Chapter 67

Hao Guanghui tried calling again, but his son had already turned off his phone.

Hao Shuai left for Canada at the age of sixteen, and it has been six years. Over these years, the cost of living alone has exceeded five million yuan, far beyond what Hao Guanghui's income could bear. This was also one of the handles Gu Changjun used to threaten him. This guy was very smart, placing all the evidence in a secret location and entrusting it to a reliable person. If anything happened, the evidence would be made public. Hao Guanghui was overly confident in his own abilities. After weighing the pros and cons, he took a desperate risk, but he never expected that this move would ultimately harm himself.

It was too late to regret now. As long as he could escape China, he could start over. There were tens of thousands of fugitive officials, and the authorities couldn't catch them all. One more wouldn't make a difference. Hao Guanghui sighed, put down his phone, and focused on driving, heading for the airport expressway.

The traffic was heavy, but Hao Guanghui didn't notice any vehicles following him. He drove all the way to the parking lot of Jinjiang International Airport, parked his Elantra in a reserved spot for government use, and a security guard immediately approached to ask him to leave. Hao Guanghui showed his police badge and dismissed the guard, then quickly left.

A Mercedes-Benz slowly drove up, and the plainclothes officer inside reported to his superior, "The target has entered Terminal 2."

"Continue surveillance," the superior instructed.

Hao Guanghui went to the airport shop, bought a pair of sunglasses, a suitcase, and some clothes, which he stuffed into the suitcase as a cover. A person leaving the country without luggage would certainly attract attention.

Then he went to the Jiangdong Airlines counter and bought a ticket to Jeju Island, South Korea. This was the earliest flight out, and Jeju Island was a visa-free tourist destination, so any passport would do.

The plainclothes officers hidden in the crowd closely watched Hao Guanghui and reported his every move to Song Jianfeng, who was personally directing the operation from the provincial department's meeting room.

In the meeting room on the eighth floor of the provincial department, Song Jianfeng said to those present, "Hao Guanghui is suspected of multiple criminal charges and is now plotting to flee. I suggest we take immediate action."

Hao Guanghui was a provincial-level official. The responsible officials from the provincial disciplinary committee immediately expressed support for Song Jianfeng's decision.

"Carry out the arrest!" Song Jianfeng personally issued the order to the frontline investigators.

Hao Guanghui didn't rush through security. Once inside, he would be like a fish in a barrel, with no way to escape. He sat on a bench outside, vigilantly observing his surroundings, occasionally checking his watch. Thirty minutes later, the boarding process began. He planned to use his deputy police chief status to enter through a special channel in the last ten minutes, quickly board the plane, and leave Jinjiang and China without anyone noticing.

The second hand of his Omega Constellation rose gold watch ticked away, and Hao Guanghui was extremely anxious, silently praying that nothing would go wrong.

Suddenly, he noticed two men walking over from the corner of his eye. They were both strong and fit. Looking in another direction, he saw two more men in their thirties walking over slowly.

The old police officer's instincts told Hao Guanghui that his worst fears had come true.

He steadied himself, dragged his suitcase towards the restroom, and used the mirror to discreetly observe. The four men indeed followed him.

They were definitely plainclothes officers coming to arrest him!

Hao Guanghui let go of the suitcase and suddenly ran. The four men also took off in pursuit, one of them speaking loudly into a Bluetooth earpiece, probably reporting to their superior.

Although Hao Guanghui was fat, he ran very fast. As he ran, he dialed his son's number again. His son had indeed turned his phone back on, but he didn't answer.

Two airport special police officers appeared ahead, holding their guns and batons, and running towards him. Hao Guanghui quickly changed direction. In front of him was a glass door. Without hesitation, he pushed it open and ran inside, only to find himself on a rooftop terrace overlooking the airport expressway below.

Hao Guanghui didn't hesitate. He took a few steps forward and climbed onto the terrace railing, shouting at the approaching police, "Don't come any closer, or I'll jump!"

The police indeed stopped. A middle-aged plainclothes officer said, "Director Hao, don't be impulsive. We're not here to arrest you; we're here to ask for your assistance in the investigation."

Hao Guanghui gave a bitter smile. This was a lie that wouldn't fool anyone. The truth had come to light, and he couldn't escape the death penalty. His greatest concern was his son, far away in Toronto. His phone still rang, but his son didn't answer.

"Director Hao, come down, let's talk," the plainclothes officer said in a gentle tone.

Hao Guanghui reached into his suit pocket.

The police immediately raised their guns, on high alert.

Hao Guanghui gave a cold laugh and took out a cigarette and a lighter. He sat on the railing, lit his last cigarette, and his mind wandered. From the day he joined the police force, the ups and downs of the past years flashed before his eyes. He had done good things and bad things. As a police officer, he had to deal with evil, and being a good person wouldn't get him anywhere. Initially, it was to fight crime, but later, it was for promotion. Hao Guanghui had done many things that went against his conscience and held many high-ranking officials' secrets.

As a legal and political official, Hao Guanghui knew what awaited him: double regulation, endless interrogations, and at least twenty years in prison. This dark and hopeless life was not what he wanted. More importantly, he couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't reveal the crimes of higher-ranking officials, which would jeopardize his son's life.

His phone still rang, and on the other end, in a nightclub in Toronto, the neon lights cast a kaleidoscope of colors on everyone's faces. Hao Shuai used a straw to snort a pile of powder off a piece of paper and shed a tear of comfort.

"Your phone," a companion pointed to the flashing phone, which read: Dad calling.

"Leave it, it's annoying," Hao Shuai said, putting his arm around the waist of a blonde girl. "Let's dance."

At the airport terminal, on the rooftop terrace, Hao Guanghui finished his last cigarette and, without warning, flipped over and jumped down, headfirst onto the airport expressway, where he was instantly crushed into a pulp by a passing airport bus.

The investigators, crouching on the railing, all stomped their feet in frustration.

In the meeting room of the provincial department, Song Jianfeng calmly said, "Hao Guanghui committed suicide by jumping from the building and died on the spot."

Everyone murmured and whispered.

With Hao Guanghui's lead cut off, they could only hope to break through with Jiao Shihong.

Jiao Shihong had already been transferred to the procuratorate by the police. He had already confessed to most of his crimes and didn't need to go through the double regulation process. The next step was for the anti-corruption bureau to dig deeper and try to catch the people behind him.

Song Jianfeng went to the provincial party committee compound to report to Secretary Zheng. He was one of the few officials who could see the provincial party secretary without an appointment.

Secretary Ding smiled and led Song Jianfeng into Secretary Zheng's office, where Zheng Zeru was looking out the window at the city's autumn scenery.

"Xiao Song is here, sit down," Zheng Zeru turned and sat on the sofa, inviting Song Jianfeng to join him. He took out a box of white, unbranded special cigarettes from under the coffee table. "Try these, they are specially supplied."

Song Jianfeng, a former detective with a heavy smoking habit, examined the cigarette, which had a filter that took up half its length, and laughed. "This is too light, not satisfying."

Zheng Zeru laughed heartily. "You're still a detective at heart, but Xiao Song, you're now a vice-provincial-level leader. You need to look at the big picture and not focus on specific cases. You need to know when to let go."

Song Jianfeng asked, "What do you mean, Secretary Zheng?"

"I may not be in Jiangdong for much longer," Zheng Zeru took out a cigarette, and Song Jianfeng quickly took out a lighter to help light it.

"Is the rumor true then?" Song Jianfeng asked. He had heard rumors in the provincial party committee compound that Secretary Zheng would be transferred to the central government, but he didn't believe it.

Zheng Zeru was a high-ranking official sent from the central government, not only with strong leadership skills but also a highly educated expert in economics and finance. It was said that the country's foreign economic work was in trouble, and they needed capable people to take charge. He didn't expect Secretary Zheng to take on this responsibility.

Song Jianfeng was hesitant. He was a cadre promoted by Zheng Zeru. A few years ago, he was just the police chief of Jiangbei City, and now he was a vice-provincial-level public security department head. However, the personnel issues in the department were not yet resolved, and with Secretary Zheng's departure, his position would be unstable. How could he stand firm?

He understood Secretary Zheng's meaning. Before his transfer, there should be no major incidents in the province, especially high-level corruption cases. Song Jianfeng was targeting Jin Mudust, but Jin Mayor was a protégé of Governor Zhu Jiageng. If Governor Zhu became the party secretary, Song Jianfeng's good days would be over.

"Rest assured, there won't be significant changes in personnel. Trust the organization," Zheng Zeru's words were few but profound, requiring careful reflection and study.

"Secretary Zheng, I understand. The case doesn't need to be rushed. We need to take our time and make decisions based on the situation," Song Jianfeng said.

"Then I won't keep you," Zheng Zeru shook hands with Song Jianfeng and had Secretary Ding escort him out.

...

The news of Secretary Zheng's transfer had already spread in the provincial party committee compound, with detailed rumors about his new position. Some said he would become the chairman of China Investment Corporation, while others said he would be the head of the newly established National Energy Strategy Committee. In any case, Zheng Zeru's transfer to the central government was a done deal.

Who would take over as provincial party secretary was a big question. According to tradition, it should be Governor Zhu Jiageng, but his qualifications were shallow. If not for some special reasons leading to the early retirement of the former governor Mai Yuanzhao, it wouldn't have been his turn to be governor.

Rumors were flying, and unofficial news was rampant. Jinjiang Mayor Jin Mudust was also actively gathering information, but from a different angle. With Hao Guanghui's suicide, his main concern was Jiao Shihong from the transportation department. If Jiao Shihong revealed his superiors, it could implicate him.

Fortunately, the news came that a deputy director of the transportation department had committed suicide due to depression by taking a large amount of sedatives. Jin Mayor's tense nerves finally relaxed, and he felt safe again.

His secretary reported, "Mayor Jin, a local financing and guarantee company has invited you to attend the opening ceremony of their new office building. Here is the invitation."

Usually, such minor matters wouldn't bother him, but Jin Mayor took the invitation and saw that it was signed by Long Kaijiang. He had to give Long Ye's face, so he nodded. "Alright, arrange it in my schedule."

...

In the inpatient department of Jiangbei City Hospital, Liu Haneast sat by his mother's bed, peeling an apple, while his stepfather was pouring dumplings from a thermal container.

"Xiao Dong, go back. It's busy at work. Don't let it affect your job," his mother said, thinking he was still driving at the transportation vocational college, worried it would affect his work.

"It's fine, I've taken leave. By the way, Mom, I have some good news. I might become a police officer," Liu Haneast originally wanted to wait until it was confirmed, but with his mother injured, he needed good news to comfort her.

"Really?" His mother was excited, but the pain from her wound made her wince.

"Don't get too excited, lie down," his stepfather quickly helped her.

"Of course it's true. It will be confirmed by the end of this year or early next year, but it won't be a regular position, just a hired one," Liu Haneast said.

"Even a hired position is fine. Son, when you wear the police uniform, make sure to walk around the market. I want to see who dares to bully me," his mother said happily.

...