Generally speaking, officials in high positions like Luo Bin, especially those with his specific rank, would not be dealt with in such a high-profile manner, as it would certainly cause a public outcry. However, his intent to flee was too blatant—good heavens, he even possessed two sets of forged identification papers, kept right alongside so many valuable possessions. Even a rookie investigator from the Disciplinary Inspection Commission could see the clear pattern here; such a person, catching even a whiff of trouble, might attempt outright illegal border crossing!

One must realize that all that cash and gold bullion couldn't possibly be taken onto an airplane; they wouldn't pass airport security. A man preparing two sets of escape documents wouldn't overlook something so basic; therefore, sneaking out of the country was undoubtedly his preferred option.

A corrupt official constantly prepared to flee the country is far more dangerous than a "naked official" whose family resides abroad.

“The Old Scavenger Woman’s Great Haul” had been online for a week, and no one knew if the family involved were aware of the uproar. Thus, when the staff from the "relevant departments" in charge of the investigation finally uncovered Luo Bin's identity, they quickly received directives from their superiors to act swiftly—to prevent them from escaping!

The truth, however, cannot be entirely contained. The old woman had gone viral; easily hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of netizens were focused on the matter. It was only a matter of time before they unearthed the identity of Luo Bin's entire family. The leader overseeing the case knew this perfectly well: if the Luo family managed to slip away, the resulting fallout would be catastrophic. Foreign media would exploit the story extensively, making any subsequent clean-up operation incredibly difficult.

The Disciplinary Inspection agencies understood these corrupt officials too well. Such individuals always had their escape routes meticulously planned, along with offshore bank accounts. Should they manage to flee abroad, they would swiftly relocate to countries without extradition treaties with China, where they could comfortably live out their days as wealthy gentlemen, setting a terrible precedent. Furthermore, many would align themselves with anti-China factions overseas to seek protection. Domestically, they were scum and parasites; abroad, they were traitors and sell-outs!

This time, even Luo Bin’s powerful backers could not shield him. Moreover, many people vaguely suspected that the issue was no longer just about whether he could be saved, but whether he should be saved, and what the consequences of protecting him would be. Amidst factional infighting, cutting ties immediately—even painfully—was the wisest move. Hesitation would only lead to being poisoned by Luo Bin’s influence, resulting in their own tragic downfall.

“A gentleman abandons the flawed to promote talent; a brave warrior severs his own wrist to preserve his essence.” This is the origin of the phrase "severing the wrist," yet in practical application, it implies not 'preserving essence' but merely that “though the body is maimed, life itself is saved.”

Luo Bin, Director Luo, was taken away by the "relevant departments." He was escorted out mid-meeting, right in the middle of the session he was chairing, and taken directly into custody!

The news spread like wildfire, immediately followed by a second piece of information: Director Luo’s wife had also been detained. She was reportedly still wiping the remnants of her facial treatment product off her face when she left the beauty salon!

Meanwhile, the only member of the Luo family trio whose whereabouts remained unknown to the authorities, Young Master Luo Kelong, missed the optimal window for escape due to a recent injury to his thigh that temporarily restricted his mobility.

Secretary Wang, who was on the phone with him, was naturally one of Luo Bin's inner circle and was fated to be taken by disciplinary officers. In fact, Secretary Wang never even got the chance to speak to Luo Bin; thus, he was unaware that his son was injured until Luo Bin was "invited" to the designated location.

Luo Kelong had no idea why Secretary Wang abruptly hung up on him; Secretary Wang’s phone had been forcibly confiscated, and the signal immediately cut. But a deep intuition told Luo Kelong that things were taking a turn for the worse.

When he tried calling back, Secretary Wang’s phone was already switched to voicemail—turned off. Luo Kelong felt both irritated and uneasy as he was wheeled into the emergency trauma room.

The influence of the District Mayor’s son proved immensely effective. Bie Song had arranged the best doctors for Young Master Luo. After a brief assessment, he was immediately rushed into surgery. Sun Song and the others also noticed that Luo Kelong was visibly distracted; despite such a severe injury, his thoughts were clearly elsewhere.

Half an hour later, the surgery concluded smoothly. In reality, it was a minor procedure that should have taken mere minutes, but the chief surgeon deliberately prolonged the time to demonstrate an attitude of diligence, carefulness, and responsibility—thereby showing maximum deference to both Young Master Bie and Young Master Luo.

“He’ll be fine,” the tall, slender doctor announced with a smile to Bie Song and the others waiting as Luo Kelong’s gurney was wheeled out of the operating room. “The surgery was very successful. After a period of rest, the patient will return to his previous state; no function will be affected.”

Bie Song thanked the doctor profusely, beaming. Seeing Luo Kelong’s grim expression, he joked to cheer him up, “Don’t worry, Kelong, a few days of discomfort and you’ll be back to normal! We’ll find some beautiful girls to properly ‘cleanse the dust’ off you later!”

Spectacled Guy and the slightly chubby man joined in with suggestive chuckles. No one present, including Sun Song, realized that Luo Kelong’s life had just taken a catastrophic U-turn; he would never have the chance for a beauty to ‘cleanse his dust’ again in this lifetime.

That afternoon, Young Master Luo received the treatment usually reserved for VIPs—security detail. It was the first time he’d enjoyed such an escort, but the four guards stationed outside his hospital room weren't there to protect him; they were there to prevent his escape!

Bie Song and the rest of the group had already scattered like startled birds. They finally understood the gravity of the situation: Director Luo Bin and his wife had likely been subjected to ‘Double Investigation’—detained at a specified time and location for questioning. The Luo family was finished.

Good news travels slowly, but bad news travels fast. Wang Zhuo did not receive the news too late; just an hour after Luo Bin was taken away, An Guangjia, who maintained close ties with a director at the customs office, called him.

After listening to An Guangjia’s account, Wang Zhuo chuckled, “He brought it upon himself; how can one escape his fate?”

“Oh?” An Guangjia paused slightly. “Judging by your tone, Wang Zhuo, it seems you anticipated this development?”

“Who didn’t anticipate it?” Wang Zhuo replied with a slight sneer. “Don’t you check the internet these days? There’s been a massive fuss online lately about that old scavenger woman’s great haul. I couldn’t help but feel that Director Luo’s family looked suspiciously like the subjects in that video.”

An Guangjia was greatly surprised and quickly said, “I actually hadn't seen that. I’ll go look it up right now!”

Surfing the internet is a primary form of entertainment for the grassroots, but wealthy businessmen like An Guangjia, privileged scions like Luo Kelong, or major figures like the Luo couple rarely indulge in it. They have far superior options for entertainment, and their leisure time is generally more restricted than that of ordinary people. Thus, only a tiny minority of eccentrics choose that pastime.

It’s not hard to understand: Which is more satisfying—playing a round of actual golf or a game of virtual billiards on a computer? Or perhaps, is downloading a few explicit films to watch more thrilling than going to a luxurious five-star hotel for real-life interaction with a beautiful woman? Is this even a question?

Following An Guangjia, Wang Zhuo received several more congratulatory calls hailing the downfall of his rival, Director Luo. For the moment, however, no one suspected his involvement. No one would believe that he would resort to such an extreme measure of revenge just because Luo Kelong had seized a few of his ships.

“This tactic really worked well, forcing them to put him under ‘Double Investigation’ after all.”

On a leisurely afternoon, Wang Zhuo lay languidly on the sofa flipping through a book, with Guan Yingying wriggling softly in his lap.

Wang Zhuo smiled faintly, sliding one hand beneath the hem of her skirt and caressing her intimately.

Soon, a brisk rhythm of striking sounds echoed in the room, and the sofa began to creak in time with the beat. Just then, Wang Zhuo’s phone rang at an inconvenient moment.

Guan Yingying let out a chuckle, leaning over to grab the phone from the side table and hand it to him. Her bright, beautiful eyes suddenly darted to the side; she gracefully hopped off the sofa, found a wet wipe, and began gently cleaning the moisture from between Wang Zhuo’s legs.

“Hello, Haozi?”

Had it been anyone else calling, Wang Zhuo might not have answered, but since Xiao Donghao was currently going through a low point in his life, Wang Zhuo naturally treated him differently.

“Boss, I’ve got some great news for you!” Sun Donghao’s voice sounded excited and happy.

“Good news?” Wang Zhuo asked, surprised. “What is it?”

The cool wet wipe gently swirled and cleaned, and Wang Zhuo smiled silently, reaching up to lightly stroke the beautiful older woman's chin.

“I went to the hospital for a routine check-up this morning and heard that Luo Kelong was admitted to the same facility!” Sun Donghao said cheerfully. “I don’t know what happened, but he injured his thigh—almost got castrated—and he also burned his foot! He’s currently under guarded medical observation!”

“Oh, wow,” Wang Zhuo replied, surprised and amused, his eyes lighting up. “Which hospital? I’ll go see him!”

The cool wet wipe was suddenly withdrawn, replaced by a warm covering. Wang Zhuo drew a deep, satisfying breath, tensing his legs and locking his soft body around Guan Yingying’s.

Sun Donghao cheerfully relayed the hospital’s name and asked, “Should I drive you there?”

Wang Zhuo absentmindedly said yes, completely missing the rest of Sun Donghao’s words, because his beautiful sister had suddenly turned her attention to him, her tongue swirling so intensely it felt like she was drawing out his very soul.

After concluding their afternoon’s bout of absurdity, Wang Zhuo finally deposited his essence into Qi Fei, who had joined them mid-session, before hastily driving off to the hospital.

Pulling into the hospital parking lot, Sun Donghao was already waiting cheerfully by the roadside. Today, he was dressed in a casual T-shirt, canvas sneakers, and jeans, paired with a pair of scholarly, gold-rimmed glasses. He looked nothing like a dissipated AIDS carrier, but rather like a typical university student.

Although AIDS remains an incurable disease in contemporary society, once one truly understands and accepts it, Sun Donghao realized that with sufficient medical treatment and the maintenance of good mental and physical health, the affliction wasn't as terrifying as initially assumed. Modern medical technology was already quite advanced; while a cure might not be possible yet, controlling the progression of the illness was certainly not out of reach.

In other words, he, too, could be like Magic Johnson—even as a virus carrier, he could manage the condition to prevent it from flaring up, remaining merely a carrier until a cure was found, or until he reached the end of his natural lifespan.