For some, it was destined to be a sleepless night.
At five in the morning, Pan Wenbin, who had not slept all night, sat in the home of Luo Wen, the deputy director of the Xinhe District Police Bureau.
"Brother Wen, what should we do? I've turned the entire Chengguan upside down and still can't find Yang Jian, nor the unlicensed sedan. Have you got any leads?"
Pan Wenbin's eyes were bloodshot, and his voice was weak.
Luo Wen also frowned, "No. Our officers have conducted a thorough search of all hotels, internet cafes, and entertainment venues, and also searched Yang Jian's home and his brother-in-law's home, but we haven't found him."
"What about the traffic management system? Have you found any trace of that car?"
"The car did appear before nine o'clock, but our city's public security monitoring system is not established, so we can't find out where the car finally went."
"Then what should we do? That material must be recovered, otherwise I'm finished. Brother Wen, you can't just stand by and watch me die."
Pan Wenbin's tone was not pleading. He and Luo Wen were in the same boat; they rose and fell together.
"What about Yu Dongqiang? He must know where Yang Jian is. Increase the pressure on him."
"It's useless. Yu Dongqiang is an old fox. He wishes I would fall. He insists he can't contact Yang Jian, and he himself is currently in another province. His daughter has a good relationship with Yang Jian, but her phone has been off all night, and no one knows where she is. How can we pressure her?"
Luo Wen pondered for a moment and said, "Then the only way now is to appease the victims in that material and ask them not to accuse you."
Pan Wenbin shook his head, "It's too late. I thought of this, but all those victims have disappeared overnight, and their families have also been moved."
Luo Wen looked at him in disbelief, "Who exactly is this Yang Jian? His mind is so meticulous. It looks like he is determined to put you to death."
"I don't think it's Yang Jian. He's only just turned twenty, he definitely doesn't have this much experience. I suspect Yu Feng is planning this whole thing. This woman graduated from a prestigious university, and her intelligence and ability are no less than her father Yu Dongqiang's. Only she has the ability to move and resettle so many victims' families in such a short time."
"So, the one who truly wants to put you to death is Yu Dongqiang and his daughter?"
Pan Wenbin nodded without speaking.
"Then it's troublesome. Yu Dongqiang is controlled by you in Chengguan, but his connections in Hancheng are extensive. I estimate that material will be on the desks of the high-level leaders of the police bureau this morning. We have no room to maneuver."
Pan Wenbin's face instantly became very grim, "Then what should we do?"
Luo Wen was also at a loss. He was worried about himself. Pan Wenbin was probably beyond saving. How to keep himself out of it was what he should be considering now.
The two fell into a thoughtful silence for more than ten minutes.
Finally, Luo Wen broke the stalemate, "Old Pan, the situation is probably irreversible. You have two paths now."
"Tell me."
"One, surrender yourself and plead guilty, and provide economic compensation to those victims. I will help you smooth over some relationships, and then you won't be sentenced too heavily. You can get out in at most ten years. I will take care of your family, and after you get out, I will ensure you have a comfortable life for the rest of your days."
Luo Wen offered this suggestion on the condition that Pan Wenbin did not implicate him.
"I don't want to go to jail. Tell me the second path."
Pan Wenbin had been to jail twice and knew what it was like, so he didn't want to go again.
"The second is to run, and to leave immediately. Before they file a case against you, you should leave Hancheng by plane right now, preferably to go abroad."
"Go abroad? Don't joke. I'm barely literate. Let alone foreign languages, I can't even recognize all the characters in my own country. If I go abroad to beg, no one will pay attention to me. I might as well go to jail."
Luo Wen sighed. He thought about it and realized it was true. If he fled abroad in such a hurry, he wouldn't even have time to get a passport or visa, let alone transfer his billions in assets. He would probably starve to death abroad.
"Then go south, find a remote and hidden place, change your name, and live in anonymity. Our country's police system is not yet networked nationwide, so they won't be able to catch you immediately. I'll give you a bank card and deposit living expenses into it regularly."
"It seems this is the only way for now."
Pan Wenbin was unwilling. The billion-dollar industry he had personally built would vanish after today, and he would have to live a life on the run, hiding everywhere, like a mouse living in the dark corners, constantly in fear.
Luo Wen glanced at his watch, "Then hurry back and prepare. Make arrangements with your family, take some cash, but not too much. Because carrying a large amount of cash out of the province will attract suspicion at provincial checkpoints regarding the source of your funds. Drive a car that is not registered under your name. You must leave the provincial border before noon, otherwise you might be intercepted."
"Okay, I'll leave immediately."
Pan Wenbin knew that time was running out. Yu Feng had good relationships with the leaders of the Xinhe police. If she had already submitted the materials, the Xinhe police might even stop him.
Before he left, Luo Wen gave him a phone card and a bank card.
Thus, Pan Wenbin, who had been arrogant and domineering in Xinhe, committing countless crimes, ended his life in the underworld. What awaited him was a life of wandering and constant fear.
As Luo Wen had predicted, Yu Feng faxed the materials provided by Yang Jian to her father's company in Hancheng overnight. Yu Dongqiang had already made arrangements with the relevant leaders. The first thing in the morning, these materials appeared on the desks of various police chiefs.
This method was much more efficient than Yang Jian mailing them. That morning, orders were passed down level by level to the Xinhe Police Bureau.
Immediately, the Xinhe police quickly established a special task force to investigate Pan Wenbin's criminal syndicate, but discovered that Pan Wenbin had already fled.
Key members of Pan Wenbin's criminal syndicate, such as Liu Ming and Hu Yunfei, were subsequently apprehended by the police, their industries were sealed, and their bank accounts were frozen.
This incident caused an earthquake in Chengguan. Those involved with Pan Wenbin's syndicate were all in a state of panic, fearing they would be investigated.
Meanwhile, the victimized citizens rejoiced, and many even set off firecrackers in the streets, which showed how much the Pan Wenbin syndicate was hated.
With Liu Ming's written confession, the other six people who attacked Gao Daqiang were all arrested, facing severe legal punishment and civil compensation.
Yu Feng specifically hired a lawyer for his case to ensure that the Gao family's losses could be recovered, as she also wanted to acquire that piece of land.