Chapter 520: Chapter 490 Huge Amount of Money_2
Mr. Zhao kicked Fang Mu, and at this point, they had become more familiar with each other, losing the formality and distance that had characterized their earlier interactions. At the same time, he noticed the sunny side of Fang Mu’s personality and the fact that he didn’t seem particularly interested in Liu Yufei, but rather just admired his own boss.
"Spit it out already, being cagey is asking for a beating."
Fang Mu smiled, propping his elbow on the table.
"Director Zheng and Doctor Zhang, they were both interrogated by Liu Da, who just sent me a WeChat message. As soon as these two heard that the eldest and second eldest of the Zhang family had been spoken to by the disciplinary committee and that so much bribery money had been found, they confessed without much questioning.
When the wall falls, everyone pushes it over. Both of them were wise enough to record phone calls, and in some vague instructions, they purposely clarified what needed to be done to what extent, including the purpose and results of the discussions with Doctor Zhang, threats of violence from He Hongjian, and the detentions—these details were all included.
As for the deputy captain of the criminal investigation team, Liu Mo, his confession was truly unexpected. He said that the DNA left inside the body, the brick on the roof, the remaining surveillance camera in the auto repair shop, and the screenshots of these surveillance points were all clues he had deliberately left behind.
He, with his limited abilities, couldn’t resist the Zhang family alone, so all he could do was to help He Hongjian leave clues behind. Even the petitioning content came from him because otherwise, even if it were brought before Qindao, there would be no evidence to be found.
Just half an hour ago, Liu Da asked me to contact He Hongjian to learn about the situation. He Hongjian gave me a number, saying it belonged to someone who had been secretly helping him without revealing their name. After checking the number, we realized Liu Mo hadn’t lied; it was indeed him on WeChat with the full content of the contact, a result that surprised us all."
Everyone fell silent. Within this system, we encountered so many people abusing their power: neglect of duty, fabricating evidence, bending the law for personal gain, intimidation and threats, even illegal detention. This was exactly as Mr. Hu had said—it wasn’t just a problem with one or two people but a family that had built its own faction.
But when it came to Liu Mo, it was hard to clearly articulate in a few words whether he was truly helping He Hongjian or just covering his own tracks; it was difficult to judge, especially since He Hongjian hadn’t revealed a word during the investigation.
It was only when the disciplinary committee showed up, claiming to have found solid evidence, that Liu Mo came forward, which couldn’t help but raise suspicions. However, without the preservation of this evidence or the content of He Hongjian’s petitions, the case would not have been solved so quickly.
Zhou Ning shifted his neck and stood up abruptly.
"These aren’t for us to worry about. Let’s quickly organize the materials. With so many suspects and various pieces of evidence, we need to compile each dossier and hand it over to Mr. Dui and the others. As for whether to transfer to the local procuratorate or the Qindao City Procuratorate, Mr. Dui and his team will report to Mr. Hu."
Everyone got up and headed outside. Hu Guangjian stopped Zhou Ning.
"Don’t rush, Zhou. Let the chubby guys prepare the materials."
Mr. Zhao looked at Zhou Ning with an expression that seemed to say ’God help me,’ and quickly led Mr. Yang and the others away with Fang Mu. Zhou Ning approached Hu Guangjian and pulled up a chair to sit down, now alone with him.
"Mr. Hu, do you have any instructions for me?"
Seeing Zhou Ning’s somewhat anxious face, Hu Guangjian laughed, but his laughter soon took on a hint of helplessness.
"Once the case here is resolved, there will be a big change in the personnel at Xinghua Municipal Bureau. I’m thinking of transferring a few people from the original municipal bureau, to give this place a change of blood. Regarding the forensic field, do you have any recommendations?"
Zhou Ning thought for a moment. In fact, many people disliked working down here; in the technical department of the municipal bureau, the division of labor is clear, but coming here, especially to a place like Xinghua Municipal Bureau, all the work has to be done by one person. Even the temporary help brought in is just making up numbers.
The hardware conditions are practically nonexistent; the municipal bureau’s funds are in place, but autopsies are still performed at the mortuary. The municipal bureau building is pretty enough, but there’s simply no space reserved for forensic work. Who would want to come?
After considering, yet unable to outright refuse, Zhou Ning scratched his head, looking a bit troubled as he spoke.
"Mr. Hu, the people are the easy part. Among the interns we’re currently training, some who went to deal with cases alongside Zhu Xingxing, and others who followed the second and third teams, all have pretty good personal skills and are quite well-rounded. If I call any one of them out, they should be able to hold up the work on this side."
Mr. Hu nodded and poured a glass of water for Zhou Ning, which he presented to him.
"Keep talking. I know you have more to say. Lay it all out in one go."
Zhou Ning scratched his head, looking somewhat embarrassed.
"I’ve been here for a few days now, and especially after doing the autopsies at the funeral home, I’ve had many thoughts. To be honest, the situation here is even worse than before Qidong was demoted from county to district.
The forensic work is not valued, the management in the bureau is chaotic, and everything is handled based on connections. Of course, I know that the municipal bureau has invested a lot in each district and city, but where has the investment gone here? Where is the equipment that was invested in? This is not something a mere forensic doctor like me can explain clearly.
I’m fine with arranging anyone to come here, but will they be able to work after they arrive? Do they have the necessary hardware to utilize their abilities? At least we shouldn’t have to rely on the municipal bureau for support every time a case comes up. We would be the ones to handle all big and small matters. If that’s the case, there’s no point in having a forensic department here at all."
Mr. Hu nodded and patted Zhou Ning’s arm.
"Not bad, being honest is good. Think about who you would like to arrange here, then give me a plan later. For the time being, we’d still need your support in cases that come up here. As for this place, I’m thinking of bringing Tao Zhenshan over to clean up this mess.
The affairs involving the four Zhang siblings are far from over, and what has surfaced now may just be the tip of the iceberg. I believe that as news spreads, more people will come forward to testify, even to the point of overturning cases, so there’s a large amount of follow-up work to be done.
As for the hardware conditions and the equipment and funds previously allocated by the districts and cities, I’m looking into it now. I asked about it, and they said when they were building the municipal bureau’s main building, they constructed an annex for the criminal police team and the forensic department. However, that area has not been renovated yet, so we’ll take care of it gradually, one thing after another."
Zhou Ning listened and just nodded in agreement, without adding anything else.
In fact, Mr. Hu’s words were also a reflection for himself. Was he completely unaware of Xinghua’s problems? Perhaps he just didn’t know where to start. Maybe this case had provided him with an opportunity to clean house.
After reflecting, Mr. Hu gave some instructions and then left directly in his car. It looked like he was heading over to the discipline commission to check on the progress. Zhou Ning walked downstairs, and at that moment, the driver Mr. Wang was cleaning the car.
The exterior of the Iveco, not to mention being spotlessly clean, had also had its floor mats scrubbed, appearing quite neat.
"Mr. Wang, prepare the vehicle; we’ll be able to head back this afternoon. The car is clean enough."
Mr. Wang grinned and quickly nodded.
"I’ve already filled it up with fuel, so we can leave at any time. Yesterday, we transported a suspect in the car, and there was blood drawn and such. Although I’m not germophobic, I still felt it was disturbing, so I cleaned it up. Now, it feels like a new car; it’s comfortable to drive and ride in, isn’t it?"
Zhou Ning paused, glanced at Mr. Wang, and suddenly felt that his words were also applicable to the current situation.
If it’s not clean and doesn’t handle well, making you feel nauseated, then just clean it up thoroughly. Take care of all the dirty and concealed spots, perform maintenance, refuel the car, and it’s still a good car. It can run and carry people just fine; there’s no need to fret about whether the dirt was ever there.
Zhou Ning squinted, lifting his head towards the sunlight. The gloom he felt during these past days was completely dispelled by the sunshine.
