Chapter 213 A Rebuff and a Show of Force
The next day, just as dawn was breaking, a military green GAZ jeep, kicking up a trail of yellow dust, stopped in front of a grand three-story building at the other end of the town.
On the rooftop, the large red characters of the Northwest Resources Administration stand out prominently among the gray buildings.
Before the car had even come to a complete stop, a man in a security guard uniform sauntered out from behind the large iron gate. He wasn't wearing a hat, his hair was greasy and matted, he had an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth, leaned against the gatepost, and one leg was shaking incessantly—he looked every bit the hooligan.
Qin Zheng jumped out of the car and opened the back door.
Lu Jingyan got out first, his tall figure blocking the wind and sand from his face. He turned around and reached out to help Su Wantang out of the car.
The security guard tilted his head and squinted as he sized up the group. When he saw Su Wantang getting out of the car, his eyes widened. When had such a beautiful woman ever come to this godforsaken place? Her skin was as white as milk, and her waist was so slender that you could wrap your hand around it.
"Hey, what's up?" He spat the cigarette butt out of his mouth onto the ground, rubbed it with his toe, and swaggered over.
Lu Jingyan didn't even look at him and walked straight towards the gate.
"Hey! I'm talking to you, are you deaf?" The security guard stepped forward, stretched out his arm to block his way, and a strong smell of cigarette smoke hit him. "Don't you know where you are? This is Director Ma's territory, and you think you can just barge in like that?"
Lu Jingyan stopped and expressionlessly took out his military officer's ID card from the inner pocket of his overcoat, handing it to the security guard.
The security guard glanced at it lazily, not even taking it, and instead chuckled: "Military officer's ID? Brigade commander? Ha, what a big shot! Who are you trying to scare with this? Let me tell you, here, even the King of Heaven himself would have to wait! We only recognize Director Ma's pass, understand?"
As he spoke, his spittle nearly landed on Lu Jingyan's face, his words filled with contempt and disdain for these "outsider officials."
Qin Zheng, who was following behind, frowned and put his hand on his waist.
Lu Jingyan raised his hand to stop him.
Just as the atmosphere reached a stalemate, a car horn blared. A black Volga sedan drove up from a distance and went straight to the gate.
As soon as the security guard saw the car, his arrogance instantly turned into fawning, and he scurried over to open the car door.
A middle-aged man, around fifty years old, with slicked-back hair and wearing a Zhongshan suit with the buttons tucked tightly, stepped out of the car surrounded by several people. He had a protruding belly and an oily face; he was their target, Ma Weiguo.
Ma Weiguo spotted Lu Jingyan and his entourage standing at the door, their aura completely out of place with their surroundings.
"Oh my, which leader has graced us with their presence?" He greeted us with a warm smile, quickly walked over, and extended his thick palm. "I am Ma Weiguo. Welcome, superiors, to inspect our work here!"
He greeted her with words, but as he shook hands, his eyes darted around Su Wantang. His hand was limp and weak, and his disdain was impossible to hide.
Lu Jingyan withdrew his hand, his voice devoid of emotion: "Lu Jingyan. I've come under orders to access a file from twenty years ago."
He got straight to the point, without uttering a single unnecessary word.
"Files?" Ma Weiguo laughed and led them inside, waving his hand as they went.
"Oh dear, Comrade Lu, you're really putting me in a difficult position. This is from twenty years ago. Back then, conditions were poor, and the archives were damp. A few years ago, there was a termite infestation that ate everything up, leaving not a single piece of paper!"
He looked regretful and helpless, speaking as if it were the truth.
The group was led into a fairly spacious office. Ma Weiguo personally poured them tea, while he kept complaining that when he took over, it was a mess and finding anything was harder than climbing to heaven.
Lu Jingyan held his teacup but didn't drink; he just watched him perform.
As Ma Weiguo spoke, he finally sensed something was wrong. He stopped and looked at the stunningly beautiful woman who hadn't uttered a word since entering the room.
Bai Shu raised her eyelids, her captivating peach blossom eyes curving into a smile.
Her smile brightened the whole room.
She spoke in a soft, gentle voice with a distinct Shanghai accent: "Director Ma, we Shanghainese have a saying, 'Make a fortune quietly.'"
Ma Weiguo's smile faltered.
"The old files were eaten away by termites, but it's alright." Bai Shu picked up her teacup, gently skimming off the foam with the lid, her movements as elegant as if she were having afternoon tea in her own garden. "The accounts of Hang Seng Bank in Hong Kong Island shouldn't have been eaten away by termites."
The air in the office fell silent for a moment.
Bai Shu continued slowly and deliberately, "In September of last year, a 'consulting fee' of US$500,000 was transferred into that account with the last two digits being '8848'. Director Ma, do you remember?"
"Clang!"
Ma Weiguo lost his grip on the teacup, dropped it, and shattered it on the ground. Scalding hot tea splashed all over his trouser leg, but he was completely unaware.
His once oily face was now completely drained of color, and a fine layer of cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
He just couldn't understand how this delicate woman could know so much! This money was the most secretive thing he had ever done, passing through several hands, and he thought it was foolproof. It was meant to pave the way for his son's future abroad!
This is his lifeline!
Bai Shu's words were tantamount to holding a knife to his throat.
Lu Jingyan looked at Su Wantang beside him, a hint of approval and doting flashing in his eyes that no one else could detect. He knew that his Wantang never did anything without being sure of success. Before deciding to come to the Northwest, she must have already used that invisible intelligence network in Shanghai to thoroughly expose this local tyrant.
This is her style of doing things; when she does act, it is always swift and decisive, striking at the heart of the matter.
The office was deathly silent.
Sweat dripped from Ma Weiguo's forehead down his plump cheeks and onto his Zhongshan suit.
He forced a smile, but it looked worse than crying.
A full half minute passed before he suddenly slapped his thigh, his face instantly plastered with an incredibly fawning smile, his attitude undergoing a complete 180-degree turn.
"Oh dear! What a terrible memory I have! What a pig-brain I am!" He slapped himself hard across the face, his voice loud and clear. "Comrade Lu, Miss Su, look at me, I'm getting old, I'm really getting senile!"
As he spoke, he frantically rummaged through a drawer and pulled out a large bunch of keys, then personally led the way.
"I remember! I remember!" He bowed deeply, his posture extremely respectful.
"There are a few important backup files that I locked in the safe inside to prevent them from getting lost! Come on, I'll take you to get them right now!"
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