The women had just descended the stairs when the sound of rumbling footsteps came from the apartment across the hall—it was Wang Zhengdao heading out for breakfast with his friends.
Standing by the window, watching the two groups depart toward the neighborhood exit, Wang Zhuo felt a wave of relaxed contentment. What was the greatest joy in life, if not making things just a little bit better for oneself and those around you? He had achieved both!
In the open area downstairs, a silver fourteen-seater commercial van was idling, faintly puffing exhaust. Peering through it with his X-ray vision, Wang Zhuo saw that the driver was none other than his cousin, Lu Weimin. Word was, Lu Weimin was close to marrying his girlfriend. And word also had it, he had secretly stayed overnight again in the quarters designated for the female bodyguards…
Qi Fei and her four companions, along with the four female bodyguards, gradually boarded the van. Wang Zhengdao managed to fit his entourage into one seven-seater commercial van and two sedans. The two groups exchanged friendly greetings and drove off in separate directions.
“Huh?” Wang Zhuo suddenly noticed two black sedans that had already been parked in the open space.
These two cars had been stationary earlier, which was why Wang Zhuo hadn't paid them immediate attention. However, after the two groups left, these two cars slowly began to move, stopping near the entrance of the adjacent building unit.
Wang Zhuo focused his gaze. Judging from subtle clues like residual engine heat and tire tracks, he quickly deduced the background of the black sedans. They had entered the compound a few minutes after Lu Weimin’s van. Seeing Qi Fei and Wang Zhengdao’s groups emerge, they had evidently hidden themselves until both parties had cleared out, only then resuming movement toward the unit where Zheng Mingshun resided.
How peculiar! Hiding from view, identical car models, and covered with heavy reflective film. The snow indentations left by the tires were deep—the cars must have been fully loaded!
Wang Zhuo frowned slightly. His X-ray vision effortlessly dissolved the roofs of the two sedans, instantly turning the vehicles in his sight into convertibles. As expected, each car was packed with five men. All ten were male, and Wang Zhuo recognized one among them—it was Zheng Mingshun, the Director-General of the Finance Bureau!
Spotting Director Zheng, Wang Zhuo immediately felt a surge of amusement. The man was seated in the middle of the rear row of the second car, squeezed between two others, appearing decidedly strained and cramped. His expression was one of sheer panic; his usual air of superiority had completely evaporated to nowhere.
Once stopped, four men exited the front car, leaving only the driver behind it. These four dispersed upon exiting, forming an arc of protection around the second car. Only then did the rear door open, and everyone, except the driver, including Director Zheng, alighted.
Two men took the lead, Zheng Mingshun walked in the center, closely followed by three men. The remaining two stayed put. The entire exchange was minimal and brief.
Two words flashed instantly through Wang Zhuo’s mind: Shuang Gui! (detention for investigation)
Indeed! With the assistance of his X-ray vision, Director Zheng retrieved two books from his study upon returning home and explained a few points from them to a thin, middle-aged man. After a meticulous inspection, the middle-aged man nodded, personally took the two books, and then led the team down via the previously used emergency stairwell.
Wang Zhuo couldn’t help but let out a wry smile. Aided by his X-ray vision, he was the most powerful spy on Earth. However, Zheng Mingshun had coded the ledger of bribes and kickbacks into existing books, fundamentally different from property deeds hidden in secluded spots. Last time, while engaging in intimacy with Gan Lin, he had used his vision to locate the deeds and bank cards but had overlooked the equally crucial ledger due to a lapse in vigilance!
“That Zheng fellow, cunning, utterly cunning!”
He chuckled a curse, casually snatched a tracksuit hanging on a nearby rack, leaped over the coffee table, and quickly pulled on the jacket and trousers. He dashed to the door, slipped on his athletic shoes, and strode out!
Taking the elevator, he reached the ground floor a step ahead of Zheng Mingshun’s group. The two men in jackets standing guard glanced at him before looking away.
Wang Zhuo’s timing, thanks to his X-ray vision, was impeccable. Just as Zheng Mingshun stepped out of the unit entrance, he came face-to-face with Wang Zhuo, who was passing by. The Director’s haggard face instantly stiffened.
“Oh? Isn't this Director Zheng?” Wang Zhuo pretended to have stumbled upon him coincidentally, assessing Director Zheng briefly before nodding toward the retinue surrounding him. His eyes brightened noticeably, and he chuckled, “What’s the occasion? Have you been Shuang Gui-ed?”
The scene instantly froze. Zheng Mingshun’s eyes flickered with a complex mix of surprise, astonishment, and annoyance!
“Who are you?” The two men in jackets suddenly stepped forward, subtly surrounding Wang Zhuo.
“A resident?” Wang Zhuo turned to the jacketed man who spoke, smiling calmly. “This is Hongkang Shengshi Community. I’m here early in the morning, dressed for a morning run. If I’m not a resident, am I a security guard?”
“A 9:30 AM run?” One of the jacketed men snorted, clearly unconvinced by the excuse.
“Is it 9:30 already?” Wang Zhuo lifted his wrist, realizing he wasn't wearing a watch. “Then yes, 9:30. I overslept. So what if I did, is that not allowed?”
The lead jacketed man frowned. Ignoring Wang Zhuo’s indolent manner, he turned to Zheng Mingshun. “Do you know this person?”
Zheng Mingshun opened his mouth to reply, but Wang Zhuo suddenly pointed at him and roared with laughter. “See! I told you it was Shuang Gui! Otherwise, who would dare speak to Director Zheng like that?”
Zheng Mingshun’s face turned ashen with rage, his lips trembling so much he couldn't speak, his hands shaking uncontrollably, teetering on the edge of an explosion.
The lead jacketed man was also greatly agitated by Wang Zhuo. He had worked in the Disciplinary Inspection Department for twenty years and had witnessed subordinates being detained, even suicides, but he had never heard of anyone dying from sheer anger. He certainly didn't want to preside over such a bizarre case!
With a cold snort, he was about to instruct his subordinates to escort the inexplicable young man away for questioning, when the young man seemed to read his mind, holding up a single finger and gently waving it in front of him.
“Director Shou, I worry Director Zheng looks rather underdressed. If he catches a cold or develops a fever, it won't look good when you report back to the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection.”
The man froze. Even Zheng Mingshun and the other disciplinary inspection officers were stunned. None of them expected this person not only to name the leading officer, Director Shou, but also to correctly identify the origins and roles of the other members of the investigation team!
“I just happened to run into Director Zheng and offered a greeting. Don't take the ‘Shuang Gui’ talk seriously; it was just a joke,” Wang Zhuo continued with an inscrutable, gentle smile. “You don't need to guess my identity. Director Zheng knows me, and the property management here knows me too. I was even drinking with Mayor Yu yesterday. If you have any questions for me, you can easily find me by asking him!”
Anyone capable of detaining a City Finance Director must be at least at the Provincial Disciplinary Inspection level, possibly even reaching the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection in severe cases. Mentioning Yu Zhifeng to Director Shou was somewhat understated, but a young man in his early twenties calmly stating he had been drinking with the Vice Mayor—that attitude was certainly worth pondering.
Furthermore, Wang Zhuo had correctly identified Director Shou's position and knew they were placing Zheng Mingshun under investigation, even grasping that this working group was a joint deployment from the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection to the municipal level. This left Director Shou and his team utterly perplexed—who exactly was this kid?
“It seems I’m delaying you?” Seeing them completely bewildered, Wang Zhuo felt he had muddied the waters sufficiently and decided to withdraw. “Then I won’t keep you. I’m leaving! Director Zheng, you must confess thoroughly and strive for lenient treatment from the Party and the people!”
Zheng Mingshun shakily raised his hand, about to point at Wang Zhuo and curse him, when Wang Zhuo grinned, waving goodbye. “Well, I’m off then, Director Zheng. If you have a public trial rally, I’ll be there!”
His agile figure lightly sprinted away. Director Shou’s eyes darted back and forth, but he ultimately decided not to call Wang Zhuo back. He reasoned it was best to proceed with Zheng Mingshun’s processing according to protocol and avoid introducing further variables!
And Wang Zhuo had banked precisely on this thought when he brazenly jumped out to provoke Zheng Mingshun. Simultaneously, he had laid a huge smokescreen for the Director, ensuring Zheng Mingshun would spend time afterward consumed by suspicion.
As Wang Zhuo predicted, after returning to the detention location, Director Zheng’s mind was dominated by the strange encounter. The more he thought, the more frightened he became, the more he felt toyed with in the palm of someone’s hand. Before long, Director Zheng’s psychological defenses completely collapsed, and he followed Wang Zhuo’s advice to confess fully and seek leniency!
However, that was all for later. Back to the present: after thoroughly provoking Zheng Mingshun, Wang Zhuo ran three laps in the community park. Upon returning to the complex, he realized in his haste coming downstairs, he had forgotten his keys, phone, wallet, bank cards—everything.
Utterly empty-handed!
He circled the building entrance with a mix of frustration and amusement before heading toward the property management office.
“Borrow a phone?” The security guard on duty happened to be Wang Li, whom Wang Zhuo knew. Hearing that the richest man in the city wanted to borrow the security office phone gave Wang Li a feeling that was half comical, half unbelievable.
“Yes, I need to borrow the phone,” Wang Zhuo scratched his head sheepishly. “I forgot everything when I came down. I’m penniless and homeless right now!”
“Then please, use it quickly.” Wang Li immediately pushed the phone over, then added, remembering Wang Zhuo was penniless, “Call as much as you need; it’s free!”
This was the city’s richest man; even if he couldn't curry favor immediately, leaving a good impression couldn't hurt! Wang Li was shrewd; while thinking this, he brought Wang Zhuo a chair and placed it next to the phone.
“Thank you very much!” Wang Zhuo didn't overthink it. He was the same age as Wang Li, and moreover, he lacked the mindset of a mogul; his nature remained fundamentally grassroots.
He dialed three cell phone numbers consecutively, but each call inexplicably disconnected right after he pressed the seventh digit. He stared at the handset in confusion, muttering, “What the hell is going on?”