Chapter 1096: Room Search

Immediately afterward, the door was violently kicked open, and several police officers rushed into the room.

The leading police officer shouted hoarsely, "Police are conducting a room search, turn on the lights immediately!"

Su Yang furrowed his brow again. He had thought they would have to tangle for a while before the police might break down the door, but he didn't expect them to arrive so quickly.

The woman just now reached out to turn on the light, then crouched on the floor with her head in her hands, saying, "It's none of my business!"

The police officer glanced at the woman and said, "Take out your ID cards; what is the relationship between you two? Explain clearly!"

Su Yang said nothing, merely watching the group's performance coldly.

The woman said, "I… I didn't bring my ID, I don't know him, I just came to provide him with services."

As soon as she opened her mouth, she directly admitted her role. This was obviously problematic.

The leading police officer glanced at Su Yang, then at the woman, and said, "You don't know him? If you don't know him, why are you in his room? Why did you get on his bed? Why are you here to provide services? A hostess like you still dares to spout nonsense! Handcuff both of them and take them to the bureau!"

Su Yang said coldly, "I don't know who she is, I didn't have her come to provide services, and I have had no relationship with her. Also, who ordered you to conduct this room search?"

The leading officer saw Su Yang's demeanor, his complexion changed noticeably, realizing he had hit a wall.

They had suddenly been ordered today to crack down on prostitution and illegal activities, and they came to the Coal Hotel. Normally, this place is not one that these junior police dare to enter. But the order they received tonight was indeed like that, and they could not disobey, so they had to come.

On the way there, someone sent a message ordering a strict inspection of the rooms on this floor, and he could only comply.

Su Yang stopped wasting words with the leading officer and directly called the County Party Committee's chief steward Ran Xuefeng: "Ran Xuefeng, you come to room 1013 of the Coal Hotel immediately! I want to know who issued the order for the room search and who gave them the authority to break down the door?"

Then he looked at the pale‑faced junior police officer and said, "Tell me, who sent you?"

The police leader, even if his brain were in a knot, should have known he was dealing with someone whose rank was at least above Deputy Director Ran Xuefeng of the County Party Committee Office, and this person was so young; he suddenly thought of something, and his complexion grew even paler.

He stammered, "We received a public report that there is prostitution in the hotel, so we came for a surprise inspection."

Su Yang gave a cold smile; this old‑fashioned trick was being played on him, and it seemed even the coal bosses were no different.

Moments later, Ran Xuefeng appeared in the room drenched in sweat; he first shouted at the police officer, "Who sent you here to conduct an operation? Do you know that this room is occupied by our Secretary Su? A police officer, can you not even know the secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission?"

The leading police officer's face turned yellow and said, "I… I came after receiving a public report, I… I'm sorry, Secretary Su, I didn't know it was you."

Su Yang asked coldly, "What is your name? Which sub‑bureau are you from? What position do you hold?"

The police leader wiped the sweat from his forehead and trembled, "My name is Liu Qing, I am a squadron commander of the Public Security Brigade of the municipal bureau."

Su Yang said, "Alright, I'll remember you. For now, we'll handle it as a so‑called public report; you must interrogate this woman thoroughly and find out who sent her to my room."

"If you can't find out, if you can't get a clear answer, don't blame me for being impolite. Remember, I need the interrogation results by tomorrow noon; if you try to be clever, I don't mind stripping you of that police uniform."

Ran Xuefeng said coldly, "Won't you hurry and take your men away, instead of continuing to block Secretary Su here? Also, be sure to remember Secretary Su's words and investigate the matters behind this thoroughly; otherwise no one can save you!"

Liu Qing staggered away with the woman; had he known that the new Deputy Secretary and Political and Legal Affairs Commission Secretary were in this room tonight, he would have pretended to be dead rather than leave this post.

After the others left, Ran Xuefeng whispered, "Secretary Su, I think this incident is most likely because those hostesses wanted to make money, so they resorted to such extreme measures."

Su Yang said coldly, "Since you say the hostesses wanted money, the Coal Hotel, if I'm not mistaken, is the top‑tier hotel in our county, right? Where did they get the room cards? Could it be that the entire hotel is involved in prostitution?"

"Do you mean that these so‑called hostesses are colluding with the hotel, taking cards to enter guests' rooms every late night? If so, then inform Public Security Bureau Director Xu Jinxi to immediately inspect the entire Coal Hotel!"

"If you can't find anything in a day, investigate for a week; if you can't find anything in a week, investigate for a month; if you can't find anything in a month, investigate for a year! As the Political and Legal Affairs Commission Secretary, I should have the authority, right?"

Ran Xuefeng fell silent instantly; he was actually trying to force an explanation, and if Su Yang's mind were a bit 'clear', he would realize this was the result of offending certain people and being targeted, and should muddle the matter down, making a big issue small and a small issue disappear, leaving everyone with a decent appearance.

But he was wrong, because he was dealing with Su Yang.

Finally he could only stammer, "You are right; indeed my thinking was too naive. We should interrogate this woman rigorously to see if she was directed by someone. But could the inspection of the Coal Hotel be eased a bit? After all, in our county…"

His words were cut off by Su Yang: "Remember, don't tell me that the county's development relies on these coal bosses, that the county's fiscal revenue is entirely supported by the coal industry! I have already made that clear at the banquet."

"Now I only want to tell you, either have this woman clarify who is behind her, or I don't mind reporting this matter up to the Municipal Party Committee, even the Provincial Party Committee! A senior county official being framed—what a terrible situation that is?"

"Either start inspecting the hotel from tomorrow to see whether the hotel and all the hostesses are colluding in organized prostitution, or, if that is the case, it's time for a crackdown!"

The reason he spoke so heavily and without mercy was to use Ran Xuefeng as a mouthpiece to convey every word to those watching him from the shadows. He does not want to stage this clumsy trick again.

After handling these matters, Su Yang finally locked the door, but still did not dare to sleep too deeply. He only fell asleep when dawn approached the next day, and woke up at 8:30.

He hurriedly got ready and went to work at the County Party Committee and County Government compound. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw a dense crowd doing morning exercises in the relatively spacious yard, and at the front of the line was County Party Committee Secretary Pan Wenhai.

Su Yang's mind involuntarily 'shrunk': what on earth are these people doing? Early in the morning, abandoning work to run exercises? It seemed that the County Standing Committee members were all present, and Ran Xuefeng hadn't even informed him.

He was still puzzling over it when a man wearing black‑rimmed glasses rushed in behind him, panting heavily, yet he couldn't afford a moment's rest and hurried to join the exercises.

At that moment, Pan Wenhai's exercise squad had reached the two of them; he glanced at Su Yang and the tardy cadre, then stopped.

"Comrade Wang Ping, our county mandates collective drills; why are you late? Who gave you the authority to be late? Do you still have the organization in your eyes?"