HBWnovel Chapter 353 Struggle, the Winner Takes All
Chapter 353 Struggle, the Winner Takes All
Chen Wenru was indignant, a million times indignant. What's wrong with him, such a high-ranking official, having affairs with a few men, or doing drugs? Why should that bastard Qi Tongwei meddle in his business?
To put it bluntly, so what if the top two leaders in eastern Guangdong are just two parachuted-in officials? The resources of the entire Tianhe City, and even the resources of the entire eastern Guangdong, are in the hands of the locals.
Eastern Guangdong is known for its powerful clans and exceptional business acumen. Even Ye Xingguo is no exception. To put it bluntly, this is a political struggle where the winner takes all.
In Chen Wenru's view, Qi Tongwei was nothing more than a pawn of Ye Xingguo, and all talk of fairness and justice was bullshit.
"Qi Tongwei, you're nothing but someone else's dog, you're no good either."
The noise was deafening. Qi Tongwei picked up a pair of men's briefs from the ground and stuffed them directly into Chen Wenru's mouth. He was indeed no good. How many people in politics are good? But people are born to fight. If they don't fight, they will be eliminated by society.
"Take them all."
No matter how much Chen Wenru struggled, it was no use. Lan Ying held her back, her heart filled with nothing but fairness and justice that defied power.
The three male subordinates, on the other hand, felt a sense of relief and composure. Rather than being treated like dogs by Chen Wenru, they preferred to act like upright men.
After securing the evidence, Qi Tongwei personally sealed the villa's door. Damn it, group drug use and group sex, and it actually happened to a deputy director of the municipal bureau. If it comes out, it will be another bombshell.
Provincial Department.
Qi Tongwei interrogated his three male subordinates overnight, and they quickly confessed, their hearts filled with grievance and regret.
"Chief Qi, it was Director Chen who forced me to take drugs. If I didn't, she would have sent me to guard the reservoir."
“Chief Qi, I was forced into this. Director Chen forced me to sleep with her. I had no choice but to comply. She said she would fire me from the police force if I did. My family is from the countryside, and my parents have high expectations for me. I can't let them down.”
"Chief Qi, I used to have a girlfriend, but Director Chen broke us up. She sent my girlfriend to the poorest county. I really couldn't fight back."
Lan Ying despised these men. To put it bluntly, they were worried about their careers. To submit to a woman without any dignity was shameless.
As a man, Qi Tongwei's perspective is understandable. Some people only have one chance in their lifetime to change their fate, and if they don't seize it, they may end up impoverished for the rest of their lives.
There are many stark examples in reality where people get stuck in a rut and fight against a huge bureaucratic system in order to uphold justice. Even if they win after ten or twenty years, they have already lived most of their lives and it seems meaningless. No one will stand up to apologize.
Even if they receive compensation from the state, those cold, hard coins are just a series of numbers; their precious youth and the warmth of family are lost forever.
Therefore, it's not wrong for most people to choose to back down. If you don't have the guts to fight to the death, then comfort yourself that suffering a loss is a blessing. Don't get caught up in internal conflicts and waste your time. The world is so big, if you can't afford to offend someone, you can at least avoid them.
News of Chen Wenru's arrest spread quickly, and her four older brothers, Chen Wenxiong, Chen Wenjie, Chen Wenbo, and Chen Wensheng, mobilized to try and get her released overnight.
Ye Xingguo immediately informed the top two leaders. As long as these two remained neutral, he could hold out to the end. In any case, the struggle with Chenjiazhai had entered a fierce stage, and it was a contest of who made fewer mistakes. Mistakes like Chen Wenru's, involving group drug use and group sex, were fatal.
Chen Wenjie is vying for the position of Party Secretary of Tianhe City. With Chen Wenru's incident, it's unlikely he'll be able to win in the short term. It might be a case of losing one move and losing everything.
In the interrogation room, Chen Wenru sat in the truth chair, handcuffed. Normally, after the high from taking drugs wears off, she would immediately feel lethargic and sleepy. But the poison of power was stronger, keeping her in high spirits.
Qi Tongwei walked in, smoking a cigarette. Damn it, he's used to being arrogant and domineering, and he still looks very resentful. After all, anyone would be angry if their lovemaking was interrupted, especially since high-definition photos were taken.
"Deputy Director Chen, you should be very familiar with the rules of this interrogation room. I don't need to repeat them to you: 'Confess and you'll be treated leniently; resist and you'll be punished severely.'"
Chen Wenru's eyes blazed with anger; even the resentment that had accumulated since the beginning of time could not compare to the resentment in her heart at this moment.
"Qi Tongwei, if anyone wants to arrest me, it can only be the procuratorate or the disciplinary committee. I'm warning you, you're not qualified."
Qi Tongwei was now the victor, so of course he had to act like one, and sat down leisurely.
"Chen Wenru, have you forgotten who I am? I'm the acting head of the anti-drug squad of the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department. You're telling me I'm not qualified to arrest a group of people using drugs? Have you lost your mind?"
Chen Wenru was very uncomfortable with being treated like a prisoner. In the past, she was the one sitting in front interrogating others. Now, this huge psychological gap made her want to go crazy.
"Qi Tongwei, don't be so smug. Abusing police power to investigate a government official—your problem is more serious than mine."
It was utterly ridiculous. Qi Tongwei choked on his smoke and coughed three times in a row. Damn it, no wonder Ye Xingguo didn't agree to his secret investigation. This could be considered an unspoken rule in officialdom.
In this way, if we want to catch Chen Wenru's illegal activities, we may have to wait for the anti-corruption and anti-gang campaign twenty years later. Twenty years! A corrupt official has enjoyed his corrupt ways for more than twenty years. Even if he is caught and brought down, he will just move to another place to retire. He will not feel any remorse, only accept his failure with equanimity.
Suddenly, an endless rage rose in Qi Tongwei's heart, and he slammed his fist on the table like an angry lion.
"Chen Wenru, you fucking tell me right now, where did the drugs come from?"
Chen Wenru still held her head high. She had been navigating the officialdom for over a decade, so how could she be intimidated by a young man? Besides, these were things she had already mastered.
With her ruthless methods, if Qi Tongwei broke the law and fell into her hands, she would arrange for him to be waterboarded. She would cover his face with a white towel and keep rinsing him with water from a hose until he confessed the truth, no matter how stubborn he was.
"Qi Tongwei, I have no right to talk to you. A lackey has no right to speak to his master."
A woman who holds power will not easily admit defeat until the very last moment.
Damn it, this shameless woman! Qi Tongwei almost pulled out his baton and shoved it into her mouth.
Immediately, a policeman knocked on the door and entered, looking very anxious. "Chief Qi, Mayor Chen is here, and I'm afraid Chief Chen can't stop him."
The Chen brothers split into two groups. Chen Wenjie and Chen Wenbo went directly to the provincial department to demand the release of Qi Tongwei, while Chen Wenxiong worked behind the scenes to maintain connections in the province and try to suppress the matter, turning a major issue into a minor one and a minor one into nothing. Chen Wensheng wanted to physically eliminate Qi Tongwei in the simplest and most brutal way, but this was rejected.