Anti-gang campaign: Female bureau chief

"exactly."

Jiang Ruolan repeated the word, her tone so calm that it sent a chill down the spine of the police officer reporting for duty.

Which department is responsible for the maintenance of the security cameras?

"It's...it's the Traffic Police Detachment's Technical Section."

Who is the head of the technical department?

"Zhao Zhiguo".

"Let him come to see me."

Zhao Zhiguo was a man in his forties, bald, with a slightly protruding belly, clearly someone who had been sitting in an office for over a decade.

When he entered the small meeting room that Jiang Ruolan had temporarily requisitioned, a thin layer of sweat had already formed on his forehead.

Jiang Ruolan asked him to sit down and then pushed the record sheet of the malfunctioning cameras on Wenhua Road in front of him.

"Section Chief Zhao, of the three security cameras on Wenhua Road, one has been broken for three days, and the hard drives of two others have been formatted. Explain to me how this happened."

Zhao Zhiguo wiped the sweat from his brow and said:

"Director Jiang, the broken one is due to aging equipment; we've already reported it for repair, but the repair company hasn't sent anyone yet. The two that were formatted...it was probably an operational error; we're currently doing a system upgrade—"

"It was a mistake." Jiang Ruolan looked at him.

How many traffic violations occur in Yian City every day? Your cameras record every day, and data is written in every day.

The very night before the hit-and-run accident occurred near the school gate, the hard drives of both security cameras were simultaneously formatted. Section Chief Zhao, do you think I'd believe that?

Zhao Zhiguo's face was as white as a sheet of paper, his lips trembled, and he couldn't speak.

"I'll give you two choices," Jiang Ruolan said.

"First, tell me now who told you to format the hard drive. Second, I'm opening a case against you for allegedly aiding and abetting the destruction of evidence. The choice is yours."

Sweat rolled down Zhao Zhiguo's forehead and dripped onto the conference table.

His two hands were clasped together, his knuckles turning white from the force.

The silence lasted for about half a minute. During that time, Jiang Ruolan did not urge him but simply looked at him quietly. Her gaze was not aggressive at all, but that calmness itself was more oppressive than any ferocity.

"It was...it was Director Qian who called," Zhao Zhiguo finally spoke, his voice barely audible.

"Which Director Qian?"

"Qian Deming, deputy director of the Municipal Bureau's office. He called me the night before last, saying that the hard drives of the two cameras on Wenhua Road needed to be cleaned up, saying... saying it was something from above."

After saying this, Zhao Zhiguo slumped into his chair like a deflated balloon.

"Director Jiang, I really didn't know something would go wrong. I thought it was just routine maintenance..."

Jiang Ruolan didn't continue questioning him, but instead said to the police officer beside her:

"Collect Zhao Zhiguo's phone and retrieve his call records from the night before last. Also, summon Qian Deming immediately."

Two hours later, Qian Deming was taken to the Municipal Public Security Bureau. He was in his early forties, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and big eyes, and looked like the kind of person who exuded righteousness.

Faced with Jiang Ruolan's questioning, he remained very calm, insisting that he was just routinely notifying the technical department to perform system maintenance and had no idea about any hit-and-run incident.

"Director Jiang, I'm innocent." Qian Deming spread his hands, his expression so sincere it was almost genuine.

"How could I, a deputy director of an office, have the audacity to help someone destroy evidence?"

That camera has been broken for several days, and I've been urging them to fix it as soon as possible. I really don't know anything about formatting; maybe someone below misunderstood.

Jiang Ruolan looked at him, not rushing to refute, but instead asked a seemingly unrelated question:

"Deputy Director Qian, how many years have you worked in the Municipal Bureau's office?"

"Eight years."

"Eight years, from a regular staff member to deputy director, that's not easy. How much was your monthly salary? Eight thousand? Ten thousand?"

Qian Deming was taken aback, wondering why Jiang Ruolan suddenly asked this question:

"With all the subsidies, it's probably a little over nine thousand."

"A little over nine thousand." Jiang Ruolan nodded, then pulled a piece of paper from the folder, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of him.

"Then explain to me what's going on with that detached villa in Biyue Bay that you own."

Biyue Bay is the most expensive neighborhood in Yi'an. A detached villa there costs at least five million. How can you afford it with a monthly salary of nine thousand?

Qian Deming's expression changed instantly. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but it was as if something was blocking his throat, and he could only make a few muffled breaths.

"And then there's your son's tuition and living expenses in Australia, which is nearly 400,000 RMB a year. You also own two SUVs with a total value exceeding one million RMB. Deputy Director Qian, where did you get all this money?"

Sweat began to bead on Qian Deming's forehead. His expression shifted from calm to panic, and then from panic to a near-desperate despair.

He wanted to defend himself, but he knew very well that once the issue of the unclear source of these assets was investigated, any defense would be futile.

Having been in the officialdom of Yi'an for so many years, he knew this routine all too well—when a leader talks to you, it's not to hear your explanation, but to tell you that your cards have been laid bare.

"Director Jiang...I...I..." His voice began to tremble.

"I know you're not the mastermind." Jiang Ruolan's tone suddenly softened.

"You just answered one phone call and then made another. You have someone above you, don't you?"

Qian Deming fell silent.

"I'm not after you right now." Jiang Ruolan leaned forward slightly, looking directly at him.

"I'm after the person who made Zhao Zhiguo format his hard drive, the person who arranged for that unlicensed van, and the person who ordered the hit-and-run on that fourteen-year-old girl. Tell me who this person is, and I might consider giving you a lighter sentence."

Qian Deming's lips trembled, and his eyes flickered intensely.

He was clearly making a difficult decision—if he spoke up, the people behind him wouldn't let him off the hook; if he didn't speak up, the questionable source of Jiang Ruolan's assets was already enough to give him trouble.

He was squeezed between the two forces, feeling as if he was about to be crushed.

After a long while, he raised his head and looked at Jiang Ruolan with an almost pleading gaze:

"Director Jiang, I've told you, can you guarantee the safety of my family?"

"able."

Qian Deming remained silent for a few more seconds, then took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind:

"The person who called me the night before last... was Deputy Director Fang."

Jiang Ruolan's pupils contracted slightly, but her expression remained unchanged. She asked:

"Fang Xuewen?"

"Yes." After saying the name, Qian Deming collapsed as if his spine had been removed.

"He told me to notify the traffic police to clean up the hard drives of the cameras on Wenhua Road, saying it was an order from above. I asked him which above, and he told me not to ask too many questions, that knowing too much wouldn't do me any good."

...............