Chapter 40: Heartless Lament

  The night is as black as ink.

  The temporary interrogation room on the second floor of the Nan Gong Branch Bureau, Ji Zheng, who had just been brought from the detention center, couldn't bear the strong light in the house and covered his eyes with his hand. He was a man in his late thirties, with a square face and sharp facial features, not handsome, but with a straight waist and steady footsteps, his forehead was high and wide, his eyes were small, and when he looked at people, he would slightly frown, forming a small川character between his eyebrows.

  Zhi Shu has been rolling around in the pile of men for over a decade, her gaze is sharp enough to pierce through one's heart, yet when she sees this person, she still can't help but feel a sense of fondness from the bottom of her heart.

  This person is very strange!

  After clearly seeing the two people sitting in the room, Ji Zheng didn't show any surprise or ask more questions. He just smiled and said: "How about a cigarette?" His voice was somewhat hoarse, like iron scraping against hard ground, quite jarring in the quiet room.

  Mu Zechen nodded, Qi Shu walked over and handed him a cigarette, casually lighting it. Ji Zheng lit the cigarette with Qi Shu's slender hand, took a strong drag, exhaled a string of smoke rings, and praised: "Golden Supreme is still the most powerful, thank you." The corner of his eye didn't even glance at the beautiful woman beside him, as if the two crystal-like long legs under her black skirt were just decorations.

  Can't let Ji Zheng control the atmosphere and rhythm of the conversation in the room anymore! Qi Shuqiao said: "Director Ji, seeing you're still so carefree, I'm relieved too. Hope that when you move to the First Prison in a few days, you'll still have such a good mood."

  Ji Zheng smiled and said: "I haven't confessed yet, if the prosecution really has evidence, they wouldn't need to secretly detain me in a branch office."

  "Is that so?" Zhi Shu's face was full of playful expression, "You've been in here for a week, I suppose you still don't know what kind of case you're carrying on your back?"

  Mu Zechen waved his hand, and Qi Shu took a stack of materials from the table and handed them to Ji Zheng. Ji Zheng only flipped through a few pages with his hands, and his calm face didn't show any changes since he entered the room. If it wasn't for Qi Shu staring at his eyes all along, it would be hard to notice that momentary intense contraction.

  After a while, Ji Zheng finally put down the paper and asked out of his own accord: "Who is this?"

  From the moment they entered the house, Ji Zheng could tell at a glance that these two people were not from the Procuratorate or the Public Security Bureau. So he didn't rush, nor did he ask who they were, striving to take control of the conversation that followed. Unexpectedly, the other party was not interested in beating around the bush and directly threw out the thing, just once, forcing him to start lowering his head.

  The whole set of public security, procuratorate and court was very familiar to Qi Shu. Ji Zheng had been detained for a week without anyone leaking the news. He must have been intimidated by the prosecution first and then induced to confess, still unaware of the inside story now. It's inevitable that he would be anxious and worried in his heart. Under such circumstances, he could still pretend to be calm, which also sparked some interest in Qi Shu who had seen countless people.

  "Mu Ze Chen." Qi Shu's soft and gentle voice made Ji Zheng's hand, which was holding a cigarette, tremble slightly. The originally tiny movement caused the long ash to fall all over him. He didn't even bother to wipe it off, smiling as he repeated: "Ming Hua Mu Ze Chen?"

  Mo Zechen smiled and didn't answer, Qi Shu stretched out her hand and tapped a few times on Ji Zheng's pants, brushing off the cigarette ash, and giggled: "Of course it's Ming Hua, how many Mo Zechens are there in Qingzhou?"

  Ash fell on the thigh root, Qī Shū's soft and boneless slender hand slid over from the side, as if intentionally unintentional, that kind of pure and slightly wanton feeling, can make men infatuated. Ji Zheng, whose mind was shaken by the material, insisted on holding on to this provocation, his heart suddenly jumped, but calmly said: "Thanks..." He lost the initiative in the previous overwhelming momentum, and naturally wanted to quietly regain the upper hand.

  Qī Shū let out a clear and melodious laugh, swaying her hips as she walked back to sit down with the materials, her legs crossed in a posture that made one want to lift up her skirt for a peek. Mù Zé Chén saw that she still hadn't breached Jì Zhèng's psychological defenses, but he couldn't help but smile inwardly - this man was indeed calm and composed.

  "Director Ji, you are an educated person, don't you know that with over 5 million yuan involved, how many years would one be sentenced to for corruption and bribery?"

  Ji Zheng quietly said: "This is all a frame-up..."

  Qī Shū shook the materials in her hand, making a rustling sound, and said softly: "Director Jì, you are an intelligent person, I'm not afraid to speak clearly with you. Don't give me nonsense about framing or not framing. Based on the current evidence, the chain of evidence is already basically complete. Even if we can't get your confession, the prosecution can still bring a lawsuit against you. You've also been in Qingzhou for many years, haven't you heard the saying 'the big master is the king of Qingzhou'? If someone has made up their mind to deal with you, what use is it to say that it's framing?"

  Ji Zheng thought for a moment and said: "Yuan Dazhu? Can he even invite Mu Zong to move?"

  Qī Shū clapped his hands, and the door to the inner room was pushed open. A man walked out, with a round head and big ears, and a full brain and fat intestines - it was none other than Yuán Dàzhù, the current director of the Qinghua Factory.

  Ji Zheng, who was well aware of Mu Ze Chen's abilities, wasn't surprised to see Yuan Da Zhu here. A warm smile appeared on his face as he said, "Director Yuan, it's been a week since we last met, and you're still looking radiant. Is there something good that you've got in store for your brother?"

  Yuan Dazhu saw that he was already in such a situation, still with this arrogant attitude, and said gloomily: "It seems that the fire is still quite big, General Mu. Why don't we come back in a few days?"

  Qī Shū stood up, pulled Yuán Dàzhù down to sit, and smiled: "Director Yuán, calm down, Director Jì, don't be impulsive. Who is right or wrong will be clear soon."

  Yuan Dazhu sneered: "Director Ji, wasn't it you who had dinner at Sanlouchuan's private room on the third floor half a month ago? What did you discuss with Xiaobo that time? Don't think I don't know! Let me tell you, since I'm upright and fearless of shadows, good people will naturally have good fortune. If He Xiaobo hadn't secretly come to me to expose you, I really wouldn't have thought of it. You usually act like a yes-man, but behind people's backs, you're actually ruthless, what a set of skills you have!"

  When he heard the name He Xiaobo, even though Ji Zheng had been calm and composed from the moment he entered, his face was still numb from the shock. He never thought that this good brother of over a decade, who had also been ostracized in Qinghua Factory just like him, would actually betray him?

  "Oh, it's him. A bastard is not worthy of discussion, and it would be laughable to let Director Yuan see this."

  When he heard this, Yuan Dazhu was so angry that he almost vomited blood, pointing at him and saying fiercely: "Good, good, good bone!" He changed his tone, first smiling at Mu Zechen, then turning his head, the fat on his face squeezed together, making people feel unspeakable disgust: "Director Mu is also here, I'm not afraid to tell you a clear word, even if you didn't take a single penny, this time I can still make you rot in prison for twenty years!"

  Yuan Dazhu was known for his extravagance in Qinghua Factory, where he would drink fine wine to the last drop, eat exquisite food until it's all gone, and have beautiful women by his side. He earned himself the nickname "Yuan San Guang" (Three Glories of Yuan), which spread widely among insiders. Only high-ranking officials like Ji Zheng could truly understand that this man had a fourth, unspoken glory: those who refused to give in would be eliminated!

  Twenty years! Without even going through the motions, Yuan Dazhu is so solemn and determined. It can be seen that now this hateful Ji Zheng's three lights factory director has what kind of means, and how ruthless he usually is to cover the sky with one hand in Qinghua Factory!

  At the moment when the atmosphere was tense, Mu Zechen waved his hand to interrupt Yuan Dazhu's words. Qi Shu walked over and pulled Yuan Pangzi's arm, saying in a soft voice: "Director Yuan, let's go inside, I'll brew you a pot of tea and taste my sister's craftsmanship."

  Yuan Dazhu knew that this woman, although seemingly charming and flirtatious, was not someone to be trifled with, but being able to chat and joke with her up close was also a pleasure. He hastily said: "Good, good, Miss Qi's tea art is exquisite, who in Qingzhou doesn't know? Old Yuan is fortunate today."

  Watching the two close the door, Mu Ze Chen stood up and walked in front of Ji Zheng, lowering his head to look at him.

  Until just now, he didn't even bother to talk to Ji Zheng, leaving everything to Qi Shu. If it weren't for Gu Wenyan insisting on making that girl say it herself, how many simple ways could have solved the problem? Now Qi Shu and Yuan Baozi are at odds with each other, one white-faced and one black-faced, yet still can't make Ji Zheng back down, and he has to waste his time negotiating with such a small fry.

  Not to mention having a few points of nourishing qi, after staying by Gu Shi's side for over ten years, how many heroes and talents have I seen? People like Ji Zheng who think they are extraordinary but are actually just puppets of power will never be able to take the stage!

  "Director Ji, now you have two options. One is that I turn around and leave, and you deal with your grudge against Yuan Dazhu on your own. Believe me, apart from me, there's no one in Qingzhou who can help you right now. Yuan Dazhu hates you to the core, and these twenty years of hardship are set in stone. Mu Zechen keeps his word, and when I say twenty years, it's definitely twenty years. The other option is that I vouch for you, and you make amends with Director Yuan, both of you taking a step back. Then I'll bail you out, but the position of Qinghua Factory will definitely be lost. Director Ji, which one do you choose?"

  Ji Zheng knew that plotting with Hu wouldn't yield any good results, but at this moment he really couldn't think of what Mu Ze Chen saw in him. He bitterly smiled and said: "Do I have a choice? General Mu might as well state his conditions first..."

  Mu Zechen stood up, paced back and forth a couple of times, and then slowed down his tone: "Before you make your demands, let me help you think about the consequences of refusal. Your reputation will be ruined, not to mention your future prospects. I heard you have a beautiful wife, I wonder if she can wait for you for twenty years or throw herself into someone else's arms in despair? And what about your lovely daughter, can she bear the life of being looked down upon by friends and discriminated against by society? And that traitor He Xiaobo, are you just going to watch him live a carefree life outside?"

  It has to be said that Mu Ze Chen's temptation is not one bit inferior to Qi Shu's. Ji Zheng fell silent for a long time before opening his mouth and saying, "You say it, any condition I can agree to!"

  With determination and calculation, like a poisonous snake spitting out its letter, always lurking around, this kind of sudden stab in the back seems to be nothing, trapped in prison with no way out yet still calm and composed. Even Mu Ze Chen felt slightly uneasy about this person. In an instant, he made up his mind that even if he wanted to save this person, he couldn't give him any chance to fly high again.

  Mu Ze Chen's expression didn't change at all, and he smiled: "Actually it's a good thing..."