Chapter 242 Lu Yike Goes to the Meeting Alone, the Deadly Eavesdropping in the Necklace

Zhao Donglai hung up the phone, leaned heavily back in his chair, and exhaled a long breath.

The internal phone on the table rang again.

He picked up the receiver in frustration.

"Director Zhao, we received news from the Municipal Party Committee that Secretary Li lost his temper at the meeting this afternoon and specifically called for a rectification of the discipline and work style of the Municipal Bureau."

Zhao Donglai snorted coldly and hung up the phone.

Li Dakang was giving him a warning.

Although this municipal party secretary is usually assertive, he has always left room for maneuver with the public security system.

The sudden attack today clearly indicates that Shen Zhong's side has revealed the truth.

He stood up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and looked at the bustling night view of Jingzhou.

Once the logs are completely deleted, even if Li Dakang wants to take action against him, he won't find a compelling reason to do so.

With Gao Yuliang gone, Sha Ruijin is too busy taking care of himself to care about the city bureau chief.

The underground data center of the Handong Provincial Military Region.

On the huge electronic screen, red and blue codes intertwine to form a waterfall.

Shen Zhong sat in front of the command platform, holding a cup of black coffee in his hand.

Zhou Weiguo stood to the side, pointing to a red warning box that had just popped up on the screen.

"All record deletions are logical deletions, and we will be able to recover the data quickly."

"Every keystroke adds to one's crime."

Shen Zhong took a sip of coffee and placed the cup on the table.

"With this level of counter-surveillance capability, he doesn't deserve to be the director of the Jingzhou Public Security Bureau."

"Comrade Dakang's judgment in choosing people certainly needs improvement."

Zhou Weiguo typed a few keys on the keyboard, bringing up Zhao Donglai's operation trajectory.

"He thought that by erasing the access records, he could extricate himself from this game unscathed."

Shen Zhong leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the armrest.

"Innocent."

"Since he walked right into the trap, let's tighten the noose."

Qi Tongwei pulled up another document and projected it onto the big screen.

"Besides the leak, Lu Yike has made some new discoveries."

"The anti-corruption bureau investigated several hidden accounts under Zhao Donglai's name, and following the clues, they uncovered a major scandal."

The metal door to the data center was pushed open.

Lu Yike, dressed in a crisp uniform, strode in.

She slammed a thick financial analysis report on the table.

"Zhao Donglai is too bold."

"He embezzled a large sum of stability maintenance funds, laundered it through several shell companies, and finally it flowed to a 'Hero Boxing Gym' in the suburbs."

"This boxing gym appears to be in the sports industry, but it's actually a den of underground boxing matches."

"He kept a large number of unemployed people and thugs there, not only to make money, but also to help them with some shady and dirty work."

Qi Tongwei flipped through the financial statements in the report.

"This is a considerable sum of money."

"This old man usually pretends to be incorruptible, but he actually runs such a large business behind the scenes."

"Send people to arrest them directly?"

Lu Yike pressed down on the edge of the report.

"no."

"He is the director of the Jingzhou Public Security Bureau, and he is holding a gun."

"Moreover, that boxing gym has a complicated layout with many hidden passages inside."

"If he launches a frontal assault, he is highly likely to incite uninformed police officers to resist."

"If a large-scale armed conflict were to break out, the consequences would be too dire, and Sha Ruijin would definitely seize the opportunity to make trouble."

Shen Zhong interlaced his fingers and rested his elbows on the table.

"You need him to admit to controlling the boxing gym and misappropriating funds."

"Once we get this statement, we can go straight into legal proceedings and strip him of his command."

Lu Yike nodded.

"I'll go."

"He had been very attentive to me, so I took the opportunity to get information out of him."

Qi Tongwei, who was standing to the side, immediately retorted.

"Nonsense!"

"Zhao Donglai is now a mad dog at the end of his rope."

"Are you going to his territory all by yourself to try and get information out of him? Are you just going to your death?"

Lu Yike stared at Qi Tongwei without backing down.

"I am a prosecutor from the Anti-Corruption Bureau; this is my job."

"Moreover, apart from me, no one can easily get close to him now."

"He has always had inappropriate thoughts about me, and that's the breakthrough point."

Qi Tongwei wanted to persuade them further, but Shen Zhong raised his hand to interrupt them.

"You can go."

"But we must be fully prepared."

Shen Zhong looked at Qi Tongwei.

"Mobilize your trusted special police officers to establish a comprehensive perimeter."

"Once we get a confession, we'll close in immediately."

6 p.m., the task force's temporary preparation room.

Lu Yike changed out of her stiff uniform.

She put on a fitted black velvet dress.

Her long hair was casually tied back, revealing her fair and slender neck.

I bought this outfit specifically to disguise myself as a coal mine owner's wife, and I never expected it to come in handy so soon.

Qi Tongwei pushed open the door and came in, holding an exquisite silver necklace in his hand.

He walked up to Lu Yike and handed her the necklace.

"The military-grade miniature listening devices and locators are all inside the pendant."

"Receive range of five kilometers, anti-jamming."

Lu Yike took the necklace and tried to put it on herself, but the clasp was too small and she failed several times.

Qi Tongwei sighed and walked around behind her.

"I'll do it."

Rough fingers inadvertently touched the back of Lu Yike's neck.

The warm touch made them both pause for half a second.

Qi Tongwei focused intently on fastening the buckle. The two were so close that they could even feel each other's rising and falling breaths.

"You look much better dressed than that nouveau riche wife from last time."

Qi Tongwei made a rare joke.

Lu Yike rolled her eyes at him.

"Stop talking nonsense."

"You guys better hurry up, I don't want that bear to take advantage of me."

Qi Tongwei took a half step back, his face stern.

"remember."

"Plain talk is secondary; safety is the top priority."

"If you sense anything is wrong, immediately smash the cup in your hand."

"This is a signal to take action."

"The moment the glass clinks, we'll rush in."

Lu Yike straightened her skirt and turned to look at him.

"Don't worry, Director Qi."

"I haven't lived enough yet."

Night fell on the outskirts of Jingzhou.

The neon sign of Yinghao Boxing Gym flashed a blinding red light in the night.

An inconspicuous black sedan was parked on the opposite side road.

Qi Tongwei sat in the car, wearing tactical headphones, his fingers tapping irritably on the steering wheel.

Zhou Weiguo, along with several Dragon Fang special forces members, had quietly occupied the high ground around the boxing gym.

"Sniper position number one is ready, good visibility."

"The assault team has reached its designated position and is ready to break through the window at any time."

Reports from the outer observation posts kept coming through the headset.

Qi Tongwei pressed the call button.

"Attention everyone, until we hear the sound of a glass breaking, no one is allowed to make any sudden movements."

Lu Yike walked through the noisy ground floor training area in her high heels.

The dull thuds of blows mingled with the men's heavy breathing, and the air was thick with the pungent smell of sweat and liniment.

Several burly men who were hitting the sandbags stopped and stared unabashedly at the beautiful woman in the long dress.

Lu Yike ignored the stares and went straight to the top floor.

The environment here is completely different from downstairs; the corridor is covered with thick carpets and has excellent sound insulation.

At the end was a heavy wooden door leading to a private room.

Lu Yike stopped and paused for two seconds.

He raised his hand and knocked three times on the door.

"Enter."

A hoarse, low reply came from inside the door.

Lu Yike pushed open the door.

The main lights in the private room were not on; only a few dim wall lamps emitted a warm yellow glow.

The air was filled with a strong smell of alcohol.

Zhao Donglai was shirtless, revealing his muscular physique and several old scars.

He was carrying a half-empty bottle of liquor, with most of his body sunk into the leather sofa.

He looked up when he heard the door open.

His eyes were bloodshot and completely red.

Upon recognizing Lu Yike as the visitor, he swayed as he stood up and casually tossed the wine bottle onto the coffee table.

The glass made a crisp sound when it collided.

Zhao Donglai stared intently at the woman in the black dress in front of him. Her posture was exactly like that of a hungry wolf that had been driven into a corner and was ready to devour its prey at any moment.