Chapter 354: A More Important Surprise

"Zhou Ming, I'm back! I even managed to borrow my old man's security team. These guards have undergone special training; they usually serve as security for the leaders inside Zhongnanhai. I had to make a big deal out of it and threw quite a fit before he agreed to lend them to me!"

Du Peng stormed into Zhou Ming's room, hurriedly opened the door with the key, and immediately launched into a tirade at Zhou Ming, who was sitting on the sofa in the living room, sipping tea. Zhou Ming didn't respond immediately, instead, he looked up at Du Peng. Du Peng suddenly noticed something odd and pointed at the three teacups on the table, asking Zhou Ming, "Did you just have some guests?"

"You finally noticed," Zhou Ming said. "Our top aide in Beijing just left with his men not too long ago. So all that drama you put on with your old man was for nothing."

Upon hearing this, Du Peng jumped up and exclaimed, "No way! The Tan family actually went through with something like this? And so quickly? Is this even the Tan family anymore? You said the person who came was Wang Jian, right? He's someone only Secretary Tan can command, who is now the head of the Tan family. But this personality and demeanor seem worse than a small-town official!"

"It's true that a person's actions reflect their status, but you also have to consider the situation," Zhou Ming said.

Du Peng's eyes lit up. "So, the Tan family's situation is really that bad now?"

Zhou Ming nodded. "Why else do you think it was so easy for Chairman Du to lend you the central security forces?"

Du Peng cursed, "Damn it, Zhou Ming, can't you just play dumb for a while and let me show off a bit longer?"

Zhou Ming shrugged indifferently. "Sorry, but your acting was so over the top that if I didn't say something, I'd feel like I was insulting my own intelligence!"

Du Peng looked defeated, then asked Zhou Ming, "So, what did Wang Jian say to you?"

"What else could he say? He just warned me not to cause any trouble in Beijing, or he'd crush me like an ant."

Although Zhou Ming said this calmly, if Du Peng were more observant, he would have noticed that Zhou Ming's fists were clenched as he spoke—a small gesture that revealed Zhou Ming's true feelings.

Zhou Ming had been reborn, and although he was technically fifty years old, that didn't mean he was immune to anger or frustration, or that he could always remain as calm as a stone Buddha. On the contrary, after enduring the frustrations and mediocrity of his previous life, he cherished everything he had in this one even more. As he climbed higher, he also placed greater value on his dignity.

He clearly remembered Wang Jian pointing a gun at his head and loudly questioning his worth, but that was exactly what Zhou Ming wanted to ask Wang Jian in return.

In Zhou Ming's memory, Wang Jian's name was non-existent—not because Zhou Ming was ignorant, but because Wang Jian was nobody special. Yet now, this person had the audacity to point a gun at his head. If Wang Jian had lost his mind at that moment, he could have actually pulled the trigger and killed him. To Zhou Ming, this was an unbearable humiliation.

After being reborn, Zhou Ming initially just wanted to make a lot of money to give his loved ones a better life. But as time passed, his ambitions grew. He wasn't sure what the future held, but for now, he was determined to bring down the Tan family. He had anticipated that the Tan family might take action, yet he still exposed himself to danger.

Although the outcome was ultimately uneventful, this incident served as a wake-up call for Zhou Ming. From now on, he had to think one step ahead and never place any hope in his opponents.

"Dammit! Who does this Wang Jian think he is, acting so arrogant? Zhou Ming, my grandpa's security team is here now. We can go teach him a lesson!" Du Peng shouted indignantly.

"Teach him a lesson? Don't be so hot-headed!" Zhou Ming said.

Compared to Du Peng, Zhou Ming was much better at maintaining his composure. Though he also wanted revenge on Wang Jian, to hit him with a sucker punch or throw a sack over his head and beat him up, he knew it wasn't the right time. The Zhongnanhai guards could certainly get the job done, but...

"It's not the right time yet. If we go after him now and scare him, what if he quits the game? What will happen to the plans we've set in motion?" Zhou Ming explained.

Du Peng blinked in confusion, not fully understanding what Zhou Ming was getting at. Fortunately, Zhou Ming didn't intend to keep him guessing and continued, "Du Peng, you should remember I mentioned to you before that I was worried something might happen after the Beijing Finance Bureau Chief was taken by the Commission for Discipline Inspection, right?"

Du Peng nodded blankly at first but quickly caught on. "Zhou Ming, are you saying something really might happen over there?"

"Now that the Tan family is desperate enough to threaten someone like me, who has no background or connections, it shows how dire their situation is. They're cornered and desperate—there's nothing they wouldn't do," Zhou Ming said with a cold smile. "So, I want these highly skilled Zhongnanhai bodyguards to help me with something more important. Let's show them what it really means to escalate matters!"

Zhou Ming spoke firmly, his gaze causing Du Peng to feel a shiver down his spine.

...

At 1 a.m., the entire city of Beijing was asleep. Unlike the super metropolis it would become in twenty years, a city that never slept, there were only a few places open all night at this time. But generally, by this hour, even the most bustling streets, like Chang'an Avenue, were deserted, with hardly a soul in sight.

A car with Beijing Municipal Committee license plates sped down Chang'an Avenue, driving into a quiet alley. There, an inconspicuous guesthouse stood with no flashy signs, just a small plaque indicating it was a hostel. However, those in the know understood that this was actually a place where the Beijing Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection held officials under investigation.

Of course, the term "shuanggui" had not yet been officially coined, and the term "two regulations" would not be formally introduced for another two years. However, by this time, it had already become an unofficial procedure within the Commission.

Beijing's Finance Bureau Chief, Chen Xu, who had been publicly accused by Zhou Ming, was being held here.

The car stopped at the entrance of the guesthouse, and four people got out. If Zhou Ming were present, he would have immediately recognized the leader—it was none other than Wang Jian, who had threatened him earlier that afternoon.

After exchanging greetings with the Commission staff at the door, Wang Jian led his men upstairs and quickly arrived at a room. He opened the door to find a chubby man sitting inside—this was the detained Chen Xu.

When Chen Xu saw Wang Jian enter, he immediately stood up, tears streaming down his face as he cried out, "Secretary Wang, thank goodness you're here! I knew Secretary Tan wouldn't abandon me. You're here to get me out, right?"

Wang Jian looked at Chen Xu with disgust and said, "Chen Bureau Chief, speak properly. Don't act like this!"

Wang Jian's disgust was understandable. Chen Xu's behavior was completely unbecoming of a party official—he resembled a runaway child begging a police officer to take him home.

But this was also normal. After all, the impact of being placed under "shuanggui" was enormous, especially for officials like Chen Xu, who had led a charmed life outside. As the trusted steward of Secretary Tan, he had enjoyed the Tan family's patronage, which allowed him to wield considerable power even in Beijing's elite political circles. People treated him with the utmost respect, catering to his every need.

But now, he had been captured by the Commission for Discipline Inspection, and all that glory was gone. He was confined to a single room, subjected to relentless questioning by Commission staff. The stark contrast between his previous life and this hellish reality was unbearable. Moreover, the investigative methods used by the Commission were not as regulated as they would be in the future, involving many questionable tactics. For someone like Chen Xu, who had never experienced such treatment, it was no surprise that he was falling apart.

Chen Xu seemed oblivious to Wang Jian's disgust. Even if he noticed it, he would have pretended not to. He simply clung to Wang Jian, saying, "Secretary Wang, I've done a lot for Secretary Tan while I was out there. Now that I've been wrongfully accused and ended up here, Secretary Tan can't just abandon me! No matter what I did, I never forgot to show my respect to Secretary Tan. He can't just turn his back on me now…"

As Chen Xu's ramblings became more incoherent, Wang Jian suddenly shouted, "Enough!"

Chen Xu was startled into silence. Wang Jian took a moment to regain his composure, then said to Chen Xu, "Chen Bureau Chief, rest assured. Secretary Tan has always trusted you, which is why he appointed you as Beijing's Finance Bureau Chief. That's not a position just anyone can handle."

Chen Xu nodded eagerly. "Of course! Secretary Tan personally selected me for the role. I've always worked diligently, following Secretary Tan's instructions to the letter. I've always done everything according to his wishes! I know Secretary Tan isn't a cold-hearted person. Now that I'm in this mess, I'm sure

 he won't abandon me. He'll definitely save me…"

Chen Xu babbled on, completely unaware that the Commission staff who had accompanied Wang Jian had quietly left the room.

Wang Jian glanced back, then said to Chen Xu, "Chen Bureau Chief, don't worry. Secretary Tan isn't the kind of person you're imagining."

As Wang Jian spoke, he stood up. Chen Xu looked up at him, bewildered, not understanding what he meant. But when he noticed Wang Jian's men approaching him while the Commission staff had disappeared, panic set in. Pointing at Wang Jian, he stammered, "Wang Jian, you… what are you doing? This is murder! This is a crime!"

Chen Xu's words were abruptly cut off as Wang Jian's men pounced and covered his mouth.

"Only the dead don't speak. Chen Bureau Chief, don't blame me—your death is on Secretary Tan's orders," Wang Jian said coldly.

However, no one in the room noticed that something had appeared on the windowsill. Outside the guesthouse, another van was parked nearby.