Urban Crisis [Complete] - 27

Chapter Sixty-Six: Hearing the Tragic News, a Loving Mother Hangs Herself; Seeing Handcuffs,

an Old Man Passes A dirty black cotton-padded jacket and trousers squatted by the wall at the door, basking in the sun. His gray
hair was disheveled, and snot froze on his stubble.

The village committee director called out, "Old Hou."

The old man seemed not to hear him and did not move. His cloudy eyes stared into the distance.

"Ah, he's gone senile." The village committee director patted the old man's head, but he still didn't react.
"Don't look at him, he was the former village party secretary. During the Cultural Revolution, he ruined more than a dozen female educated youths who came to the countryside!
Later, he developed Alzheimer's disease. After his son died and his wife hanged herself, he became even more senile. He doesn't say a word."

Chen Hu looked around and felt that the environment was basically the same as the background of a black and white photograph of a little girl standing next to a young man.
Decades had passed, and not much had changed here. This small northeastern village seemed to be
a corner forgotten by reform.

"Can I go in and take a look?"

"No, there

's no one inside. Since Yu Jinxiu hanged herself, her house has become even more desolate." Chen Hu and the village committee director entered the courtyard. The small courtyard was empty and lifeless. Facing them was a
mud-brick house with one main room and two smaller rooms.

Inside the main room was the kitchen, with a worn-out square table. The two rooms on the left and right were the sleeping areas,
each with a heated earthen bed.

Chen Hu looked at the earthen bed on the left; besides a mat, there wasn't even a quilt. He went into the right room;
the earthen bed was covered with bedding, and there was a row of cabinets.

He reached out and touched the earthen bed; it was ice-cold, without any warmth.

Chen Hu took out a cigarette and lit it for the village committee director.

“Director He, could you talk about Hou Dewei’s family? It would be best if you could go back to the beginning.”

“I’m not even thirty yet, and I married into the family from another village, so I don’t know much about the old ways. I’ll find an elder for you;
they’ll know better than I do. This room is too cold; let’s talk at the village committee.”

“Thank you. I’ll wait here.”

“That’s fine. This tree is quite large; you might have to wait a while.” “

It’s alright. Thank you for making the trip.”

The village committee director went out to find someone. Chen Hu immediately began searching.

There were only a few old clothes in the wardrobe, and needles and thread in the drawers—nothing suspicious. He lifted
the mattress; there was nothing underneath. Chen Hu returned to the almost empty left-hand room, took off his shoes, climbed onto the
kang (heated brick bed), and lifted the mat by the window. Underneath, he found two letters and three color photographs.

The first photograph was immediately recognizable as Hou Dewei; he was standing next to a phone booth at the train station, with the train station in the background.
The second photograph was a treasure to Chen Hu: a photo of Hou Dewei and Wu Aikun in front of a Mercedes-Benz 600. The third
photo shows Wu Aikun smiling and waving on a New York street.

Chen Hu put the letter and photos into his briefcase and returned to the room on the right. He checked his watch; seven
minutes had passed, and the village committee director still hadn't returned with anyone. He took the letter out of his briefcase to read it. Both letters were from Hou Dewei
to his mother.

Mother:

After much hardship, I finally found her.

Her name is now Wu Aikun, and she's a U.S. citizen.

She doesn't acknowledge me as her brother at all, nor does she recognize you as her mother.

I was so angry I wanted to stab this heartless thing.

Then I thought, letting her die would be too easy for her.

I threatened her, saying that if she didn't acknowledge me, I would post missing person notices everywhere, letting the whole world know how she changed
, and she softened.

But she remained stubborn, saying she was born in Beijing, her parents were high-ranking officials, and she had no relatives in Northeast China.

But then she said that since I begged her, she could arrange a job for me. The condition was that I couldn't mention the sibling
relationship again. I didn't pressure her. She arranged for me to work as a security guard at the shopping mall she and a girl surnamed Jiang owned, saying she
'd find . She really meant it.

The job she arranged was a bit troublesome, but it paid well.

She said she had someone backing her up, so nothing would go wrong. Just let it go.

She can't get rid of me now; if she offends me, I can send her plummeting from heaven to hell. I'm not going back; I'll work for her from now on. After I make a lot of money, I'll bring you out. Write your reply to the address on the slip of

paper I attached : Liu Xicui. She'll forward it to me. Hou Dewei and Chen Hu read the second letter. Mother: My sister wants photos of her from when she was little at our house; I've seen a few. Send them quickly. When you reply, be sure to tell me who Wu Aikun's biological father is. I'm getting her to send me abroad; without finding something to hold against her, just saying nice things won't work. I remember you said at home that her biological father was sent to the countryside in our village and later returned to the city. I don't know how he became a high-ranking official. Please tell me his name. I won't tell anyone, I'll just make her do things for me. Enclosed with this letter are photos of Wu Aikun in America and a picture of me with her, which I stole from her album. Mom, you never imagined that the little bastard from back then would be so successful now. Hou Decheng and Chen Hu put the letter into their briefcases. They couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. Who could have imagined that a golden phoenix, capable of navigating the global business world, would fly out of this poor, remote mountain village? But the golden phoenix no longer recognizes its birthplace. What force changed the fate of this little girl from the mountain village? Without the intervention of a powerful external force, this little girl would at most be a moderately well-off rural housewife. The village committee director returned with an old woman in her seventies. She was dressed in an old sheepskin robe and had a sturdy build. "Comrade Chen," the village committee director helped the old woman onto the kang (a heated brick bed), "she is Yu Jinxiu's aunt, and knows more about old things than I do." The old woman sat cross-legged on the kang and picked up her long pipe. “Auntie, I have something to ask you. Why did Yu Jinxiu hang herself in this house?” “What do you mean, ‘in good health’? Jinxiu only had one son, and he was a good-for-nothing. A few days ago, a man came over, saying he was a friend of Dewei's, someone he used to do business with. He told Jinxiu that Dewei had gotten into trouble and was shot dead. The man even brought photos— photos of Dewei being shot. That night, Jinxiu hanged herself from the rafters. Her husband only saw . When they untied her, she was already cold.” “Auntie, how do you know Yu Jinxiu committed suicide because of her son’s death?” “Last night, Jinxiu came to visit and told me about it. She said she felt she had no future. I even tried to comfort her.” “Auntie, I heard Yu Jinxiu used to have a daughter. Have you met her?”

"She's a bastard. She was taken to the city when she was little and never came back."

Chen Hu took out a photo of the little girl and the young man and showed it to the old woman.

"Auntie, do you think Yu Jinxiu's daughter is this little girl in the photo?"

The old woman looked at the photo, then at Chen Hu.

"How did the photo end up with you? Jinxiu looks at this photo all the time, she cries, she cries and looks at it again.
Even I don't know how many times I've looked at it. This little girl is that bastard."

"Why do you call her a bastard? She has no father.

" Jinxiu was unmarried and gave birth to this girl, which is why she could never hold her head up high. Even Dewei cursed her mother and
even hit her. In addition, Jinxiu's father was a landlord, and she suffered a lot of struggle sessions because of this bastard.
She was criticized in meetings big and small for years, and they insisted that she reveal who the little girl's father was. She refused to say anything. During that time, dozens of educated youth came to the village
, and one of them was the little girl's father. Nobody knew who he really was. When they were persecuting her,
the educated youth took turns slapping her face and calling her a "born child." They all beat her, none of them held back,
and they were all quite ruthless. They thought that after this beating, Jinxiu would confess, but she still wouldn't say anything. Even now, Jinxiu
won't say who the child's father is.

"Auntie, who is this person standing next to Xiaoya?"

"I forgot his name, he was also one of the educated youth sent to the countryside."

"Did he take Xiaoya away?"

"No, it wasn't him. He came first, saying he was representing the educated youth to look after the poor and lower-middle peasants, and then he left. Later, I remember two female soldiers took
Xiaoya away, saying they wanted her to join the army and become an acrobat. That's it, they left and never
came back."

"What kind of person is Hou Dewei?"

"Him? He's just like his father. His father was a good-for-nothing, gambling away his money. He's been a
bad seed since childhood, doing all sorts of immoral things. Jinxiu was beaten by him a lot. A son beating his own mother, that's a beast."
"In my opinion, it's cleaner for the animals to die. I didn't expect Jinxiu to be so heartbroken."

Chen Hu knew he wouldn't get anything out of her by asking further, so he stood up and said,

"Grandma, thank you for coming all this way in this cold weather. Let me take you home."

The village committee director quickly said,

"No need. I'll take you."

The old lady got off the kang (heated brick bed).

"Don't bother seeing me off. It's just a few steps."

The old lady left the house, her steps firm. Chen Hu and the village committee director saw the old lady out of the courtyard.

"Where is the rope that Yu Jinxiu used to hang herself?" Chen Hu asked.

"At the village committee. I'll get it for you."

"Let's go get it together. Is the rope still intact?"

"Old Hou cut it with a sickle, nothing else was touched."

"I'll take some pictures, then we'll go get the rope."

Starting from the beam where Yu Jinxiu hanged herself, Chen Hu photographed every detail of the three rooms—one bright and two dark—with his Nikon FS camera ,
as well as the courtyard and gate. He also took several
environmental .

Chen Hu felt he was close to the truth, but he still needed to uncover the identity of Wu Aikun's biological father.
He asked the village chief if he could find someone who knew about the educated youth sent
to

the countryside back then, and who had close ties with Hou Dewei's mother. The village chief thought for a moment and said, "There is such a woman. Her name is Hou Ruyue. She
married one of the educated youths who was sent to the countryside. He divorced her to return to the city. But Hou Ruyue no longer lives in the village; she married someone in the county town and
I heard she works at the county supply and marketing cooperative.

" Chen Hu said goodbye to the village chief and took a bus to the county town.

At the county supply and marketing cooperative, Chen Hu found Hou Ruyue. She was a beautiful woman, petite and delicate, not at all
like a rural woman. Although she was nearly fifty, she looked much younger.

Chen Hu explained his purpose and showed his identification.

"Yu Jinxiu hanged herself?" Hou Ruyue exclaimed in surprise. "Her life was so tragic!" "

Comrade Hou Ruyue, I'd like to know more about the details of Yu Jinxiu's relationship with a sent-down youth, and how they had a
daughter . You know Yu Jinxiu quite well, could you tell me about the situation back then?"

Hou Ruyue sat down.

"Alright. I wouldn't have told you if Jinxiu hadn't hanged herself. She's dead, and we should seek justice for her.
Yu Jinxiu and I grew up in the same village, and neither of us came from a good family. Her father was a landlord, and my father was a rich peasant. We were
kindred spirits and became close friends. During the Cultural Revolution, Jinxiu and I wore colorful clothes and read
books that reflected the latest developments in the village's class struggle; it was suffocating. After
dozens , it wasn't so lifeless anymore. I openly dated a sent-down youth named Shi Huancheng,
and later married him. Later, Shi Huancheng dumped me to return to the city. I don't hate him; nothing is more
important than Baicheng." Jinxiu also started dating a fellow educated youth, which I didn't know at first. Later I found out; his name was Ji Tao, and he was
the secretary of the educated youth's Youth League branch. But they never dared to go public with it. A Youth League branch secretary dating a landlord's daughter was
a matter of political stance, especially since Ji Tao's father was a high-ranking official! Jinxiu became pregnant, and the village started talking about it, saying she was seducing
an educated youth, a new trend in class struggle. They held many criticism sessions against her, demanding she reveal the father's identity. Even
after she gave birth to a girl, she still didn't reveal who the father was. The village revolutionary committee and the educated youth
branch, having reached their limit of tolerance for Yu Jinxiu's stubborn resistance, convened a uniquely designed criticism meeting…

The entire village, men, women, children, and educated youth gathered on the school playground. Amidst slogans like "Down with Yu Jinxiu,
the filial son and granddaughter !", Yu Jinxiu was escorted to an earthen platform by two militiamen carrying guns. A female militiaman
held a cradle containing a baby girl less than a month old, who was crying loudly. The female militiaman placed the cradle
at Yu Jinxiu's feet.

The village party secretary, Hou Wukui, presided over the criticism meeting. After the three-way alliance, he became the director of the village revolutionary committee.

Hou Wukui first led everyone in loudly reciting Chairman Mao's quotations, "Make up your mind, fear no sacrifice, overcome all difficulties, and strive for
victory " and then said:

"Yu Jinxiu, she is the filial son and granddaughter of the landlord class! She seduced the educated youth and competed with the proletariat for successors.
Today, we will make her confess who she seduced! And who gave birth to this new generation of filial son and granddaughter of the landlord class!"
This girl in the cradle
doesn't surrender, then let her perish! Confess, which educated youth did you seduce?"

Yu Jinxiu's waist was bent at a ninety-degree angle, but she remained silent.

"It doesn't matter if you don't confess! The educated youth strongly demand that Yu Jinxiu's reactionary arrogance be severely punished and that she be separated from the landlord
class . Now, the young revolutionaries will take turns coming to the stage to draw a line between themselves and the landlord class with concrete actions! Yu
Jinxiu, as long as you reveal the name of the educated youth you seduced, you will be treated leniently. Begin!"

"Down with Yu Jinxiu!"

"Down with Yu Jinxiu!"

"We swear to defend Chairman Mao to the death!"

Amidst the slogans, the educated youth walked to Yu Jinxiu's side, some slapping her face, some kicking her legs.

Hou Ruyue saw Ji Tao walk to Yu Jinxiu's side and slap her face left and right. Blood flowed from Yu Jinxiu's
nostrils and the corners of her mouth.

Ji Tao spat on the baby in the cradle. The baby cried even louder.

Hou Ruyue was so angry that tears fell, but she didn't stand up and shout: Ji Tao, you are that educated youth.
She swallowed her words.

Ji Tao, holding up a quotation from Chairman Mao, shouted, "Down with Yu Jinxiu, the filial son and grandson of the landlord class!"

Yu Jinxiu glanced up at Ji Tao, then lowered her head again.

Yu Jinxiu fainted, and the denunciation meeting had to end. That evening, I went to Jinxiu's house to see her. Her child had a fever, and her
face was swollen like a steamed bun. She also had a fever, but she still had to take care of her newborn baby.

"Jinxiu, you should just confess that heartless Ji Tao! You're suffering so much by keeping it a
secret. I saw it all clearly down there. He beat you the worst, and he even spat on the child. That's his flesh and blood!

" "I can't ruin Ji Tao. He beat me out of desperation."

"If you won't confess, I will. You can't suffer for him anymore!"

Yu Jinxiu, tears streaming down her face, grabbed Hou Ruyue's hand and said,

"Good sister, you mustn't tell anyone. If you do, I'll jump into the river with the child! If this
gets out , Ji Tao's life is over." He's going to a workers', peasants', and soldiers' university; I can't ruin his life. My dear sister, you must
promise me you'll keep this a secret forever. "

I promised Yu Jinxiu I'd keep this a secret forever. Three months later, Ji Tao returned to the city for university. She accepted this reality
calmly and didn't go to see Ji Tao. Ji Tao didn't say goodbye either. I was furious.
The day before Ji Tao left, I held Jinxiu, that bastard child who only knew her mother and not her father, and stopped him at the edge of the field..."

"Ji Tao, I heard you're leaving tomorrow?" "

Yes, Ruyue. Maybe we'll meet again someday. Hey, whose child are you holding?"

"You don't recognize her? She's the bastard who was criticized and denounced along with her mother before she was even a month old. Alas!
This little bastard will never know who her father is."

Ji Tao took the child in his arms, saying sadly,

"This child is quite lovable. Maybe one day her father will come looking for her. I guess
the child's father has unspeakable hardships." “

I think this little bastard would be better off dead. Give me the child.” Hou Ruyue took
the child from Ji Tao. “Her mother can’t bear to part with her, but I can. I’ll pretend to accidentally drop her and kill her. That would be so much easier.”

Hou Ruyue was about to throw the child away when Ji Tao quickly caught her and held her in his arms. “

Ruyue, how can you be so heartless! She’s still alive! You should take the child back to Jinxiu properly . Sigh, her mother has paid too high a price for this child who shouldn’t have been born.” Hou Ruyue took the child and said, “Ji Tao, everyone in the village knows that the little bastard’s father is an educated youth, but no one knows who he is. Tell me, how can there be such a scoundrel among you educated youth? He took advantage of a young woman, fathered a child, and then didn’t dare to come forward and admit it. I think this guy is utterly depraved, worse than dog shit!” Ji Tao left with his head down. After listening to Hou Ruyue’s recollection of the past, Chen Hu asked, “After that, did you see Ji Tao?” “No.” I never saw him again. I heard he came back to the village once, but I had already divorced and moved to the county town.” “Did you see Yu Jinxiu often?” “Yes, often. Later, Yu Jinxiu married Hou Wukui. She had another son, Hou Dewei. Every time Jinxiu went to the county town, she would visit my house. When I went back to the village, I would visit her house too.” “What happened to Yu Jinxiu’s daughter? Have you seen her again?” “Speaking of that little girl, although she was criticized and struggled against during her postpartum period, she had a really good life afterward. At the age of nine, she joined the army through some connections and became an acrobat. It’s a pity that Jinxiu couldn’t enjoy the good life with this promising girl. Jinxiu told me that more than a year after the child joined the army, people from the army came to the village to talk to her, saying that the child had never been registered in the village, and legally, it could not be proven that she and the child were mother and daughter.” They made her write a statement announcing that they were relinquishing custody of the child and severing all ties, saying it would be better . For the sake of her child's future, Yu Jinxiu agreed. The soldiers left a thousand yuan and left. Poor Jinxiu! Hou Ruyue sighed and continued, "She can't afford to offend officials. When this girl was twelve, she received a photo from Yu Jinxiu and called her 'Aunt Yu.' The child still has some conscience. Yu Jinxiu always remembered her. After the child grew up, she seemed to send Yu Jinxiu money a few times. A couple of years ago, I asked Yu Jinxiu the child again, but she wouldn't say anything. She only said one thing: 'The child is ultimately fortunate to have her father. I don't want to cause trouble for the child, so I'm not in contact anymore.' Comrade Chen, that's all I know." Chen Hu took out a black-and-white photo of a middle-aged man and a little girl posing at the village entrance from his briefcase and handed it to . "Comrade Ruyue, take a look. Do you recognize the man and the little girl in the photo?" " Hou Ruyue said in surprise, "How did you get this photo? It's always been at Yu Jinxiu's house. Jinxiu has shown more than once. She said it was taken when Ji Tao came back to the village, and he specifically asked her daughter to take a picture with him. The man is Ji Tao, and the little girl is Yu Jinxiu's daughter with him. Yu Jinxiu has always treasured this photo and often . Comrade Chen, Ji Tao must be a cadre now, right? He might even become a section chief." Chen Hu smiled and said, "Who knows, maybe even a little higher than a section chief." "Higher than a section chief? Our county head is only at the division level." That night, Chen Hu stayed at the county guesthouse. Yu Jinxiu's tragic fate kept him awake all night. Did Ji Tao later acknowledge Wu Aikun as his biological daughter? What methods did Ji Tao use to climb to a high position, and what role did he play in Wu Aikun's smuggling case ? Next, we should go to the cultural troupe of the army unit where Wu Aikun joined to investigate, but unfortunately, this time he was afraid

There was no time to proceed.

Chen Hu received a call from Fang Hao's secretary and immediately returned.

A deputy director from the Municipal Political and Legal Committee greeted Chen Hu at the airport and rushed him to the Municipal Party Committee for an emergency
meeting.

In the car, the deputy director said,

"Comrade Chen Hu, Secretary Fang asked me to tell you that if anything unexpected happens, he hopes you
can remain calm."

"What happened?"

"You'll find out at the meeting. The meeting was originally scheduled for the morning, but it's been moved to the afternoon because of your attendance."

The meeting was held in the small conference room of the Municipal Party Committee.

Fang Hao, Ji Tao, Tao Tieliang, Chen Hu, and twelve staff members sat on either side of a long conference table.

Fang Hao announced the start of the meeting.

"Comrades, the establishment of the second group of the 6036 Special Task Force and its first working meeting are now beginning. The 6036 military
project has been misappropriated by criminals to carry out rampant smuggling crimes. Under the unified deployment of the Central Committee, our city
has established the second group of the 6036 Special Task Force. The Municipal Political and Legal Committee has decided to appoint Comrade Tao Tieliang as the leader of the second group, and
Comrades Chen Hu and Qiao Ying as deputy leaders." Now, let me introduce Comrade Qiao Ying. She was sent to our city by the 6036 task force
to guide the task force's work and is quite familiar with the case. She participated in the investigation of related cases in the Jiao He case.

Qiao Ying stood up from her seat and said, "I am Qiao Ying."

"Please sit down, Comrade Qiao Ying. Comrade Qiao Ying will now introduce the case and the progress of the investigation in our city.
Comrade Qiao Ying, please."

"The basic situation of the smuggling case under the guise of the 6036 military project is detailed in the report, so I
won't go into details. Using the name of a military project, forging approval documents, intercepting customs business communications, and stealing customs lines—
this is a typical case of smuggling by legal representatives and highly sophisticated crime. I will focus on reporting
the progress of our work in Yichang over the past week. The Great Wall Trade Group Company is a joint venture between the military region's enterprise bureau and a local government entity, and it is
one of the legal entities that misappropriated the name of the 6036 military project. The military region was unaware of the company's actions. The two heads of the company,
Li Jingsheng and Gao Ming, are local cadres, not military personnel, but they are both retired military officers, so
they have many acquaintances in the military. Another legal entity suspected of involvement in smuggling under the guise of the 6036 military project is Longjin Company in Yishi City
, whose legal representative is Jiao Xiaoyu. A company in Guangdong Province was also involved in this smuggling crime. We
interrogated Li Jingsheng and Gao Ming of Changcheng Company, and Jiao Xiaoyu and Wei Ming of Longjin Company. Li Jingsheng and
Gao Ming have initially admitted to the crime of misappropriating the name of the 6036 military project behind the back of the Enterprise Bureau and have begun to confess.
Jiao Xiaoyu, the legal representative of Longjin Company, was uncooperative; she refused to admit to misappropriating the name of the 6036 military project for smuggling,
insisting that it was a normal entrusted import business. During our audit, we discovered that Jiao Xiaoyu was the one who signed the contracts on behalf of Longjin Company with Changcheng
Company and with a company in Guangdong. The audit also
revealed serious financial problems with Jiao Xiaoyu. She misappropriated 9 million yuan from the 30 million yuan in fines and confiscations that should have been fully turned over to the central government, keeping it
in Longjin Company's accounts. Jiao Xiaoyu claimed this was to allow the case to be handled cover-up.
Jiao Xiaoyu used the advance payment of 60361 from Great Wall Company to purchase six high-end residences, including
a three-bedroom apartment of her own, worth nearly one million yuan. Both of these transactions were verified to have Jiao Xiaoyu's approval
signature . Jiao Xiaoyu also squandered over 26,000 yuan using credit cards. The credit cards had 120,000 yuan
transferred from the embezzled nine million yuan. She also owns a BMW luxury car, which is effectively hers. Based solely on this
conclusive evidence, Jiao Xiaoyu has committed economic crimes. I recommend that Li Jingsheng, Gao Ming, and Jiao
Xiaoyu be immediately detained.”

Chen Hu felt a chill run down his spine, as if he had entered a vacuum, his head suddenly
swelling to the point of bursting.

“Let me talk about other aspects of Jiao Xiaoyu’s situation,” Tao Tiejiao coughed, “Now it seems that Jiao Xiaoyu has deceived
us, deceived the organization. Recently, we interrogated Jiao Dongfang once, and Jiao Xiaoyu participated in that interrogation.”
Taking advantage of the interrogation, under the pretext of humanitarianism, she secretly gave Jiao Dongfang a wedding photo of Jiao Dongfang and Tian Congying in
front of everyone. We had checked the photo beforehand, and Comrade Chen Hu was also present; we didn't find anything
unusual . But on the back of this photo, Xiong Xiaoyu used secret writing to inform Jiao Dongfang.
After the photo incident, Comrade Zhou Senlin and I interrogated Jiao Dongfang together. Jiao Dongfang confessed to
what Jiao Xiaoyu had secretly written on the back of the photo. This was a method of communication that the siblings had discussed before Jiao Dongfang was arrested.

Ji Tao looked at each face in the room and said with a bitter smile,

"It seems I have to say a few words. Comrade Qiao Ying's preliminary investigation and Comrades Zhou Senlin and Tao Tieliang's interrogation
of Jiao Dongfang have revealed unexpected circumstances that have deeply saddened me. Jiao Xiaoyu is my secretary and also
the legal representative of Longjin Company. Longjin Company is a company directly under my organization. The organization never interferes with the specific business of Longjin Company
; the legal representative appointed by the organization is in charge." Jiao Xiaoyu embezzled fines and confiscated funds without authorization; she also used advance
payments from smuggling to purchase six residences, including one for herself; she squandered money using credit cards; and she used a
BMW . Her abuse of power to commit crimes is shocking. She even used secret photographs to
collude with Jiao Dongfang in the case, a truly heinous act. As Jiao Xiaoyu's superior, I cannot shirk responsibility for negligence and improper personnel management. My
stance is clear: I will not protect her; whoever is responsible will be investigated and punished. Comrade Chen Hu,
Jiao Xiaoyu has been your partner for a long time; it seems you two have some kind of romantic relationship? As the deputy
leader provide us with some information about Jiao Xiaoyu?

Fang Hao interjected:

"Comrade Chen Hu may be quite surprised by this. Let me say a few words first. Frankly speaking, I was also quite surprised by Jiao Xiaoyu's
situation . I carefully reviewed the transcript and related evidence that Comrade Qiao Ying asked about Jiao Xiaoyu. It was found
that nine million RMB in fines and confiscations were embezzled, which was in Longjin Company's account, and Jiao Xiaoyu approved and signed it. Jiao Xiaowang
also confessed to this. The embezzlement of fines and confiscations by powerful organs is a characteristic of corruption in the public security, procuratorate, and judicial system.
The advance payment to Longjin Company was clearly a prepayment for smuggling, and Jiao Xiaowang also signed it.
Six residential properties were purchased with this money, and the purchase contracts were also signed by Jiao Xiaoyu. Jiao Xiaoyu cannot escape legal responsibility for this. There may
be other hidden circumstances, but the evidence should be considered conclusive and sufficient. Whether it constitutes a job-related crime requires further
investigation and evidence collection, but detaining her is in accordance with the law. As for Jiao Dongfang's confession that Jiao Xiaoyu used photos..."
The secret communications still have some doubts, which can be investigated separately. We should trust the impartiality of the law; ultimately, the law
will not impose false accusations on someone. What we need is time. Comrade Chen Hu's appointment to
the second group of the special task force for the smuggling of the 6036 military project was decided by the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Anti-Corruption Bureau. This shows that our Party has always been
pragmatic and did not hesitate to use Chen Hu because of his close relationship with Jiao Xiaoyu. Comrade Chen Hu, please
say a few words.”

Chen Hu gradually calmed down. Fang Hao's speech helped him begin to clear his mind of the initial shock.

“I thank the Municipal Party Committee and higher-level organizations for their trust in me. Combating crimes of abuse of power is the duty of the Anti-Corruption Bureau
. I am a Communist Party member and should unconditionally obey the Party's command. However, because I do
have , I request to resign from my position as deputy head of this special task force.” The meeting fell silent. Chen Hu

's frank admission of his romantic relationship with Jiao Xiaoyu surprised many.

Ji Tao looked directly at Chen Hu.

"Comrade Chen Hu's honesty moves me. But I don't think there's any possibility of considering Chen Hu resigning as deputy team leader.
The organization believes in Comrade Chen Hu's strong Party spirit. This is the fundamental guarantee for the success of the work. Comrade Chen Hu's
familiarity with Jiao Xiaoyu is actually beneficial for us to fully grasp the situation and make breakthrough progress in the case. As for
the severity of Jiao Xiaoyu's problem, that depends on further investigation and evidence collection. Currently, she
is only a criminal suspect. Detention or even arrest will not affect further investigation of her. We also need to see the evidence and
her attitude. I may be more heartbroken than Chen Hu about Jiao Xiaoyu's problem because I also bear the responsibility for oversight.
Chen Hu and Jiao Xiaoyu are only in a romantic relationship; legally speaking, they are not related. I don't think there is any need for recusal. Lao
Fang, what do you say?"

Fang Hao swallowed, feeling his throat tighten.

"I agree with Minister Ji's opinion." "Comrade Chen Hu, even if you resign as deputy team leader, you are still
the deputy director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau. You are still responsible for investigating corruption cases involving civil servants. As you said, this is the Anti-Corruption Bureau's duty
. I believe you can fulfill your responsibilities. Now, you, Comrade Tie Liang, and Comrade Qiao Ying should take your positions.
The following discussion will be chaired by you."

The detention of Jiao Xiaogong was the first major operation since the establishment of the 6036 task force.

Chen Hu, Tao Tie Liang, and Qiao Ying led the team into the Longjin Company office building.

Chen Hu hadn't expected that since their last breakup, he would meet Xiaoyu in this way. He was the one who had arrested
the woman he trusted and loved most. He had no choice but to fulfill his duty. He cursed
himself ; Jiao Xiaoyu had fallen into a carefully designed trap, and not only could he not rescue her, but he was also
putting her in a difficult position. His only consolation was that time might prove Jiao Xiaoyu innocent, but at this moment… He was powerless; the legal requirements for detaining
Jiao Xiaoyu were complete. It seemed a force in the darkness had already dug a trap for this day.

Chen Hu, Tao Tieliang, and Qiao Ying entered Jiao Xiaoyu's chairman's office.

Jiao Xiaoyu seemed to have foreseen all of this. She sat calmly in her chair, silent in the face of their arrival
. Her gaze met Chen Hu's for a few seconds before she looked away. She
saw undisguised pain and guilt in his eyes. She looked away, not wanting to add to his suffering.

Chen Hu pulled out a search warrant. His voice was low as he said,

"Jiao Xiaoyu, we are now conducting a search according to the law."

Jiao Xiaoyu smiled faintly and said,

"Chen Hu, now it's time for you to uphold justice and turn against your own family. Please proceed."

Jiao Xiaoyu opened a drawer, took out the violin hairpin Chen Hu had given her, and carefully fastened it in her hair.
Seeing this heart ached.

A female officer took out the scabbard of the King's Sword from the drawer.

Jiao Xiaoyu suddenly screamed,

"Don't touch that! That's personal property!" "

The policewoman sneered,

'Why is there a scabbard but no sword? Where's the sword? What personal property? This is
a knife . Hand over the sword.'

'The sword isn't in my hand.'

'Where is it?'

Chen Hu coldly replied,

'The sword is in my hand.'

The policewoman put the scabbard into a transparent plastic bag and said,

'Confiscated. Whether it's personal property or not, we'll discuss that later.'

Chen Hu took out the detention warrant and said,

'Jiao Xiaoyu, you are suspected of illegally intercepting fines and participating in smuggling. You are hereby detained according to law. Please sign.'

Jiao Xiaoyu shed tears, biting her teeth to keep from crying out, and silently signed the detention warrant.

Tao Tieliang waved his hand painfully and said,

'Take her away.'"

The policewoman handcuffed Jiao Xiaoyu and escorted her out of the office. Tao

Tieliang was filled with immense self-reproach. He knew Jiao Xiaoyu had been set up, and even vaguely
sensed who the mastermind was, and that he himself had played a significant role. But at this critical moment of life and death,
he had no choice but to add insult to injury for Jiao Xiaoyu. He walked to Chen Hu's side and whispered,

"I'm so sorry. This scene makes me very sad. Actually, we both know very well what
happened to Xiaoyu. But the evidence is conclusive, and we can't save her. Don't be sad, let's think things through, perhaps there's still a chance."

"Thank you, Tieliang."

Chen Hu suppressed his grief and indignation and was about to leave when Fang Hao's secretary rushed in.

"Comrade Chen Hu, Comrade Tieliang. Secretary Fang sent me to inform you that Comrade Zhou Senlin is critically ill. Comrade Zhou
Senlin wishes to see Jiao Xiaoyu one last time. The organization has granted his request. You must immediately take Jiao Xiaoyu
to the hospital. " With a loud thud ,

Chen Hu slammed his fist on the boss's desk. He understood that Xiao Yu's arrest was a
fatal . This man, who understood everything, was ultimately powerless to do anything, leaving
this world with regrets. Could there be anything more tragic?

Five police cars arrived at the cardiology hospital.

Two policewomen escorted Jiao Xiao Yu to her ward. To prevent escape, they didn't remove the handcuffs from Jiao Xiao Yu.

"Wait," Tao Qian pulled the female detective again, "take off her handcuffs. It's not
good to see Director Zhou like this."

Qiao Ying stopped them, saying,

"No. Xiao Yu is a wanted criminal. If she escapes, resists, or commits suicide, we can't bear the responsibility."

Fang Hao's secretary wanted to say something but didn't. He thought Qiao Mo was overly meticulous, but he had no right
to interfere with judicial actions. He pushed open the ward door and said,

"Please come in."

Jiao Xiaoyu rushed into the ward, threw herself at the bedside, knelt down, and grasped Zhou Senlin's hands with her handcuffed hands,
crying out in anguish,

"Director Zhou! You can't leave us!"

Fang Hao, Lin Xianhan, Zhang Guangda, Kong Xiangdi, and other key municipal leaders were by the bedside. Seeing
Jiao Xiaoyu in handcuffs, their expressions were heavy. Zhou Senlin's two sons were also by the bedside.

On his deathbed, Jiao Xiaoyu's cries brought Zhou Senlin to his senses. His withered fingers trembled as he
touched Jiao Xiaoyu's handcuffs, a tear rolling down his cheek.

"Director Zhou!" Jiao Xiaoyu cried, tears streaming down her face, "You can't leave!"

Zhou Senlin stopped breathing. His heartbeat on the oscilloscope was a flat line. But his eyes remained open, gazing at the sky
with boundless sorrow.

Chen Hu walked to the bedside and said softly,

"Director Zhou, go in peace. I will never let the King's Sword be disgraced. The sword and its sheath will one
day become one again."

An astonishing thing happened: Zhou Senlin's eyelids slowly closed, a slight smile appeared on his lips,
and even the wrinkles on his forehead smoothed out. His final appearance was serene and solemn, as if he
himself had become the King's Sword.

Qiao Ying whispered to Fang Hao,

"Secretary Fang, the prisoner's emotions are unstable; it's not good to keep him here. Should we take him away now?"

Fang Hao nodded silently.

Jiao Xiaoyu heard Qiao Ying and Fang Hao's conversation. She stood up, walked to the vase containing
the calla lilies , took the flowers from the vase, and placed them on Zhou Senlin's chest. Jiao

Xiaoyu looked at no one and left the ward step by step.

Chapter Sixty-Seven: Shared Destiny, Three Heroes of Black and White, Two Heroes of Yin and Yang,

Jiao Pengyuan treated each interrogation by the special task force as a friendly chat.

Unrestrained and free-flowing, he spoke at length about past achievements, anecdotes from Party history, personal reflections,
and lessons learned from history.

The investigators didn't interrupt him; this was both to appease Jiao Pengyuan's melancholy and to
glean useful clues from their casual conversation.

Jiao Pengyuan suddenly noticed Zhou Senlin's absence, whereas he usually sat silently at the far
end . He asked in bewilderment,

"Where's my old comrade? Why isn't he here?"

Two investigators whispered, discussing whether to tell him. They reached a consensus.

"Comrade Zhou Senlin has passed away."

"What illness?" Jiao Pengyuan asked anxiously.

"I heard it was heart disease,"

Jiao Pengyuan sighed.

"Alas, heart disease, another heart disease. Old Zhou was a good cadre of the Party. He had some
tendency to be outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant, but he was diligent in his work and had a strong Party spirit. What a pity, what a pity. I also have heart disease,
Comrade Fang Hao also has heart disease, and Comrades Qian Zhong and Zhang Guangda's hearts are not very good either.
Why are our cadres so prone to heart disease? This question is probably not something that medicine can explain. I think it has something to do with the abnormality of our political
life . Every comrade has a heavy psychological burden. I have visited many countries and studied
the operating model of their government agencies. There are indeed many things we can learn from them. The United States, Britain,
France , and Japan all have a relatively stable civil service. Starting from the deputy minister level in the cabinet,
from top to bottom, there is a group of well-trained professional bureaucrats who do not participate in party factions or power struggles. Whoever is president will use them.
This ensures the normal operation of the country. We are different. Even the clerks form cliques and participate in power struggles.
How can we not have heart disease? I only started to reflect after I reached this point. As the saying goes, the bystander sees most of the game.
Do you all agree?"

"Old Jiao, you've strayed a bit from the point. The main reason I'm calling you here today is to ask you to clarify: after Hao Xiangshou gave you
He Qizhang's black notebook, who did you give it to? Please answer this question directly."

"I can't say about that. And you can't ask either. Who I gave it to is irrelevant; my Party spirit requires me not to
discuss this. Go back and look through the history, and you'll know. My questions remain the same two points. First, I
bear undeniable responsibility for neglecting my oversight of He Qizhang's economic crimes; second, I was negligent in my personal life.
As for other issues, if you say they exist, then they exist. Whether they do or not, let history be the judge."

"What reflections do you have on your promiscuous sex life?"

"It's simple, I did it for work."

The presiding officer said in astonishment:

"You engaged in promiscuous relationships for work? Isn't that absurd?"

Jiao Pengyuan gave a bitter smile.

"You think I'm just making excuses? Let me put it bluntly, you'll understand I'm telling the truth. I'm exhausted from work, suffer from
chronic insomnia, which in turn affects my work. Women are my sleeping pills; only after sex can I manage a few
hours to recover my strength and energy for the next day's work. Over time, it's become a vicious cycle—
I can't sleep without women, I suffer from insomnia. Comrade Lenin said, 'He who doesn't know how to rest doesn't know how to work.' My starting point is work, not
pleasure, much less indulgence."

The presiding judge suppressed a laugh.

"Old Jiao, do you always have a
reason ?"

"Yes, you've finally found my weakness. I'm a very principled person, and I act according to reason.
That's precisely my weakness! I am Duke Xiang of Song. In 638 BC, the states of Song and Chu went to war. The
Song army arrayed itself on the other side of the river, while the Chu army crossed. Duke Xiang of Song knew that attacking
the crossing army would be easy, but he believed that a wise man doesn't attack when others are in trouble. He lost his first
chance to win. The Chu army had crossed the river, but before they could establish a firm foothold, Duke Xiang's advisors suggested an attack. Duke Xiang said, 'A wise man doesn't
attack .' He lost another chance to win. As a result,
Duke Xiang's army, which insisted on acting according to principle and truth, was defeated by Chu. Aren't I the same? I am Duke Xiang of Song, possessing
nothing ."

Jiao Pengyuan rambled on for over an hour before being sent back to his cell.

Perhaps it was a coincidence, perhaps it was fate, or perhaps it was deliberately arranged by someone, but just as Jiao Pengyuan was being led
out of the tunnel by two armed police officers, he immediately saw Jiao Xiaoyu, handcuffed and sandwiched between two policewomen, walking towards him
.

Jiao Pengyuan was stunned; this was something he had never expected. He couldn't help but exclaim in astonishment,

"Xiaoyu? What happened to you?"

Jiao Xiaoyu instinctively stopped and called out,

"Uncle. Are you alright?"

"Fine, fine. Xiaoyu, what's going on? "

Officer Yan pushed Jiao Xiaoyu and said,

"Don't talk, go."

Watching Jiao Xiaoyu's departing figure, Jiao Pengyuan muttered to himself, "Wrong, wrong, there must be a mistake."

Suddenly, as if he had suddenly realized something important, Jiao Pengyuan laughed loudly,

"Alas! When the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away; when the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked. My Jiao family's three heroes
are reunited in Anling Prison! Hahahaha..."

The armed police were a little frightened by Jiao Pengyuan; they had never seen him so out of control.

"Old Jiao, no noise in the tunnel. Go back quickly."

Jiao Pengyuan shed two hot tears. Just

as Jiao Xiaoyu was about to turn at the end of the tunnel, she happened to run into two armed police officers escorting Jiao Dongfang through.

Jiao Dongfang stopped and said in surprise,

"I knew you would come sooner or later, but I didn't expect you to come so soon?"

Jiao Xiaoyu was stunned:

"How did you know I would come, Brother Dong?" "

I told you long ago, when the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. Xiaoyu, since you're here, make the best of it and take care of
yourself ."

The armed policeman shouted:

"No talking!" Jiao

Dongfang was escorted onto the tunnel by two armed police officers.

Jiao Xiaoyu was escorted towards her cell by two policewomen.

Having come this far, Jiao Dongfang had no choice but to grit his teeth and endure the mutual torment.
A .

Jiao Dongfang was taken into the interrogation room.

Chen Hu, Tao Tieliang, the prison's political commissar Huang, and the section chief sat behind a long table.

Chen Hu and Tao Tieliang had accompanied the convoy transporting Jiao Xiaoyu to Anling Prison, one of their purposes being to interrogate Jiao Dongfang.
Because the photo incident was unrelated to the 6036 case and belonged to a separate case, Qiao Ying did not participate in the interrogation of Jiao Dongfang.

Chen Hu reviewed the transcript of the last interrogation, remained silent for three minutes, and suddenly said:

"Jiao Dongfang, when and where did you and Jiao Xiaoyu agree to use the photos to
communicate ?"

"A week before my arrest, Xiaoyu came to my office, and we talked until after midnight."

"Do you insist on this statement? Are you not mistaken?"

"I insist on my previous statement." "

Chen Hu said to the clerk, 'Please record this. Jiao Dongfang confessed and insisted that a week before his arrest,
Jiao Xiaoyu came to Jiao Dongfang's office to discuss using secret photographs for future contact. Jiao Dongfang, is that right?'

'Yes, that's right.'

'Jiao Dongfang, let me ask you again, after you received the photographs, how did you make the writing appear on them? When
and where?'" "

You were present when the photo was received. The next morning, the photo was left to dry on my cell window all
morning, and the writing became visible."

"How was the sunlight that day?"

"Very bright."

"Do you maintain your testimony?"

"Yes. Of course."

"Jiao Dongfang, you said last time that Yang Ke brought Jiao Xiaoyu to the office, is that true?"

"Yang Ke brought Xiaoyu in. When Xiaoyu and I were discussing the secret writing solution, Yang Ke left."

Chen Hu said to the clerk, "Please record this. Jiao Dongfang maintains his original testimony."

Tao Tieliang instinctively sensed that Chen Hu was about to make things difficult. To warn Jiao Dongfang to be cautious, he said sternly,

"Jiao Dongfang, perjury carries legal consequences. Is your testimony true?"

"True. Of course. I cannot falsely accuse my sister. I would like to remind Prosecutor Chen not to
force me to change my testimony because of your special relationship with Xiaoyu. I maintain my testimony."

Chen Hu sneered,

"Thank you for your reminder. Jiao Dongfang, what color is the writing on the back of the photo?"

"Light black, a bit grayish." "

Jiao Dongfang, I'm giving you one more chance. Will you stick to your original statement and your current statement?"

Jiao Dongfang was a little uneasy, but he steeled himself and said, "I will."

"Since you insist, we can't say we won't give you another chance. A week before your arrest, or even
a few days before or after, Jiao Xiaoyu simply didn't have time to be with you. You said
Yang Ke brought Jiao Xiaoyu to your office. Is your memory failing you? Yang Ke had already been arrested and
committed suicide by poison; Jiao Xiaoyu wasn't even in this city. Jiao Dongfang, your skills in fabricating lies are lacking!"

Jiao Dongfang's arrogance vanished. He regretted how he had been so foolish,
forgetting the crucial timing of Jiao Xiaoyu's kidnapping in Hong Kong, which he had arranged!

Tao Tieliang's heart pounded. He didn't know much about Jiao Dongfang's case and hadn't expected such a huge flaw in Jiao Dongfang's
lies .

"This...this..." Jiao Dongfang stammered, "The exact time might vary, but it was probably about
half a month ago, maybe more than twenty days ago..."

Chen Hu snorted and said,

"Jiao Dongfang, let me tell you frankly, every member of the task force
has detailed work records for every day. From what time to what time, who was present, everything is recorded. Your lies can't be made up. Jiao Dongfang, I think your
IQ has clearly dropped. Don't even mention the past, you can't make up lies about what happened now.
You said that the day after you received the photos, you put them on the cell window to dry for a whole morning, saying
there was plenty of . You forgot, it rained all day that day! Where did the sunshine come from!"

Jiao Dongfang stammered,

"Rain?...Yes, it rained a little, but...there was sunshine, not so much...anyway, the words came out
...who knows, maybe you didn't need much sunshine, just a little light and the words appeared...I
don't understand . Who knows how the words came out?"

"It's true that there are words on the back of the photo, written with steganography ink. But the words on the back of the photo
weren't made by sunlight or lamplight. Before the photo came into our hands, we
examined it repeatedly under sunlight and lamplight. If sunlight could make the words appear, they would have appeared long ago. Jiao Dongfang, your
scientific knowledge is quite limited. The steganography method you mentioned using sunlight is from fifty or sixty years ago; it's clumsy and
unsafe, and no one would use it today. We conducted instrumental testing on the photo sample; you used steganography ink..."
" It's a new technique where you write on the paper first, and then you have to apply the corresponding black-and-white developing solution before the writing appears.
Jiao Dongfang , we're giving you one more chance. Where did you get

the black-and-white developing solution?" Tao Tieliang, fearing Jiao Dongfang would reveal the truth, slammed his fist on the table and shouted,

"Jiao Dongfang! Are you courting death?! Stop making up lies! Tell the truth! If you try to frame others again
, you'll only face death!"

This time, Jiao Dongfang understood Tao Tieliang's implication. He admired his "big brother's" arrangement even more; because of
Tao Suling 's death, no one would suspect Tao Tieliang of colluding with him.

"I confess, this time I guarantee it's all the truth. The writing on the back of the photo was
developed . I gave Jiao Xiaoyu a bottle of writing solution, and I brought in a bottle of developing solution.
The solution was from Germany, which I obtained in Hong Kong. It's very small, a tiny plastic bottle. I stuck the little bottle in
my hair." " My hair is thick, you won't be able to find it. I also taught Xiaoyu how to write in secret. I was afraid of being held
responsible for instigating it, so I pushed it all onto Xiaoyu. Now I'm telling you everything without holding back, it's all true."

Tao Tieliang breathed a sigh of relief, but he was still not at ease. He said sternly,

"Jiao Dongfang, you're too dishonest. I asked you earlier if you were sticking to your confession, and you said yes. Now you have
a new confession. I ask you, are you sticking to your current confession?"

"Yes, because every word I've said is the truth."

Tao Tieliang said softly to Chen Hu, "Shall we stop here for now?"

Chen Hu nodded.

Tao Tieliang said to the clerk,

"Show him the record. Jiao Dongfang, if there are no discrepancies, sign it and put your fingerprint on it. If you try to be sneaky again,
you won't get any benefit!"

Jiao Dongfang signed the record and put his fingerprint and handprint on it.

"Take him away."

After Jiao Dongfang was taken away, Chen Hu scratched his scar and said,

"I still can't believe Jiao Dongfang's confession this time." He claimed he smuggled the secret writing solution into
the prison by hiding it in his hair, which is highly questionable. When he was arrested, he was having his picture taken at a photo studio. The makeup process involved
meticulous it's impossible he had already hidden it in his hair then, unless he colluded with the makeup artist. After leaving the photo studio,
he had no opportunity to hide the solution in his hair. Even if he had the time and means,
the thorough search upon entering the prison would make it impossible to smuggle it away.”

Prison Section Chief Pu said,

“I was responsible for searching Jiao Dongfang after he was brought in. There's no way he could have hidden the solution
in to evade our inspection. I think he's continuing to fabricate lies.”

Tao Tieliang lit a cigarette, took a few puffs, and said,

“Section Chief Cao, could it be that Jiao Dongfang used the armed police guarding him to pass the secret writing solution?”

Political Commissar Huang said,

“That's impossible too. The armed police could have secretly smuggled the solution into the prison and given it to Jiao Dongfang, but where would
the armed police retrieve the solution?” Soldiers generally don't go into the city during rest periods, and when they do, it's always
in groups of two or more . They don't have the time or space to act alone.

Tao Tieliang helplessly spread his hands and said,

"It's strange. The bottle of medicine wasn't brought in by Jiao Dongfang himself, nor was it delivered by anyone. Could
this thing have flown in by itself?"

Chen Hu also lit a cigarette and said,

"I agree with Tieliang's analysis. Finding the transmission channel for the secret writing medicine is the key to breaking through the photo incident.
When all possibilities are ruled out, the least likely is precisely the most likely. I think this
secret channel established between the outside world and Jiao Dongfang might be right under our noses, but because we all thought it was
impossible, we ignored it. Next, we'll interrogate Jiao Xiaoyu. Tieliang, you can do it."

"No, no, you should do it. You're familiar with Jiao Dongfang's case. I didn't see through Jiao Dongfang's
lie that he met with Jiao Xiaoyu a week before his arrest because I didn't know what Jiao Xiaoyu was doing at that time.
Chen Hu, the organization trusts you, you should do it."

"Tieliang, I'm sorry, I can't handle this work emotionally. " It's not just about avoiding suspicion, but more importantly,
about upholding judicial fairness. How about you take the lead?"

Political Commissar Huang interjected,

"Director Tao, you're more suitable to preside over the case."

"Alright," Tao Tieliang patted Chen Hu's shoulder, "then I'll reluctantly accept. I treat Xiaoyu
like a sister; ever since Lingling was killed by Jiao Dongfang, I've always considered Xiaoyu my own sister. Who would have thought it
would end like this? Section Chief Cao, Jiao Xiaoyu isn't in good health; she contracted a tropical disease while apprehending Hao Xiangshou overseas.
She's done a lot, even if she didn't achieve anything significant. Are the detention conditions a little better?"

Section Chief Cao nodded,

"We'll consider it carefully. The food will be better, and she'll have more time for exercise. Don't worry. As long as
Jiao Xiaoyu follows the prison rules and doesn't cause us trouble..."

"Thank you," Tao Tieliang shook the section chief's hand, "Take Jiao Xiaoyu with you." Chen

Hu, Tao Tieliang, Section Chief Guan, and Political Commissar Huang sat down behind the long table, waiting for the armed police to bring Jiao Xiaoyu in.
Tao Tieliang silently pressed Chen Hu's hand down from the table. Chen Hu said softly, "Don't worry, I can handle it. Ask her
more detailed questions; she probably doesn't know anything yet."

"You didn't let her know at all?"

"I only found out from what you said at the meeting. Secretary Fang and Director Zhou didn't mention it to me. I didn't see her after the meeting
until Xiaoyu was detained. Even if I knew beforehand, I wouldn't have told her.
You should believe me on that."

"Chen Hu, you misunderstood. I was just asking casually." Jiao

Xiaoyu was brought in by two policewomen and sat on the square stool in the middle.

Tao Tieliang stood up, walked to Jiao Xiaoyu's side, and said to the policewoman, "Give me the key."

The policewoman handed the key to Tao Tieliang. He removed Jiao Xiaoyu's handcuffs and handed them back to the policewoman.

Jiao Xiaoyu said softly, "Thank you."

Tao Tieliang returned to his seat, took out a photo from the file, and said,

"Jiao Xiaoyu, do you remember this photo?"

"Please come closer." Tao

Tieliang handed the photo, sealed in a transparent plastic film, to the policewoman, who then walked over to Jiao Xiaoyu.
Jiao Xiaoyu looked at it and said,

"I remember. This is Jiao Dongfang and Tian Congying's wedding photo."

The policewoman handed the photo back to Tao Tieliang.

"Jiao Xiaoyu, why did you give the photo to Jiao Dongfang?"

"To reform him. When I arrested Jiao Dongfang, I promised him I'd let him see the wedding photos."

"Whose opinion did you consult beforehand before sending the photos?"

"Secretary Fang, Vice Minister Ji, Director Zhou, including you and Chen Hu. I got approval from my superiors to
bring the photos to the pre-trial room, and everyone examined them."

"Besides reforming Jiao Dongfang, was there any other purpose in sending the photos?"

"Yes. Jiao Dongfang is my cousin. I wanted him to see the photos. Marriage is a big deal, and I
thought it would be a shame if he couldn't even see his own wedding photos. I also wanted to calm my conscience."

"Any other purpose?"

"No." "

Jiao Xiaoyu, on the back of the photos, we found writing in secret ink, words used to collude in the case.
What's your explanation for this?"

Jiao Xiaoyu said in surprise:

"Secret writing?"

"Yes, secret writing. Did you write it?"

"That's impossible. I've looked at the photos repeatedly; there are no words on the back."

“Jiao Xiaoyu, let me remind you, you are a law enforcement officer, you should know the policy of leniency for confession and severity for resistance.
The writing on the back of the photo has been scientifically tested and is conclusive evidence. Jiao Dongfang has already confessed. Please explain clearly,
what did you write on the back of the photo? How did you write it?”

Jiao Xiaoyu shook her head in confusion. “

I didn’t know there was writing on the back of the photo, I didn’t write anything, and of course I don’t know what it was about. This situation came as a surprise to me .” Chen Hu suppressed his emotional turmoil and calmly asked: “Jiao Xiaoyu, did you choose this photo, or did someone else choose it?” “I chose it. I thought this photo was better.” “After you chose this photo, where did you put it?” “In my office drawer.” “Which office?” “First in the secretary’s office, then moved to my office at Longjin Company.” “Besides you, has anyone else had contact with this photo?” “I don’t think so. It’s always been in my drawer.” “Is the drawer locked?” “Yes.” “What kind of lock?” “The kind of hidden lock commonly used in office desk drawers.” Chen Hu gestured to Tao Tieliang, indicating that he had finished asking his questions. Tao Tieliang secretly praised Chen Hu, saying he had grasped the key point. Someone must have opened the drawer lock—a paperclip could open it—and then written something on the back of the photograph that was completely invisible without developing chemicals. Who wrote it? Could it be the same person who gave him the cigarettes containing the secret writing chemicals? He had to stop this terrible lead from spreading. Tao Tieliang said sternly, “Jiao Xiaoyu, you yourself admitted that no one else had access to this photo except you. Denying it is useless . Jiao Dongfang has confessed that you and Jiao Dongfang had discussed a secret method of communication before his arrest. Explain clearly how you discussed it.” “I did not discuss it with Jiao Dongfang, so I have nothing to explain. All my activities are documented by the special task force and my personal work logs.” She glanced at Chen Hu, “and my colleagues who worked with me also testified. But I am grateful that you told me this. Since Jiao Dongfang framed me, he has relieved . I feel very relieved now. Using a photo for secret communication while framing me is a systematic conspiracy. This means that the case related to Jiao Dongfang is far from clear, which is why the outside world needs to contact Jiao Dongfang. Diverting attention is to cover up their crimes. I request the relevant departments to investigate this case and restore my reputation.” Chen Hu secretly praised her, Jiao Xiaoyu’s explanation was reasonable, advantageous, and measured. But he maintained a serious expression. Tao Tieliang understood that continuing the interrogation would actually benefit Jiao Xiaowang. "Give her the statement. Jiao Xiaoyu, you've lost the chance to confess; you'll have to bear the consequences yourself. Look at the statement; if it matches your confession, sign and put your fingerprint on it." Jiao Xiaoyu took the statement from the policewoman, carefully read it, and signed her name. The policewoman handed her a red inkwell; her index finger touched it, and the yellow-red ink was her own blood. This was the first time she had ever put her fingerprint on an inkwell. A strong sense of humiliation brought tears to her eyes. Chen Hu silently prayed: Be strong, be strong, good girl, I will definitely clear . One of the agenda items at the municipal party committee standing committee meeting chaired by Fang Hao was who would fill the vacancy left by Zhou Senlin's death. Before his death, Zhou Senlin had been promoted to chief prosecutor and concurrently served as director of the anti-corruption bureau. Fang Hao did not propose Chen Hu as a candidate. He knew that if his suggestion was rejected, it would mean political passivity. Zhang Guangda proposed that Chen Hu succeed as Chief Prosecutor and concurrently serve as Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau. This was unanimously rejected for a simple yet compelling reason: Jiao Xiaoyu was imprisoned for suspected smuggling and had secretly tipped off Jiao Dongfang; it was unclear whether Chen Hu was involved in the case, making him unsuitable for promotion. The Standing Committee unanimously decided to nominate former Deputy Chief Prosecutor Gong Changsheng to succeed as Chief Prosecutor and Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, submitting the nomination to the Municipal People's Congress for discussion and approval.

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