197: Chapter 197 Don't make me do it, or you'll be in big trouble.

Zhao Liqun reacted extremely quickly, immediately turning his head to the side and letting out a snore.

Zhao Yang kept his eyes half-closed, listening as the footsteps drew closer.

Then, the door opened with a creak.

Liu Heng walked in carrying a thermos and silently tossed Zhao Yang's keys onto the bed.

Out of the corner of his eye, Zhao Yang noticed that the blanket over Zhao Liqun was trembling slightly.

He sighed inwardly; someone breaking in during the dead of night was indeed quite terrifying.

He saw Liu Heng place the thermos on the desk and naturally reach for a teacup.

He turned his head and called out softly, "Secretary Zhao, County Magistrate Zhao, are you thirsty? I brought a bottle of water for you."

Zhao Yang pretended to open his eyes dazedly. "Director Liu, why haven't you left yet? Go find a room to rest in; don't worry about us."

Liu Heng nodded. "Alright, I'm going to sleep then. Help yourselves to the water."

Zhao Yang felt a flicker of trance; if this guy hadn't secretly taken his keys, he would have seemed like a good person no matter how you looked at him.

Early the next morning, Zhao Yang arrived at his office.

Opening his desk drawer, he found that although the documents were still neatly arranged, they had clearly been moved.

That explained everything.

Zhao Yang remained calm, acting as if everything were normal.

At nine o'clock, when Wang Shoucheng convened the Standing Committee to discuss the handling of the Yunqijian Bridge accident, Zhao Yang attended on time.

Sitting in the main seat, Wang Shoucheng's face looked somewhat aged, and the bags under his eyes had thickened considerably.

Wang Shoucheng stared intently at everyone, repeatedly emphasizing the importance of safe construction.

Zhao Liqun was absent-minded, constantly casting glances toward Zhao Yang.

It was as if he were asking why the people from the Commission for Discipline Inspection hadn't arrived yet.

Zhao Yang was counting the time on his fingers.

Even if Lu Zheng received the order for designated jurisdiction from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection as soon as he started work at eight, it would take until about nine-thirty to reach Cangyun County.

At this time, they should still be on the road.

Sure enough, half an hour later, the door to the Cangyun County Party Committee Standing Committee meeting room was pushed open.

After two CDI staff members showed their IDs, they said in a deep voice:

"We are from the Tongan Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection."

As soon as the two spoke, Wang Shoucheng's expression changed drastically.

He only felt a buzzing in his head: It's over!

His posture slumped, and he nearly slid off his chair.

When he raised his fearful eyes to look at the CDI personnel, he found that the two weren't looking at him at all, but were instead focused on Zhao Yang.

"Comrade Zhao Yang, please come with us."

As soon as the CDI personnel spoke, Wang Shoucheng immediately looked relieved.

Subsequently, he cast a somewhat gloating look at Zhao Yang.

Everyone else was stunned, and even Zhao Liqun felt a bit confused.

What kind of operation was the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection running? It was a complete mystery.

Zhao Yang stood up and realized he knew both people in front of him; one was Guo Qiang, the Director of the First Inspection Office of the Tongan Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection, and the other was the Deputy Director, Lin Dong.

He had met them while assisting in the investigation of the Tongan Die-Casting Machine Factory restructuring case.

Outside the meeting room door, there were two other CDI staff members standing with their backs to the room.

Zhao Yang looked solemn and unsmiling as he walked out of the meeting room with heavy steps.

Zhao Yang led the two to his office and gently closed the door.

"Directors, how was my cooperation just now?"

Guo Qiang gave a thumbs up. "With that expression of yours, no one would ever believe you were the whistleblower."

Zhao Yang opened the safe, took out the case files Zhao Liqun had given him, and handed them to Guo Qiang.

"Director Guo, the County Commission for Discipline Inspection is in the middle of an intensive investigation for other relevant evidence. For specific details, please speak with Secretary Zhao."

Guo Qiang didn't respond but took the files and read through them carefully.

After finishing, he nodded to Lin Dong: "Director Lin, have Zhang Meng and the other one take the person."

Outside the Standing Committee meeting room, Zhang Meng and Wang Guanghui received the order and immediately burst into the room.

After flashing their IDs, Zhang Meng said in a deep voice:

"Comrade Wang Shoucheng, please come with us to assist in the investigation."

Wang Shoucheng looked bewildered and asked:

"Haven't you already taken County Magistrate Zhao away? What does this have to do with me?"

Wang Guanghui barked in a low voice: "Stop playing dumb; don't you know what you've done yourself?"

Wang Shoucheng's face suddenly changed again, and he then forced himself to stay calm, scolding the two:

"Assist in the investigation? Are you joking? Can't you see I'm presiding over an emergency meeting?"

Zhang Meng stepped closer to Wang Shoucheng and stood beside him.

"Wang Shoucheng, don't make me do it, or it will get ugly for you."

Zhang Meng was tall and strong, and standing next to him naturally exerted a sense of pressure.

At this point, Wang Shoucheng no longer held any illusions; he closed his notebook and stood up tremblingly.

As Zhang Meng and Wang Guanghui led Wang Shoucheng to the car, the officials in the County Committee compound stood behind the windows, holding their breath as they watched the black sedan drive out of the gate.

Wang Shoucheng sat in the back row, his hands on his knees, his fingertips turning white.

The street scenery outside the window flickered by frame by frame; he closed his eyes, the same thought spinning repeatedly in his mind:

How much did Wang Mancang actually say?

Tongan Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection Investigation Center.

When Wang Shoucheng was brought into the interrogation room, the wall clock pointed to 10:20 AM.

The interrogation room wasn't large—one table, three chairs, and the lights were piercingly white.

A glass of water sat on the table; the water was already cold.

The lead interrogator was Guo Qiang, Director of the First Inspection Office, and the co-interrogator was Lin Dong.

The two took turns, neither rushed nor impatient, asking one question after another, tightening the layers like a weaving net.

At first, Wang Shoucheng was quite calm, putting on airs and repeatedly saying, "I am a provincial-managed official" and "I want to see the Municipal Party Committee Secretary."

Guo Qiang didn't respond to him, but simply pushed a copy of Wang Mancang's transfer records in front of him.

"How do you explain this money?"

Wang Shoucheng took a look and turned his face away:

"I don't know this person, and I don't know about this money."

From 10:30 AM to 10:00 PM on the first day, Wang Shoucheng's answer consisted of only three words:

"I don't know."

On the second day, a different group of people took over the questioning.

Lin Dong sat opposite him, his tone as flat as if they were chatting about family matters:

"Secretary Wang, the annual fiscal revenue of Cangyun County is only a bit over thirty million. As a County Party Committee Secretary, how many properties do you own? And that Honda Accord under your wife's name—which boss gave you that?"

Wang Shoucheng's lips began to dry, and he drank water cup after cup.

By 11:00 PM on the second night, he hadn't closed his eyes for over thirty hours.

His eyelids were as heavy as lead, his thinking began to slow, and the logical gaps in his answers grew wider and wider.

Lin Dong placed a bank statement in front of him:

"This is Wang Mancang's corporate account. It transferred funds to your designated account in two installments, totaling two million yuan."

"The first was three days before your bid announcement was released, and the second was during the qualification review period. The time, amount, and account name all match up perfectly."

Wang Shoucheng stared at the paper, his pupils shrinking.

"Do you still want to hold out?" Lin Dong's voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a nail.

A long silence followed.

Only the hum of the air conditioner filled the interrogation room.

Wang Shoucheng lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly.

After a long time, he looked up, his eyes rimmed with red, his voice so raspy it was almost inaudible:

"I'll talk."

Once he started, it was like water bursting through a dam, impossible to stop.