Chapter 1014

The special care ward of Jinxian County Renmin Yiyuan had been temporarily converted into an interrogation room.

Doors and windows were shut tight, curtains drawn fully, only a harsh white desk lamp was on, its light shining directly on Chen Cheng's face.

He half lay on the hospital bed, his right leg encased in thick plaster fixed to a frame, his complexion sallow, eyes bloodshot—since his leg was broken, he hadn't slept a peaceful night.

Yang Qing pulled over a chair and sat before the bed, while the clerk sat nearby with a notebook, pen hovering over the paper, ready to record.

There was no cold iron chair, no blinding interrogation lamp, and Yang Qing even handed Chen Cheng a bottle of mineral water.

"Chen Cheng, take a sip of water to wet your throat." Yang Qing's tone was flat, like small talk: "I know your leg is inconvenient, so I didn't bother taking you to the bureau; we can talk here in the hospital, more comfortable."

Chen Cheng gripped the water bottle, his fingers whitening, eyes wary as he looked at Yang Qing.

He had seen many interrogations—either threats and lures or fatigue bombardment—but Yang Qing's relaxed demeanor instead made his skin crawl.

"Director Yang, I've said everything I need to say—Sun Bingliang's leg was his own fall, and I merely have ordinary work dealings with Bureau Chief Fu; there's nothing else." Chen Cheng forced out, his voice hoarse.

Yang Qing didn't respond, pulled a tablet from his briefcase, placed it before Chen Cheng, and opened a video.

The video showed Wang Fugui's interrogation.

Before the camera, Wang Fugui sobbed, snot and tears streaming, pointing at the screen and cursing: "Chen Cheng, you son of a bitch! It's all you who dragged me in! Five years ago you had me find someone to break Sun Bingliang's leg, you forced me to fake the agreement! And Fu Xinping—you gave him two million to cover up the mine's pollution; I've confessed it all! Don't try to tough it out!"

Chen Cheng's body jerked, his face instantly turning ashen.

He never expected that weak-willed Wang Fugui would confess so quickly!

"Look, your good brothers have all confessed—why are you still holding out?" Yang Qing picked up the tablet, swiped casually: "This is just one segment; he also confessed to many of your private dealings—casino cuts, usury, forced buys and sells; the evidence is all here. Want to take another look?"

Chen Cheng's lips trembled, his eyes darting: "He… he's lying! We're framing each other!"

"Framing?" Yang Qing laughed, then his tone turned sharp: "Where did the three million in your account come from? Last March you transferred five hundred thousand to Fu Xinping's mistress—what's that about? And Meng Qinghe's daughter Meng Wanjing—you spent eight hundred thousand on carnival gifts in her livestream just to get Mayor Meng to approve your mining permit; you forgot that?"

With each word, Yang Qing leaned in a fraction, his sharp gaze like a blade, making Chen Cheng feel uneasy all over.

Chen Cheng's forehead beaded with cold sweat, his breathing grew rapid.

These were secrets he'd buried deep in his heart—how could Yang Qing know them so clearly?

"You… you're spitting blood! I didn't!"

Chen Cheng still resisted, but his voice had lost its strength.

Yang Qing stopped arguing, suddenly stood, walked to the ward door, and shouted outside: "Bring the stuff in!"

Soon, two police officers entered carrying a tray with a set of patient garb and a small plastic box.

Yang Qing picked up the plastic box, opened the lid, and inside were several white pills.

"Do you know what this is?" He pushed the pills toward Chen Cheng: "It's painkiller for your leg injury, but it has a side effect—it makes you tell the truth, uncontrollably."

Chen Cheng's eyes widened instantly, shaking his head in fear: "I won't take it! You're coercing a confession! I'll complain!"

"Coercion?" Yang Qing scoffed: "We're not forcing you; this medicine is prescribed by the hospital. If you don't take it and your leg hurts later, don't blame us for not warning you."

He paused, tone tinged with amusement: "And do you think you still have a choice? Wang Fugui has confessed; we have bank flows, transfer records, witness testimonies. Even if you stay silent, that evidence is enough to convict you—at most it'd add a few years."

"But if you confess, laying out everything about Fu Xinping and Meng Qinghe clearly, we can seek leniency for you—maybe even save your life."

Chen Cheng's heart began to waver.

He looked at his plastered leg, recalled Lin Dongfan's icy gaze, remembered the evidence Yang Qing had just cited, and a sense of despair welled up.

Yang Qing saw his hesitation and pressed: "Chen Cheng, you're smart too—you know what to do and what not to. Fu Xinping and Meng Qinghe are now preoccupied; they won't care if you live or die. If you keep clinging to illusions, you'll end up on a dead end."

He picked up the water bottle on the table, twisted off the cap, and handed it to Chen Cheng: "Drink some water, think it over. When you've decided, tell me—I'm listening."

Chen Cheng stared at the water bottle, silent for a full ten minutes.

During those ten minutes, the ward was so quiet you could hear his own heartbeat. A faint ache throbbed in his leg wound, each pang reminding him of his predicament.

Finally, he seemed to have made up his mind.

He jerked his head up, eyes blood-red, voice hoarse: "I'll talk… I'll tell you everything!"

A faint, almost imperceptible smile crossed Yang Qing's face as he nodded to the clerk: "Take it down."

"Five years ago, Fu Xinping tacitly allowed me to break Sun Bingliang's leg!"

Chen Cheng's voice trembled with tears as he began to spill: "He said Sun Bingliang wanted to make a big fuss, didn't know his limits—handle it however you could. Afterwards, he helped me bury the case and had me forge a loan agreement to seize the Sun family's land."

"The mine's illegal pollution was also smoothed over by Fu Xinping. He takes benefits from me every year, totaling five million over time! And that two million—it's no 'sponsorship fee'; he forced me to take it, saying it was to give gifts to City Bureau leaders."

When he mentioned Meng Qinghe, Chen Cheng's body shuddered again: "Mayor Meng's daughter does livestreams; Fu Xinping had me buy gifts, saying it would connect me with the mayor. I spent eight hundred thousand total, and indeed Mayor Meng later approved my mining permit. Once, Mayor Meng's son wanted a car; Fu Xinping had me send a Mercedes worth over a million!"

The more he spoke, the more agitated he became, dumping all the wrongdoings he'd done with Fu Xinping and Meng Qinghe over the years—from intentional injury to bribery, from illegal mining to forced transactions—each item shocking.

The clerk wrote furiously, recording every word Chen Cheng spoke.

Yang Qing sat aside, occasionally interrupting to press for details, ensuring the statement's truthfulness.

Two hours later, Chen Cheng finally finished, exhausted, leaning against the headboard, tears sliding down his cheeks.

He knew that this confession not only dragged Fu Xinping and Meng Qinghe down, but also pushed himself into an abyss of no return.

But he felt no regret.

Better to go down fighting than be abandoned by those two; at least he could still strive for a chance at leniency.

Yang Qing picked up the statement, reviewed it thoroughly to ensure nothing was missing, then told the clerk: "Organize it, print it out, and have him sign and fingerprint."

Then he rose, looked at Chen Cheng, and said calmly: "Thanks for your cooperation. Rest assured, we'll handle this according to law—we won't wrong an innocent person, nor let a guilty one go."

Having said that, Yang Qing turned and left the ward, picked up his phone, and dialed Lin Dongfan: "Mayor Lin, Chen Cheng has confessed everything; Fu Xinping and Meng Qinghe are implicated too—the evidence is solid!"

On the other end, Lin Dongfan's voice carried a hint of icy smile: "Good! Notify them at once—take compulsory measures against Fu Xinping and Meng Qinghe, freeze all their assets completely; they must not be allowed to flee!"