Chapter 304: Hu Hansan has returned

As soon as the County Public Security Bureau Chief heard it was my call, he happily asked me why I was looking for him so early in the morning—was there some other good news?

I laughed and said, "As long as the Bureau Chief is happy, I will provide as much good news as you want."

The Bureau Chief didn't speak, probably digesting the content of my words. In the fifty-plus years since Chunshan County was established, the public security system had never once made it into the top thirty in the province. Some said the Chunshan County public security system was a graveyard for cadres. There was a basis for this; in Chunshan County, once you reached the position of County Public Security Bureau Chief, it meant your official career had reached its end. For decades, not a single Bureau Chief had moved even half a step further.

What was particularly distressing was that while public security bureau chiefs in other counties could become members of the County Standing Committee, in Chunshan County, there was no such thing. Therefore, anyone with even the slightest bit of ambition was unwilling to take a post at the Public Security Bureau.

The current Bureau Chief had been there for nearly ten years, and while batches of cadres under him had changed like a revolving lantern, his own nest hadn't moved an inch. The presidents of the County Procuratorate and the Court had seized opportunities over the years to climb up, and several had left. Even the Justice Bureau Chief had been promoted to the city to hold an equivalent rank.

The Bureau Chief was frustrated, but there was no way out! Chunshan County was poor, the finances were difficult, and successive leaders had their eyes glued to the money bag, refusing to open it even a crack. This resulted in the Public Security Bureau having difficulty with case-handling funds; whenever they encountered a criminal case and thought about going outside to arrest someone, they had to worry about travel expenses for half a day.

The Bureau Chief had requested instructions countless times, but each time he was sent back to square one by Guan Peishan. Finally, the Bureau Chief had no choice but to hint to the case-handling personnel to find the victims to get funds for the case. For example, if someone found a suspect and needed the Public Security Bureau to step in and make an arrest, fine! Bring the money; without money, they couldn't go!

Some people reported this to the city and the province, but the city and province had no way to deal with it either, merely giving verbal criticisms. It wasn't that they didn't want to manage it, but they weren't willing to. Public security case-handling funds were allocated by local finance; if the local government didn't manage it, who would want to put a louse on their own head? If you want it managed, it's the same old story: bring the money!

The people reporting the complaints went back and forth, but eventually, seeing no hope, they stopped reporting. Instead, they began to understand and sympathize with the Public Security Bureau—without funds, you couldn't expect the officers to sell their blood to scrape together money for travel to handle cases, could you?

If you couldn't fix it openly, you did it secretly. Consequently, for decades, Chunshan County hadn't been able to scrape together even half a hair's worth of awards or honors in the public security system.

Now that a hero like Hao Qiang had suddenly emerged, the Chunshan County Public Security Bureau, after carefully reading the city newspaper, solemnly announced that changing the image of the Chunshan County public security system depended on this one move!

The Public Security Bureau's propaganda and political work division carefully selected three great generals from among the county's officers to assist Chen Meng in writing about Hao Qiang's excellent deeds. On the day the newspaper was published, they sent the advanced and excellent deeds material, along with the Hengyue Daily, to the desk of the Municipal Bureau Chief.

The Public Security Bureau's three pen-wielders used their flowery pens to decorate Hao Qiang's image to be incomparably brilliant and his thoughts incomparably great. After reading it, the Municipal Bureau Chief slapped the table and immediately expressed that Hao Qiang's deeds must be set up as a model, while also expressing grand praise and encouragement to the Chunshan County Public Security Bureau for cultivating such an excellent officer.

For the first time in decades, they had received such praise, and the Public Security Bureau from top to bottom was filled with pride. Of course, they all knew that the initiator of this matter was me.

Therefore, my call could easily reach the Bureau Chief's mobile phone.

"Town Mayor Chen, I haven't even thanked you yet, and your call has already come in. Tell me, what can I do to help you?" The Bureau Chief was very polite and exchanged pleasantries with me. As soon as I heard this, I quickly took the opportunity to go along with it.

"Bureau Chief, you really can help me," I said, joking without any hesitation.

The Bureau Chief was clearly very surprised, let out an "Eh" into the receiver, and asked me, "What is it?"

"Release people! You might have arrested the wrong people," I said, lowering my voice. "Bureau Chief, I have the instructions from Secretary He of the Municipal Committee here, requesting you to release the few people from our Suxi Town who are involved in the case."

"Is that so?" The Bureau Chief pondered for a moment and asked, "Really?"

"If you don't believe me, ask Director Mo," I said, wanting to hand the receiver to Lao Mo. Lao Mo dodged and refused to take it, walking to the side, bending down to open the iron lid on the stove, and cursing, "Who is on duty today? The son of a bitch doesn't know how to add coal?"

"What does Secretary Liu in the county mean?" The Bureau Chief was still worried.

"This case-handling matter is your Public Security Bureau's business; I'm afraid Secretary Liu doesn't have much to do with it, right?" I put the Bureau Chief in a bind. "Besides, the Municipal Committee also has instructions."

The Bureau Chief didn't speak, thought for a long time, and said, "Since you are already at the detention center, I will come over now, and we can talk face-to-face, alright?"

"I will await your grand arrival!" I hung up the phone with a grin. If the Bureau Chief was willing to come, it meant that releasing the people was eight or nine parts certain.

After waiting for more than an hour, the Bureau Chief finally arrived late. As soon as he got out of the car, he cupped his hands to me and said, "Thank you, Town Mayor Chen, for giving our Chunshan County public security officers a chance to show their faces."

Seeing that I had really invited the Bureau Chief, Lao Mo was so scared he looked ashen as he went to take the Bureau Chief's overcoat.

The Bureau Chief didn't say a word, waved his hand, and said, "What are you waiting for? Go release the people!"

Lao Mo went off in a fluster. He was actually happy in his heart; his wife, Li Fulian, had taken tens of thousands of yuan from me. Although it was nominally won through cooperation with me in gambling, in reality, anyone with a discerning eye could see that I had done it intentionally.

"I just heard the report. In a case of fighting and brawling resulting in death, it's best not to use methods casually before there is conclusive evidence. Besides, this matter has been handled well, and both sides have no objections. The social impact isn't that great either," the Bureau Chief said, looking at the departing Lao Mo and shaking his head. "Town Mayor Chen, don't blame him!"

I laughed, "How could I blame anyone? Actually, this fighting and brawling is indeed not right. What is there that can't be discussed properly? Since you want to fight, you have to take responsibility if something happens. Your Public Security Bureau is the protector of the common people!"

The Bureau Chief smiled with satisfaction, reached out his hand to me, shook it, and said sincerely, "We are one family, no need to speak of two families. Since everyone is free today, let's go have a drink together, how about that?"

I smiled and refused, saying, "Another day, alright, another day. Another day I will definitely invite the Bureau Chief to drink."

Just as we were talking, I saw Qian Youyu hanging his head, shrinking his neck, following behind Lao Mo's butt as they came out, and behind his butt followed a few fellow villagers from Yuetang Village.

Qian Youyu saw me at a glance, and a layer of mist covered his eye sockets. He wanted to run over, but seeing the dignified Bureau Chief standing beside me, he had to stand far away, timid and fearful.

"Going home!" I said, walking over to pat him on the shoulder and brushing off the snowflakes that had just fallen on him.

"Going home?" Qian Youyu looked at me in surprise, hesitantly looking back at Lao Mo behind him.

Lao Mo smiled dryly and said, "What? You don't want to leave?"

Qian Youyu was so scared he took a step back and quickly interjected, "Want to, want to. Thank the government, thank the government." As he spoke, he bowed and scraped to Lao Mo.

My nose felt sour. Poor Qian Youyu, a boss with a net worth of over a hundred million, had only stayed in this furnace for less than a month, and he had become dull, cautious, and terrified. Therefore, the principle that "official law is like a furnace" is true; even if you are a piece of refined steel tempered a thousand times, once you get into this furnace, it will still melt you into water, into mist.

I pulled him and said, "Old Qian, you have to thank our Bureau Chief. Today it was the Bureau Chief who found out the truth and cleared your name."

Huang Qishan bowed mechanically to the Bureau Chief again, his mouth repeating incessantly, "Thank you to the government, thank you to the government."

The Bureau Chief didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He glanced at Qian Youyu, shook his head, and said, "Town Mayor Chen, let's do it this way. It looks like you are busy today, so let's do as you said, and wait for you to invite me to drink."

I hurriedly agreed, then hesitated and said, "Bureau Chief, there are a few more people, let's just release them all together."

The Bureau Chief hurriedly asked, "What people?"

I said, "They are all people from this case, and there are a few from Laoyingzui. You can't release Qian Youyu and not release them."

The Bureau Chief became a bit irritable and shouted to Lao Mo, "Can't you just release them all together? Forget it, go do your work. I'm leaving first."

The Bureau Chief was afraid I would come up with some other trick, so he climbed into his small car and ran away in a puff of smoke.

When all the people involved in the case came out, I took them to finish the paperwork and walked triumphantly past the armed police.

As soon as we walked out of the detention center gate, Qian Youyu looked up to the sky and sighed, shouting loudly, "Damn it, Hu Hansan has returned!" ===== CHAPTER 305 =====