Chapter 916: Better to be a pawn than a henchman

Let go of me! You bastard!

Zheng Congwen, who had been knocked into the mud puddle by Gao Yicheng, struggled desperately. The two rolled in the mud, mud and blood mixing and smearing his face.

Zheng Congwen suddenly unleashed a loach-roll maneuver.

Finally he flipped over and straddled Gao Yicheng, both hands angrily choking his neck. At that moment, Zheng Congwen's eyes widened like copper bells, wanting to choke off Gao Yicheng's lifeline right there.

The next second.

Zheng Congwen then let out a miserable, anguished scream: "Ah!!!!..."

His fingers were almost broken by Gao Yicheng.

He failed to choke the neck, and instead Gao Yicheng turned the tables! In the instant of that anguished cry, Gao Yicheng pressed him hard into the mud puddle.

The age gap of over ten years was fully revealed at this moment.

Zheng Congwen struggled for five or six minutes, exhausted to the point of utter fatigue, yet still could not overcome Gao Yicheng, who had long been on the front lines of criminal investigation; his hands were cuffed behind his back by Gao Yicheng.

"Gao Yicheng! You've been suspended! What authority do you have to cuff me?!"

The furious roar echoed across the fields.

Gao Yicheng chuckled lightly: "Do I need authority to catch you? I'm acting as an ordinary citizen, cooperating with the relevant departments to apprehend fugitives—does that answer satisfy you?"

"You motherfucker, meddling in dog-catching mouse business!!!" Zheng Congwen struggled again, shaking his arms: "Let me go!!!"

"Dead mouse, what's the point of all this fuss? Get up!"

Gao Yicheng dragged Zheng Congwen up from the mud and all the way to the roadside. The white private car parked there still had its headlights on.

In the distance lay endless darkness, the chirping of insects in the rice paddies rising and falling, as if they were watching this night battle.

Under the car's headlights.

Gao Yicheng finally made out each other's faces, both smeared with soup and unrecognizable. But it didn't matter; even if Zheng Congwen was born in the Year of the Loach, he couldn't break free of those handcuffs now.

"Stand here, don't move."

Gao Yicheng pressed Zheng Congwen against the front of the car, got in, washed his hands with the remaining half-bottle of mineral water left by the original owner, then found the mobile phone that had fallen in the car.

He dialed Lin Dongfan's number.

From the phone came a groggy, half-asleep mumble; it seemed Mayor Lin, with his wife and kids and warm kang, was sleeping quite well.

"Mayor Lin, this is Gao Yicheng. I've caught the guy; he's on the rural road thirty li south of the city, and I'll send you the exact location. He's suffered a head injury, but it's not serious—he won't die."

"You're not hurt, are you?"

Lin Dongfan's concerned voice came through the phone.

Gao Yicheng felt his wet, sticky occiput, pulled his hand back to look, and saw not much blood on it. Strange—he felt no pain, probably numb; the mud also had a staunching effect.

Gao Yicheng replied: "This bastard hit me on the occiput; the injury is about the same as his—nothing fatal."

"Hold on a bit longer, I'll now notify the Provincial Department people," Lin Dongfan replied.

Gao Yicheng simply replied "Okay," hung up, then sent the location over and leaned against the car front to light a cigarette.

Quietly waiting for the Provincial Department personnel to arrive.

Zheng Congwen sat slumped against the car's front, covered in mud, the blood on his head already congealed and smeared across half his face, looking as miserable as a stray dog.

Yet his eyes still betrayed a cold, steely will.

"Gao Yicheng, do you have any idea how much trouble you've stirred up?!"

"I don't know; go ahead and tell me."

"You haven't been a criminal investigator for just a day or two—use your pigbrain to think: why would I have received word before the Provincial Department took action?"

"Why?"

Gao Yicheng exhaled a puff of smoke; even the mud couldn't hide the smile curling at his lips, as if he were truly innocent and oblivious to everything.

This act of feigning ignorance while knowing the truth made Zheng Congwen increasingly angry.

But anger can be useful.

In the end, he still had to grit his teeth and endure.

Zheng Congwen said solemnly: "Up there, someone doesn't want me caught! You should know, once I'm nabbed, many people will lose sleep and appetite! You're not opposing me now—you're opposing a Provincial-ministerial level bigwig! Even if you send me to prison, do you think you'll have a bright future? Naive!"

Such threats at that level, if placed on Xu Jialiang, might make him tremble with fear.

Unfortunately, Gao Yicheng is not Xu Jialiang.

He spent five years as a narcotics officer on the southwest border, a drug-enforcement hero who took a bullet and lived; in his life he has never compromised with evil forces.

"Heh, which Provincial-ministerial level bigwig is so awesome? Tell me, see if you can scare the hell out of me." Gao Yicheng took a slow drag of his cigarette; the instantly glowing ember resembled a spark.

Zheng Congwen glared hatefully at Gao Yicheng, saying nothing.

Gao Yicheng laughed again: "Leader, go on, what are you hesitating for? Hurry up and let me feel the intimidation of a Provincial-ministerial level bigwig."

"!!!!..."

Zheng Congwen's inner fury thought: If I, Zheng Congwen, am a beast in your eyes, then you, Gao Yicheng, are no saint either!

Damn, you actually tried to worm words out of me!

Back when I used to hang suspects' toes for interrogation, you were still running around in split pants! Trying to show off fancy gun tricks in front of me—are you qualified?

Zheng Congwen snorted angrily: "Gao Yicheng, if you want to worm words out of me, you're still too green."

"Worm words?"

Gao Yicheng chuckled again: "Leader, you're overestimating me. As I just said, I'm merely a nosy ordinary citizen; it's not up to me to worm words out of you."

"Don't play smart with me."

Zheng Congwen forcibly suppressed his rising anger.

He forced himself to appear calm and unhurried: "I've been transferred to the City Bureau for over three years. During that time, nominally I'm the deputy chief, but in fact I wield the chief's authority. When has Luo Zhiwei ever dared to put on airs in front of me? Think back—has he ever dared to oppose me?"

"You're awesome."

Gao Yicheng gave a thumbs-up and laughed again.

But whether this is specifically satire or something else, Zheng Congwen no longer cares.

Zheng Congwen said: "If you still have a bit of brains, you should know what Luo Zhiwei is wary of. After Lin Dongfan took office in Wuzhou, Luo Zhiwei has been on long-term sick leave. Do you think he's really unwell? He's just trying to stay out of trouble. He knows some things can't be touched, some people can't be provoked."

"You mean I, Gao Yicheng, am a big idiot? The hornet's nest even Luo Bureau doesn't dare poke, I went and poked it?" Gao Yicheng wore a puzzled expression.

Zheng Congwen snorted angrily: "Good that you know; it's not too late to see the situation clearly."

"Scared the baby to death!"

Gao Yicheng lightly patted his chest to calm himself.

Again he asked Zheng Congwen: "Since your political savvy is so high, let me ask you a question: compared to the princeling of the Jing circle, what rank does that big shot I can't afford to provoke hold?"

……!!!

Zheng Congwen's face instantly turned black to the extreme; this darkness wasn't from being covered in mud, but from feeling stifled and resentful, held in like a grandson.

Now Gao Yicheng laughed again: "Leader, has your IQ dropped below the line? Why aren't you speaking?"

Gao Yicheng!!!

Zheng Congwen was so angry his eyes were about to pop out.

He flew into a rage and roared: "You've been suspended for so long! Has anyone reached out to help you? Childish! In the eyes of those bigwigs, you're nothing but a pawn they can use at will."

"Leader, I'm really sorry, I'm just born to be a troublemaker." Gao Yicheng laughed like a carefree street punk, took a drag of his cigarette, and spoke his mind: "I lack no virtue in the five elements; I'd rather be a pawn of the princeling than be your lackey, Zheng Congwen—aren't you angry?"

You!!!

Zheng Congwen couldn't catch his breath, and with a puff, he spat out two taels of black dog's blood on the spot.