Absolute power in officialdom

Chapter 76 The Silencing Plan

Tao Sizhong immediately felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and his whole body went cold: "Is the information reliable?"

"Absolutely reliable!" Iain said with certainty.

"The provincial authorities acted so quickly? Is there any evidence that Zhang Wanlin is suspected of violating laws or committing crimes?"

"So fast?" Ai Kun sneered. "The provincial anti-gang task force has been secretly stationed in Longcheng for over half a month, and you, the secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, are completely unaware?"

"Since you knew, why didn't you tell me beforehand?" Tao Sizhong retorted defiantly. "Me, you, and Zhang Wanlin are all in the same boat. If Zhang Wanlin falls, do you think we can escape unscathed?"

"Old Tao, don't threaten me!" Ai Kun said coldly. "At most, I just played around with a few women at Villa No. 5 and didn't take a single penny from him, but what about you?"

You took the money, slept with women, and that's not all—Liu Ruyan's life was a real one!

If Zhang Wanlin goes to jail, who will he implicate in order to gain a major merit? The first one will be you, Tao Sizhong!

Tao Sizhong was shocked: "You know about Liu Ruyan too? Zhang Wanlin told you?"

"If you don't want people to know, then don't do it in the first place!" Ai Kun sneered. "Old Tao, now is not the time for infighting, nor is it the time to fantasize about protecting Zhang Wanlin!"

The province's decision to use police from other areas means that the higher authorities have solid evidence and are determined to make the case airtight!

Zhang Wanlin's ship is leaking so badly it can't leak any more, and it's about to sink!

The only thing we can do now is try our best to avoid being dragged to the bottom of the sea by this wrecked ship!

Tao Sizhong was terrified, his face turning ashen. He knew better than anyone what it would mean if Zhang Wanlin were caught.

Ai Kun softened his tone: "Old Tao, to be honest, I only just found out about this myself. We were kept in the dark about the advance team's secret investigation in the early stages."

I can tell you this without hesitation. It was only when the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission decided to take action that a good friend of mine learned about the situation and told me immediately.

Over the years, Zhang Wanlin has done many bad things, enough to warrant his execution many times over.

For example, he sexually assaulted no fewer than twenty underage girls, some of whom were driven to suicide, some to madness, and some to depression.

Tell me, with so many wrongdoings, who dares to protect him? And who can protect him?

If the advance team had received a call to halt the investigation beforehand, things could have been salvaged. Now, even a miracle couldn't save Zhang Wanlin!

Xu Youwei is too cunning, and with the backing of the provincial party committee's top leaders and the provincial political and legal committee's top leaders, we were all kept in the dark by him!

Tao Sizhong tentatively suggested, "Should we tip off Zhang Wanlin so he can escape as far away as possible? For example, flee abroad?"

Ai Kun sneered: "How have you been the police chief all these years? If you wanted to arrest a key criminal suspect, you would have put him on border control long ago!"

Moreover, he's under 24-hour surveillance, so where could he possibly run to?

Forget about running away now; he'd probably be caught the moment he booked a plane ticket, a train ticket, or even just drove out of town! He's trapped like a fish in a barrel!

By tipping you off, you've compounded your crime after Zhang Wanlin's arrest! Besides, his phone was probably already being tapped!

Tao Sizhong naturally understood these tactics; he was desperate and grasping at straws, which is why he asked Ai Kun this almost idiotic question.

"What should we do?" Tao Sizhong was completely at a loss, his mind blank.

Ai Kun gritted his teeth and uttered a few words: "Kill him!"

When Tao Sizhong heard Ai Kun suggest killing Zhang Wanlin, he was so shocked he almost jumped off the sofa: "Are you crazy? Zhang Wanlin is definitely under close police surveillance right now. To kill him would be like walking into a trap!"

Ai Kun revealed a sinister smile and slowly took a sip of tea: "Old Tao, how did Liu Ruyan die? Did you kill her on the street?"

There are many ways to kill, but the "killing" I'm talking about doesn't mean going out in broad daylight with knives and guns! It means "killing cleverly," making their death seem reasonable and justifiable!

Tao Sizhong leaned closer and asked, "How is it 'skillful'?"

Ai Kun lowered his voice and began to give instructions: "Zhang Wanlin has a habit that whenever he is in Longcheng, he basically stays in Villa No. 1 of the Jintang Hot Spring Resort."

That was his temporary palace, and the conditions were excellent.

Tonight, the arrest team will storm Villa No. 1. Given Zhang Wanlin's arrogant and lawless nature, he is likely to resist with a gun.

You knew he was illegally possessing firearms and ammunition, didn't you?

Tao Sizhong nodded: "Yes, he does have guns, and more than one, all of which he bought on the black market."

"That's right! Once a fierce gunfight breaks out, the scene will inevitably become chaotic."

The arresting team would certainly prefer to leave Zhang Wanlin alive and would not easily kill him.

You did not receive prior notice of the arrest, but happened to be in the vicinity supervising work or passing by. Upon hearing the news, you rushed to the scene immediately and joined the operation.

In a critical moment when the lives of police officers were in grave danger, you decisively ordered the special police sniper to shoot and kill Zhang Wanlin, who was resisting arrest, on the spot in accordance with the law.

Would you call this a great achievement? Would you call this eliminating a scourge for the people? At most, there might be a minor procedural flaw; who would dare say you have a problem?

As the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, this is your inherent responsibility. In the end, you can turn around and accuse Xu Youwei of not trusting you.

Tao Sizhong was terrified. Ai Kun's plan was extremely vicious, yet meticulously crafted, packaging a premeditated murder as a righteous act of lawfully killing a ruthless bandit.

This would not only eliminate Zhang Wanlin, the biggest hidden danger, but also transform Tao Sizhong into a hero who decisively handled the crisis and protected the safety of the police officers. He might even use this opportunity to accuse Xu Youwei of eliminating dissidents and distrusting local cadres, which can be described as killing three birds with one stone.

Ai Kun thought Tao Sizhong was hesitating, and his tone became stern: "Old Tao, now is not the time for womanly compassion!"

If Zhang Wanlin were alive, he would expose you first!

If he bites you, you're dead meat, because you have someone's murder on your hands, and no one can save you!

I'm different. I just slept with a few women, and at most I was dismissed from my post.

With my connections, I could easily live a comfortable life at a private company.

Think about your position, your family. Do you want to be buried with Zhang Wanlin?

Besides, this is a very safe plan. As the secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, it is not only legitimate for him to command his subordinates to kill the armed bandits who are putting up a last-ditch effort, but it is also a major achievement!

"Once Zhang Wanlin is dead, there will be no way to verify the facts, and many things will be much easier to handle."

Ai Kun paused, then added, "Of course, this is only the best approach, aiming to resolve the issue during the arrest process."

If this plan fails and Zhang Wanlin is arrested and detained, then there's always another option.

Tao Sizhong was taken aback: "What do you mean by a bad idea?"

Ai Kun said coldly, "Old Tao, how many accidental deaths have there been in the detention center over the years? You know better than I do!"

There are many ways to die: playing hide-and-seek, slipping and falling in the shower, falling off the bed, sudden illness, suffocating under the covers...

Having operated within the public security system for so many years, don't you have any absolutely reliable people in the detention centers?

Letting Zhang Wanlin "die naturally" inside, although not as shocking as killing him on the spot, can still achieve the same purpose of keeping quiet!

If Xu Youwei wants to investigate, I will go through the higher-ups and try to put in a good word to suppress the matter.

After all, Zhang Wanlin was dead, his criminal gang was destroyed, the evil forces were eliminated, the social order in Longcheng improved, and Xu Youwei gained both political achievements and face.

He will most likely know when to stop and won't go to great lengths to investigate a dead gang leader, risking a falling out with his superiors. Therefore, the risk is entirely manageable.