Chapter 53: Death Ends Everything
Su Wen looked at them and smiled. “Let me introduce myself. My name is Su Wen and my father is Prime Minister Su.”
The moment they heard his words, the expressions of the people who were brought in changed drastically.
They were the leaders of the gangs in the Eastern District, but compared to Su Wen, they were like ants on the ground.
Su Wen continued, “I know that you guys have been causing a lot of trouble in the Eastern District recently, but that’s ok, it’s not a big deal. Why not explain everything properly to me and give me a satisfactory answer on how I should deal with this matter? If you are stubborn… hehe.”
Su Wen did not say anything about the outcome of their stubbornness, but his threat was obvious.
These people were all submerged in their own thoughts, so no one said anything for a while.
After a bit, one of them smiled back in return before saying, “Young Master Su Wen, look, we really just gathered to have a chat. How about this? Let us go back and I will send you a big gift later!”
“Beat him up!” Su Wen indifferently commanded.
Immediately, a guard stepped forward and kicked the man to the ground, before swinging the paddle held in his hand!
“ARRRGHHH!”
A blood-curdling scream resounded in the room. Su Wen calmly continued as though he was simply watching a movie, “That’s right, keep hitting like that, hit him until he stops breathing!”
Su Wen’s indifferent attitude made it seem like he was not talking about a life.
Everyone in the room felt a chill in their hearts.
The person who was pressed to the ground was even more frightened. He hurriedly shouted, “Sir, I’ll confess, I’ll confess! It’s Wen Jinming. He told us that the higher-ups are currently investigating strictly and won’t allow them to collect any benefits, so he asked us to help collect more protection fees. If anything happens, he’ll take responsibility, and in return, he’ll take 50% of our fees!”
Su Wen smiled. “Why didn’t you say that earlier?”
The moment the poor sod confessed, the rest of them quickly spoke up as well.
After saying that, Su Wen got the guards to write down their confessions before letting them sign it. Then, he got the guards to lock them up.
Only Su Wen, Yan Luoying, Wen Jinming, and Zhao Jin were left in the room.
Su Wen looked at Wen Jinming and smiled. “Lord Wen, what do you have to say?”
The corners of Wen Jinming’s mouth curled up in a bitter smile. After a long time, he finally groaned, “Why must you do this? Lord Su, Lady Yan, I just don’t understand why you would reject money that can be obtained at the stretch of a hand? Why are you making things difficult for me?”
Su Wen looked at him and said seriously, “It’s not that we are making things difficult for you, but you are making things difficult for yourself. How many years have you taken from the people of the Eastern District? Have you ever thought that you’re making things difficult for them?”
Wen Jinming sneered and said, “I’m afraid I won’t even be able to compare to your family fortune even if I take a thousand years’ worth of benefits, right?”
Su Wen flew into a rage. “Bullsh*t! My father is the one who earned all my family’s assets. Only a small portion came from benefits, and furthermore, they were all obtained through gifts from various officials. What do you know?”
Wen Jinming couldn’t be bothered to argue at this point. “That’s right, I was the one who ordered them to do it. It was all to force Lady Yan away.”
When Su Wen saw that he had confessed, he said, “Then write down all the details of the benefits that the Patrol Office has received all these years.”
Wen Jinming looked up at Su Wen and said, “I’m sorry, Lord Su. What benefits? I don’t know anything about it.”
“You just said—”
“I didn’t say anything!”
Fantastic. This guy changed his words faster than he himself changed women. He just denied whatever he had said a moment ago.
Su Wen smiled. “You don’t want to admit it? Brother Jin, beat him up! I want to see how strong-willed you are!”
Zhao Jin stepped forward and kicked Wen Jinming to the ground, swinging the paddle down harshly.
“ARRRGHHH!”
Wen Jinming screamed in agony.
Zhao Jin himself was an Earth Rank martial artist, thus his control over his own strength was extremely masterful. He knew the way to inflict the most pain through the paddle, yet not serious enough that it would leave any grievous injuries.
Unexpectedly, even after Wen Jinming was knocked unconscious several times, he still refused to admit anything.
Outside the conference room, many guards could hear Wen Jinming’s screams.
Everyone felt their hearts jump in tune with his screams.
They did not know if the next in line would be them….
Even after so many beatings, Wen Jinming still refused to yield, choosing not to confess.
Finally, Su Wen gestured for Zhao Jin to stop.
He fixed his gaze at Wen Jinming as he lamented, “Why do you have to do this? You can’t escape your crimes with the confessions given by those people. Why do you still insist on covering it up?”
At this moment, Wen Jinming’s face was pale and he was sweating profusely. He raised his head and smiled bitterly. “Whether I say it or not, I will die. Why should I say it?”
Su Wen smiled. “If you say it, I’ll tell my father to protect your life, how about that?”
Wen Jinming stared at Su Wen for a long while before sighing. “Kill me, I won’t say anything!”
Su Wen frowned. He did not expect Wen Jinming to be so stubborn.
He stood up and suddenly realized that blood was flowing out from the corner of Wen Jinming’s mouth! He quickly leaned over to stop him, but it was too late. Wen Jinming had committed suicide!
“He bit his tongue and killed himself! That bastard!”
Yan Luoying and Su Wen’s expressions darkened.
Since ancient times, corrupt officials often committed suicide after the deed was done.
The first was that any secrets they held would enter the grave with them, making things harder to investigate and pursue. The second was to protect their families.
Did Wen Jinming want to live? Of course he did, but he knew very well that after so many years, there were quite a few officials who were promoted after serving at the Patrol Office. If he didn’t say anything, then there was a high chance that this matter would be put to an end with his death. Everyone would owe him a favor, often choosing to take care of his family. He would also set a precedent for others to follow if they met the same problem.
But if he confessed everything, the best outcome for him would be to be thrown into jail. His family might even become the targets for revenge.
He might also have to hand over the money he had embezzled.
Once he died, things would become fuzzy and hard to explain.
Not to mention anything else, everyone involved in this matter was guilty. Who would be willing to step forward?
“What do we do now?” Yan Luoying looked at Su Wen.
Su Wen ruminated for a moment before saying, “Wait here, I’m going out for a while.”
Su Wen went out and found Sun Wei. “Gather all the commanders and officials of the Patrol Office!”
At this time, Sun Wei was also feeling nervous. No one knew what Wen Jinming would say.
Although Su Wen held the same title and rank as him, he did not dare to disobey Su Wen’s words and quickly gathered everyone together.
Outside the conference room, Su Wen and Yan Luoying stood on a raised platform.
Yan Luoying calmed down a little and recalled Su Wen’s instructions. She then turned to look sharply at the patrol guards gathered below.
Waving a scroll in her hand, she shouted in a deep voice, “Wen Jinming has already confessed! I never thought that the Patrol Office would be so rotten! Now that Wen Jinming has exposed all of you guys, how do you expect me to answer to His Majesty?”
The guards below immediately turned nervous.
Someone couldn’t help but say, “Lady Yan, we’ve been wronged. We’ve always listened to orders. These things have nothing to do with us. They’re all orders from the higher-ups.”
Yan Luoying said in a low voice, “I know that all of you are subordinates. You have no choice but to listen to the orders of the Patrol Office. So, write down all the things that the Office has commanded you to do. I can’t be bothered to interrogate all of you one by one.
Since Wen Jinming has already given his confession, His Majesty will definitely pursue this matter. Your confession is also a chance for you to make a contribution! I’ve already told Young Master Su that he will talk to Prime Minister Su and absolve all of you of your crimes, but you must explain everything clearly!”
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