Foreign District Police Station.
Zhang Like rushed in again looking for Lu Zhao.
"Old Lu, this is bad! The municipal authorities found the smuggled goods we seized, and they took part of them!"
"Let them take it. We took photos as evidence anyway."
Still practicing his Immobilization Technique, Lu Zhao answered calmly, unhurriedly, "If the report we submit becomes invalid just because the goods were snatched away, then the higher-ups never intended to deal with Zhao De in the first place."
"And what if the higher-ups really do that?"
Zhang Like always liked to assume the worst, which also revealed an anxious urge to win.
Lu Zhao used to be like that too, his mind filled only with extreme highs and lows. Either the villains were brought to justice, or everything was wasted in vain—like swaying weeds, bending wherever the wind blew.
In his view, Zhao De sending men to snatch the goods only proved that the man was getting desperate.
Closing his book, Lu Zhao said calmly and firmly, "Then we should simply return to the border defense station and keep preparing for this year's flood season. Their crimes won't vanish just because of this cover-up. I'm not afraid of having cold water poured on me; the future is long."
Seek truth from facts, fulfill one's duties conscientiously—that was Lu Zhao's appraisal of himself.
Lu Zhao led Zhang Like out of the office to inspect the various firing positions, emphasizing that they had to heighten their vigilance in the coming days and stay on guard at all times against enemy attacks.
As for who the enemy was, that went without saying.
* * *
July 2. Nanhai Circuit Politics Bureau, small conference room.
The Circuit Politics Bureau held both plenary assemblies and small council meetings. The plenary assemblies invited department heads, regional delegates, industry representatives, and other members of the upper crust to confer together, often determining the developmental direction of the entire Circuit.
Yet the Federation was exceptionally autocratic; generally, such large meetings were more form than substance. Gathering luminaries from all walks of life was not meant for consultation, but for notification. Once the notice was served, anyone who still failed to understand the situation had only themselves to blame when the iron fist came crashing down.
Only the small council possessed genuine decision-making power. The small conference room of the Nanhai Circuit Politics Bureau had twelve seats, symbolizing the twelve council members of the Bureau.
These twelve individuals were the "architects" of the Nanhai Circuit. Their every move affected three hundred million people, extending even beyond the Miye Sanjiang region and across all the islands along the southeastern coast.
Broadly speaking, the twelve could be divided into two factions led by Liu and Chen; on a finer level, each member headed their own camp.
Today, Chief Liu Hanwen had convened an urgent deliberation.
*Disciplinary and Smuggling Route Resolution Meeting Regarding the Fangshi City Executive*
Everyone froze when they saw the title of the document.
Only days earlier, an agreement had been reached: the Fangshi issue would be restricted to smuggling, leaving the city executive untouched for the time being. That compromise had been won only through Chen Yunming's fierce protection.
Yet today, Liu Hanwen had suddenly reversed course, combining the two matters once again. Such fickleness violated the unwritten rules of the political arena.
"Please take your seats, everyone. We can proceed with the meeting once you've reviewed the report."
Liu Hanwen motioned for everyone to sit down. Each person harbored their own thoughts, though their faces remained carefully composed.
Soon, the reactions divided the room into two camps: one side showed astonishment with faint murmurs of surprise, while the other grew increasingly solemn.
After about three minutes, Liu Hanwen skipped all pleasantries. Holding the brief on the smuggled goods, he said, "Comrades, the situation is already very clear. What is happening in Fangshi is not simply an issue with the Foreign District. It is an organized criminal operation within the Federation, an abuse of power by a clique of officials, and a trampling of Circuit laws and discipline! The nature of this offense is exceedingly vile, and it must be dealt with strictly, severely, and swiftly!"
Every word made the hearts of the councilors from the Chen faction beat faster.
By Liu Hanwen's phrasing, the scope of the crackdown would be vast.
Eyes drifted toward Chen Yunming. The heavy-eyed, middle-aged man remained silent.
This report left him no room to refute.
With both witnesses and physical evidence in hand—and having caught the perpetrators red-handed—if Chen Yunming could deflect a royal flush like this, the Nanhai Circuit might as well be renamed the Chen Family Circuit.
Seeing that he did not speak, Liu Hanwen continued, "I propose that we parachute in an interim leadership group to bring the situation under control, followed by a thorough investigation of all officials and functionaries at every level."
"I agree that an investigation is warranted, and indeed must be rigorous," Chen Yunming said, first expressing concurrence before steering the conversation elsewhere. "However, directly gutting the administrative leadership of an entire city is too drastic. This evidence has yet to be verified and corroborated through cross-examination, there are no specific figures for the sums and scale involved, and the only witness is an official at the chief clerk level."
Liu Hanwen asked, "Both witnesses and material evidence are present. Is that not enough?"
"I support Chief Liu's proposal," Chen Yunming reiterated his cooperation. "I merely wonder if acting too aggressively might overcomplicate the situation—or perhaps even provoke the defection of a high-tier superhuman? Anyone who manages to become a city executive in the Federation is without exception a top-tier genius."
As soon as those words were uttered, the others in the room showed varying degrees of assent.
The defection of a high-tier superhuman would be a far graver scandal if word got out, threatening the unity of the Federation.
Superhumans occupying the post of city executive were essentially the Federation's finest, accomplished in both civil governance and martial prowess, almost all of them former prodigies. They also served as the reserve pool for Martial Marquises; every Martial Marquis had once served as a city executive.
Frowning slightly, Liu Hanwen asked, "Then how does Deputy Chief Chen suggest we proceed?"
Chen Yunming replied, "We can issue reprimands first and conduct the investigation once the temperature cools down."
"By then, will this witness and material evidence still exist?"
Displeased, Liu Hanwen countered, "Why not leave it to the special investigation team? I've seen that a young comrade named Lu Zhao among them possesses excellent operational capability."
Chen Yunming's eyebrow twitched, and his tone softened. "For those below the official rank where evidence is conclusive, make arrests. For the rest, issue temporary suspensions and have the Supervisory Bureau defer its investigation."
Liu Hanwen asked, "And what if a high-tier superhuman defects?"
Chen Yunming answered placidly, "I have faith in the official ethics of our Federation's city executives. Even if they must die, they should die within the Federation."
If someone refused to go with dignity, then someone would naturally help them depart with it.
* * *
July 3. Light rain. The special investigation team prosecuted the Traffic Control Office; one chief clerk and three deputy clerks were arrested.
July 4. Light rain. Special Counter-Terrorism Detachment Captain Wang Tong was suspended pending investigation.
July 5. Light rain. A deputy official-rank leader of the Personnel Department was suspended pending investigation.
July 6. Heavy rain. A deputy official-rank leader of the local Court of Judicial Review was suspended pending investigation.
July 7. The chief clerk of the Municipal Security Office was arrested.
Arrest warrants were issued from above in steady succession. Cadres of official rank were temporarily suspended pending investigation, while those of clerk rank were arrested on the spot.
The Supervisory Bureau made arrests everywhere, leaving everyone across Fangshi on edge.
As word spread that the special investigation team had set up headquarters at the Foreign District Police Station, members of the Hua ethnic group began arriving in droves upon hearing the news, submitting an immense flood of whistleblower letters.
Lu Zhao accepted every single one. So long as the higher-ups did not call a halt, he would enforce the law impartially to the very end.
Arresting every official and clerk in Fangshi would inevitably produce wrongful accusations, but arresting only every other one would surely let countless parasites slip through the net.
July 8. Heavy rain. Fangshi City Executive Zhao De was officially suspended pending investigation.
With the biggest head having rolled, the atmosphere across Fangshi abruptly fell dead silent.
Chapter 85