The news that Fan Changtian, deputy secretary of the Zhonglou District Committee, had been taken away by comrades from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection at a meeting spread like wildfire. Panic gripped the entire Zhonglou District officialdom, with rumors flying everywhere.
Some said Fan Changtian had embezzled and accepted bribes amounting to hundreds of millions; others said he kept dozens of mistresses; still others said he bought and sold official positions. In short, rumors were rampant, and no one could distinguish truth from falsehood.
But one thing was certain: after being taken to the Hubin Hotel where the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection was staying, Fan Changtian never emerged.
District Public Security Bureau, Economic Investigation Brigade.
Chen Yang remained calmly seated, looking at Lu Xun with an relaxed expression, as if it were Lu Xun, not himself, who was about to face imprisonment. Lu Xun gritted his teeth, determined to teach Chen Yang a lesson after his detention.
An eerie silence fell over the interrogation room. Suddenly, Lu Xun's cell phone, which was on the table, rang urgently, breaking the awkward stillness.
Lu Xun glanced at the caller ID, his face cold as he answered the phone:
"What is it?"
After a few words on the other end of the line, Lu Xun's face turned pale instantly. His suspicious gaze quickly swept over Chen Yang's smiling face, and he hung up the phone without a word.
At this moment, Chen Yang, who had remained silent, suddenly asked with a smile:
"Secretary Lu, have you received the news?"
A hint of panic flashed across Lu Xun's face. His previous arrogance vanished completely. Facing Chen Yang's intense gaze, Lu Xun nervously looked away, forcing a smile as he said:
"What news? You'd better confess your crimes immediately! Otherwise, you will face severe legal punishment!"
Chen Yang chuckled. He said slowly:
"What news? Secretary Lu should know best! Deputy Secretary Fan Changtian should already be at the hotel where the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection comrades are staying..."
Upon hearing Chen Yang's words, Captain Shi's expression changed drastically. He quickly turned his gaze to Lu Xun, who looked utterly dejected and pale. He immediately guessed what had happened; it seemed Chen Yang had been right.
But Lu Xun had only just received the news, while Chen Yang had been in the interrogation room the whole time. How did he know? Could it be that he had orchestrated all of this? Captain Shi's gaze towards Chen Yang was filled with fear. The radiant smile on Chen Yang's face sent a chill down his spine.
At that moment, a policeman pushed open the interrogation room door and entered, holding an arrest warrant that had just been stamped by the procuratorate.
The policeman, oblivious to Lu Xun's grim expression, smiled as he entered and said,
"Of all the arrests we've handled, the procuratorate was quick this time, stamping it without a word! Secretary Lu, should we take the suspect to the detention center first…?"
"Xiao Li, stop!" Captain Shi quickly interrupted the policeman, glancing nervously at Chen Yang. Chen Yang's smile remained unchanged, still so amiable, but it sent a shiver down Captain Shi's spine.
This was the man who had brought down even Secretary Fan! And it was the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection directly involved; Captain Shi knew all too well what that meant. Lu Xun finally came to his senses. He weakly said,
"I have a meeting later, I have to go..."
Xiao Li, however, was still confused. Seeing Lu Xun inexplicably get up and leave, he quickly waved the arrest warrant behind him and asked,
"Secretary Lu! What about the suspect..."
"You handle it yourselves!" Lu Xun waved weakly and staggered out of the interrogation room.
"This..." Xiao Li looked at Captain Shi, somewhat puzzled.
Captain Shi frowned, snatched the arrest warrant, and coldly said,
"Alright, you can go now!"
Lu Xun left without a second thought, leaving Chen Yang here. What should he do with this hot potato? Let him go, but the arrest warrant approved by the procuratorate had already been obtained; he couldn't bear the responsibility if anything went wrong later. Detain him, but thinking of the terrifying power and influence behind Chen Yang, Captain Shi dared not do it again. Captain Shi was at his wit's end.
Just then, Chen Yang stood up and slowly walked to the interrogation table. Captain Shi looked at Chen Yang nervously, wondering what he wanted.
Chen Yang reached for the arrest warrant stamped with a bright red seal and examined it carefully, remaining silent for a long time. Captain Shi and the officer taking notes didn't dare breathe, staring intently at Chen Yang as if he were their superior, not a suspect.
After a while, Chen Yang finally asked with a smile:
"Captain Shi, I heard this thing requires the person to sign and put their fingerprints on it! Can you show me where I should sign?"
"This…this…" Captain Shi didn't know how to answer Chen Yang. If he pointed it out, and Chen Yang actually signed his name and held out his hands for him to take him to the detention center, what should he do then? Seeing the two trembling police officers, Chen Yang curled his lip, somewhat disheartened. He knew they were just following orders; in the Zhonglou District, Fan Changtian had given the order, and they had no choice but to obey. There was no point in making things difficult for these comrades who did the actual work.
So Chen Yang casually tossed the arrest warrant onto the table and said indifferently:
"Fine, I won't make things difficult for you. Just find me a comfortable place to stay. You should receive the release notice from above soon!"
Captain Shi was stunned for a moment, then immediately let out a long sigh of relief, saying repeatedly:
"Okay, okay! This way, please!"
With that, Captain Shi led the way for Chen Yang, guiding this distinguished guest who had been a prisoner just minutes before, to a seat in the brigade's reception room.
Who says spoiled brats are all unreasonable? This guy is quite sensible! "Whoever offends him will be dealt with accordingly; he'll never make things difficult for us small fry..." Captain Shi thought to himself, relieved that he had maintained a relatively good attitude throughout, unlike those corrupt detectives. Moreover, Chen Yang seemed quite approachable. If it had been a hot-tempered scion of a powerful family, the entire Economic Crime Investigation Team would have been in turmoil today.
Entering the reception room, Chen Yang first took out his phone and dialed Luo Bin's number, saying with a smile:
"Luo Zi, this is Chen Yang! Please tell Director Shen that the 'Social Focus' program can proceed with the normal approval process for broadcast in three days. However, I suggest they change the focus of the report to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection's swift action after receiving the report, and the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection's close cooperation, using thunderous methods to expose the major corrupt official Fan Changtian!"
After Chen Yang hung up the phone, Captain Shi's gaze towards him was filled with even greater awe.
"Social Focus"! That's a flagship program of the national television station! Director Shen Yiping of the program team is a well-known figure in China. Judging from Chen Yang's tone, he seemed capable of commanding him—what kind of power did that entail?
Moreover, he had already arranged for a media offensive, determined to destroy Fan Changtian! Captain Shi was already silently mourning for Fan Changtian, wondering what had gotten into him to provoke a little devil like Chen Yang.
After Chen Yang sat down in the reception room, Captain Shi busied himself serving tea, snacks, and other necessities, running around attentively.
…
At the Lakeside Hotel, throughout the morning, the joint task force established by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection frequently summoned officials from Zhonglou District for questioning. The sessions varied in length, and some, like Fan Changtian, never emerged.
A sense of unease spread throughout Zhonglou District.
Inside the district government building, Xu Maorong sat at his desk, his mind racing. The news of Fan Changtian's arrest by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) was already widespread. Unlike others, Xu Maorong was more terrified. He recalled the words of the mysterious "Brother Cheng" from the previous night, his face devoid of any personal emotion.
"When we need you out, we'll have someone notify you!"
At the time, Xu Maorong had been somewhat puzzled, but now he understood completely. It seemed everything had been arranged, a meticulously planned process.
Xu Maorong knew Guo Li couldn't possibly have such power—both the CCDI and underworld figures. Could it be…?
The image of Chen Yang's young face flashed through Xu Maorong's mind, and a cold sweat broke out on his brow.
Just then, the phone on Xu Maorong's desk rang. He stood up reflexively, nervously answering the call. The voice on the other end, devoid of any emotion from Brother Cheng from the previous night, came through the receiver:
"You can go and confess to the special investigation team now..."
...
At the Lakeside Hotel, Xu Maorong took a taxi and arrived alone. He looked up at the hotel sign, took a deep breath, and walked into the lobby.
Half an hour later, a young, slender figure appeared at the hotel entrance. If Guo Li were here, he would recognize her immediately—it was Song Xiaoyun, the office clerk, who actually worked as Guo Li's secretary.
Song Xiaoyun's expression was complex. She was still thinking about the words of the sunny boy who had come to see her last night:
"Life's hardships cannot be an excuse to violate one's principles. Turn back! You haven't fallen too deep yet."
The young man she had met briefly in Director Guo's office didn't wait for her promise. He left 100,000 yuan in cash and left alone.
Last night was a sleepless one for Song Xiaoyun, filled with immense inner turmoil.
Song Xiaoyun's father was a retired boiler factory worker. In recent years, the factory had struggled financially, and his pension was frequently delayed. Although Song Xiaoyun had passed the civil service exam, both she and her husband were chronically ill with medication, leaving the family struggling financially.
To make matters worse, after the factory was restructured and sold to a Hong Kong businessman, Song Xiaoyun's father was diagnosed with N-type toxicology, requiring weekly dialysis. The dialysis alone cost two to three thousand yuan a month, and with various medications, the family faced financial collapse.
Under these circumstances, Section Chief Xu Maorong approached Song Xiaoyun with 50,000 yuan, offering her false testimony against Guo Li, promising her another 100,000 yuan upon completion.
Desperate, Song Xiaoyun, after a fierce internal struggle, finally accepted the illicit money and gave a false testimony.
These past few days, Song Xiaoyun has been unable to eat or sleep properly. The money, a burden she couldn't bear, was quickly spent on her father's medical expenses, but her conscience was tormented. Only after Chen Yang understood the whole story and found Song Xiaoyun alone did he realize that she wasn't inherently bad. He earnestly advised her for a few moments, left her the 100,000 yuan he had withdrawn beforehand, and left.
Song Xiaoyun's conscience was deeply troubled. She knew perfectly well that her testimony implied someone was targeting Chen Yang, yet he had disregarded past grievances and even provided her with a large sum of money. This deeply moved her.
Early that morning, Song Xiaoyun made up her mind to confess everything to the organization. Then, news spread that Fan Changtian had been taken away by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Surprised and bewildered, Song Xiaoyun resolutely chose to come to the special investigation team's headquarters at the Lakeside Hotel to explain the situation.
At the hotel entrance, Song Xiaoyun paused. She knew that taking this step would essentially mean the end of her civil service career. But almost without hesitation, she pushed open the revolving door and strode inside…