Hadn't the higher-ups already agreed not to look into the smuggling?
That was the source of Lü Jinshan's confidence.
If they didn't investigate the smuggling, any accusations against him would remain strictly confined to corruption and bribery.
In the Federation, corruption and bribery were not considered capital offenses. Over the past decade, those sentenced to death for such crimes could be counted on one hand, and life sentences were exceedingly rare.
He estimated that his case would at most involve "exceptionally large sums," but without causing major losses to the Federation, and he had the mitigating factor of voluntary surrender.
With someone shielding him, he would receive ten years at most.
A ten-year fixed-term sentence could be reduced to three to seven years upon second-instance appeal.
At best, he would be sentenced to three years; with a little string-pulling once inside, his actual time served would likely be under two years.
At worst, even with ten years, he could secure medical parole.
The premise for all of this was that they did not investigate the smuggling. If they did, the entire city of Fangshi would suffer, and even City Executive Zhao De would be unable to save himself.
Xu Fang lowered her voice to caution, "Team Leader Lu, the higher-ups specifically said not to look into this."
"Who said so? Is there an official document?"
Lu Zhao glanced at her, shutting her down completely with a single sentence.
How could there ever be an official document for something like that?
He turned back toward Lü Jinshan, his tone turning severe. "I'm asking you: does the contraband in the Foreign District have anything to do with you?"
"It has nothing to do with me."
Lü Jinshan dug his heels in, offering a glib defense. "Team Leader Lu, you've worked border defense yourself. You ought to know smuggling can never be completely stopped. Those Federation subjects follow mountain trails and drainage culverts, hiking across peaks and wading rivers, hauling goods into the Federation by sheer manpower time and time again.
"We can only curb large-scale smuggling. Eradicating it entirely is impossible."
Xu Fang hastily recorded the statement, silently admiring that Lü Jinshan at least had some wit about him.
This excuse was enough to corner Lu Zhao.
If he couldn't produce evidence, he would have no choice but to drop it. Moreover, Xu Fang had handled Lü Bowen's ledgers and much of the illicit funds; all the evidence pointed squarely at Lü Jinshan.
At that moment, Lu Zhao produced another document, rising to place it on the small table in front of Lü Jinshan.
It was a patrol map of the Ant Ridge border defense station.
Lü Jinshan gritted his teeth, a premonition of dread seizing his chest.
Lu Zhao said, "Late last month, while on patrol, I inadvertently discovered a trail in the mountains. Preliminary investigation revealed it to be a smuggling route.
"I then reviewed the patrol routes over the years. The most recent redesign was two years ago, and this route happened to fall squarely within a blind spot.
"Was this the result of your bribery and corruption?"
Lü Jinshan shook his head. "No."
"If not, why did you take the money?" Lu Zhao leaned slightly forward. Lü Jinshan recoiled backward, hanging his head, not daring to answer.
If he admitted to it, he would likely be facing a life sentence at the very least.
Seeing Lü Jinshan remain silent, Lu Zhao slowly uttered a name: "Lü Family Village."
Lü Jinshan shuddered and finally looked up, pleading pitifully, "Lu Zhao, I beg of you, don't say any more. I know I was wrong.
"I'll go to prison and reform myself, and you'll be promoted and transferred out. Why must we fight to the death?"
Just then, Xu Fang stood up as well, saying, "Team Leader Lu, our priority right now should be—"
"Shut your mouth!"
Lu Zhao whipped around, pointing at her, his eyes blazing like a mountain tiger roaring through the forest. Psychic power surged along with his voice, slamming into her face.
Xu Fang had barely lifted off her chair before she fell right back into it in sheer terror.
Lü Jinshan stared at Lu Zhao in a daze, as though cast back four years in time.
That year, Lu Zhao had just arrived at the border defense station, and Lü Jinshan had received instructions from above.
He had assigned Lu Zhao the worst quarters, the most punishing posts, and the harshest patrol duties, coming up with endless ways to torment him.
From time to time, he even had to write reports to the eldest young lady of the Chen family describing Lu Zhao's current situation.
Eventually, even Lü Jinshan felt he had gone too far, and grew weary of it.
He called Lu Zhao in for a talk, telling him that as long as he kept his head down, they could coexist peacefully.
As for Miss Chen far away in Cangwu, she hadn't requested a report in a long time; clearly, she had forgotten all about him.
As long as Lu Zhao yielded, everything could be negotiated.
Lu Zhao had not answered, merely watching him in silence. No matter what promises or threats Lü Jinshan made, Lu Zhao met them with unyielding silence.
Yet when it came to orders, he carried them out resolutely, without the slightest hesitation.
Silent, resilient, as unyielding as steel.
Even Lü Jinshan had been somewhat awed by him, which was why he had questioned Secretary Liu.
Could Lu Zhao truly be tamed? Could steel truly be bent?
Four years of hardship and storms hadn't broken him; Lü Jinshan did not believe he would yield today.
And just as he expected.
Lu Zhao looked down at Lü Jinshan, speaking coldly: "Answer the question."
Lü Jinshan fell silent once more.
Lu Zhao waited for a minute. Every passing second felt to Lü Jinshan like death by a thousand cuts.
Finally, another document was placed before him, in black and white, stating the very thing he dreaded most.
"Following an investigation by our station over this past period, a large number of villagers from Lü Family Village in Ant Ridge were found to be involved in smuggling, transporting massive quantities of contraband into the city.
"On June twenty-seventh—today at noon—our station deployed a company to conduct an operation against Lü Family Village, apprehending one hundred and twenty people on-site and seizing over a hundred tons of assorted contraband.
"Furthermore, hundreds of tons of beef were uncovered in a cold-storage warehouse in the district, all traced back to Lü Family Village. Confessions from villagers state that these goods were transported across the border via waterways and drainage culverts, all under your direction."
Lü Jinshan trembled, his breathing turning ragged. Every word he heard was like swallowing a needle.
In the end, unable to bear it, he collapsed with a thud onto his knees before Lu Zhao, knocking his head against the floor three times in succession.
"I beg you, spare me, spare me! I'll give you money! I'll give you money!"
Lu Zhao stood as straight as a spear, his face cold as iron. "Every member of Lü Family Village who participated in smuggling operations, with Lü Jinshan and Lü Bowen as the principal offenders, has caused severe harm to the Federation. I will be submitting criminal charges to the circuit's Highest Court of Judicial Review."
Lü Jinshan wept, kowtowing even more frantically, doing nothing but pleading.
"I beg you, please..."
"Answer me. Otherwise, I will send every member of your Lü family to prison, and your own offenses are more than enough for the death penalty."
"I... I was only following orders..."
"Whose orders?"
Lü Jinshan did not answer. Lu Zhao hauled him up and shoved him back into the chair.
Changing his approach, Lu Zhao asked, "How did you get the contraband delivered into the Foreign District? Weren't there checkpoints along the way?"
"No."
Lü Jinshan was already half-delirious.
"So the traffic control department was involved as well." Lu Zhao spoke with utter certainty, then turned to Xu Fang and commanded, "Put that on the record."
Xu Fang swallowed hard, nothing left in her gaze toward his handsome face but sheer awe.
As she penned the notes, it felt like a sword slashing straight toward Fangshi.
Lu Zhao continued his questioning. "From the West Street Bar ledgers we seized, a massive amount of funds is unaccounted for. Into whose pockets did that money go?"
"It's... it's been too long, I can't remember."
"Your brother has already confessed."
Lu Zhao brought out a confession—Lü Bowen's statement—and said bluntly, "It was Liu Zhihui, secretary to the City Executive of Fangshi. Now I ask you once more: was Zhao De involved?"
In truth, Lü Bowen had implicated Zhao De right from the start, but an underworld mob boss's testimony against a city executive carried little weight on its own.
Lü Jinshan lapsed into silence once more—not out of loyalty, but sheer terror, so overwhelming that his body trembled.
If he didn't give up Zhao De, he might face the death penalty.
If he did give up Zhao De, he would almost certainly not survive either.
Chapter 71