Gao Wu: I inherited the evil organization in the game

Chapter 683 Evenly matched
If anyone here continues to harp on this point and insists on using it as an excuse to attack Wang Xinfa, then that is tantamount to attacking the Guangming Group at the same time.

The logic is simple: if one party is suspected, then the other party who was in the same room at the time will inevitably bear equal suspicion.

The councilors present may not be afraid of the Bright Food Group, but are they willing to offend both the powerful Wang Xinfa and the massive Bright Food Group for the sake of the "invisible knife" in Zhang Deming's hand, which is not yet visible or intangible?

From a risk-reward perspective, it's not a very worthwhile investment.

A brief silence fell over the room, and no new members of parliament stepped forward to challenge the point.

Zhang Deming was slightly disappointed, but he hadn't expected to be able to completely bring down Wang Xinfa with just an "invisible knife."

That's wishful thinking.

This was merely an appetizer he served up to test how thick the other party's armor was, and which of the councilors present were easier to win over and win over.

Zhang Deming thought to himself:

"It's okay. If one invisible knife isn't sharp enough, we can prepare several more and try different methods. If one stab isn't enough, we can try stabbing it a few more times."

Although Zhang Deming was old, he was still patient. He put on a harmless smile and glanced at the councilors who had spoken up to cooperate with him earlier.

Coincidentally, the councilors had also regained their calm expressions, though they all glanced back at him almost imperceptibly.

Everything was left unsaid; a short-term alliance had been silently "formed."

The next attack might be even more coordinated and more ferocious.

Zhang Deming squinted his eyes with satisfaction, like an old cat taking a nap.

He turned back to the chief councilor, his tone becoming exceptionally respectful and solemn:
"Chief, so who is handling the Emerald Garden case now?"

The chief councilor glanced at Zhang Deming indifferently, then turned to look at the conference room door.

His secretary was already waiting quietly at the door. He immediately understood, nodded slightly, and turned to leave.

A moment later, the conference room door was pushed open again, and Zheng Geng, dressed in the maintenance department uniform with a stern expression, walked in.

The chief councilor then spoke in his usual calm tone:
"The incident happened suddenly, and the case has had an extremely negative impact. Currently, it is being temporarily handled by Commissioner Zheng Geng from the Aircraft Maintenance Department."

He turned slightly to Zheng Geng and instructed him:
"Could you briefly tell me what valuable clues we've uncovered so far? That way, my fellow councilors will have a clear understanding."

Zheng Geng walked into the conference room, the core of power in District Nine, and quickly glanced around at the councilors sitting around the mahogany round table.

His eyes showed not a trace of awe or nervousness. He stood ramrod straight, and his tone was no different from when he spoke to his subordinates. His composure made several of the councilors frown slightly.

He opened his briefcase, took out a few thin pages of documents, and began his report in a steady voice, without any pleasantries or preamble:
"Fellow Members, the preliminary findings of the investigation into the attack on the Emerald Garden Commissioner's Residence are as follows..."

Soon, only Zheng Geng's voice remained in the meeting room as he reported. The report was not long, and he deliberately omitted or glossed over many tedious investigation processes, technical details, and questionable reasoning.

After all, he was just a specialist in the aircraft maintenance department, and investigating cases was not his forte.

However, he was not flustered at all; on the contrary, he felt a strange calmness, because investigating cases was not the forte of the councilors present.

Since we're all amateurs in this area, it's a good chance for us to compete evenly.

Moreover, Zheng Geng, upon honesty, also possesses a skill he's mastered—making "PPT" reports; he's incredibly professional at it.

As Zheng Geng meticulously analyzed the various "clues" and "inferences" in the case, even though most of these clues could not withstand close scrutiny and the inferences were full of preconceived notions.

But the councilors present were not to be outdone; they all either frowned or nodded slightly as if they had just realized something... each of them looked like a contemplative detective.

Believe it or not, they weren't pretending to know what they didn't. They weren't good at investigating cases, but they were experts at solving them.

Investigating a case and solving a case are only one word apart, yet they are worlds apart.

If you think they're the same thing, it means you're suited to work in the police station.

Being able to accurately distinguish that they are not the same thing means... you should have a chair at the roundtable meeting in District Nine.

Fifteen minutes later.

After presenting the investigation report, Zheng Geng concluded:

"...In conclusion, based on a comprehensive analysis of the existing clues, I believe that the Emerald Garden incident was by no means an accident or a crime of passion, but rather an organized and premeditated malicious attack against the special envoy, which was extremely heinous and seriously undermined the security and stability of District Nine."

The special envoy's body was not found at the scene, so it is highly likely that the special envoy was kidnapped by criminals.

My personal inclination is to conclude that the special envoy is still alive. The perpetrators have no reason to bother taking a worthless corpse; they must have ulterior motives and want to use the special envoy's special status to achieve some nefarious purpose.

He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over the members of Congress, and continued:
"Therefore, I believe that a temporary lockdown should be implemented in the entire area, and strict checks should be conducted on people and vehicles entering and leaving."

At the same time, mobilize all available resources, including but not limited to the entire police force, the Criminal Investigation Division, and even consider urgently transferring some elite soldiers from the Survey Corps into the city to assist in a carpet search and investigation.

We must spare no effort to rescue the special envoy before the criminals achieve their goal!

As Zheng Geng spoke, he subtly observed the changes in the expressions of the councilors.

He noticed that when he mentioned the "Criminal Investigation Division" and the "Investigative Corps," two of the members of parliament showed extremely subtle changes in their expressions.

This is normal, because Zheng Geng's last piece of advice was meant for the two of them.

In the roundtable meeting of the nine districts, each member of parliament is not without roots; they represent or are deeply connected to a powerful force behind them, which is their base of support.

Clearly, these two lawmakers represent the powerful Criminal Investigation Department and the Investigation Corps.

Zheng Geng's seemingly reasonable suggestion, made in the interest of the case, was actually a clear signal he was sending to the two legislators in his capacity as the temporary person in charge of the case.

Inviting them to join the game and share in the investigative powers is one way to find and win over potential allies.

The Emerald Garden incident was, of course, a huge political vortex. Everyone present was a cunning old fox, and naturally, there were those who chose to remain on the sidelines and protect themselves.

But there are certainly those who want to profit from the chaos, to get involved, and to seize greater power and benefits in this storm, and go even further.

Because the bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish.

Only by actively jumping into the center of the whirlpool can one catch the most expensive and succulent fish after the storm finally subsides. However, the timing of the jump and the choice of landing spot are extremely important, as they determine life or death, success or failure.

The olive branch that Zheng Geng extended at this moment seemed particularly "wonderful"!
By intervening under the guise of "assisting in the investigation and arrest," one can naturally gain some control over the interpretation and direction of the case, which is undoubtedly the safest "diving point" at present.

The person investigating others is always much safer than the person being investigated, no matter what.

Sure enough, one of the councilors, representing the interests of the Criminal Investigation Department, coughed lightly and spoke first, his tone serious:

"If the special envoy is still alive, then we must do everything in our power to launch a search throughout the entire district. This is a matter of face and responsibility for the entire Ninth District."

As an important law enforcement force, the Criminal Investigation Division certainly has an unshirkable duty to do its part!

We must race against time and, ideally, locate the special envoy before the Shangcheng special investigation team arrives, thus seizing the initiative.

He then changed the subject, looking at another member of parliament beside him:
"However, the manpower of the police station and the criminal investigation department alone is probably still insufficient to cope with the blockade and search of the entire area."

At times like these, the Survey Corps' manpower is indeed in great need of assistance.

Another member of parliament representing the Survey Corps, with a serious expression, immediately responded, demonstrating his strong support:
"Although the Survey Corps is stationed at the Hidden Gate and has heavy tasks, the safety of the special envoy is of utmost importance. I will immediately coordinate with Zhou Yifu to temporarily dispatch an elite squad into the city to assist in the search and rescue and investigation work!"

(P.S.: Zhou Yifu is the commander of the Ninth District Survey Corps.)
Seeing that the two councilors had successively expressed their support, Zheng Geng clenched his fist slightly, thinking to himself:

"Now I'm pretty much in control of my position as the temporary head of the investigation."

Since the other party accepted his invitation and shared power, they would naturally protect his position as the temporary person in charge to some extent.

Otherwise, his invitation would be empty talk and have no effect whatsoever.

Wang Xinfa watched the whole thing with a cold eye, and before he could even get a word in edgewise, his face had already darkened.

His original plan was to wait for Zheng Geng to finish his report, and then immediately propose, on the grounds of "professionals doing professional things," to remove the overstepping commissioner from the Aircraft Operations Department, regain the power of investigation, and return it to the police station.

But to his utter surprise, before he could even open his mouth to make trouble, Zheng Geng blocked his path under the guise of a "joint investigation" and even brought in two accomplices.

If he speaks up now, he will inevitably incur the displeasure of the two councilors. Under normal circumstances, Wang Xinfa might not be too afraid and would still try his best to speak up.

But now, with Zhang Deming watching him like a venomous snake waiting for its chance, it's really not wise for him to make any more enemies and divert his strength.

Seeing that Wang Xinfa did not refute him for a long time, a faint disappointment flashed across Zhang Deming's face. Wang Xinfa caught this subtle change in expression and felt a chill in his heart, becoming even more certain that his temporary restraint was the right choice.

Seeing that no one else would speak, the chief councilor readily accepted Zheng Geng's suggestion.

He said calmly:

"Commissioner Zheng reacted quickly and had a clear mind. In that case, you will be in charge of the rest of the investigation."

You must fully utilize and coordinate the strengths of the police station, the criminal investigation department, and the investigation corps to form a united force and strive to find the special envoy as quickly as possible and quell the situation.

Zheng Geng felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He knew that he had finally successfully stepped on the first and most crucial step on his path to the seat of parliament.

But it was only a barely touching step, with the toes just barely touching the ground, far from being firmly planted, let alone stable.

Zheng Geng hardened his heart and said:

"The road to becoming a member of parliament is one of no retreat; I must forge ahead and strike while the iron is hot."

Before these congressmen fully realize my treacherous ambitions, I must quickly solidify this ladder and take as many steps forward as possible!

As we all know, the best way to run fast on the road ahead is to focus on a target and launch the fiercest charge towards it.

And Zheng Geng's chosen target was...

Just as Zheng Geng was about to launch his attack, Wang Xinfa suddenly spoke up:

"Chief, I agree that Zheng Geng should continue to be in charge. He has worked diligently in the aircraft maintenance department all these years, and his abilities are obvious to all. I feel quite reassured having him in charge of this matter."

Everyone was listening to Wang Xinfa speak, everyone was waiting for the turning point in his words, they were all very familiar with this rhetoric of first praising and then criticizing.

Wang Xinfa did not disappoint everyone, and as expected, he changed the subject and said:

"However, Commissioner Zheng Geng comes from the Aircraft Maintenance Department and is good at overall coordination, but when it comes to the professional details of criminal investigation, it may not be his forte."

As the organizer, he is certainly capable of managing and coordinating the overall situation, but shouldn't he also be provided with a capable and professional deputy?
For example, Li Xiang from the police station is known as a brilliant detective. He has solved many major cases, is experienced and capable, and enjoys high prestige within the police station..."

Wang Xinfa's words were quite insightful.

First, he expressed his agreement, acknowledging the chief's decision and Zheng Geng's position, thus reassuring the two newly appointed councilors.

Then they put forward reasonable and entirely altruistic suggestions, which were simply to take away a portion of the specific investigative and executive powers.

In power struggles, this is a common compromise where everyone gives way.

For a member of parliament to make such a "concession" to a commissioner like Zheng Geng is already a great honor and a way out, showing extreme friendliness and consideration for the overall situation.

Logically speaking, anyone who understands the ins and outs of officialdom would likely accept this outcome and go with the flow.

However, Zheng Geng's reaction completely exceeded everyone's expectations.

He showed no respect for Wang Xinfa, not even bothering with any pretense of politeness, and directly let out a sneer.

Yes, his chosen target was Congressman Wang Xinfa, but actually, it wasn't his choice; rather, the situation forced him to make that choice.

He gave a cold laugh, then looked at the chief councilor and said:
"Chief Councilor, I strongly oppose Councilor Wang's proposal!"

He never hesitates to make a startling statement, revealing his true intentions directly:
"Because I can't trust Councilor Wang right now, no, I should say, based on what I know so far, I have good reason to suspect that Councilor Wang Xinfa himself may have some undiscovered connection with the kidnapping of the Special Envoy!"

Once Zheng Geng launched his attack, he left no room for retreat.

It wasn't exactly a death charge, but it was definitely a close-range, high-damage attack.

(End of this chapter)