I Cultivate in a Government Office

Chapter 206: Chapter 121: Wu Qianjun Takes a Stand (2)

"What you need to do now is not seek shortcuts, but to be patient. You’re not just an investigator right now—you’re also one of the temporary leaders of Lingshan Town. Stability is more important than speed. It’s not just Gao Zhen behind you; I’m watching as well."

Yang Wenqing took a deep breath and replied, "I understand, Director. Thank you for your guidance. I was being thoughtless and too eager."

"Good. Keep a level head. If you hit any roadblocks you truly can’t get past, or encounter resistance that’s beyond your authority, contact me anytime." With that final piece of advice, Director Qin ended the call.

Just then, the light in the distance dimmed.

A backlit figure stood there—it was Wu Qianjun. His face was etched with the fatigue of an all-night interrogation, but his eyes were still sharp and held a complex expression.

He strode over, his boots crunching softly on the debris, and stopped a few steps in front of Yang Wenqing.

"Yang Group Leader."

Wu Qianjun spoke, his voice somewhat deep. "I just came from the interrogation room. I heard you were here."

Yang Wenqing looked at him without a word.

Wu Qianjun’s gaze swept over the surrounding wreckage before settling back on Yang Wenqing’s face. He continued,

"That day, before Liu Rong and Wu Yan left, they actually came to see me. They said they’d found another lead related to the Hongyuan Trading Company and wanted to check it out. I suggested they hold off for a bit, but they might not have fully trusted me."

He raised his eyes to meet Yang Wenqing’s, his gaze open and filled with a heavy self-reproach. "I didn’t insist. I thought it was just a routine check on a lead. No matter how chaotic Lingshan Town gets, in broad daylight... I never thought this would happen. It was my mistake."

Yang Wenqing remained silent, just watching him. ’What’s his motive for suddenly telling me all this?’

Wu Qianjun didn’t seem to expect an immediate response. He continued, "Yang Group Leader, I know it’s too late for words. Liu Rong is gone, and Wu Yan is still laid up... But I didn’t just come here today to report this."

He straightened his spine and said, under the watchful eyes of Qian Lu and Zhao Tiezhu,

"I spent forty-three years at the Northern Border. I crawled my way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Out there, you can doubt an order, you can question the logistics, but the one thing you can never doubt is the comrade who has your back. Because doubt means death. And Liu Rong and Wu Yan—no matter what they thought of me—they were my comrades. Their vengeance is my vengeance."

His eyes burned with intensity as he spoke, enunciating every word. "Director Zhang sent me here for his own reasons. But I, Wu Qianjun, have my own principles. If you’re going to see this case through to the end, then I, Wu Qianjun, will be with you every step of the way. I’m not doing this to prove my loyalty to anyone. I’m doing it because the men laid up in there were my teammates."

Yang Wenqing still gave no response. He met Wu Qianjun’s gaze for several seconds before giving an order. "Li Yue and his team are looking into the Hongyuan Trading Company’s background. You might want to start there. Their social connections could also yield something."

Wu Qianjun nodded, then left without looking back. He had always been a man of action.

After Wu Qianjun left, Yang Wenqing asked the two men beside him, "What do you two make of what he said?"

Qian Lu shook his head. "The hearts of men are impossible to fathom."

But Zhao Tiezhu said, "He’s not wrong. In the military, trust is the most important thing."

"But this isn’t the military," Qian Lu retorted. "You..."

He seemed about to explain the complexities of the situation, but after a moment’s thought, he trailed off.

Yang Wenqing was in no mood to listen to their argument.

He left the station and headed back to the landslide site. Just as he expected, construction in the area had already resumed. According to the city plans, this area was supposed to be part of an inner-ring sea zone, slated to become an industrial park. The Commerce Associations involved spanned every industry imaginable. Investigating their backgrounds would be a massive undertaking.

Yang Wenqing simply had the Flying Shuttle circle the landslide site once before returning to the public security post. His opponent was showing so many openings now; he could latch onto any one of them. He didn’t need to get fixated on the massive web that was the landslide area.

He had just stepped through the doors of the public security post when Wang Ze’en hurried over and said in a low voice,

"The people from the Inspectorate are here. They hadn’t even started their official questioning when Jin Lai, the director of the preparatory office, turned himself in. They say he took all the blame for most of the things involving Vice Director Li, claiming he deceived his superiors and ran amok using Vice Director Li’s name."

Yang Wenqing’s pace faltered for a moment before he regained his composure. "Understood."

This sort of play—sacrificing a pawn to save the king, cutting off a limb to survive—was nothing new. By proactively taking the fall, Jin Lai both gave the Inspectorate something to close their case with and temporarily protected Vice Director Li and the potentially vast network behind him. It kept the turmoil within the Civil Affairs Bureau contained.

’The Civil Affairs Bureau’s efficiency is astonishingly high,’ he thought, ’and just as chillingly by-the-book.’

Back in his temporary office, the Communication Array on his chest badge pulsed with Spiritual Qi again. He answered it, and Vice Director Sun’s voice came through. "Everything all right over there?"

"It’s fine."

Vice Director Sun didn’t beat around the bush. "I’m calling to let you know that Vice Director Li has been taken away by the municipal Inspectorate."

Yang Wenqing’s eyes narrowed. "That fast?"

Vice Director Sun nodded, his voice dropping lower. "Jin Lai took the fall for everything he could. The most Li will be charged with is negligence, but he can forget about keeping his old position. Next, they’ll investigate the projects he approved, and a large portion of those are related to Lingshan Town. Your case will most likely hinge on this, so remember to pay a visit to Dean Yan."

Yang Wenqing quickly thanked him. "I appreciate you looking out for me. I’ll treat you to dinner once things settle down."

"What’s with the formalities between us?"

"Alright. Talk to you later."

Yang Wenqing ended the call with Vice Director Sun and let out a long breath. ’This is the difference between a leader handling a case and an ordinary investigator doing it. A leader has to coordinate everything, consolidate resources... and now, here I am, having to go visit Vice Director Yan.’

Before leaving, however, he first reviewed the report Li Yue and Sun Yi had just compiled. It detailed the Hongyuan Trading Company’s background, recent abnormal capital flows, and Liu Rong and Wu Yan’s movements in Lingshan Town.

So far, they were only preliminary reports with no substantial breakthroughs. Li Yue and Sun Yi’s next task was to use these initial findings to dig deeper into the true network of connections behind it all.

After reading the reports, Yang Wenqing stood, straightened his uniform, and walked out of the public security post to see Vice Director Yan.

Yan Song’s temporary office was set up in a quiet suite on the second floor of the Town Hall. There was no nameplate on the door, only two inspectors in dark gray uniforms standing guard.

After his presence was announced, Yang Wenqing was shown inside.

The room was not large, the furnishings simple. Yan Song looked to be in his fifties, with a gaunt face, his hair combed impeccably, wearing the Inspectorate’s signature dark gray uniform.

"Yang Group Leader, I’ve heard so much about you! Please, have a seat." Yan Song stood proactively to greet him, his tone warm. "The accommodations in Lingshan Town are a bit rustic, please forgive the humble reception. Try this tea. I brought it especially to share with friends."

Yang Wenqing sat as offered, accepting the teacup with a word of thanks. "You’re too kind, Dean Yan. I’m the one imposing on you."

He then got straight to business. "Dean Yan, regarding Zhou Yong’s testimony and the information Jin Lai provided after turning himself in, I was wondering if the Inspectorate has reached any preliminary conclusions? Specifically, whether these violations and corrupt activities could be directly or indirectly connected to the assassination of my colleagues from the City Defense Bureau?"

He asked so directly because he had assumed the Inspectorate was always straightforward.

Yan Song picked up his teacup and spoke at a leisurely pace. "That’s a good question, Yang Group Leader. Zhou Yong’s confession is a mix of truth and lies that needs careful sifting. From what we can tell so far, he was mainly involved in using his authority to accept bribes and was ordered to dispose of the bodies at the scene of the conflict. As for anything deeper, he likely had no access to that level of information."

"As for Jin Lai..." Vice Director Yan’s reaction was a stark departure from Yang Wenqing’s impression of an Inspectorate leader. ’He’s far too slick,’ Yang Wenqing thought. He talked in circles, and while it seemed like he said a lot, a closer look revealed he hadn’t offered a single crucial clue.

Leaving the Inspectorate’s temporary office, Yang Wenqing let out a soft sigh. He felt mentally exhausted. By the time he reached the gates of the public security post, it was already noon.

"Yang Group Leader!"

Suddenly, a voice called out from the side. He turned to see a richly dressed man being blocked by a Government Soldier. When the man saw Yang Wenqing look over, he quickly took out a Jade Pendant and shouted, "Yang Group Leader, my cousin sent me! This is the token!"

Yang Wenqing quickly said, "Let him through."

The Jade Pendant was similar to the token Liu Min had given him before.