GBP Chapter 1822 Inducing Surrender!
Chapter 1822 Inducing Surrender!
Before the autumn morning mist had completely dissipated, Li Xiangnan and Wang Defa arrived near the checkpoint where they had set up the previous day for epidemic prevention and control.
Instead of rushing in, the two parked their motorcycle on a roadside corner and observed the activity inside the station.
“Look, that short, fat guy with the missing piece of his glasses,” Wang Defa pointed to the staff member directing the vehicle inspection, “it was him yesterday. He took good care of us, inviting us into the station and keeping us there for half an hour!”
Li Xiangnan sized up the man a few times and pondered, "Judging from his appearance, his eyes are shifty, and he acts insincerely. He doesn't seem like an experienced person. He's probably still regretting what happened yesterday! Defa, go and 'invite' him to that abandoned guard post over there for a chat. Just say you have some questions about the procedures and would like to ask him some advice!"
Wang Defa understood, chuckled, straightened his collar, and strode over, a businessman's friendly smile plastered on his face, offering him a cigarette.
"Hey, comrade, busy? I'd like to ask you something, may I have a few minutes of your time?"
The short, fat man suddenly saw Wang Defa, his eyes flickered noticeably, and he tried to remain calm as he took the cigarette, but his tone of voice betrayed him, "You...you have something to do? I...I'm busy right now!"
Wang Defa casually reached out and placed his hand on the other man's shoulder. He then used a bit of skill to push the short, stout man towards the abandoned guard post. "Hey, I have a few questions about that batch of equipment from yesterday. This isn't the place to talk. Let's go over there and discuss it!"
"I'm really busy..." By the time the short, fat man realized what was happening, he had already stepped halfway into the guard booth and was about to grab the door when Wang Defa suddenly pushed him inside, and the door behind him slammed shut with a bang.
Li Xiangnan stood in the shadows, the embers of his cigarette flickering, his gaze calmly fixed on him.
"You..." The short, fat man suddenly tensed up, his voice abruptly cutting off, "What...what are you going to do?"
Seeing that his voice was trembling, Li Xiangnan didn't waste any words and asked directly with great pressure, "Yesterday someone asked you to deliberately stop that truck from Donghai Precision Instrument Factory and deliberately delay us for half an hour, right?"
The short, stout man's face fell, and he immediately shook his head, vehemently denying it. "How could that be! I'm just following procedures and regulations; no one bribed me! You guys came from the East China Sea, and due to epidemic prevention requirements, they definitely need to verify your identities..."
“Epidemic prevention requirements?” Li Xiangnan interrupted him, taking out the jamming device parts from his pocket and waving them around. “Then explain to me how this thing ended up on the equipment we purchased? Is this something you stipulated we had to install?”
"This..." Upon seeing what Li Xiangnan was holding, the short, fat man broke out in a cold sweat, his lips trembling uncontrollably. "You've asked the wrong person... I, I don't know... I don't know what this is..."
"Humph!"
Wang Defa snorted coldly from the side and suddenly slapped him on the shoulder, "Brother, let's not beat around the bush. The reason we came to you first instead of your workplace is because we gave you an opportunity! We don't care how much money you took from that person, but you cooperated with others to tamper with our things, that's not simple!"
Li Xiangnan picked up the conversation, saying in tacit agreement, "At best, this is called dereliction of duty and abusing one's power for personal gain. At worst, it's sabotaging a key national project and hindering the research and development of life-saving drugs like snake venom serum! You should think carefully about such charges. Do you think you, a mere staff member at an epidemic prevention station, can bear the responsibility?"
Upon hearing this, the short, fat man realized that it had escalated to the level of a national project. His shoulders trembled with fear. He wiped the sweat from his brow, his expression terrified, yet his eyes held a hint of hesitation.
Or perhaps he was weighing the pros and cons, and fearing the power of the person who was directing him!
He lowered his head, clenched his teeth tightly, then suddenly raised his head, "I really don't know what you're talking about. I don't know anything about that project either. You should ask someone else!"
Wang Defa glanced at Li Xiangnan. If this guy refused to talk now, the clues they had finally found would be lost!
Li Xiangnan naturally knew what he was worried about, so he didn't press him further. Instead, he sighed and his tone became more "heart-to-heart".
"I know you haven't had an easy time either. Who hasn't been greedy at times? Everyone makes mistakes. The person who ordered you around has a lot of power. You're afraid of retaliation, right?"
These words seemed to resonate with the short, fat man. He looked up and gave Li Xiangnan a complicated look.
Li Xiangnan pressed his advantage, his tone laced with an air of shrewdness: "But think about it, can he protect you for a while, or for a lifetime? We're currently researching the serum, and the equipment has malfunctioned. We're having the police gather evidence, and once they've investigated, you'll be the scapegoat! If you don't tell us who's behind this, then you'll have to bear all the responsibility!"
He pressed his hand on the other person's shoulder, emphasizing, "Think about your job, your future, your family... won't all of these be affected?"
Li Xiangnan paused, glanced at the other person's expression, and then changed the subject again.
"However, if you tell us what you know, we can tell the police you're redeeming yourself through meritorious service. I, Li Xiangnan, have some influence in Yanjing. I can guarantee you a lenient sentence, or even help you find another job—it's not difficult! You choose whether to be a scapegoat or to leave yourself a way out!"
The short, fat man's eyes became complicated again, but his mental defenses clearly began to waver, and his hands clenched tightly together.
"Brother, have a cigarette!" Wang Defa offered him a cigarette at the right moment and even lit it for him, putting the other person at ease.
The short, fat man smoked a cigarette, but his breathing became increasingly rapid.
Seeing that he was still hesitating and considering the consequences, Li Xiangnan also puffed out a cloud of smoke and said, "I remember your child is in the kindergarten at the epidemic prevention station, right? What if she finds out that her father is a bad guy who aids and abets evil, sigh..."
These words were like the last straw, instantly striking the short, fat man's heart. He looked up, his eyes filled with terror, fear, and deep worry.
The fact that the other party knew about his family situation shows that he was indeed exceptionally capable, and his daughter's influence was also evident at this time.
He really still wants to be a good father!
"I'll tell you, I'll tell you," the short, fat man immediately broke down, his voice trembling with tears, "A guy named Brother He asked me to do this. He gave me two hundred yuan and said that as long as I held off the truck for half an hour, I didn't have to do anything else. I really don't know anything else! To be honest, I don't feel safe taking this money. I always feel like something's not right. There's no such thing as a free lunch..."
"Brother He?"
Li Xiangnan was somewhat puzzled; it seemed that this suddenly appearing Brother He was the mastermind behind everything.
"How did he contact you?" Thinking of this, Li Xiangnan quickly asked, "What are his distinguishing features? What does he look like?"
“He came directly to the station to find me and we met again at Ditan Park… He wasn’t tall, quite thin, but his hands were enormous, his voice was terribly hoarse, and he had a scar on the corner of his right eye…”
The short, fat man immediately spilled the beans, telling everything he knew.
Li Xiangnan listened carefully and kept all these details in mind.
He was thin, with extremely large hands, a scar on the corner of his right eye, and a hoarse voice.
Wang Defa immediately pressed further, "How did he give you the money? He didn't contact you afterward?"
"That's all, they just gave me cash and never contacted me again!" the short, fat man cried. "I'll never do it again. Don't let my daughter know, and don't let Brother He know I said it, I beg you..."
Having obtained the information he wanted, Li Xiangnan looked at the little man in front of him who was on the verge of collapse. Knowing that he wouldn't get anything out of him by asking any more questions, he patted him on the shoulder and left with an ambiguous statement.
"Keep what you said today to yourself. I will consider how to handle your situation!"
After saying that, he hurriedly led Defa back to the roadside, got on his bike, and headed back to the city.
"Damn it, who exactly is this Brother He? What deep-seated grudge do we have against him?"
Li Xiangnan revved the engine, his voice resolute.
"Then we need to find him. This guy is the key to figuring out the whole story. Finding him will allow us to dig deeper into the mastermind behind it all!"
Wang Defa remained noncommittal and asked, "So where are we going now?"
Qisheng Pharmaceutical!
"..."