"I'll go with you," Zheng Guo said dejectedly. He glanced at Wang Gang as he left, his eyes filled with utter despair. Wang Gang felt a chill run down his spine; a cold wind swept across his neck as if a steel blade were clamped between it. Before he could react, two prosecutors approached, formally presented him with evidence and documents, and handcuffed him. Wang Gang slumped into a chair, only being dragged out by someone holding him.
As the two walked out of the police station, they saw a gleaming police car parked at the entrance. Zhao Yunlong, a former member of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, and Lin Feng, the captain of the criminal investigation team and deputy director, stood quietly by the car door, watching them leave.
Within a single day, Jiangdong City, which had just undergone a major upheaval, experienced another dramatic shift. One great drama ended, and another began. Some rejoiced, while others grieved. At the No. 98 Heavy Penitentiary in the suburbs.
The warden's office. The sky was overcast. The warden, still racking his brains at his desk, pondering a plan to deal with Li Yang, finally couldn't find a good solution. His head throbbed with pain, and he slumped onto the desk, drifting off to sleep. A thunderous banging on the door rang out.
"Who the hell is this? Are you looking for death?!" In Prison No. 98, he was the king; no one dared to bang on his door like that. The sudden banging on the door ignited his already agitated and furious temper, causing him to erupt in rage.
Chapter 976: Terrified
"Warden, Warden, something terrible has happened! Something's gone wrong! The situation has changed!" a prison guard shouted in a panic.
"Get out!" the warden roared in fury. "It's just a change in the weather! Is it windy or rainy? Why are you so nervous? Is your mother getting married? You're hopeless."
A moment later, a soft knock sounded again. It was the same prison guard, who whispered, "Warden, isn't your phone ringing? It's the one with the red internal line." The warden then realized something was amiss. He'd been having a vivid dream, pinning a beautiful young woman down on the table, about to penetrate her, when the guard's banging on the door startled him awake, causing him to lose his composure in a fit of rage. Now, with a moment's respite, he'd regained some clarity and guessed that none of the guards would dare disturb him during his lunch break unless something serious had happened. This guard's brazen banging—could something serious have occurred? He glanced at the red internal phone. He broke out in a cold sweat; he'd pulled the cord himself. All he wanted was a peaceful nap. Had something terrible happened while he was sleeping?
"Come in," the warden said in a deep voice, rubbing his face and sitting up straight. The door opened, and the prison guard looked at the warden with a panicked expression, panting heavily, his eyes unfocused and lifeless, as if he had been shocked by something unbelievable.
"Look at you, you look like a ghost!" the warden said disdainfully.
"No, no. I was terrified by those things. Warden, please turn on the computer and look at the news. Something terrible has happened." The prison guard rushed to the computer and turned it on. A moment later, the machine turned on, and a random portal website opened. The bright red headline read: "Longteng Group, a domestic real estate giant, has its chairman, Zuo Yongchun, imprisoned for allegedly manipulating equity transactions." It immediately blinded the warden.
"Ah—how could this happen? My five million! Five million!" The warden screamed like a madman; he hadn't been this agitated even when his mother died. The people from Longteng Group had come to him demanding he kill Li Yang, paying a five hundred thousand yuan deposit, with the remaining balance to be paid after the deed was done. Now, with this mess, his five million yuan was completely gone.
Although the five million was gone, there was one person who insisted on carrying out the order even if he didn't get a single penny: Cai Qingni, the number one playboy in Jiangdong City, also demanding that he kill Li Yang. When he heard these two pieces of news, he almost jumped for joy. Such a good thing? Killing two birds with one stone! He could please his superior and gain a huge fortune at the same time. Damn, could anything be more satisfying or amazing?
But when the meat grinder finally died, his heart sank. He realized that Cai Qingni was not someone to be trifled with, and that five million yuan was not easy to swallow either. It almost choked him. Now he was racking his brains for a way to kill Li Yang. Poisoning was a brilliant plan, but Li Yang seemed to completely ignore what they sent him. He had been locked up for days, sitting there without eating or drinking, like a dead man. This infuriated the warden to the point of madness.
Seeing this news today was like the last straw that broke the camel's back. He slammed his fist on the table, his face contorted, his lips twitching, and he let out a bloodcurdling scream: "When I was doing this, you son of a bitch! Why didn't you stop me!" The warden, enraged, kicked a guard in the backside, hissing and shaking his head, still sweating profusely from the pain. It's clear how much this news affected him.
"The situation has indeed changed. How could something like this happen to Longteng Group in just a few days? Everything was fine before. Who exactly is targeting Longteng Group?" The warden pondered as he sat down and opened the nationally sensational news report, carefully studying it in an attempt to find some clues behind the incident.
"Warden, stop looking! Something's happened. It's not just Longteng Group. There are others too!" a prison guard said cautiously, afraid of touching on the warden's sensitive spot and making him lose his temper.
"What is it?" the warden asked without turning his head.
"The situation has changed drastically," the prison guard whispered.
"Damn it, how many times have you told me? I know things have changed. Hasn't it changed? The Longteng Group is about to collapse. What could be bigger than this?" The warden shouted angrily, his eyes flashing like lightning.
The prison guard cursed his bad luck. He had come to curry favor, but instead, he had triggered the warden's temper, causing him to go through waves of madness and take it out on him. But since he was already there, there was no going back. If he didn't finish speaking, the consequences would be even more serious. If he delayed the warden's business, his job would be over.
“And—” the prison guard said fearfully.
"Anything else?" The warden's eyes practically popped out of their sockets. Was there anything more sensational than the collapse of the Longteng Group?
"Yes, yes." The prison guard felt his voice was barely louder than an ant's.
"What is it?" The warden was also surprised, staring wide-eyed as he waited for his answer.
"Gulp." The prison guard nervously swallowed, stammering, "Secretary Cai has been placed under investigation. Secretary Zheng is under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Director Wang is in jail, and Young Master Cai is imprisoned. Mayor Ye has returned as acting secretary, Secretary Zhao has been reinstated, Captain Lin Feng has been appointed as the director of the Public Security Bureau, and Captain Guan Ling remains Captain Guan but also serves as the deputy director..."
"Stop, stop, stop... Are you sure you're not out of your mind or been kicked by a donkey?" The warden glared at the prison guard, like an old dog about to starve to death seeing a chicken bone on the ground.
"I...I'm sure," the prison guard said through gritted teeth, nodding.
"How is this possible?!" the warden shouted, almost spitting out a mouthful of black blood. These people were all his superiors and his backers, and they had all collapsed like this. He, a small fry, wouldn't fare much better. If the vine is torn off along with the melon, even if he hadn't done anything illegal or disorderly, he would still be taken along.
"If you don't believe me, you can go out and ask around," the prison guard said excitedly.
The warden shoved him aside, his hands trembling as he plugged in the red telephone cord, panting heavily as his fingers frantically dialed a number. But the phone rang for a long time before being answered. The person who answered was cold, hesitant, and stammering, as if they had something extremely important to hide. They kept humming and hawing at his questions, refusing to answer. The warden was so frustrated he wanted to smash the phone, but then he remembered that if he smashed it, he wouldn't be able to make any calls, so he held back.
He was panting heavily, and now he was truly beginning to believe it—something serious had indeed happened, and the world was about to change. His internal contacts would never have produced such a result. Even those in higher positions would have been more polite and less deferential, or they would have been hesitant and timid, afraid to say anything like they were today. They weren't truly keeping their mouths shut; they were simply terrified.
Chapter 977: Shocked
In this magical land, miraculous things often happen. However, society today is no longer like ancient times, where adults could decide the life and death of countless people with a single word. Yet, the fact that such things can still happen today is enough to demonstrate the immense power of rule by man.
He slumped in his chair, his head buzzing. He was trying to calm himself down and then search for clues and parts of the situation that he could use. Cai Lan and others had fallen, and Ye Qing had become the acting secretary. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the "acting" title would be removed after the People's Congress meeting after the New Year, making him the real secretary and the undisputed top leader of Jiangdong City.
Who is the person most closely associated with Secretary Ye and who is sworn enemies with Cai Lan and others? Is there anything I can use to help him? The prison guard spoke boldly again, saying, "Warden, that Li Yang is still in our prison."
The warden's heart nearly leaped out of his chest. He suddenly understood what he had been fearing. Who was Li Yang? He was the uncrowned king of Jiangdong City's underworld, a mortal enemy of the Cai family and their ilk, and a close, trusted partner of Secretary Ye. A while ago, Secretary Cai's faction seemed to have achieved a complete victory, and Li Yang had proactively appeared to ensure Secretary Cai's final triumph. He had smoothly entered prison. Now, having failed to be killed by his own men, he was on a hunger strike in his cell, refusing to eat or drink.
"My God, how could this happen? Who did I offend? How did I get into this mess? My God, what should I do? I'm so worried!" The warden was practically screaming his mother out of her coffin, but it was no use. "Warden, why don't you try to make amends and atone for your sins?" a prison guard suggested obsequiously, his small eyes gleaming.
"Hmm?" The warden frowned slightly, as if he had caught something. But for a moment, his mind wasn't quite clear, and he couldn't quite grasp it. "Warden, you can treat him better in prison, give him more preferential treatment. Treat him like a king. Then just wait for the higher-ups to issue the document approving his release." The prison guard once again demonstrated the peculiar phenomenon of this land, namely, "Those with family background and connections rise to high positions, while talented and capable individuals are relegated to lowly posts." Simply put, those with family connections and backgrounds who are incompetent become high-ranking officials, while talented and capable individuals are relegated to low-ranking positions and waste their lives.
"That's right! You're absolutely right, how could I forget? I guess I wasn't fully awake just now. Otherwise, I wouldn't have missed something so simple. Isn't that right?" The warden slapped his thigh excitedly, his small eyes gleaming mischievously at the prison guard. The prison guard's eyes weren't big either, matching his shifty gaze. Originally a hardworking and honest guard, he had also been corrupted into a bureaucratic opportunist, using his clever mind to do nothing but scheme and scheme.
"Yes, Warden is incredibly intelligent, how could he not have thought of that? I must have been resting poorly. I disturbed your rest. I'm so sorry!" The prison guard bowed and scraped, practically kneeling down to admit he was an idiot for coming up with such a brilliant idea.
"Hmm. I think you've been doing well lately. You have potential. Keep up the good work, I have high hopes for you!" The warden said with a smile, patting the prison guard on the shoulder.
"Thank you for the compliment, Warden. I will definitely do my best to complete the tasks you have assigned me," the prison guard said excitedly.
"Don't just do what I tell you to do, do what your superiors tell you to do. We are civil servants, not ancient bureaucrats who travel thousands of miles to serve the people for food and clothing. We are public servants. Understand?" the warden said with a smile, offering a lecture.
"Yes, yes, public servants. Always remember to serve the people!" The prison guard nodded vigorously.
"Not bad, not bad. You've improved. Since you've come up with such a good idea, then go and implement it!" The warden still wanted to put on airs.
The prison guard was momentarily speechless. It wasn't that he didn't want to go, but rather that it wouldn't be appropriate for him to go. He inwardly cursed the warden for being a pig-headed idiot. He had already given him this much advice, yet the warden still didn't understand. "I'm absolutely willing to do this for you. But now, Warden, wouldn't you go in person to show your sincerity? As long as Li Yang remembers your kindness, there's no reason he wouldn't cherish the past once he gets out. I think that once he's out and has the power to command armies, even if he remembers the unpleasant incident with the 'Meat Grinder' group, he won't forget your hospitality later. He wouldn't be able to harm you then, would he?"
The warden's eyes lit up, and he laughed heartily, "You're indeed clever! You've thought of everything. As long as I get through this difficult time, rest assured, I won't treat you unfairly!" "No, no, I will certainly do my best to handle every task you assign me, Warden," the guard said respectfully, bowing his head. The warden was very satisfied with his attitude. The young man was sensible, not greedy for credit or rash, not eager to show off. He took on honors when the leader had them, and tackled difficulties himself. He was a promising talent. If there was an opportunity in the future, he would definitely cultivate him properly.
“Not bad, not bad. Come on, come with me. Let’s move his room a bit, change his living conditions, make him more comfortable. Then we’ll buy some wine and meat, chat with him, and help him relax. Let’s express our warmth and care. Do you have any other better suggestions?” The warden said to the prison guard as he swayed his fat body as he walked.