Chapter 772

Quick! Go unlock the handcuffs! Release the person!

Chief Zhang almost shouted it out.

He stumbled back into the interrogation room, the door slammed against the wall with a loud bang, he lunged at Lin Dongfan, fumbling for the keys.

"Mayor Lin, Mayor Lin... a misunderstanding, a huge misunderstanding..."

Chief Zhang's voice trembled uncontrollably, the key wavered in the lock several times before aligning, "I'll open it for you right away... please be magnanimous, don't stoop to my level..."

Click.

The handcuffs opened.

Lin Dongfan slowly rose to his feet, flexed his wrist, and calmly gazed at the police chief who had just been arrogant.

Chief Zhang bent at the waist, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

He resembled a grandson, forcing out a smile uglier than crying: "Mayor Lin, you... please sit, I'll pour you tea..."

No need.

Lin Dongfan's voice lacked emotion: "Chief Zhang, can we talk properly now?"

"Yes! Yes!" Chief Zhang nodded vigorously: "Whatever you say goes..."

"All right." Lin Dongfan sat down again, gesturing to the opposite chair: "Sit, let's discuss today's matter."

Chief Zhang dared not sit, standing there with weak legs: "I'll just stand, I'll just stand..."

I told you to sit.

Three words, plain, yet carrying undeniable weight.

Chief Zhang plopped onto the chair, hands neatly on his knees, like an elementary student awaiting a teacher's scolding.

In the hallway, several police poked their heads to look this way, faces full of shock and curiosity—they had never seen Chief Zhang like this.

"Who else went on today's call besides you?" Lin Dongfan asked.

"And... there's Xiao Liu, Old Li..." Chief Zhang didn't dare conceal: "Six people total..."

Lin Dongfan asked again: "How much do you know about the scene?"

"Well..." Chief Zhang stammered: "At the time I just saw you... saw you standing alone, several people lying on the ground..."

So you thought I was assaulting people for no reason?

"No, no!" Chief Zhang waved his hands frantically: "It's... it's my work mistake, I didn't investigate thoroughly..."

"Work mistake?" Lin Dongfan looked at him: "Chief Zhang, you're a veteran police officer; you should know the investigative procedure better than I. Upon receiving a call and responding, what's the first step?"

It's... to understand the scene and control the situation...

"What did you do today then?" Lin Dongfan's voice remained calm, but each word felt like a needle piercing Chief Zhang's heart: "At the scene, you only heard the demolition company's side, didn't question the victims, didn't retrieve surveillance, didn't take witness statements, and directly cuffed people. Is that your procedure?"

......!!!

Chief Zhang lowered his head, not daring to respond.

"And..." Lin Dongfan continued, "That bald guy called Wang Lao San threatened the victim right in front of you, saying, 'Your daughter is quite pretty; you'd better watch out on her way to and from school.' Did you hear that?"

"... Didn't... didn't hear..."

Chief Zhang's panicked voice now lacked any trace of arrogance.

Lin Dongfan coldly asked: "Do you hear it now?"

I...

Chief Zhang was at a loss for words.

He had heard it then but pretended not to. In the western suburbs, the Chengxin Company people could say and do whatever they wanted, and he had long grown accustomed to turning a blind eye.

"You didn't handle it." Lin Dongfan finished for him: "Because you didn't dare, or rather, you didn't want to. Chief Zhang, how many years have you been in this position?"

Ten, twelve years...

"Twelve years." Lin Dongfan nodded: "Twelve years is enough for you to know the local rules inside out—who can be moved, who cannot, what matters you can manage, what you must pretend not to see—you know it all, right?"

......!!!

Chief Zhang's face turned ashen, his lips twitched wanting to argue, but he couldn't utter a word.

Because every word Lin Dongfan spoke was true.

"I came to Wuzhou today, originally not intending to reveal my identity so soon." Lin Dongfan stood, walked to the window, and looked at the two Chengxin Company vans in the yard: "I want to see what the real state of this city I'm about to govern is like."

He turned around, eyes blazing: "Now I've seen it. In broad daylight, evil forces threaten orphans and widows, smashing spirit halls. You arrived and didn't ask right from wrong, cuffing those who acted bravely. Good, very good!"

"Mayor Lin, I was wrong, I truly know I was wrong..." Chief Zhang said with a sobbing tone: "Give me a chance, I'll change, I will definitely change..."

"A chance?" Lin Dongfan shook his head: "Chief Zhang, some mistakes cannot be made even once."

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded in the hallway.

Lao Ba appeared at the doorway, behind him a middle-aged man about fifty, with a slicked-back hairstyle, wearing a dark blue jacket.

The man's face showed just the right amount of anxiety and concern; as soon as he entered, he hurried toward Lin Dongfan.

This man was none other than Wuzhou's top leader—Wang Qigang.

"Comrade Dongfan!" Wang Qigang extended his hand, tone warm: "You were frightened, you were frightened! I came late, truly sorry!"

Lin Dongfan shook his hand with moderate force: "Secretary Wang, thank you for coming in person."

"Of course, of course!" Wang Qigang kept holding Lin Dongfan's hand, sizing him up: "You're not hurt, are you? These people are really outrageous! To actually cuff you is simply unacceptable!"

As he said that, his gaze swept over Chief Zhang slumped in the chair, a flash of coldness in his eyes.

Chief Zhang shuddered all over, lowered his head, not daring to speak.

"I'm fine." Lin Dongfan withdrew his hand: "But that mother and daughter—her husband was driven to death, their spirit hall smashed, and they're still kneeling there crying. Secretary Wang, do you know about this?"

Wang Qigang's smile remained unchanged, but a flicker flashed deep in his eyes: "I just heard about this too. The demolition in the western suburbs is a key city project; perhaps the people below executed it with overly simple and rough methods. I've already sent people to handle it, and I will certainly give the public an explanation."

Four ounces move a thousand pounds.

Turning "forcing someone to death" into "methods overly simple and rough," turning "evil forces" into "the people below," turning "criminal crime" into "needing to give an explanation."

His officialdom rhetoric was perfected.

Lin Dongfan nodded: "That's good. However, Secretary Wang, since I've stumbled upon this matter today, I want to settle it right here before leaving."

Wang Qigang blinked: "Settle it here?"

Yes.

Lin Dongfan walked back to the table and sat down: "Please have Secretary Wang notify: first, ask the victim's family to come, bringing all materials; second, ask the person in charge of Chengxin Demolition Company to come; third, ask the responsible comrades from the subdistrict, housing and construction, public security, and letters-and-visits departments to come. Today we will hold an on-site office meeting at the West Suburb Police Station."

He paused, then added:

"By the way, please also have those few injured thugs in the hospital come over. Since they claim I assaulted them without cause, let's clarify things face to face."

Wang Qigang's smile stiffened slightly.

He had thought that by coming in person, saying a few pleasantries, and taking the people away, the matter would be over. He didn't expect Lin Dongfan to give him no face, but instead to direct him, the top official, on what to do.

He played outside the usual rules.

To kick up a fuss in such a tiny police station!

"Comrade Lin Dongfan, isn't this a bit rushed?" Wang Qigang chose his words carefully: "You've just arrived in Wuzhou and haven't officially taken office yet; why not rest a while? I'll have my subordinates handle this…"

"Secretary Wang."

Lin Dongfan cut him off.

His tone gentle yet firm: "The people's affairs cannot wait. The husband is dead, the spirit hall smashed, the orphan and widow kneeling there in tears. Delaying even a minute is dereliction of duty on our part."

The two locked eyes.

Wang Qigang's smile finally vanished completely.

He stared at Lin Dongfan for a few seconds, then slowly nodded: "All right, Comrade Lin Dongfan is right; I'll arrange it right away."

He turned and walked out of the interrogation room, pulling out his phone to dial.

In the hallway.

From down the hall came his lowered, angry voice: "... Yes, notify them at once… everyone, come over now! … Zhao Tianyu? Have him come too! He kicked up such a huge mess—he must be present!"

In the interrogation room, Chief Zhang seemed to have walked onto the Bridge of Helplessness, his face ashen as death! Today's matter had risen from a routine police mishap to a height he could never have imagined.

Chief Zhang felt as if he had walked onto the Bridge of Helplessness, his whole face ashen like dead ash! Today's matter has already risen from an ordinary police mishap to a height he could not imagine.