Nominal: My senior brothers are all big shots

He Bing thought for a moment and said, "First, we need a separate office space. We have more than 30 people with us, so we need enough space. The conditions at the military district guesthouse are very good; I've seen it, and it's sufficient. Second, we need cooperation from Pingjiang. The Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection, the Municipal Public Security Bureau, and the Municipal Audit Bureau need to assign personnel to assist the special task force. Third, we need to maintain confidentiality. The special task force must not disclose any information to the outside world before the case investigation is completed."

Lin Feng said, "The office space has been arranged; this is it. Comrade Zhao Liangyu will fully cooperate with the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection. Comrade Lei Ming will fully cooperate with the Municipal Public Security Bureau. I'll have Comrade Li Jianping coordinate with the Municipal Audit Bureau. Don't worry about confidentiality; in Pingjiang, no more than five people know that the special task force has been stationed here."

He Bing nodded, took out another list from his briefcase, and handed it to Lin Feng. "Secretary Lin, this is the list of key targets that the special investigation team has initially identified. Take a look."

Lin Feng took the list and looked at it page by page. Some of the people on the list he recognized, and some he didn't. Among those he recognized were cadres and entrepreneurs from Pingjiang. He silently memorized the names of those he didn't recognize. The first few names on the list were Liu Zhi, Huang Zhiqiang, Han Ligang, Wei Guoan, Zhao Anguo, and Zhou Tianming.

He Bing said, "We've made a breakthrough in Sun Decai's case. He's confessed to many things and many people. But Sun Decai is just a minor figure; he has connections above him. Our purpose in coming to Pingjiang this time is to follow this line of inquiry and dig further up the chain."

Lin Feng returned the list to him. "Director He, I have Zhao Tiejun's account books and Chen Lili's investigation materials. I'll have someone make a copy and send it to you."

He Bing's eyes lit up. "Zhao Tiejun's account book? It's the whistleblower's father's?"

Lin Feng nodded. "His son left behind a lot of records. There's also Chen Lili, a reporter from the provincial TV station, who investigated for two years, drew a map of the smuggling routes, and compiled a list of companies involved. These things match up with what Sun Decai confessed in many ways."

He Bing paused for a moment, then said, "Secretary Lin, we are going to fight a tough battle this time."

Lin Feng looked at him, his gaze resolute. "I know. So, we'll fight together."

The two exchanged a glance, but neither spoke. Outside the window, the military compound was quiet, save for the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves. He Bing picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and put it down. His gaze remained fixed on the view outside the window, as if looking into the distance.

"Secretary Lin, I've worked in the Discipline Inspection Commission for twenty years and handled many cases. Some cases were resolved in a few months. Some dragged on for years. This case in Pingjiang might drag on for a long time. There will be a lot of resistance and pressure. Are you prepared?"

Lin Feng said, "I'm ready."

He Bing nodded and said nothing more. He stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to Lin Feng. After a moment of silence, he said, "Secretary Lin, do you know? The night Sun Decai was taken away, his phone kept ringing. There were more than twenty missed calls, all from the same person. That person is from the provincial government."

Lin Feng frowned. "Who?"

He Bing turned around and looked at him. "We can't say now. You'll know when the evidence is conclusive."

That afternoon, the task force officially moved into the military sub-district guesthouse.

The first floor was designated as an office area, the meeting room was converted into a command center, and several rooms were set up as temporary offices. The interrogation team was located on the east side of the first floor, the external investigation team on the west side, the funds investigation and control team on the east side of the second floor, and the protection umbrella investigation team on the west side of the second floor. Each room door was labeled, and staff members were busy but organized, coming and going.

He Bing stood in the corridor, watching all of this with a heavy gaze. He knew that this tough battle had only just begun.

That evening, Lin Feng returned to his office and called Su Wanqing. Su Wanqing's voice was very soft, as if she didn't want to disturb someone. "Lin Feng, how's it going on your end?"

Lin Feng said, "The special task force has arrived. It's a joint team from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, the Provincial Public Security Department, and the Provincial Procuratorate. The team leader is He Bing; I've met him before at a training course organized by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. He's a capable person."

Su Wanqing said, "Then be careful. Don't overwork yourself."

Lin Feng said, "I know. How about you? How's the child?"

Su Wanqing smiled, a soft but warm laugh. "It kicked me today, several times. My master said it's a boy."

Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat, and an inexplicable excitement welled up in his chest. "Really?"

Su Wanqing said, "Really. Are you happy?"

Lin Feng said, "I'm happy."

Su Wanqing said, "Then you must take good care of yourself. After the baby is born, you must come back to be with him."

Lin Feng said, "I promise you."

On the seventh day of Sun Decai's detention, the atmosphere in the interrogation room remained as solid as iron.

He sat in the chair, his handcuffs gleaming coldly under the light, head bowed, not looking at anyone. The water in front of him had gone cold, but he hadn't drunk a drop.

Several interrogators tried various methods, both gentle and forceful, but he remained tight-lipped. He kept repeating the same few questions.

-

"I confessed."

"Everything that needed to be said has been said."

"I don't know about other things."

The voice sounded like it was being squeezed out of the throat, dry and hoarse.

He Bing wasn't in a hurry. He had seen people even more difficult to deal with than Sun Decai, and he knew that such people needed time to develop.

Their fear came not from the pressure in the interrogation room, but from the threats outside.

On the very night Sun Decai was detained, someone delivered a message to him through some channel: "Your wife and children are in our hands. If you speak up, they are not safe. If you don't speak up, they will be safe. After it's done, your family will receive a sum of money, enough for them to live on for the rest of their lives."

Sun Decai believed it. He dared not disbelieve it.

He remembered his wife's always smiling face, and the year his daughter went to university when he saw her off at the train station. She turned around, waved to him, and said, "Dad, you can go back now."

He recalled last year's Spring Festival, when the family gathered around eating dumplings. His wife said, "Old Sun, drink less alcohol." His daughter said, "Dad, when are you retiring? I'll take you and Mom on a trip." Thinking of these things, his heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by a hand.

He couldn't speak. If he did, they were finished.

In the interrogation room, He Bing sat opposite him, not in the interrogation seat as usual, but instead moved a chair and sat opposite Sun Decai. He placed a folder on the table, not opening it, but simply pressing it lightly with his hand.

"Sun Decai, your wife came to the provincial capital yesterday." He Bing's voice was very calm, as if he were talking about something insignificant.

Sun Decai suddenly raised his head. His eyes were bloodshot, his eye sockets were sunken, his lips were chapped, and his beard was unkempt. He looked at He Bing, his gaze filled with fear, expectation, and an indescribable pain.