Chapter 143

Considering that Leng Chuan is the leader of the Provincial Anti-Corruption Bureau, while the few people guarding the funeral home are merely minor prosecutorial officials, they certainly would not dare to oppose Leng Chuan.

After receiving instructions from Xiao Yunce, Chang Ming personally rushed to the funeral home.

The funeral home had set the cremation time for half past seven in the evening.

When Chang Ming hurriedly arrived at the scene, it was already past eight in the evening; the atmosphere on site was roughly as he had imagined, in a state of tense standoff.

Lin Dongfan sat cross-legged at the door of the mortuary.

The funeral home staff could not push the body of Shang Liang out of the mortuary, and those few prosecutorial officials were also helpless, able only to stand aside and stare.

Meanwhile, Leng Chuan walked back and forth with his hands behind his back at the mortuary door.

It looked as if he were taking a leisurely stroll.

In fact, he was using his leadership position to back Lin Dongfan; as long as Leng Chuan was there, those prosecutorial officials in Nanzhou would not dare to lay a hand on Lin Dongfan.

"Director Leng."

In terms of administrative rank, Chang Ming is half a level higher than Leng Chuan.

But Leng Chuan is the real power figure in the Provincial Anti-Corruption Bureau; although his title is deputy director, he actually wields the authority of the top leader, and has always been heavily relied upon by Provincial Party Committee Secretary Liang.

Faced with such a person, Chang Ming also did not want to break relations right away.

Upon meeting, they first exchanged greetings.

Chang Ming then offered a faint smile: "Can you give me some face? Take your subordinates and leave; this funeral home is not a place for idle talk."

When mentioning idle talk, Chang Ming glanced at Lin Dongfan.

Lin Dongfan acted as if he hadn't heard, still sitting cross-legged at the mortuary door, insisting on 'you say yours, I sit mine'—no matter which wind blows from east, south, west, or north, I remain unmoved by the eight winds.

Leng Chuan, with his hands behind his back, was even more composed and self-possessed.

Leng Chuan showed a faint hint of regret: "Chief Prosecutor Chang, I also wanted to persuade Lin Dongfan to leave, but his legs are his own; he won't get up from sitting, and I can't do anything about it."

That sentence left Chang Ming feeling so stifled he almost wanted to curse his mother.

Damn it, you call that having no way?

You clearly know you have no justification, yet you're putting on a performance act with me here!

Chang Ming, suppressing his anger with a smile, said: "Your task force is stationed in Nanzhou to investigate the corruption behind the September 28 forest fire case. Now you are overstepping your bounds by interfering in other matters—isn't that inappropriate?"

The two words 'overstepping' uttered outright amount to a blatant accusation.

Leng Chuan's eternally icy face instantly showed a faint smile: "Chief Prosecutor Chang, what have I interfered with? This time I truly don't understand what you're saying."

Are you playing dumb with me?

Chang Ming's anger became increasingly evident on his face as he issued a powerful, resonant warning: "Shang Liang died from criminal torture; to prevent public outrage from spreading, uphold judicial justice, and ensure social stability, the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government have explicitly ordered: no unrelated personnel may touch Shang Liang's corpse! Please leave at once."

"Chief Prosecutor Chang, may I ask whether we have ever at any time come into contact with Shang Liang's corpse?"

Although Leng Chuan's tone was calm, his eyes revealed an unquestionable authority.

The standoff atmosphere at the scene also instantly surged to its peak!

It made Chang Ming's face burn with anger.

If one says that Lin Dongfan, sitting cross-legged at the mortuary door, is playing the rascal and singing the white face, then Leng Chuan, feigning ignorance, is undoubtedly singing the red face.

The two of them coordinated with remarkable tacit understanding!

Seeing that soft tactics wouldn't work, Chang Ming's warning grew increasingly stern: "Although you haven't touched Shang Liang's corpse, you are now blocking the mortuary door, obstructing our work!"

"Now it's you shouting at me, not me shouting at you; may I ask what I am obstructing you from?" Leng Chuan smiled faintly, showing no intention to retreat.

Chang Ming's face darkened with anger: "Your subordinate Lin Dongfan is sitting at the mortuary door, blocking the way! He is suspected of provoking trouble and obstructing official duties—don't force me to take compulsory measures!"

Leng Chuan gave a faint smile, as if he hadn't heard.

He continued to walk back and forth with his hands behind his back in front of Lin Dongfan, silently warning Chang Ming and the others: "I'd like to see which of you dares to cross my line and lay a hand on Lin Dongfan."

This scene made Chang Ming so angry his face turned bluish.

Seeing Leng Chuan refuse to compromise, Chang Ming flew into a rage and roared at Lin Dongfan: "Lin Dongfan! Will you leave or not? This is your final warning!"

"Am I sitting on your family's kang-bed? Or on your ancestral grave?"

Lin Dongfan rolled his eyes, his contempt evident.

He had long since made up his mind like a weight on a scale; today, even if it meant death, he must guard this door and wait for the provincial department's forensic examiner to arrive and examine the corpse.

If Shang Liang's body is cremated.

Not to mention that it would be impossible to prove Shang Liang is Xiao Yunce's illegitimate child.

By then, the big black pot on Yang Qing's back would also be hard to shake off—criminal torture leading to a suspect's death! Once this is established, his life will be utterly ruined; he'll have to serve out his sentence to the end.

We're brothers in arms—how could I just watch him be ruined?

Lin Dongfan, speaking calmly, disparaged Chang Ming: "Earlier at the procurator's office, you stopped me from meeting Yang Qing—I had nothing to say. Now, this is the funeral home corridor, a public place! What's wrong with me sitting here in meditation? Damn, I'm speechless! I respect you, so I call you Chief Prosecutor Chang; if I didn't respect you, you'd be nothing."

"Someone! Arrest Lin Dongfan for me!"

Before Lin Dongfan could finish speaking, Chang Ming had already issued his angry order.

The few prosecutorial officials nearby immediately rushed toward Lin Dongfan; at that moment, Leng Chuan stood guard before Lin Dongfan like a deity protecting a gateway—one man holding the pass, ten thousand unable to break through.

He merely asked coldly: "Are you sure you want to use force?"

"Move aside!"

Since they had already broken relations, Chang Ming no longer gave Leng Chuan face, shouting thunderously; I don't know whether the corpse lying in the mortuary was frightened, but anyway Leng Chuan remained Leng Chuan.

Leng Chuan stepped back two steps, making a gesture of invitation: "Go ahead and arrest him; I hope you won't regret it."

"Arrest the troublemaker Lin Dongfan for me!" After giving the order, Chang Ming gave Leng Chuan a light smile, thinking, "You, Leng Chuan, are nothing special after all."

But in the very next second, Chang Ming was stunned.

As the prosecutorial officials lunged forward to seize Lin Dongfan, the moment their hands touched his arm, Lin Dongfan suddenly collapsed to the ground, wailing loudly: "The procurator's people are enforcing the law violently, beating people! I'm going to die..."

What is professionalism? This is professional rascal behavior!

Chang Ming was on the verge of collapse, almost wanting to rush forward and kick him twice, but he dared not; he held back until his face flushed red: "Lin Dongfan! Stop playing dead here! Who hit you? Get up!"

"I'm dying, my heart hurts so much!" Lin Dongfan clutched his chest and rolled on the ground: "Call 120, my wife is pregnant, I don't want to die, I can't let the child be born without a father..."

Faced with this scene, the several prosecution officers nearby were helpless.

Nobody dared to step forward and touch Lin Dongfan.

Leng Chuan glanced at Lin Dongfan rolling all over the ground, then at Chang Ming, and sighed helplessly: "I told you not to act, but you insisted, and this time I really can't help you."

"Lin Dongfan, you're picking a fight and obstructing official duties!"

Chang Ming let out a furious roar, and after shouting he regretted it so much his duodenum turned green.

As soon as the words fell, Lin Dongfan rolled to his feet, clinging tightly to his leg and begging: "Prosecutor Chang, I was wrong, please spare my life, don't kick me..."

"When the hell did I kick you? Let go!"

Chang Ming frantically shook his legs, trying to fling Lin Dongfan off, but the more he shook, the more he fell apart.

He had never seen such a shameless person as Lin Dongfan; this guy was like those little psoriasis ads on utility poles—once stuck, you couldn't shake him off, let alone scrape him clean.