After the ordeal last night, and then moving all his things back from the office, Qin Shou was covered in sweat and sticky all over. So, he went to take a shower.
When he came out of the shower, Qin Shou saw a figure suddenly appear in the apartment across the way, which had always been vacant. The person was observing his room with a pair of binoculars.
What was that person up to?
Qin Shou was an elite from the special forces. He could easily hit the ten-ring of a target 500 meters away without a scope, so his eyesight was naturally exceptional.
Qin Shou focused his gaze and got a clear look at the man's face.
Wan Defu?
The man peeping into his room was Wan Defu, Wan Hongbing's son!
What was Wan Defu up to?
It looked like he was checking to see if anyone was home.
Was he planning to come over and do something once the apartment was empty?
Qin Shou walked out onto the balcony and lit a cigarette.
Wan Defu, likely afraid of being discovered by Qin Shou, promptly disappeared from the apartment.
By the time he finished his cigarette, Wan Defu had not reappeared. Qin Shou was certain the man was gone.
You can never be too careful.
Qin Shou immediately retrieved a pinhole camera from his equipment case.
He kept the gadget at home but had never used it. He never imagined the first time he'd use it would be in his own apartment.
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Qin Shou deftly installed the pinhole cameras. For maximum concealment, he placed them inside the electrical sockets.
He installed at least one in a socket on each wall, ensuring 360-degree coverage with no blind spots. That way, no matter who came in or what they did, everything would be captured on camera.
After installing the pinhole cameras, Qin Shou picked up the USB drive.
After a brief hesitation, he went into the bedroom, drew the curtains, and took out his laptop.
Qin Shou was utterly shocked by the contents of the USB drive.
The USB drive contained files not only on corrupt officials in Changle County but also on some at the municipal and even provincial levels.
Wan Defu had been spying on him from the apartment across the way with binoculars. Was he watching him, or was he watching Wu Yuqin?
Because a lot of the material on the USB drive Wu Yuqin had given him was related to Ruan Xiangyu.
Could Wan Defu have seen Wu Yuqin when she came to his apartment to give him the USB drive?
Old Liang?
The caller was Liang Song, who was now a police officer at the Dongxi Township Police Station.
Five years ago, Liang Song had been the deputy director of the county bureau. But because he wasn't on the same side as Wang Rende and Ruan Xiangyu, he was marginalized.
Over the course of five years, Liang Song had taken a four-step tumble down the ladder, basically getting demoted once a year. He went from deputy director to station chief, then to deputy station chief, and was finally demoted to a regular police officer.
Qin Shou answered the call.
"Old Liang, what's up?"
"Secretary Qin, there's been a car accident here in Dongxi Township. A red Mazda was knocked off a cliff by a dump truck. The driver was Wu Yuqin. She was already dead by the time the ambulance arrived."
"Wu Yuqin? You mean Secretary Sun's wife?"
"The very same."
"What was the traffic police's ruling?"
"It's a long downhill road here. The dump truck was overloaded, and its brakes failed. The official ruling is a traffic accident."
"Alright. I understand."
...
The reason Liang Song had called Qin Shou was that he felt something was off. He believed it wasn't an accident, but a murder. However, he had no evidence.
Qin Shou, of course, knew this was no traffic accident. It was murder.
They had killed Wu Yuqin like this, undoubtedly because of the USB drive. Now, that drive was in his hands. If they found out, wouldn't he be the next one to die?
Qin Shou could feel countless hidden arrows aimed at him, ready to riddle him with holes at any moment.
After a moment of thought, Qin Shou pocketed the USB drive and left the apartment.
If they knew Wu Yuqin had given him the USB drive, they would surely come to his apartment to look for it.
Wan Defu hadn't left Xingfu Garden. He was hiding in the shadows, watching Qin Shou's every move. As soon as he confirmed that Qin Shou had driven away in the Santana, he immediately made a call.
A van drove into Xingfu Garden. Under Wan Defu's direction, his two underlings carried a large suitcase to the door of Building 6, Unit 5-1.
One of the underlings was a lockpick. He fiddled with the lock for a moment with his tools and opened the door to Qin Shou's apartment.
To avoid leaving any traces, the three of them put on shoe covers and white gloves. They carried the large suitcase inside and shoved it under the bed in Qin Shou's bedroom.
Qin Shou's phone was connected to the pinhole cameras in his apartment, so he saw Wan Defu's little show with perfect clarity.
So they were trying to frame him?
Just then, another call came in.
Qin Shou glanced at his phone. The caller ID read "Liu Shuang."
What could this woman possibly want?
Qin Shou answered. "Deputy Section Chief Liu, what can I do for you?"
The moment she heard Qin Shou call her "Deputy Section Chief," Liu Shuang's rather pretty face turned ice-cold.
"Qin Shou, I am now Secretary Yang's secretary. I'd thank you to drop the 'Deputy'!"
"Even as Secretary Yang's secretary, you're still a deputy section chief!"
"I'm not here to bicker with you. I'll be Section Chief soon enough! Now, where are you?"
"You're not my wife. Where I am is none of your business."
"Secretary Yang asked me to find out why you haven't reported to the Jigong River Hydroelectric Station yet. Are you disobeying the organization's assignment? Or are you planning to go on strike?"
"Who said I'm not going? I'm on my way there now!"
Qin Shou hung up.
On the other end of the line, a sinister smile spread across Liu Shuang's oval face, the look of a villain whose scheme was about to succeed.
She had already made arrangements at the Jigong River Hydroelectric Station. As long as Qin Shou showed up to report for duty, he was guaranteed to be thwarted and humiliated.
Qin Shou, that stray dog, had not only lost his backer but had also been demoted to the lowest rank of Grade Two Clerk.
A drowning dog is fair game for anyone to beat.
Half an hour later, Qin Shou arrived at the Jigong River Hydroelectric Station in his Santana.
The Jigong River Hydroelectric Station only had a few parking spaces, and they were all taken by the time Qin Shou arrived.
So, he had no choice but to park on the side of the road.
The moment he stepped out of the car, two traffic cops approached.
*Slap!*
They stuck a parking ticket on his car.
Qin Shou knew, of course, that this had to be Liu Shuang's doing. The woman was just trying to give him a hard time.
But Qin Shou didn't care.
It was just a parking ticket.
A small price to pay to avoid bigger trouble.
Proofreader: Peter Pan