21: Chapter 21 The Officialdom is Like a Chess Game

"What do you mean?" Jiang Nan raised her eyebrows. "Rubbing your hands together like a fly!"

In an instant, Jiang Nan understood what Zhao Yang meant, and her pretty face immediately flushed with a rosy glow.

"Can you behave yourself? If you keep acting like this, I'm afraid we won't even be able to be friends in the future!"

Jiang Nan frowned slightly and rolled her eyes at Zhao Yang.

Although she had a good impression of Zhao Yang, she just couldn't stand his sleazy behavior.

Zhao Yang put his hands back on the table and pouted, "Comparing someone to a fly, how unpleasant!"

"Such a beautiful woman, why can't you take a joke? Besides, I didn't say anything!"

Jiang Nan straightened up and crossed her arms. "Zhao Yang, you are such a rogue!"

He was clearly thinking nonsense in his head, yet he didn't dare to admit it.

"Fine, fine, I'm a rogue," Zhao Yang agreed readily. "What's the matter? Just tell me directly."

Zhao Yang sat up straight with a serious expression.

Seeing him like this, Jiang Nan couldn't help but chuckle.

"You don't have to be like that."

While they were talking, the food was served.

Jiang Nan picked up her rice and started eating. Halfway through, she said, "Because this case has attracted attention from above, the Municipal Bureau suspects Captain Xu is the one who leaked the information."

"Once the Special Investigation Team leaves, Captain Xu will inevitably be targeted."

Speaking of this, Jiang Nan paused and looked steadily at Zhao Yang's face.

"Zhao Yang, since you can reach people from above, I hope you can help Captain Xu. He didn't become a captain until he was over forty; it wasn't easy."

Zhao Yang compared the events; indeed, Xu Yiming was the most suspicious, no wonder the Municipal Bureau suspected him.

To say that the Municipal Bureau was the mastermind behind the Sun Hongwei case would be jumping to conclusions too early.

He nodded gently. "Don't worry, Captain Xu will be fine."

Zhao Yang spoke with certainty, but internally he couldn't help but smile bitterly.

This girl really thought he was someone with connections reaching the heavens.

If he could make the mastermind pay the price, it would naturally ensure Xu Yiming's safety as well.

Obviously, this process would not only take a long time, but there were also many uncertain variables in between.

He could only try to find a way through Director Wang first.

Director Wang from the Ministry of Public Security was overseeing the Special Investigation Team; hadn't he found anything?

Zhao Yang couldn't help but ask, "Framing, forced confessions under torture—didn't Director Wang uncover any of that?"

"They did catch them in the act of forced confessions under torture." Jiang Nan lowered her eyes, her tone somewhat dejected.

"Detachment Captain Wang Lei took all the responsibility, saying he was too reckless, made a wrong judgment, and shouldn't have authorized his subordinates to use such methods."

This tactic of sacrificing a pawn to save the chariot, while not brilliant, was flawless.

As long as Wang Lei stuck to his story, it would be impossible to pursue the matter of forced confessions further up the chain.

Zhao Yang frowned deeply, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

Jiang Nan looked at the young man in front of her with confusion.

When this man was serious, especially when deep in thought, he was actually quite handsome.

She was entranced, but unexpectedly, Zhao Yang looked up abruptly and asked:

"I've never understood, why do police continue to use forced confessions despite knowing it violates regulations?"

"Ah...?" Jiang Nan felt a moment of panic. She smoothed the hair hanging over her forehead and avoided Zhao Yang's gaze.

Jiang Nan was much more familiar with police procedures than Zhao Yang, who was just a dabbler.

Taking a sip of soup to hide her embarrassment, she slowly said:

"To solve cases quickly."

"For example, the June 11 Case. Without direct evidence, the Procuratorate would not approve the arrest of Sun Hongwei. But with a confession, they have no reason to refuse the application for arrest."

Once an arrest is approved, the police have much greater authority when dealing with the suspect.

Furthermore, the legal process runs more smoothly; the subsequent prosecution, trial, and sentencing can all be done in one go.

Jiang Nan's mention of the Procuratorate made many of Zhao Yang's memories become clear.

In his previous life, after Sun Hongwei was detained, the Procuratorate's Public Prosecution Department kept refusing to file charges, citing insufficient evidence.

It wasn't until a year later, when the current Municipal Bureau Chief, Shen Zhentao, was transferred to become the Chief Prosecutor of the Tongan City Procuratorate, that the case was prosecuted and brought to trial.

Zhao Yang couldn't help but take a deep breath.

To completely pin the crime on Sun Hongwei, they actually replaced a deputy department-level Chief Prosecutor.

In Tongan City, who had that kind of power?

It was probably no one other than Municipal Party Committee Secretary Ji Hongwen.

Zhao Yang had always felt that the water behind this case was very deep.

But who the mastermind was had always been blurry.

Until now, many things had become clear.

It turned out that the person he had been obsessed with making pay the price was actually the number one big shot in Tongan officialdom.

Looking at himself, he hadn't even stepped into officialdom yet; how could it be easy to take him down?

Therefore, he had to leverage power, and he had to tread on thin ice every step of the way.

One careless move, and all his previous efforts would be in vain.

After realizing this, Zhao Yang, who had been quite anxious before, was no longer in a rush.

He could only wait for the right opportunity, advance step by step, and accumulate small victories into a big one.

Seeing Zhao Yang staring blankly, Jiang Nan raised her hand and waved it in front of him.

"Hey, what are you thinking about?"

"I was wondering why you know so much," Zhao Yang replied casually.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhao Yang realized that subconsciously, he had been thinking about this question all along.

Why did Jiang Nan know so quickly what was decided at the Municipal Committee Standing Committee meeting?

The policewoman sitting opposite him was beautiful and kind, but she was definitely not as simple as she appeared on the surface.

Jiang Nan smiled slightly and pouted,

"I have my own channels, why do you care so much? I just want to help Captain Xu; I don't want good people to go unrewarded."

Since she wouldn't say, Zhao Yang couldn't press her.

They finished their meal quickly and went to the counter together.

Jiang Nan took out her wallet. "I asked for your help today, so you aren't allowed to fight me for the bill."

For a young police officer like Jiang Nan, her monthly salary was probably only a third of his. Zhao Yang unceremoniously blocked her.

"If you have money to spare, you can lend me some."

After paying the bill, they walked onto Xiushan Road, and Jiang Nan asked in a low voice:

"You aren't... really short of money, are you?"

Through today's interaction, Zhao Yang's impression of Jiang Nan was even better than before.

Not only was she beautiful and had a sense of justice, but she was also very loyal.

When they were alone, she wasn't cold at all.

It was just that when there were many people around, she was stern, had a strong presence, and acted like a stranger should keep their distance.

This girl was alright.

Judging by her question, she was genuinely prepared to lend him money.

Zhao Yang possessed a vast amount of stock market memory; achieving financial freedom wouldn't be difficult.

But he currently only had over ten thousand yuan in savings; his foundation was a bit thin.

Jiang Nan's words made his heart tremble slightly.

This was the first time the two of them had truly been alone together. No matter how thick-skinned Zhao Yang was, he couldn't bring himself to ask.

"You don't really have money to spare, do you?" Zhao Yang waved his hand at Jiang Nan. "Go back. I've remembered what you said; if there's any news, I'll contact you immediately."

When he returned to the Television Station, it wasn't even two o'clock in the afternoon yet.

At this time, there shouldn't be many people at the office.

But Zhao Yang saw from a distance that Deputy Station Director Li Hongyi was sitting on a stone sculpture outside the office, head bowed, puffing away on a cigarette.

Zhao Yang couldn't avoid him, so he had to walk over to greet him. "Director Li, what's the matter?"

Li Hongyi looked up, his eyes bloodshot, and corrected him irritably, "It's Deputy."

Zhao Yang raised his eyebrows inwardly. Why was he acting like a hedgehog? Who provoked him?