23: Chapter 23 I'm confident I can sentence him to twenty-five years.

Deputy Bureau Chief Chang Le and Yan Zheng had just reached the first floor when they heard a commotion. Both of them thought, "Oh no," and quickened their pace, but when they looked down and saw what was happening, they were instantly stunned in their tracks.

Downstairs, a group of lawyers in suits were currently crowding around a young man in casual clothes, fussing over him and asking if he was alright.

"Mr. Su, are you alright? If you have been treated unfairly, you must tell us. Don't be afraid, it's fine. The Xia Kingdom is the people's Xia Kingdom, not a bureaucratic one. The vast ocean of the people will drown out bureaucracy."

The two police officers who had just interrogated Su Ye turned pale upon hearing this. They hurriedly turned away, praying that Su Ye wouldn't see them. If such a heavy accusation were pinned on them, even the Bureau Chief himself wouldn't be able to handle it.

"That's right, Mr. Su. Rest assured, I have connections with the Chengdu Business Daily and the Sichuan Province Daily. If you've been treated unfairly, I'll contact them immediately. I'll write the article tonight, get it reviewed overnight, and I guarantee it will be on the desks of every organization in Sichuan Province by tomorrow morning."

Deputy Bureau Chief Chang Le felt his heart stop for a minute. He worried whether the brats under him had done anything too extreme. He didn't dare to imagine if the first call he received tomorrow morning would be from the Provincial Public Security Department or the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Another lawyer said: "Mr. Su, this is the internet age. I have connections with several major web portals and big influencers with millions of followers. Rest assured, the video will be released tonight. I'll personally invest 100,000 yuan into Dou+ promotion, guaranteeing that the whole country will know about the unfair treatment you've received by tomorrow."

Yan Zheng's face was almost as dark as coal. If this man had been subjected to violent law enforcement or something similar, he feared that every police officer in Sichuan Province would become infamous by tomorrow.

"I'll invest 100,000 as well." "I'll put in 50,000." "I don't have much money, but I'll sell my house and take out a loan—all in!"

The lawyers present were no fools; anyone who could make it to the scene was at least a third-tier lawyer. Everyone knew the news that Su Ye's foundation had transferred 100 million to the headquarters. One had to realize that this was 100 million in real cash, and it was just for legal consultation. How massive must this person's background and financial resources be? To put it bluntly, even a little bit leaking through his fingers would be enough to live on for a lifetime.

Su Ye listened to the lawyers chattering one after another, unable to tell whether to laugh or cry. If this kept up, would he ever be able to walk out of the police station? He quickly raised his hands to gesture for calm.

"Everyone, everyone, listen to me for a moment. I appreciate your good intentions. I was just brought in by the police for routine questioning; I didn't expect it to disturb so many lawyers. Thank you all."

The lawyers present spoke up one after another: "Mr. Su, you are too polite." "Mr. Su, this is what we should do." "Mr. Su, you've been startled, so we naturally had to appear before you at the first opportunity."

In the end, it was Attorney Shi Jun, a partner at the Zongheng Law Firm in Chengdu, who spoke up and got the lawyers present to return to their work.

After the lawyers had all cleared out, Attorney Shi Jun smiled and said: "I hope you'll excuse the spectacle, Mr. Su. It's just that all our colleagues were filled with righteous indignation when they heard you had been taken away by the police, which is why so many people came."

Su Ye nodded to show he understood, then said: "By the way, Attorney Shi Jun, I have a few friends here as well. Could you please help with the paperwork for them?"

Attorney Shi Jun smiled and said: "It's only right, Mr. Su. We are here to serve you, after all."

However, before Attorney Shi Jun could even go to handle the bail procedures, Li Yi, Bai Jiang, Li Qing, and Su Anan were already brought out by the quick-witted police officer. He indicated that the matter had been clarified—the other party had struck first, and Su Ye and his group were acting in self-defense, so they could be released.

Before Su Ye and his group could even chat for a moment, they heard footsteps behind them, and a voice called out: "Qingqing? Why are you here?"

Yan Zheng looked at Li Qing with some surprise.

Li Qing was also very surprised that Yan Zheng was actually here and hurriedly called out: "Uncle Yan."

"We were out having fun earlier when some thugs tried to take advantage of my friend, and then we got into a fight. Afterwards, the police brought us back here."

Before Yan Zheng could ask for details, Deputy Bureau Chief Chang Le, who was standing nearby, looked closely and then called out with some surprise: "Xiao Yi?"

Li Yi greeted him nonchalantly: "Brother-in-law."

Su Ye was stunned. He looked at Deputy Bureau Chief Chang Le, who appeared to be in his thirties, and then recalled that Li Yi's parents must have had him late in life—they were 35 when they conceived Li Yi—and since Li Yi had several older sisters, this was normal. He just didn't know which brother-in-law this man, who appeared to hold a high-ranking position, was.

Deputy Bureau Chief Chang Le frowned and was about to scold Li Yi a bit. After all, as Li Yi's brother-in-law and the Bureau Chief, Li Yi getting hauled into the station was truly a bit embarrassing for him. But in an instant, remembering how much Li Yi's sister doted on him, he sighed helplessly. Furthermore, one of Li Yi's friends could call over a dozen Zongheng lawyers to hold the line, and another knew Yan Zheng. It wasn't convenient to talk here, so he simply said: "Alright, don't just stand here. Everyone come to my office."

Su Ye saw Li Yi nod at him, then said to Attorney Shi Jun: "Attorney Shi Jun, my side of things is finished, but I hope those people who attacked us will be severely punished and receive the penalty they deserve."

Attorney Shi Jun said confidently: "Mr. Su, rest assured. I have already arranged for someone to go to the bar to pull the surveillance footage. Based on what you've said, if there are no discrepancies, it can fully constitute crimes such as molestation, picking quarrels and provoking trouble, gathering a crowd to fight, assault with a weapon, and organized crime. With the sentences combined, I am confident I can get them a 25-year prison sentence."

Hearing Attorney Shi Jun's words, everyone present couldn't help but twitch the corners of their mouths. Those young men were finished. They probably never expected that such a seemingly small matter could blow up into something this big. 25 years! By the time they got out, those young men would be in their forties. Their lives were basically ruined.

Su Ye didn't think so; on the contrary, he felt this was the punishment they deserved. After all, if they couldn't control themselves after drinking a few swigs of booze, they had to bear the consequences in the end.

"Very well, Attorney Shi Jun. I'll leave this to you. I'll likely be staying in Sichuan Province for quite a long time over these next few years, and I'll need your help in the future."

Attorney Shi Jun hurriedly said he wouldn't dare.

Su Ye and Li Yi's group followed Deputy Bureau Chief Chang Le to his office. They just chatted about daily life, then asked what exactly had happened. After being warned to go to such chaotic places less often in the future, there wasn't much else to it.

By the time the group came out, Su Ye finally knew that Deputy Bureau Chief Chang Le was Li Yi's eldest brother-in-law, and Yan Zheng was Li Qing's neighbor. Li Qing's family wasn't simple either; her father was the Deputy Director of the Municipal Finance Bureau.

Bai Jiang and Su Anan finally exchanged a glance. It turned out that among the five people present, they were the only two nobodies.