Anti-gang campaign: Female bureau chief

This list extends to almost every key department of the Yi'an City Party and government organs—land resources, housing and construction, planning, environmental protection, courts, public security, and banks.

During his thirty years in Yi'an, Shen Wangshan understood the city's power network better than anyone else. He wove a huge protective umbrella with money and interests, casting the entire city in his shadow.

After the list was read aloud, Qian Shouyi leaned back in his chair, as if all his strength had been drained. He said:

"How many years would these names be enough to sentence me to?"

Jiang Ruolan did not answer the question, but instead asked:

"What about Gu Changhe? Is he on your list?"

Qian Shouyi shook his head:

"Gu Changhe's name was never on the internal records. Shen Wangshan never let me handle anything related to Gu Changhe."

He always met with Gu Changhe alone, and the benefits he gave Gu Changhe were always delivered through shell companies in the provincial capital that had no direct connection with us.

Gu Changhe is too shrewd; he leaves no evidence against him. But what I do know is that Gu Changhe is the most valuable one among these people.

"How so?"

"Shen Wangshan gave Qin Chuan five million, enough to buy him to hold onto a case; he gave Fang Xuewen three million eight hundred thousand, enough to buy him to slack off on procurement. But what Shen Wangshan gave Gu Changhe—that's something all these people combined can't match." Qian Shouyi's voice lowered.

"Gu Changhe has hidden shares in Fengmao Group. It's not in his own name, but held on his wife's behalf by a distant relative. I don't know the exact percentage, but as far as I know, Gu Changhe receives more money than all of us senior executives combined when it comes to year-end dividends."

"Who is that nominee custodian?"

"I don't know the name. Zhou Wenxuan handled this matter, and only Zhou Wenxuan and Shen Wangshan know the full details. Have you found Zhou Wenxuan?"

"not yet."

Qian Shouyi's lips twitched, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he only sighed softly. He said:

"Director Jiang, I've said everything I need to say. I don't ask for a lenient sentence, I only ask for one thing—I have an eighty-year-old mother and a daughter in college. Please don't let them know about my situation."

Jiang Ruolan neither agreed nor refused. She stood up, said, "That's enough for today," and walked out of the interrogation room.

In the corridor, Lu Zheng was waiting for the results of her interrogation, but seeing the expression on her face, he swallowed back the words he was about to say.

"Have everyone take a break. We'll have a case analysis meeting in twenty minutes." Jiang Ruolan's voice carried an undeniable decisiveness.

"The list that Qian Shouyi confessed involves at least nine leading cadres from key departments in Yi'an City. Together with the shell company that Gu Mingzhe received investment from in the provincial capital, it is equivalent to Shen Wangshan's entire network of protection."

Before we find that internal ledger, we must put all these people under surveillance and not let a single one escape.

In addition, a full-scale manhunt for Zhou Wenxuan is crucial—he is the only one who knows the details of Gu Changhe's shareholding in Fengmao, and is key to completing this final step.

At 2 a.m., the case analysis meeting ended. Everyone on the task force looked exhausted, but their eyes burned with passion.

The dark web of Yi'an has been exposed to its deepest depths. The behemoth that has been entrenched for thirty years is trembling, and everyone can feel the tremor of impending collapse.

Jiang Ruolan was the last to leave the conference room.

She returned to her office, closed the door, and stood alone by the window. The Yi'an police station outside was as quiet as if it were asleep, with only a few distant police lights flashing silently.

The phone on the table lit up; it was a message from Zhou Pei.

"The Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection held an emergency meeting overnight and decided to simultaneously initiate investigations into the nine Yi'an City officials on Qian Shouyi's list. The Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection's working group will secretly enter Yi'an early tomorrow morning."

In addition, Gu Changhe's case has also been put on the agenda. The Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection's intention is—after Zhou Wenxuan is brought to justice and conclusive evidence is obtained regarding Gu Changhe's shareholding in Fengmao, measures will be taken against Gu Changhe immediately.

Jiang Ruolan replied:

"understood."

Then she leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and allowed her nerves, which had been tense for four days, to relax for a brief moment.

In that instant, she suddenly thought of many things—the gray streets she saw on her first day in Yi'an, the way Chen Desheng sat trembling amidst the broken glass, Chen Kexin lying on the hospital bed asking her in a clear voice, "Can you catch the bad guys?", and the skeleton curled up in the iron bucket, sealed in cement for three years.

And then there's what Chen Desheng said—"Maybe this time it really is different."

She silently repeated the sentence to herself, then opened her eyes and sat up straight.

There was still work to be done. Ren Pengfei was still waiting in the interrogation room; that person's secrets were no less than Qian Shouyi's.

Zhou Wenxuan is still on the run, the internal ledger has not yet been found, and Gu Changhe's protective umbrella has not yet been completely torn apart.

The battle is far from over. But at least now, she is no longer fighting alone.

Jiang Ruolan stood up, straightened her police uniform, pushed open the door, and walked towards the interrogation room.

Her steps were firm and powerful, her leather shoes making a crisp echo on the corridor floor tiles.

The sound echoed in the quiet city police building late at night, like a war drum being struck.

When the interrogation room door was pushed open, Ren Pengfei was sitting on an iron chair with his hands cuffed in front of him, looking as relaxed as if he were waiting for dinner in his own living room.

He heard the door open, looked up, and saw Jiang Ruolan walk in. A smile slowly spread across his face.

"Director Jiang, I've heard so much about you." His voice was rough and deep, like sand and gravel grinding against an iron plate.

"You've turned Yi'an upside down these past few days, I, Ren Pengfei, am truly impressed. To be honest, if I weren't sitting in this chair, I'd love to have a drink with you."

Jiang Ruolan sat down opposite him, opened the folder in front of her, and didn't respond to his words.

She looked at the man in front of her—a man in his early forties, burly, with a buzz cut, the gold chain around his neck had been removed, and the tiger head tattoo on the web of his right hand was particularly glaring under the white light of the interrogation room.

Ren Pengfei is different from Zhao Biao. Zhao Biao is a dog raised by Shen Wangshan, loyal but stupid; Ren Pengfei is a knife in Shen Wangshan's hand, sharp and useful, and has his own brain.

"Ren Pengfei, we have a very clear understanding of your situation." Jiang Ruolan's tone was calm, as if stating a fact that had already been established.

"I'm not here today to listen to your stories. I'm here to tell you if there's any chance your case can be mitigated."

Ren Pengfei chuckled, leaned back in his chair, and placed his handcuffed hands in front of his stomach, looking exactly like a nouveau riche sitting in a grand chair.

"Director Jiang, I, Ren Pengfei, have been in this business for over twenty years. What haven't I seen? Your tricks won't work on me."

"If you have evidence, just sentence me directly. Execute me if you deserve it, or give me life imprisonment if you don't. I won't be a Ren if I even flinch."

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