505: Amputation to save life

But the more it was like this, the heavier the doubt in Li Yang's heart became.

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp as a knife.

"Since your scheme was so meticulous that even the previous Speaker couldn't find solid evidence, why are you coming forward to confess now? You should know, I'm not like them."

Nash's face instantly turned pale, his lips moved a few times before he spoke with difficulty.

"Because... I've realized that you genuinely intend to thoroughly clean up this murky situation. My little tricks might have fooled previous people, but they won't fool you. Rather than waiting for you to investigate and be branded with the crime of 'stubborn resistance,' it's better to confess now and seek a lighter sentence."

As he spoke, he pulled out a small storage device from his pocket and placed it on the table.

"Inside here is all the smuggling network nodes I know about, and the list of officials I'm aware of. Consider it... my sincerity."

Li Yang looked at the faintly glowing storage device, then at Nash's tense profile, his fingertips tapping lightly on the tabletop.

This game seemed even more complex than he had imagined.

"If what you say is true, and even I might not easily find solid evidence, why would you proactively confess?"

Li Yang's gaze fell on Nash's face, filled with scrutiny.

He didn't believe the other party was merely "scared"; someone who could orchestrate such an intricate scheme must possess a mindset far beyond ordinary people.

A hint of bitterness appeared on Nash's face, his Adam's apple bobbing as he slowly began to speak, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

"Alas, to be honest, I got involved in smuggling not for the money; otherwise, I wouldn't have refused any payment."

He looked up at Li Yang, a complex ambition in his eyes.

"The officials in the Longlan Star Cluster are deeply entrenched, each with their own factions. I needed to hold leverage over them, to make those who feigned compliance obedient. Evidence of smuggling was the best shackles."

"As for the previous Speaker and them..."

He paused, the calculation in his tone fading a bit, replaced by some helplessness.

"My original plan was to wait for them to fall due to smuggling, then, with the leverage in my hand and the authority of the Discipline Inspection Commission, climb step by step to ultimately sit in the Speaker's position. After all, in this Longlan Star Cluster, in terms of foundation, no one is deeper than I am."

But his tone shifted, and his eyes dimmed.

"Who would have thought that the higher-ups would directly parachute in a Speaker like you... someone with both an iron fist and military power."

"At first, I did have some old ideas."

Nash admitted frankly, a hint of self-mockery on his face.

"I wanted to find an opportunity to set a trap for you, just like I did for the previous Speaker. But after reviewing your resume, coupled with this incident and your conduct at the meeting, I knew that this trick wouldn't work on you."

"Especially today's meeting, where you dared to execute 'direct execution'... I completely understood then that you weren't here to gain experience; you were truly here to turn the Longlan Star Cluster upside down and cleanse it."

"Since I couldn't pull you down, then the leverage in my hand, my little ambition, became a thorn in my own heart."

Nash picked up the storage device on the table and gently pushed it towards Li Yang.

"Rather than waiting for this thorn to grow deeper and eventually kill me, it's better to painfully pull it out now, at most, a little blood will flow."

With his words laid bare, Li Yang finally understood.

Nash's confession was not cowardice, but a choice made after assessing the situation; in the face of absolute strength and determination, any scheme became futile. Rather than stubbornly resisting, it was better to proactively cut off his tail to survive.

Li Yang picked up the cold storage device, his fingertips caressing its smooth casing, and said nothing.

After a long silence, Li Yang slowly spoke.

"Your choice might be the right one."

After hearing Nash's confession, Li Yang looked at the Secretary of the Disciplinary Committee standing with his head bowed before him, and a hint of admiration arose in his heart.

As the Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, wielding immense oversight power, when he discovered the undercurrent of smuggling, he didn't choose to investigate according to regulations. Instead, he proactively waded into the murky waters.

While this was certainly driven by selfish motives, aiming to leverage this to gain control over other officials and gradually expand his influence within the administrative system, this audacity to personally enter the fray was not something ordinary people possessed.

Even more remarkably, when he realized the situation was beyond his control, especially after seeing Li Yang's iron-fisted approach, he was able to decisively choose to "cut off an arm to save his life."

Even though he knew his scheme was intricate and difficult to break, he was unwilling to leave any hidden dangers. This clear-headed assessment of the situation was even more commendable.

"Smart, courageous, and understands how to make sacrifices."

Li Yang silently made his judgment of Nash in his mind.

He lightly tapped the tabletop with his fingertips, his mind clear as day. If everything Nash said was true, then the punishment for him probably wouldn't be too severe.

He had not directly received illegal gains, nor had he personally signed any irregular directives. He had merely "tacitly allowed his subordinates to act in his name." At most, he could only be charged with "indulging subordinates, dereliction of duty in management, and failing to report information."

The core crime of smuggling could not be pinned on him at all.

As for the downfall of the previous Speaker and Vice Speaker, ultimately, it was their own inability to resist temptation.

Even without Nash's scheme, given their greed, those two would probably have fallen into other traps of interest sooner or later, suffering the same fate.

Li Yang picked up the storage device from the table, lightly tapped it with his fingertip, and quickly browsed the files within.

Dense lists and transaction records scrolled across the light screen, each pointing to the corrupt elements lurking in the shadows.

He looked up at Nash, his tone calm but with an undeniable authority.

"If this evidence is true, it will count as atonement for your crimes. But the accounts of condoning smuggling and cultivating private influence must also be settled, one by one."

Upon hearing this, Nash's tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and a look of relief appeared on his face. He quickly straightened his back and responded.

"Yes, I am willing to accept any punishment."

Li Yang said no more, simply putting away the storage device.

Starlight from outside streamed through the window, falling on his sharply defined profile, half bright, half hidden in shadow.

He knew that Nash had played this move correctly, exchanging survival for the smallest possible cost, and this "cleverness" might still prove useful in the future.

But for now, the cleanup storm in the Longlan Star Cluster had only just turned its most crucial page.

"Secretary Nash, you are indeed very clever."

Li Yang leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on Nash, a hint of subtle amusement in his tone.

"If you had a sufficiently strong background, with this kind of skill, you could probably go much further in the Imperial bureaucracy."

These words were not empty flattery. To be able to play the dangerous game of "personally entering the fray" flawlessly as a Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, and then to decisively cut losses at a critical moment, such intelligence and courage were indeed rare.