193: Chapter 193 Swift Arrest

When Zhang Yanshi pushed open the door to the office of Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary Zhou Zhenglians, a thin layer of sweat still clung to his forehead.

He had rushed over from home, urging the driver three times along the way, and when the car stopped at the gate of the County Committee Compound, he had practically run inside.

He did not sit down, but stood before the desk, waiting for Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary Zhou Zhenglians to speak.

Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary Zhou Zhenglians did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "Comrade Yanshi, to make a long story short. Secretary Wei just gave instructions personally: the case of Director Qi Heng must be handled as a special case, quickly, promptly, and strictly."

"My opinion is that we should act tonight. You will lead the team personally and take him into custody."

Zhang Yanshi's fingers twitched slightly, but there was no change in his expression.

He had worked at the Discipline Inspection Commission for nearly twenty years; there was no case he hadn't handled, no situation he hadn't seen.

Yet, the situation tonight still made his heart tighten slightly.

"Secretary Zhou, regarding the paperwork..."

"You don't need to worry about the paperwork."

Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary Zhou Zhenglians waved his hand, placed the unlit cigarette in his hand on the desk, and spoke in a tone as flat as if he were discussing something perfectly ordinary.

"I will convene the Standing Committee immediately to complete the procedures. What you need to do is bring the person in and secure the evidence."

"Secretary Wei said it must be fast, stable, and accurate; we cannot give him any chance to react."

Zhang Yanshi straightened his back and said firmly: "Understood, Secretary Zhou. Where is he?"

Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary Zhou Zhenglians took a slip of paper from his drawer and handed it over.

Zhang Yanshi took it, glanced at it, and saw a hotel name and a room number written on it.

He didn't ask any more questions, folded the slip of paper into his pocket, and turned to leave.

"Yanshi."

Zhang Yanshi stopped and turned back.

Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary Zhou Zhenglians looked at him, paused for a second, then lowered his voice, carrying an implication that could be understood but not spoken: "You know Director Qi Heng; he has been in the Public Security Bureau for so many years, there's no situation he hasn't seen."

"Conventional interrogation methods might not be very effective on him. When necessary, you can be flexible."

"As long as the evidence is solid and the procedures are legal, do not be too rigid in your methods."

Zhang Yanshi understood the meaning behind the words of Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary Zhou Zhenglians. The so-called "flexible" and "do not be too rigid" had a clear direction in the work practice of the Discipline Inspection Commission.

He nodded, pulled open the door, and strode out.

In the corridor, Director Lao Ma of the First Inspection Office was already waiting.

Lao Ma was in his early fifties, his hair graying, the wrinkles on his face looking like they had been carved with a knife. He was a workhorse of the Discipline Inspection Commission, having handled countless major cases, seen all kinds of suspects, and broken all kinds of defenses.

Beside him stood four case officers, all in dark jackets, expressions solemn, standing straight like five unsheathed blades.

"Secretary Zhang, the car is downstairs."

"Let's go."

The group went downstairs, boarded two black sedans, and drove silently out of The Government Compound.

The atmosphere in the car was heavy; no one spoke, only the low roar of the engine could be heard.

Zhang Yanshi sat in the passenger seat, eyes closed, running through the plan in his mind.

The hotel where Director Qi Heng was staying was on the east side of the county seat, a four-star establishment not far from the Public Security Bureau. It was a place he frequented and likely the place he considered the safest.

Lao Ma leaned over from the back seat and said in a very low voice: "Secretary Zhang, I just checked. Director Qi Heng is not on duty at the Public Security Bureau tonight and has no official business activities."

"He went to the hotel in the afternoon and hasn't come out since."

Zhang Yanshi didn't open his eyes, just gave a grunt of acknowledgment.

Went there in the afternoon and hasn't come out?

He sneered in his heart. A dignified Public Security Bureau director, the chief official of the county's public security, not sitting in the bureau, not patrolling the front lines, but spending an entire afternoon and evening in a hotel.

What kind of work style is this?

What kind of cadre is this?

The hotel was at the end of a commercial street, seven stories tall, its exterior decorated with golden splendor, and several luxury cars were parked at the entrance.

Zhang Yanshi had the driver park the car on the side of the road opposite the hotel without turning off the engine.

He took out his phone, checked the time, and then called another case officer.

"Have you arrived?"

"Arrived. The front desk is taken care of, and the room card has been obtained."

"Stand by."

Zhang Yanshi hung up the phone, leaned back in the seat, and closed his eyes.

Those around him dared not speak, and even their breathing became light.

The air in the car felt frozen, pressing on people's chests, but they were all veterans of the Discipline Inspection Commission who had seen major situations; this bit of pressure was nothing.

The night grew deeper, pedestrians on the street were almost nowhere to be seen, and the neon lights at the hotel entrance flickered in the darkness.

After a while, Zhang Yanshi opened his eyes and got out of the car, with Lao Ma and the four case officers following behind him.

They crossed the road and walked into the hotel lobby. The receptionist glanced at them, then quickly lowered her head, pretending to see nothing.

The elevator doors opened, and Lao Ma pressed the button for the seventh floor.

The seventh floor arrived quickly; the corridor was covered with thick carpet, swallowing their footsteps completely.

Lao Ma walked in front, clutching the room card.

He stopped in front of a door and looked back at Zhang Yanshi.

Zhang Yanshi nodded, took a deep breath, and pressed the room card against the sensor. With a beep, the lock opened.

He didn't push the door open but listened first. Music was playing inside.

It was very soft, like background music, and there were people talking, intermittent and unclear.

He glanced at his colleagues behind him; they spread out with tacit understanding, two guarding the door and two following him in.

He pushed the door open abruptly and walked in quickly.

The hotel suite was large, the living room lights were all on, and the crystal chandelier was radiant.

On the coffee table were red wine, fruit, and several small dishes; scattered clothing lay on the sofa, and the air was filled with a mixture of alcohol and perfume.

The TV was on, playing music videos, with the volume turned very low, as if afraid to disturb someone.

And in the center of the living room, Su Bainian and Mengmeng were dancing.

Su Bainian was wearing a red crop top, the back hollowed out, revealing a large expanse of snow-white skin.

Below, she wore black shorts, and when her waist twisted, the faint lines on the side of her waist could be seen.

Her hair was loose, tracing arcs in the air as her body swayed.

Her face was heavily made up, her lips red as blood, her eyes hazy, as if she were drunk or had taken some kind of drug.

She was immersed in her own world, completely unaware of everything outside, or perhaps she no longer cared.

Mengmeng was dressed in a bunny girl outfit, the black bodysuit outlining her body curves vividly.

Fishnet stockings wrapped around her long legs, two bunny ears were on her head, and there was a fluffy bunny tail behind her.

She was twisting opposite Su Bainian, making all kinds of alluring movements.

Director Qi Heng was sitting in a single sofa facing them, his shirt open, revealing the sagging skin on his chest.

He held a glass of red wine, legs crossed, his gaze wandering between the two, an indescribable smile hanging on the corner of his mouth. On the coffee table stood half a bottle of red wine and two used glasses.

When the door was pushed open, the music continued, and the sound of the group rushing in was mostly absorbed by the carpet and soft furnishings.

Lao Ma walked in front and saw the scene in the living room at a glance. The smell of alcohol, perfume, and ambiguous atmosphere rushed into his nose, making him frown slightly.

He had worked in the Discipline Inspection Commission for most of his life and had seen everything, but the scene before him still made his heart sink.

Director Qi Heng was the County Public Security Bureau director, the chief official of the county's public security, and the specific person in charge of the Crackdown on Organized Crime special campaign.

Yet, at this moment, Director Qi Heng was still holding a wine glass, drinking heartily. In the moment the group rushed in, he thought it was a hotel waiter or some blind boss who had entered the wrong room.

Just as he was about to lash out, he saw the gray hair of Zhang Yanshi walking behind and that unchangeable, serious expression on his face.

His drunkenness faded by half, and the red wine immediately spilled onto his pants.

"Zhang Yanshi?"

He put down the wine glass, didn't stand up, leaned against the sofa back, and tried to make his voice sound calm.

"What are you people from the Discipline Inspection Commission doing here? I'm having a party with friends; is there a problem?"

The woman in the bunny girl outfit froze, her movements stuck in mid-air, her bunny ears askew, and the expression on her face changed from alluring to terrified.

Su Bainian only then realized that someone had broken in; she subconsciously covered her chest with her arms, shrank into the corner of the sofa, and trembled all over.

Lao Ma ignored him, took out his credentials, walked up to Director Qi Heng, and said in a low voice: "Comrade Qi Heng, after research and decision by the County Commission for Discipline Inspection Standing Committee, we are initiating an investigation into your suspected serious violations of discipline and law. Please come with us."

Director Qi Heng's face changed, and the drunkenness on him was completely frightened away.

He looked at Zhang Yanshi, then at Lao Ma, and then at the four expressionless case officers.

After all, he had been in the Public Security Bureau for most of his life and had seen too many such scenes; he had been the hunter, but he never expected that one day he would become the prey.

"Zhang Yanshi, do you have the paperwork? You Discipline Inspection Commission people are arresting someone without even showing me the paperwork?"

He was still putting up a front, but his voice was a bit weak; his lack of confidence was like a liar whose lie had been exposed, making a final struggle.

Zhang Yanshi did not argue with him or explain.

He took a piece of paper from his pocket and waved it in front of him.

It was not the official document, but the case-filing decision signed by Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary Zhou Zhenglians; the Standing Committee meeting minutes would be completed later, but all necessary procedures would be in place.

"Comrade Qi Heng, please cooperate. Don't make it difficult for us, and don't make it embarrassing for yourself."

Su Bainian crouched in the corner of the sofa, hugging her knees and trembling all over, tears streaming down silently.

The woman in the bunny girl outfit stuck to the wall, trying to slip out, but was blocked by the case officers at the door.

Mengmeng trembled, saying that she hadn't done anything, just came to drink with friends.

Lao Ma walked up to Director Qi Heng, bent down, reached out, and removed his hand from the armrest. The movement was gentle but firm.

Director Qi Heng wanted to break free, his elbow pulling back, but Lao Ma didn't let go; the two stood in a stalemate for two seconds.

Director Qi Heng looked into Lao Ma's bottomless eyes, suddenly like a deflated ball; his whole body went limp, no longer struggling, no longer arguing, and no longer demanding to see the paperwork.

Because it was meaningless...

Director Qi Heng lowered his head, looking at the stain on his pants soaked by the red wine, and then slowly stood up.

"I will walk myself."

His voice was very low, so low it was like he was talking to himself.

Lao Ma let go and took a step back.

Director Qi Heng straightened his collar and buttoned his open shirt one by one, very slowly, as if doing something that required great courage to complete.

When he reached the top button, his fingers trembled a bit, and it took several tries to fasten it.

Zhang Yanshi stepped aside and pointed his arm toward the door.

Director Qi Heng stepped out, the four case officers following behind him, two in front and two behind, surrounding him in the middle.

The voice-activated lights in the corridor lit up and went out, the elevator door opened and closed, and the receptionist in the hotel lobby watched the group, not daring to breathe.