Nominal: My senior brothers are all big shots

But the next morning, he instructed Chen Yue to inform Longnan Town: "Secretary Lin is going to Longnan for research today. No need to prepare or accompany him. The town leaders can just wait in the town."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Yue hesitated for a moment before saying, "Secretary Lin, what about Mayor Liu...?"

Lin Feng glanced at him: "Mayor Liu is the mayor, and I am the municipal party secretary. I don't need to report to him where I go for research."

The car drove out of the municipal party committee compound just as dawn was breaking.

Old Zhou was driving, Chen Yue was in the passenger seat, and Lin Feng was in the back seat, flipping through information about Longnan Town.

After driving for more than an hour, we entered the mountainous area. The road became narrower and bumpier, and the trees on both sides grew denser. Occasionally, we could see some forks in the road leading deeper into the mountains. On the ground at these forks, there were deep ruts left by large trucks.

Lin Feng put down his documents and looked out the window. Several mine entrances began to appear along the roadside; some were operational, others abandoned. The abandoned mine entrances resembled gaping black mouths, gushing out yellowish-brown wastewater. The wastewater flowed into the roadside ditches, the water in which was murky and emitted a pungent odor.

Lin Feng frowned.

Longnan Town is located in a river valley. The town is small, with one main street and low-rise buildings on both sides.

Liao Jinshui, the town's Party Secretary, stood at the entrance of the town government building, followed by several officials, looking somewhat nervous. He saw Lin Feng's car and quickly approached.

"Secretary Lin, welcome, welcome! We didn't know you were coming so early, we weren't prepared..." Liao Jinshui was in his forties, with dark skin and a heavy local accent. His smile was somewhat stiff, and there was a hint of panic in his eyes.

Lin Feng got out of the car, shook hands with him, and didn't exchange pleasantries. "Secretary Liao, take me to see the mine."

Liao Jinshui was taken aback for a moment, then quickly nodded: "Okay, okay, Secretary Lin, please get in the car, I'll lead the way."

Lin Feng said, "No need, get in my car."

Liao Jinshui's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure, got into the car, and sat in the passenger seat.

Chen Yue sat in the back seat and gave it to him.

The car drove out of the town and into the mountains. Liao Jinshui pointed to a mine entrance by the roadside and said, "Secretary Lin, this is a legitimate mine with all the necessary permits. It belongs to Tiansheng Group."

Lin Feng glanced at it but didn't say anything. The car continued driving forward.

As they passed a fork in the road, Lin Feng said, "Old Zhou, turn in."

Liao Jinshui's expression changed, and he quickly said, "Secretary Lin, that road is difficult to travel on. Let's take the main road instead."

Lin Feng ignored him. Old Zhou turned the steering wheel, and the car turned onto the side road.

The road grew narrower and the trees on both sides grew denser. Small mine entrances began to appear by the roadside; some entrances were still piled with freshly mined ore, while others were abandoned and half-hidden by weeds.

Lin Feng asked, "Do these mines have the necessary permits?"

Liao Jinshui wiped the sweat from his forehead and stammered, "Some are... some... the paperwork is still being processed."

Lin Feng remained silent.

When the car reached a ravine, Lin Feng asked Lao Zhou to stop the car.

He got out of the car, stood by the roadside, and looked at the scene before him—the entire valley had been dug up and riddled with holes, and the mountainside looked as if it had been cut by a knife, revealing bare rocks.

The ground was littered with waste rock and slag, and sewage flowed everywhere, forming a small black river that flowed down the mountain. On the distant hillside, several mine entrances could still be seen in operation, with excavators roaring and trucks coming and going.

Lin Feng stood there, silent for a long time.

Liao Jinshui stood behind him, not daring to speak. Chen Yue's expression was also very unpleasant.

Lin Feng turned around and looked at Liao Jinshui: "Secretary Liao, tell me the truth, how many of these mines have the proper permits?"

Liao Jinshui's forehead was covered in sweat, and his lips trembled as he said, "Secretary Lin, these... most of these mines belong to Tiansheng Group. President Zhou said the paperwork is being processed..."

Lin Feng interrupted him: "Is it being processed? How many years has it been processed?"

Liao Jinshui fell silent.

Lin Feng didn't ask any more questions and continued walking up the mountain path.

Several miners were squatting on the ground eating by the roadside. Seeing someone approaching, they looked up warily. Lin Feng walked over, squatted down, and asked, "Sir, which mine are you from?"

The miners exchanged glances, but no one spoke. An older miner, head bowed, whispered, "From Tiansheng." Lin Feng asked, "How many years have you been working here?"

The miner didn't look up: "It's been several years."

Lin Feng then asked, "Does the mine pay social security for you?"

The miners fell silent.

Lin Feng stood up and saw a young miner not far away staring at him with some hesitation in his eyes.

Just as Lin Feng was about to walk over, the young miner suddenly lowered his head, turned around, and left.

Lin Feng noticed a black SUV parked by the roadside. The windows were tinted dark, obscuring the interior. There was someone inside, watching them intently.

Old Zhou noticed it too. He walked over to Lin Feng and whispered, "Secretary Lin, someone's watching us."

Lin Feng nodded without turning around.

He continued walking and asked a few more miners.

No matter what he asked, the miners either remained silent, said they didn't know, or said they had just arrived. There was a shared fear in their eyes—not fear of Lin Feng, but fear of something unseen.

Lin Feng didn't ask any more questions. He stood there, looking at the mountain that had been dug up beyond recognition, at the silent miners, and at the black SUV by the roadside, feeling as if a stone was pressing on his heart.

"Old Zhou, let's go," Lin Feng said.

The car turned around and drove down the mountain.

The mountain road was narrow, with steep slopes on both sides, so Lao Zhou drove very slowly.

As they approached a bend, a pickup truck suddenly sped out from the opposite direction at high speed and headed straight for them.

Old Zhou didn't panic. He swerved the steering wheel, the car hugging the mountainside, barely avoiding the attack. The pickup truck sped past, grazing their rearview mirrors, its tires kicking up a cloud of dust.

Chen Yue's face turned deathly pale: "How could you drive that car?!"

Old Zhou didn't say anything. He glanced at the pickup truck in the rearview mirror, then at the black SUV parked on the side of the road. The SUV had disappeared sometime earlier.

Lin Feng sat calmly in the back seat. He glanced at Liao Jinshui. Liao Jinshui's face was as white as paper, his hands were trembling, and his forehead was covered in sweat.

"Secretary Liao, are you alright?" Lin Feng asked.

Liao Jinshui forced a smile: "No...it's alright, Secretary Lin. This road is difficult to travel on; cars often drive fast..."

Lin Feng didn't say anything. The car drove out of the mountains and onto the main road. Liao Jinshui got out of the car and stood at the entrance of the town government, watching Lin Feng's car drive away. His legs were trembling.

The car was quiet on the way back to the city. Chen Yue wanted to speak several times, but seeing Lin Feng's expression, he swallowed his words. Old Zhou focused on driving, occasionally glancing at the rearview mirror.

Lin Feng leaned back in his seat, his eyes closed. He thought of the silent miners, the black SUV parked by the roadside, the pickup truck that had deliberately cut him off, and Liao Jinshui's pale face and trembling hands. This wasn't Longnan Town; this was a place controlled by criminal gangs.

The miners dared not speak, the officials dared not speak, and even when the municipal party secretary came, someone dared to block his car.

He opened his eyes and said to Lao Zhou, "Lao Zhou, don't mention today's events to anyone."

Old Zhou nodded.

The car entered the city, and it was almost dark.

Lin Feng gazed out the window, pondering his next move. Today's trip, though thrilling, had also given him a clearer understanding of many things.

The problems in Longnan Town were more serious than he had imagined. Liao Jinshui was either one of Zhou Tianming's men, or he was terrified of Zhou Tianming.

Those miners weren't unwilling to speak, they were afraid to speak. That black SUV, that pickup truck—it wasn't a coincidence; someone was warning him.

He took out his phone and dialed Lei Ming's number. "Director Lei, what do you know about Longnan Town?"

Lei Ming paused for a moment, then said, "Secretary Lin, Longnan Town is the area with the most serious illegal rare earth mining in Pingjiang, and it's also Zhou Tianming's stronghold. The police officers I sent to investigate are being closely monitored."

Lin Feng said, "I understand. Continue your investigation, but be careful."

He hung up the phone, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.

The car drove into the municipal party committee compound and parked downstairs.

Lin Feng got out of the car and stood on the steps, gazing at the dark mountain shadows in the distance. The night in Pingjiang was still as deep as ever. But he knew that what was hidden in the darkness would eventually see the light of day.