The Propaganda Department of the Dragon Country Police Headquarters.
Minister Ge Qing stood by the office window, holding his phone in one hand and lightly tapping the glass with the other.
After a few minutes, Minister Ge, who had been listening to the phone, finally spoke.
"If what you say is true, there is indeed a major problem here. But ultimately, we need evidence, and we need to conduct further secret investigations.
Once confirmed, it will involve not only the General Headquarters but also departments like the Disciplinary Inspection Commission.
How about this, I will report it tomorrow. Until there are results, please do your best to maintain confidentiality."
After giving instructions, Ge Qing hung up the phone.
He stood there contemplating for a moment, then found a number labeled 'Master' in his contacts and dialed it.
The phone rang for a short while before the other end quickly answered.
"Master!"
"Xiao Ge, why are you calling me so late? Is something the matter?"
A strong, authoritative voice came from the phone.
Ge Qing hesitated for a few seconds before speaking, "Master, I didn't intend to bypass my superiors and report to you.
It's just that this matter may involve many departments and personnel, so I thought it best to call you personally."
After he finished, his Master did not reply immediately. After a few seconds, the voice came again.
"You brat, you must have encountered something big to call me. Go ahead, what is it that you need to report to me bypassing your superiors?"
Listening to the kind laughter on the phone, Ge Qing no longer hesitated and briefly described the events concerning the Polly Cosmetics Factory.
After a while, he took a sip of the cold tea in his cup and said, "Master, in just one day, the main culprit was suddenly acquitted, and the factory was renamed and reopened on the same day.
Don't you think this case is very complicated, and involves many people?"
His Master, who had been quietly listening to the events, did not rush to answer. Instead, he asked, "Xiao Ge, tell Master honestly, wasn't the person who reported this to you Gao Fei?"
Ge Qing hesitated for two seconds, then admitted.
Upon receiving the answer, his Master did not get angry or scold him. Instead, he approached the matter from a different angle and said, "Xiao Ge, have you considered that by bypassing all departments and platforms to report to you, Gao Fei is using you, treating you as a knife to eliminate his rivals?"
"I have!"
"Several major cases in the capital recently were all initiated by Gao Fei. Given his current situation, why didn't you refuse him, but instead agreed?"
At this point, his Master's tone was no longer as amiable, and there was a hint of anger in his voice.
Ge Qing, who was being reprimanded, did not show any displeasure. He lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and said, "I admit that Gao Fei is using me.
After all, reporting by bypassing the rules, and my agreeing to it, is already a violation of principle.
However, since he started interacting with me, he has never asked me to do anything that crosses my bottom line or principles, nor has he asked me to use my current position to help him get someone released..."
"I know what you are worried about, Master. You're afraid he will try to use me to interfere in the case of the Hu Qing brothers.
But during the investigation, Gao Fei never mentioned the case to me. Even now, as the case is about to enter the public prosecution stage, he hasn't mentioned it once.
And now, the factory that competes with him has been involved in a case of manufacturing hazardous chemicals, yet the main culprit was cleared of suspicion and walked free in one day.
Do you think he is using me? Isn't this a clear sign of internal problems?"
Ge Qing knew his Master was looking out for him, but Gao Fei truly had not asked him to do anything that crossed the line.
His Master on the other end of the phone was momentarily at a loss for words.
After all, what his disciple said was indeed factual.
Ge Qing took a deep breath and continued, "Gao Fei merely bypassed the relevant platforms and hotlines to explain the facts and report to me.
But Master, have you considered that this is an internal problem? If he had gone through the hotlines and platforms, with the other party's influence, do you think the report would have been successful?"
"It wouldn't!"
His Master on the phone smiled knowingly, "You brat, you've finally grown up. You analyze all these issues logically and reasonably. You're no longer the impetuous, reckless young man who used to charge headfirst against injustice.
Your parents, and your grandfather, if they were still alive, would surely be proud to see you now."
Listening to his Master's praise, Ge Qing let out a sigh of relief and chuckled, saying, "Thank you."
"You rascal, still so sentimental!"
His Master's voice was no longer angry. He asked with a smile, "Tell me honestly, do you want to return to the frontline? Don't you want to continue 'retiring' in the propaganda department?"
"Yes!"
Ge Qing replied decisively.
"Good. Since Gao Fei bypassed the rules to report to you, it clearly indicates a 'big tiger' within the system.
I will establish a special task force tomorrow, with you as the leader, and grant you full authority.
If you want to return to the frontline, use this case as your first battle. Let everyone see that the passionate Ge Qing of the past has returned!"
"Yes!"
Ge Qing involuntarily straightened his back, his gaze falling on the various honor medals in his cabinet, and his eyes welled up with tears.
At this moment, Gao Fei had no idea that his simple desire to compare connections with Kong Liwei would lead to a major internal purge.
...
A day passed, and the entire capital remained calm.
The former Polly Cosmetics Factory had now been officially renamed 'Shengwei Cosmetics'.
All relevant procedures were completed within a day, and a simple unveiling ceremony was held internally.
As for Feng Kunlin, who had been released, after purchasing the cosmetic raw materials in installments and making a brief appearance at the factory yesterday, he completely disappeared.
Shengwei Cosmetics is now headed by a middle-aged man named 'Zheng Li' as the factory director.
However, everyone within the factory knew that Feng Kunlin, who had only shown his face once, was still in charge, and Zheng Li was merely a puppet director.
The renamed cosmetics factory did not immediately commence operations. It took Feng Kunlin's purchased raw materials a day and a night to be fully delivered.
The old cosmetics factory.
After the fire, the warehouse repairs were finally completed.
Following inspections by fire and other departments, the factory could officially operate after completing the necessary procedures tomorrow.
With the factory about to open, Gao Fei had slowed down his recruitment efforts.
Apart from interviewing administrative and management positions, the recruitment for workshop workers, operators, and so on had all been halted.
The middle management did not understand why recruitment had suddenly stopped.
Only those in the know, like Ding Yao, knew that the final showdown between the two factories was imminent.
...
For the entire day, the southern part of the city remained peaceful.
However, beneath the surface, undercurrents were surging.
At midnight, in the eastern part of the capital.
In a village called Anmin Village in the suburbs, a village of a thousand people, ten black vans with fake license plates drove in from the village's three entrances.
Outside each entrance, two vans were responsible for guarding and keeping watch.
After entering the village, the ten vans immediately turned off their headlights and drove uniformly towards the northern part of the village.
Each van was filled with people, all young men between twenty and thirty years old.
Each of them had a buzz cut, their eyes were sharp, and large tattoos were visible on their exposed arms.
And at their feet, various weapons were placed.