Chapter 984 - 949: Lady Harbinger of Death

In the early morning, in Hailen, Australia, Fan Wenzheng was walking in the park when a middle-aged beautiful woman in a gray trench coat approached. As they passed each other, Fan Wenzheng nodded politely in greeting to his compatriot.

The woman smiled back and said, "Hi, do you have a light?" She pulled out a cigarette.

Fan Wenzheng took out a lighter and lit her cigarette: "Miss, where are you from?"

The middle-aged beauty took a puff and said, "Originally from Lunan."

Fan Wenzheng exclaimed in delight, "Really? Me too."

"Do you always strike up conversations with people like this?"

Fan Wenzheng laughed, "I’m not lying, I haven’t been an immigrant for long, I used to run a law firm in Jizhou." He had to admit, this middle-aged beauty had an elegant demeanor, quite attractive.

The middle-aged beauty said, "Why leave a good law practice to come to this barbaric land?"

Fan Wenzheng replied, "I wanted to breathe some fresh air."

The middle-aged beauty laughed, "You can’t seriously think the air here smells sweet, do you?"

Fan Wenzheng said, "The natural environment is indeed much better, what work are you in? Why come to Australia?"

The middle-aged beauty said, "I’m on a business trip, came to handle some matters, but I’ll be leaving soon. I don’t like it here, a place full of descendants of convicts, most with criminal genes in their blood, perhaps only in their eyes is this place a paradise, you better not learn bad habits."

Fan Wenzheng laughed heartily, "I studied law, currently working as a legal consultant. If you come across any legal issues that can’t be resolved, you can find me." He took out a business card from his cardholder, and handed her a beautifully printed card.

The middle-aged beauty glanced at it and said, "Your name is Fan Wenzheng?"

Fan Wenzheng nodded, "Yes! What is your surname?"

"My surname is Feng, Mr. Fan, I indeed have some legal matters I wish to consult with you. To be honest, I’m here in Australia handling an inheritance, but I’ve run into some trouble."

Fan Wenzheng suggested, "How about we discuss this somewhere else?"

The middle-aged beauty nodded, my car is just ahead.

Fan Wenzheng followed her to the parking lot, where a black Range Rover was parked in the empty lot.

Fan Wenzheng got into the car, initially just making casual conversation, not expecting to stumble upon a case by coincidence; it seemed his luck was back.

The middle-aged beauty said, "I’ll take you to see the scene."

Fan Wenzheng nodded happily and reached for the seatbelt, only to find there wasn’t one. He was a bit puzzled and was about to ask when a transparent partition rose between the driver and passenger seat, as well as behind him, enclosing him in the narrow front passenger space. Only then did Fan Wenzheng realize something was amiss. He reached to open the car door, only to find it locked.

The middle-aged beauty slowly started the car, and Fan Wenzheng shouted, "Who are you? What do you want?"

The middle-aged beauty said calmly, "Don’t be afraid, the car speed isn’t fast now, so there’s no issue even if you’re not wearing a seatbelt. But as the speed gradually increases, the risk you face will grow."

Fan Wenzheng futilely tugged at the door handle several more times. The car was already accelerating to fifty. Fan Wenzheng’s heart was pounding faster, he pounded on the partition until his hand hurt, yet it didn’t move an inch.

The middle-aged beauty advised, "I suggest you sit tight."

"Stop the car!"

The middle-aged beauty slammed on the brakes, causing Fan Wenzheng’s body to lurch forward, slamming his head hard against the windshield.

The middle-aged beauty made a sharp turn, throwing Fan Wenzheng’s body against the car door. Her voice was filled with cold and murderous intent: "As the speed continues to increase, the impact you endure will grow greater. You don’t have to worry about whether this car is sturdy; my car is custom-made, you can’t smash the glass and fly out. At first, you’ll be bruised and battered, then your organs will be crushed in repeated impacts. When the speed exceeds a hundred, your bones will break one by one, and this will be the last fifty kilometers of your life. By the time I stop the car, you’ll be a bloody, mushy heap of flesh."

Fan Wenzheng was scared out of his wits, watching as the car speed increased bit by bit. He wailed, "Stop, please stop. I haven’t offended you, I haven’t offended you. If you want money, I can give you money..."

The middle-aged beauty made another sharp turn, pressing Fan Wenzheng’s face against the transparent partition.

The middle-aged beauty said, "I don’t care about your money, but if you attempt to harm Xu Chunliang’s interests, I’ll let you make money but won’t let you live to enjoy it."

Another turn, Fang Wenzheng leaned against the car window, his nose aching and bleeding after being hit. He heard Xu Chunliang’s name and finally understood why the elegant middle-aged woman had come.

"Who are you? What’s your relationship with him?"

"Mind your own business! Fang Wenzheng, do you think you can escape to this place and be fine? Dream on! Even if you escape to the ends of the earth, I can still dig you out. You have family as well; your two daughters are quite adorable."

Fang Wenzheng desperately slapped the transparent partition: "Don’t touch my family, don’t touch my daughters!"

The middle-aged woman said coldly: "It’s you who handled Zhou Renhe’s will. Who exactly made you tamper with it?"

"Zhou Yiwen, it was Zhou Yiwen."

"Heh, still not telling the truth, right?" The middle-aged woman stepped on the accelerator.

Fang Wenzheng completely broke down, sobbing: "It was someone with the surname Li, he is Li Changyou. He... he... he blackmailed me with some evidence, forced me to do it. Spare me, spare me... I can bring out the real will, I kept something as a backup... I kept something as a backup..."

The middle-aged woman stepped on the brake, and the Land Rover stopped at the cliff’s edge.

After the vehicle was unlocked, Fang Wenzheng stumbled out, crouching and violently vomiting, secretly glancing at the woman surnamed Feng. Taking advantage of her unpreparedness, he rushed forward trying to grab her neck, but she punched him on the nose.

Fang Wenzheng staggered backward, his heels reaching the cliff’s edge, and the fear of death made him let out a miserable scream.

The middle-aged woman grabbed his collar to regain his balance.

Fang Wenzheng said: "I swear, I’ll take care of it immediately... I’ll take care of it immediately..."

The middle-aged woman said indifferently: "Whether you handle it or not, it doesn’t matter. With your abilities, you can’t hurt Xu Chunliang. He’s already resolved this issue himself. However, I happen to be in Australia and am curious about who dared to harm him. Fang Wenzheng, I’m giving you two days, solve this matter completely within two days. If you fail, it’s a dead end for you. Think of the consequences: your wife will become someone else’s wife, your two lovely daughters will call another man dad, and the dirty money you’ve worked hard for will be spent by another man."

Fang Wenzheng was completely broken. The middle-aged woman dragged him back from the cliff’s edge, and he collapsed, sitting weakly on the ground, his nose blood continuously dripping onto the grass.

The middle-aged woman tossed him an account number: "This is the account of a charitable foundation in the country. Return all the money you embezzled from this matter obediently to me, not a penny less. In the future, fifty percent of your annual income must also go into this account, or you’ll bear the consequences."

The woman drove away, leaving Fang Wenzheng staring at the disappearing car. Turning around, he saw the cliff so close, tore at his hair, and let out a heart-wrenching scream.

The Dongzhou Confucius Temple project officially launched. This project was a central part of Dongzhou’s historical axis construction, so the city leadership attached great importance to it, using this opportunity to hold the Dongzhou Culture and Tourism Expo. They specially invited Xing Wenhua, the province’s culture and tourism leader, to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony. They also invited the former Secretary Zhou, now Director of the Provincial People’s Congress Finance and Economic Committee.

Most people thought Director Zhou would not come, but unexpectedly, he accepted the invitation. He had thought this through carefully; if he didn’t come, it would prove he made mistakes in Dongzhou. He didn’t believe he was wrong; he considered himself to have fulfilled his duty to the people of Dongzhou. Without his efforts, the Dongzhou subway construction wouldn’t have progressed so smoothly.

The Culture and Tourism Bureau also invited several past contributors, including Fu Guomin. However, Fu Guomin had decided not to have any further ties with the system and rejected the invitation from the Culture and Tourism Bureau. Although Fan Lidada emphasized that this event was a symbolic way of restoring their reputation, Fu Guomin stated he didn’t care.

Although Xu Chunliang was not of high rank, he was also invited as an honored guest. According to Fan Lidada’s words, it was a recognition by higher leadership of their significant contributions to establishing the Dongzhou Culture and Tourism Bureau, as well as the hardships suffered due to unmerited punishment. This invitation symbolized their rehabilitation.

Xu Chunliang initially had little interest in such events, but with many old and new friends coming over, he certainly had to attend and host for a bit.

While Xu Chunliang was pondering whether to visit Xing Wenhua and Secretary Zhou in advance, Secretary Zhou, along with his wife Shu Yao, had already arrived at the Xu Family.

Secretary Zhou’s visit was entirely personal in nature, mainly because Zhou Deming and Xu Chunliang’s cousin Zhen Chun had confirmed their romantic relationship, and the two children were getting along very well. Secretary Zhou initially thought his always-picky wife Shu Yao would oppose it, but surprisingly, Shu Yao was very fond of Zhen Chun.

This time visiting Dongzhou, it was Shu Yao who specifically instructed him to visit the Xu Family.

Xu Changshan saw Secretary Zhou and his wife come with gifts and was clearly a bit apprehensive, despite Zhou being a former secretary, his influence remained.

Secretary Zhou shook hands with Xu Changshan: "Uncle, are you in good health?"

Xu Changshan nodded repeatedly: "Secretary Zhou...please, please have a seat."

Secretary Zhou smiled: "I’m no longer a secretary now, there’s no need for formality between our families, just call me Xiaozhou."

Xu Chunliang explained from the side: "Grandpa, Secretary Zhou has taken a provincial position now."

Xu Changshan nodded: "Good, good, please have a seat." The appellation Xiaozhou was indeed hard to utter, given his past role as a parent official in Dongzhou.

Xu Chunliang brewed tea and brought it over, smiling: "Uncle Zhou, Aunt Shu, have some tea."