182: Chapter 182 Bodyguards Can't Beat Official Staff

Six pitch-black Special Police armored vehicles blocked the ten Cullinans tightly outside the main gate.

The pitch-black firing ports were aimed at everyone in the area.

The air was so quiet that only the low rumble of the armored vehicles' idling engines could be heard.

Pei Shaoting felt the shirt on his back sticking completely to his skin, cold and bone-chilling.

For so many years, he had been arrogant and domineering in the capital, relying on the reputation and connections of the Pei Family.

Whoever saw him had to show him three parts of respect; everyone played by the rules of decency.

But today, he had encountered Gu Changan.

A ruthless man who didn't care at all about the capital's circles' rules, only about national law, and who actually had heavy firepower at his disposal.

Even Deputy Mayor Liu had urged him over the phone to run immediately, which showed that the other party didn't buy into the "power suppression" routine at all.

Pei Shaoting took a deep breath, stiffly raised his right hand, and pressed it down.

The twenty sweating retired special forces bodyguards behind him felt relieved, quickly retracted their tactical batons to their waists, and took a step back in unison.

These bodyguards hadn't even dared to breathe deeply just now, terrified that the anti-riot guns opposite them might accidentally discharge.

"Good."

Pei Shaoting gritted his teeth and forced a fake smile.

He reached out to straighten the slightly wrinkled collar of his white suit.

"Director Gu, quite the methods you have, always using guns to suppress people. We are law-abiding citizens; we won't get into a physical altercation with you."

Pei Shaoting stared into Gu Changan's eyes, trying to regain the dignity that belonged to a prince of the capital's circles.

"But don't think this matter is over just like that."

"You mobilized so many Special Police and used heavy firepower against ordinary visitors; this is called abuse of power and using public office for private gain."

"I'm changing my approach now. I will file a complaint against you; I will submit your Materials to the Discipline Inspection Commission and report you to the higher-ups."

"If Donghai City can't control you, there will always be a place that can."

Gu Changan watched his fierce-but-weak appearance without even twitching an eyebrow.

He turned around and pointed at the old office building behind him.

"No problem, public supervision is welcome."

Gu Changan's tone was flat, just as if he were giving directions.

"The complaint channel is on the third floor of our Bureau, on the left-hand side, at the Public Complaints Office."

"Working hours are from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM."

Gu Changan lifted his wrist to check the time.

"It is now 4:45 PM. If you hurry, you might be able to get upstairs and fill out a form to get a number for today."

"By the way, a reminder: we strictly observe national statutory holidays, and we don't work on weekends. If it's past 5:00 PM, you'll have to wait until next Monday."

Gu Changan lowered his hand and looked at the livid Pei Shaoting.

"The first-floor lobby is too confusing; do you need me to have Old Man Qin, the security guard, take you up?"

Pei Shaoting froze in place.

He felt as if he had punched a pile of cotton, only to have his hand pricked bloody by needles hidden inside.

This was the most maddening opponent he had ever encountered.

You talk to him about influence, he mobilizes Special Police for you.

You talk to him about internal complaints, he follows the most standard, impeccable working procedures with you.

He couldn't even find a single flaw to refute.

"We'll see about this."

Pei Shaoting gritted his teeth so hard he almost broke them, threw out a vicious remark, and turned to get into the Hongqi with the Jing A license plate.

The ten Cullinans sheepishly reversed through the path cleared by the armored vehicles and quickly disappeared at the end of the street.

Chen Xiaobei was cracking melon seeds by the window, laughing until he was doubling over.

Gu Changan looked up at the direction the motorcade left in, his eyes deep, and turned back into the building.

That afternoon, at Donghai City's top private club, "Above the Clouds."

Pei Shaoting booked the entire top-floor banquet hall and set up a grand Hongmen Banquet.

Everyone invited was a top-tier wealthy merchant, celebrity, real estate tycoon, or powerful figure in Donghai City.

Pei Shaoting had changed into a high-end black tuxedo, holding a glass of Romanée-Conti in his hand.

He wanted to change the battlefield.

Since he couldn't win physically, and couldn't find any loopholes within the system.

Then he would use the Pei Family's vast influence in the business and political worlds to completely cut off all social resources of the Bureau of Anomalies in Donghai City.

He wanted to make it impossible for Gu Changan to move a single step in Donghai City, to have him completely isolated and socially dead.

The banquet hall was brightly lit, but the atmosphere was permeated with an eerie oppression.

The dozens of wealthy Donghai merchants who came to the banquet sat at round tables, exchanging glances, with no one speaking first.

Pei Shaoting carried his wine glass to the main table and gently tapped the goblet with his finger.

The crisp sound of glass attracted everyone's attention.

"Thank you all for giving me, Pei, this Face."

Pei Shaoting swept his gaze across the room, his voice carrying an unquestionable arrogance.

"I invited everyone here today for only one thing."

"That Bureau of Anomalies Director called Gu Changan, his methods are too dirty, his actions too ruthless, and he has seriously disrupted the rules of our circle."

"A greenhorn with an ordinary background and no support, relying on a bit of law enforcement power in his hands, dares to ride on everyone's necks and shit."

Pei Shaoting tilted his head back and downed the red wine in his glass in one gulp.

"I, Pei Shaoting, will say this here today."

"From now on, whoever dares to privately cooperate with him on cases, whoever dares to lend him even a shred of connections or resources, whoever dares to cooperate with any project under his name..."

"Then that is going against me, Pei Shaoting, and going against the entire Pei Family of the capital."

"When something happens then, don't blame me for not considering old ties."

The banquet hall was deathly silent.

No one applauded, no one echoed him, and there wasn't even a single person nodding.

Pei Shaoting frowned.

He had originally thought that his words would resonate with these businessmen who suffered from the hardships of regulatory oversight, and that everyone would unite against a common enemy.

But now, he found that the gazes of these wealthy merchants looking at him not only lacked awe, but instead revealed a kind of extremely intense pity.

It was as if they were looking at a fool who was about to step on a landmine at any moment.

An old businessman with gray hair sitting in a corner seat picked up his teacup and slowly stood up.

This was the leader of the real industry in Donghai City, worth tens of billions, and everyone present had to address him as Elder Zhang.

Elder Zhang coughed twice and cleared his throat.

"Shaoting, you just arrived in Donghai, maybe you aren't used to the local conditions yet, and haven't grasped many situations."

Elder Zhang leaned on his cane, looking at Pei Shaoting with complex eyes.

"Do you know what backgrounds the people Director Gu arrested before had?"

"President Wang sitting to the left of your table, his own uncle is Wang Fugui. That lunatic who held an unlimited black card and claimed he would buy the whole of Donghai is still in jail paying back three trillion in electricity bills."

"That President Li on the right, his cousin is Li Xiaoyao. That cheater who could open dual-world portals to resell antiques had a gun pressed to his forehead by Director Gu, and he didn't even dare to let out a fart."

"And that Su Group in the East City Development Zone, a thousand-year-old demon using Possession, what powerful methods, yet in the end, it was drained dry by Director Gu to serve as a biological battery for a power plant."

Elder Zhang shook his head and sighed.

"You think he has no support?"

"What he relies on is the national emblem above his head; he represents the will of the entire nation."

Elder Zhang left his seat, clasped his hands together, and bowed to Pei Shaoting.

"I'm an old man with high blood pressure; it's time for my medicine, and I have things to do, so I'll take my leave first."

Walking to the entrance of the banquet hall, Elder Zhang stopped and looked back at Pei Shaoting, whose Face was flushing red and turning white.

"Shaoting, let me say an honest word."

"This trip to Donghai, buy a plane ticket back to the capital as soon as possible."

"This person, let alone you, even if your old man came personally, as long as he broke the law, he would still arrest him. We cannot afford to provoke him."

After saying this, Elder Zhang pushed open the door and walked out.

Immediately after, a series of chair-moving sounds rang out in the banquet hall.

"Oh my, I suddenly have an emergency meeting at my company."

"My wife is about to give birth; I have to go to the hospital."

In less than two minutes, the entire hall of wealthy merchants and celebrities was completely empty.

Leaving only the distorted-faced Pei Shaoting standing there all alone.

Bureau of Anomalous Affairs, Director's office.

Gu Changan sat on his office chair, head lowered, blowing on the goji berries floating in his thermos.

He hadn't taken the so-called Hongmen Banquet to heart at all.

The door was pushed open, and Chen Xiaobei walked in quickly, carrying a laptop.

"Director Gu, just received a tip-off. The event over there has ended, and not a single person is left."

Chen Xiaobei put the computer on the desktop with a gloating expression.

"That Pei Shaoting drank too much and went on a drunken rampage in the club's private room, smashing two antique vases."

"I had the club manager send over the bill; the two vases are worth 123,000 yuan."

Gu Changan took a sip of hot water and put down the thermos.

"Make a record, and send the damage compensation notice to his hotel front desk via EMS tomorrow morning. Follow up according to the law."

Gu Changan leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the desktop.

"However, a core descendant from such a big Family couldn't possibly be stupid enough to come to someone else's turf to stir up trouble just for the sake of a petty grudge."

Gu Changan's eyes sharpened.

"He made such a big scene at the main gate, and then held a grand gathering at the club."

"This kind of boisterous arrogance is too deliberate."

"Investigate."

Gu Changan looked at Chen Xiaobei.

"Investigate the real flow of funds for Pei Shaoting's trip to Donghai this time."

"People who are too clean on the surface are never clean behind the scenes. He must be covering up something."