Chapter 1365
The Director is Tempted!
Wang Qiang's eyes widened instantly, and his breathing suddenly became heavy.
He had never seen so much cash piled up together in his entire life!
The red light almost blinded him and severely impacted his mental defenses.
Xue Jingshan's voice rang out at the right moment, calm yet carrying immense temptation and pressure.
"Here is thirty million. Cash. Clean, no records whatsoever."
Director Wang, if you can help me with this, make that prisoner named Luo Fei completely 'quiet' in the detention center, like an 'accident' that no one could have predicted or avoided.
This 30 million is yours.
Moreover, from this day forward, you are my brother, Xue Jingshan's brother. In Dongguan, as long as the Xue family exists, I guarantee your smooth career and a life of wealth and comfort.
He stared intently at Wang Qiang's face, which had instantly turned pale and flushed, filled with struggle, and asked, word by word.
"Director Wang, will you help me with this, or not?"
Wang Qiang's gaze was fixed on those three "red hills," his throat was dry, and his heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to burst out of his chest.
Thirty million! And there's the Xue family's protection and promises!
The temptation was so great that he could hardly think straight.
He knew what this meant: he was being asked to kill, to use his power to cause death! The risk was immense; if exposed, it would be utter ruin! But… thirty million in cash! Enough to completely change his and his family's fate, to flee far away, and to enjoy wealth they couldn't spend for several lifetimes! And the Xue family's power might truly be able to cover everything up… Refuse? Refuse Xue Jingshan? He knew what that might mean; perhaps tomorrow, he would be investigated for various "problems," or even encounter an "accident"…
In the almost magical glow of the enormous sum of cash, under the unfathomable gaze of Xue Jingshan's eyes that seemed to see into his soul, and after what felt like an eternity of intense struggle between his desire for wealth and power and his fear of risk, Wang Qiang's breathing gradually calmed. His eyes, which had been filled with struggle and fear, slowly became empty, and then, a desperate, greedy resolve coalesced.
He raised his head, looked at Xue Jingshan, and nodded very slowly but very clearly, his voice dry as he squeezed it out from his throat.
"Mr. Xue... I... I understand what to do. Don't worry."
Xue Jingshan's 30 million yuan in cash was like a red-hot iron, making Wang Qiang restless and itching with desire.
He moved the three heavy metal boxes from "Jingyixuan" to his own unfinished, secluded apartment almost entirely on instinct and the adrenaline rush from the immense wealth. The move was far from easy; the boxes were much heavier than he had imagined. He dared not ask anyone else to help, and had to make the trips alone, panting heavily, his shirt soaked with sweat.
But when he locked the apartment's simple security door and looked back at the three "red hills" quietly piled on the concrete floor in the dim light, all his fatigue was replaced by an almost dizzying ecstasy and possessiveness.
The air was filled with the distinctive smell of new banknote ink, which, to him, was the most enchanting fragrance in the world.
This money is enough for him to live a carefree life for several lifetimes, far away from this oppressive system and city, to enjoy a life of luxury he never imagined.
He crouched down and stroked the bundles of cold banknotes with almost obsessive caresses, the touch from his fingertips feeling incredibly real.
As the director of a detention center, he was almost the worst off among his former police academy classmates. He guarded the high walls and electric fences, handling the most trivial and shady tasks, with no hope of promotion and limited opportunities for personal gain.
Now, the Xue family, a powerful and influential family in Dongguan, is willing to spend so much money to "invite" him to do something. This makes him feel a twisted sense of being "valued," even though the price of this value is bloodshed and sin.
He planned to dispose of the money in batches once the storm had passed, and then... he could almost see himself lying on a sunny beach in the future. Faced with enormous profits, his conscience and fear were squeezed into the most remote corner of his heart.
After staring blankly at the cash in his apartment for a long time, Wang Qiang suddenly realized that he had been so caught up in his excitement and fantasies that he hadn't even bothered to check what the target of the Xue family's expensive attempt to eliminate looked like.
All he knew was that the name seemed to be "Luo Jian" or "Luo Fei," and that Xue Shih-hao had specially "taken care" of sending him in.
He composed himself, composed himself, and tried to restore his usual serious and slightly bureaucratic expression to his face. He left the apartment where he had hidden the money and returned to Xishan Detention Center.
Back in his not-so-spacious office, Wang Qiang drank a few sips of cold tea to calm his restlessness, then pressed the intercom to call in a middle-aged police officer on duty that day.
"Weren't we recently detaining a new suspect, surnamed Luo, on suspicion of intentional assault?"
Wang Qiang asked in his usual tone.
The officer on duty glanced through his notebook and quickly answered.
"Yes, Chief Wang. There is one, named Luo Fei, Fei as in Feili. He was brought in the day before yesterday afternoon. The case was transferred from the Shilong Town Police Station. He is suspected of intentional injury, and the victim... seems to be from the Xue family."
The police officer lowered his voice, carrying a hint of unspoken understanding.
"Luo Fei?"
Wang Qiang pondered the name, his brow furrowing slightly. Luo Jian? Luo Fei? He vaguely felt he'd heard the name "Luo Fei" somewhere before, but couldn't quite place it. Perhaps the recent pressure had caused him to mishear or misremember.
"Which cell is he being held in?"
Wang Qiang asked.
"According to... according to the previous 'arrangement,' I was locked up with Xue Debiao in cell 307."
The officer on duty answered, emphasizing the word "arrangement".
Wang Qiang nodded, understanding dawning on his mind. Xue Debiao was a "celebrity" in the institute, and Xue Shihao deliberately locked the target up with him. His intention was self-evident: to use Xue Debiao to make Luo Fei suffer, or even create some "accidents."
This saved him some trouble; perhaps Xue Debiao could "solve" the problem without him even having to lift a finger.
However, having received so much money from Xue Jingshan, Wang Qiang felt it was necessary to personally verify the situation and see what kind of person Luo Fei was, that the Xue family was so wary of him, even going so far as to have the old man personally intervene and spend a large sum of money to save his life.
He waved for the officers on duty to leave, straightened his uniform, and strode towards the prison area. Passing through a series of iron gates, the corridor was filled with the smell of disinfectant mixed with other indescribable odors. Reaching the door of cell 307, Wang Qiang didn't approach immediately, but instead stood a few steps away, peering through the barred window.
However, the scene inside the cell was completely different from what he had expected. There was no tense atmosphere as he had imagined, nor the miserable state of the new inmates being bullied.
In the middle of the cell, several people were sitting in a circle, holding playing cards! Xue Debiao was shouting excitedly in his rough voice.
"K! To bet or not to bet? To bet or not to bet? Haha!"
His henchmen were also intently watching the cards, occasionally making sounds of frustration or jeering.
Surrounded by them was a young man who looked quite young, with a relaxed expression and even a hint of a smile. He was also holding cards in his hand, watching Xue Debiao play his cards with an air of composure.
The atmosphere in the cell was strangely harmonious? Or perhaps even enthusiastic?
Wang Qiang was stunned; he could hardly believe his eyes.
Gambling is strictly prohibited in detention centers, and playing cards are contraband! How could Xue Debiao and his gang be so blatant? And that young man surrounded in the middle, shouldn't that be Luo Fei? How come he seems perfectly fine, even mingling with Xue Debiao and his group, and even playing cards with them?
A surge of anger suddenly welled up in Wang Qiang's heart.
He walked a few steps to the cell door, pounded on the iron door with a loud "bang," and shouted sternly.
"What are you doing! Xue Debiao! What are you doing!"
The cell fell silent instantly. The inmates playing cards were startled and turned around. Seeing the warden himself standing outside, their faces showed panic, and they hurriedly hid their cards behind their backs. Xue Debiao's expression also changed. He quickly stood up, looking somewhat flustered towards the outside of the bars. "Wang...Warden Wang..."
At this moment, Luo Fei, the young man sitting in the middle, stood up calmly, dusted off the dust on his pants, and slowly walked to the fence.
He showed no fear on his face, but rather a sense of composure as he looked at Wang Qiang and spoke.
"Reporting to the director, we didn't gamble. We were just bored and playing around to kill time."
His voice was steady, and his eyes were clear, as if he were talking about something perfectly normal.
Wang Qiang stared at Luo Fei, and only then did he seriously examine this target worth thirty million for the first time.
He was very young, with a rather handsome appearance, and his eyes held a composure and... an indescribable clarity that was rare for someone his age.
But at this moment, Wang Qiang had no time to think about those things; he was more concerned about the issue of contraband.
"Playing around? Where did you get these playing cards? Who brought them in?"
Luo Fei blinked and answered naturally.
"Oh, this. I asked Officer Liu, who was on duty yesterday, to help me buy it at a convenience store outside."
It cost twenty yuan.
He spoke of it casually, as if it were perfectly normal to have the police run errands for him.
"what?!"
Wang Qiang was truly shocked, his eyes wide with disbelief. A police officer on duty buying playing cards for a prisoner? This was utterly absurd! The detention center had strict discipline; how could a police officer possibly do such a thing for a prisoner? Especially something so strictly prohibited!
"What nonsense are you spouting! What cop would buy this for you!"
Wang Qiang questioned sharply, but a thought flashed through his mind.
Could it be that someone in the prison has been bribed by the Xue family to try and frame Luo Fei for violating prison rules? But this method is too clumsy.
Luo Fei shrugged, looking completely innocent.
"It's Officer Liu, who was on duty yesterday afternoon."
Director Wang, if you don't believe me, you can ask him. I gave him twenty yuan, and he promised to bring it for me.
His expression was so natural and his tone so certain that Wang Qiang was momentarily shaken.
Wang Qiang's face was grim as his gaze swept over Luo Fei's calm face and the various expressions on the faces of the prisoners in the cell. Xue Debiao kept his head down, avoiding eye contact with him.
The other prisoners also remained silent, trembling with fear.
Seeing Luo Fei's confident and fearless demeanor, Wang Qiang's anger caused by the playing cards suddenly cooled down.
He remembered Xue Jingshan's confession and the 30 million yuan in cash. Yes, this person in front of him was going to "disappear" soon anyway, so was it worth investigating such a trivial matter as playing cards? Even if the on-duty policeman really bought them, so what? Investigating now might only cause more trouble.
The most urgent task is to fulfill Mr. Xue's instructions.
Thinking of this, Wang Qiang's anger subsided somewhat. He stopped looking at Luo Fei and instead spoke coldly to everyone in the cell.
"Let it go this time! But don't let it happen again! All playing cards are confiscated! If there's a next time, we'll deal with it seriously!"
After saying that, he ignored the reactions in the cell and left with a gloomy face without even asking Luo Fei and the others to hand over the playing cards.
Watching Wang Qiang's departing figure, Luo Fei's lips curled up almost imperceptibly before returning to their usual calm. Xue Debiao and the others breathed a sigh of relief, exchanging bewildered glances, surprised that their director had let them off so easily.
Wang Qiang returned to his office, feeling somewhat irritable.
He really needed to confirm what was going on with the playing cards.
If the on-duty police officer is indeed at fault, he must give him a warning to prevent any mishaps at crucial moments when he is handling matters.
He picked up the internal phone and dialed the extension of Lao Liu, who was on duty yesterday afternoon.
A moment later, Old Liu knocked on the door and came in, looking a little puzzled.
"Commander Wang, you wanted to see me?"
Wang Qiang stared at him and asked directly.
"Old Liu, yesterday afternoon, did you buy a deck of cards for Luo Fei, the new guy in cell 307?"
"what?"
Old Liu was stunned, a blank look on his face.
"Playing cards? No, Chief Wang. How could I possibly buy that for a prisoner? That's a serious violation of regulations!"
He answered quickly and firmly, his eyes filled with incomprehension and a hint of being wronged.
Wang Qiang frowned.
"No? Luo Fei from 307 said it himself. He gave you twenty yuan and asked you to buy it for him. You even accepted the money."
Old Liu was even more confused. He tried hard to recall what happened yesterday afternoon, but his memory was somewhat hazy.
He only remembered that he had patrolled near cell 307 and seemed to have said a few words to the new inmate, but he couldn't recall the specifics, let alone the matter of buying playing cards and collecting money.
He vaguely felt that his head was a little dizzy for a while in the afternoon, but he thought it was because he hadn't rested well.
"Officer Wang, I really didn't! I assure you! I was just on duty and patrolling yesterday afternoon. I absolutely did not buy anything for the prisoners, let alone take any money!"
"That Luo Fei... is he talking nonsense?"
Old Liu's face turned red with anxiety.
Looking at Lao Liu's anxious explanation, Wang Qiang didn't think he was lying.
Moreover, Lao Liu had worked at the institute for over a decade and had always been considered honest and law-abiding, not particularly daring. Logically, he shouldn't have dared to do such a thing. Could it be that Luo Fei was just spouting nonsense, deliberately causing trouble? Or… did he use some method to make Lao Liu do it in a state of incoherence, and then Lao Liu forgot about it? This thought made Wang Qiang's heart skip a beat, but then he immediately found it absurd. (End of Chapter)