manynovel Chapter 10 A Secret Letter from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection
Chapter 10 A Secret Letter from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection
The dull thud of the mailbox swallowing the letter echoed for a long time in the quiet night.
Qi Tongwei turned around and disappeared into the darkness, like a drop of water merging into the ocean.
In the following days, the anti-drug station in Mopan Town returned to its usual lifeless state.
The sun rose as usual, scorching the wasteland.
The veteran police officers in the station also reverted to their usual indifferent attitude, picking their toes, yawning, and not caring about anything.
Life seems to have returned to square one.
The poverty alleviation cadre named Liang Bin was still going in and out of the town government, drinking tea and reading newspapers.
Everything was the same as before.
Qi Tongwei did not bring up the matter of merging the cases for further investigation.
He gets up on time every day, does morning exercises, practices shooting, and then plunges into the archives to look at the yellowed files.
He was as calm as an ancient well, his face showing no emotion.
This tranquility, in the eyes of the other veteran police officers in the station, had a different meaning.
"I knew it, this kid would eventually have to back down."
The slick old policeman who had once mocked Qi Tongwei was now eating sunflower seeds and shouting loudly.
His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for Qi Tongwei in the archives to hear clearly.
"So what if they're top students from Handong University?"
"When you come to our place, dragons must coil up, and tigers must lie low!"
"The arm can never twist the thigh."
Another person chimed in, their tone full of the "wisdom" of someone who had been there before.
"That's the Liang family! Don't even mention a greenhorn like him; even our commander-in-chief would have to treat them with utmost respect."
"It's good for young people to be ambitious, but once they're tempered by reality, they'll know their own limitations."
"Now you're behaving yourself, aren't you? Still investigating cases? You'll end up investigating your own downfall without even knowing how you died!"
Taunts and ridicule rose and fell throughout the office.
Their gazes toward the archives carried a mixture of disdain and schadenfreude, as if to say, "Just as I expected."
In their view, Qi Tongwei's previous earth-shattering performance was nothing more than a momentary impulse of a young man.
Now, after the initial impulse subsided, he finally succumbed to that unseen power.
Qi Tongwei ignored all of this.
His fingers were lightly tracing the ballistic traces recorded on a file.
With the activation of his [Conan-level Perfect Crime Scene Reconstruction] ability, a three-dimensional gunfight scene was slowly being constructed in his mind.
The noise from the outside world could not disturb him in the slightest.
Only Liu Jianguo sat silently in his seat, puffing on his cigarette one cigarette after another.
He looked at his subordinates who were talking loudly and his brows furrowed into a deep frown.
He glanced again at the unusually quiet figure in the archives, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
He didn't believe Qi Tongwei was the kind of person who would back down.
How could the "lone wolf" who dared to charge out alone and take on a sniper in the midst of gunfire possibly be so scared that he would tuck his tail between his legs just because of a surname from faraway Handong?
But if he didn't back down, what was he doing with his calm demeanor these past few days?
Liu Jianguo felt very uneasy.
He always felt that beneath this calm surface, a storm was brewing that could overturn everyone.
He stubbed out his cigarette, got up, and went into the archives.
"Tongwei".
Qi Tongwei raised his head and looked at him.
Don't take what's going on outside to heart.
Liu Jianguo offered some awkward words of comfort.
"A bunch of old bastards, better at gossiping than catching thieves."
Qi Tongwei smiled, but it was a faint smile.
"I'm fine, Chief."
He pointed to a pile of files on the table.
"I just think these cases are very interesting."
Looking into his clear, bright eyes, Liu Jianguo's worry grew even stronger.
This kid won't say anything.
The more he acts like this, the more terrifying he becomes.
Just then.
"Buzzing—"
The roar of a car engine, growing louder as it approached, shattered the tranquility of the small town.
And it wasn't just one!
The sound was domineering and urgent, completely unlike anything that could be made by the old trucks or tractors in town.
Inside the office, the veteran police officers who had been boasting stopped and looked out the window with curiosity.
Three black Audi sedans, kicking up clouds of yellow dust, like three black beasts, rushed directly to the entrance of the narcotics control station.
"squeak--!"
A screeching sound of brakes rang out.
The car came to a stop, and the door opened.
Several middle-aged men in sharp suits, with serious expressions and sharp eyes, got out of the car.
Their imposing aura made the air outside the narcotics station feel oppressive.
The veteran police officers at the station were all dumbfounded.
Especially when they saw the license plates of those cars, they were so frightened that they dropped their sunflower seeds all over the ground.
"A license plate from...the provincial capital!"
"It's not the provincial capital! That's... the special license plate for the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection!"
Even the most experienced and seasoned policeman's voice was trembling.
The Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection?!
These three words, like three mountains, weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.
Why would such a big shot, someone you only see on TV news, come to their godforsaken town of Mopan?
Everyone poured out of the office and stood at the door, barely daring to breathe.
The middle-aged man at the head of the group glanced around the courtyard but ignored everyone.
He simply waved to the people behind him.
"action!"
At a command, several staff members immediately walked quickly toward the town government compound.
The entire process was swift and efficient, without the slightest hesitation.
Liu Jianguo and Qi Tongwei also came out of the archives room.
Liu Jianguo's heart pounded as he looked at the scene.
He subconsciously glanced at Qi Tongwei beside him, only to find that Qi Tongwei's face still held that calm and composed expression.
It was as if he had foreseen all of this.
Not long after.
A commotion broke out at the town government.
Liang Bin, the poverty alleviation cadre who was all high and mighty just a few days ago, was now being dragged out of the office building by two staff members from the Discipline Inspection Commission, one on each side of his arm.
His face was ashen, his legs were weak, and he was practically dragged along.
He was still shouting something.
"I'm innocent! You can't arrest me! My uncle is..."
Before he could finish speaking, one of the staff members stopped him with a look.
Those eyes were sharp as knives.
Liang Bin immediately shut his mouth, his whole body trembling like a leaf.
The veteran police officers standing at the entrance of the narcotics station were all stunned by what they saw.
Their mouths were agape, their eyes were wide open, and the expressions on their faces were more fascinating than if they had seen a ghost.
Just a few days ago, they were mocking Qi Tongwei for bowing down to the Liang family.
Today, a relative of the Liang family was taken away in public by people from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection!
That was a slap in the face, delivered way too quickly and too loudly!
Then, an even more shocking piece of news came from a member of the joint defense team who had gone to investigate the situation.
"It's not just Liang Bin! The deputy director of the city's transportation bureau was just taken away too! Rumor has it he's Liang Bin's backer!"
The office was deathly quiet.
Those seasoned veterans who were just talking loudly were now all bowing their heads, wishing they could disappear into a crack in the ground.
Their faces stung.
Just then, the leader of the provincial discipline inspection commission looked through the crowd and landed precisely on Qi Tongwei.
He strode over and walked straight towards us.
Liu Jianguo's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly went to greet him.
"Hello, comrade, I am Liu Jianguo, the director here."
The leader simply nodded to him, as if to acknowledge him.
His gaze remained fixed on Qi Tongwei.
"You must be Comrade Qi Tongwei?"
Qi Tongwei stood at attention and straightened his body.
"Yes."
"Come with me for a moment."
As the leader spoke, he walked straight to Liu Jianguo's office.
Amidst the surprised and uncertain gazes of everyone, Qi Tongwei followed him inside.
The door was gently closed.
Only the two of them remained in the office.
The leader looked Qi Tongwei up and down, his eyes revealing undisguised admiration.
"You're very good."
He took a brown paper envelope from his briefcase and handed it over.
The envelope was thick and sturdy, with no writing on it.
"Secretary Tian has personally inspected the items you sent to the provincial government."
Secretary Tian!
The top official of the Discipline Inspection Commission of Southwest Province!
Qi Tongwei's heart skipped a beat.
"Secretary Tian asked me to tell you that you are very brave and intelligent, a real gem."
The leader patted Qi Tongwei on the shoulder, his tone carrying the expectation of a senior to a junior.
"This letter was given to you by him personally."
Qi Tongwei took the envelope and felt that it was rather heavy.
He tore open the seal and pulled out a sheet of Xuan paper.
There were no lengthy treatises or bureaucratic writings on paper.
There are only eight large characters, written with vigorous strokes and powerful strokes that seem to penetrate the paper.
A man of integrity, a pillar of the nation.
There was no signature or seal.
But the weight contained in these eight words is heavier than a thousand pounds!
Qi Tongwei held the paper, his fingers trembling slightly.
He knew he had won.
This time, he did not kneel down, nor did he compromise.
With his straightest spine, he challenged that omnipotent power.
He not only won, but also won the favor of a provincial or ministerial-level official!
This piece of paper will be his strongest talisman for the future!
"Bang!"
Just then, the office door was suddenly kicked open.
Liu Jianguo rushed in, his face ashen and covered in sweat, not even caring that there were leaders from the Discipline Inspection Commission in the office.
His voice was distorted by extreme panic.
"Lone Wolf, something terrible has happened!"
"The 'Scorpion' is operating across borders, and two of our undercover agents who were assigned to his side have completely lost contact!"