension operation over one person?

After much deliberation, Xiao Wanjun tentatively asked, “Wang Zhuo, I think it would be better to report this to Secretary Qin. What do you think?”

Wang Zhuo glanced toward the rehabilitation center. Ji Yunlei had just been transferred to another van equipped with a cage. He wondered what treatment awaited him next. “Isn’t Secretary Qin in a meeting? Will it be too late?”

“It’s not an important meeting; it’s about to conclude.” Xiao Wanjun quickly checked his watch. In reality, Qin Xue’s afternoon schedule wasn't too packed; the meeting had already run half an hour overtime and, by convention, should end within a few minutes.

“Alright then, I’ll wait for your word,” Wang Zhuo agreed, already planning his next move.

After waiting for about ten minutes, a call finally came in. This time, it was from Qin Xue’s office line—it seemed the matter had genuinely alarmed Jiangzhou City’s top official.

Qin Xue was utterly baffled after Xiao Wanjun’s description, finding the whole situation somewhat incredible. As soon as he returned to his office, he called Wang Zhuo: “Wang Zhuo, this is Qin Xue. Detail the entire situation for me from beginning to end. I need specifics. I need the truth.”

Wang Zhuo recounted the story of Sun Donghao encountering Ji Yunlei at the high-speed rail station from the start, but he altered the part where he had been kicked out of his home and used illegal means to track the cell signal. He changed it to say he went to pick up Sun Donghao outside the high-speed rail station, happened to see the two vans, and then followed them to the rehabilitation center.

“I had a friend check online and that’s how I found out the two cars belong to Qingshan Mental Hospital.”

“Preposterous!” Qin Xue slammed the table after listening. “Wait nearby for a moment; I’m coming over to take a look myself.”

The call disconnected. Wang Zhuo couldn't quite believe his ears. The city’s Number One leader was coming in person? Weren't powerful figures supposed to make a grand entrance only after the dust had settled? Why was the script different?

Qin Xue was not only authoritative but also decisive in his actions. Ten minutes later, an imposing motorcade departed from the Municipal Party Committee compound, led by police cars clearing the way, rushing straight toward the suburbs.

“Shaochong, what’s your take on this?” Qin Xue asked his top secretary, Pi Shaochong, while the motorcade was in transit.

Chief Secretary Pi had limited interaction with Wang Zhuo, but given his status, he had certainly benefited from Wang Zhuo’s generosity. Seeing that his leader was mobilizing such a large response, he could certainly discern the direction the wind was blowing.

“The man was apprehended at a high-speed rail station. I suspect he was likely on his way to petition the central government in the capital,” Pi Shaochong analyzed carefully. “And the people who apprehended him used unconventional means that didn’t comply with legal procedures. I believe they are very likely trying to cover something up.”

Qin Xue nodded slightly, then turned to his second secretary, Xiao Wanjun: “Wanjun, do you have anything to add?”

Xiao Wanjun pondered for a moment. “My view is similar to Director Shaochong’s. The appearance of the mental hospital in this matter is quite strange; there might be hidden circumstances involved.”

“Wanjun is right. Moreover, the fact that personnel from the mental hospital could track the subject’s movements, then boldly impersonate police at the high-speed rail station to make an arrest, suggests the police might also be involved,” Pi Shaochong remarked with a hint of jest. “It seems the water runs deep here.”

Qin Xue chuckled and waved his hand. “You two might as well be bolder in your assumptions. It’s fine if you’re wrong.”

While he tested his two secretaries, many other leaders nearby were growing uneasy. The Municipal Party Secretary was suddenly heading out with a heavy escort—where were they going, and what were they doing?

Pi Shaochong and Xiao Wanjun were making bold assumptions, but even if they exhausted their minds, they couldn’t guess how bizarre this whole affair truly was. Even Wang Zhuo only had a glimpse of the truth, while the insider, Ji Yunlei, was just one step away from being permanently erased.