123: Chapter 123 A Small Goal

Footsteps sounded outside the door.

Ji Hongwen raised his head, staring at the tightly closed door.

The footsteps grew closer, mixed with the sound of wheels rolling across the floor.

The door was pushed open.

Wu Licheng and Zheng Beichen walked in one after the other, followed by two economic crime investigation police officers.

The officers pushed a flatbed cart, on which several transparent storage bins were stacked.

Inside one of the bins, hundred-yuan bills were stacked neatly.

They shimmered with an eye-stinging red under the fluorescent lights.

Ji Hongwen's gaze fell on the money, and his pupils contracted sharply.

"Director Ji." Wu Licheng walked to the interrogation table and placed a list by Lu Zheng's hand.

"Room 2102, Building 7, Yujingyuan Residential Complex. Under the bedroom bed frame, thirty million in cash. In the bookshelf partition, we found overseas bank deposit certificates, equivalent to fifty-two million yuan."

He paused, glanced at Ji Hongwen, and added:

"Including securities, the total amount has exceeded one hundred million."

One hundred million.

These three words echoed in the interrogation room.

Zhao Yang looked at Ji Hongwen. This man, who once commanded the landscape of Tongan City, now looked as if his bones had been removed, slumped limply in his chair.

In his past life, he had no interaction with this man, yet this man had used his influence to keep him firmly at the bottom.

"Ji Hongwen." Zhao Yang's voice was not loud, but it struck Ji Hongwen's heart like a hammer.

"Tell me, where did all this money come from?"

Ji Hongwen's lips moved, but he found his throat blocked by something, unable to make a sound.

That money, the certificates, the securities—they flashed through his mind like a movie.

He remembered how fast his heart beat the first time he saw that long string of numbers in his account.

He remembered the twisted pleasure he felt in his heart whenever he saw that tempting red.

Now, those things were laid out right before him.

Separated by the transparent plastic bins, they stared at him coldly, like pairs of eyes.

Lu Zheng did not speak, just watched him quietly.

The silence washed over them like water, drowning the entire interrogation room.

"We have also investigated Bai Fengyin."

Lu Zheng opened the case file in front of him, his tone as casual as if he were chatting about daily life.

"The house and car you bought for her, as well as her daily expenses, cost at least one million every year."

Ji Hongwen's fingers trembled slightly.

Bai Fengyin, the woman who had been with him for five years.

Young, beautiful, gentle.

But she was just a woman; between the two of them, it was merely getting what each needed.

Ji Hongwen knew he couldn't hide it. After a long silence, he finally spoke:

"Guo Mingkai gave me 29 million in total, which I withdrew and brought back. I was terrified of poverty when I was young; having money under me felt secure."

Zhao Yang stared intently at the changes in Ji Hongwen's expression, noticing that Ji Hongwen was gradually calming down.

As if he were talking about something unrelated to himself.

This man's psychological fortitude was formidable.

If he wasn't pushed into a corner, he would never confess the whole truth.

"Ji Hongwen, 29 million, plus your salary income, only adds up to the amount of cash under your bed."

"Where did the remaining 70 million come from, along with the 5 million Bai Fengyin spent over five years?"

Ji Hongwen lifted his eyelids, the wrinkles on his forehead deepening.

"This money was all given by subordinates over the years."

Zhao Yang pressed: "Who were they? How much did they each give?"

"This…" Ji Hongwen was at a loss for words.

The salary for civil servants in 2001 was not high; officials qualified to give gifts to Ji Hongwen could absolutely not afford such a large amount within a few years.

The officials below weren't stupid either; giving such a large amount at once would be equivalent to telling Ji Hongwen that they had problems themselves.

Zhao Yang scolded coldly: "Ji Hongwen, continuing to resist the organization will only lead to a heavier penalty for you in the future!"

"There is only one path before you now: confess proactively and strive for leniency from the organization."

"So," Lu Zheng raised his head, his gaze locked directly on Ji Hongwen:

"Where did that 75 million actually come from?"

"Director Lu, there are so many subordinates and businessmen, how could I remember them all…"

From Ji Hongwen's guilty tone, Lu Zheng could tell he was not telling the truth.

Lu Zheng nodded. "Fine, no need to rush, take your time to think."

Lu Zheng picked up the record book and stood up to walk out of the interrogation room.

All physical evidence was sealed.

What followed was ideological and political interrogation, endless interrogation.

The content wasn't important; what was important was not letting Ji Hongwen sleep.

A week later, Lu Zheng and Zhao Yang entered the interrogation room again.

"Director Lu." His voice was hoarse. "If I tell you, can it count as meritorious service?"

Without waiting for the two to ask, Ji Hongwen had already spoken proactively.

Lu Zheng did not answer, just watched him.

Ji Hongwen waited a few seconds, realizing this was not the time for bargaining.

"Starting from the Department of Finance." He said, "The State Treasury Division."

Lu Zheng's brows twitched slightly.

"At that time, I was the head of the State Treasury Division. I managed the province's fiscal funds, with billions passing through my hands every year."

Ji Hongwen paused.

"Xiao Zhiyuan was then the Deputy Director of the Provincial Economic and Trade Commission, responsible for corporate listing work. He had me misappropriate funds from the national treasury for him to trade stocks; it could double in a few months."

"With such large funds, moving tens of millions out and back around, no one would know at all."

"How much did you misappropriate?" Lu Zheng's voice deepened.

"The first time was thirty million." Ji Hongwen said, "Xiao Zhiyuan returned the principal in three months and shared seven million with me."

Zhao Yang's pen tip stopped on the paper, and he looked up at Ji Hongwen.

As expected of someone managing listed companies; he knew the inside information, which facilitated behind-the-scenes manipulation.

In front of them, stock investors were just wave after wave of victims.

"What about the second time?" Lu Zheng asked.

"The second time was fifty million. After returning the principal, I took ten million."

Ji Hongwen spoke while yawning; it was rare that he could remember the numbers so clearly in this state.

"In those years, I misappropriated funds seven or eight times, each time thirty or fifty million. The profit shared with me totaled eighty-three million."

Lu Zheng and Zhao Yang exchanged a look.

Eighty-three million, and that was just what was shared with Ji Hongwen.

Then how much did Xiao Zhiyuan himself earn?

Zhao Yang looked at Ji Hongwen and suddenly asked:

"To thank Xiao Zhiyuan, you instructed Guo Mingkai to frame Sun Hongwei, isn't that right!"

Ji Hongwen nodded, then shook his head repeatedly.

"I was truly clever in my own way, blinded by greed. I thought that after he became Governor, he could lead me to make more money. Who knew…"

Speaking of this, Ji Hongwen became agitated.

"Director Lu, Comrade Zhao Yang, the matter of framing cannot be my responsibility alone."

Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow. "Continue."

"Xiao Zhiyuan told me at the time that he wanted to compete with Governor Sun for the position of Governor of Donghai Province. I proposed framing Sun Hongwei to make him suspected of bribery."

"But Xiao Zhiyuan didn't oppose it at the time; he even seemed to support it, praising me for being reliable, and even hinting that there would be no shortage of benefits for me in the future."

Zhao Yang's pen recorded rapidly on the paper, while deeply realizing four words.

Insatiable greed.

A "small goal" at this time had more than ten times the gold content of later generations.

Ji Hongwen, an official, couldn't spend money openly even if he had it. What did he need so much money for?

Lu Zheng stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to Ji Hongwen.

The light from outside the window passed through the iron bars, casting shadows on his face.

"Does Xiao Zhiyuan know you are here today?"

Ji Hongwen paused, then smiled bitterly:

"Director Lu, you've done such a good job with confidentiality; you should know better than I do."

Zhao Yang closed the record book and glanced at the clock on the wall.

At this time, it was time to report to Sun Zhendong.

He was just about to stand up when he heard Ji Hongwen say: "Wait, I have another major case to report."

Lu Zheng's expression tightened, and he asked in a deep voice: "Report whom?"

In Ji Hongwen's eyes, there was a sense of determination:

"I want to report the Provincial Party Secretary, Tao Zhimian!"

Zhao Yang widened his eyes in surprise. Was this guy trying to die faster?