Could it be that overnight, these people almost simultaneously had an epiphany, felt grateful to Heaven, had a change of heart, and were filled with remorse, fearing some kind of retribution, which is why they took the initiative to confess their crimes and mistakes? This is obviously impossible... Unless someone secretly manipulated things and coordinated with them, it would be impossible for them to appear at the last moment of the case, when they were almost certain of Zhao Qing and Zhong Shan's crimes, and then suddenly reverse the situation.
If that's the case, then the person who secretly made such meticulous arrangements and has the ability and power to do all this is truly extraordinary. Their meticulous, cunning, and ruthless nature is terrifying.
This is nothing more than turning one's hand to make clouds or rain.
If Xu Zhengyang knew at this moment that the people inside the room were thinking this way about him, the mastermind behind it all, he would definitely feel deeply ashamed. What merit do I possess? I, Xu Zhengyang, don't have such a brilliant and insightful mind; I'm just… lucky. But I do have abilities, abilities that ordinary people lack, and I also have considerable strength. As for influence… it's not much for now, certainly not comparable to you high-ranking officials.
While everyone was stunned, some frowning, some fearful, and some angry, Xu Zhengyang suddenly squinted and looked at the other end of the conference table, where Liao Yongxian and Shan Yaopeng, who were pale and dazed, stood. He said softly, "Deputy Director Liao, Deputy Director Shan, leniency for those who confess, severity for those who resist... You two certainly know this better than I do, an ordinary citizen. I would like to kindly remind you that sometimes confessing certain things can earn you merit."
After saying this, Xu Zhengyang turned to look calmly at Xiao Hanjun and asked, "Right?"
Xiao Hanjun paused for a moment, then looked at Liao Yongxian and Shan Yaopeng, and said in a deep voice, "Do you have any questions to answer?"
The two seemed not to have heard what had just been said, but simply slumped in their chairs, staring blankly at the corner of the ceiling.
"Take him away." Yu Zhenbang waved his hand, his face clearly showing anger as he reprimanded, "These are our cadres!" He slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and walked towards the door of the conference room.
Cao Jingnan also got up with a gloomy face and followed Yu Zhenbang outside.
Unexpectedly, just as Yu Zhenbang reached the door and the policeman standing in front of it opened the door, Liao Yongxian suddenly shouted, "I have something to report to my superiors, I have something to say."
Yu Zhenbang and Cao Jingnan stopped at the same time, turning their heads to stare at Liao Yongxian with gloomy faces.
Liao Yongxian suddenly stood up, but two policemen quickly grabbed his arms and shoulders and held him down tightly.
Even more unexpectedly, just as Liao Yongxian opened his mouth to say something, Shan Yaopeng hurriedly interrupted before Liao Yongxian could speak, saying, "I also have something to say. I confess my guilt, I openly admit my guilt, I have something to report to higher authorities... In this matter, the framing and persecution of Comrade Zhao Qing and Comrade Zhong Shan, Vice Mayor Tian Ruiying was involved..."
Apart from Xu Zhengyang, everyone in the room's expression changed instantly.
“Yes, that’s right. It was Tian Ruiying who took the initiative to come to me and asked me to arrange for someone to report and frame Director Zhao and Captain Zhong. She said it was foolproof… She even said she would protect her nephew and niece-in-law…” Liao Yongxian quickly interrupted to speak after Shan Yaopeng revealed the secret of Tian Ruiying’s involvement in the incident before he could.
"You, you..." Tian Ruiying trembled with anger, her teeth clenched, unable to speak.
Suddenly, Tian Ruiying's body began to tremble violently, then she stiffened abruptly, swayed, and fell off the chair with a thud, landing straight on the ground.
Xiao Hanjun said urgently, "Call a doctor!"
The meeting room door had just been opened, and the police outside had naturally seen the situation inside. Hearing Xiao Hanjun's words, they snapped out of their shock and hurriedly went to call a doctor. The investigation team had arranged for medical personnel in advance when isolating and detaining the individuals at the Tianhong Hotel, just in case.
Yu Zhenbang gave a cold snort and ignored him, storming out in a huff.
Cao Jingnan nodded to Xiao Hanjun, then turned his head and looked meaningfully at the young man sitting under the windowsill with his eyes half-closed, who still had a calm expression and seemed indifferent to everything. Then, Cao Jingnan actually smiled at the young man, nodded, and turned to walk out.
Medical staff came in and rushed to Tian Ruiying's side to examine her body and perform emergency treatment.
Liao Yongxian and Shan Yaopeng were each escorted away by two police officers who were holding their arms.
Subsequently, with the assistance of two police officers, medical staff carried Tian Ruiying, who had just fainted due to a sudden surge of anger, out of the hospital.
Xu Zhengyang lowered his head and muttered softly, "It's over... Why bother?"
"You are very good."
Xu Zhengyang looked up and gave Xiao Hanjun, who was standing in front of him, a calm smile.
Xiao Hanjun said, "Aren't we going to go see Zhao Qing and Zhong Shan?"
"Are they here too?" Xu Zhengyang asked.
"Next door." Xiao Hanjun chuckled, patted Xu Zhengyang on the shoulder, and nodded, saying, "You've done it again!"
“This is… a citizen’s responsibility and obligation, isn’t it?” Xu Zhengyang said with a smile.
Xiao Hanjun paused for a moment, then shook his head with a wry smile, turned around and walked out, "Come with me."
As Xu Zhengyang followed them out, he thought to himself: Zhao Qing and Zhong Shan should repay me a big favor by settling Chen Chaojiang's matter, right?
Volume 3, Judge 093: Transcending the world, wandering among mortals
The sudden turn of events made Zhao Qing and Zhong Shan almost believe that their recent experiences were a dream, not reality.
Initially, both men were frustrated and angry, feeling helpless and believing they had been manipulated by someone with ulterior motives, with no chance of turning the tide. Who would have thought that at the last moment, a miraculous turn of events would occur, completely reversing the situation? Especially after Xiao Hanjun briefly explained the reasons for this sudden turn of events, the two were utterly astonished and incredulous. Those who had previously used them as pawns to fabricate evidence and persecute them, especially Tian Baotun, Wang Xiang, Chu Zhitao, and the parents of Tian Qing and Xing Yufen—whom they had conflicts and hatred with—would suddenly have a change of heart and undergo a complete 180-degree turn in attitude?
What's all this mess...?
It makes them seem like they're all just fooling around, talking nonsense, bored out of their minds and causing trouble with jokes. Only when they realize their jokes have gone too far and are about to have serious consequences do they quickly say with a grin, "Just kidding, don't be angry..."
Of course, the reason is definitely not like that.
After the initial shock, both of them silently discovered something that they were both grateful for and even somewhat terrified of: a powerful, hidden hand operating behind the scenes, seemingly manipulating the pieces on a chessboard at its own whim. This hidden hand arbitrarily decided who won and who lost, for it was playing chess with itself.
Otherwise, how can we explain the strangeness that permeates this whole affair?
Zhong Shan suddenly realized something, looked up at Xu Zhengyang who was sitting on the sofa, grinning foolishly and smoking. This kid… was playing dumb again, trying to act cute like a junior. So Zhong Shan got up, walked over to Xu Zhengyang, plopped down next to him, and slapped him hard on the shoulder, saying, “How old are you?”
"I'm twenty-one." Xu Zhengyang replied, wincing as he was slapped on the shoulder by Zhong Shan for no apparent reason.
"Then stop pretending to be twelve all the time." Zhong Shan laughed heartily. "Good lad, good lad..."
Zhao Qing, sitting opposite them, looked at the old man and the young man with some surprise, and said with a wry smile, "Old Zhong, are you getting a little too happy?"
"Old Zhao, did you see that? It's this kid, this kid..." Zhong Shan was indeed a little too happy, too excited, and even a little admiring, envious and jealous of Xu Zhengyang. He pointed at Xu Zhengyang and said to Zhao Qing, "It's this kid. This time he did a great job again and saved the two of us!"
"Hmm, not bad, quite loyal, hehe." Zhao Qing nodded somewhat perfunctorily, feeling grateful for Xu Zhengyang's performance and attitude during the incident. However, he didn't truly consider Xu Zhengyang the mastermind behind their rescue. Although he still wondered who was behind the scenes who had pulled them back from the brink of disaster.
Suddenly, another question occurred to Zhao Qing. He looked at Xu Zhengyang suspiciously. Did Zhong Shan mean that Xu Zhengyang, who was young but had great talent in certain areas, had once again used his accurate understanding of human psychology to persuade the members of the investigation team and Xiao Hanjun, so that the whole matter could be investigated again?
Around 8 o'clock, Xiao Hanjun, Pang Zhong, and Cao Jingnan, the secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, arrived. They were invited downstairs for a meal. During the meal, Secretary Cao Jingnan, on behalf of the municipal party committee, the municipal government, and relevant personnel, expressed his apologies to Zhao Qing and Zhong Shan. The conversation didn't dwell on the topic; everyone present understood the implication. What followed was simply clinking glasses and chatting about trivial matters.
It was past 9 p.m. when they finished the meal. The municipal bureau arranged for two police cars to take them back to the Cixian County Public Security Bureau.
Zhao Qing and Sulu rode in one car, while Zhong Shan and Xu Zhengyang rode in another.
The police car drove through the brightly lit streets of Fuhe City. Zhong Shan, beaming, said in a low voice, "You're the one who caused all this, aren't you?"
The words were spoken somewhat cryptically, after all, there was a driver from the Municipal Bureau in front of them.
Xu Zhengyang smiled and nodded. There was no need to hide this from Zhong Shan, since he knew about the existence of the Earth God and believed in it.
"Why didn't you do this sooner?" Zhong Shan sighed and complained, "This is just torture! You toss me up and down, then pull me back up. I feel dizzy and like my bones are being pulled apart."
“Nothing would have happened anyway.” Xu Zhengyang took out a cigarette and offered one to Zhong Shan, then lit one for himself. He rolled down the car window, and a cool breeze rushed in, instantly refreshing the two men who were slightly tipsy. Xu Zhengyang no longer needed to pretend to be an honest and kind nephew; there was no need for it anymore. If he continued, it would just be as Zhong Shan had said, too contrived. So Xu Zhengyang calmly said in a low voice, “What goes around comes around. There are gods watching.”
Zhong Shan laughed and said, "What? After tormenting me for so many days, is this a little punishment to remind me to be more vigilant and avoid making small mistakes?"
Xu Zhengyang smiled and shook his head, saying nothing more. He leaned forward slightly, calmly smoking and flicking ash into the ashtray between the seats in front. These were things he couldn't explain to Zhong Shan. He wasn't so bored as to cause trouble for himself and his friends and family.
The matter has dragged on for so long for two reasons. First, Xu Zhengyang hadn't expected the higher-ups to be so cautious and meticulous in handling these kinds of cases, to a degree that was beyond the comprehension of ordinary people, thus delaying the process. Second, he had hoped that things would proceed step by step rather than undergo a sudden, dramatic reversal, which would raise huge suspicions for everyone. Xu Zhengyang naturally didn't want any figures to become suspicious and investigate him.
Otherwise, Xu Zhengyang could have directly used his position as a local official or a traveling judge in Cixian County to force Liao Yongxian and Shan Yaopeng to obediently confess their problems, and the matter would have ended with an astonishing result in the first few days.
However, Chen Chaojiang's extremely brave defeat of Shen Haobing and his gang forced Xu Zhengyang to accelerate the pace of his plan. Just as he said, even if it was a shocking event, he had to ensure Chen Chaojiang's safety.
There's another reason why they didn't use their divine status and supernatural powers to intimidate Liao Yongxian and Shan Yaopeng this time...
Thinking of this, Xu Zhengyang's lips curled up slightly, revealing a smug and somewhat sinister smile that was not easily noticed by others.
The most agonizing thing for a person is not the fear or terror they experience, which is merely a temporary punishment. What truly causes prolonged and excruciating pain is the sudden and devastating defeat after the joy of impending victory—a crushing defeat from which one can never recover, and yet, one cannot understand why they failed. Thus, one remains forever trapped in the shadow of this immense failure, tossing and turning in agony, unable to find the answer, until death, unable to close one's eyes in peace.
As for the others who were merely used as pawns in this incident, they shouldn't have to suffer such immense pain and guilt. They will likely live in constant fear from now on, and what's more, they harbor a deep secret they dare not share with anyone.
Because the judge said... Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed.
Well, they can still talk to each other about this secret.
However, in their future lives, they probably wouldn't have the mood or the courage to recall and talk about this terrifying event again.
In this incident, Tian Baotun, Wang Xiang, Chu Zhitao, and Han Biao had all communicated with each other and knew that the other had also had those bizarre and terrifying dreams for several days in a row, and had witnessed what it meant to experience the "midnight ghostly terror." Then there were Tian Qing's parents and Xing Yufen's parents, these two in-laws, who had also communicated with each other. Just as the judge in the dream had said, if you have any doubts or suspicions, you can ask the other party to confirm that you have had the same experience and suffered the same punishment. The three eyewitnesses who ate there, and the owner, daughter, and waiter of the dog meat hot pot restaurant, naturally did not have such a bizarre and terrifying experience. They were still immersed in doubt, wondering why they were made to do it that way before, and then made to do it the other way around.
As for Tian Qing and Xing Yufen, who are in prison... I'm afraid that besides fear and deep regret, Xing Yufen should also be grateful to the judge for allowing her to live a conscious life in her final days in this world.
As the current magistrate of Cixian County, Xu Zhengyang believes that it's impossible to manage everything perfectly, even within his own county of Cixian. However, the things he's encountered and the people who have made mistakes…
Since they did it, they should bear the corresponding consequences for their actions.
Regret is useless; correcting their mistakes is what they should do. Xu Zhengyang didn't have any compassionate or magnanimous bodhisattva-like sentiments, nor did he possess any wisdom to consider complex matters. His thoughts on these issues were simple and direct.
Furthermore, he has the qualifications, at least within Cixian County, to dare to do and think this way.
Because he is a transcendent being in this real atheistic world, within Cixian County, and is very likely the only deity walking among humans.
"Zhengyang, what are you thinking about?"
"Hmm?" Xu Zhengyang came back to his senses, then smiled and said, "I was thinking about how to trouble you and Director Zhao to ask for your help, but I was too embarrassed to ask."
"Hey kid, just say what you have to say! Stop with all the formalities." Zhong Shan patted Xu Zhengyang's hand.
Xu Zhengyang hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "Chen Chaojiang is in trouble."
"Let's talk about it when we get back..." Upon hearing Xu Zhengyang's words, Zhong Shan immediately reminded him softly. After all, there were still strangers in the car, and one of them was a policeman. It wouldn't be good for them to hear the two of them discussing how to protect a criminal, would it?
Xu Zhengyang smiled and said nothing more.
"Are you going home, or coming to the station with me?" Zhong Shan asked again.
"Oh, go home first." Xu Zhengyang sighed and said, "Uncle, you should go back and see your family. They've been quite worried about you these past few days."
"Then I'll take you home. I'll also stop by my own place on the way home. I need to get back to the bureau; there are some things I need to take care of after so many days," Zhong Shan nodded and said.
Xu Zhengyang hummed in agreement.
Although he had called home to let his parents know he was safe, he still wanted to get home as soon as possible so his parents could see him and put their minds at ease: "Look, your son hasn't lost weight, hasn't been beaten, hasn't been wronged, hasn't... lost a piece of flesh."
At this moment, inside Xu Zhengyang's home in Shuanghe Village.
Yuan Suqin and Xu Neng were sitting under the grape trellis in the yard, waiting for their son to return.
Although the local earth god assured them that Xu Zhengyang would be alright, as parents, how could they not worry after their son had been in such a serious situation? Moreover, they longed for their son to return home, so that everyone in the village could see that their son was safe and sound!
Yuan Suqin even thought that after her son came back, she would take him, carrying an iron basin and a stick, and wander around the village for a long time.
Unable to keep her thoughts to herself, she angrily told her husband what she was thinking.
Xu Neng said, half-laughing and half-crying, "Don't do that, or the whole village will laugh at you and call you a shrew behind your back..."
"It's not like we're swearing in the street," Yuan Suqin said dismissively.
"More or less?" Xu Neng didn't dare to directly criticize his wife, so he could only offer a hint of doubt. He knew his wife well; although she wasn't a bad person at heart, when she got stubborn and threw a tantrum, no one in the village could match her. So he comforted her, "You have to consider Zheng Yang's reputation. He's not an ordinary person in the village now. If you, as his mother, make a scene like this, won't people laugh at you? Besides... Zheng Yang is of marriageable age. If you make such a fuss, which young woman will dare to approach you as her mother-in-law?"
Xu Neng's words hit the nail on the head and touched his wife's sore spot.
Yuan Suqin huffed angrily, but she knew her husband was right, so she stopped considering the plan she had just made.
Thinking about her son's marriage, Yuan Suqin was filled with anger again. She said bitterly, "I never realized before that Liu Erhe's family were all such treacherous people. Before Zhengyang's accident, look at how they smiled at me, as if they had already married their daughter into our family and become in-laws. But after Zhengyang's accident, well, they actually sided with that Wang woman, subtly attacking me... And their daughter, I thought she was such a good girl, pretty and decent-looking. A few days ago, she was always trying to get close to me, even before she was married, she already knew how to be filial, respectful, and flatter her mother-in-law. But after Zhengyang's accident, guess what happened?"
"Hmm?" Xu Neng was also a little curious.
"Yesterday I saw a fair-skinned young man drive her back to our village in a car." Yuan Suqin said through gritted teeth, her face full of anger. "Such a young woman, isn't she ashamed? In front of so many neighbors and me, she was chatting and laughing with that pretty boy, and even holding hands, as if she wanted everyone to know they were dating..."