Chapter 669: Seeking Chaos in Stability
As a detective.
Finding out the truth hidden behind the fog is just the most basic professional ability.
Whatever "truth" you want, I can find out for you. This is the true advancement of high-level professional skills.
Otherwise, what kind of detective would he be?
He is nothing but a fraud,
Even if I die a thousand times, it wouldn't be too much.
Li Shang has been a detective for a long time and has obviously grasped the essence of it.
Hou Wendong patted Li Shang's shoulder and corrected him:
"It's not the truth I need, it's the 'truth' everyone needs. Captain Li, please don't get it wrong."
Li Shang's heart trembled slightly, and he had a deeper understanding of Hou Wendong's extreme caution.
He found that even at this moment, he still seemed to find it difficult to fully adapt to the almost flawless way of speaking of people like them.
Every sentence seems to be wrapped in several layers of meaning, and every word seems to have been carefully considered, as if it is both conveying and concealing.
He realized that if he wanted to make progress, he would have to work harder to learn and understand.
Guessing their thoughts is even harder than solving a case.
He took a deep breath, nodded and said solemnly:
"I understand, Secretary Hou. I made a slip of the tongue. So what should I do next?"
Hou Wendong looked at Li Shang and changed the subject:
"As soon as you leave the hospital, go to Emerald Garden to take over the investigation. Um...but first, tell me, why did you go to the sewer of an abandoned chemical plant?"
This is a key issue that concerns the rationality of the starting point of the entire incident.
Li Shang had already prepared the answer, and this answer was basically true, except for some details and emotional rendering that needed to be processed.
Li Shangsui answered truthfully:
"Secretary Hou, Er Bing and I were patrolling a block not far from the chemical plant at the time.
Suddenly we heard loud noises coming from the direction of the chemical plant. We didn't dare to delay and immediately drove over at full speed to check the situation.
When we got to the chemical plant, we found it had been abandoned for a long time. We pried open the lock, carefully entered, and then we saw..."
Li Shang swallowed his saliva, his face showing the lingering fear of surviving a disaster, and his voice couldn't help but tremble slightly as he said:
"A huge crater was created by the explosion, right in the middle of the factory. All the bricks and stones on the ground were blown away, and black smoke was still billowing out. Before we could get a good look, we suddenly saw a figure jump out of the blast hole. It was [Mask]..."
Basically, every word Li Shang said was true, and the fear on his face was not fake. He was really scared to death at that time. Now when he recounted it, he became more and more scared the more he thought about it.
Hou Wendong pressed on: "And then?"
Li Shang took two breaths and said:
"Then, Secretary Hou, I'm not afraid of you laughing at us. We didn't even dare to fire our guns. Our only thought was to escape, immediately!"
Hou Wendong expressed his full understanding of this, but lightly raised a question:
"Escape? Why didn't you turn around and run away, but instead ran into the hole created by the explosion?"
Li Shang had anticipated this question, and he pretended to think before answering:
"Secretary Hou, you are right. Under normal circumstances, he would definitely run outside.
But the situation was too dangerous at the time. [Mask] jumped out of the hole and landed on the other side of the hole. Er Bing and I happened to be standing on this side of the hole, very close to the hole, almost just one step away.
When he said this, he paused deliberately, as if he was carefully recalling and sorting out every detail of that time.
As a senior detective, Li Shang is well versed in the art of interrogation and counter-interrogation.
He knew very well that when recounting an experience, appropriate pauses, thoughts, and a tone that gradually became clearer as the recollection progressed were far more convincing than a smooth, uninterrupted narrative.
He frowned and recalled for a few seconds before continuing:
"The hole created by the explosion was quite large. Although there was some distance between us, Er Bing and I were running too far away from the car even if we were running on flat ground. We would definitely be caught up by [Masked] before we could even reach the car.
So, I can only take a gamble and jump into the underground well. After jumping in..."
Li Shang's narration became smoother and more detailed, as if more fragments of memory were being pieced together as he spoke:
"We found it was very dark and extremely complicated down there. It was an underground pipe network system from a factory that had been abandoned for many years, with branches everywhere, like a huge maze.
There was a strong smell of gunpowder where we fell, and there was a bubble on the ground.
We didn't care about that at the time, we just got up and ran deeper."
His voice lowered, as if he had returned to that dark and depressing environment, and he spoke very realistically:
“We knew [Masquerade] would probably come after us soon.
When passing a fork in the road, I thought quickly and threw my own mobile phone and Erbing's body camera in one direction, hoping to make a noise to mislead him.
Then, we both immediately turned around and crawled into the pipe in the other direction, found a recess, held our breath and hid ourselves, our bodies soaked in the cold sewage."
Li Shang has a talent for storytelling, and Hou Wendong got into the story and felt a sense of immersive tension.
Li Shang observed Hou Wendong's expression and easily deduced that he did not suspect he was lying, so he continued:
“Thinking about it now, we made the right bet.
I guess [Masked] didn't expect us to jump down, and he was probably stunned for a moment, so he didn't chase us immediately. But when he jumped down, he was attracted by the noise we made by throwing things, and chased in that direction..."
Li Shang said here with a slightly embarrassed expression:
“However, [Masked]’s footsteps were very light and sporadic, which was quite scary.
We had been hiding in the sewage and couldn't hear whether he had left or not. So, we didn't dare to move or crawl out, for fear that he hadn't left yet and was waiting outside for us to fall into his trap.
Until later... I don't know how long it was, we heard noisy footsteps and shouts coming from above. After listening carefully and confirming that it was the voice of a colleague, we dared to be sure that [Mask] must have really left.
Then, we quickly called for help... You should know what happened next."
After Li Shang finished speaking, he breathed a long sigh of relief, as if he had experienced the life-and-death escape all over again. His forehead was covered with cold sweat again, because of the fear and the fact that his body was still weak.
Obviously, a truly outstanding detective must be a master of lying.
Just like the lie carefully woven by Li Shang, it is almost perfect and almost impeccable, whether in terms of the presentation of factual evidence or the rigor of logical reasoning.
Even if someone has doubts and turns to ask Chang Erbing, the testimony they get can still corroborate their own.
Not only that, in order to completely eliminate the possibility of others suspecting that they had colluded in their testimony in advance, Chang Erbing's answer would deliberately be inconsistent with Li Shang's statement, with slight discrepancies in some details.
For example, Li Shang would explain in detail why he jumped into the sewer, while Chang Erbing might just say that he subconsciously wanted to escape, but before he could turn around, he was pulled down by Li Shang.
For example, Li Shang claimed that he was "patrolling nearby" at the time, but Chang Erbing would honestly confess that they were actually "slacking off" and were planning to sneak off to a nightclub not far away to have fun.
This kind of harmless deviation in details from different perspectives will further enhance the credibility of the testimony and make it more difficult to doubt it.
The only flaw is that the special envoy jumps out and exposes him at this moment.
In addition, even if [Mask], Feng Ju or Ma Bin jumped out to expose him, he had the confidence to confront them face to face and prove the falsehood true.
Hou Wendong naturally would not go to the trouble of interrogating Chang Erbing, who was also in a coma. He did not really suspect Li Shang.
He asked these questions just as official documents, a formality, so that when he reported to Councillor Wang Xinfa later, he could restore the "complete" picture of the incident in detail and demonstrate his thoroughness and efficiency as a secretary.
We are all "good comrades" working for Councillor Wang. We are all in the same boat. What matters is that we be of one mind and one heart and overcome difficulties together. How can we casually suspect each other?
These inquiries are just normal greetings between colleagues.
Therefore, after listening to Li Shang's thrilling and logically consistent statement, Hou Wendong's face showed just the right amount of emotion and fear, and he let out a long sigh:
"Captain Li, there's an old saying from the old era that goes, 'Those who survive a great disaster will surely have good fortune in the future.' This accident just proves your tenacity and luck.
Now you have the strong support and deep appreciation of the members of parliament, which is your greatest backing.
As long as we can handle this difficult matter and get over this hurdle, the road ahead will be smooth. The position of Chief of the Police Station has been vacant for too long. The council members know who is capable and loyal enough to take that position.
The muscles on Li Shang's face twitched slightly, and he forced out a grateful yet heavy smile.
Hou Wendong was kind enough to help Li Shang prove his innocence and said:
"In that case, the inexplicable appearance of your official car at the entrance of Emerald Garden makes perfect sense.
It must have been [Masked] who, after attacking you at the chemical plant, hijacked your car and drove to Emerald Garden to commit his next crime."
Li Shang immediately climbed up the pole, a look of "Exactly," on his face, and echoed:
"Secretary Hou is very observant and his deduction is absolutely correct. This must be the case."
Hou Wendong nodded slightly in satisfaction, then pondered for a moment, his expression turning extremely serious:
"Okay. I understand your situation. I will report everything to the councillor. All you need to do is rush to the scene immediately and take over the full investigation.
But I have to remind you of two things..."
Li Shang's heart tightened, knowing that the real test and instructions were coming. He quickly straightened his still weak body and said respectfully:
"Secretary Hou, please speak."
Hou Wendong slowly extended his index finger and said:
The person currently in charge of the on-site investigation is Zheng Geng, a specialist dispatched directly from the Executive Yuan's Mechanical Engineering Department. This person..."
He paused, as if trying to choose the right words, and finally a subtle curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"He has a notoriously bad temper and may have business skills, but he doesn't know how to adapt and often ignores the overall situation. He only cares about his so-called procedures and evidence, and often loses sight of the big picture.
What the congressman meant was to solve the case as quickly as possible, eliminate the impact, and ensure a smooth conclusion of the matter.
The stability of District 9 is paramount."
Li Shang immediately understood what was meant. The implication in these words couldn't be more obvious. He stated without hesitation:
"Secretary Hou, rest assured. I understand. I will definitely assist Commissioner Zheng and keep a close eye on every step of the investigation. I will definitely not let him mess around."
Hou Wendong nodded with a look of satisfaction, a sign of a teachable young man. He paused for a moment, his gaze growing more serious.
"Secondly, the status of a special envoy is sensitive, and if something happens to him, it will cause a huge shock.
Now, countless eyes are staring at the Emerald Garden and our lower city.
Furthermore, Shangcheng will definitely send someone to investigate later. Unless we can find the special commissioner immediately and he's still alive, this case won't be just a simple one."
Li Shang still has this most basic political awareness.
As the "future chief" of the police station, he is well aware of a truth - the bigger the case, the more important it is to understand how to make it serve political purposes.
Anyone who doesn't understand this principle is not worthy of being the chief of the police station.
Hou Wendong observed Li Shang's expression, and seeing that he understood something, he continued to advise:
"[The Mask may or may not be the murderer. This is for you, the detective, to judge. But... well, let me ask you this in a different way.
Captain Li, do you think that if you only throw out a [mask] to close the case, will it convince everyone and satisfy Shangcheng?"
Li Shang's expression suddenly became extremely solemn. He understood everything.
[Mask] may be a household name in District 9, but he is actually just a sinister monster that hides from the public. [Mask] may be strong enough to kill the special envoy, but his identity is... far from enough.
The case can only be "successfully" closed if a "murderer" who matches the special envoy in status and position is found.
Otherwise, the lower city just pushed out a scapegoat to shirk their responsibilities and fool the upper city. If that were the case, it would be self-evident what the fate of Li Shang, the "quasi-director" of the police station, would be.
In an instant, Li Shang completely established his next approach to handling the case.
The summary is simple - we must ensure that Councillor Wang Xinfa lands smoothly in this storm and even take advantage of it to move to a higher level;
At the same time, we must divert the blame eastward, precisely to Councillor Wang’s political enemies, and cause them to panic.
After realizing this, Li Shang took a deep breath. Just as Hou Wendong had repeatedly reminded him, he had been labeled as Councillor Wang, and that label could not be washed off.
So, he had no choice at all. He had to obey, so that the congressman would protect him and his perfectly logical testimony would be accepted.
Otherwise, no matter how eloquent he is, if his car appears at the gate of Emerald Garden, he has in fact helped [Mask] commit a crime and is a damned "accomplice".
Li Shang took a deep breath. Unconsciously, he had become accustomed to the feeling of risking his life recently and was more or less desensitized.
A numb light of giving up everything flashed in his eyes, and he said in a resounding voice:
"Please ask Secretary Hou to tell the councillor that Li Shang will not let down the councillor's trust even if it costs him his own life.
The police station will definitely conduct a thorough investigation to uncover the protective umbrella behind [Mask], completely eradicate these termites who are corrupting the foundation of District 9 and plotting to murder the special commissioner, and restore a truly peaceful and clean world to District 9!"
…….
(End of this chapter)
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