I was a rookie reporter in the 00s

Chapter 325 Li Hua is captured

Fu Siyuan and Li Wei took the man to the police station. After interrogation, they finally learned the truth of the incident. Xiao Chen had indeed been bribed by Haitian International and had revealed their plan for money. Li Hua was aware of their actions because of Xiao Chen's betrayal.

Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan, and Li Wei stood in the living room of the guesthouse, the atmosphere tense and solemn. They had just learned that Xiao Chen had been bribed by Haitian International and had become an insider, which made the three of them extremely shocked and angry.

"How could Xiao Chen..." Zhang Wanqing whispered, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes, "He is clearly the victim, how could he betray us?"

"Maybe he was threatened." Fu Siyuan sighed, "Or they gave him too much money and made him lose his way."

"Whatever the reason, we have to find him quickly," Li Wei said. "He may still be in danger."

"What did the police say?" Zhang Wanqing asked.

"I've contacted the police," Fu Siyuan said. "They're arranging for someone to pick up Xiao Chen, but we need to provide his specific location."

"Xiao Chen mentioned on the phone that he was staying in a small hotel," Zhang Wanqing recalled. "He said it was remote but safe."

"Then we have to go there quickly." Li Wei said, "Maybe we can catch them."

"I hope he can confess everything." Zhang Wanqing said.

The three of them quickly packed up and drove to the small hotel Xiao Chen had mentioned. In the night, the streets were remarkably quiet, broken only by the occasional passing car. Zhang Wanqing sat in the passenger seat, clutching her phone tightly, ready to respond to any emergency.

"I hope we can still make it in time." Fu Siyuan said in a low voice, his eyes focused on the road ahead.

"We must make it in time." Zhang Wanqing said firmly, "Xiao Chen is our only clue. We can't let anything happen to him."

After more than 20 minutes of driving, they finally arrived at the small hotel. The hotel looked shabby and dilapidated, with a dim light hanging at the door, making it look particularly eerie.

"Is it really safe here?" Li Wei whispered, looking around vigilantly.

"Xiao Chen said this place is very remote and not easy to be discovered." Zhang Wanqing said, "But we have to be careful now."

The three of them walked into the hotel. The lights at the front desk were dim, and a middle-aged man was napping on the table. Fu Siyuan walked up and gently patted his shoulder.

"Hello, we're here to look for someone," Fu Siyuan said. "Excuse me, is there a guest named Xiao Chen staying here?"

"Oh, you're Xiao Chen's friends." The man rubbed his eyes and picked up a registration book from the table. "He lives in room 305 on the third floor."

"Thank you." Zhang Wanqing nodded, and the three of them quickly walked towards the elevator.

The three of them came to the third floor and walked along the corridor to room 305. Zhang Wanqing took a deep breath and knocked on the door gently.

"Who is it?" Xiao Chen's voice came from the room, sounding a little tired.

"Xiao Chen, it's us." Zhang Wanqing said, "Open the door quickly."

The door slowly opened, and Xiao Chen's face appeared at the door. His face was pale, and there was a hint of panic in his eyes.

"Why are you here?" Xiao Chen whispered, scanning the corridor vigilantly.

"We're here to take you away from here," Zhang Wanqing said. "The police are aware of your situation and they will protect you."

"No, you can't take me away." Xiao Chen suddenly became agitated. "They will kill me."

"Xiao Chen, listen to me." Fu Siyuan stepped forward and said calmly, "We already have evidence against them, and the police are taking action. As long as you cooperate with us, they will protect you."

"You have no idea how ruthless they are." Xiao Chen shook his head. "They already know I leaked the information. I can't escape."

"You've helped us a lot," Zhang Wanqing said. "Now, you need to trust us and the police."

Xiao Chen was silent for a moment, and finally nodded: "Okay, I'll go with you."

The three of them quickly left the hotel with Xiao Chen and returned to the car. Fu Siyuan immediately contacted the police and informed them of Xiao Chen's location.

"You've done a great job." Zhang Beichen's voice came from the other end of the phone. "We'll send someone to pick him up. You guys should find a safe place to hide first."

"Dad, is there anything we can do to help?" Zhang Wanqing asked.

"You've already helped a lot," Zhang Beichen said. "Now, the most important thing is to protect yourself. I'll leave the rest to the police."

"Okay." Zhang Wanqing hung up the phone, a look of determination in her eyes, "We can't give up like this."

A few days later, the police finally tracked down Li Hua's hiding place. Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan, and Li Wei, arranged by Zhang Beichen, arrived at the scene of the operation. They hid in the distance and observed the police's actions.

"Is Li Hua in there?" Zhang Wanqing asked in a low voice.

"That should be the case," Fu Siyuan said. "The police have surrounded the building. He has nowhere to escape."

"Let's go in." Zhang Wanqing said, "Maybe we can help."

"Be careful." Li Wei nodded, and the three of them quickly walked towards the building.

As they entered the building, they heard a commotion upstairs. Zhang Wanqing realized the police had begun their operation. They quickly rushed upstairs and arrived outside Li Hua's room.

"What's the situation inside?" Zhang Wanqing asked in a low voice.

"The police have already rushed in." Fu Siyuan said, "We have to go in quickly."

The three pushed open the door and saw chaos in the room. Li Hua was subdued by several policemen, but he still struggled and tried to resist.

"You reporters, do you think you're so great?" Li Hua raised his head and saw Zhang Wanqing and the other two. A trace of hatred flashed in his eyes. "You will never know how much trouble you've gotten into."

"Your crimes have been exposed," Zhang Wanqing said coldly, "and your actions will eventually be punished by law."

"Do you think you've won by capturing me?" Li Hua sneered, "You have no idea how big a vortex you've gotten yourself into."

"We will get to the bottom of this," Zhang Wanqing said firmly. "No matter who is behind you, we will not let them go."

With Li Hua's arrest, the police swiftly launched an operation to round up all those implicated in the Haitian International Tourism Group case. Under police protection, Xiao Chen gradually resumed his normal life. He confessed everything to the police, including how he had been bribed by Haitian International and the underlying organizational structure.

"I really didn't expect them to be so cruel." Xiao Chen apologized to Zhang Wanqing and the other two under the witness protection program. "I betrayed you, but I hope you can forgive me."

"We understand your situation," Zhang Wanqing said. "What's important is that you ultimately chose the right path."

"You are truly brave. I used to think journalists only interviewed and wrote articles, but you have shown me a different kind of journalist. Especially you, Zhang Wanqing, you are so brave and so righteous. I admire you!" Xiao Chen said. "I hope you can continue to expose the truth and make this world a better place."

"We will." Zhang Wanqing nodded. "Justice is never late."