Flip the table and divide the family property! Take his wife and daughter into the mountains and eat

Director Li walked to the center of the corridor and came to a steady stop.

Looking at Zhao Shanhe's stiff appearance, he raised the corners of his chapped lips into a familiar smile.

"Comrade Zhao Shanhe, it's been a long time since we last met."

"Director Li."

Zhao Shanhe stepped forward two steps and extended his hand in a humble yet assertive manner.

Their hands were clasped tightly together.

Director Li's hands were cool, with rough calluses from years of handling guns on his palms, and they felt heavy and powerful when gripped.

Zhao Shanhe stared at his noticeably thinner face and said calmly, "Long time no see. But you've lost quite a bit of weight in the past six months."

Director Li released his grip, shook his head with a helpless smile, and said, "Yes, even my wife keeps saying that I've lost so much weight lately that I'm practically unrecognizable."

He let out a long sigh, the smile on his face gradually fading, and a trace of weariness rising in his eyes: "There's nothing I can do. In the past two weeks, several major cases have occurred in the city one after another. All sorts of things have piled up at once, leaving everyone in the bureau in a state of chaos."

After saying that, he glanced at the pairs of eyes staring in their direction in the corridor, raised his chin slightly, and pointed to the fire escape door at the end of the corridor.

"Let's go, this isn't the place to talk. Let's find a quieter spot to have a smoke."

Zhao Shanhe nodded, said nothing more, and followed.

The two men had barely taken two steps when the two plainclothes officers who had been following them quickened their pace, passing them first and reaching the fire escape door.

One of the officers pushed open the heavy fire door, his leather shoes clicking crisply on the concrete steps. The two officers, one above the other, carefully searched the stairwell corner and half-landing, confirming there were no unauthorized personnel, before nodding to Director Li outside the door.

Then, the two plainclothes police officers retreated into the corridor and stood guard outside the fire door like two door gods, one on the left and one on the right.

With a muffled thud, the heavy iron door slowly closed, completely shutting out the stench of blood and the gazes of the brothers from the corridor.

In the dimly lit stairwell, only a faulty incandescent bulb flickered overhead.

Zhao Shanhe leaned against the mottled wall, took out a match from his pocket, and lit the cigarette he was holding in his mouth.

He exhaled a puff of white smoke, looked at Director Li who was walking over with a cigarette between his fingers, and a half-smile appeared on his lips as he softly teased:

"Director Li, it's been more than half a year since I last saw you. Your entourage has certainly grown grander than ever. You even have to have the place cleared out before you can find a spot to smoke. What's going on? Is the city planning to promote you?"

Director Li didn't respond to the joke.

He leaned against the stair railing opposite Zhao Shanhe and took a deep drag on the cigarette in his hand.

The crimson flames flickered in the dim light, reflecting the heavy, unyielding gloom in his eyes.

"What promotion?"

Director Li exhaled a puff of smoke, his hoarse voice echoing in the empty stairwell, carrying a heavy, oppressive tone: "It's not that I'm making a big show of things, it's just that there's an emergency in the city. Half a month ago, Chen Bin, the son of Deputy Secretary Chen Jianguo, along with five of his men, were murdered at a secluded intersection."

Zhao Shanhe paused slightly, his fingers holding the cigarette between his fingers.

He lifted his eyelids and looked quietly at Director Li in the flickering light, without saying a word.

Director Li flicked off his cigarette ash, his sunken cheek muscles taut, and continued in a low voice, "The person who killed him was called Old Scar. The bureau investigated and found that this guy used to operate around the train station area, doing shady things. Until recently, when your brother Tiezhu was leading men to guard Warehouse No. 1 of the Red Star Machinery Factory, he was hired by someone and joined forces with Sun Changgui and Wang Guowei in the attack on Warehouse No. 1."

Director Li paused, took a deep drag on the half-smoked cigarette in his hand, and his tone became even lower: "Later, the operation failed. On the way to escape, Old Scar was ruthless and directly killed Sun Changgui, who was with him. Then, for some reason, he turned around and killed Deputy Secretary Chen's son."

A brief silence fell over the dimly lit stairwell.

The only sound was the whooshing of the wind coming from the vents.

Zhao Shanhe leaned against the mottled wall without even frowning.

He didn't bother with any meticulous reasoning; he simply exhaled a breath of stale air, his gaze piercing through the pale blue smoke like a knife, directly tearing away the bloodstained veil.

"Old Scar was originally one of Chen Jianguo's men."

Zhao Shanhe's voice sounded particularly cold and hard in the empty stairwell: "The matter of Warehouse No. 1 was botched. Chen Jianguo was afraid of leaving any loose ends, so he simply sent his own son to silence them. But he didn't expect to run into a tough nut to crack, and Old Scar took them all out in the car instead."

Director Li's fingers, which were holding the cigarette, tightened slightly.

He exhaled a heavy puff of smoke, offering no rebuttal, but nodding in agreement with Zhao Shanhe's words: "That's my assessment too. The police have already cast a wide net to investigate, but Old Scar seems to have vanished into thin air; progress is very slow. It's said that not only the police, but even the underworld is digging deep to find him."

Zhao Shanhe threw the cigarette butt, now just a cigarette butt, onto the cement steps and stomped it out with his rubber-soled shoe.

He raised his head, his sharp eyes fixed on the old bureau chief opposite him, and went straight to the point: "Director Li, you've personally come all this way tonight because you want me to find this old scar, right?"

Director Li met his gaze and nodded solemnly.

"Only by finding him and obtaining the death certificate from him can we completely bring down Chen Jianguo."

Director Li's facial muscles tightened, and his tone revealed a desperate ruthlessness: "Only by overturning this mountain pressing down on us can Da Niu and Deputy Factory Director Zhang be released safely from inside."

The dimly lit stairwell fell silent once again.

Only the incandescent light bulb overhead occasionally emitted a faint crackling sound.

Zhao Shanhe did not respond.

He leaned against the mottled wall, quietly watching Director Li through the flickering light.

This silent gaze carries a heavier weight than any slamming of the table or a challenge.

Director Li's Adam's apple bobbed as he was stared at, and a deep sense of guilt flashed across his eyes.

His straight back slowly slumped down, and the habitual imposing aura emanating from him vanished, leaving only the weariness and bitterness of an elder.

"I know the mountains and rivers."

Director Li let out a long sigh, his voice hoarse: "For the past two weeks, you and your men have suffered tremendous injustice."

"Back then, I defied all opposition and pushed you into this precarious position, hoping that you would lead the Red Star Machinery Factory to forge a bloody path of reform."

Director Li raised his hand and rubbed his sunken, cold cheeks vigorously, his voice trembling slightly: "But I really didn't expect the situation to get out of control like this today."

"This is something I didn't expect."

Director Li's voice was dry, his tone tinged with suppressed self-mockery: "Shanhe, you and your brothers must resent me. Resent me for standing by and watching for the past two weeks, resent me for not even showing my face when Da Niu was arrested and beaten..."

"Recently, the Hongxing Machinery Factory had a series of accidents, including some fatalities. Chen Jianguo used this as a pretext, under the guise of rectifying safety issues, to forcibly intervene. He has extensive connections and ruthless methods; given the situation, I really couldn't step in to stop him!"

"He not only used factory matters to his advantage, but also went berserk because of his son's murder. Countless eyes are watching me closely. If I make even the slightest mistake, a lot of problems will arise."

The stairwell was so quiet that only his heavy breathing could be heard.

The old bureau chief looked at Zhao Shanhe, and his voice fell completely lower.

"I'm sorry I didn't protect everyone well."

The night wind blowing in through the vent swirled and dispersed the smoke that lingered between the two.

After listening to these heartfelt words, Zhao Shanhe's face remained largely expressionless.

He threw the cigarette butt, which had burned out, on the ground and slowly and forcefully crushed it out with his rubber-soled shoe.

"Director Li, I accept your apology on behalf of my suffering brothers."

Zhao Shanhe raised his head, his dark eyes meeting Director Li's, his tone as calm as a stagnant pool.

"I will dig out Old Scar. I will also make Chen Jianguo pay for the blood debt he owes."

"But once this matter is settled and Chen Jianguo falls, I will lead the brothers from Kaoshantun away from Hongxing Machinery Factory."

Zhao Shanhe withdrew his gaze and looked directly at the old bureau chief in front of him: "This place is too murky; it's really not suitable for me."

The dimly lit stairwell was completely silent.

Director Li stood frozen in place, his chapped lips moving slightly. He subconsciously raised his hand as if to say something, to try and persuade him to stay, but it felt as if there was sand stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word.

His bloodshot eyes were fixed on Zhao Shanhe, and seeing the unyielding coldness in the young man's eyes, he knew that there was absolutely no room for maneuver.

After a long while, Director Li let out a long breath and nodded heavily.