In the Name of Divine Abilities

In his previous life, Liang Fei had heard from a brother who specialized in catching corrupt officials that no matter how imposing those high-ranking officials were on ordinary days, they turned into jelly-legged cowards when disaster struck. Their reactions were more dramatic than anything on television.

The people who really had nothing to do with it, meanwhile, would crane their necks to watch, itching to clap and cheer.

Liang Fei turned toward the door. Suddenly, a large hand gripped his shoulder from behind, and its powerful grip broke through his psychological defenses.

The boulder in his heart came crashing down, and fear swept through his body like a tide.

Lu Zhao said, "Platoon Leader Liang, stay here for now."

Liang Fei dropped onto his backside. He looked back with a smile uglier than a crying face and said, "Staff Officer Lu, what is it?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

Lu Zhao smiled, then said nothing more.

Zhang Like and Chen Hongtao were puzzled at first. This was just an ordinary suspension pending investigation. What was Lu Zhao doing?

The next second, they realized that Lu Zhao was teasing Liang Fei.

How ruthless!

Lü Jinshan read the notice carefully. After confirming that it contained no characterizations such as "serious violation" or "major losses," he breathed a sigh of relief.

That meant he was being investigated for dereliction of duty. It was probably about how he had obstructed Lu Zhao some time ago, nearly causing the mission to fail.

There had been nothing wrong with the procedure, but the Federation valued both results and procedure. Even well-intentioned actions that went wrong were subject to punishment.

The only thing Lü Jinshan couldn't understand was that he had the great tree of Marquis Chen to lean on, and the Chen Family had people all over the South Sea West Circuit. Who had enough influence to do this?

Lin Zhiyan's face appeared in his mind.

If anyone in the South Sea Circuit could stand against the Chen Family, it had to be the Lin Family.

Lü Jinshan then looked at Lu Zhao, his expression somewhat dark. Lu Zhao met his gaze.

Lu Zhao said, "Lü Jinshan, do you want me to escort you out, or will you leave on your own?"

"You!"

Lü Jinshan had barely gotten one word out when Lu Zhao cut him off.

"You've been suspended. This is a government office, and unauthorized personnel aren't allowed inside. Leave immediately."

As soon as he said that, a flurry of quiet laughter spread through the crowd.

The doorway was already packed with onlookers. When Chen Hongtao had led Lu Zhao and Zhang Like toward the station chief's office in an imposing manner, people had come at the news like sharks smelling blood.

"Pfft, hahaha." Zhang Like burst out laughing in front of everyone. "Old Lu, you've got quite a sense of humor."

Lu Zhao answered with a completely serious expression, "I'm just strictly following the rules and regulations."

The fat on Lü Jinshan's face quivered with anger, and his face turned as red as a pig's liver.

"Lu Zhao, don't push me too far!"

Quite a few people in the crowd laughed out loud. It was hard not to laugh, and they had to laugh.

They might not get another chance.

Who would dare laugh at Lü Jinshan on an ordinary day? Today he had been suspended, and Lu Zhao was taking the lead. If they didn't laugh now, they wouldn't get another chance.

He wasn't planning to spare him any embarrassment.

Chen Hongtao glanced at Lu Zhao, a trace of wariness rising in his heart.

Lu Zhao is very vindictive. I'd better avoid offending him as much as possible from now on.

He coughed lightly and stepped forward to smooth things over. "Station Chief Lü, go home and rest for a while. I'll temporarily take over your duties. I hope we can still work together in the future."

Lü Jinshan kept his temper in check and patted his chest to calm himself. "I'm willing to submit to any investigation."

There was still room to turn things around. As long as the great tree he relied on didn't fall, he would return in the end. At most, he would receive a disciplinary penalty.

Lü Jinshan got up to leave, going around Lu Zhao and out of the room.

"What are you all gathered here for?!" Lü Jinshan was somewhat frantic with anger. Pointing at the crowd blocking the doorway, he roared:

"Get out of my way!"

The crowd immediately parted to make a path. Not one of them dared meet Lü Jinshan's eyes.

There were things only Lu Zhao dared say, and things only Lu Zhao dared do.

After Lü Jinshan left, Chen Hongtao looked at Liang Fei. Liang Fei immediately trembled, thinking disaster was about to befall him.

"Platoon Leader Liang, I have new arrangements for flood prevention and control."

Liang Fei froze for a moment. Realizing he seemed to have escaped a disaster, he hurriedly declared, "I'll fully comply with the organization's arrangements!"

Chen Hongtao said, "Flood prevention is this station's top priority. I don't want any problems, and you've never held a frontline post before, so you lack work experience. That's why I'd like to appoint Captain Lu as temporary instructor to help you coordinate the work."

Liang Fei was utterly unwilling.

Even without any actual authority, Lu Zhao had been able to sideline him. If Lu Zhao gained the title of temporary instructor, Liang Fei might as well stop coming to work.

But it wasn't up to him to refuse, and Chen Hongtao had no intention of discussing it.

He turned to Lu Zhao and asked, "Captain Lu, I take it you have no objections?"

Lu Zhao stood at attention and saluted. "I'll follow the arrangements."

"We've relied entirely on Captain Lu for flood prevention these past two years." Chen Hongtao patted Lu Zhao on the shoulder. "I'll be transferred in July. If you do well, you might even be able to take the deputy station chief's position."

The deputy station chief and the station chief were of equal rank. Many Federation departments had a dual-leadership system.

If Lu Zhao could become deputy station chief before Lü Jinshan returned, he could completely sideline Lü Jinshan.

"All right, everyone, get back to work."

As Chen Hongtao finished speaking, everyone began returning to their posts.

When Lu Zhao walked out of the room, countless gazes fixed on him, filled with awe.

With Lü Jinshan suspended, Chen Hongtao and Zhang Like's support, and the flood-prevention work underway, no one at the border station could stand against him for the next month.

But he didn't relax because of it. Lü Jinshan was only a dog; his real enemy was the Chen Family behind him.

Chapter 43: Lü Jinshan's Backer

Night.

Lü Jinshan rode into the Foreign District in a black sedan. Just inside were chaotic, filthy neighborhoods, while farther in lay a brightly lit entertainment street full of song and dance.

Many people's impression of the Foreign District was limited to its chaos, but beneath that chaotic surface lay extravagant luxury.

Some money couldn't be spent in the Chinese District, but could be squandered freely in the Foreign District.

The West Street Bar.

As soon as Lü Jinshan got out of the car, a doorman came up to greet him. Bowing, he said in the South Sea dialect, "Mr. Lü, the bosses have been waiting inside for a long time."

"Has Mr. Zhao arrived?"

"Boss Zhao is already here."

Hearing that Mr. Zhao had arrived, Lü Jinshan quickened his pace.

He entered the lavishly decorated bar, passed the noisy, pulsing dance floor, and, accompanied by the bar's security, made his way to a private room on the top floor.

At the door, Lü Jinshan messed up his collar and put two drops of eye medicine in his eyes before going inside.

Soon, a wail came from within.

Before the guards closed the door, they saw Lü Jinshan throw himself down beside a man.

Bang.

The door closed. Mr. Zhao sat on the sofa, puffing on a cigarette, and said, "All right, stop your crying. You're not going to die."

Wiping his tears, Lü Jinshan asked, "Old leader, what's Lin Zhiyan's background?"

"Haven't you guessed yet?"

Mr. Zhao held his cigarette out, and Lü Jinshan hurriedly raised both hands to serve as an ashtray.

"The Cangwu Lin Family. Two marquises in one family. They were once among the South Sea Circuit's distinguished families."

The fat on Lü Jinshan's body trembled.

"Look at the fucking state of you. You're utterly worthless. Those two Martial Marquises of the Lin Family died ten years ago. The family can't stir up much trouble."

"Just wait. Once the special investigation team leaves, everything will be fine."

That evening.

Zhang Like and Lu Zhao met up again at a food stall outside the border station.

The area was bustling, and most of the customers were officers and soldiers from the station or truck drivers passing through.

"Lü Jinshan has been suspended, and Chen Hongtao is the temporary station chief. His main goal is to make sure nothing goes wrong with flood prevention, so he probably won't oppose us."

Zhang Like poured Lu Zhao a drink as he went over the situation.

Without Lü Jinshan holding them back, no one at the border station was a match for them.

As the temporary top leader, Chen Hongtao only had to ensure that nothing went wrong with flood prevention to add an achievement to his record. Naturally, his best choice was to rely on Lu Zhao.

After all, over the past two years, his ability at work had won everyone's unanimous recognition.

Lu Zhao shook his head. "As long as the Chen Family remains standing, there'll be a second Lü Jinshan. Chen Hongtao isn't on our side. He could become our enemy at any time."

"You're too vindictive. That's not a good thing."

Zhang Like sounded somewhat helpless. Picking up food, eating meat, and drinking, he said:

"The Federation has only seventy-two Martial Marquises in all. In the more than two hundred years since its founding, there have only been retired Martial Marquises. These people are immortals in the heavens. None of them has ever fallen."

"If you can join the ranks of the immortals someday, then treat what I said today as a fart. If you can't, I advise you to let go of your desire for revenge against the Chen Family."

Lu Zhao neither argued nor answered.

Old Zhang was right. Martial Marquises were power made flesh. As Lu Zhao was now, he wasn't even worth a glance from them.