Xu Liang suddenly spoke.

The meeting... not going!?

Lin Fuqiang paused suddenly, furrowed his brow, and as he started driving, he said casually:

"That's not possible, this meeting is vital for the subsequent pollution handling. Although the police aren't responsible, security and management issues still require police involvement."

Xu Liang said, "Having Ma Hui there is enough. Ultimately, it'll depend on the local police."

"But..." Lin Fuqiang was just about to say he was there to oversee.

But the other interrupted first.

"Brother, on March 11th, during the afternoon, I gave you a call. Think about it, what did I say at that time?"

Xu Liang suddenly shifted the topic to a seemingly unrelated matter.

He looked at the environment outside the car window, then silently at the windshield.

On March 11th.

The same afternoon after investigating Jin Bo's notes, questioning Zhao Deshan at the hospital, and confirming what happened.

Xu Liang made several different phone calls to different people.

Some were to Upper City, some to Hanhai City, and among them, the call to Lin Fuqiang was....

"I said people from the province were coming, and you said..."

Lin Fuqiang paused, suddenly furrowed his brow, sensing something amiss.

He had just come from the province, landing directly in Sunzhou.

All his colleagues were there, naturally, there was no one but Lanshan Province.

But....

"Only people from the province?"

Xu Liang suddenly spoke again, repeating.

Only people from the province?

This time Lin Fuqiang froze as if he caught a different implication.

Before he could think further, the other spoke again.

"Oh, by the way, the creeks and underground waterways in Sunzhou connect with various nearby districts. It means the pollution isn't just a Sunzhou issue—it's already affecting surrounding areas."

"Brother, after this pollution case emerged, what were these districts' initial responses?"

Xu Liang asked in return.

Responses...

Naturally, were very intense!

On March 11th, during the early hours, Yang Ruoxi informed Hanhai City in Upper City about Xu Liang's disappearance along with Sunzhou's pollution status.

At that time, Hanhai City directly pursued accountability from Sunzhou!

After all, Sunzhou's polluted environment was an unexpected disaster for Hanhai City, and one of great magnitude!!!

But...

"After that phone call on the afternoon of March 11th, what was Hanhai City's attitude?" Xu Liang quietly said.

Lin Fuqiang was completely stunned.

After those calls...

Hanhai and several nearby districts seemed to vanish, not concerned with this matter at all.

Even though provincial people stopped hiding information, they didn't say anything as if Sunzhou's pollution had truly not affected them!

This...

Abnormal.

Extremely abnormal!!!

Underground water pollution isn't a trivial matter, Hanhai City couldn't possibly ignore it!

Then why did they suddenly go silent?

In an instant.

Upon realization, Lin Fuqiang's pupils contracted slightly and a thin layer of sweat formed on his forehead.

It's okay for one district, but several nearby ones... none had any reaction!

It's as if everyone had surrounded Sunzhou, secretly discussing something....

"Screech~!"

The car came to a sudden halt.

By now, the three were already at the entrance of Sunzhou Intermediate People's Court, looking up at the towering stairs.

Yet Lin Fuqiang had no interest in looking at the stairs.

He swiftly turned his head and looked at Xu Liang. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"Get straight to the point, kid, what do you mean!?"

Xu Liang showed a helpless smile.

He was taking a big risk even hinting this much.

If he truly spoke openly... there might be a Xu Liang standing in the defendant chair.

Not a defense lawyer.

A defendant!

In any case...

"Snap!"

Car door opened and Xu Liang stepped out, glancing back at Lin Fuqiang.

"Brother, think carefully, really....

Is it only people from the province?"

After speaking.

Leaving a strongly suggestive look, Xu Liang decisively closed the door, and quickly headed towards the court.

He was here on assignment...

From the back seat, Wang Chao, who understood nothing, hurried out of the car, stepping rapidly to follow.

Leaving Lin Fuqiang, whose mind was in disarray, stunned in the car.

Watching the departing back.

A flood of chaotic thoughts intercrossed his mind at that moment.

"What does it mean by only people from the province?"

"Is this not merely a plea for help and banter? If not... what does it imply?"

Lin Fuqiang's mind was in turmoil, his brain spinning rapidly.

But the more he thought, the more shocked he became.

If this wasn't a joke, what did it mean...

Besides the people from the province, were there others who came to Sunzhou?

How did he not know!?

Oh right, Sunzhou also didn't know Lin Fuqiang was coming; it was only after he made a surprise visit that people found out.

So does this mean...

"On March 11, was there another group that made a surprise visit to Sunzhou!?"

Lin Fuqiang's face showed astonishment, his hair standing on end.

Another group made a sudden visit to Sunzhou?

Who is this person!?

If they're not from the province, where could they be from?

The more Lin Fuqiang thought, the more alarmed he became. He turned his head to look at Xu Liang, ready to catch up and verify his suspicions.

But unexpectedly...

Xu Liang, at the courthouse entrance, suddenly leaned in with a person in an administrative coat. After a brief whisper, Xu Liang entered the courthouse.

And that person in the coat...

In a trance.

That person seemed to look this way intentionally or unintentionally.

Seeing the vague features of the face...

Suddenly.

Lin Fuqiang's pupils contracted, his adrenaline surged.

This person... he seemed to have seen them in Upper City!

"Hiss!"

Lin Fuqiang blinked hard, wanting to see clearly who it was.

But unexpectedly, the moment he looked up, the person vanished, like a ghost, as if they had never been there.

Lin Fuqiang didn't dare dismiss it as nothing.

He was deeply alarmed, his blood boiling.

"Upper City police?"

"Did I see wrong? I really didn't see wrong!?"

Lin Fuqiang mumbled.

At Lin Fuqiang's level, he often had to go to Upper City for meetings.

And his direct leader naturally seemed familiar, but the distance was too far.

He couldn't confirm, let alone chase to verify his suspicions.

If he recognized the wrong person, it would be okay, but if it was truly them...

Why would they come to Sunzhou?

Could a local environmental pollution case really make them personally come?

In the end.

Lin Fuqiang's eyes sharpened, and he directly took out his phone and dialed a series of numbers.

It was his colleague Gu Min's number!

"Doo doo doo~"

"Buzz buzz buzz~ buzz buzz buzz~"

...

Meanwhile.

Inside the city hall.

Gu Min and Gao Jian stood in the meeting room, the phone in Gu Min's pocket constantly vibrating, but it didn't attract his slightest attention.

What were they watching?

A replay of surveillance footage.

In the past few days, they were investigating the underground water at Yangguan Primary School. During the process, when subordinates reviewed the surveillance footage, they discovered...

On March 12, during the early hours, a group of people entered Sunshine Primary School without anyone knowing.

In the dark, the figures looked bulky, as if wrapped very tightly.

Gu Min and Gao Jian initially thought it was the handiwork of Luo Jun from Jinyang Steel Plant.

But today, upon re-watching...

Gao Jian suddenly noticed a frame.

And that frame...

Was the one currently paused on the computer!

In the frame, a car's headlights suddenly lit up, illuminating the surroundings briefly.

In the light, the surveillance camera captured a blurry face in the back seat of the car.

It was very blurry; the subordinates couldn't determine if it was Luo Jun, so they brought it to Gao Jian and Gu Min.

However, the more the two looked, the more they felt...

"Upper City!?"

The two spoke in unison, suddenly shocked and astonished.

If they remembered correctly.

They seemed to have seen this person in Upper City.

In the early hours of March 12, people from Upper City suddenly appeared at Sunshine Primary School!?

What were they doing there? Investigating water pollution!?

Their minds suddenly went into chaos, unsure if the person was really someone they knew.

After a while, Gu Min finally noticed the constantly vibrating phone in his pocket.

The caller ID: Lin Fuqiang.

Gu Min absent-mindedly answered, and the first sentence from the other side immediately made his heart sink to the bottom.

Lin Fuqiang:

"I saw a person at the courthouse entrance who seemed to be from Upper City..."