area51novel Chapter 127 The King Returns! This gun is pointed at Zhao Lichun's face!
Chapter 127 The King Returns! This gun is pointed at Zhao Lichun's face!
Gyeongju International Airport, Apron 2.
The wind whipped up sand and gravel, swirling it across the concrete ground, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of aviation kerosene.
The usually busy runway was now deserted, with only two rows of heavily armed special police officers standing like statues, their dark riot shields gleaming with a cold, hard metallic luster in the sunlight.
Zhao Donglai stood at the front of the line, hands on his hips, his resolute face covered in sweat.
He would occasionally raise his wrist to check his watch, then anxiously glance back at the important figures behind him whom he usually only saw on television news.
This is quite a large-scale operation.
It was so big that even he, the director of the municipal bureau, felt his legs and stomach cramp.
Provincial Party Secretary Sha Ruijin stood in the center with his hands behind his back and his signature smile on his face. No one could guess what this newly arrived regional governor was thinking at that moment.
Half a body length to his left, Gao Yuliang, the secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, was slowly wiping his glasses.
Gao Yuliang's movements were steady, but he took a little too long to wipe the glasses. He rubbed the glasses cloth repeatedly in his hands, and if you were closer, you could see that his knuckles, which were gripping the temples of the glasses, had turned white.
"Comrade Yuliang," Sha Ruijin asked casually without turning around, "I heard Qi Tongwei is your prized student?"
Gao Yuliang paused, then put his glasses back on his nose, revealing deep weariness and vigilance in his eyes behind the lenses.
"Yes, this child... used to be a promising talent, but his temperament was too fiery." Gao Yuliang carefully chose his words, trying to distance himself from the relationship as much as possible, yet not daring to distance himself too completely.
"The fact that they caused such a commotion at the border this time, without even going through the procedures of the provincial party committee, is really... extremely disorganized and undisciplined."
"Undisciplined?" Sha Ruijin chuckled, his laughter ringing out crisply on the empty tarmac. "I think what Handong lacks is that kind of guts to dare to rip a hole in the sky."
Before Gao Yuliang could say anything more, a deep rumble suddenly came from the distant horizon.
That was the roar of a heavy turbofan engine tearing through the air.
Everyone looked up. A colossal, dark gray aircraft pierced through the clouds, its massive wings casting a suffocating shadow on the ground.
That was the military's Y-20 large transport aircraft, carrying an aura of grim determination reminiscent of returning from the battlefield, as it aggressively pressed down on the ground.
The screeching sound of tires rubbing against the ground pierced the eardrums. At the end of the runway, the steel behemoth arrogantly braked sharply and spun its tail, the dust kicked up by the airflow rushing directly towards the welcoming crowd.
Liu Qiang, the provincial party secretary sent by Zhao Lichun, squinted as the wind blew. He subconsciously covered his nose, a hint of disgust flashing across his face, but he quickly put on a serious, businesslike expression.
He came today with imperial authority; that Zhao Ruilong must be intercepted.
The hatch slowly closed, accompanied by the heavy hissing sound of the hydraulic struts releasing air.
Hundreds of media outlets raised their cameras instantly, the sound of shutters clicking incessantly, and the flashes illuminating the dimly lit cabin entrance as if it were daytime.
First, a pair of black tactical boots stepped onto the metal springboard.
Immediately afterwards, Qi Tongwei's tall and straight figure, like a javelin, came into view.
He wasn't wearing his regular uniform or his training uniform, but rather a crisp, high-ranking police superintendent's dress uniform. The dark blue fabric clung to his broad shoulders, and the two bars and three stars on his epaulets gleamed in the sunlight.
He wore sunglasses that covered most of his face, revealing only his sharply defined jawline and two tightly pursed thin lips.
But he wasn't holding flowers or making a salute.
He was holding a thick iron chain, about the size of a thumb.
At the other end of the chain, a man, dressed in rags and covered in blood, was being dragged along like a dead dog.
That's Zhao Ruilong.
The young master of the Zhao family, who once commanded respect and trampled everyone underfoot in Handong, was now lying on the ground, his broken right leg twisted at an odd angle, leaving a shocking bloodstain on the springboard as Qi Tongwei dragged him.
"Oh my god..."
A suppressed gasp erupted from the crowd.
Gao Yuliang swayed, almost losing his balance. He stared intently at Zhao Ruilong, who was being dragged down like trash, his heart feeling as if it were being squeezed tightly by a giant hand.
This isn't arresting a suspect; it's a public execution! Qi Tongwei is declaring war on the old order of the entire Handong region!
But that's not the most shocking part.
Beside Qi Tongwei, a stunningly beautiful woman was holding his arm, their posture so intimate it was as if they were walking on a red carpet.
That was Ye Cunxin.
She had clearly dressed up carefully on the plane, but she didn't choose any of those formal gowns.
She wore a white men's shirt belonging to Qi Tongwei, with the collar wide open, revealing a glimpse of her fair skin beneath her delicate collarbone that was almost blinding.
The hem was casually tied in a knot, revealing a flat, firm abdomen with a few minor abrasions; the wild beauty of it made one's throat dry.
She wore a pair of tight, ripped jeans that clung to her long, straight thighs, outlining the stunning curves of her hips.
She wore a pair of muddy Doc Martens, and with each step, her rounded figure, encased in jeans, swayed gracefully, exuding a seductive charm that could steal a man's soul.
She wore minimal makeup, only a touch of fiery red lipstick. Her long, seaweed-like hair was slightly disheveled by the wind, with a few strands clinging to her cheeks.
She slightly raised her chin, and her peach blossom eyes, which looked at everyone, showed no fear after being kidnapped. Instead, they revealed an arrogance and provocation that said, "Everyone here is trash."
She pressed her entire body against Qi Tongwei, her full breasts pressing against his arm without any attempt to conceal it. Her extreme possessiveness and dependence were obvious to anyone with eyes.
"Tsk, so many people." Ye Cunxin whistled, her voice not loud, but it revealed the unique nonchalance of a girl from Beijing. "Director Qi, it seems you have quite a bit of influence."
Qi Tongwei ignored her teasing and simply tightened his grip on the chain.
"Ah—!" Zhao Ruilong screamed as he tumbled down the last few steps of the plank and crashed onto the concrete ground like a puddle of mud.
"Qi Tongwei!"
A sharp shout shattered the eeriness of the scene.
The provincial party secretary named Liu Qiang, along with several men in black, rushed forward and blocked Qi Tongwei's path.
"I am Liu Qiang from the General Office of the Provincial Party Committee!" Liu Qiang said sternly, taking out a document.
"Secretary Zhao has instructed that, given Zhao Ruilong's special status and the involvement of multiple trade secrets, in order to avoid excessive public outcry, the Provincial Department has decided that we will take direct control and bring him back to the secret base for isolation and investigation! Hand him over to me!"
As he spoke, he waved his hand, and several men in black behind him were about to step forward to untie the chains on Zhao Ruilong's body.
Gao Yuliang watched from behind, his palms drenched in cold sweat. This was Zhao Lichun's last gamble. As long as the person was taken away by the provincial party committee, whether it was murder to cover it up or a switcheroo, the case would be closed.
All eyes were on Qi Tongwei.
To pay or not to pay?
This is not merely about the fate of a prisoner, but also a clash of power.
Qi Tongwei stopped in his tracks.
He slowly took off his sunglasses and casually hung them on the collar of Ye Cunxin's shirt. His fingers lightly touched her smooth skin, eliciting a soft, coquettish moan from Ye Cunxin.
Then, he raised his head, his sharp, wolf-like eyes fixed on Liu Qiang.
"Secretary Zhao's instructions?" Qi Tongwei repeated, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Which Secretary Zhao?"