Chapter 99 of 100

Chapter 99: The County Chief Also Takes Action

16 min read4,085 words

Ma Guangming received a complaint that Du Long and a group of armed police had sealed off the morgue of the People's Hospital, where there were sounds of wailing and howling. It was suspected that they were using torture to extract confessions.

Ma Guangming was about to call Du Long to inquire about the situation when Du Long called first.

As soon as the call connected, Du Long said proudly, "Uncle Ma, the case has been solved. It was an inside job, aimed at framing Xia Hongjun. Since Bidake was already a disposable pawn, they planned to use him to take the fall. It's that simple."

Ma Guangming asked sternly, "How did you investigate the case? Why did it cause such a commotion? Someone has complained about your use of torture, which is illegal, and any confession obtained this way is invalid."

Du Long retorted angrily, "Those bastards are deliberately confusing the issue! Do I need to use torture to solve a case? What a ridiculous joke! Fortunately, I have plenty of witnesses. Apart from one thug who lost a few front teeth when he assaulted a police officer, the others are unharmed. They can all testify for me. There are also cameras in the morgue and the corridor to prove it. Uncle Ma, who complained about me? Write down their names; they must have taken bribes! Investigate their financial issues immediately!"

Ma Guangming said, "Are you the mayor or am I? Stop talking nonsense. Director Qin is already on his way to the hospital. Cooperate with him and bring back the suspects, witnesses, and evidence. Are you willing to explain the case and the details in public?"

Du Long laughed, "I have nothing to hide! I'm not afraid of anything! Giving a public report is no big deal. Should I gather all the people of Wuxi County in front of the county government square? I can incite the crowd to raid Li Wuwei's house!"

"Don't talk nonsense, and don't cause trouble!" Ma Guangming's tone lightened a bit, "Behave yourself!"

Du Long hung up the phone and ordered the armed police to lift the control of the morgue. Bidake's parents and sister, who had been crying outside, finally got to embrace their son and brother's body and weep bitterly.

Just as Du Long was about to have the group of thugs who had blocked traffic taken away, a middle-aged man in a neatly pressed black suit, with his hair slicked back, walked in with a few people. Seeing the thugs squatting against the walls, he shouted, "What's going on here? How can you use violence and torture in public? That's illegal! Do you still want to be police officers?"

Du Long glanced at him and countered, "Is it legal to use torture in the dark? Who are you? Which eye did you see us torturing anyone?"

The man was caught off guard by Du Long's retort. Never having been ignored by a minor figure before, he became furious and shouted, "I am Deputy County Chief Fang Tianxiang, in charge of criminal investigation and public security! Many people heard the screams just now, and there's blood and teeth on the ground. How can you say you didn't use torture?"

Du Long's heart skipped a beat when he heard "Fang Tianxiang." He chuckled, "So it's Deputy County Chief Fang. You are indeed observant, noticing the blood and teeth on the ground. Hey, you, come out and explain to Deputy County Chief Fang how this blood and teeth came to be."

The thug who had been hit by Du Long stood up, holding his swollen face, and said, "The teeth and blood are mine. I was angry at that bastard Ah Biao, and when I hit him, he punched me back and knocked out a few of my teeth. Deputy County Chief, this has nothing to do with Officer Du. Look, we're all fine. There was no torture."

Fang Tianxiang was taken aback, not expecting the thugs to speak up for Du Long. Du Long smiled, "Deputy County Chief, did you hear that? As a police officer, how could I do something illegal? Deputy County Chief, you must have misunderstood."

A young man behind Fang Tianxiang suddenly stepped forward and whispered in his ear. Fang Tianxiang immediately had an idea and sneered, "They're all afraid of you, so they won't tell the truth. I suspect you used torture. Hand them over to me, and I'll investigate before deciding whether to sue you!"

Du Long's face turned cold, and he said slowly, "Deputy County Chief, I'm an old friend of Secretary Fang Tianci. Can we talk in private?"

Fang Tianxiang was taken aback. He was indeed Fang Tianci's cousin. After hesitating for a moment, he nodded, "Alright, let's find a place to talk."

Fang Tianxiang refused to enter the morgue, so they found a corner with fewer people. Once no one could see them, Fang Tianxiang frowned and asked, "How do you know Tianci?"

Du Long smiled, "We became friends through a misunderstanding... I hope the same can happen with Deputy County Chief..."

As he spoke, Du Long suddenly thrust his fingers into the space between Fang Tianxiang's third and fourth ribs on the right side. Fang Tianxiang let out a muffled groan, his eyes bulging, and his body trembling as he collapsed to the ground. Du Long supported him and poked him a few more times, making Fang Tianxiang feel as if Du Long was slicing him into pieces with a knife. He trembled violently, cold sweat pouring down his face, and he collapsed into Du Long's arms, unable to move a muscle.

Du Long, supporting the respected deputy county chief with one hand, lifted his chin with the other and smiled at him, "Deputy County Chief, you're really intimidating. I was so scared that my hand slipped and hit your vital point. Deputy County Chief, I didn't mean to. You have to believe me..."

Fang Tianxiang's eyes showed unmistakable horror. He wasn't afraid that Du Long had hit his vital point but was terrified by Du Long's utter disregard for power and position, as if he were a god looking down on mortals, indifferent to whether he crushed a thousand or ten thousand insignificant lives with a finger.

Seeing that Fang Tianxiang was afraid, Du Long rubbed his earlobe, slightly easing the pain. However, Fang Tianxiang still couldn't move or speak. Du Long took out his phone, took a close-up of Fang Tianxiang's face, and sent it. He gently patted Fang Tianxiang's face and said, "Deputy County Chief, I actually respect you very much, but this respect has its limits. When you take money from someone and come to oppose me, I have to stand against you. You should talk to your cousin; he is very respectful to me..."

While Du Long was talking, he received a text message. He glanced at it and put away his phone, smiling, "It turns out Deputy County Chief has a weakness in Li Wuwei's hands. No wonder you're so eager to defend him."

Fang Tianxiang, who had just stopped sweating, broke out in a cold sweat again when he heard Du Long's words. He looked at Du Long as if he had seen a ghost. Du Long shook his phone and smiled, "Deputy County Chief, you must keep this a secret. I don't care about your bribery and sending your son abroad. Just don't come after me. Remember that, Deputy County Chief?"

Fang Tianxiang nodded blankly, not even realizing when he regained the ability to move. Du Long took a handkerchief from his pocket, carefully wiped the sweat from his forehead, and then put the handkerchief back in Fang Tianxiang's hand. Du Long chuckled, "Director Qin from the Municipal Public Security Bureau will be here soon. Deputy County Chief, you just need to stall a bit, and everything will be fine. Why not do that?"

If it were really as Du Long said, it would be better. However, Fang Tianxiang now felt as if he were being strangled by a venomous snake. If Du Long was slightly displeased, he could tighten his grip and suffocate him. This feeling made Fang Tianxiang very uncomfortable, but he had no choice.

---