149: Chapter 149 Xu Jie Enters Black Stone

Inside the main courtyard of the Heishi Town Police Station, the main building was brightly lit.

The suspects escorted back from Heishui Village had filled the old, four-story building to capacity.

The hallways and the areas beside the heating pipes were packed with handcuffed suspects squatting down.

Grassroots police forces were perpetually short-staffed; tonight's dragnet operation was equivalent to over half a year's workload for them.

Deputy Police Chief Li Sanqiang, his head wrapped in white gauze, sat upright in the ambulance. The main culprit, Zhang Xing, had been shot in the knee; the town hospital couldn't perform the surgery, so he was transferred overnight to the county hospital to have his bone set and the bullet removed, with Deputy Police Chief Li Sanqiang accompanying him as an escort.

Since the main culprit was lying in the ambulance, the entry point for "beating the grass to scare the snake" naturally fell upon the remaining core members.

Staff Member Wang Tao sat behind the interrogation table, with a stack of blank interrogation records placed in front of him.

Zhang Hu was locked in a metal restraint chair, an old scar visible at the corner of his eye.

Facing the police questioning, the man kept his teeth clenched tight, refusing to utter a single word beyond stating his name and place of origin.

Having run rampant in Heishui Village under Zhang Xing, this wasn't his first time in and out of the Police Station.

As long as he could hold out through the twenty-four-hour legal summons period, the elders of the Zhang Clan would naturally use their connections to bail them all out.

The iron door of the interrogation room was pushed open. Police Chief Zhao Gang walked in holding a few sheets of white paper.

"Is there any progress?" Police Chief Zhao Gang asked as he walked to the table.

Staff Member Wang Tao tossed his pen onto the table: "Director Zhao, aside from basic identity information, he won't answer anything else. He's a seasoned veteran."

Police Chief Zhao Gang glanced at the equipment in the corner and waved his hand: "Turn off the recording."

The red light on the equipment went out, leaving only the glaring incandescent light in the room.

Police Chief Zhao Gang flattened the white paper on the desktop and tapped his index finger on it twice.

He was using an overt strategy, a classic Prisoner's Dilemma.

Police Chief Zhao Gang gave instructions to Staff Member Wang Tao, "Zhang Shun in the room next door has already confessed, and the materials have been prepared."

He tapped on the table: "Make a copy of the on-site physical evidence and the body-worn camera footage. There's no need to record this guy's statement. Send a vehicle first thing tomorrow morning to transfer him along with the evidence to the Qingjiang County Case Processing Center, then move him to the detention center. Send the arrest documents directly to the County Public Security Bureau Legal Affairs Office for review, and report to the Procuratorate for arrest approval and prosecution. We don't have time to waste on him."

Police Chief Zhao Gang turned his head and asked: "Does he have a criminal record?"

Staff Member Wang Tao opened the case file: "No criminal penalties. He has four administrative penalties, all for fighting and brawling."

"When preparing the materials, make sure the charges are clear." Police Chief Zhao Gang pointed to the white paper, "Zhang Shun confessed voluntarily and showed merit, so list him as an accomplice in the case file. As for Zhang Hu, define him as the second-in-command of Zhang Xing's gang, which makes him a main culprit. Since he refused to cooperate after being brought in and has a history of bad behavior, recommend a heavier penalty. You should know how to write the documents."

Staff Member Wang Tao replied: "Understood, Director Zhao. I'll finish the documents overnight."

The two of them sang in harmony, feeding this conversation to Zhang Hu without any concealment.

Zhang Hu had looked over a few laws in his daily life. His initial resistance was based on the plan to wait for people from the clan to bail him out.

Who knew that Zhang Shun was a spineless coward who had spilled everything so quickly.

Second-in-command, main culprit, resisting investigation, heavier penalty.

These words strung together meant that Zhang Hu would be spending a very long time in prison.

His wife was unemployed, and his child had just started elementary school. If his sentence were very long, his whole family would be left with nothing to eat.

The recording officer, Chen Bin, walked over with the keys and unbuckled the restraint chair.

"Get up, we're changing locations."

Zhang Hu panicked, his butt stuck firmly to the chair, and he shouted repeatedly: "Wait! Director Zhao, ask me again. I still have things to say!"

Police Chief Zhao Gang stood by the door, not even turning his head: "Why would I ask you? Chen Bin, don't dawdle with him, take him to the detention cell."

Chen Bin grabbed Zhang Hu's arm and dragged him out.

Zhang Hu shrieked at the top of his lungs: "I'll confess! Government, I'll confess everything!"

Police Chief Zhao Gang stopped and turned around.

"Fine, I'll stay right here and listen to what kind of story you can come up with."

He gave a look. Chen Bin pushed Zhang Hu back into the chair and locked the restraints tight.

Zhang Hu was panting, and without needing Staff Member Wang Tao to ask, he poured everything out like beans from a bamboo tube.

From forcibly occupying Old Man Li's wasteland to gathering idlers to extort local merchants, he spilled it all clean.

The more he talked, the deeper the secrets he revealed.

"Zhang Xing can walk sideways in the village all because Village Secretary Zhang Dahai is backing him." Zhang Hu swallowed his saliva, "Last month, I even followed Zhang Xing, carrying two snake-skin bags of cash, and delivered them into Village Secretary Zhang Dahai's backyard in the middle of the night."

Police Chief Zhao Gang's expression darkened.

The Village Secretary colluding with a bully—this was digging up the rotten roots.

Staff Member Wang Tao's pen moved rapidly, recording every time, place, and amount of the bribes.

The interrogation ended, and Zhang Hu pressed his red fingerprints all over the record.

Police Chief Zhao Gang took the original, made a copy on the copier, and kept the original.

He walked to the room next door with the copy and threw it in front of Zhang Shun. As soon as Zhang Shun saw that Zhang Hu had talked, he confessed immediately.

The two records were placed together; the information regarding Zhang Xing's criminal network and the flow of benefits to Village Secretary Zhang Dahai corroborated each other perfectly.

Police Chief Zhao Gang stuffed the two records into a kraft paper file bag, strode out of the Police Station, faced the cold wind, and headed straight for the Town Government office building.

In the backyard of the Police Station, Auxiliary Police Officer Zhang Dong leaned in the shadows of the dry latrine.

He looked left and right, took out his mobile phone, and composed a text message: "Zhang Shun and Zhang Hu have both spilled everything, Uncle Dahai, you should hide."

After sending it, he deleted the record, pretended nothing had happened, and walked back to the duty hall.

The Zhang Clan was deeply rooted in Heishi Town, with eyes and ears even inside the law enforcement agencies.

Heishi Town Government, Deputy Secretary's office.

Zhu Wenhao was reviewing documents; he didn't plan to leave tonight.

He was waiting for the sound of Police Chief Zhao Gang's knock.

The mobile phone on the desk rang.

The name "Old Sun" appeared on the screen.

Acting Chief of Cadre Division 1 of the Municipal Organization Department, Division Chief Sun Bo.

He pressed answer.

"Zhu Wenhao, the matter you entrusted to me has been handled." Old Sun's voice sounded capable.

Zhu Wenhao put down the documents: "That was fast. What was the pretext for the job transfer of Director Zhou Mei of the Party and Government Office?"

Old Sun replied: "It's legitimate. Director Zhou Mei's husband was transferred to the county earlier to a dead-end position, and Director Zhou Mei had previously submitted an application to the County Organization Department requesting a transfer back to the county to reunite with her family. It was suppressed at the time. This time, I brought up the old matter again, using the excuse of resolving the separation of grassroots cadres from their spouses, and smoothly transferred her out of Heishi Town."

Zhu Wenhao asked: "How was the position arranged?"

"Deputy Section Chief of the Civil Servant Section of the County Organization Department. Her rank hasn't changed; it's still at the section-level."

Zhu Wenhao listened and had a plan in mind.

Giving Director Zhou Mei this dignity was setting a benchmark for everyone in Heishi Town who was watching from the sidelines.

Those who follow me will have their own way out.

"You've put in effort. Expedite the necessary procedures, and ensure the notifications to relevant personnel are compliant so as not to leave any handle for criticism."

"I understand, I'll finish the procedures by tomorrow morning." Old Sun changed the subject, "However, there's been a slight hitch with the candidate to replace Director Zhou Mei."

Zhu Wenhao leaned back against his chair: "What do you mean?"

"Director Xu Jie, who just graduated from the Spark Class, voluntarily applied to be sent down to Heishi Town." Old Sun lowered his voice, "Just at the moment when Director Zhou Mei's transfer result was reported into the system, Division Chief Lin from Cadre Division 1 of the Provincial Organization Department called me from a private number. He directly appointed Director Xu Jie to take over the position of Director of the Party and Government Office in Heishi Town."

Zhu Wenhao's gaze swept over the streetlights outside the window.

A Division Chief from the Provincial Organization Department personally making a call for the appointment of a section-level cadre in a small town.

The power behind Director Xu Jie far exceeded what ordinary people estimated.

A household registration in The Capital, a resume from the Provincial Government General Office.

A person like this doesn't pave their way to success in the government agencies, but instead dives headfirst into the muddy waters of Heishi Town.

"Zhu Wenhao, this hand reaches too far." Old Sun probed, "Should I find an excuse about lack of grassroots experience and decline the Provincial Organization Department?"

"No need." Zhu Wenhao directly rejected it. "Director Xu Jie worked with me in the Spark Class; we can be considered old acquaintances. Since the Provincial Organization Department has spoken, we should handle it according to their wishes; why should we be the bad guys?"

Old Sun breathed a sigh of relief: "Alright then, I'll push the process forward tomorrow and issue the transfer order."

He cut off the call. Zhu Wenhao placed his phone back on the desk.

In the officialdom of the Great Ming, party strife and infighting were never about working behind closed doors. To govern the world, the first priority is to leverage power.

Director Xu Jie entering the game with resources from The Capital—regardless of her purpose, as long as she stepped into Heishi Town, she would be a heavyweight chess piece that could be put to great use.

The muddier the water, the more interesting the game.

Han Feizi once said: "The means by which an enlightened ruler controls his ministers are merely two handles."

The sharp sword of the law had already been unsheathed tonight.

Outside the door, heavy footsteps approached from afar. "Knock, knock." Two short knocks sounded.

Zhu Wenhao looked up. "Come in."

Police Chief Zhao Gang pushed the door open and entered, clutching the kraft paper bag filled with confessions in his hand.

"Zhu Wenhao, we've got them." Police Chief Zhao Gang walked to the desk and placed the paper bag on it, "Zhang Shun and Zhang Hu have both confessed. Everything Zhang Xing did in the village was backed by Village Secretary Zhang Dahai. The details of Zhang Xing delivering cash are all recorded in the transcripts."

Zhu Wenhao tore open the seal and pulled out the transcripts for a quick scan. The details of the bribery in black and white were tight and seamless.

"With the trump card in hand, this game has come to life." Zhu Wenhao pressed the transcripts under the town gazetteer. "Village Secretary Zhang Dahai is a seasoned veteran, and the clan forces are deeply intertwined. If we try to move against him based solely on these statements, Secretary Qiu Dehai will definitely step in to stop us."

"Then should we arrest him now?" Police Chief Zhao Gang pulled out a chair and sat down.

"No, don't arrest him." Zhu Wenhao leaned back against his chair, "Going to arrest him now will only alert the enemy. There's a leak inside the Police Station, and Village Secretary Zhang Dahai has likely already received the news. You should send people to secretly keep an eye on Village Secretary Zhang Dahai; sooner or later, he will try to transfer his family's assets and evidence of his crimes, and that's when we'll catch him in the act."

Police Chief Zhao Gang nodded: "I'll have trusted people set up surveillance."

"First thing tomorrow morning, submit a special report on Zhang Xing's gang-related case to the County Public Security Bureau. We are not just going to deal with Village Secretary Zhang Dahai; we are going to burn this fire all the way to the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of Qingjiang County."

Zhu Wenhao tapped his fingers on the desk. "Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan wants to see me fall in Heishi Town, so let's throw this grenade into his yard."

The night grew deeper.