269: Chapter 269 Zhang Yuanhang Injured

Night, Heishui Village.

Zhang Yuanhang hung up on Police Chief Zhao Gang and pulled up the collar of his old military coat.

He understood what Zhu Wenhao meant.

He was to act as his eyes.

Eldest Branch had fallen, but the roots of the collateral branches remained. Before Clan Elder Zhang Laoqi was arrested, he had distributed a significant amount of money. Now, that money was flowing through the darkness of the night.

Zhang Yuanhang followed the base of the dirt wall until he reached the west end of the village.

The lights were on in Zhang Biao's courtyard.

Zhang Biao was considered a prominent figure among the collateral branches of Eldest Branch.

Zhang Yuanhang stepped on a half-brick and peeked into the courtyard.

The door to the main hall was open.

Zhang Biao was pulling cash out of a snake-skin bag, in denominations of fifty and one hundred. Several village elders were lining up to take the money and press their fingerprints.

It was vote-buying.

Zhang Yuanhang took out his mobile phone, aimed the camera at the main hall, and pressed the record button.

A red light flashed.

By the courtyard wall, two dark shadows approached silently.

"Who's there!"

A low shout rang out.

Zhang Yuanhang turned abruptly, and two cold glints struck down at his face.

He had been a soldier, and his physical reaction was faster than his brain.

He side-stepped and retreated.

The knife blade grazed his face.

But there were two of them; the one behind blocked his retreat and plunged a knife into his left shoulder.

The fabric tore, and blood flowed out.

Zhang Yuanhang did not scream; he lifted his foot and kicked hard at the knee of the man in front.

The man fell to his knees.

Zhang Yuanhang clutched his shoulder and ran while shouting at the top of his lungs: "Catch the thieves!"

The sound of a gong rang out.

The young men of Second Branch and Third Branch were awakened by this shout.

Fifteen minutes later, police cars from the Town Police Station blocked the village entrance.

Police Chief Zhao Gang, accompanied by Deputy Police Chief Li Sanqiang, kicked open the gate of Zhang Biao's courtyard.

It was chaotic inside; two masked men were climbing over the back wall.

Deputy Police Chief Li Sanqiang pulled out a stun baton and struck.

The person fell straight down from the wall.

The handcuffs were locked.

At the village clinic.

Zhang Yuanhang was half-bare-chested, and the old village doctor was stitching him up.

There was no anesthesia.

He gritted his teeth and did not make a sound.

Secretary Du Changhe's car was parked outside.

He strode into the clinic, glanced at Zhang Yuanhang's shoulder, and then looked at Police Chief Zhao Gang standing to the side.

"What is going on?" Secretary Du Changhe asked.

Police Chief Zhao Gang handed over the two blood-stained scrapers retrieved from the scene.

"Someone was paying for votes in Zhang Biao's courtyard. Zhang Yuanhang went to film the evidence and was stabbed by these two."

Secretary Du Changhe turned to look at Police Chief Zhao Gang: "Where is the evidence?"

Police Chief Zhao Gang pointed to the blood-stained mobile phone on the table.

Secretary Du Changhe did not touch the phone.

He walked outside, where the two suspects were handcuffed next to the police car.

"Did you stab him?" Secretary Du Changhe asked.

One of the men raised his head: "Secretary Du, this matter has nothing to do with the election. Zhang Yuanhang owed me money from gambling and refused to pay. I drank too much today, and when I ran into him, I acted on impulse."

The other immediately chimed in: "That's right, it was a personal grudge."

The two statements were perfectly aligned.

Secretary Du Changhe walked back into the clinic.

"Director Zhao." He raised his voice, "The suspects have confessed; it was a personal grudge, a fight caused by gambling debts."

Police Chief Zhao Gang frowned: "That's nonsense. Two newly bought scrapers, lying in ambush in someone else's courtyard—does that look like it was caused by gambling?"

"The suspects' confession is right here." Secretary Du Changhe did not back down, "Director Zhao, handling cases requires evidence. Zhang Yuanhang, you tell me, are you using the election as a pretext to frame personal grudges?"

Zhang Yuanhang looked at Secretary Du Changhe, sneered, and said nothing.

The villagers of Second Branch and Third Branch packed the clinic so tightly that not even water could pass through. Hearing Secretary Du Changhe's words, they were filled with righteous indignation.

"Bullshit! Zhang Yuanhang never gambles!"

"The people from Eldest Branch are buying votes and stabbing people, and the town leaders are still shielding them!"

The scene became chaotic.

This was exactly the effect Secretary Du Changhe wanted.

As long as the masses caused a scene, he could use "maintaining stability and postponing the re-election" as an excuse to forcibly suppress the situation in Heishui Village and smoothly install the collateral branch of Eldest Branch.

"Shut up, all of you!" Secretary Du Changhe shouted loudly.

"Disrupting a law enforcement scene will be treated as obstruction of justice!"

It was quiet outside for half a second.

From the back of the crowd, someone spoke.

"Secretary Du certainly has great authority."

The villagers consciously cleared a path.

Zhu Wenhao walked in.

He wore a dark coat, and his steps were steady. Director Xu Jie followed slightly behind him.

Zhu Wenhao did not look at Secretary Du Changhe; he walked to Zhang Yuanhang and looked at the bandaged gauze.

"Is the injury serious?"

"I won't die." Zhang Yuanhang stood up.

Zhu Wenhao nodded.

He turned around, walked to the table, picked up the blood-stained mobile phone, and pressed the play button.

On the screen, the scene of Zhang Biao distributing money was clearly visible.

Zhu Wenhao put down the phone and looked at Secretary Du Changhe.

"Secretary Du just said this was a personal grudge caused by gambling?"

Secretary Du Changhe bit the bullet and replied: "That is what the suspects confessed. What is filmed on the phone is Zhang Biao distributing money, which is a different matter from the stabbing. You cannot force them together."

Zhu Wenhao pulled over a chair and sat down.

"You believe whatever the suspects say?" Zhu Wenhao said.

"When Secretary Du was the security captain at the County Bureau, was that how you solved cases?"

Secretary Du Changhe's face tightened: "Secretary Zhu, I am the Political and Legal Affairs Commissioner. I am considering the big picture for Heishui Village. The masses are currently agitated; if we define this as election violence, the re-election cannot proceed. Stability overrides everything."

Zhu Wenhao looked at him.

"'Stability overrides everything.' That phrase is not used to shield criminals."

He tapped his knuckles on the table twice.

"These two people, they didn't stab him earlier, didn't stab him later, but happened to stab him exactly when Zhang Yuanhang filmed the evidence of vote-buying."

"The two suspects' confessions don't even differ by a punctuation mark."

"Secretary Du, you are an experienced public security officer. This is called collusion."

Secretary Du Changhe was speechless.

Zhu Wenhao did not give him a chance to argue.

"Since Secretary Du is responsible for the stability work in Heishui Village, this matter will be investigated by you until the truth is uncovered."

Zhu Wenhao turned to look at Director Xu Jie.

"Notify the whole village. Tomorrow morning, a Heishui Village public security hearing will be held at the Town Government auditorium."

"The preliminary investigation results of the case regarding the attack on Zhang Yuanhang will be announced publicly."

He looked at Secretary Du Changhe again.

"This hearing will be chaired by Secretary Du personally."

"You represent the town's Political and Legal Affairs Commission and give the common people an explanation."

Secretary Du Changhe froze in place.

Chairing the hearing in front of the whole village.

If he favored Eldest Branch, these hundreds of villagers could tear the roof off the Town Government, and his reputation would be ruined.

If he handled it impartially and confirmed the vote-buying and stabbing, the collateral branch of Eldest Branch would be completely out. The task assigned by Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan to delay the re-election would directly fail.

Caught in a dilemma, he was being roasted on a fire.

Zhu Wenhao stood up and straightened his sleeves.

"Secretary Du, I'll leave it to you."

He walked out of the clinic; the night wind was cold, but his steps were steady.

Qingjiang County Party Committee compound, Deputy Secretary's office.

It was late at night, and Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan had not yet left.

The phone on the desk rang; it was a call from Secretary Du Changhe.

"Secretary Qin, something has happened." Secretary Du Changhe reported the situation in Heishui Village, along with the news of tomorrow's hearing.

After listening, Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan was silent for a long time.

"Changhe." Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan finally spoke, his voice very low, "I sent you there to control the situation. You have been played like a monkey."

"Secretary Qin, Zhu Wenhao set me up in front of the whole village; I couldn't refuse..."

"There is no need to refuse anymore." Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan interrupted him, "Tomorrow at the hearing, honestly admit the facts and deal with those two stabbers. Do not bring trouble upon yourself."

The phone hung up.

Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan leaned back in his chair.

Zhu Wenhao. Not only did he not take the bait, but he could also turn the nail sent down into his own knife.

This young man was difficult to deal with.

The next morning, at the Town Government auditorium.

Over two hundred people from Second Branch, Third Branch, and other surnames of Heishui Village arrived; the doors were wide open, and the seats were full.

Secretary Du Changhe sat in the center of the podium.

Zhu Wenhao sat in a side seat. Director Xu Jie was responsible for recording. Police Chief Zhao Gang brought people to maintain order.

Secretary Du Changhe cleared his throat.

"Today, we are holding the Heishui Village public security hearing."

As soon as he finished speaking, several elders sent by the collateral branch of Eldest Branch stood up.

"Secretary Du! Zhang Yuanhang is overbearing and is bringing in outsiders to bully our Eldest Branch!" An elder wailed, "This re-election cannot be held! If it continues, people will die!"

Secretary Du Changhe looked at those elders; this was what he had tacitly approved of last night. As long as these people caused a scene, he could take the opportunity to say that the situation was unstable and postpone the re-election.

Zhu Wenhao did not speak, he just tilted his head slightly.

Director Xu Jie stood up.

"Preliminary investigation report on the case regarding the attack on Zhang Yuanhang."

She picked up a page of paper, her voice crisp.

"Upon investigation, two suspects, Zhang and Liu, snuck into Zhang Biao's courtyard at 11:00 last night. Zhang Biao paid them five thousand yuan in cash."

Director Xu Jie pressed the remote control for the projector in front of her.

On the big screen, surveillance footage from outside Zhang Biao's courtyard appeared. Zhang Biao was seen stuffing a stack of money into their hands.

There was dead silence below.

The few elders from Eldest Branch who were wailing were stunned.

Secretary Du Changhe's face turned pale.

"The evidence is irrefutable." Director Xu Jie closed the report, "The suspects are not only suspected of intentional injury but also of undermining the election."

The masses from Second Branch and Third Branch were boiling with excitement.

"Strictly punish Zhang Biao!"

"Buying votes and stabbing! The people of Eldest Branch are hopeless!"

The villagers with other surnames also stood up: "In the past, the village's subsistence allowances were all taken by Eldest Branch! This re-election cannot be delayed for even a day!"

Secretary Du Changhe sat in the main seat, feeling as if the chair was on hot coals.

He could not control the scene.

Zhu Wenhao picked up the microphone and handed it to Secretary Du Changhe.

"Secretary Du." Zhu Wenhao's voice was steady, "The masses are waiting for your answer."

"Is this re-election still being postponed?"

Secretary Du Changhe's hand holding the microphone shook slightly.

He looked at the hundreds of angry eyes below, knowing that if he dared to say a single word of refusal, he would not be able to walk out of this door today.

"It will not be delayed."

Secretary Du Changhe spoke into the microphone, his throat dry.

"The public security issues in Heishui Village are indeed serious. Individual members of Eldest Branch are breaking the law. The re-election will be held as scheduled."

Zhu Wenhao was the first to applaud.

The applause was monotonous, yet piercing.

Subsequently, the entire hall erupted in thunderous applause.

Secretary Du Changhe had lost for the first time. He was defeated by the stability-maintenance responsibility he had accepted himself.

After the meeting.

Zhang Yuanhang walked up to Zhu Wenhao, his left shoulder still bandaged with gauze.

"Secretary Zhu, this knife wound was not in vain."

Zhu Wenhao looked at him.

"Taking a knife is the courage of a brute." Zhu Wenhao said.

"You were able to refrain from being impulsive and drag Secretary Du Changhe into the water; that is what it means to have a brain."

"For the upcoming re-election, guard against vote-buying and fake votes. Zhang Biao has been caught, and Eldest Branch will definitely counterattack. Guard your bottom line."

Zhang Yuanhang nodded heavily.