Chapter 331: Please, Second Prison, Do Not Shield Feng Mu

Late afternoon, nearing evening.

Inside the Executive Government office building.

Lou Duan sat on the sofa, watching a news interview inserted on the television.

On the television, that young Patrol Captain's expression was stern, his words resounding:

"... And based on the clues I have already grasped, Gong Lao absolutely did not die by suicide, but by homicide. I judge that Second Prison Guard Feng Mu has major suspicion!"

His voice carried an undeniable firmness, a look of one who cannot coexist with evil:

"I demand that the Second Prison side take the initiative to cooperate, and escort the suspect Feng Mu to the Patrol Bureau to accept detailed investigation and questioning.

Any form of shielding behavior is intolerable. We must pursue the truth, give the deceased a truth, and also uphold the fairness and justice of the law!"

Lou Duan gazed at the resilient young face inside the television, the corner of his mouth slowly curling upward, tracing a complex arc, seemingly approving, yet carrying a few hints of mockery:

"Young people are just unafraid of death, daring to wade into any muddy water. Fine then, I'll give you a chance."

After pondering briefly, Lou Duan picked up the phone on the office desk and dialed an internal call to Warden General Liu Bo:

"Warden General, the Second Prison matter has already stirred up a huge commotion. The Patrol Bureau side has even issued a case announcement. We can't do nothing; the impact is too terrible."

Warden General Liu Bo fell silent for a moment on the other end:

"It's still too early to draw a conclusion on the Second Prison riot. After all, Qian Huan is unconvinced. This morning I called him, and he actually rudely hung up on me."

Lou Duan narrowed his eyes and coldly snorted:

"Over a hundred prison guards died, yet he still dares to hang up on you. Has he not realized the severity of the problem, or does he have nothing to fear?"

Liu Bo did not answer Lou Duan's question. He could see the Second Prison riot was very problematic. He did not want to get dragged in. This was also why he disliked Qian Huan's attitude yet delayed taking action for so long.

All these years, Liu Bo has been able to sit firmly as the head of the Prison System by relying on steadiness.

Without figuring out the patterns of this chess game, without seeing clearly who all the players are, Liu Bo would not easily make a move or pick a side.

Even if Qian Huan looks precarious, the methods of big shots turning clouds and overturning rain — he hasn't failed to witness them.

To many people, he Liu Bo is a big shot, yet Liu Bo still treads on thin ice, because he understands the truth that there are always people beyond people, power above power.

The Second Prison incident is like a tangled, complex chess game.

On the surface, it seems merely a contest between the Prison System and Tian Guang Capital, but in reality, the deeper layer behind it is a game between the Executive Government and Guangming Group.

Liu Bo could sniff out a trace of unusual danger from within it.

Liu Bo was uncertain whether Lou Duan was dragged in. He didn't want to ask. Only out of sentiment for an old subordinate did he vaguely give a reminder:

"Qian Huan perhaps has backing, perhaps not. Neither is important.

What's important is that the Executive Government has still not expressed a stance today. As a subordinate department of the Executive Government, in principle, we must keep in step with the Executive Government."

Lou Duan's brows furrowed slightly, his mood turning heavy in an instant. He understood the warning in the Warden General's words.

He took a deep breath, a surge of unwillingness rising in his heart, then asked with a probing tone:

"Why does the Executive Government not express a stance? The crying and wailing of the victims' families downstairs, I find it piercing even through the window. It shouldn't be like this. What are the Councilors upstairs thinking, just letting things continue to ferment?"

A complex expression flashed across Liu Bo's face. He didn't know the Councilors' calculations either. He could only helplessly let out a long sigh:

"Lou Duan, you must understand a principle. Those below fight to the death over a piece of meat, a pile of people die. But those above still eat at the same table. The dead are merely seasoning sprinkled during the cooking process."

Liu Bo paused. He actually counted as a decent leader. He didn't want Lou Duan entangled too deeply in this chess game. This was for Lou Duan's sake, and also for his own.

But some words he couldn't say too directly. Say them too directly and it's easy to get them stuck on your own hands, impossible to wash clean. So he could only stop at the point:

"The cooking process needs seasoning. The more seasoning needed, the more it shows the delicacies on the table are delicious. The more delicious the delicacies, the more patience the guests have!"

After speaking the last word, Liu Bo hung up the phone, not giving Lou Duan a chance to continue pressing.

Lou Duan listened to the busy tone on the phone, then looked again at the resilient young face in the television lens. His complexity shifted uncertainly, then he slowly placed the phone back in its cradle.

"The old fellow's words weren't finished. Following his logic further, it should be: the more patient the guest, the more noble; the more noble the guest, the more they eat people without spitting out bones."

Lou Duan's brain spun rapidly. He was naturally unwilling to let go of this fatty meat that was the Second Prison, but he was even more unwilling to turn himself into seasoning:

"The old fellow's courage is a bit small, but he's lived long. He definitely smelled the scent. Perhaps I should listen to him?"

Lou Duan pondered for a moment, then suddenly opened his mailbox and looked at the two suicide notes received earlier inside.

Correct. Gong Lao's suicide note was indeed sent to him. This was a chess move carefully arranged by Zhao Xing. However, what Zhao Xing did not anticipate was that after Lou Duan received these two suicide notes, he took no action whatsoever.

Lou Duan neither brought the suicide notes to a meeting for discussion, nor revealed the slightest breath of it to the outside world.

This caution stemmed from Lou Duan's plan from the very beginning: to use Zhou Hu and Zhao Xing, then discard them. He only wanted to eat the meat, yet not get stained with the blood of a hundred-odd lives.

Moreover, there were two suicide notes one after another. Behind them, an eerie strangeness was blatantly transparent.

Lou Duan moved the mouse, gently moving it to the delete key. The instant his finger was about to press down, he paused.

"Try it. Just carefully probe once. See if the Second Prison has really been served up on the big shots' dining table. If it really has, then I'll pull back. If not…"

Lou Duan was still unwilling in his heart, not completely giving up:

"It just so happens there's a ready-made nail among the informants. A chess piece that delivered itself to the door. Waste not, want not."

"I'll just probe slightly!"

"And I'm not targeting Qian Huan. I'm only targeting a small prison guard under him. Should be no big problem, right!"

Two hours later.

Two hours later, on the Prison System's official website, an eye-catching "Announcement" was released.

The announcement's content was lengthy, spanning several hundred words. The main meaning was simply:

The Prison System deeply believes in Prison Guard Feng Mu's innocence. At the same time, to cooperate with the Patrol Bureau's investigation work, they have already instructed Feng Mu to voluntarily go to the Patrol Bureau to "surrender."

The announcement expressed trust in the Patrol Bureau, hoping they could swiftly ascertain the factual truth, clear Feng Mu's grievances, and restore his innocent reputation.

(End of Chapter)