Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 195 You are so kind

Wang Chengpeng's request was reasonable, and given the previous incident of Zhou Xia destroying evidence, Mao Weiming nodded, agreeing to Wang Chengpeng's request. He then instructed the police officer beside him:

"Take Zhou Xia away. I will examine the credentials provided by Wang Chengpeng alone."

"Then we'll record the details of the evidence, and that'll be the end of this matter."

"Although Zhou Xia cannot be charged with destroying evidence, he will certainly not escape being accused of spreading rumors and slander."

Almost without hesitation, the police officer behind Mao Weiming grabbed Zhou Xia's arm.

Zhou Xia's behavior just now was an insult to everyone. The policeman was also furious and was about to drag him out.

However, how could Zhou Xia simply sit idly by and wait to die? He immediately shouted loudly:

"I'm a party involved. What secrets or deals are you hiding that you won't let me see?"

"Take me out? I'm going to your bureau chief right now to report you and your misdeeds."

"Help! Help! There's a police officer having an affair with a criminal in front of so many people at the police station! I request a change of interrogator."

Although Zhou Xia shouted fiercely, he was no match for the battle-hardened police officer. After a short while, the interrogation room fell silent again.

Nodding slightly to Wang Chengpeng, Mao Weiming smiled and said:
"Now that Zhou Xia is not here, Comrade Wang, you can show me your evidence."

However, faced with Mao Weiming's expectations, Wang Chengpeng only gave a bitter smile, shrugged, and said:

"I don't have the original IOU. I was just bluffing Zhou Xia."

"What I just said is also what I think. I have 100% trust in the police officers."

"However, because of this trust, I only made a copy of the IOU just in case, but I never expected that such an outrageous thing would happen."

Zhou Xia's behavior was practically a slap in the face to Mao Weiming. He gave an awkward smile and said, extremely embarrassed:
"It was indeed our fault, but at that time, no one could have imagined that Zhou Xia would do such a thing."

At this point, Mao Weiming sighed and said, "Comrade Wang, there's no one else here, and I'm not afraid to tell you the truth, your current situation is not very good."

"Although Zhou Xia is shameless, I have to admit that his methods are really effective."

"Now that you've lost the crucial evidence, you not only can't get away with it, but you might even face imprisonment."

"Although I would like to help you, there is nothing I can do in this situation."

"The best course of action now is for you to return the money to Zhou Xia and then let the matter drop, minimizing the losses and at least avoiding jail time."

This is indeed the best solution Mao Weiming can come up with at the moment, but Wang Chengpeng clearly has other ideas, saying:

"I have an idea, but I don't know if Comrade Mao can cooperate."

"The reason I said I had a photocopy was to facilitate this process."

"You will say later that you have seen the evidence I provided and know the truth of the matter."

"However, considering that Zhou Xia is a first-time offender, if he is willing to mediate, this matter can be resolved peacefully and will not be pursued further."

"If I can fool them, I can at least say that I have barely protected my basic rights."

At this point, Wang Chengpeng gave an extremely bitter smile and said:

"Comrade Mao, I'm sure you're also wondering why Zhou Xia agreed to give us such a large sum of money."

"The truth is that I didn't blackmail him; there were deeper reasons."

"..."

Wang Chengpeng's language was extremely concise; in just a few words, he clearly explained the cause and effect of the matter.

Coupled with his suddenly hoarse voice, no man could help but sympathize with his plight.

As expected, Mao Weiming fell silent after listening to Wang Chengpeng's statement.

He thought he had overestimated Zhou Xia's shamelessness, but he never expected that he had ultimately underestimated him.

Wang Chengpeng was originally a victim, but the compensation he finally received turned into extortion. Not only will he have to take it back, but he may also face imprisonment. Anyone would probably break down if they encountered such a situation.

That is to say, Wang Chengpeng is strong; he hasn't broken down even at this point.

Not only that, but he also came up with such a brilliant idea that he could get himself out of his current predicament.

Thinking this way, Mao Weiming even felt that he might admire the guy in front of him a little.

If I had fallen into Zhou Xia's trap, I might not have been able to think of a solution.

Patting Wang Chengpeng on the shoulder, Mao Weiming comforted him, "Brother, try to think positively."

“Normally I would never cooperate with you in doing this, but your situation is special. After all, the evidence was eaten right under our noses, so I can make an exception.”

"Wait for me. I'll negotiate as you suggested right now and try my best to clear your name."

After saying that, Mao Weiming stood up and walked towards the door of the interrogation room, leaving Wang Chengpeng alone in the small interrogation room.

Without the slightest fear, Wang Chengpeng patiently awaited the outcome.

In fact, whether Zhou Xia was fooled or not was not important to him. What mattered was that he had already secured enough for Song Wenxin, and she should be arriving here soon.

If Song Wenxin is unable to arrive as scheduled, Wang Chengpeng has other options.

Thinking this, Wang Chengpeng touched the photocopy of the IOU in his pocket again.

Just kidding, how could he possibly only have one of these? It's just a small amount of money to add a few layers of insurance for himself, so why would Wang Chengpeng be stingy?

He figured this little trick wouldn't fool Zhou Xia.

But that's fine too, since Wang Chengpeng couldn't possibly be genuinely intending to give the other party a chance.

I'm sure Zhou Xia's expression would be quite interesting if he saw the photocopy of the IOU in his hand.

Of course, he would never admit it, and might even demand that they go through procedures like handwriting analysis, but Wang Chengpeng was not afraid at all.

The real thing is real, and it won't become fake just because Zhou Xia doesn't acknowledge it.

Zhou Xia seemed to be even more difficult to deal with than expected. It wasn't until half an hour later that Mao Weiming returned to the interrogation room.

However, judging from the expression on their faces that showed no sign of joy, their plan must have failed.

With a sigh, Mao Weiming softly comforted him, "Comrade Wang, you need to be prepared."

“This week, Xia is more difficult to deal with than I expected. He quickly figured out our plan.” “At first, he was indeed frightened by my words. All he could think about was how to reconcile and how to minimize his losses.”

"But he quickly realized that if we really had such important evidence, how could we still be so amicable in discussing the possibility of turning a major issue into a minor one and ignoring it? We would probably arrest him immediately."

"Not only that, he also loudly proclaimed that the two of us were in cahoots and had conspired to deceive him."

“Next, someone else might be put in charge of this case, and he might not be as easy to talk to as I am.”

"Hey, what kind of mess is this? They're clearly the perpetrators, yet they show no remorse whatsoever and even get worse."

"Unfortunately, I lack evidence to bring him to justice, this..."

It was Mao Weiming's limit to say so much to Wang Chengpeng. Soon he shook his head and walked out of the interrogation room. Not long after, another police officer named Luo Haochuan walked into the interrogation room.

With a stern look, Luo Haochuan loudly warned Wang Chengpeng, saying:
"I don't care what your relationship is with Mao Weiming, or what kind of mess you have with him."

"Confess and you'll be treated leniently; resist and you'll be punished severely. I advise you to confess as soon as possible to avoid physical suffering."

Faced with Luo Haochuan's warning, Wang Chengpeng simply smiled indifferently and said:
"Comrade Luo, please calm down."

"I have evidence, why don't you take a look?"

Upon hearing Wang Chengpeng's words, Luo Haochuan couldn't hold back any longer and loudly mocked:
"Unfounded evidence?"

"The fact that that idiot Mao Weiming could be deceived by your fabricated story and feel pity for him only shows that he is incompetent."

"No matter how much you try to persuade me, I will never believe your sweet talk."

“You have no evidence, but Zhou Xia has solid evidence. It’s clear that you’ve extorted money from Zhou Xia.”

"Return the money you extorted, and then sincerely apologize to Zhou Xia. You might be able to get a reduced sentence."

Having experienced the previous incident with Mao Weiming, Luo Haochuan seemed to have a preconceived notion that Wang Chengpeng was a treacherous villain, and he spoke to him extremely rudely.

Wang Chengpeng didn't mind, since Zhou Xia was so good at disguising himself that he could even fool experienced police officers.

If Mao Weiming hadn't witnessed Zhou Xia swallowing the evidence whole, he probably wouldn't have believed his own story.

After all, no matter what, you should always speak with evidence.

Thinking this, Wang Chengpeng reached into his pocket again, but this time he pulled out not air, but a photocopy of an IOU covered in writing.

Handing over a copy of the IOU, Wang Chengpeng smiled and said, "Comrade Luo, you were also misled by Zhou Xia, which is why you have a prejudice against me."

"How about we take a look at the evidence I submitted first, and then reassess the matter?"

Frowning, Luo Haochuan carefully examined the photocopy of the IOU that Wang Chengpeng had produced, his brows furrowing even more than before.

After a moment, Luo Haochuan had read the contents of the paper clearly before asking again:

"Since you have evidence, why did you lie to us and say you had no evidence?"

"You think it's fun to mess with us? Do you know that this is deliberately obstructing official business? Detaining you for a few days would be no problem at all."

With a bitter smile, Wang Chengpeng said, "Comrade Luo, you've been wronged."

"Of course I trust the police officers, and I presented the evidence immediately."

"But as you saw, Zhou Xia ate the evidence, which instead led to me being accused of colluding with the police."

"These things are meant to be prepared in case of emergency, and I can't possibly prepare too many. This is the last photocopy."

"If there's still a problem with this photocopy, then I'll be completely unable to defend myself."

At this point, Wang Chengpeng paused, then added, "Actually, I also intend to give Zhou Xia another chance."

“Although I am the victim and he is the perpetrator, you have seen the contents of this IOU copy. Since I received a large amount of compensation from him, I naturally have an obligation to keep it confidential for him.”

"If Zhou Xia hadn't been pushing me so hard, I really wouldn't have wanted to take out this copy of the IOU. After all, this kind of thing is very dishonorable to me."

At this point, Wang Chengpeng sighed heavily and said:
"Hey, how could someone do that?"

"He made a mistake, and I was willing to give him a chance, but he still treats me like this."

“I originally issued the receipt to give Zhou Xia some assurance, but I never expected it would become evidence of his betrayal of me.”

"If I were truly a villain who extorted money, why would I give him any receipt?"

"But I've come to a realization now. Since Zhou Xia is unrighteous and goes back on his word, I have no obligation to keep his secret."

"With the evidence, Comrade Luo, it will be easier for you to handle things. You should at least give Zhou Xia a charge of spreading rumors and slander."

"His family is considered a prominent family in Shanghe City. This charge may not have much impact on him, but it will allow me to vent my malice."

*Smack!* That was the sound of Luo Haochuan slamming his hand on the table. He never imagined that the truth would be so unbelievable.

Looking at Wang Chengpeng with sympathy, Luo Haochuan said, "No wonder Mao Weiming chose to help you. You are such a kind person. I misunderstood you."

"But one should not be too soft-hearted, especially when it comes to protecting one's own rights, one should not think of condoning evil."

"Don't worry, even if Zhou Xia's family has some influence, I will definitely not let him get away with it. I will definitely take the maximum measures against him."

"This is outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!"

"In broad daylight, this Zhou Xia dares to commit such evil deeds; he is simply lawless."

“I’m going to file a copy of this IOU right now. There’s absolutely no way he’ll have any chance of overturning the verdict.”

Watching Luo Haochuan leave in anger, Wang Chengpeng felt relieved, thinking to himself that Zhou Xia had truly brought this upon himself.

How comfortable he felt when his self-righteous cleverness succeeded, how painful it was when his misdeeds were exposed.

At least for now, Luo Haochuan is absolutely determined to prosecute him for spreading rumors and slander, and to punish him to the most severe degree.

However, this matter is destined to take some time to resolve, and it may no longer have much to do with Wang Chengpeng.

All he needs to do is wait patiently here and watch a good show.

At that time, Zhou Xia will definitely put on a good show for everyone as promised, under Wang Chengpeng's arrangement.

Do you really think Wang Chengpeng is so kind that he would give Zhou Xia so many opportunities?

He was simply calculating that Zhou Xia would never take the path to survival that he had left for him!
(End of this chapter)