100: Even Jesus couldn't help.

Lu Fan's disaster relief point was in perfect order, and the refugees were finally able to steadily drink life-saving thick porridge.

However, inside Rong County, a storm was brewing.

Dahong Rice Shop had lost its mountain-like stockpile of grain overnight.

Ma Dahong felt as if his ancestral grave had been dug up and fainted on the spot.

His backer, Liu Mingsheng—a cousin of the Sichuan warlord Liu Xiang and a man with real power—was furious upon hearing the news.

He wasn't furious because that useless Ma Dahong had fainted.

But because someone actually dared to touch the Liu family's money bag on his own turf.

This was no different from provoking a giant on his own territory.

Liu Mingsheng immediately used his military and political connections for a thorough investigation; while no specific clues were found, a huge suspicion emerged.

The disaster relief point outside the city seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of rice, feeding tens of thousands of refugees without any burden.

Although there was no direct evidence linking the grain theft to the relief point,

In Liu Mingsheng's eyes, this suspicion was ironclad proof.

Thus, several Jeeps with military flags carrying a squad of fully armed soldiers charged aggressively toward the relief point.

Liu Mingsheng, in a crisp military uniform and a cloak, stepped out of the car with a gloomy expression.

Hearing the news, Wang Mingzhang also immediately rushed over with Battalion Commander Luo Lie and others.

"Lu Fan!" Liu Mingsheng's gaze was like a knife as he blocked Lu Fan, who was on inspection, and pinned the blame on him without hesitation: "How bold of you."

"To dare steal disaster relief grain from Dahong Rice Shop. You've been caught red-handed. Men, seize him!"

The armed soldiers received the order and stepped forward aggressively to make the arrest.

The refugees were in an uproar, watching in terror.

"Wait!" Lu Fan showed no fear, looking directly at Liu Mingsheng. "Officer Liu, one can eat whatever they want, but one cannot say whatever they want."

"As the saying goes, 'to catch a thief, one must have the loot.' You say I stole it; where is the evidence?"

"Evidence?" Liu Mingsheng sneered, pointing at the piles of rice at the relief point. "Dahong Rice Shop lost thousands of bags of grain last night."

"And here you happen to have thousands more bags of grain. The timing matches, and the quantity matches."

"If you didn't steal it, did the grain grow legs and run here on its own?"

"Don't give me that lie about buying this grain; the nearby grain shops haven't sold this much grain at all."

Liu Mingsheng spoke with conviction; as the behind-the-scenes boss of the largest grain and oil merchant in Sichuan Province,

He controlled over 70% of the grain in Sichuan Province, and he knew exactly who bought or sold grain.

Lu Fan's heart sank; this was a typical case of using power to suppress others, forcibly linking two unrelated events for a presumption of guilt.

However, he indeed could not produce legal source documents for the grain.

They were indeed 'black grain' 'moved' from Ma Dahong's warehouse.

"Officer Liu, this is a trumped-up charge!" Lu Fan argued his case. "The source of the disaster relief grain has its own channels."

"What does the theft at Dahong Rice Shop have to do with me? To arrest someone based on mere speculation without evidence is far too arbitrary."

Admitting fault was not an option; he knew well that in this situation: confess and rot in jail; resist and go home for the New Year.

"Arbitrary? My word is the evidence." Liu Mingsheng barked overbearingly: "In this territory of Sichuan Province,"

"If I say you stole it, you stole it."

"Take him! If he dares to resist, kill him on sight!"

Liu Mingsheng didn't even want to pretend anymore; he had laid his cards on the table.

The soldiers approached again, cocking their guns; the atmosphere became instantly tense.

At this critical moment, a roar sounded: "Stop!"

Wang Mingzhang pushed through the crowd, strode in front of Lu Fan, shielded him, and faced Liu Mingsheng directly.

He wasn't as tall as Liu Mingsheng, but the cold aura of a veteran of a hundred battles was not at all weaker.

"Liu Mingsheng, stop throwing your weight around here." Wang Mingzhang's voice was loud and powerful. "This batch of grain was not stolen by Mr. Lu."

"It is the military rations of my 122nd Division. Seeing the urgency of the disaster and unable to wait for subsequent supplies, I specially authorized its allocation to relieve the refugees."

"What? I use my own military rations to save the lives of the people, and I still need to report to you, Young Master Liu?"

"And I even have to be smeared with the crime of theft by you?"

As soon as he said this, everyone was shocked!

Liu Mingsheng was stunned; he hadn't expected Wang Mingzhang to stand up so strongly for a merchant,

Even at the risk of being charged with misappropriating military rations.

Lu Fan also looked at Wang Mingzhang's broad back in shock, a huge wave of emotion rising in his heart.

Misappropriating military rations was a capital offense.

Division Commander Wang was risking his life to protect him!

"Wang Mingzhang, you... you're full of it!" Liu Mingsheng reacted, turning angry from embarrassment. "Who doesn't know your 122nd Division is dirt poor?"

"Where would you get so much surplus grain, and such high-quality rice? You're clearly taking the fall for this kid."

"Fine... you've got guts. Misappropriating military rations is an even greater crime. I'll report this to the Field Headquarters right now and let Chairman Liu decide."

"Let's see how many heads you have, Wang Mingzhang."

He pointed at Wang Mingzhang, his eyes full of malice and triumph.

Although he had no right to check Wang Mingzhang's military supplies, as long as the charge of misappropriating rations stuck,

Not only could he get rid of the meddlesome Wang Mingzhang, but Lu Fan wouldn't be able to escape either.

Wang Mingzhang showed no fear and straightened his back: "Report it as you wish, I'll take it!"

"I allocated the grain, and I gave the order. Whether I'm killed or cut up, I'll bear it alone."

He was determined to take all the responsibility upon himself.

The scene was at a stalemate, the atmosphere heavy to the extreme.

Liu Mingsheng immediately ordered his confidants to report Wang Mingzhang's misappropriation of military rations.

Wang Mingzhang remained calm, waiting for military law to take its course.

Lu Fan was anxious but had no solution.

At this critical moment!

"Woo—" A long whistle sounded from afar.

At the end of the dirt road, dust rose to the sky as a massive convoy drove up majestically.

In front of the convoy, a striking flag was planted: Ivan Trading Disaster Relief Condolence Group.

The convoy stopped outside the relief point, and a dusty but capable figure jumped off the lead truck; it was Tang Li.

She quickly walked up to Lu Fan and Wang Mingzhang.

Ignoring the armed soldiers and Liu Mingsheng's gloomy face, she said loudly: "Mr. Lu! Division Commander Wang!"

"Five thousand tons of disaster relief grain urgently procured from Xiangnan!"

"It has arrived. These are the documents; please check and receive them!"

Liu Mingsheng's face instantly turned extremely ugly, switching between green and white.

Once these supplies arrived, he would have no way to deal with Wang Mingzhang and Lu Fan.

Even if the matter reached his cousin Chairman Liu, as long as Wang Mingzhang filled the gap in time,

Given his cousin's temperament, no matter what he said, it would be to no avail.

After all, facts speak louder than words.

He stared intently at Lu Fan and Wang Mingzhang, his eyes so resentful they almost bled, squeezing out a few words through his teeth:

"Good... very good! Lu Fan, Wang Mingzhang, we'll see."

After speaking, he waved his hand, and he and his subordinates slunk back into the Jeeps and left in disgrace.

The crisis was averted; Wang Mingzhang patted Lu Fan's shoulder, everything understood without words.

Tang Li's arrival not only brought life-saving grain but also resolved the fatal accusation at the critical moment.

However, Lu Fan watched the dust kicked up by Liu Mingsheng's convoy, his eyes cold.

The grudge with Liu Mingsheng and the forces behind him was now completely set in stone.

But for the sake of disaster relief and saving the suffering people of Sichuan Province, even if Jesus came, it wouldn't work.

So said Lu Fan.