Chapter 238: This shot, turning defeat into victory

"Ah!"

Lady Liang had seen plenty of lecherous men in official circles.

But she herself was relatively clean, without so many scandalous affairs, and for a moment she didn't know how to conduct herself.

At a loss, she kicked Zhang Zui away, flashed barefoot to the side, and said with a trembling voice:

"Zhang, Section Chief Zhang, don't mess around."

"Madam.

"It's like this, Old Liang's matter is just the beginning.

"We have now verified that he is suspected of reselling civilian supplies, and there is even evidence of him transporting grain to the Red Tickets.

"Releasing him is only temporary.

"Once we continue to pursue the matter, he will definitely have to undergo interrogation.

"What your husband has done, I think you know better than I do.

"Coming to Beiping this time, the higher-ups issued a death order: corruption must be punished without leniency.

"Madam, it's hard to say, but Liang Yueshan might just end up on the guillotine."

Zhang Zui smiled.

As he spoke, he sniffed the lingering scent on his palm and said with a wicked grin:

"Madam, you are truly beautiful today.

"You know, sometimes for a man, beauty is more useful than money.

"From the moment you entered the room, I knew we were fated.

"Be with me once.

"I guarantee your Old Liang will definitely be safe and sound.

"How about it?

"Accompany me once; you won't lose a piece of flesh or a layer of skin, and you can preserve your wealth and glory for the rest of your life. Isn't this a very worthwhile deal?"

"I, I!" Lady Liang was somewhat persuaded.

She had dealt with the ladies in her circle.

For the sake of their husbands' careers and businesses, many had slept with others.

If Old Liang went inside, the whole family would fall apart.

Zhang Zui had done this kind of thing many times; seeing her hesitant attitude, he knew it was a done deal, and he forcibly pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately.

Lady Liang pushed and shoved a few times at first.

When the feeling came later, she went along with it half-heartedly.

The two of them ignored the table full of food and began to get intimate in the private room.

"What a pair of shameless dogs."

Li Ya, who had once worn green cotton socks, was furious listening in the monitoring room.

He threw off his headphones:

"Let's go, catch them with me!

"Remember, take photos on the scene, focus on the key points.

"Do you understand what I mean?"

"Understood, Captain Li." Gao Yuan and the others had caught adulterers once before; they were old hands at this.

Inside the private room.

Mrs. Liang sat on Zhang Zhiping's lap.

Right in the heat of it.

Li Ya kicked the door open and walked in.

"Collect evidence!"

He waved his hand.

Gao Yuan and the others brought their cameras close, snapping away from all angles.

Lady Liang jumped up in fright, hurriedly pulling her qipao down to tidy herself.

But she had stood up too abruptly.

Zhang Zui almost broke something, groaning in pain.

While covering himself and pulling up his pants, he shouted:

"Who are you people!"

"Don't ask us, who are you?" Li Ya asked with a smile.

"I am a commissioner of the Inspection Group; if you're sensible, get out." Zhang Zui flashed his credentials and started using official jargon.

"Inspector Zhang, it's exactly you we're looking for.

"Accepting bribes, molesting women.

"The evidence is solid, come with us."

Li Ya laughed dryly.

"You, who exactly are you people?" Zhang Zui asked in a deep voice.

"Li Ya of the Jinhai Station Action Team." Li Ya smiled coldly.

"From Jinhai Station?

"What is Jinhai Station doing running to Beiping?

"Captain Li, we have no grudges, there's no need for this."

Zhang Zui was completely confused.

"There is.

"If you want to blame someone, blame Lu Qiaoshan.

"Who told me to have a grudge against him? He wants to show his face, I'm not happy, so I can only wrong you."

Li Ya smiled contemptuously and opened the suitcase.

"Heh, not a small amount of stuff here, enough to buy a big mansion and a car.

"Taking people's money is one thing.

"But sleeping with someone's wife, that's going too far, isn't it?"

While speaking, Li Ya gritted his teeth and drove a knee into his waist.

"Ah!"

Zhang Zui's legs went weak from the pain, and he knelt on the ground.

"And you!"

Li Ya raised his hand and slapped Lady Liang: "Slut!"

Ptooey!

He spat, waved his hand, and said, "Take them all away."

In the car.

Wearing handcuffs and looking utterly disheveled, Zhang Zui begged:

"Captain Li, I, I was wrong.

"Give me a chance, I'll give you whatever money you want."

Li Ya couldn't be bothered to pay attention to him.

This wasn't about money.

If he didn't take down Lu Qiaoshan, it was a question of whether he could even survive.

Money could be earned slowly.

But he only had one life; there was no negotiating this.

"Captain Li, where are you taking me?" Zhang Zui asked.

"Where am I taking you?

"No rush.

"Rest for the night, and tomorrow when the photos of you two are developed, I'll send you back to the Inspection Group."

Li Ya drove the car into the Third Section's stronghold and locked them inside.

Then, he hurried to have the photos developed.

Having dealt with Zhang Zui.

Li Ya returned to the small house.

"Zhiyou, I've caught the person, and the evidence is all secured, including these bribes." Li Ya handed the suitcase to Hong Zhiyou.

"I won't look at it.

"Captain Li, haven't you been tight on cash lately?

"You can appropriately take a little.

"Money like this, it's a waste not to take it."

Hong Zhiyou smiled.

"That's true.

"I was extorted by Ma Hansan last time, and I still haven't recovered.

"Then this money, I, I'll take some?"

Li Ya raised an eyebrow.

"Take it." Hong Zhiyou smiled.

"Better not, in case some things become unclear later." Li Ya was only testing him and didn't actually take any.

If he were to take money, he wouldn't do it in front of Hong Zhiyou.

He had already taken two gold bars and a stack of US dollars on the way here.

"Suit yourself, if you're really short on money, you can borrow from the bank I introduced last time," Hong Zhiyou said.

"You've found the reporters and newspapers on your side, right?"

Li Ya asked.

"Rest assured.

"Including many media outlets with foreign investment, they've all been invited.

"I'll make sure to make the scene lively for you."

Hong Zhiyou said.

"Good, thank you, brother." Li Ya nodded.

He turned and walked out.

At the door, he suddenly turned his head:

"Zhiyou, I didn't misjudge you; I've decided to make you my brother."

"Thank you.

"We are... brothers!" Hong Zhiyou nodded at him with a serious expression.

"I'm off."

Li Ya walked out with his hands behind his back.

"Brothers?"

Hong Zhiyou curled his lip in self-mockery.

If he wasn't mistaken, Sheng Xiang had already notified Lu Qiaoshan, and that side should have prepared a countermeasure.

As for what kind of move it is, he'd know tomorrow.

Old Lu, I've given you the opportunity.

Don't be useless, damn it.

Inside the office.

Lu Qiaoshan was stepping up the search for evidence against Liang Yueshan.

"Section Chief, this is the evidence of Liang Yueshan's corruption and collusion, please take a look." Li Zhong handed over a stack of materials.

Lu Qiaoshan picked up a few to look at:

"Good, I know, you can go down first."

After Li Zhong left, he quickly closed the office door, picked up the phone, and dialed Zheng Jiemin's private line:

"Deputy Minister, it's Qiaoshan.

"Currently, we are investigating Liang Yueshan, a capable subordinate of Ma Hansan, and have already collected quite a bit of solid evidence; it will soon be time for Ma Hansan to bleed.

"But there is a mole inside our Inspection Group.

"Zhang Zui went behind my back and released the person early this morning.

"Moreover, he seems to have been followed by Ma Hansan's people, which makes things very difficult for me now.

"I want to investigate corruption.

"But a corrupt person appeared inside my own ranks first.

"If Ma Hansan and the major newspapers use this to block my mouth later, I won't be able to continue this inspection.

"Mm, mm.

"Good, thank you, Deputy Minister. The wind is strong in Jingling these two days, please take care of your health."

He hung up the phone.

Lu Qiaoshan let out a long sigh of relief.

Deputy Minister Zheng's meaning was very clear: the arrow is on the string and must be fired.

Ma Hansan is a tough nut to crack, but no matter what, he has to bite off a few pieces of meat; if the first fire of a new official is extinguished, he, as a Deputy Minister, won't be able to save face when it reaches Jingling.

Moreover, anti-corruption is also something Jianfeng has been pushing hard.

To retreat at this time would not only invite ridicule, but he wouldn't be able to answer to Jianfeng either.

Lu Qiaoshan, however, knew.

Answering to Jianfeng wasn't the important part.

The key was being unable to answer to his wife.

With the order, Lu Qiaoshan felt at ease.

Zhang Zui hadn't returned yet.

It was highly likely he had been taken away by Li Ya.

What kind of move would he make tomorrow?

Heh.

Let the winds blow from all directions, I myself... Lu Qiaoshan took his service pistol from the drawer with murderous intent in his eyes, clicked it to load, shook his hand, and mimicked a "biu" sound towards the front.

The next day.

In front of the Inspection Group office building.

Media from major newspapers gathered, numbering over a dozen, including authoritative papers like the Central Daily News.

Besides newspapers.

There were also progressive youth student groups and representatives from the industrial and commercial circles.

"Section Chief Lu, this is bad."

Li Zhong rushed into Lu Qiaoshan's office.

"Panic, what kind of decorum is this? What happened?" Lu Qiaoshan asked.

"Outside is surrounded by reporters and students.

"They say you have a special meeting today regarding the corruption case of Beiping's civilian and military supplies.

"They are all waiting for you now.

"But I see your schedule doesn't have this plan at all."

Li Zhong said.

"That's right.

"Someone wants to hold a press conference for me, letting me show my face in front of the national public.

"That's fine too.

"Let's go show it then."

Lu Qiaoshan smiled, closed his fountain pen, straightened his tie and attire, and walked toward the lobby.

At the door.

The big newspapers were naturally at the front.

Like the Beiping Central Branch, Beiping Daily, etc.

"May I ask when Inspector General Lu will arrive?

"Yes, we want to see Inspector General Lu."

Some reporters urged impatiently.

"Everyone, don't crowd, our Section Chief will be here soon, please be patient." At the door, guards were maintaining order.

Soon, Lu Qiaoshan walked over with high spirits, smiling and bowing to everyone.

"Everyone, feel free to ask any questions." Lu Qiaoshan smiled at everyone like a spring breeze.

"Section Chief Lu, may I ask what your attitude towards corruption is? You've been in Beiping for so many days, what results can the working group announce to everyone?"

The first to speak was a reporter from the Beiping Central Branch.

For this one sentence, someone had given her a gold bar.

"Zero tolerance.

"Absolute zero tolerance!

"No matter who it is, if they dare to disregard the interests of the Party, the State, and the people, they must be punished without leniency."

Lu Qiaoshan raised his right index finger and answered firmly and powerfully.

"I heard that Liang Yueshan of the Grain Bureau was released by you.

"Now the price of grain in the market changes every day, and the common people are almost unable to make ends meet; where did the shortfall of so much grain go?

"May I ask if the Inspection Group has found any clues?"

A reporter from the Yanjing Daily asked.

"That's right, hand over Liang Yueshan.

"In the whole city of Beiping, who doesn't know Liang Yueshan lives in a mansion and drives a nice car? Even his dog eats better than the common people. Why is he rich as oil while we have to go hungry?

"Hand over Liang Yueshan."

People in the back who were there for the spectacle started shouting.

For a moment, the crowd was indignant.

"Liang Yueshan, huh." Lu Qiaoshan feigned a difficult expression.

"Speak quickly, where is Liang Yueshan? We want to skin this grandson alive!"

The people below argued even more fiercely.

"Let me tell everyone where Liang Yueshan is." Li Ya emerged from the crowd, grabbed Liang Yueshan, and dragged him in front of Lu Qiaoshan.

"Everyone, my name is Li Ya, and I am the captain of the Jinhai Station Action Team of the Confidentiality Bureau.

"Recently, because of investigating the distribution of grain from the Jinhai warehouse, I tracked it to Beiping.

"Last month, Liang Yueshan colluded with underground black merchants and resold 8,000 tons of rice shipped from the Jinhai wharf.

"This person can be called heinous!

"But such a person, guilty of monstrous crimes with solid evidence, was released because the Inspection Group was ineffective and someone accepted bribes.

"Everyone, tell me, is there any law left?"

Li Ya shouted with a righteous face.

"That's right, the Inspection Group is breaking the law and accepting bribes.

"Get out of Beiping."

Those inside who had been bought off by Ma Hansan early on started shouting.

"Everyone.

"Do you know who released Liang Yueshan?

"It's this person.

"His name is Zhang Zui, and he is the Deputy Section Chief of the Inspection Group.

"Yesterday, when I was tracking clues, I happened to catch him accepting bribe money from Liang Yueshan's wife and having illicit relations with Lady Liang.

"These are the photos.

"Everyone can take a look!"

Li Ya took out the developed photos and handed them one by one to the reporters and representatives on the scene.

For a moment, there was an uproar in the venue.

Zhang Zui covered his face, hanging his head, wishing he could crawl into a crack in the ground.

"Captain Li, long time no see."

Lu Qiaoshan looked at the triumphant Li Ya, his smile remaining calm.

"Thanks for thinking of me." Li Ya smiled.

As he spoke, he turned his head to incite the crowd: "Everyone, the Inspection Group must give everyone an explanation."

"That's right.

"Must give us an explanation!"

There was another uproar below.

"Everyone, be quiet, I can answer any questions.

"Everyone, please don't crowd or make noise, okay?"

Lu Qiaoshan waved his hand and shouted.

"Chief Inspector Lu, your internal staff are greedy for bribes and beauty, and you released Liang Yueshan. May I ask how you explain this?" After the noise died down, a reporter asked.

"Regarding the release of Liang Yueshan, I was not aware of it.

"It was a decision made privately by Deputy Section Chief Zhang Zui behind my back.

"There are records of this in the archives, and there are multiple human witnesses."

Lu Qiaoshan said.

"The Inspection Group is ineffective and accepted bribes; this is an iron-clad fact, right?

"Is Inspector General Lu trying to shirk responsibility with a single Tai Chi move?"

Li Ya questioned.

After figuring out Jianfeng's attitude, he felt more and more that what he was doing was right.

Jianfeng hates corruption.

But he doesn't want to move Ma Hansan.

He himself is holding high the banner of anti-corruption while taking down Lu Qiaoshan, which is also a disguised way of protecting Ma Hansan.

This fits the wishes of the higher-ups perfectly.

The louder the outcry, the more it can be heard by Jianfeng.

"Of course not.

"I have said that our Deputy Minister Zheng and the Inspection Group have no upper limit on the intensity of rectifying corruption.

"Even if we have to cut into our own ranks, we will never be soft-handed.

"Everyone, what I have in my hand is the iron-clad evidence of Liang Yueshan's corruption.

"We will definitely put this person on public trial to give everyone an account.

"As for this Deputy Section Chief Zhang Zui, he knowingly broke the law, accepted bribes and sexual favors, a crime upon a crime; people like this are absolutely not allowed to appear in our Inspection Group.

"We must also kill one to warn a hundred, to give the people of Beiping an account."

Lu Qiaoshan said with a voice like a bell, sternly.

"Kill one to warn a hundred?

"Lu Qiaoshan, what do you want to do?

"I am a deputy-department-level official; even if I have committed a crime, I should be tried by the High Court. You, you have no authority to punish me."

Zhang Zui panicked somewhat and started arguing based on reason.

"No.

"For a harmful horse like you, living one more day is a disgrace to the Party and the State.

"According to the opinions of Comrade Jianfeng at the corruption seminar, as well as Deputy Minister Zheng's stance on the determination to severely punish corruption, I now announce that Zhang Zui knowingly broke the law, and the evidence of accepting bribes is solid.

"I hereby execute you on the spot to boost the clean spirit of the Party and the State!"

As Lu Qiaoshan said this, he pulled out his service pistol and pressed it against Zhang Zui's forehead.

"Lu Qiaoshan, you, you don't mess around.

"I have rendered meritorious service to the Party and the State, and I have shed blood in the Battle of Hengyang.

"I want to see Section Chief Han.

"I want to see General Zhang Wenbai.

"I want to see the Chairman and Jianfeng!"

Under the fear of death, Zhang Zui screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Everyone.

"For the sake of the people of Beiping, Qiaoshan is willing to express his ambition with blood today, swearing not to coexist with corrupt elements.

"This shot is fired for the people of Beiping who are currently hungry and cold!"

Lu Qiaoshan looked righteous and stern.

"Pa!"

He pulled the trigger.

In front of hundreds of people, he executed Zhang Zui with one shot at the entrance of the lobby.

"Good!

"Section Chief Lu is a good man.

"This is the kind of good official we common people in Beiping need!"

The eyes of the common people are sharp; no matter how loud the voices of those hired by Ma Hansan were, they were soon suppressed by the voices of the onlookers.

Originally, Li Ya and Ma Hansan wanted to use the momentum to smear Lu Qiaoshan.

Unexpectedly, they ended up letting Lu Qiaoshan earn plenty of praise.

Fresh blood splattered on Li Ya's face.

It felt a bit hot and numb.

Li Ya came back to his senses, only to see Lu Qiaoshan, as if Bao Longtu had been reborn, accepting interviews from major media and the cheers of the common people.

This... Li Ya was stunned.

No, how did a perfectly good hand of cards turn out like this?

"Everyone.

"Qiaoshan is busy with official business, and there are still a pile of corrupt elements waiting to be dealt with, so I won't chat with everyone anymore.

"I hope everyone understands."

Lu Qiaoshan immediately kicked his leather shoes and turned to salute in all directions with a standard military salute.

This again drew rounds of cheers from the onlookers.

After finally getting the crowd to disperse, Lu Qiaoshan walked to the side of the stunned and resentful Li Ya:

"Captain Li, the cafeteria has vegetarian dishes for lunch, would you like to stay and have a simple meal together?"

"Stop pretending, you reek of corrupt coffee." Li Ya said.

"Everyone is about the same.

"Those who drink tea aren't necessarily any better.

"I fell into your hands last time, but that was just carelessness; you must have been happy for a long time, right?

"Don't be in a rush.

"From the day I fell, I told myself that I must climb back up from where I fell.

"Today's play wasn't to prove how clumsy you are.

"But to tell you, your Brother Shan is always your Brother Shan; playing with me, you're not qualified enough!

"Wait, after I finish with Ma Hansan, the next stop is Jinhai.

"That means you and Wu Jingzhong!"

Lu Qiaoshan took off his glasses, wiped them, put them back on, and stared at Li Ya with a cold smile.

"Lu Qiaoshan.

"Don't be happy too early.

"Where are we even at?

"Let's wait and see, you won't be able to show your face, and you won't be able to go to Jinhai!

"I can take you down once.

"I can take you down twice, three times, a hundred times!"

Li Ya leaned in close to him, gritting his teeth and saying unyieldingly.

"Fine.

"Then let's wait and see, let's see who finishes first!"

Lu Qiaoshan's tone suddenly became light.

Leaving that sentence behind, he stopped paying attention to Li Ya and walked away quickly.

Damn it!

Li Ya cursed and walked away quickly.

He just didn't believe that with the help of two smart people like Hong Zhiyou and Ma Hansan, he could still fail in Beiping.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 239 =====