ABT ### Chapter 190: Evil Breeds Evil
Zhang Shuai was still alive, but barely. When the police arrived, he was clutching his right foot, screaming in agony. Blood poured from his ankle, pooling on the floor. If not for a strange anonymous call, given Pan Laowu’s ruthlessness, Zhang Shuai might not have survived.
The police took the severely injured Zhang Shuai to the hospital and arrested Pan Laowu and his gang. Lin Lei, reviewing the reports and evidence at the scene, felt something was off. Stroking his stubbled chin, he meticulously inspected the area again, growing more suspicious.
The police had received previous reports accusing Pan Laowu, Pan Xiangdong, of drug trafficking at his entertainment venues. However, multiple raids had only netted a few low-level operatives, with no evidence directly implicating Pan Laowu. This suggested his operations were highly secretive, with strict internal control and strong counter-surveillance measures.
That such a careful criminal could be outwitted by Zhang Shuai, a former procurement manager with no criminal history, seemed implausible.
"Captain, all done here. Shall we wrap up?" a subordinate interrupted Lin Lei’s thoughts.
He nodded and ordered, "Tell the officers to secure the scene. We’re heading back."
"Got it, pack it up, guys!"
Meanwhile, Li Fanyu finally felt a sense of relief. Despite his usual principle of avoiding unnecessary conflict, Zhang Shuai's actions had caused significant damage to the company, making it impossible for Li to simply let it go. Consulting with a lawyer, he learned that Zhang Shuai had indeed exploited loopholes in the supply agreement. Even with the best legal representation, there was less than a 50% chance of winning in court. And even if they did win, the maximum penalty would be a mere one or two years in jail since Zhang Shuai hadn’t profited from his actions.
Thus, despite his typically forgiving nature, Li couldn’t swallow this injustice. After hearing his subordinate Zhuzi’s report, he felt a burden lift from his shoulders.
The smog outside had darkened the sky prematurely. Feeling the weight of the day lift, Li checked his watch and saw it was dinner time. If he didn’t head home soon, An Ning would likely call to check in. Donning his coat, he prepared to leave when his phone rang.
Expecting it to be the ever-dutiful An Ning, he was surprised to see Lin Lei’s number. His heart skipped a beat; the situation with Zhang Shuai had indeed crossed a line. Why was Lin calling now? Had he discovered something?
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Li answered the call, "Hello, Captain Lin."
Lin’s deep voice came through, "Hey, kid, I’ve got a question for you."
"Go ahead, Captain."
"Did your company have a procurement manager named Zhang Shuai?"
"Yes, but I fired him."
"Oh? Why?"
"He wasn’t trustworthy. Keeping him around would’ve been bad for the company. Why, do you know him?"
"He got into some trouble, and I’m handling the case."
Feigning surprise, Li responded, "Really? What kind of trouble did he get into to end up in your hands?"
### Chapter 190: Evil Breeds Evil
Zhang Shuai was still alive, but barely. When the police arrived, he was clutching his right foot, screaming in agony. Blood poured from his ankle, pooling on the floor. If not for a strange anonymous call, given Pan Laowu’s ruthlessness, Zhang Shuai might not have survived.
The police took the severely injured Zhang Shuai to the hospital and arrested Pan Laowu and his gang. Lin Lei, reviewing the reports and evidence at the scene, felt something was off. Stroking his stubbled chin, he meticulously inspected the area again, growing more suspicious.
The police had received previous reports accusing Pan Laowu, Pan Xiangdong, of drug trafficking at his entertainment venues. However, multiple raids had only netted a few low-level operatives, with no evidence directly implicating Pan Laowu. This suggested his operations were highly secretive, with strict internal control and strong counter-surveillance measures.
That such a careful criminal could be outwitted by Zhang Shuai, a former procurement manager with no criminal history, seemed implausible.
"Captain, all done here. Shall we wrap up?" a subordinate interrupted Lin Lei’s thoughts.
He nodded and ordered, "Tell the officers to secure the scene. We’re heading back."
"Got it, pack it up, guys!"
Meanwhile, Li Fanyu finally felt a sense of relief. Despite his usual principle of avoiding unnecessary conflict, Zhang Shuai's actions had caused significant damage to the company, making it impossible for Li to simply let it go. Consulting with a lawyer, he learned that Zhang Shuai had indeed exploited loopholes in the supply agreement. Even with the best legal representation, there was less than a 50% chance of winning in court. And even if they did win, the maximum penalty would be a mere one or two years in jail since Zhang Shuai hadn’t profited from his actions.
Thus, despite his typically forgiving nature, Li couldn’t swallow this injustice. After hearing his subordinate Zhuzi’s report, he felt a burden lift from his shoulders.
The smog outside had darkened the sky prematurely. Feeling the weight of the day lift, Li checked his watch and saw it was dinner time. If he didn’t head home soon, An Ning would likely call to check in. Donning his coat, he prepared to leave when his phone rang.
Expecting it to be the ever-dutiful An Ning, he was surprised to see Lin Lei’s number. His heart skipped a beat; the situation with Zhang Shuai had indeed crossed a line. Why was Lin calling now? Had he discovered something?
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Li answered the call, "Hello, Captain Lin."
Lin’s deep voice came through, "Hey, kid, I’ve got a question for you."
"Go ahead, Captain."
"Did your company have a procurement manager named Zhang Shuai?"
"Yes, but I fired him."
"Oh? Why?"
"He wasn’t trustworthy. Keeping him around would’ve been bad for the company. Why, do you know him?"
"He got into some trouble, and I’m handling the case."
Feigning surprise, Li responded, "Really? What kind of trouble did he get into to end up in your hands?"
"He got mixed up in a mess involving drugs and got his Achilles tendon cut."
"What? See, I knew that guy was no good."
Lin Lei, looking at Zhang Shuai's file, furrowed his brow, "I heard you had some conflicts with him?"
Li Fanyu’s heart tightened. Here it comes! They’re suspecting me! But he maintained his calm. "Yeah, that bastard set me up after I fired him."
Hearing Li Fanyu openly discuss their animosity, Lin Lei relaxed a bit. "Oh, I was just checking. It looks like Zhang Shuai might have been framed. You didn’t have anything to do with it, did you?"
I knew it! Lin Lei’s intuition is too sharp. Being around him feels like having no secrets. Ever since the confrontation with Baocheng, Li had sensed this. And today, it was confirmed. But no way could he admit it! Zhuzi’s work was impeccable; even Lin Lei could only suspect without concrete evidence. If he had proof, he wouldn’t be calling.
Li chuckled, "Captain, you give me too much credit. I'm a legitimate businessman. Honestly, I’ve already gathered evidence and hired a legal team to sue him."
Lin Lei nodded on the other end, "Yeah, resolving things through legal channels is the right way. Just checking in. Take care."
After hanging up, Li realized his back was drenched in sweat. That was terrifying. I can’t deal with this kind of stress again.
In truth, Zhuzi had intended only to scare Zhang Shuai a bit. Who knew the places he targeted were backed by such ruthless figures? But thinking about Zhang Shuai's character, Li could only shake his head—evil people get their comeuppance, and Zhang Shuai had reaped what he sowed.
Later, with no direct evidence linking Zhang Shuai to drug trafficking, he was released after his injuries healed. But with a severed tendon and a ruined reputation, he had to live off his savings, opening a small shop and disappearing from the auto industry.
Pan Laowu's capture was a significant bust, and the case closed quickly. As for who raided the entertainment venues and framed Zhang Shuai, it remained a mystery that puzzled Lin Lei for years. Even after he retired, he occasionally recalled this bizarre case.
But that’s a story for another time.
As for Li Fanyu, like a frightened deer, he hurried home and burst into An Ning’s house, burying himself in her embrace. An Ning, busy cooking, was baffled, repeatedly asking what had happened.
Li didn’t say a word, seeking comfort while An Ning was torn between concern and amusement—after all, the food was still cooking! Unable to shake him off, she managed to stir the pot with one hand while comforting him with the other.
Ten minutes later, the kitchen was filled with the smell of burning food. What was supposed to be a pot of spicy tofu had turned into charred remains.
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