168: Chapter 168 The Four Go to Eat

Near the lunch break, Zhu Wenhao locked up his files and was preparing to take Su Qinghan out for noodles.

Just as the two of them were about to leave, the door was pushed open from the outside.

Police Chief Zhao Gang ran in, clutching a summary of the case files, his face filled with urgency.

He was about to speak, but his gaze collided with Su Qinghan sitting on the sofa, and he froze in his tracks.

He knew this woman was Secretary Zhu's girlfriend. When she was injured a few months ago, Secretary Zhu had rushed back to Linjiang from Jingjiang to see her. Feeling embarrassed, he said,

"Secretary Zhu, are you busy?" Police Chief Zhao Gang squeezed the case files, unsure whether to step in or back out. "Then I'll come back this afternoon."

With that, he had already taken half a step back with his right foot, preparing to slip away.

Before Zhu Wenhao could speak, Su Qinghan on the sofa spoke first.

"Director Zhao."

"Are you and Secretary Zhu discussing confidential work?" She stood up and smoothed the hem of her uniform. "If you feel it's inconvenient for me to listen, I can leave right now."

Her words left Police Chief Zhao Gang completely speechless.

He cast a pleading look at Zhu Wenhao behind the desk, holding the case files with no idea where to put his hands.

Zhu Wenhao sat in his chair. He didn't look at Police Chief Zhao Gang, but his mind was as clear as a mirror.

Police Chief Zhao Gang was a sharp blade, but he didn't quite understand the intricate twists and turns of politics.

This Deputy Secretary's office seemed tightly shut, but in reality, it leaked information like a sieve. Secretary Qiu Dehai had operated in Heishi Town for over a decade; there was no telling how many of his eyes and ears were hidden in this building.

As a young and beautiful municipal-level cadre, Su Qinghan's appearance in this remote township government compound was already an extremely eye-catching presence in itself.

When the two of them entered the office one after another just now, they had surely fallen into the gaze of many watchful eyes.

If Police Chief Zhao Gang were to retreat from the room in a panic just to avoid suspicion, it would not only fail to cover things up, but would instead confirm the suspicion of "trying to hide what is already obvious."

Zhu Wenhao put down his water cup and said,

"Have a seat."

He looked at Police Chief Zhao Gang. "Qinghan is not only a staff member of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection now, but also the liaison between the Anti-Organized Crime Supervision Team and the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection. There is no need to hide any of our Heishi Town cases from her."

"It was my rashness." Police Chief Zhao Gang obediently walked to the other side of the sofa and sat down firmly.

Su Qinghan did not put on airs, knowing full well the unique nature of this office. Since Zhu Wenhao had smoothed things over, she proactively took on the role of hostess. Walking over to the water dispenser, she took a paper cup, poured some hot water for Police Chief Zhao Gang, and placed it on the coffee table in front of him.

"Let's get down to business," Zhu Wenhao cut straight to the point.

Police Chief Zhao Gang spread out the case files in his hands. "Secretary Zhu, the preliminary paperwork for yesterday's case in Heishui Village has been processed. Aside from submitting one copy of the files for Zhang Xing and the other primary suspects to the County Procuratorate according to procedure, I sent people overnight to deliver the remaining two copies to the Linjiang Municipal Public Security Bureau and the Provincial Anti-Gang Office's Supervision Team respectively."

Hearing this, Zhu Wenhao nodded slightly.

"A cunning rabbit has three burrows, and a case file has three destinations," Zhu Wenhao smiled faintly. "This case has too much of an impact. If you only send the files to the county, it would be like throwing a meat bun at a dog."

"Now that the files are safely stored in the archives of the Municipal Public Security Bureau and the Supervision Team, the net of the law can be considered woven."

His gaze was deep. "The deterrence of the law lies not in how harshly the statutes are written, but in leaving those who want to tamper with things clueless about which archive to destroy. As long as there is an original copy hanging over their heads, certain people in the county won't dare to practice favoritism and break the law during the arrest approval process."

"Next, we must comprehensively step up surveillance on the Zhang Clan," Zhu Wenhao issued a new directive. "Especially that Clan Elder Zhang Laoqi. Now that Village Secretary Zhang Dahai has fallen, the Zhang Clan will inevitably rally around this clan elder once more. Find his whereabouts and keep a close eye on him."

"And then there's that 'Red and White Council' they set up. Cloaked in the guise of folk custom, it actually conducts extortion. This is the clan's core tool for amassing wealth. Send people to follow this line of inquiry for further in-depth investigation. Make sure you dig up their account ledgers for forced buying and selling, as well as their collection of kickbacks over recent years."

Police Chief Zhao Gang quickly took notes in his notebook and nodded heavily.

"Aside from external threats, it's also time to excise the internal abscesses," Zhu Wenhao tapped his fingers slowly on the desk. "During this period, you have another core task: root out the moles in the Police Station one by one for me."

At the mention of this, Police Chief Zhao Gang's face instantly grew as dark as water.

"Secretary Zhu, it's fine if we don't talk about this, but mentioning it just makes me furious," Police Chief Zhao Gang vented his grievances. "These local police officers are completely unreliable. I have already confirmed that at least two official officers and four auxiliary officers in the station have countless ties to the Zhang Clan. During the previous operations in Heishui Village, if I hadn't used my authority as the Police Station director to forcibly suppress them, we would have nearly met with disaster due to someone tipping them off. Going to battle with a team like this is practically exposing our backs to the enemy."

A commander without troops is a fatal mistake in military strategy. Since Zhu Wenhao had placed Police Chief Zhao Gang on this knife's edge, he naturally had a backup plan.

"You don't need to worry about that," Zhu Wenhao offered reassurance. "Old Chen from the Municipal Public Security Bureau's Criminal Investigation Detachment will be assisting you in Heishi Town undercover during this period. The elite officers from the Municipal Public Security Bureau who participated in the arrest of Village Secretary Zhang Dahai with you in Heishui Village a couple of days ago will also temporarily station themselves in Heishi Town under the guise of cross-regional assistance."

Zhu Wenhao picked up his teacup. "I have already spoken with Police Chief Li Jianguo of the Municipal Public Security Bureau. This group of people will only answer to your command."

Hearing this, Police Chief Zhao Gang's gloom was instantly swept away.

"That's wonderful! This is truly a godsend," Police Chief Zhao Gang said excitedly. "With this fresh blood from the Municipal Public Security Bureau, we can resolve the deadlock of our station being severely understaffed. Tomorrow, I'll find an excuse to send those suspected troublemakers in the station to remote villages for a population census, completely removing them from our core investigation team."

With the internal threats resolved, Zhu Wenhao turned his concern to his injured subordinate.

"How is the injury on San Qiang's head?"

"Just a superficial wound, no skull damage. The kid is tough as nails. After a few stitches at the county hospital, he was clamoring early this morning to be discharged and report back to the station." Mentioning his deputy, a hint of a smile appeared on Police Chief Zhao Gang's rugged face. "However, he didn't return directly to town this morning. Instead, he went to take care of a personal matter. He plans to use his savings to sponsor Li Maisui's college education."

After listening, Zhu Wenhao cast his gaze out the window at the somewhat bleak winter scenery.

"The most chivalrous are often those of humble origins," Zhu Wenhao murmured softly.

"He is saving more than just a female college student's future; he is preserving the next generation of Heishui Village's respect for national law and justice."

With their business settled, Zhu Wenhao glanced at the wall clock; the hour hand already pointed to twelve.

"Let's go grab a quick bite," Zhu Wenhao stood up.

Seeing that Secretary Zhu was about to accompany his "girlfriend," who had traveled from afar, to have lunch, Police Chief Zhao Gang felt like a massive third wheel.

"Secretary Zhu, you two go ahead. I still have two summonses waiting for my signature back at the station, so I won't crash your party," Police Chief Zhao Gang waved his hands repeatedly, trying to decline.

Zhu Wenhao turned his head, his sharp gaze sweeping over like a blade.

That single glance carried an unquestionable authority.

Stared down by that look, Police Chief Zhao Gang swallowed the rest of his words back down. He knew that Zhu Wenhao's decisions were never up for negotiation.

He had no choice but to stand up obediently and agree, bracing himself for the awkwardness.

The three of them walked out of the Deputy Secretary's office one after another.

Sure enough, the moment they stepped out the door, several covert gazes shot out in unison from the cracks of the doors of the Publicity Section across the corridor and the Armed Forces Department office diagonally opposite.

Those gazes darted back and forth among Zhu Wenhao, Police Chief Zhao Gang, and Su Qinghan in her uniform, filled with scrutiny and speculation.

As the three of them walked toward those gazes, the prying eyes quickly withdrew behind the doors like a startled pack of rats, returning to dead silence.

There were no secrets in the government compound; eyes and ears were everywhere.

Zhu Wenhao walked with steady steps, his eyes darting slightly as a plan formed in his mind.

"Zhao Gang," Zhu Wenhao stopped in his tracks.

"Go to the Party and Government Office and call Director Xu Jie. The four of us will go grab a bite on South Street."

"Just say... a leader from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection has come down to inspect grassroots work, and as representatives of the town committee, we should play host."

Receiving his orders, Police Chief Zhao Gang turned and walked quickly toward the Party and Government Office.

Zhu Wenhao tilted his head slightly and lowered his voice to Su Qinghan beside him.

"The situation in Heishi Town is extremely complex. Every move I make in this building is closely watched by Qiu Dehai's people," Zhu Wenhao explained briefly. "If we don't bring Xu Jie along, rumors about you and me will spread throughout the entire compound by tomorrow."

Having been tempered during this period, Su Qinghan's political instincts were no longer what they used to be.

"I understand," Su Qinghan said, her cold, elegant face showing not the slightest hint of minding. She adjusted her cuffs. "However, if you finish with the files on hand this afternoon, come back to the dormitory early. Tonight, there is still an old debt from decades ago that we need to settle properly."

As they spoke, Director Xu Jie had already walked out of the Party and Government Office with Police Chief Zhao Gang.

Director Xu Jie was still her usual makeup-free, highly capable self. She didn't ask why she was suddenly invited to this meal, but simply fell in quietly half a step behind Zhu Wenhao, playing the role of a perfect subordinate.

The group of four walked out of the Town Government compound and headed toward the long-established noodle shop in the south of the town.

When they entered the noodle shop, it was usually the busiest time of day. Nearby merchants and coal truck drivers would mostly choose to grab a quick bowl of hot soup noodles here.

However, the noodle shop, which should have been bustling with noise, was surprisingly and dreadfully quiet.

Over a dozen greasy wooden tables stood empty. Except for a couple of scattered customers slurping noodles with their heads down at a corner table, there was no one else.

The landlady, wearing a grease-stained apron, was absent-mindedly wiping a table that was not dirty at all with a rag.

Hearing the rustle of the door curtain, she looked up.

When she saw that the people walking in were Police Chief Zhao Gang in his police uniform and Zhu Wenhao with his imposing aura, instead of the joy of welcoming customers, a trace of deeply suppressed panic flashed in the landlady's eyes.

The rag in her hand slipped and fell onto the table.