Zheng Guo's eyes lit up. "Yes, aren't there still elite officers in the branch that can be transferred out? Those officers at the grassroots level are the most capable of handling cases, and they understand human relationships and the essence of solving cases best. After all, they are the ones who are on the front line dealing with cases. The more cases they handle, the richer their experience becomes. How come I didn't think of that?"
“What you said is one way. However, I think we should have officers from the Municipal Criminal Investigation Brigade as the main force, and then draw elite officers from various branches to form a joint investigation team specifically for this case.”
“I’ve received a report that the person who intentionally harmed Zuo Tengfei is Li Yang, the one you arrested. He’s involved in two cases now. Although there’s not one person directly involved, the cases both revolve around him. I suggest we merge the two cases.” Zheng Guo coughed and glanced at Li Yang and Lin Feng as he spoke.
“I disagree. Although Li Yang is involved in both cases, the circumstances and nature of the cases are completely different. They are not the same type of case at all and cannot be merged. Moreover, our police force is limited, and we need to prioritize the cases based on their severity and urgency. I believe my case is the most difficult and needs to be dealt with first. As for Zuo Tengfei's case with Longteng Group, you should quickly form a special task force to collect evidence and understand the case. I have very clear evidence and case details here, and we can soon transfer it to the procuratorate for prosecution and then to the court for trial.” Lin Feng did not give Zheng Guo any face and immediately rejected his suggestion, acting entirely according to his own principles.
Zheng Guo's face was very ugly, especially since Lin Feng had said such things in front of many of his subordinates, showing him no respect whatsoever and making him lose face. Wang Gang was sweating profusely; the two bosses were fighting, and they, as his subordinates, really didn't know what to do. He followed Zheng Guo, so of course he was anxious. In the Public Security Bureau, they were the weaker party, while Lin Feng's criminal police officers were all calm and collected, seemingly unconcerned. Clearly, they were fearless; everyone knew that Mayor Ye was in charge in Jiangdong City. They were all Mayor Ye's men; what were you so arrogant about? They weren't afraid of him.
"Director Zheng, why don't we set up a special task force? We can draw officers from lower-level units; they have extensive experience in handling cases and are capable of tackling tough ones, making them perfect for a case like today's. As for Li Yang, he'll be here eventually; he's not going to run away anyway. Let's start the investigation first, and if needed, we can have him cooperate. What do you think, Director Zheng?" Wang Gang said to Director Zheng like a lapdog, bowing and scraping. He truly lived up to his reputation as a sycophantic lackey; he was a master at licking boots and flattering people.
Zheng Guoshun readily agreed, glaring at Lin Feng before feigning thought and nodding, "Captain Wang is right, let's do it that way. By the way, I'll personally lead the newly formed task force, and Captain Wang will be the deputy leader, in charge of this case."
"Yes! I will do my best!" Wang Gang saluted with his head held high, his face beaming with joy. Zheng Guo's so-called team leader was just a figurehead, a name only; the one who actually did the work and held the power was him. He held immense power all by himself, and the police officers he mobilized had to follow his lead. He was far more powerful than a small squad back then, and he suddenly felt much more smug, as if he had grown taller than everyone else.
"Li Yang, can you be available whenever I call?" Zheng Guo turned around and stared at Li Yang, asking.
"Sorry, I'm very busy. You can ask my lawyer. I have the right to remain silent now." Li Yang shrugged, indicating he wouldn't listen, completely disregarding Zheng Guo. Now, Song Tian'er and Su Xiaoxiao were helping him manage his business within the Gossip Gate, and Su Xiaoxiao had even passed her bar exam and invested in the city's most prestigious law firm, becoming a partner with a very high status and considerable reputation in the legal profession. With her defending him and handling his cases, Li Yang had no worries whatsoever.
"I hope you will cooperate with us as much as possible," Zheng Guo said in a deep voice.
"I'm sorry, I have no such obligation. But if you insist on inviting me, I'll consider it depending on my mood," Li Yang said nonchalantly. He didn't need to consider Zheng Guo's feelings at all. Zheng Guo's expression could only intimidate others, it was far too weak to intimidate Li Yang, except for his thickness, which was thicker than the corner of a city wall.
“You—” Zheng Guo’s face turned ashen and he looked extremely ugly.
“Li Yang, as a citizen, cooperating with the police in solving cases is your duty. What you’re doing is illegal,” Wang Gang said, mustering his courage to remind Li Yang.
"I can't hear you. Can you speak more clearly?" Li Yang said sarcastically, without even looking at Wang Gang.
"Don't be so arrogant!" Zheng Guo sneered.
"I call this arrogant? You guys who keep calling yourselves public servants are all thieves and prostitutes behind the scenes, even more despicable than prostitutes, and you still have the nerve to ask me to fulfill my obligations? Bullshit~" Li Yang sneered, dismissing his words with disdain.
“Li Yang, you dare to attack the government. This is an anti-government act, and we have the right to arrest you and carry out your execution,” Zheng Guo said menacingly, staring at Li Yang.
"Is that so? Very well, then you can arrest me and destroy me humanely. I know you're capable of anything." Li Yang stretched out his hands in front of Zheng Guo, whose face trembled, and he dared not take them.
"Damn it. I have other things to do, I don't have time to chat with you guys! Captain Lin, please take care of my case. I demand that the criminal be dealt with seriously. Someone as cunning and violent as her shouldn't be in society, she would pose a potential threat to innocent people. She should be locked up in jail and undergo new rehabilitation~" Li Yang said to Xie Siya without any politeness.
"Thank you for reminding me, I know what to do," Lin Feng said calmly.
"Alright. I'll be leaving now. My lawyer will come over to discuss things with you later. My lawyer will handle any investigations you have into me. Don't think I don't know the law." Li Yang smiled wickedly, put his arm around Cao Xin's waist, and walked away arrogantly.
Enraged, Zheng Guo nearly jumped up and down, slamming his foot hard on the trash can. He screamed in pain, his voice distorted, and he hopped around, clutching his foot, standing on one leg. Wang Gang immediately panicked, rushing over to grab Zheng Guo's arm, asking with feigned concern, "Director Zheng, are you alright? Are you alright?"
"Fuck your mother, try kicking me!" Zheng Guo was wary of Lin Feng and dared not turn against him, but he had no scruples towards Wang Gang and did whatever he wanted. If he didn't have any weird fetishes, and even if he wanted to have anal sex, Wang Gang would probably grit his teeth and crawl on the ground to satisfy Director Zheng Guo's lecherous heart.
Chapter 926: I want to go!
Lin Feng didn't want to witness their disgraceful behavior. He snorted coldly and led his men, forcing Xie Siya into the police station. Zheng Guo watched them all go inside before straightening up as if nothing had happened, his eyes extremely gloomy and his expression sinister. Wang Gang was stunned for a moment and asked, "Chief Zheng, are you alright?"
"Nonsense, do I look like I'm in trouble? Is there something wrong with your glasses?" Zheng Guo glared at Wang Gang and scolded him.
"Yes, yes, it's my eyes that are acting up!" Wang Gang immediately nodded and bowed, admitting it was his fault and not daring to resist in the slightest. But he knew perfectly well that Zheng Guo had just been showing off. To avoid the awkward situation, he pretended to have injured his foot and then didn't want to pursue the matter any further, letting Lin Feng and the others go over to avoid things getting out of hand, which would make him, the bureau chief, lose face.
Zheng Guo glanced back at the gleaming police badge on the Public Security Bureau building and gritted his teeth, saying, "Don't be too smug. I'll make sure you can't laugh anymore, you won't even be able to cry. Just wait and see." "I believe Director Zheng has the strength and the ability to do so," Wang Gang immediately fawned over him.
"You absolutely must do a good job this time. You can call upon whomever you want from the branch office, but you must resolve this case as quickly as possible!" Zheng Guo said sternly, staring at Wang Gang. Wang Gang immediately felt a headache coming on. He couldn't afford to offend Li Yang, and Zuo Tengfei was from the Longteng family—he couldn't afford to offend him either. And he still couldn't afford to offend Director Zheng Guo. With these big shots fighting, how was he, a nobody, supposed to survive in the middle?
"Whose phone is ringing? Who dares to turn on their phone during work hours?" Zheng Guo suddenly shouted in dissatisfaction. Wang Gang immediately broke out in a cold sweat, swallowed hard, and mustered his courage to point at Zheng Guo's waist, saying, "Director Zheng, it looks like yours?"
Zheng Guo was stunned, his face flushing red and hot. He snorted coldly, "Who the hell calls me during work hours? Damn it!" Zheng Guo cursed as he pulled out his phone, ready to unleash a torrent of abuse on this clueless guy. But when he saw the number, he shuddered, his straight back instantly going limp. He said in a soft, weak voice, "Secretary Zhao, it's you! What brings you here? Why did you decide to call me?"
Zhao Yunlong said with a smile, "Zheng Guo, have you been busy lately?"
"It's alright. Thank you for your concern, Secretary Zhao~" Zheng Guo said with a hearty laugh, his tone extremely respectful and obsequious.
"I know the position of bureau chief isn't easy. There aren't many benefits, it's hard to achieve political achievements, and any problems will inevitably cause trouble for you guys first. But sometimes, it's best not to provoke certain problems and troubles, because it won't benefit either yourself or others. You should think it through!" Zhao Yunlong was subtly reminding and warning Zheng Guodao.
Zheng Guo's eyes darted around. He knew that Zhao Yunlong was Mayor Ye's man, and Li Yang had a very close relationship with them. It was said that he was having an affair with Zhao Yunlong's daughter and that they might become husband and wife sooner or later. Li Yang would be Zhao Yunlong's future son-in-law. If Zhao Yunlong didn't support him, who would he support? It was clearly a warning to him.
Zheng Guo felt a wave of frustration and bitterness. "Damn it, everyone's trying to bully me. Who the hell am I supposed to bully? I get all the dirty and hard work, and when things go wrong, I'm the one who has to take the blame. All the benefits are your achievements. Why is my life so miserable?"
"I understand what Secretary Zhao means, and I will handle it accordingly." Zheng Guo gave Zhao Yunlong a vague answer, neither promising nor giving up. Success would be a pleasant surprise, while failure would be a pile of shit.
"Great, I'll be waiting for your good news. I still need to evaluate your work at the end of the year. Besides, I now have a place in the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee. As long as you do a good job, a promotion is just a matter of time." Zhao Yunlong used carrots to lure Zheng Guo into taking the bait.
Zheng Guo naturally didn't believe Zhao Yunlong's words, but as the secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, his words were not nonsense. Since he said it, there must be some truth to it. In other words, it was a mutual exchange. As long as Zheng Guo let Li Yang go, Zhao Yunlong would remember this favor and give it to Zheng Guo in the future.
But would Zheng Guo dare accept Zhao Yunlong's kindness? They weren't on the same side. If he accepted, even though it wasn't what he wanted, it would be tantamount to betraying his own faction. He would practically be sentenced to death immediately. Neither Zhao Yunlong nor Mayor Ye's faction trusted him; neither did Cai Lan's faction. He would instantly become a piece of trash, ignored by everyone.
"Yes. Thank you for your kindness and guidance, Secretary Zhao. I know what to do. Please rest assured, Secretary Zhao!" Zheng Guo said to Zhao Yunlong in a grand and respectful manner. He just needed to get through this immediate hurdle first.
"Okay, I'll wait for your good news~" Zhao Yunlong hung up the phone casually. Zheng Guo's face darkened. Damn, the pressure is immense. Everyone's putting all the pressure on me. How ridiculous! Li Yang's mess has made me suffer too. Damn it, it's infuriating to compare myself to others.
"I'm the director of the municipal public security bureau, in a first-level municipality, which is equivalent to a deputy director-general level official! And I'm still feeling so stifled. I can't live like this anymore."
Looking at Zheng Guo's bitter face, Wang Gang felt a surge of frustration. "Damn it, Director Zheng's been messed with. His anger hasn't been vented yet. Will he use me as an example?" He wanted to slip away quickly to avoid being caught and tormented by the sullen Zheng Guo.
"Okay. Go ahead then. Do a good job," Zheng Guo said in a deep voice.
"Yes~" Wang Gang hadn't even finished speaking when he immediately turned and left.
After leaving the police station, Li Yang returned to the apartment with Cao Xin. As soon as they entered, Cao Xin looked at Li Yang with a worried expression and said, "Li Yang, are you alright? I've been feeling very uneasy."
"Where is the peace?" Li Yang said with a wicked smile, his eyes fixed on Cao Xin's ample headlights, large and round, a beautiful sight.
"I'm not at peace with myself. I have a bad feeling about this," Cao Xin said, frowning.