Chapter 29 Kunling Avalanche
The Lan Renxuan gun case was solved, and Ji Feng finally felt relieved. The resolution of his "small bet" gave him a rare respite and opened a new avenue for investigating the Lan family. He breathed a sigh of relief, having finally lived up to Dean Lu's trust and support. His nearly two-month trip to Yishijiang had finally yielded results.
The joy of harvest and the sense of relief intertwined together, and in an instant he finally experienced the long-lost pleasure of delayed gratification. The fatigue and anxiety of the past few days disappeared, and even the biting cold wind in the borderland seemed to soften a bit, no longer biting.
This excitement lasted only a few seconds before he forced himself to calm down and regain the clarity he'd gained amidst the wind and pain. Dean Lu's last words still rang in his ears. He took a deep breath of the icy air, the chill instantly penetrating every capillary, clearing his mind. He pulled out his phone and dialed Xin Xiao's number.
"Captain Ji, is there any good news?" As soon as the call was connected, Xin Xiao's voice was filled with suppressed excitement, but he couldn't hide his anticipation.
"Don't call me Captain Ji." Ji Feng paused for a moment and continued, "Lan Renxuan was arrested, and his illegally possessed firearms were seized." Ji Feng's tone was as calm as if he was reporting on daily work, and there was no sign of any inner turmoil.
"That's great! This is really not easy... You've worked hard..." Xin Xiao's voice trembled slightly, and his joy was beyond words.
"I'll be back soon, but right now we have to decide how to escort Lan Renxuan back to Lan Valley. I want to call Jiang Bo." Ji Feng remained calm and told Xin Xiao about the follow-up arrangements in an orderly manner.
"That's great, this is really a great honor! Come back soon." Xin Xiao almost blurted out, unable to hide his joy.
"The subsequent preliminary investigation will determine whether we can expand the victory. It's not time to be happy yet." Xin Xiao was surprised by Ji Feng's calmness.
There was a silence on the other end of the phone. After a long while, Xin Xiao's low and complex voice came:
"Brother Feng, I'm sorry for that... In just a few months, you seem like a completely different person."
"I am fortunate and grateful for this experience." Ji Feng responded lightly, with a hint of vicissitudes in his tone, as if the years had left indelible marks on him.
"It's hard to imagine what you've been through. It really makes me... sigh." Xin Xiao was unable to finish the sentence and could only sigh.
After hanging up Xin Xiao's call, Ji Feng thought of Jiang Bo and felt a pang of regret. He sorted himself out for a moment and then dialed the number.
"Hello, Captain Jiang."
"Jifeng, are you okay?" Jiang Bo's voice was as usual, calm and concerned.
"I'm fine. I wanted to take a moment of your time to report a few things."
"Go ahead."
"First of all, I want to apologize to you. I didn't expect that my impulsiveness and lack of calmness would cause you such a big impact. I feel very guilty and sincerely apologize to you."
"It's okay. Why are you suddenly so polite?" Jiang Bo's tone was a little more relaxed, but he couldn't help revealing a hint of surprise.
"The second thing is, do you know about the incident where I was reported by the provincial department for tracking down Lan Renxuan in Yishijiang?"
"I see. The bureau is asking me to contact you and ask you to come back as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences may become more and more serious."
"I should be back soon. Sorry to bother you again. Thirdly, I have something to report: with the cooperation of the Ishtar police, we successfully arrested Lan Renxuan and seized an illegal 'June 4th-style' replica firearm and 22 rounds of ammunition from his residence."
"What? That's great! When did it happen?" Jiang Bo's tone was full of surprise and joy. It could be heard that he was very surprised and very happy.
"It was this morning. After a sudden interrogation, he confessed his hiding place, and the guns and ammunition have been recovered."
"I didn't expect that. You've made a great contribution. I'll report this to the director immediately."
"Also, before I go back, I have a few more things I need to ask for your guidance. First, could you please ask the leadership to coordinate with the Yishijiang police to transfer Lan Renxuan to our bureau, as he's involved in other cases and needs further interrogation. Also, if the decision is made to detain him and return him to Lan Valley, could you please send someone to contact him? I currently don't have a law enforcement position, so I can't get involved too much. I also have a suggestion. I personally think we should strike while the iron is hot and ask the Yishijiang police to cooperate with an on-site preliminary investigation. After all, Lan Renxuan may be involved in a murder case, and I'm worried that if he's brought back to Lan Valley, he'll be interfered with by the Lan family."
"Well, I understand your concerns. So, please wait a moment. I'll ask the bureau for instructions right away, and we'll get in touch later."
"Okay, Captain Jiang, goodbye."
Ji Feng immediately dialed Hua Ailing's number, and the familiar and friendly Sichuan accent came from the receiver.
"Brother Reasoning, you still remember me? I thought you had forgotten me long ago." Hua Ailing complained in a coquettish tone.
"How could I forget you? I've just been a little busy lately. How are you?" Ji Feng's voice was still calm and steady.
"It's fine. I feel so comfortable without you around." She replied as if she was deliberately angry.
"I'll be back soon," he whispered.
"Are you really coming back? Have you completed the mission?"
"Lan Renxuan has been arrested. He will return after the preliminary hearing."
"What? Caught it!? You're so awesome, my god, you're so capable!" Her voice was filled with surprise.
"Well, the individual has been apprehended, and a pistol has been recovered."
"Oh my, you've really done a great job this time, congratulations!" She laughed loudly, like an old hen laying eggs.
"Hey, you sound a little unhappy. What's wrong? Are you exhausted or is something going wrong?"
"It's okay, just a little tired. I'll be fine after a rest. How is Dean Lu doing recently?"
"Well...it's okay." Hua Ailing's speech suddenly slowed down and she was a little hesitant.
"I thought I'd give him a call and report back as well."
"Don't call him yet, he's a bit busy lately."
"Oh. What are you busy with?"
"Of course I'm busy with work."
"How's the progress of President Lu's promotion to deputy director?" This is what Ji Feng cares about most.
"This...we have to wait a little longer." Hua Ailing's tone became even more hesitant.
"Wait? What happened?" Ji Feng noticed that her tone was wrong and immediately asked.
"Nothing serious, just a little tired."
Hua Ailing hesitated, saying she was busy and tired at other times, which increased Ji Feng's suspicion. Under his repeated questioning, Hua Ailing finally told the truth.
"A few days after you left, the Lan family discovered you were secretly investigating a case and reported it to the provincial government. The provincial government was immediately in an uproar. Deputy Director Liu personally called President Lu to hold him accountable, asking him why he protected you, why he didn't assign you a job, and why he allowed you to secretly go to Ishijiang to investigate the case. He also specifically instructed the Political Department to send a report to Ishijiang, telling them not to receive you."
She paused, her voice lowered, her tone growing heavier. "Dean Lu, facing the provincial department's questioning, refused to offer any explanation and instead shouldered all the responsibility. He claimed that every decision was his own and that he was willing to bear all the consequences. As a result, the nomination for deputy director, which was about to be announced, is likely to be scrapped. He's under tremendous pressure right now, and no one dares to see him unless it's something important."
The towering Kunling Mountain pressed down on him in an instant. Ji Feng's hand holding the phone froze in mid-air. His fingers suddenly lost consciousness, and the phone fell to the ground with a "click". He seemed to have lost his hearing instantly. He didn't hear a word Hua Ailing said afterwards. The whole person seemed to have lost his soul, leaving only an empty shell. He felt dizzy, his legs softened, and he knelt down heavily. An indescribable pain spread from his chest to his whole body. The cold wind scraped across his cheek like a knife, but it was like cutting a mummy, and there was no pain. He wanted to cry, but found that his throat seemed to be blocked by something, and he could only make a hoarse gasp, "I'm sorry... I'm a troublemaker."
"Hello, Jifeng! Hello, do you hear me?!" Hua Ailing's anxious voice came from the phone with a broken screen. The voice pierced his ears but could not penetrate his already collapsed heart.
At this moment, Ji Feng was like a madman lost in a dream, slumped against a poplar tree below the police station, his arms hanging limply, his expression dazed, his eyes vacant. He let the piercing ring of his cell phone pierce the silence again and again.
The corners of his mouth twitched suddenly, forcing a nearly inert smile into his lips, while tears silently rolled down his cheeks, freezing into icy beads as they hit the ground. His stomach suddenly churned, and he curled up and retched, a mouthful of acidic liquid choking his throat, splattering on his clothes and the ground. He looked as miserable as a drunk homeless man.
"Teacher Ji, what's wrong with you?" Maitiwuzi ran over anxiously, his voice full of worry.
Seeing this, other police officers also gathered around, and the scene was a little chaotic for a while.
"Teacher Ji, Teacher Hua from the academy called me just now and said that he tried to call you several times but couldn't get through."
Ji Feng slowly raised his head, his eyes were empty and tired, he was breathing heavily, and was unable to speak for a while.
"I'm fine. Let me be alone for a while. I'll call her back later." Ji Feng said weakly.
He sat for a long time, leaning against the poplar tree, motionless like a statue. Only when his strength finally returned did he slowly, leaning against the trunk, forcefully pulling his numb body to his feet. He ignored the freezing cold, poured the hot water the police had brought over himself, scrubbing the stains off. Then, feebly raising his hands, covered in dirt and ice, he hailed a taxi and stumbled in.
When he returned to his residence, he fell headfirst onto the bed, letting his silent tears flow quietly, soaking the pillow.
He was half asleep, not knowing how much time had passed before he was awakened by a rapid knock on the door. He staggered to his feet and opened the door, only to see Maitiwuzi standing there, his face filled with anxiety. "Teacher Ji, are you feeling better?"
"Yeah." Ji Feng nodded, "Come in and sit down."
"No, I'm here to pick you up," Maitiwuzi said hurriedly. "As soon as I got to work this morning, I received an urgent notice from the provincial department, requiring the municipal bureau to immediately conduct an on-site preliminary investigation of Lan Renxuan, and specifically requesting your participation. I've come specially to take you to the municipal bureau."
Ji Feng frowned slightly, looked out the window, and then looked at the time on his mobile phone. Then he realized that it was already the next morning and he had been in a coma for more than ten hours.
"On-the-spot pre-trial?" There was a hint of hesitation in his tone. His mind instantly flashed back to the scene of reporting to Jiang Bo yesterday. He realized that this was the result of Jiang Bo's repeated reports through the Municipal Bureau and repeated mediation with the Provincial Department.
Since he was allowed to participate, the provincial department should have recognized his contribution to Ishijiang, so the previous incident would probably not be pursued anymore.
"Yes, we will conduct a preliminary investigation on the spot. If your body allows, we will set off now."
"Of course I'm going, I have to go! I want to see Lan Renxuan confess all his crimes with my own eyes!" Thinking of this, Ji Feng seemed to be revived again.
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