afterglow

Chapter 325 Refusing to give in; difference in original intention

At the same time, on the small soil slope next to the Yin Hotel, officers and soldiers who are always paying attention to changes in the situation are discussing the current situation.

"It's inexplicable, this posture..."

"Where did the chemical defense troops come from? What went wrong again?"

"It's the hospital's car and the Yi'an army. They don't want to take the opportunity to take away all the members of the investigation team, right?"

The second lieutenant who led the team slowly put down the telescope and hesitated for a few seconds before saying, "Let's wait and see for a while."

In the Yin Hotel, the soldiers of the Yi'an Army have already controlled the passages and gates inside and outside, and the doctors are discussing with the officers how to disinfect them.

The scene was well organized by them, and most of the people looked as if they were facing a big enemy, as if if they let down their vigilance, the terrifying plague would spread.

The lieutenant of the chemical defense team headed straight to find Luo Fu, clasped his fists and saluted him, and then said solemnly: "Your group can no longer stay here, it is too dangerous, it is best to go to the nearby medical center to observe for a few days , if there is any abnormality, it is better to diagnose and treat as soon as possible.”

Luo Fu was noncommittal, but asked directly: "When did you receive the order?"

The respectful lieutenant immediately replied: "Just now, only a quarter of an hour later, it was said that a cook here had a high fever and was found to be plague, so we were sent to help immediately."

Seeing that he didn't seem to be lying, Luo Fu didn't say much, but calmly said: "Then what should I do?"

"Your group should be disinfected first, and then go to the hospital by car."

"disinfect?"

"Yes, I don't know if anyone in your group has germs on their clothes, shoes, hands, or hair, so they have to be sterilized before they can go out."

What kind of abacus is this playing?It was as real as it was.

Now some officials of the investigation team are a little panicked. It was the devil that once ravaged the Eurasian continent and killed almost one-third of the Europeans in the Middle Ages.

Even though medical science has made great progress today, the mortality rate of plague is still not low.

Everything that comes into contact with needs to be disinfected, including clothes, bedding, tableware... and even every corner of the room.

In the living room on the second floor, when several soldiers in rubber gas cloaks and gas masks pushed in, the eyes of the seven or eight officials inside fell on them.

In all fairness, such attire was appalling, especially when associated with the dreaded plague.

"We all have to go out? It looks like this posture is going to wipe out the whole house."

"Take everything and keep it with you, and never leave it." Luo Fu turned around and instructed.

Someone took out some files from the large cabinet in the corner. These file bags made of waterproof thick kraft paper contained the investigation results that could determine the fate of hundreds of Fuzhou officials.

Then, everyone walked out of the living room one by one.

Luo Fu has been observing intentionally or unintentionally, and as expected, as soon as they went out, someone outside looked at those bags of files.

That look can definitely be called "light in the eyes".

The officials of the investigation team, who were already suspicious, immediately realized that this was probably a hoax, but right now they really couldn't expose the lie.

The chemical defense soldiers of the Yi'an Army have already set up a tent in the backyard of the Yin Hotel—very simple, it is a thin steel pipe support covered with a layer of plastic sheeting.

"Take off your coat and go in. Those who are connected to the water pipe will spray disinfectant. Be careful, the smell is a bit pungent, and you have to close your eyes, otherwise it will be uncomfortable if it splashes into your eyes."

"Huh? Go in together?" Luo Fu said lightly.

An official from the household office in Houguan County replied solemnly: "That's natural. The unsterilized ones are outside. Once the disinfected ones come out, won't they be contaminated again? You and your group put the things outside, and people can go in." "

Haha, the purpose is finally revealed.

"That's nonsense! Then wouldn't it be possible that you are infected with germs?"

"Uh……"

Seeing that he was hesitant and unable to answer, Luo Fu sneered: "What do you want to do?"

At this time, the household official seemed to have finally decided on his words, and said seriously: "We...we will definitely make sure that it is correct. After that, we will stay away from you to prevent indirect contamination."

Seeing that Luo Fu and others were unmoved, he raised his hands and urged: "Please Luo Daizhao and your group to cooperate, otherwise we will not be able to bear the catastrophe if it causes a catastrophe."

Oh, dare to put pressure?

What sudden plague, it's all a fool!

Luo Fu didn't know that the "helpers" had already arrived, and even made a small fuss, otherwise he would definitely have a showdown right now.

However, he still thought that he was still fighting alone in front of him, so he could only suppress his anger and continue to act with these officials.

It's annoying, there are too many aspects to worry about, and the situation can't be expanded. It's really a hard job.

"Naturally, the overall situation is the most important thing. After all, if the plague is rampant, the local people will suffer countless deaths." Luo Fu stared at the official who was a few steps away, and said calmly: "But you also know, what is the purpose of our trip? The case file must never be separated from the body, so sorry, it must be divided into two groups."

Seeing that he refused to give in, the person in charge of Yin Hotel also persuaded: "Luo Daizhao, do you still trust us? Don't worry, we are also doing it for you."

Just when Luo Fu was about to categorically refuse, someone rushed in from behind in a hurry.

He quickly stepped forward and whispered a few words, and the expressions of several officials and persons in charge immediately changed.

"Huh?! The army is here again?!"

In just tens of seconds, following the noisy movement, some dark gray figures went straight through the Yin Hotel building and rushed into the backyard.

Wearing a soft hat, woolen coat, short boots, holding various short guns...

Whose subordinate is this? !
No, no, which army is this?Army uniforms don't look like this.

The Army's winter uniform has a green coat with a knee-high hem; these soldiers have a shorter coat and are also dark gray.

"You... how could you trespass here? Where are the officers? Call your officers!" Some angry persons in charge shouted loudly.

"Come here, don't shout."

This voice was so familiar that Luo Fu thought he had heard it wrong, but what he saw with his eyes proved that he did not hear it wrong.

Zhou Changfeng and Shen Yu walked side by side. These two people are really miraculous - the former clearly has neat steps and a tough posture, but somehow seems to be careless; the latter is the complete opposite. formal.

"I heard that there was an outbreak of plague in the Yin Hotel. It's a big problem." Zhou Changfeng looked around the backyard with a smile on his face. "If something happens to someone in the investigation team, it will be a big deal."

"May I ask how many of you are..."

Shen Yu looked the housekeeper up and down, and replied casually: "The imperial court was worried that they were alone, so they sent us to help one or two."

Seeing this, Luo Fu, who was full of surprise, couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

The tight string in his heart was finally loosened—the "reinforcement" came just in time!

"The whole story of the Changle Shipyard case, the interrogation results, detailed evidence collection, and the money details are all here." He took the file bag from the other two people and handed it to Zhou Changfeng.

The latter took it with both hands, nodded slightly, and said seriously: "I have been busy for more than a month, thank you for your hard work, I invite you to dinner tonight, and take a good rest."

When high officials from the imperial court come to the local area to do business, despite the appearance of glory, the local officials are like being in front of the front and behind the horse, and they are afraid of not being well received. But in fact, they encounter considerable obstacles, and it is almost impossible to go smoothly.

When a person catches a grasshopper, the grasshopper will still struggle. How can the local officials easily admit defeat?Therefore, imperial envoys or court officials will also be tricked, evaded, and fooled in various ways.

Looking back on the deception, perfunctory, coercion and inducement they suffered over the past month, everyone in the special investigation team couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

"Pack your personal luggage and find another place to stay tonight..." After speaking, Zhou Changfeng glanced at the local officials present and the person in charge of the Yin Hotel, and said with a smile: "Forget it, if I don't change, I will live here openly."

He pointed to the front and said, "Let's go to eat and find a big restaurant."

Everyone left one after another, completely ignoring the simple decontamination tent next to it, and the soldiers of Yi'an Army who were looking at each other in blank dismay.

The lieutenant knew very well that the water in this matter was very deep, so he didn't dare to intervene from the beginning to the end.

Looking at those figures going away, he muttered, "Why is it the Air Force?"

Just like that, everything seems to be settled?
Until the end, no one dared to organize a violent attack to murder the investigation team sent by the imperial court.

Compared with the usual lunch, this unusual lunch was half an hour earlier.

The famous Chenghao Hotel in Fuzhou Prefecture welcomed a large number of officials, and the staff did not dare to slack off at all.

Although the dishes of Chenghao Hotel are quite good, especially the seafood, its architectural appearance is a bit strange—a high-rise building with dozens of floors must be equipped with a Chinese-style large roof with sloping corners and cornices.

As a result, the whole tall building seems to be under a hat, which is not harmonious.

In contrast, the Tonghui Hotel in Beijing does not have this problem - the large-area, low-height main building is paired with double eaves on the top of the mountain, which is both generous and magnificent.

"Come on! Let's have a drink!"

Zhou Changfeng and Luo Fu toasted and drank together. They made a crisp "bang" sound when they clinked glasses, and then each drank it down with a raised neck.

After three rounds of wine and five tastes of food, the latter suddenly asked, "When are we going to return to Beijing? These things have to be reviewed by the court before we can make a conclusion."

"Don't worry, actually...the fundamental goal has not been achieved yet." Zhou Changfeng said leisurely: "They are really conservative."

Although the investigation results have basically been sorted out, it does not mean that Zhou Changfeng and his party can arrest them one by one on their own initiative and bring them back to the capital to wait for their release.

These files will be submitted to the Ministry of Criminal Justice, and a temporary team will review and discuss them to determine who should be captured, who should be warned, and who should be saved.

As one of the first-tier cities of Ming Dynasty, Fuzhou Prefecture has many officials who are inextricably linked with the capital. In order to solve this matter within a reasonable range, it is absolutely impossible to take all of them indiscriminately.

Especially in the current war, messing around with things might mess up one's own side first-after all, it takes time for new officials to get familiar with and take over the work after they take office.

Before that, the Fuzhou government, and even Fujian province, were in a semi-paralyzed state of inefficient operation, which undoubtedly was extremely detrimental to war preparations.

"Happy! This meal is really comfortable."

"Go back to where you are staying first, I will go to the naval base."

The half-drunk Luo Fu beckoned, "Okay, Brother Zhou, be careful."

Under the protection of paratroopers, how dare the local gangsters dare to cause chaos?
Everyone ate this meal with peace of mind, and their interest was very high. They vented all the grievances and resentments accumulated over the past month.

Especially since this is still in "other people's" territory, it's really fun to control other people's lifeblood on other people's territory, and then eat and drink as much as you want!

However, Zhou Changfeng still couldn't make up his mind about something, so he made a special trip to Fuzhou Naval Base, intending to ask the emperor for instructions.

This is not unnecessary - in order to prevent ordinary wired telephone calls from being eavesdropped, it is only safe to use the Navy's encrypted dedicated line.

"Come in, Mr. Zhou, I have dialed the special number for you."

The person in charge of managing the encrypted line is a friendly-looking female captain, about 30 years old.

After dialing, she exited the room consciously, and deliberately slammed the heavy soundproof door with a little force.

"Doo-doo-doo-"

Because of the special nature of the line, the waiting time is also extremely long.

After a long time, Zhou Changfeng paced back and forth a few times before finally a familiar voice came out from inside.

"Rongwo (the call sign of Fuzhou Naval Base), what's the matter?"

"Your Majesty, it's me."

"Oh?" Zhu Lingjing on the other end of the phone didn't seem surprised, "That's right."

"I came here and arrested several people in a row, and they were all neither good nor bad. The others were really anxious, but they only dared to use some excuses to try to take away the files, and they didn't do anything drastic at all..."

Those who murdered imperial envoys or the imperial court were too vicious in nature, and the powerful and powerful people in the local area were naturally not short of vigilance.

After all, this is in Daming, not in other places.If you dare to tear your face like that, the imperial court really dares to make an exception and implicate relatives to make an example.

Because before leaving, the emperor had explained that it is not allowed to expand without authorization and should not involve other things, so there is really no other way right now.

Zhu Lingjing is also a little tangled, but she has actually thought about how to deal with this situation before, but she still needs to make up her mind now.

Hey, I'm afraid that if it gets out of hand, it will be hard to get off when the time comes.

At this moment, Zhu Lingjing, who was standing by the window, looked very hesitant, her eyes flicked back and forth, teacups, brushes, pens, seals, books...

In the end, her gaze settled on the portrait hanging on the wall obliquely in front of her.

In this way, after a long silence on the other side of the microphone, Zhou Changfeng, who waited patiently for at least 1 minute, heard an affirmative answer.

"Let's spread some rumors about the customs matter."

The corners of his mouth could not help but rise, and he immediately responded: "Understood! We must force them to do it."

In this matter, the emperor was completely different from his original intention.

The emperor wanted to establish a little more authority within a controllable range to avoid being completely overwhelmed by the powerful military after the war started.

But Zhou's original intention was very pure - he did bad things and still wanted to be free?Now that I'm here this time, I'll definitely drag him out for you!Otherwise, how can we fight with peace of mind in the future?

(End of this chapter)