Title: Reborn Qi Tongwei, who defies fate by half a move and refuses to kneel

Chapter 80: The Zhao Family's "Last Fury" on the Eve of the Crackdown

Zhao Xiaohui has gone mad.

This woman, who once held sway in Handong and called herself the "Queen of the Business World," is now like a headless fly scalded by boiling water.

In the basement of the Mountain and Water Manor, the paper shredder hummed all night, and the air was filled with a burnt smell. Zhao Xiaohui's hair was disheveled, and her expensive silk nightgown was soaked with sweat, clinging to her body and outlining the curves she was usually so proud of, but now those curves only looked disheveled.

She was frantically stuffing stacks of documents into the shredder, and some that couldn't be shredded in time were simply thrown into the brazier next to her to burn. The firelight illuminated her distorted face, a face that was usually as well-maintained as a young girl's, now filled with grotesque horror.

"Hurry up! Hurry up!" Zhao Xiaohui roared at her trusted followers behind her, her voice hoarse. "Take everything you can! Burn everything you can't take! Don't leave even a single piece of paper for that bastard Qi Tongwei!"

"Young Miss, something's happened at the underground bank!" A trusted aide rushed in, sweating profusely, holding a satellite phone that had been ringing off the hook. "I was trying to transfer one last sum of money, but I found the account was frozen! All the lines are down!"

"What?!" Zhao Xiaohui's hand trembled, almost dropping the lighter into the brazier. "Which line is broken? Is it on Lao Gui's end?"

"It's all cut off!" the confidant cried. "Whether it's through Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, or even underground Bitcoin, everything's frozen! Our several transit accounts overseas are also being monitored by Interpol!"

Zhao Xiaohui's legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground.

It’s over.

Qi Tongwei's move was ruthless. It was like catching a turtle in a jar, trapping a dog behind closed doors. He wasn't just going to openly arrest them, but also secretly cut off the Zhao family's supply lines. Without money, she was nothing abroad! Those so-called "friends" who usually fawned over her could sell her out for a reward in a heartbeat.

"Young Miss, how about... we run away?" the confidant suggested, trembling. "Before the city is completely locked down, let's take the earliest flight to Australia. As long as we get out, we can figure out how to get the money later..."

"Run? Where to run?" Zhao Xiaohui gave a bitter laugh, staring blankly at the ceiling. "You think Qi Tongwei will let me leave Jingzhou? That madman, he's definitely somewhere watching me right now, like he's watching a dead rat."

Suddenly, as if remembering something, Zhao Xiaohui jumped up and grabbed the landline phone on the table. It was an encrypted dedicated line, directly connecting to the Jingzhou City Second Detention Center.

The Zhao family has been operating in Handong for so many years, and even at this point, they still have this little bit of privilege.

The phone rang for a long time before it was answered.

"Feed?" Zhao Ruilong's weak voice came through the receiver. The once arrogant young master Zhao now sounded like an old eunuch on his deathbed.

"Ruilong! We're finished!" Zhao Xiaohui shouted into the microphone, "We can't transfer the money! All our accounts are frozen! That bastard Qi Tongwei has blocked all our paths!"

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Zhao Ruilong's heart-wrenching screams: "Sister! You have to save me! I don't want to die! The prisoners here beat me every day, they make me drink urine! They make me sleep in the toilet! I can't take it anymore!"

"I can't save you! I'm running away too!" Zhao Xiaohui cried out. "You have to think of something! Does Dad have any backup plans? Our Zhao family can't just end like this!"

"A backup plan...a backup plan..." Zhao Ruilong muttered nervously, then suddenly, as if grasping at a straw, he exclaimed, "There's one! There's a backup plan! Dad has a stash of money! That's the last life-saving money he left us! As long as I hand it over, as long as I hand it over, it'll be considered a meritorious service, and I can live! I can get a reduced sentence!"

Zhao Xiaohui was taken aback: "A vault? What vault? How come I don't know anything about it?"

"Right in Jingzhou!" Zhao Ruilong's voice trembled with extreme excitement. "Right in the Martyrs' Cemetery! Right in that place no one would expect! That was Dad's proudest move! The most dangerous place is the safest place!"

"What did you say?!"

Even someone as shameless as Zhao Xiaohui felt a chill run down her spine upon hearing these words.

Hiding the embezzled money in the martyrs' cemetery? Hiding it under the feet of those heroes who shed their blood and sacrificed their lives?

What a heartless person it must be to do something like this!

"Sis! Go turn yourself in! Go negotiate with Qi Tongwei!" Zhao Ruilong was still going on and on, "There are tens of tons of gold in there! And countless US dollars! As long as we hand over this, we can save our lives! We definitely can!"

"Beep—beep—"

The call suddenly dropped.

Zhao Xiaohui stood there, microphone in hand, lost in thought.

Dozens of tons of gold... Martyrs' Cemetery...

crazy.

The Zhao family has truly gone mad.

……

Half an hour later.

Command Center of Jingzhou Public Security Bureau.

On the large screen, the interrogation room was being broadcast live. Zhao Ruilong wept bitterly, spilling the shocking secret like beans from a bamboo tube.

The entire command center was eerily quiet.

There were no cheers, no excitement. Only a suppressed anger, like a volcano about to erupt.

All the police officers clenched their fists, their knuckles turning white. Several young policewomen were even more furious, their eyes red with anger.

Martyrs' Cemetery.

That is the most sacred place in all of Jingzhou. That is where the entire city goes to offer flowers and pay respects every year on Qingming Festival. That is where countless heroes who shed blood and risked their lives for Handong rest in peace.

Zhao Lichun actually used the money he had plundered from the people, his dirty money that couldn't be seen in the light of day, to put on top of the martyrs' ashes!

This is no longer just corruption. This is the greatest desecration of this country, this land, and all the victims!

"brute."

Qi Tongwei stood in front of the big screen, looking at Zhao Ruilong on the screen with snot and tears streaming down his face, and squeezed out two words through gritted teeth.

The cold aura emanating from him caused the surrounding temperature to drop several degrees.

"Director Qi." Zhao Donglai walked over, his eyes bloodshot from staying up all night, but even more so from anger. "The brothers are all assembled. The SWAT team, the criminal investigation team, even the traffic police's motorcycle unit has volunteered. Everyone's burning with rage."

"Let's go." Qi Tongwei put on his police cap, pulling the brim low to conceal his murderous eyes. "Tell everyone to be quiet. Don't disturb the spirits of the fallen."

"yes!"

……