Chapter 49

Chapter 40: A Heartless Sigh

The night was as dark as ink.

In a temporary interrogation room on the second floor of the Nan Gong Branch, Ji Zheng, who had just been brought from the detention center, couldn't bear the strong light inside and raised his hand to shield his eyes. He was a man in his late thirties, with a square face and prominent features. Though not handsome, he walked with a straight back and steady, heavy steps. His forehead was high and wide, and his eyes, though not large, always narrowed slightly when looking at someone, forming a small '川' (mountain) between his brows.

Qi Shu had been dealing with men for over a decade, with a sharp eye that could almost pierce through to the heart. Yet, when he saw this man, he still easily felt a sense of goodwill from the bottom of his heart.

This man was very strange!

After seeing the two people sitting in the room, Ji Zheng was not surprised or inquisitive. He simply smiled and said, "Can I have a cigarette?" His voice was a bit hoarse, like metal scraping on a hard surface, and it sounded quite jarring in the quiet room.

Mu Zechen nodded, and Qi Shu walked over to hand him a cigarette, lighting it with a lighter. Ji Zheng lit the cigarette with Qi Shu's delicate hand, took a deep puff, and exhaled a series of smoke rings, praising, "The Gold Supreme is really strong, thank you." He didn't even glance at the beautiful woman beside him, as if the two long, jade-like legs under the black dress were just for show.

Qi Shu couldn't let Ji Zheng control the atmosphere and the pace of the conversation any longer. She said in a soft voice, "Director Ji, seeing you still so relaxed, I'm also reassured. I hope you can maintain such a good mood when you are transferred to the First Prison in a few days."

Ji Zheng smiled and said, "I haven't confessed yet. If the prosecution really had evidence, they wouldn't have to secretly detain me here at the branch."

"Is that so?" Qi Shu had a playful expression, "You've been here for a week. I bet you still don't know how serious your case is, right?"

Mu Zechen waved his hand, and Qi Shu, understanding his intention, took a stack of documents from the table and handed them to Ji Zheng. Ji Zheng casually flipped through a few pages, but his square face, which had been calm since he entered, showed no change. If Qi Shu hadn't been watching his eyes, he wouldn't have noticed the sudden contraction.

After a while, Ji Zheng finally put down the papers and asked, "Who is this?"

From the moment he entered the room, Ji Zheng had seen that these two were not from the prosecution or the police, so he didn't rush to ask who they were, trying to take control of the conversation. However, they didn't play games with him and directly threw the documents at him, forcing him to lower his head.

Qi Shu was familiar with the methods of the police and prosecution. Ji Zheng had been detained for a week without any leaks, and he had been threatened and lured by the prosecution. It was natural for him to be anxious and uncertain. Yet, he could still maintain his composure, which piqued Qi Shu's interest.

"Mu Zechen," Qi Shu's soft and charming voice made Ji Zheng's hand holding the cigarette tremble slightly. The small movement caused a long ash to fall on his clothes. He didn't bother to brush it off, smiling and repeating, "Mu Zechen from Minghua?"

Mu Zechen smiled without answering, and Qi Shu reached out to flick the ash off Ji Zheng's pants, giggling, "Of course, it's Minghua. How many Mu Zechens are there in Qingzhou?"

The ash fell on his thigh, and Qi Shu's soft, boneless hand slid by, seemingly unintentionally, creating a feeling that could make any man drunk. Ji Zheng, whose mind was shaken by the documents, managed to resist this temptation, his heart pounding but maintaining his composure. "Thank you..." He had lost the upper hand in the power play and now needed to regain it subtly.

Qi Shu let out a clear laugh, swaying her waist as she took the documents and sat down, her legs crossed in a way that made one want to peek under her skirt. Mu Zechen, seeing that she hadn't broken Ji Zheng's psychological defenses, smiled. This man was indeed composed.

"Director Ji, you are a cultured person. Do you know how many years a person would be sentenced for embezzlement and bribery of over 500,000 yuan?"

Ji Zheng said calmly, "This is all a frame-up..."

Qi Shu waved the documents, making a rustling sound, and said softly, "Director Ji, you are a smart person, and I'm not afraid to be straightforward with you. Don't talk to me about frame-ups. Based on the current evidence, the chain is almost complete. Even without your confession, the prosecution can still file charges. You've been in Qingzhou for many years; you must have heard the saying, 'The great lord is the king of Qingzhou.' If someone is determined to bring you down, your claim of a frame-up won't do much."

Ji Zheng pondered for a moment and said, "Yuan Dazhu? Can he even get Mu Zong to help?"

Qi Shu clapped her hands, and the door to the inner room opened. A man with a round head and big ears, fat and well-fed, walked out. It was the current factory director, Yuan Dazhu.

Ji Zheng, who knew Mu Zechen's power, was not surprised to see Yuan Dazhu. He smiled warmly and said, "Director Yuan, it's been a week, and you still look so healthy. Is there any special favor for your brother?"

Yuan Dazhu, seeing that Ji Zheng was still in such a situation, said with a sinister tone, "You still have quite a bit of fire in you. Mu Zong, shall we come back in a few days?"

Qi Shu stood up, pulling Yuan Dazhu to sit down, and said with a giggle, "Director Yuan, calm down. Director Ji, don't be impulsive. We'll see who is right in a moment."

Yuan Dazhu sneered, "Director Ji, was it you who hosted a dinner at the third floor of Shike Lai half a month ago? What did you discuss with Xiaobo? Don't think I don't know! I have nothing to hide. If it weren't for He Xiaobo secretly exposing you to me, I wouldn't have realized that you, who always bowed and scraped, were secretly plotting against me. You really have a set of skills, don't you?"

Hearing He Xiaobo's name, even though Ji Zheng had been calm since he entered, his face turned wooden. He never thought that his good brother of over a decade, He Xiaobo, who was also marginalized at Qinghua Factory, would betray him.

But he still said calmly, "Oh, it was him. A bastard is not worth plotting with, and I've made a fool of myself in front of Director Yuan."

Hearing this, Yuan Dazhu was almost spitting blood, pointing at him and saying fiercely, "Good, good, good spirit!" He changed his tone, smiling at Mu Zechen, but when he turned his head, his fat cheeks were squeezed together, looking disgustingly repulsive: "Mu Zong is here, and I'll be straightforward. Even if you didn't take a penny, I can still make you spend twenty years in prison!"

Yuan Dazhu was known in Qinghua Factory for drinking all the fine wine, eating all the good food, and enjoying all the beautiful women, earning him the nickname "Yuan San Guang" (Yuan the Three Lights). It was widely known that his fourth light, which was not public, was "eliminating those who don't comply."

Twenty years! Yuan Dazhu's determination to see Ji Zheng suffer, even without going through the formalities, showed how ruthless and powerful he was in Qinghua Factory.

Just as the atmosphere became tense, Mu Zechen waved his hand to interrupt Yuan Dazhu. Qi Shu walked over and held Yuan Dazhu's arm, saying in a soft voice, "Director Yuan, let's go inside. I'll make you a pot of tea and show you my skills."

Yuan Dazhu knew that this woman, though charming, was untouchable. But being able to talk and joke with her up close was still a good thing. He quickly said, "Good, good, Miss Qi's tea skills are renowned in Qingzhou. Old Yuan is in for a treat today."

Watching them close the door, Mu Zechen stood up and walked to Ji Zheng, looking down at him.

Until now, he had been too lazy to talk to Ji Zheng, leaving everything to Qi Shu. If it weren't for Gu Wenyuan's insistence that the girl should speak to him personally, there were many simpler ways to solve the problem. Now, even with Qi Shu and Yuan Dazhu playing the good cop and bad cop, they still couldn't make Ji Zheng yield, and he had to deal with such a small character, wasting his time!

Not to mention, after spending over a decade with Gu Shitong and seeing so many heroes and valiant men, a man like Ji Zheng, who thought he was extraordinary, was always a puppet of power, never able to stand on his own!

"Director Ji, you have two choices. One, I turn around and leave, and you and Yuan Dazhu settle your grudges on your own. Believe me, no one in Qingzhou can help you now. Yuan Dazhu hates you to the core, and you are destined to spend twenty years in prison. I, Mu Zechen, always keep my word. The other choice is that I guarantee to reconcile you with Director Yuan, and we both take a step back. Then I will get you out, but you will definitely lose your position at Qinghua Factory. Director Ji, which one do you choose?"

Ji Zheng knew that dealing with a tiger would not end well, but at this moment, he couldn't think of why Mu Zechen would be interested in him. He smiled bitterly and said, "Do I have a choice? Mr. Mu, you might as well state your terms..."

Mu Zechen stood up, paced back and forth, and then softened his tone, "Before I state my terms, let me help you consider the consequences of refusing. Your reputation will be ruined, and your future will be nonexistent. I heard you have a beautiful wife. Will she wait for you for twenty years, or will she turn to someone else in despair? And your lovely daughter, will she be able to endure the life of being looked down upon by friends and society? And what about He Xiaobo, who betrayed you? Will you let him enjoy his freedom?"

It had to be said that Mu Zechen's persuasiveness was no less than Qi Shu's. Ji Zheng was silent for a long time before saying, "Say it, I will agree to any condition!"

Decisive, cunning, like a venomous snake ready to strike at any moment, this man, who could stab someone in the back and remain calm in a dire situation, made even Mu Zechen slightly uncomfortable. In an instant, he made up his mind: even if he helped this man out, he would not give him any chance to rise to power.

Mu Zechen's expression didn't change, and he smiled, "Actually, it's a good thing..."

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