Everything was progressing smoothly.

It was around noon on the second day.

Meng Zheqing received a call from Ling Li.

On the phone, Ling Li gave him an address.

Meng Zheqing immediately took note and handed the information to his secretary, Zheng Qiuliang, instructing, "Get two of our guys to check out the surroundings. Once it's confirmed that it's Tian Xinran, apprehend her immediately. Understood?"

Zheng Qiuliang asked, "Leader, should we inform Sister Hua about this?"

Meng Zheqing's face darkened.

He angrily said, "Inform what? If I tell you to do something, you just do it. Once the job is done, then we'll inform her. Wouldn't we gain more that way? Idiot!"

"Yes, yes, I'll get on it right now."

Zheng Qiuliang nodded and left.

Self-assured, Meng Zheqing thought he had the situation well in hand.

Little did he know, this was the death knell sounded by Chen Fang.

Around eleven o'clock that night, a group of people pulled up in a car outside a small courtyard in the old town of Guyang City.

The gang forced their way into the courtyard, kidnapped a woman living there, quickly stuffed her into the car, and disappeared into the night.

What they didn't realize was that a motorcycle was following their car, not too closely but not too far away either, driven by none other than Hua Limo.

Half an hour later.

Xue Bo, who was sleeping at home, was jolted awake by an unexpected phone call.

Whatever was said on the phone.

Xue Bo's sleepy eyes suddenly snapped open.

He leaped out of bed and said, "Wait for me, I'll be there soon."

Twenty minutes later.

Xue Bo arrived at a snack bar not far from their building.

By then, Yu Zhengchuan was already waiting at the entrance. On seeing Xue Bo, he said, "Mayor Xue, please follow me."

Under Yu Zhengchuan's guidance, Xue Bo entered a private room and saw Chen Fang still eating. Angered, he said, "What time is it, and you're still in the mood to eat?"

Chen Fang glanced sideways at him and asked, "I don't understand what you're implying, Mayor Xue. Why wouldn't I be in the mood to eat? Tian Xinran being abducted doesn't affect me. I've already done my part by informing you."

"Chen Fang! We are in a partnership! You need to understand that!"

Xue Bo shouted.

Chen Fang chuckled coldly.

He said, "Mayor Xue, you should be very clear about how our cooperation came to be. You were willing to work with me because I had Tian Xinran in my hands. Without her, would you and the people behind you deign to cooperate with me?"

"I helped you with the Crane Head Village matter. Don't forget that."

Xue Bo said.

Chen Fang laughed coldly again.

He said, "It wasn't you who helped me; it was I who helped you. I was the one who dragged Meng Zheqing into the mud and struck against him. You should be thanking me, not barking at me here."

"You..."

Xue Bo was momentarily at a loss for words.

Chen Fang slowly stood up.

He said, "Mayor Xue, you should be very clear that our partnership is not one of equals, and in your eyes, Chen Fang is also a threat. The moment Meng Zheqing is taken care of by you, you would crush me at the earliest opportunity, wouldn't you?"

This statement once again choked the retort right out of Xue Bo.

Seeing that Xue Bo had been subdued.

Chen Fang said, "Indeed, Tian Xinran was captured by Meng Zheqing, but it's not entirely hopeless. My people have followed them, and the latest intelligence we've got is that she's hidden in a civilian house at 128 Shanquan Road. As for what to do next, that's up to you to decide. I won't get involved."

Having said that.

He sat down again.

Picked up his chopsticks and continued to eat leisurely.

Xue Bo watched Chen Fang.

With a stomp of his foot, he said, "Fine, we'll settle our scores one by one from now on."

After dropping that statement.

Xue Bo angrily turned around and left.

As soon as he was gone,

Yu Zhengchuan walked in.

He asked, "Shouldn't we follow and see what happens? What if the situation spirals out of control?"

Chen Fang downed a glass of beer in one gulp.

He said, "Don't you understand the principle where the snipe and the clam grapple and the fisherman profits?"

"I understand, but are you so certain that Xue Bo will definitely win against Meng Zheqing?" Yu Zhengchuan asked.

Chen Fang smiled faintly and said, "Meng Zheqing is quite unorthodox in his actions, thinking he has the leaders' backing, acting without any reservations, doing whatever he wants. In Xue Bo's hands, there must be dirt on him; the only reason he hasn't used it before is due to his fear of Lin Duangxiong. But today is different, with Tian Xinran in Meng Zheqing's hands, it has already become a situation of either you die or I live. To save his own life, Xue Bo will definitely go for the kill. If we get involved, we couldn't bear Lin Duangxiong's rage when it comes."

"You had this play figured out from the start, didn't you?" Yu Zhengchuan asked.

Chen Fang did not avoid the question.

He nodded and said, "By the time I brought Tian Xinran back, I had already brewed this plan."

Yu Zhengchuan clicked his tongue and said, "I've found that since you came to Jiangdong Province, you've become completely different."

"How so?" Chen Fang asked.

Yu Zhengchuan thought for a moment and said, "In the past, you would take on anything personally and lead the charge, but now, you start to strategize behind the scenes. You've played these two major forces like a fiddle; everyone has been led round and round by you."

Chen Fang did not know if that was sarcasm or praise.

He sighed heavily.

He said, "I had to adapt to the environment, after all. Mr. Qin was right; the political environment in East River Province is more complex, a matter of life and death. If I did nothing, I would only be beaten..."

Having finished his reflection,

Chen Fang said, "Come, let's finish this drink and go to bed. When we wake up tomorrow, the political landscape of Guyang City will probably have gone through earth-shattering changes."

Chen Fang's prophecy was not wrong.

Only he had not imagined that the real outcome would be even more brutal than he had envisioned.

He didn't have to wait until office hours.

At a little past six in the morning, Chen Fang's phone rang,

rousing him from sleep.

He looked at the number; it was unexpectedly Ling Li calling.

Chen Fang knew that after a night of "contention," Xue Bo and Meng Zheqing must have reached an outcome.

Placing the phone to his ear, he didn't wait for Ling Li to speak and asked, "Do we have a result?"

Ling Li was silent for a moment before saying, "Meng Zheqing is dead."

Five words.

Like a thunderclap, they jolted Chen Fang.

He leaped from the bed and demanded, "What did you say? Say it again!"

"Meng Zheqing is dead. Hurry to the office; we'll talk more when we meet."

The call was quickly ended.

Chen Fang sat dumbfounded on the bed for a full five minutes, unable to process the news.

Meng Zheqing was dead?

Xue Bo was that ruthless?

Without dwelling on it, he quickly got dressed and rushed downstairs, only to find that Yu Zhengchuan had also arrived in his car

As soon as Chen Fang got into the car, Yu Zhengchuan said sternly, "The city's in chaos, Meng Zheqing is dead…"

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