Nominal: My senior brothers are all big shots

Inside a small interrogation room at the Handong Provincial Procuratorate, the light was bright and evenly distributed. A table, a few chairs, and eye-catching slogans hung on the walls. The atmosphere was solemn and oppressive.

Hou Liangping sat in the presiding judge's seat with a stern expression. Lin Huahua sat next to him, taking notes, her sharp eyes observing Ouyang Jing across from her.

Ouyang Jing sat in the questioning seat, still wearing her beige suit, her scarf tied meticulously. Her face was somewhat pale, but her eyes were not panicked; instead, they held a deliberately maintained calm, a stark contrast to the terror she had displayed on the airport expressway. Clearly, the buffer and mental preparation of the past few hours had taken effect.

"Ouyang Jing," Hou Liangping said bluntly, "tell me about it."

Ouyang Jing slightly raised her chin, looked at Hou Liangping, and said in a calm tone, "Director Hou, what do you want me to say?"

"I'm telling you that you accepted bribes from Cai Chenggong, the owner of Dafeng Factory, and then abused your power to illegally process loans for him." Hou Liangping went straight to the point, without beating around the bush.

Ouyang Jing gently tidied her not-too-messy hair, stared at Hou Liangping, and asked, "Director Hou, do you have any solid evidence to back this up?"

"We have obtained the relevant evidence." Hou Liangping leaned forward slightly. "Now we're giving you a chance to confess. Confessing voluntarily and being found out passively are completely different things. Ouyang Jing, you should understand the policy; seeking leniency is the wise choice."

A smile appeared on Ouyang Jing's lips. "Since Director Hou already has conclusive evidence,"

"Then why are you bothering to ask me anything? Why not just handle it according to the law based on your evidence?"

Hou Liangping frowned, momentarily speechless at the question. He didn't actually have any major evidence yet; all he had was Cai Chenggong's report and a bank card belonging to Cai Chenggong's mother found in Ouyang Jing's bag. He had checked the transaction history and found only 500,000 yuan, which was still short of Cai Chenggong's 2 million yuan.

Hou Liangping immediately changed his strategy, took out the bank card, and said, "Ouyang Jing, don't be complacent! Cai Chenggong's report, the origin of this card, and your attempt to go to the airport today... do you think these are all coincidences? Do you think we can't find out just because you don't speak up?"

Ouyang Jing's voice remained calm. "Director Hou, regarding going to the airport, I'm going to visit my daughter who is studying abroad. I've already asked my work unit for leave, and Secretary Li Dakang can vouch for that."

"As for that card," Ouyang Jing's voice lowered slightly, "I do remember it. It was probably... from the second half of the year before last to the beginning of last year."

Ouyang Jing paused here, then continued, "Cai Chenggong's Dafeng Factory needed to apply for a loan from our Jingzhou City Bank for equipment upgrades and working capital replenishment. I am the vice president in charge of credit, and according to procedure, the company's loan application was submitted to me for review."

Ouyang Jing began her statement, "But Director Hou, this 500,000 yuan was not a bribe from Cai Chenggong, at least not in the eyes of me and many of my colleagues."

"That's a loan rebate, an unspoken rule within our banking system, especially in the loan business."

Ouyang Jing sighed slightly. "Many companies, especially private companies, will offer to pay a sum of money in order to get a loan smoothly or obtain more favorable terms. Sometimes this money is given to the person in charge, and sometimes... to the person who makes the final decision. The amount depends on the loan amount, the company's situation, and... well, the other party's sincerity."

"So the money Cai Chenggong gave was this kind of rebate?" Lin Huahua pressed.

Ouyang Jing nodded, but immediately added, "But I must clarify that I...did not actively ask for it at the time. It was Cai Chenggong who said that this was industry practice and a small token of gratitude for the bank's financial support."

"And then you accepted it?" Hou Liangping asked sarcastically.

"I'm just following the crowd," Ouyang Jing replied helplessly.

"So, this is a common phenomenon?" Hou Liangping asked.

"Common? Director Hou, you're just a deputy director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, right? You can investigate me if you want, but if you want to touch this line, are you even qualified? I'm afraid even Ji Changming behind you isn't qualified." Ouyang Jing stared at Hou Liangping and mocked.

Hou Liangping was stunned. This was getting tricky. He turned to Lin Huahua and said, "This is troublesome. The interrogation is on hold. We need to report to Chief Prosecutor Ji!"

Hou Liangping knocked directly on Ji Changming's office door without even going through his secretary.

"Come in."

Hou Liangping's expression was usually even more stern, and he pushed open the door with a sense of urgency as he entered.

Ji Changming was reviewing a document while wearing glasses when he looked up and saw Hou Liangping enter alone with an unusual expression. Ji frowned. He put down his pen and took off his glasses.

"Liangping? Why did you come straight here? Where's Han Bin?" Ji Changming asked, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart. Hou Liangping bypassing Han Bin and coming directly to him usually meant that the matter was beyond the usual scope or extremely urgent.

"Ji Jian," Hou Liangping said, walking to his desk and getting straight to the point, "we might... have messed up."

Ji Changming's heart sank. "Tell me slowly, what happened?"

Hou Liangping quickly organized his thoughts, "Ouyang Jing admitted to receiving a sum of money related to the loan for Dafeng Factory, amounting to approximately 500,000 yuan. However, she insisted that this was not a bribe she personally received, but rather... a long-standing, tacitly understood unspoken rule within the entire banking credit system, the so-called consulting fees and rebates. She said it was industry practice, and that all banks and everyone did it this way."

As Hou Liangping recounted the story, Ji Changming's expression gradually grew serious. "What exactly did she say? About this unspoken rule?"

Hou Liangping took a deep breath and repeated Ouyang Jing's most crucial and provocative words: "She said, 'Director Hou, you're just a deputy director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, right? You can investigate me if you want, but if you want to touch this line, are you even qualified? I'm afraid even Ji Changming behind you isn't qualified.'"

"Bang!" Ji Changming slammed his hand heavily on the desk, making the teacup shake. His face was ashen, not from anger at Ouyang Jing's arrogance, but from an instant realization of the enormous risks and trouble behind those words.

"Whether it's high enough or not... Ji Changming isn't even high enough..." Ji Changming pondered these words, "It means... you didn't just catch a fish, but you might have... blown up a fishpond."

Ji Changming looked up at Hou Liangping, his eyes saying, "Hou Liangping, Hou Liangping, weren't you determined to solve a major case, to achieve results, to prove yourself? This time, you might really be going to cause a huge disaster!"

Hou Liangping remained silent. He did indeed want to investigate a major case and eradicate corruption, but the issue raised by Ouyang Jing was far more complex and potentially destructive than a simple bribery case.

If what she says is true, then it involves not just a few bank executives, but potentially a deeply entrenched network of vested interests, and could even shake the stability and credibility of the entire financial system. Such systemic problems face enormous resistance when investigated, and their handling is far more complex and far-reaching; the slightest misstep could trigger unpredictable chain reactions and social upheaval.

"If this isn't handled properly," Ji Changming continued, "the entire banking system in Handong, and even related sectors, could be thrown into turmoil. Who will clean up the mess then? And how will it be handled?"

A long silence fell over the office. Only the clock on the wall ticked.

After a long silence, Ji Changming wearily waved his hand. "You can go back now. The interrogation of Ouyang Jing is suspended immediately. Ensure her legal rights during her questioning, but do not conduct any further substantive questioning for the time being."

Ji Changming stood up and walked to the window. "I must immediately give a special report to Secretary Sha Ruijin on this matter. Before receiving clear instructions from the Provincial Party Committee and Secretary Sha, all information regarding the Ouyang Jing case must be classified as top secret, and not a single word may be leaked! This includes your Anti-Corruption Bureau; the scope of knowledge must be strictly controlled. In particular, her statements about industry unspoken rules must absolutely not be disseminated!"