122: Chapter 122 Irrefutable Evidence

Ji Hongwen calling Xiao Zhiyuan was a last resort.

The capable Guo Mingkai had already been transferred to the judicial authorities, and the public security system was completely out of his control.

He had absolutely no one left to use under his command.

Unsurprisingly, as soon as the call was dialed, a busy signal came through the receiver.

He understood that ever since Xiao Zhiyuan's last failed attempt to intervene, he would no longer have anything to do with him.

In the office, Ji Hongwen sat down dejectedly, his body sinking deep into the sofa.

He smoked cigarette after cigarette, attempting to anesthetize himself with nicotine, calmly waiting for the outcome he dreaded.

The wait under such torment seemed even longer.

Three days later, Ji Hongwen received a call from the Provincial Committee Organization Department, notifying him of his transfer to Deputy Director of the Cultural and Historical Committee of the Provincial CPPCC.

Deputy Director of the Cultural and Historical Committee of the Provincial CPPCC.

It was a department-level position, but it held no real power.

He knew what this meant.

But on the surface, he still had to pretend that nothing was wrong.

That afternoon, Member of the Provincial Standing Committee and Organization Department Minister Gu Qingfeng personally escorted the new Secretary, Shen Nianqiu, to take office.

The implications of suddenly replacing the Municipal Party Committee Secretary were self-evident.

The next morning, Ji Hongwen dragged his heavy legs to report to the Cultural and Historical Committee of the Provincial CPPCC.

His office was on the third floor of the CPPCC building, facing north, with the window looking out at the wall of another building.

The lighting was not very good.

He sat in his new office, flipping through the day's Jianghan Daily in boredom.

The door was pushed open.

Two people entered.

One was Lu Zheng, whom he recognized; the other was very young and looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn't recall where he had seen him.

The document in the young man's hand was a "Two-Finger" detention notice from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection.

"Ji Hongwen, please come with us."

The voice was very calm, devoid of any emotion.

It had finally come!

Ji Hongwen had imagined the scene of being taken away countless times, but he never thought it would be so mundane.

Even so, it still left him unable to remain calm.

His hands began to tremble; he wanted to say something, opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word.

At this moment, many images flashed through his mind.

The cash Guo Mingkai had sent, the figures in his stock account, the consulting fees from his son's company, and even the alluring figure of Bai Fengyin...

Money, power, and beautiful women would all be gone from his life from now on.

He closed his eyes.

"Let's go."

The voice was hoarse, as if squeezed from deep within his throat.

He stood up and followed Lu Zheng and Zhao Yang out.

Walking to the door, he suddenly looked back.

He took one last look at the desk.

The cup of tea on the table was still steaming.

Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection Case Handling Center, interrogation room.

Lu Zheng and Zhao Yang sat in front of the interrogation table, with a thick stack of files piled on it.

Ji Hongwen was restrained in the interrogation chair, his face pale.

His hair hung down over his forehead, obscuring half of his face.

He appeared aged and haggard.

Lu Zheng was not in a hurry to speak.

He picked up the thermos cup on the table, unscrewed the lid, and took a sip of water.

He then slowly screwed it back on.

Throughout the entire process, his gaze remained fixed on Ji Hongwen.

Ji Hongwen kept his head down, staring at the palm-sized surface of the table in front of him.

Silence.

"Ji Hongwen," Lu Zheng finally spoke, his tone unexpectedly calm.

"We've known each other for seven or eight years, haven't we?"

Ji Hongwen looked up, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes.

He hadn't expected Lu Zheng to approach it from this angle.

"Back when you were the Deputy Director of the Finance Department, I was in the Second Office of the Commission for Discipline Inspection."

Lu Zheng continued, "At that time, you were full of integrity, highly capable, and a role model for us to learn from."

Ji Hongwen's eyes flickered, and his fingers began to tremble slightly.

The light from outside the window filtered through the iron bars, casting shadows across his face.

Lu Zheng continued: "Later, you went to Tongan, became Mayor, and then Secretary. I thought Tongan would definitely be the best-developed city in the province."

Ji Hongwen's Adam's apple bobbed.

"Director Lu," his voice was hoarse, "don't say any more."

Lu Zheng did not stop, "I didn't expect that one day we would meet in this way."

Ji Hongwen closed his eyes, and a teardrop rolled down the corner of his eye.

The interrogation room fell into a deathly silence.

Zhao Yang sat to the side, saying nothing.

At the same time, Commission for Discipline Inspection personnel Wu Licheng and Zheng Beichen from the Fourth Inspection Office of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, accompanied by the Provincial Economic Crime Investigation Corps, arrived at Ji Hongwen's home in Jiangzhou.

Yujingyuan Residential Complex, Building 7.

They knocked on the door, and it was opened by Ji Hongwen's mother, who had gray hair and a kind face.

Seeing the police, the old woman was a bit flustered: "Who... who are you?"

Wu Licheng showed his credentials, his tone steady: "Hello, ma'am. We are case officers from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, ordered to search Ji Hongwen's residence. Please cooperate."

The police officer beside him produced a search warrant, handed it to the old woman, and informed her of her rights and obligations.

Ji Hongwen's father walked out of the living room upon hearing the commotion; his straight back instantly slumped: "Search? What happened to Hongwen?"

The officers did not offer much explanation and quickly began the search according to their assignments.

The living room, study, bedroom, walk-in closet, and even the kitchen cabinets and the balcony storage room were checked one by one.

Wu Licheng was in charge of coordination, his sharp gaze sweeping over every detail in the room.

When the bed board in Ji Hongwen's bedroom was lifted, everyone was stunned.

Under the bed board, stacks of neatly bundled cash were arranged, all brand-new hundred-yuan bills.

"Oh my god..."

Upon catching sight of so much cash, Ji's mother's legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed to the ground.

Ji's father stared fixedly at the cash, his lips trembling, unable to utter a complete word for a long time.

The economic crime investigation officers immediately stepped forward and began to count the cash and various securities one by one.

Ten-plus minutes later, the counting was finished, and an officer reported loudly: "Report, Director Wu. We have seized a total of 30 million yuan in cash on-site, securities worth over 50 million, and combined with overseas bank deposit certificates, the total amount exceeds 100 million RMB."

Wu Licheng and Zheng Beichen kept clicking their tongues; it was the first time they had encountered such a massive amount involved in a case.

The economic crime investigation officers photographed, sealed, numbered, and placed security seals on the seized cash, securities, and overseas deposit certificates.

Zheng Beichen only recovered from his shock after a while and sent a message to Zhao Yang: "As expected, the amount is shockingly large, over 100 million."

Zhao Yang knew full well what a "small goal" meant at this time; he was undoubtedly a massive corrupt official.

He whispered something in Lu Zheng's ear, and Lu Zheng spoke to break the silence in the room.

This time, his questioning was very direct: "Ji Hongwen, a department-level cadre like you being brought here means your issues have basically been verified. I don't want to waste my breath; you'd better confess voluntarily."

Ji Hongwen was ultimately unwilling to face reality, still holding onto a last shred of hope.

He looked up and asked: "Confess to what?"

"You are playing dumb while knowing full well what's going on!" Lu Zheng snapped.

Then he turned to look at Zhao Yang and lowered his voice: "Have them bring it all in."

Zhao Yang picked up the walkie-talkie and adjusted the frequency: "Brother Wu, Beichen, bring the things seized from the house in and show Director Ji."