Guan Weiping hesitated, then silently picked up his briefcase and handed Fang Hongda a pair of sunglasses and a sun hat—the midday sun was scorching, and Guan Weiping had prepared in advance.
The two walked out one after the other. Passing a small room near the entrance, Guan Weiping gestured, and two neatly groomed young men in shirts and trousers followed him in unison.
The two young men weren't particularly muscular, but they exuded a chilling aura. Even in the heavily guarded Building No. 1, the two young men vigilantly scanned their surroundings. Their backs were ramrod straight, their steps steady and agile, their stride frequency and length almost identical, each step a perfect 75 centimeters.
A knowledgeable person would immediately recognize that these two unassuming young men were definitely elite soldiers who had undergone rigorous training.
In fact, these two young men were from the Central Security Bureau of China, commonly known as "Zhongnanhai bodyguards." As a core member of the Fang family's direct lineage, Fang Hongda was thousands of miles from Beijing, traveling to a southeastern province to assume his post. His personal safety was naturally of paramount importance. Therefore, Old Master Fang personally ordered two outstanding soldiers to be transferred from the Central Security Bureau to Fang Hongda's side under the guise of a temporary assignment, specifically responsible for his security.
Despite their youth, both young men were already majors.
When Guan Weiping learned that Fang Hongda wanted to "go for a walk" after dinner, he immediately informed Fang Hongda's two bodyguards. Fang Hongda's unusual decision to attend the event in Nanpu County, and his sudden desire for an "incognito visit," had already led Guan Weiping to suspect his true purpose.
As his secretary, his primary concern was the safety of his superior, especially given that this was a small, mountainous county with many uncertainties. Fortunately, two bodyguards from Zhongnanhai accompanied him. These two were highly skilled and had always worked together seamlessly. With them there, Guan Weiping felt more confident.
The armed police officers guarding the stairwell immediately stood at attention and saluted upon seeing Fang Hongda. Fang Hongda nodded amiably and walked past them. The officers assumed their leader was just taking a stroll in the courtyard after lunch and didn't think much of it, returning to their posts to continue their duties.
As Fang Hongda walked, sentries and staff members saluted him repeatedly, but they didn't think much of it. It wasn't until Fang Hongda casually walked further and further away, gradually leaving the area around Building No. 1 and heading towards the entrance of the county committee guesthouse, that a corporal in the armed police force realized something was amiss. He hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and asking,
"Sir, you…"
Guan Weiping stepped forward and said calmly,
"Secretary Fang wants to take a walk; you don't need to follow him!"
The corporal glanced at the two sharp-eyed young men beside Fang Hongda, nodded respectfully, and stepped aside. However, after Fang Hongda walked away, the corporal immediately reported to his superiors via walkie-talkie:
"Company Commander, this is Lu Jian. A minute ago, Provincial Party Secretary Fang passed my post. It looks like he's gone out, with only two or three attendants."
"You're talking nonsense! Why didn't you follow him?" The company commander immediately exploded. "You're a five-year veteran, and you make such a basic mistake! What if the commander is in danger?"
Lu Jian said aggrievedly:
"Company Commander, do you think I don't understand? They wouldn't allow it! Besides, the commander has two experts with him; I'm definitely no match for them…"
Thinking of the cold eyes of the two young men beside Fang Hongda, Lu Jian, also a soldier, couldn't help but tremble—a completely instinctive reaction.
The company commander was silent for a few seconds on the other end of the walkie-talkie before saying in a low voice:
"Alright, I understand."
This matter must be reported to the main leaders of the county party committee and government immediately! This was the company commander's first thought. While the county government guesthouse was in complete chaos, Fang Hongda, accompanied by Guan Weiping and two guards, strolled leisurely onto the main street of Nanpu County. Traffic in a small county town is naturally less orderly than in the provincial capital, and it was rush hour, with cars jammed together, interspersed with the town's characteristic three-wheeled motorcycles and even handcarts weaving through the traffic lanes, horns blaring incessantly.
Guan Weiping frowned slightly at the scene, giving a wink to the two guards. One nodded knowingly and left, while the other became even more vigilant, glancing around warily, his hands bulging in his pockets.
A moment later, an inconspicuous Santana with a Rongcheng license plate pulled up in front of them. The driver was the same guard who had just left. Guan Weiping quickly opened the back door, placing his hand on the top of the door frame, and gently helped Fang Hongda into the car. After closing the car door, Guan Weiping quickly walked around to the other side, opened the door, and got in. Another security officer swiftly took the passenger seat.
The car started moving and quickly merged into the heavy traffic.
A few minutes later, Lu Jin, the Party Secretary of Nanpu County, Qian Rufeng, the County Head, and Han Wenhai, the Deputy Party Secretary, along with other key leaders of the county government, hurriedly arrived at the entrance of the county government guesthouse. After hearing the report from the armed police captain on duty, the county leaders exchanged bewildered glances, appearing somewhat lost and unsure what to do.
At this moment, the relevant leaders from Songping City, who were originally staying at Building No. 2 in the county government compound, rushed out upon hearing the news. Upon seeing the officials from Nanpu County, Songping City Party Secretary Qu Xiaobo immediately questioned them:
"Comrade Lu Jin! What exactly happened?"
Under the blazing sun, Lu Jin's back was already soaked with sweat. Now, being questioned by the city party secretary, beads of sweat even appeared on his face. He said shamefully:
"Secretary Qu, we just received the news. At noon, we held an emergency meeting at the county party committee to discuss and plan the next steps for the reception work. We didn't expect Secretary Fang..."
Lu Jin was now filled with regret. With leaders from both the provincial and municipal party committees visiting Nanpu simultaneously, he naturally attached great importance to it. For the past two days, he had practically been eating and sleeping at the county government compound, fearing that the leaders might summon him for something unexpected. However, after lunch, to be on the safe side, he decided to convene his team members to discuss the reception arrangements for the afternoon and evening. After all, Secretary Fang was going to stay overnight in Nanpu, which was a top priority, involving a great deal of work from all sides. But who would have thought that the provincial party secretary would disappear at this crucial moment? Lu Jin was left feeling both amused and exasperated.
Qu Xiaobo's mind raced. Secretary Fang hadn't informed anyone, leaving with only his secretary and guards. Was he going on an incognito visit?
What could possibly be so important that Secretary Fang would do this? Was there some major problem in Nanpu County that he hadn't uncovered? The provincial party committee office hadn't mentioned Secretary Fang's attendance at the unveiling ceremony when they initially issued the document; it was a last-minute notification. Thinking of this, a cold sweat broke out on Qu Xiaobo's forehead.
Strictly speaking, Qu Xiaobo wasn't exactly one of Fang Hongda's men. He was a former subordinate of Qiu Donghua, the secretary of the provincial political and legal committee, and Secretary Qiu was a staunch member of the Han faction.
"You…aren't you going to send someone to look for him?" Qu Xiaobo urged, seeing Lu Jin and the others still standing there in a daze.
"Yes! Yes…" Lu Jin readily agreed. But he looked troubled. Nanpu County was so large; Secretary Fang and his group were hardly conspicuous targets. They were probably nowhere to be found by now. How could they possibly locate them? Lu Jin was starting to panic.
At this moment, Han Wenhai stepped forward calmly and said:
"Secretary Qu, leaders, I suggest we immediately have the Public Security Bureau retrieve the real-time footage from all the city's surveillance cameras and send specialists to review it. At the same time, we should immediately notify all units in the city that their main leaders must be in their positions and maintain normal work status. However, any news about Secretary Fang must be reported immediately."
Han Wenhai's words immediately reminded Lu Jin that the most urgent tasks were finding Secretary Fang as soon as possible and notifying all units to be on high alert, lest Fang Hongda catch them off guard. Lu Jin nodded repeatedly and said:
"Wenhai is right! We'll immediately spread the word!"
Qu Xiaobo also nodded repeatedly upon hearing Han Wenhai's words, a hint of amiability appearing on his dark face. Although the man before him was the deputy secretary of the county party committee, he was also a direct descendant of the Han family. Even his former superior, Secretary Qiu, treated him with utmost respect. Even if Nanpu County were in deep trouble, he absolutely could not afford to show this young master any disrespect.
Moreover, Han Wenhai's words just now truly displayed the composure and leadership expected of a scion of a prominent family, immediately grasping the crux of the matter.
"What Han Wenhai said makes perfect sense! Secretary Lu, get it done quickly!" Qu Xiaobo praised Han Wenhai at the opportune moment, gave Lu Jin some instructions, and then turned and walked back to the county office. However, he no longer had the heart to go back to his room to rest, and sat down in the reception area of the county office lobby.
...
While the county office was in chaos, Fang Hongda's Volkswagen Santana steadily drove towards the western suburbs of the county. The stereo was playing Fang Hongda's favorite model opera. Fang Hongda leaned back in his seat, eyes slightly closed, resting, his fingers lightly tapping the rhythm on his thigh, seemingly quite relaxed.
Guan Weiping, sitting beside Fang Hongda, occasionally glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. Guan Weiping usually sat in the passenger seat, the secretary's reserved seat, but today, with two security guards present, he had been squeezed into the back. Sitting next to Fang Hongda, Guan Weiping also felt a little uncomfortable, his back unconsciously straightening.
"**Member, welcoming spring to change the world..." Fang Hongda hummed softly along with the song playing from the car stereo.
Guan Weiping gazed at the changing scenery outside the window. The bustling city scene had been replaced by fields of vegetables and low-rise houses. Thinking about their increasingly close destination, Guan Weiping had a strange feeling. He felt that Secretary Fang didn't seem as relaxed as he was deliberately portraying.