Chen Yang had been fully cooperative with the police from the beginning, but the moment Lu Xun spoke, Chen Yang met his gaze without fear, his smile vanishing instantly, and he coldly asked:
"Who are you?"
The temperature in the interrogation room seemed to drop instantly. Lu Xun's face darkened further, and the second-level police inspector quickly said:
"This is Secretary Lu from the District Discipline Inspection Commission..."
"Discipline Inspection Commission?" Chen Yang's lips curled into a mocking smile. "What are the Discipline Inspection Commission comrades doing here when the police are handling a case?"
*Slap!* Lu Xun slammed his hand on the table and roared, "Outrageous! You're suspected of bribing demolition office staff. I'm in charge of this case, why can't I be here?"
Chen Yang didn't even blink. Facing Lu Xun's aggressive anger, he simply said calmly, "Is that so? Isn't the Discipline Inspection Commission the Party's disciplinary inspection agency? I'm neither a Party member nor a state cadre. Even if I'm suspected of economic crimes, what does it have to do with your Discipline Inspection Commission?"
"You...you're just spouting nonsense!" Lu Xun was furious at Chen Yang's blunt words.
The second-level police inspector, with his considerable experience, saw the situation escalating and the interrogation about to stall. He quickly tugged at Lu Xun's sleeve under the table, giving him a meaningful look. Reminded by the second-level police inspector, Lu Xun calmed down immediately. Thinking of Fan Changtian anxiously awaiting the results, he snorted coldly and said sullenly,
"Captain Shi, you ask him!"
Captain Shi nodded, flipped through the documents in his hand, and continued to ask:
"Chen Yang, according to our investigation, the demolition compensation agreement you signed has the highest average compensation standard among all residents in the Hengxiang demolition area, almost touching the compensation control red line set by the district committee. Do you have any explanation for this?"
Chen Yang calmly said:
"There's nothing to explain. The compensation agreement fully complies with the standards; there are no violations…"
"Hmph! Openly colluding with demolition office staff to exploit loopholes in national policies for personal gain, and you even have the nerve to argue!" Lu Xun couldn't help but reprimand him again. Chen Yang rolled his eyes and said calmly,
"Captain Shi, if this high-ranking official from the Discipline Inspection Commission interrupts me again and spouts nonsense, I will refuse to answer any questions!"
"You…" Lu Xun was about to explode again.
Captain Shi quickly pulled Lu Xun back and then asked,
"Have you given money to Guo Li, the director of the demolition office?"
"Of course not!" Chen Yang denied it without hesitation. Captain Shi glanced at the statement and said,
"Don't answer so quickly. Since we've brought you here, we must have evidence. According to the testimonies of several staff members at the demolition office, you went to the office on July 16th with a shopping bag, but left empty-handed. Guo Li's secretary even inadvertently saw you hand the shopping bag to Guo Li in his office."
Captain Shi glanced at Lu Xun beside him and continued,
"When the Discipline Inspection Commission lawfully searched Guo Li's office, he didn't even have time to move this bag, which contained 100,000 yuan in cash..."
"This is a complete and blatant frame-up! I haven't given Guo Li a single penny, nor did I bring any shopping bag to the demolition office. The district government office building has surveillance cameras; you can check the footage..." Chen Yang said calmly. Lu Xun, who had maintained a composed demeanor, revealed a barely perceptible hint of panic upon hearing this. Under Fan Changtian's instructions, he had fabricated a series of evidence but had forgotten this crucial detail. However, he quickly regained his composure and said with a cold laugh:
"That's utter nonsense! So many days have passed; the surveillance footage has long been overwritten by newer records. Where are you going to find it?"
Regardless of whether the footage had been overwritten or not, Lu Xun was determined to report this situation to Fan Changtian immediately and conduct a thorough review to prevent any unforeseen complications.
Chen Yang's icy gaze swept over Lu Xun, and he firmly shut his mouth, leaning back leisurely in his chair without uttering a word.
He meant what he said. He had already stated it, and since Lu Xun was still oblivious to his impending doom and kept interrupting him, he naturally didn't need to give him a pleasant look! Captain Shi felt a sense of helplessness at Lu Xun's repeated interruptions to the interrogation. However, Lu Xun was a leader in the district discipline inspection commission, so he couldn't say much. He could only sigh inwardly before offering his advice:
"Chen Yang, I hope you will cooperate with the police and honestly confess your crimes to try and receive leniency."
Leniency? Chen Yang sneered inwardly. Once the bribery was proven, would Fan Changtian, under Fan Zihong's instructions, let him off so easily? His three years of university would have been wasted; he would definitely be expelled. And 100,000 yuan was a considerable sum; he would likely face several years in prison! Seeing Chen Yang remain silent, Captain Shi continued,
"I'm truly looking out for you. Don't think we can't close the case just because you won't speak. We've already established a complete chain of evidence. Your confession or not won't affect the prosecution. Your continued refusal to admit the crime will only lead to a harsher sentence in the future!"
Chen Yang couldn't help but reveal a mocking smile, then simply closed his eyes and ignored them.
Captain Shi looked helplessly at Lu Xun. Chen Yang's reaction was exactly what he expected. Having worked in economic crime investigation for many years, Captain Shi could naturally see that much of the so-called evidence was flimsy. However, this was a political task personally assigned by the district committee leaders, and he had no choice but to carry it out.
Lu Xun coldly stared at Chen Yang and said,
"Captain Shi, he's putting up a stubborn resistance, refusing to admit defeat until he's faced with a fatal blow! We'll just wait here! The comrades you sent to the procuratorate should be back soon!"
Fan Changtian personally gave the order, and the efficiency of each unit was exceptionally high. While Chen Yang was still being interrogated, someone had already gone to the procuratorate to process the arrest warrant. With Secretary Fan personally overseeing things, the procuratorate was naturally getting the green light.
Lu Xun was now thinking that after the procuratorate approved the arrest, he would find someone to put in a good word with the detention center, making sure Chen Yang suffered inside. That kid was too arrogant!
...
Zhonglou District Boiler Factory.
The district committee and government's on-site meeting was being held here. The reform of the boiler factory had always been a major headache for Fan Changtian; he had significant problems with this project.
The boiler factory had been performing poorly for years, requiring the government to cover its annual deficits. Zhonglou District was also under immense pressure and proposed a reform plan for the boiler factory at the beginning of this year.
Even while the plan was still in the certification stage, news spread like wildfire, and well-informed individuals swarmed in like sharks smelling blood.
The dilapidated boiler factory suddenly became a hot commodity simply because the land where it stood had become incredibly valuable in recent years.
Finally, a company from Hong Kong Island beat out numerous competitors, acquiring the boiler factory for a mere 120 million HKD. The factory was sold as a whole, and the company was also obligated to assume the factory's historical debts and relocate its employees.
However, after purchasing the factory, this Hong Kong company neglected its management, focusing instead on real estate development. Many factory buildings were demolished, and commercial streets and residential buildings were constructed.
The original boiler factory workers were taken in, but with no production, they only received a basic wage of four or five hundred HKD, barely enough to cover their basic needs. Sometimes, even their basic wages were delayed.
As a result, the long-time workers at the boiler factory protested. Seeing the machinery rusting away while the investors were only focused on real estate profits and completely disregarded their livelihoods, the workers began to petition the authorities.
At first, it only reached the district level, but it gradually spread to the city and province, and some individuals even went directly to Beijing to petition. If the Beijing liaison office hadn't reacted promptly, it could have escalated into a major incident.
This made Fan Changtian extremely nervous. He had accepted a huge bribe of three million yuan in connection with the sale of the boiler factory. Normally, Fan Changtian wouldn't have been so audacious; he was somewhat helpless, though. This Hong Kong company had somehow gotten involved with Fan Zihong, even giving him a 20% stake.
So, as soon as news of the boiler factory's restructuring spread, Fan Zihong immediately called him. This was a request Fan Changtian couldn't refuse, so he had no choice but to accept it.
However, this company also knew that doing business under Fan Changtian's leadership meant they didn't forget to give him benefits. In front of Fan Zihong, they presented him with a huge briefcase filled with three million yuan in cash.
After much hesitation, Fan Changtian accepted the money. He understood Fan Zihong's peculiar logic; refusing would be disrespectful.
However, the three million yuan was a hot potato. This Hong Kong company was behaving erratically, its profiteering reckless, which sparked a strong backlash from the workers. Fan Changtian was practically a firefighter, overwhelmed with problems.
This time, Fan Changtian was determined to resolve the issue completely. He personally visited the boiler factory, accompanied by relevant leaders from the district committee and government, and convened an on-site meeting with representatives from both the investor and the factory.
Fan Changtian sat in the center and spoke eloquently:
"Director Tian, you must educate the workers to prioritize the overall situation! The Hong Kong businessmen are here to invest; they are naturally looking for profits. Moreover, they just stated that a certain percentage of the profits from the first phase of the project will be reinvested in the boiler factory to rebuild at a new location. Then the workers can all return to work. The difficulties are temporary..."
At this moment, the door to the factory's meeting room was suddenly pushed open. "Who's so disrespectful! They didn't even knock..." Fan Changtian looked up, slightly annoyed, and saw Shi Zhongshan, the district discipline inspection commission secretary, walking in with two young men.
Fan Changtian frowned slightly and asked,
"Old Shi, is there something urgent?"
Shi Zhongshan's expression was strange. At this moment, the two young men behind him stepped forward and stood in front of Fan Changtian, saying seriously,
"Comrade Fan Changtian, we are staff members of the Seventh Discipline Inspection and Supervision Office of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. We need to verify some information with you. Please come with us!"
The meeting room fell into a deathly silence; everyone's minds seemed to have frozen. Fan Changtian, who had just been speaking eloquently and confidently, suddenly turned pale. His mind was buzzing, and after a long while, he managed to say with a blank expression,
"Okay...okay..."