Special Forces Medic-Chapter 802 - 769: What Does Beigong Really Have?

"How about a deal?" Xiao Lin drove the car out of the North District. The road to the west was deserted, and the scenery gradually became more desolate, while the wind blowing in their faces grew saltier and wetter.

"Where are you taking me?" After Xiao Lin stated his intentions, there was no more discussion related to the topic, and they traveled west in silence.

"Seaside!" As a scarcely visited area on the city's outskirts, there was indeed a coastline, a basically abandoned dock used solely by fishermen for rest. This place was remote, and due to the dock's restrictions, many had gradually moved away from the region, leaving only some scattered households and scavengers.

Xiao Lin parked the car by the waterfront. Looking out ahead, one could see the sea, shimmering under the sun's rays even without the usual blue hue.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"If you go to the police station now, you'll definitely be forcibly taken away. We have to wait for someone to return before we can do anything else. Stay with me for the next two days."

"Thank you for saving me earlier." Li Zhenghan was unsure how to express his feelings at that moment.

"Exchange your life for the evidence I need."

"You want me to betray Yao Zheng." Li Zhenghan wasn't as shocked as he might have imagined; he had already guessed what this man wanted him to do, and providing the necessary evidence was essentially the same as betrayal.

"Can't do it?" Xiao Lin uncharacteristically stepped out of the car. This was where Yan Fengying's body was found. After Hua Qingyi left, he never appeared again, and Shao Qing had thoroughly searched the area without finding any clues about Yan Juanjuan's whereabouts. Where could Yao Zheng have hidden her?

Li Zhenghan wrestled with his thoughts, lacking the courage to make a decision. "If you can't make a decision in the car, I'll give you a few more hints."

"You don't seem like a bodyguard. Who are you? Earlier, Yao Zheng mentioned Dragon Soul; are you from Dragon Soul?"

"Hmm, if identifying with this role gives you any sense of security, then yes, I'm from Dragon Soul, currently guarding Hua Qingyi under the guise of a bodyguard."

"Hua Qingyi? The eldest of the Hua Family?" Li Zhenghan was again surprised. He followed him out of the car, the ocean breeze waking his mind gradually.

"Exactly! You're well aware of the shady dealings in the North District, as a secretary. I'll let you know they're targeting the North District, and how long do you think a district chief can hold out? It's merely a futile struggle now," Xiao Lin lit a cigarette, exhaling smoke into the air. "In fact, you have no choice. Making the right decision is the best way to save yourself. How about becoming a whistleblower?"

An uneasy silence followed, while Li Zhenghan's resolve crumbled internally. "The North Palace burned down; you must know about it! The remains recovered from that ravine are three corpses, and their portraits are now at the North District Police Station. Should I reveal their identities?"

Li Zhenghan lowered his head, having nothing left to say. Those remains were shattered beyond recognition. How could such technology exist to reconstruct them entirely? How much hidden power supported this person from behind? Yao Zheng's dreams of beating someone like him seemed unattainable.

"Do you believe I'm Yao Zheng's secretary?"

"Hmm, it's never crossed my mind to doubt that. As a regular civilian living in the North District, you could have lived comfortably. Honestly, you lost to a woman; if not for her, we wouldn't have known about the existence of another Secretary Li." It was an unusual encounter, and Xiao Lin had to admit such coincidences were a breakthrough.

"I was careless." Li Zhenghan requested a cigarette from Xiao Lin and lit it. "Since leaving the secretary's office, I hadn't considered ever having the chance to return. Yao Zheng treated me well; always paid my salary and extra portions. I knew he was buying my silence, intending for me to be prepared to go back. He never killed me, so I still feel grateful towards him. However, I didn't anticipate his heartlessness. If I hadn't been so vain, you wouldn't have found me today." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"What was Yao Zheng's reason for acting this way? You've been with him for so many years; he shouldn't be doing this, considering it isn't beneficial to him."

"It's plain logic everyone understands. I remember how reluctant he was when asking me to leave. Without boasting, many things couldn't be accomplished without me at his side."

"I believe you. Since the beginning, I've had doubts about the current Secretary Li by his side. A secretary, a government official's secretary should present themselves with humble etiquette, not submissiveness and blind obedience."

"I must say you're a very observant person." Li Zhenghan exhaled a puff of smoke. "Although I'm no longer in that position, I'm keenly tracking District Chief Yao's whereabouts. His every action is in my sight. During the incident at the North Palace, I tried to communicate with him but had no opportunity. You acted too swiftly, leaving him caught off guard, with the subsequent fire causing him to relinquish the site entirely."

"Wasn't it Yao Zheng who started the fire at North Palace?"

"How could he bear to torch North Palace? There's more finance inside than the entire North District Finance Department's accounting list. He's stingy and wouldn't burn his hard-earned gains."

"Are you talking about those antiques?"

"Any single piece of those antiques going out would cost someone their life — a national treasure of national treasures. I've advised him countless times not to listen to a woman, but he just doesn't heed my words. I saw your people loading those items onto a car myself; wasn't that old man from the Sun Family?"

"You were present then? That blue van was..."

"What blue van? I don't know; I was standing amidst the crowd, so you didn't notice me." Li Zhenghan pondered as if a car had been parked to the side back then since the road was congested, even bringing the police to maintain order. "The actual owner behind the North Palace is Hengfei Group's chairman. Yao Zheng also holds a board position in Hengfei and has invested in North Palace. The original land contravened land management policies at the time, and this is verifiable. North Palace is Yao Zheng's property; land privatization no longer exists under current national laws, but in the North District, he's a local emperor, lacking contractual paperwork but essentially owning it personally."

"Wasn't Yan Fengying, Yan Juanjuan's sister, responsible for North Palace?"

"Doesn't matter whose; it all stays within the inner circle. Everyone internally knows Yao Zheng is a lecherous man. I'll leave his relationship with Yan Juanjuan unspoken, but Yan Fengying is his sister-in-law. He wouldn't just watch and not partake, though Yan Juanjuan wouldn't know. If that tigress found out, Yao Zheng's peaceful days would be over."

"You don't have a good impression of Yan Juanjuan." Most discussions paused when mentioning anyone having a good impression of Yan Juanjuan. Overly assertive women hardly gain men's favor.

"Whether there's any impression or not, there's been plenty of interactions. Yan Juanjuan is highly independent but has a strong wild side. Yao Zheng once said, women who can't be tamed should be timely dealt with, marking his attitude change toward Yan Juanjuan."

"What exactly is in North Palace?"

"It's but Yao Zheng's suspicion; there was a batch of goods long held by Yan Juanjuan but never located. During a similar transport, there was a hijacking and the goods vanished. Yao Zheng suspects an inside job, amplifying his defensiveness toward Yan Juanjuan. Using Yan Fengying to restrain Yan Juanjuan to glean information was his plan, but Yan Fengying, despite seeming naive, favored Yan Juanjuan, leaving no opening for Yao Zheng."

"Goods? Contraband?"

"Hmm, seems you know quite a bit, thus your actions in the North District." Li Zhenghan flicked the cigarette's stub, dropping it onto the damp soil. "I don't know much concerning contraband; these were personally handled by Yao Zheng. My being outcast comes from someone needing someone by Yao Zheng's side to scrutinize him; frankly, just putting someone there to supervise him, and my position as close as a secretary was best suited for that. Ha." Li Zhenghan laughed sarcastically as he spoke, knowing his chance for return had slipped away, yet still dreaming of it. When leaving, Yao Zheng promised him verbally he'd bring him back, but within less than three months, he'd become a thorn in his side.

"That person you mentioned, is it Fourth Master?"

"You know Fourth Master?" Li Zhenghan surprisedly turned to look at Xiao Lin's side profile; Fourth Master's existence was highly concealed. He's always been somewhere in the North District, but no one truly finds his residence. Yao Zheng once attempted, ending in failure, receiving severe punishment from Fourth Master's people afterward. Since then, Yao Zheng dared not entertain thoughts of seeking his lair. To Yao Zheng, Fourth Master is an imposing and perilous figure.

"When did you first become aware of Fourth Master's existence?"

"I've been by Yao Zheng's side for four years, truly entering the circle two years ago, rather two and a half years ago," Li Zhenghan said without Xiao Lin answering his question or probing further. "For half a year, Yao Zheng continually tested me; he's a distrustful person, employing any trick imaginable to gain trust, yet he easily harbors suspicion." A sarcastic smile again surfaced on his face.

"Did Han Fei's involvement precede or follow your engagement with the matter?"

"Han Fei was pulled into Yao Zheng's dealings from the very start. Such business couldn't endure without police backing." Li Zhenghan took a few steps forward.(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly votes; your support is my greatest motivation.)