Chapter 140: It Ends Here
Having lost face in public, Xiong Jianyun burned with rage. He pulled out his phone, intending to call the Luocheng armed Warriors to take over by force.
Teng Qingshan, who was standing to the side, quickly stopped him. He looked at Han Jiang with a faint smile. "I am Teng Qingshan, the City Lord of Luocheng, and these are my colleagues. Are we ’unauthorized personnel’?"
Han Jiang was startled and, for a moment, didn’t know how to answer.
These were all leaders of Luocheng. The City Lord’s status, in particular, was no less than that of Shen Jiangnan inside.
"You leaders are not unauthorized personnel."
"That settles it, then. Let us in."
"Yes, sir!"
Han Jiang stepped aside.
Teng Qingshan and his entourage strode into the interrogation room. Han Jiang and the Warriors turned a blind eye.
When Dai Zhen also tried to enter the interrogation room, Han Jiang stepped forward again to block him. "My apologies! The City Lord has made it clear that you *are* unauthorized personnel!"
"You!!"
Dai Zhen’s face turned livid. He could only look to Teng Qingshan for help. "City Lord, you see..."
With matters so urgent, Teng Qingshan had no time for Dai Zhen. He tacitly approved of Han Jiang’s action and strode toward Shen Jiangnan.
"City Lord, your rash interference in the Patrol Office’s affairs, and your suppression of Director Dai... Isn’t that going a bit too far?"
Teng Qingshan had fired the first shot, and his allies opened fire one after another.
You Baquan, Director of the Political and Legal Affairs Department, said gravely, "City Lord, if I’m not mistaken, political and legal work is my responsibility. If you have an issue with my work, you can say so plainly, or we can discuss it in a private meeting. Why are you overstepping your bounds?"
"City Lord, what you’re doing is breaking the rules and destroying our unity. This isn’t right. Surely we can discuss any problems and find a solution."
...
Faced with their accusations, Shen Jiangnan wasn’t nervous in the slightest. In fact, he almost wanted to laugh. ’I wonder if they’ll still be able to smile after they see the evidence?’
Shen Jiangnan didn’t bother responding. He simply said coolly, "Since everyone wants to have a private meeting, let’s have a proper discussion! Captain Wu, take the suspect to a holding cell and have the Warriors outside guard him. Then, go get a projector."
"Yes, sir!"
Soon, Wu Mengyao returned with the projector.
Teng Qingshan and the others exchanged glances, completely baffled by what Shen Jiangnan was planning.
’Everyone here is on our side,’ they thought. ’Shen Jiangnan is completely isolated. Why would he dare to call a private meeting?’
As Teng Qingshan and the others watched in confusion, Shen Jiangnan gave a calm order. "Wu Fei, play it."
"Yes, sir!"
BEEP.
The projector began to play.
The voices of Jin Pengfei’s father, Jin Tianxiang, and You Baquan rang out.
"Sir, my son got into a little trouble."
"Another fight? Old Jin, I don’t mean to lecture you, but you need to get your son under control. How many of his messes have I had to clean up? What is it this time? I hope no one was killed."
"Sir, my son was injured this time too. You could call it a mutual fight."
"A mutual fight? You call more than ten guys beating up one person a mutual fight? Are you trying to pull that nonsense with me?"
"Sir, whether it’s a mutual fight or not... isn’t that up to you to decide? I’ll come visit you tonight. I heard your wife is thinking about a new car? The latest Porsche is pretty nice."
"Tianxiang, oh, Tianxiang... what am I going to do with you? Fine. But this is the last time!"
"Sir, Pengfei was badly hurt this time. Can we charge the other party with intentional assault?"
"Since Pengfei was injured, then it’s definitely intentional assault! You can rest assured."
"Thank you, Sir!"
...
After a burst of static, a second conversation began to play.
The speaker in this conversation was also present in the room.
"Sir, I heard they’re building a road in the development zone? I’d love to be of service to you!"
"Tianxiang, your company’s qualifications aren’t quite up to snuff."
"Sir, whether my qualifications are sufficient or not, isn’t that just a matter of your word? I heard your wife had a stroke of good luck recently. She was selected as a lucky winner by the Long Lake District and received a 500-square-meter luxury apartment."
"Tianxiang, you really have your ear to the ground! You even know about that! Your company’s qualifications are a real issue. Tell you what, I’ll help you find a qualified company to affiliate with."
"Thank you, Sir!"
...
Next came the third recording.
Listening to the recordings, the faces of the men implicated turned deathly pale, and sweat poured down their backs. They all shot desperate, pleading looks at Teng Qingshan.
But unfortunately for them, Teng Qingshan could barely save himself at this point.
"Stop for a moment."
Shen Jiangnan gave the order, and Wu Fei quickly paused the playback.
Shen Jiangnan looked at Teng Qingshan, his expression unreadable. "Comrade Qingshan, the next recording contains key evidence for the human trafficking case. Tell me, should I play it?"
Teng Qingshan’s expression shifted. He declared righteously, "The Provincial Patrol Headquarters is paying very close attention to the trafficking case. Evidence of this importance cannot be leaked casually. We must first deal with the parasites within our own ranks!"
At his words, the implicated officials seemed to deflate like punctured balloons. They knew they had been thrown to the wolves.
"Then, Comrade Qingshan, tell us, how should these parasites be dealt with?"
"I defer to the organization’s decision."
The corners of Shen Jiangnan’s mouth curled upward slightly. He turned his now-expressionless face to Qiu Ming, the Director of the Disciplinary Department. "Director Qiu, take them into custody for investigation immediately!"
"Yes, sir!"
Once the implicated officials were taken away, the power dynamic in the room shifted instantly.
A sense of panic set in among the remaining officials. They all rushed to declare their loyalty, vowing to unite under the organization and perform their duties to the best of their abilities.
Shen Jiangnan glanced at his now-subservient colleagues and waved a dismissive hand. "All of you, return to your posts."
As if granted a general amnesty, the officials fled the room.
Teng Qingshan also made to leave, but Shen Jiangnan stopped him. "Comrade Qingshan, let’s have a talk."
Teng Qingshan silently sat down. A long moment passed before he finally spoke. "Let it end here. Let it all stop with me."
After speaking, it was as if Teng Qingshan’s Essence, Qi, and Spirit had been completely drained in an instant. The powerful aura of a man who commanded the nation was gone.
Shen Jiangnan didn’t press him further. It wasn’t out of fear, but because he knew Teng Qingshan would not utter another single word.
For an ordinary person, it was just another ordinary day.
But for Cheng Yuan, it was the vindication for the past two years of his life!
Wu Mengyao called him. "Cheng Yuan, your conviction has been overturned! As of right now, your criminal record is cleared! Your student status has also been reinstated, and you can return to Luocheng University whenever you’d like. What’s more, every single person involved has received the punishment they deserved!"
"Thank you."
Unable to suppress his elation, Cheng Yuan downed two entire bottles of liquor and drank himself unconscious.
Lin Ruoxi had mentally prepared herself for his reaction, but when she returned to their room, she was greeted by the sight of a completely drunk man.
This made Lin Ruoxi both exasperated and amused.
Ever since she had known Cheng Yuan, he had always been so steady and composed. ’This is the first time I’ve ever seen him this drunk.’
’He’s actually kind of cute.’
Lin Ruoxi struggled to get Cheng Yuan into his pajamas.
Cheng Yuan groggily opened his eyes. Seeing Lin Ruoxi, he grinned foolishly. "Wifey... I was dreaming about my wifey. My wifey is so beautiful, haha..."
"You idiot!~" Lin Ruoxi chided playfully, unable to resist asking, "Am I really that beautiful?"
"Beautiful! Of course you’re beautiful! My wifey is the most beautiful woman in the world."
"Then... do you like me?"
"I do... Ever since you saved me like a heroine and said Wang Shanshan was ugly as hell, that’s when I started to like you."
Lin Ruoxi’s heart blossomed with joy. ’So he’s liked me since all the way back then?’
’This definitely calls for a proper reward!’
’Maybe...’
’I should just let this big scoundrel have his prize?’