Chapter 1274: Words and Deeds in Harmony
When Zhou Tangyan was taken out of the office by the four policemen, his hands were already cuffed with cold handcuffs. This scene was witnessed by many employees of the Wang Group. Some whispered, and others looked at him with contempt or pity. But Zhou Tangyan’s expression remained calm, as if nothing was happening. He walked with a majestic stride in front of the four policemen, looking quite imposing.
After getting into the police car, Zhou Tangyan sat in his seat and began to close his eyes and relax, maintaining an air of grandeur.
Later, when he was taken to the police station, he was immediately placed in a solitary confinement cell, as if forgotten by everyone. Except for an insufficient dinner at night, no one came by at all.
Zhou Tangyan did not eat the dinner. Instead, he squatted against the wall, reaching instinctively into his pocket to pull out a cigarette to relax. But finding his pocket empty, he could only smile bitterly.
Suddenly, his stomach growled, already hungry.
Instinctively, he glanced at the dinner on the floor, but felt no appetite.
When people are hungry, they usually won’t be picky about food, and Zhou Tangyan did not have the bad habit of being picky either. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to eat, but he didn’t dare to!
He was well aware of how powerful the Wang Family was and how ruthless Wang Daoran’s methods could be. Although this was the Kanyue City Inspection Office, who could say for sure about Wang Daoran’s character? A cornered dog might jump over the wall, after all. Having done so many dirty jobs for Wang Daoran over the years, he was very clear about the ins and outs of things.
For the sake of his own safety, he decided to stay hungry, not daring even to drink water.
The entire night, he sat leaning in the corner, sometimes closing his eyes, sometimes opening them, while his mind raced with thoughts on his next move.
...
Early the next morning, someone opened the iron door locking him in, and a uniformed policeman brought him to an interrogation room.
Shortly thereafter, a man around the age of thirty entered. His face bore a naturally friendly smile. This was Tan Wenxing, the captain of the third squad of the Security Management Institute.
Tan Wenxing pulled up a chair and sat across from Zhou Tangyan, leafing through a file. Only after two minutes did he look up at Zhou Tangyan and say with a smile, "The dogs raised by the Wang Family are quite something; even with disaster at the doorstep, they’re still so calm."
Zhou Tangyan continued to rest with his eyes closed. However, having not slept all night and without eating or drinking, he looked very weak, and his complexion was haggard.
Click.
A box of cigarettes and a lighter were thrown in front of Zhou Tangyan. He looked at the cigarettes and lighter, then at Tan Wenxing, with a complex expression in his eyes that was indescribable.
Tan Wenxing asked, "You recognize me, don’t you?"
Zhou Tangyan pulled out a cigarette, lit it, inhaling deeply until his lung capacity reached its limit. After pausing for two seconds, he exhaled the smoke from both his mouth and nose.
After two deep puffs, Zhou Tangyan visibly perked up. He looked at Tan Wenxing, grinned, and said, "The famous eldest son of the Tan Family, elite of the Security Management Institute, how could I not know you?"
"Ha, since you know I’m affiliated with the Security Management Institute, I advise you to cooperate as much as possible. Unlike the police here, I’m not so easygoing. If I can’t get anything out of you, I’ll directly take you to the territory of the Security Management Institute. There, we have no rules. Do you think you can handle that? And if you’re honest now, you might even get a reduced sentence," Tan Wenxing said with a cold smile.
Zhou Tangyan threw the cigarette butt on the ground, pulled out another one, and continued smoking. After satisfying his craving, he said, "Ask away."
Tan Wenxing placed a bank transfer record in front of him, then played an audio recording. In the recording, Zhou Tangyan was having a conversation with a woman, discussing the profits of a gaming venue and the sale of contraband.
After the audio recording ended, Tan Wenxing asked, "These are the evidence for your arrest. Based on these two pieces of evidence, you’re one of the masterminds behind the gaming venue and drug trafficking. Do you admit to this?"
Zhou Tangyan shook his head and said, "I’m not the principal perpetrator. At most, I’m just an accomplice."
Tan Wenxing squinted and smiled, "Then who is the principal perpetrator?"
"Who the principal perpetrator is, is already known to everyone. Why bother asking?"
"This is the police station, and I’m a law enforcement officer; I only look at evidence."
"That’s really hypocritical," Zhou Tangyan laughed and said, "I won’t say anything."
Tan Wenxing crossed his fingers and looked at him, sneering, "Is it just because you were once surnamed Wang? Now you want to make the most of your dying breath to give your death some value?"
"Though what you said isn’t pleasant, it can be understood that way," Zhou Tangyan said, lowering his eyes, as an instinct not wanting to meet Tan Wenxing’s gaze.
Tan Wenxing said, "Do you think that without you, we can’t find out who the mastermind is?"
"Isn’t that the case?"
Zhou Tangyan knew very well the role that Wang Daoran had "played" in running the gaming venue and drug trafficking. Wang Daoran only made the connections run smoothly under the table. Except for himself, there was no substantive evidence to prove his involvement. Therefore, without him, they indeed couldn’t investigate Wang Daoran.
Tan Wenxing’s mouth curled slightly, showing Zhou Tangyan a look of disgust. He sneered and said, "Then why don’t you just go die?"
Zhou Tangyan’s eyes lifted and looked at him.
"You talk so grandly about giving your death value, but it’s all hot air! Yesterday’s dinner and water in your confinement room, you didn’t touch a single bite. Why is that?"
Tan Wenxing asked and answered himself, "Because you’re afraid of death! You’re afraid the food or water might be poisoned! You’re afraid Wang Daoran will hire a killer! If you truly wanted to keep the secret, you should’ve found a chance to kill yourself, not clinging to life. Your words and actions are contradictory, deceiving not just me, but also yourself."
Zhou Tangyan’s expression finally changed. In a daze, he realized that even though he was thinking about risking his life for the Wang Family, he was still clinging to life, struggling to survive. Just as Tan Wenxing said, his words and actions were inconsistent.
Seeing Zhou Tangyan’s expression change, Tan Wenxing continued, "Tell me everything you know, and I’ll consider lenient treatment."
Zhou Tangyan did not answer. He drew a cigarette from the box and smoked it thoughtfully. After a long contemplation, he raised his head, looked at Tan Wenxing with bloodshot eyes, and said, "I don’t want to die! I can tell you everything I know; I can even be a witness, but you must reduce my sentence! At least give me a chance to get out!"