"It's not terrible for young people to make mistakes; what's terrible is not knowing that they're wrong, and even being smug about it," Tang Ping continued.
The three young men remained silent.
Taking advantage of the situation, Feiji chuckled slyly, "The boss is willing to criticize you guys because it's for your own good. It also means he approves of you. You should thank your boss for the lesson!"
Li Chao and the other two glanced gratefully at the plane and quickly said in unison, "Thank you, big brother!"
Tang Ping glared at the plane, then lit a cigarette and said, "I'm giving you two choices. First, I'll give you 30,000 yuan, and you can run away on your own. I don't care where you go, and if anything happens, it's none of my business. Second, I have a construction site in Qinghua District. You can go there to work as bricklayers, with a monthly salary of 500 yuan. You choose!"
The three brothers looked at each other and whispered among themselves for a while.
In the end, Li Chao took the lead and asked, "Moving bricks on a construction site? For how long?"
"I don't know, it could be a few months, or it could be a few years," Tang Ping said casually, exhaling a smoke ring.
Li Chao hesitated for a long time, then gritted his teeth and said, "I'm willing to go and lay bricks!"
"Yes, I'll do whatever my brother tells me to do."
"Me too!"
Zhou Bo and Wang Cheng followed suit.
Tang Ping nodded with some satisfaction and said, "Okay, Feiji, drive them to the construction site in Qinghua District now. Don't tell anyone. Just arrange for them to do normal labor work."
"Yes, boss!"
The plane drove away with the three Li brothers. Tang Ping wasn't in a hurry and planned to take a stroll around the neighborhood.
...
Meanwhile, a heated argument was taking place in the city bureau's office.
"Why? Why is this happening?"
An Xin couldn't control his emotions and shouted excitedly, "A car bombing, a suicide, several lives lost! We clearly know that Zhao Yu did this, so why can't we apply to the procuratorate for arrest warrants? Why are you all afraid? Why are you covering it up? Are we still police officers? Do we deserve to wear this uniform?"
"An Xin, watch your words!" Li Xiang advised from the side.
Meanwhile, at his desk, Director Guo Zhenjie was so thoroughly confronted by An Xin that his face turned red and he couldn't utter a single word.
An Xin became even more enthusiastic and said, "Why should I be careful with my wording? Everyone knows that the case is related to the Grand Palace, and Zhao Yu is the mastermind behind it all. Why won't you let me investigate further?"
“An Xin, before the case is classified, Zhao Yu is at most a criminal suspect. Watch your words. Besides, a single CD and the evidence you provided don't prove anything. Even if the public bidding process was irregular, it's not our jurisdiction, understand?” Guo Zhenjie tapped the table, reminding him.
An Xin stared wide-eyed and said, "Fine, let's not talk about the open bidding. I just have one question: Can Zhao Yu be arrested? Can this case continue to be investigated?"
"cannot!"
Guo Zhenjie's attitude was also very firm, stating directly: "Regarding the two cases you mentioned, people turned themselves in this morning. The car bombing was committed by a man named Zhou Guoquan. He had a personal grudge against Tang Ping, but coincidentally, Tang Ping's relative drove the temporary car away, and Tang Ping escaped unharmed. As for the suicide case, the victim's family has stopped pursuing the matter, saying that their relationship problems led to his wife's suicide, and that it has nothing to do with the Grand Palace. Moreover, the bureau has conducted an investigation, and it was indeed them who did it."
"Furthermore, Zhao Yu is not the legal representative of the Grand Palace; he doesn't even hold any shares in it. Huaxuan Construction Company has also withdrawn from the coastal highway project, and the city plans to re-tender it publicly."
Li Xiang quickly added, "An Xin, this result is already quite good."
An Xin listened, glanced at Li Xiang, then at Guo Zhenjie, and let out a mocking sneer: "Heh, this is a really good result. I just got the evidence yesterday, and this morning, they turned themselves in. They were quick! They did it so cleanly. So it has nothing to do with Zhao Yu, right?"
"The higher-ups have already determined the nature of this case and ordered us to close it as soon as possible. We can't let it affect Jinghai's next steps in attracting investment or delaying economic development. Anxin, what else do you want? Are we going to turn Jinghai upside down just because you're so ambitious?"
Guo Zhenjie was also furious. He slammed his hand on the table and scolded, "An Xin, I know you're not convinced, but you have to keep it to yourself. For the sake of Director An and Director Meng, I'll remind you one more thing: solving cases is a short-term thing, but being a policeman is a lifetime!"
"If being a police officer means turning a blind eye to the culprits running rampant right under your nose, then I'd rather not be a police officer!"
An Xin also became stubborn, pulling out the gun from his waist, slamming it on the table, and turning to leave.
With a bang, An Xin slammed the door and left.
Guo Zhenjie's eyes widened, his face filled with anger.
"Anxin!"
Upon seeing this, Li Xiang immediately became anxious and quickly helped An Xin take his sidearm, saying, "Director Guo, An Xin is just acting out of temper. Don't take it to heart. I'll go and talk to him!"
"Don't try to persuade him. Let him suspend his duties for now and reflect on his actions. Leave his service weapon here! He can come back to me to apply for a new weapon when he has finished reflecting on his actions!"
Guo Zhenjie also lost his temper and wouldn't tolerate him at all.
Half an hour later, at the Jinghai City Martyrs Cemetery.
Sure enough, An Xin was kneeling in front of his master Cao Meng's tombstone, muttering something to himself.
Li Xiang walked over and gently patted An Xin's shoulder.
But An Xin ignored him, and the two remained silent.
At this moment, An Xin felt extremely aggrieved.
Back in the Municipal Public Security Bureau, with An Changlin and Meng Dehai around, he always had some special privileges, especially in case investigations. Even if he sometimes violated regulations, the two elders would indulge him and back him up.
But after they were transferred, An Xin suddenly realized that he was all alone and couldn't carry the load.
Even his best friend didn't support him continuing the investigation.
After a long silence, Li Xiang finally spoke: "An Xin, I know you're unhappy with me. We used to be the best partners and the best brothers, but I didn't stand by your side in the crucial moment. But have you ever thought about why I did that?"
An Xin scoffed, "Heh, what could it be for? To get promoted and make a fortune!"
Li Xiang wasn't angry at this. Instead, he took a deep breath and slowly said, "You're right, who doesn't want a promotion? But you're only half right. I want a promotion so I can better investigate cases. Director Guo is right about something: solving cases is only temporary, being a policeman is for life. First, you have to survive in this environment before you can continue investigating. Otherwise, without this identity, you're just an ordinary person. How can you continue investigating?"
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