Chapter 93

“Changzheng, this task force is led by the provincial bureau and composed of personnel from public security, procuratorate, discipline inspection, and other departments drawn from neighboring cities. Its mission is to investigate the two major criminal gangs in Zizhen City involved in vice, gambling, and drugs, as well as their protectors!”

“Long before the Long Guangsheng case, the task force had already been dispatched under the leadership of Deputy Director Huo Weihua of the provincial bureau to conduct a secret investigation in our city. Now that you have the chance to join this task force, I want you to seize it—use Li Jun’s cooperation to execute a counterintelligence operation and uncover the protectors behind Zhang Xiaoya, Zhang Shaojie, and the Chang Corporation! Eradicate these social parasites who harm the people of Zizhen and corrupt Party cadres! And above all, purge the poisons within our own ranks!”

Gu Changzheng sat up straight, his body trembling with excitement. He knew what it meant to join such a task force, but he longed even more to play a greater role in the operation.

“Master, what is my mission?”

“Good, that can wait. Before you officially join the task force, I must inform you of several rules—you must strictly abide by them,” Lu Haoxuan said solemnly.

“Yes!” Gu Changzheng replied with equal gravity.

———

Luo Xiaoshuai felt as if he had survived a near-death ordeal; his fate over the past few days had been like a rollercoaster, soaring and plummeting without warning. The day before yesterday, he suddenly met a man claiming to be his defense lawyer—who revealed the secret code used by Chang Huazhong during their emergency contact!

He nearly leapt out of his seat in excitement. Chang Huazhong was still alive! But he had confessed everything—could Chang Huazhong still save him?

Yet the lawyer’s next words made him realize: Chang Huazhong had indeed handled everything from outside, and now he only needed to follow the lawyer’s instructions.

On the morning of December 20, the officers of Jiangdong Branch were stunned by a shocking piece of news: Major problems had emerged in the Long Guangsheng case! The lead interrogator, Gu Changzheng, had been accused by suspect Luo Xiaoshuai of coercing a confession—an act of serious misconduct. The municipal procuratorate had already launched an investigation, and the bureau had suspended all his duties pending cooperation with the probe.

The news spread like a stone dropped into a still lake, sparking immediate and widespread gossip.

In Lu Haoxuan’s office, Hu Jinquan slammed his fist on the desk, furious: “Master! You know Changzheng—he would never do something so foolish! That kid is being manipulated! Hmph! These hoodlums actually think they’re somebody! I’m going straight to Chang Huaqiang!”

“Stop! What are you adding to this mess? The Chang family elders have been coming to the bureau every other day. Focus on finding Ling Wei—the murder weapon and motorcycle. Close the case as soon as possible!”

“But—” Hu Jinquan looked bewildered. “Master, didn’t you say Ling Wei was just the knife? We were supposed to find the hand holding it! Why rush to close the case?”

His voice rose, rapid and loud. Lu Haoxuan snapped: “Enough! He’s just a desperate killer with a grudge against the Chang family. Do as I say—go investigate now!”

Hu Jinquan stared at his usually calm and composed master, hurt and doubtful, then left quietly.

Moments later, the sound of a shattering cup echoed from inside the office.

Outside, in the main office, no one had ever seen Lu Haoxuan lose his temper. Everyone fell silent, eyes filled with confusion, no one daring to whisper further.

Gu Changzheng was suspended; Hu Jinquan was ordered to close the shooting case quickly; the Long Guangsheng case had taken a dramatic turn—the Jiangdong Branch was thick with an eerie tension…

In the hospital VIP ward, Chang Huazhong, recovering slightly, listened to his elder brother Chang Huaqiang’s report and smiled: “So I won’t have to keep playing this damned living corpse much longer?”

Chang Huaqiang chuckled. “Almost. Once the other cases are solidified and Li Jun is eliminated, your body will be nearly healed. Then that little bitch is yours to deal with.”

“And that little bastard! He nearly killed me! He can’t walk away!” Chang Huazhong snarled.

Chang Huaqiang knew he meant Zhang Shaojie. He reassured him: “Huazhong, don’t worry—no one who harms a Chang family member escapes punishment. I’ll make sure that little bastard dies overseas. For now, let him enjoy a few more days of freedom. Once we’ve used Zhang Xiaoya as our blade, we’ll deal with him.”

The brothers laughed together. How could the Chang family ever let this go? To Chang Huaqiang, Zhang Xiaoya was now a killing blade—let her take down the poor devils in the old factory district, while he sat back and reaped the rewards without lifting a finger.

During the demolition, let her accidentally kill one or two civilians—then the Chang Corporation steps in as the great benefactor… Ha ha ha! Chang Huaqiang burst into loud laughter.

Everything was unfolding exactly as he had planned.

———

Though the winter night was biting cold, how could it restrain the passion of youth?

In the narrow alleys of Zizhen’s famous snack street, people had already forgotten the gruesome scene of Ling Wei’s exploded head. The small restaurants on either side were packed with diners.

At a table near the entrance of Wang’s Dry-Fried Chicken, four young people sat: Hu Jinquan and his wife, Gu Changzheng, and Fang Jie—the woman Gu Changzheng had met once.

Tonight’s gathering was Hu Jinquan’s idea. After learning Gu Changzheng had been suspended, he worried and invited him for a quiet drink, asking his wife to bring Fang Jie along—he hoped it would lift Gu Changzheng’s spirits.

But Gu Changzheng had suggested coming to Wang’s, the very restaurant where the incident had occurred just days ago.

They ordered the signature dry-fried chicken and a few side dishes. Outside, the cold bit hard; inside, warmth and chatter filled the air.

Hu Jinquan had planned to cheer Gu Changzheng up, but after a few drinks, he couldn’t hold back—he began voicing his outrage on Gu Changzheng’s behalf.

At the next table, a young man in a leather jacket, clearly a street tough, ignored his own companions and instead listened intently to the conversation at Gu Changzheng’s table.

The meal lasted nearly two hours. Hu Jinquan spent most of it venting. Though Gu Changzheng rarely responded, his gloom was unmistakable. When the gathering ended, Hu Jinquan suggested Gu Changzheng escort Fang Jie home—without pressing the matter.

Meanwhile, in Chang Huaqiang’s office on the fifth floor of the New World Building, the boss sat behind his desk, listening to a young man’s report. When the man finished, Chang Huaqiang pulled a stack of hundred-yuan bills from his drawer and tossed them onto the desk. “Take this to treat your brothers downstairs—this is a tip. Other expenses go on company account. That young cop—keep him under 24-hour surveillance. Rotate your men every hour. Don’t let him suspect a thing.”