rpbooks Chapter 131 Here's a knife for you, so you can send your teacher on his way yourself.
Chapter 131 Here's a knife for you, so you can send your teacher on his way yourself.
The Jingzhou Public Security Bureau building stands solemnly, like a silent steel behemoth.
A black Passat and three Mengshi SUVs drove into the compound one after another. The wheels rolled over the speed bumps, making a dull thud like heavy drumbeats.
Qi Tongwei didn't use the main entrance; instead, he led Hou Liangping directly into the special interrogation area of Building No. 2. This area was normally reserved for serious offenders; the walls were reinforced with double-layered soundproofing, and even cell phone signals were completely blocked.
"sit."
Qi Tongwei pointed to the metal chair nailed to the ground, while he casually leaned against the interrogation table opposite him.
Hou Liangping didn't sit down. He looked around at the oppressive environment, and could still smell a faint disinfectant odor in his nostrils, a smell that made him very uncomfortable, like a hospital morgue.
"Old classmate, is this your way of treating guests?" Hou Liangping placed his briefcase on the table, trying to ease the heaviness he carried back from Dafeng Factory with a joke. "Did you bring me to a place like this to interrogate me, or to show off your military might?"
Qi Tongwei did not respond.
He pulled a brass key from his pocket and opened the safe behind him.
"Smack."
A manila envelope was slammed heavily onto the stainless steel tabletop with a crisp, jarring sound.
The file folder looked quite old, with frayed edges, and although the sealing wax at the seal was cracked, it was still intact.
"Open it and take a look." Qi Tongwei lit a cigarette, not offering it to Hou Liangping, and puffed away, the gray-blue smoke spreading in front of his face, making his well-defined features appear somewhat blurry.
Hou Liangping looked at him suspiciously and reached for the file folder.
It feels very heavy.
He untied the white thread wrapped around the button and pulled out the document inside.
The top document is an official approval document for the "Crescent Lake Ecological Development Project." The paper has yellowed, but the signature in the lower right corner is in black carbon ink, bold and penetrating the paper, with sharp and familiar strokes.
That was Gao Yuliang's autograph.
Hou Liangping's fingers tightened suddenly, his fingernails scratching a white mark on the back of the paper.
He knew this handwriting all too well. For four years of university, every thesis correction, every excellent review, even the signature on his graduation certificate—it was this handwriting.
"Is this the original?" Hou Liangping's voice was a little dry, as if he had a handful of sand stuck in his throat.
"Genuine and authentic." Qi Tongwei flicked his cigarette ash, his tone as calm as if he were talking about the weather today. "Back then, Zhao Lichun forced Teacher Gao to sign the document in order to force this project to be implemented."
This document was supposed to be destroyed in the provincial party committee archives, or "accidentally" lost, but I had someone intercept it.
Hou Liangping didn't speak, but quickly flipped through the rest of the content.
The more I looked at him, the paler his face became.
The document included not only the approvals but also a chart showing the flow of every illegal fund from the Crescent Lake project over the past ten years. The complex offshore company structures were clearly laid out, and ultimately all the clues converged on a family trust fund in Hong Kong called "Bauhinia".
The beneficiary column clearly states three words: Gao Xiaofeng.
Although Gao Yuliang's name is not on the authorization letter of the actual controller of the trust fund, there are countless photos of him entering and leaving the Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong, as well as a photo of him and Gao Xiaofeng walking in Victoria Harbour with a child.
Each photo is labeled with the precise time and location.
This is a complete chain of evidence without any gaps.
That was enough to nail a high-ranking official to the pillar of shame.
"You already had all this?" Hou Liangping suddenly looked up, staring intently at Qi Tongwei.
He had always thought that he had come down with the Supreme People's Procuratorate's authority to break the deadlock and uncover the truth. But now Qi Tongwei had chopped up the truth and fed it to him, telling him: Stop looking, it's all here.
"It's been there for a long time," Qi Tongwei readily admitted.
"Since you already had irrefutable evidence, why didn't you report it? Why didn't you just hand it over to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection?" Hou Liangping slammed the document on the table, his chest heaving violently.
"Qi Tongwei, do you realize this is concealing information? Do you realize that holding onto these things is political opportunism!"
"Political opportunism?" Qi Tongwei laughed, a laugh that carried three parts sarcasm and seven parts coldness.
He stubbed out his cigarette, strode over to Hou Liangping, and the overwhelming pressure he exuded forced Hou Liangping to look up.
"Liangping, you're still too naive." Qi Tongwei reached out and straightened Hou Liangping's slightly crooked tie. "If I wanted to get rid of Teacher Gao, this thing would have been on the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection's desk three years ago."
In that case, Gao Yuliang would be utterly disgraced, swept away by the scorn of officials throughout the province, leaving him with not even a shred of dignity.
"Then what do you mean by giving it to me now?" Hou Liangping felt his back was soaked with cold sweat.
"Because you are his student. So am I."
Qi Tongwei's voice was deep and resonant, each word like a hammer blow to Hou Liangping's heart. "In this world, only the two of us are truly suited to send him on his way. I don't want outsiders, those who only focus on the so-called 'big tiger's' achievements, to humiliate him."
"Go ahead, this is procedural justice." Qi Tongwei pointed to the documents in Hou Liangping's hand. "You represent the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the national law. The student is investigating the teacher, upholding justice even at the cost of family ties. This not only upholds the law but also preserves Teacher Gao's dignity in the end. When he sees it's you, he'll understand that the situation is hopeless and he'll pass away peacefully."
"You..." Hou Liangping looked at the man in front of him and suddenly felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
Where is this any respect for teachers and the way of the Way?
This is clearly the most cruel form of slaughter.
Qi Tongwei is treating Hou Liangping like a knife, a knife that will stab his mentor in the heart!
Moreover, Hou Liangping himself "voluntarily" offered to be the wielder, for the sake of the supreme "legal procedure" in his heart.
"I'm not going!" Hou Liangping gritted his teeth, pushing the documents back. "This is your scheme, I'm not going to fall into it! I'm going to report the facts truthfully, and let whoever is in charge of this case handle it!"
"It's too late."
Qi Tongwei turned around and walked back to his desk, picked up a newly printed copy of an official document, and tossed it over lightly.
"Half an hour ago, at the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee meeting, Comrade Gao Yuliang had already confessed his problems in Hong Kong to Secretary Sha Ruijin and requested an investigation. Secretary Sha instructed that, given that Comrade Hou Liangping from the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the Supreme People's Procuratorate was on official business in Handong and was quite familiar with the case, it was suggested that Comrade Hou Liangping take the lead in the preliminary investigation, with the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection providing full cooperation."
Hou Liangping grabbed the paper and looked at Sha Ruijin's powerful comments, his mind went blank.
"You... even schemed against Secretary Sha?"
"It's a tacit understanding." Qi Tongwei sat down in the large leather swivel chair, crossed his legs, and his domineering aura of control was evident at this moment. "Teacher Gao is a smart man. After I made a scene at Dafeng Factory, I dragged Zhao Ruilong back like a dead dog. He knows that the situation is hopeless."
Rather than being passively arrested, it's better to confess proactively. And assigning you to handle this is his final explanation to me, and also to you.
"He didn't want to die at the hands of some scoundrel; he wanted to die at the hands of his prized student."
"Hou Liangping, you have to accept this knife whether you want to or not."
A deathly silence fell over the interrogation room.
Only the hum of the exhaust fan spinning sounded like some kind of tireless mockery.
Hou Liangping held the thick stack of evidence, his hands trembling violently. Before coming here, he had imagined countless thrilling battles against corrupt officials, and he had envisioned a passionate speech in court, but he never imagined that the final outcome would be like this.
He became a piece on Qi Tongwei's chessboard, forced to advance step by step along the path laid out by his opponent.
Even if there is an abyss ahead, he cannot turn back.
Because this is what he has always touted as "procedural justice".
"good……"
After a long silence, Hou Liangping squeezed out this single word through gritted teeth. He felt as if all his strength had been drained away, and even his once gold-embossed work ID now felt incredibly heavy.
"I'll take it."
Hou Liangping retied the file folder and tucked it under his arm. He gave Qi Tongwei a deep look, his eyes filled with complex emotions—anger, helplessness, and even a hint of fear he had never felt before.
"Qi Tongwei, you've won. But remember, if you walk by the river long enough, you're bound to get your shoes wet. With this kind of game, you'll get yourself into trouble sooner or later."
After saying that, Hou Liangping turned and left, taking large strides, as if he wanted to escape this suffocating place.
As the iron gate slammed shut, the coldness on Qi Tongwei's face did not dissipate; instead, it deepened.
Just then, the door to the lounge inside was pushed open.
A scent mixed with high-end tobacco and some kind of wild perfume wafted out first, followed by the sound of high heels clicking on the ground.
Click, click, click.
It is rhythmic, each beat feels like stepping on one's heart.
Ye Cunxin came out.
She had changed out of the dusty leather jacket she wore at the Dafeng Factory and was now wearing a striking burgundy velvet halter dress. The red was almost black, like aged red wine, or like dried blood.
The dress was extremely daringly cut, with two thin straps hanging over her rounded, fair shoulders, as if they might slip off at any moment. The fabric at her chest clung to her proud curves, rising and falling slightly with her breath, outlining a deep and alluring cleavage.
The skirt had a high slit, reaching all the way to her upper thigh. As she walked, her long, toned, and powerful legs were faintly visible through the red velvet, her skin dazzlingly white yet radiating a healthy glow from years of exercise.
She wasn't wearing shoes; her bare feet shone on the cold tile floor, her arches forming a beautiful curve, her toes painted with black nail polish. This extreme contrast made her look like a succubus who had just crawled out of hell.
"Tsk, how heartless."
Ye Cunxin walked behind Qi Tongwei and clung to his back as if she had no bones.
Two slender arms wrapped around Qi Tongwei's neck, her cool skin pressed against his carotid artery. She lowered her head, her red lips almost touching Qi Tongwei's earlobe, her breath carrying a hint of minty tobacco coolness, drilling straight into Qi Tongwei's ear.
"Those were your college classmates and your teachers, and you just betrayed them like that?"
Her voice was languid and husky, with a touch of nonchalant charm, but her hand was restless, sliding inside Qi Tongwei's shirt collar, her fingertips gently tracing circles on his hard chest muscles.
"This isn't selling, it's cleaning house." Qi Tongwei didn't avoid her touch, but instead grabbed her restless wrist and pulled her forward.
Ye Cunxin took the opportunity to walk around the chair and straddle Qi Tongwei's lap.
The wine-red skirt slipped down, revealing a large expanse of snow-white skin. She cupped Qi Tongwei's face in her hands, her eyes, usually filled with wildness and murderous intent, now like two pools of unyielding spring water, staring intently at every inch of this man's features.
"I love your ruthless streak, you don't even care about your own family."
Ye Cunxin took a cigarette from the cigarette pack on the table, lit it, took a deep drag, and then leaned over to transfer the smoke to Qi Tongwei's mouth.
Amidst the swirling smoke, their breaths mingled.
"Grandpa just called," Ye Cunxin said casually, tracing the old scar on Qi Tongwei's brow bone with her finger. "He said the stage in Beijing is set. You've really messed things up in Handong this time. Those old guys may scold you for your recklessness, but they're all secretly watching."
"As long as you can completely shut down that old bastard Zhao Lichun, you can wear this police uniform, or at least put on a more smart one."
As Ye Cunxin spoke, she leaned forward slightly, her soft breasts pressing tightly against Qi Tongwei's chest, her eyes flashing with an almost morbid fanaticism.
"By then, we'll be the craziest couple in the capital. Anyone who dares to mess with you, I'll shoot them."
Just as Qi Tongwei was about to speak, his personal cell phone on the table suddenly vibrated.
That frequency was so rapid, it sounded like an alarm.
Qi Tongwei glanced at the screen; the note had only one word: Wolf.
That was Qin Chuan's private number.
In that instant, the previously romantic and ambiguous atmosphere vanished. The tenderness in Qi Tongwei's eyes receded like a tide, replaced by the alertness of a hunter smelling blood.
He patted Ye Cunxin on the lower back to signal her to be quiet, and then answered the phone.
"Old squad leader."
"Tongwei, something's happened."
On the other end of the phone, Qin Chuan's voice had never been so serious, even carrying a hint of suppressed anger. In the background, one could hear noisy footsteps and loud shouts.
"That old dog Zhao Lichun has panicked. He used his informant who had been planted in the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection for twenty years. Just ten minutes ago, a 'ten-thousand-word letter' about you was delivered directly to the sea."
Qi Tongwei narrowed his eyes, tapping his fingers lightly on the table: "Accus me of what? Embezzlement? Bribery? Or my lifestyle?"
"Neither!"
Qin Chuan gritted his teeth, his voice sounding like it was being squeezed out from between his teeth: "I'm suing you for crimes against humanity! I'm suing you for massacring surrendered prisoners of war without trial during border operations! I'm suing you for abusing your power and crippling Zhao Ruilong!"
They even got their hands on a video showing you using a heavy machine gun to mow down those mercenaries; it was edited to look like you were massacring civilians!
"Now, the fire is burning. Those people are going to use this to their advantage, labeling you a 'cruel official,' or even a 'murderer.' Once the charges are proven, forget about promotion; you'll face a military court!"
"Tongwei, they're trying to kill you!"