Sheng Xu's gaze fell on Xu Kuo, and he nodded, his eyes filled with a hint of inquiry, but more so with a serious, businesslike demeanor: "Comrade Xu Kuo, let's go."
...
Without further delay, the group arrived at the warehouse rented by Xu Kuo in the jeep driven by Sheng Xu.
At the warehouse entrance, Shi Jixing stood with his hands behind his back, his face ashen, watching his men and Xu Jianguo ransack the place. The floor was piled with miscellaneous items Xu Kuo had acquired and vegetables ready for sale, but there was no sign of any other "antiques" or "stolen goods."
Xu Jianguo was so anxious that he was sweating profusely and almost wanted to pry up the floor tiles to take a look.
"Well? Did you find it?" Shi Jixing growled impatiently at Xu Jianguo.
Xu Jianguo wiped his sweat, his face contorted with despair: "No...no, Secretary! This warehouse is so small, we've searched it several times, and there's nothing there except these things!"
Just then, Shi Jixing caught a glimpse of the approaching jeep, and Xu Kuo and the unfamiliar middle-aged man getting out of the car.
He was instantly enraged, rushed forward, pointed at Xu Kuo's nose, and demanded sharply, "Xu Kuo! You've finally shown yourself! Tell me! Where did you hide all those stolen goods?!"
Xu Kuo looked at his exasperated appearance, a cold smile curving his lips, his eyes full of mockery: "Hide? Secretary Shi, the thing is right here, are you blind and can't find it?"
He paused, his voice suddenly turning cold, like icicles in the dead of winter, "However, now that the item can't be found, shouldn't you be thinking about what crimes false accusation and abuse of power are? Secretary Shi, do you—know your crime?!"
"Hahaha! I admit my guilt?" Shi Jixing laughed in anger, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.
"Xu Kuo, I think you're scared out of your wits! What crime have I committed? I'm just doing my duty and fighting crime! As for you, it's only a matter of time before you're caught red-handed! And you dare to turn around and question me? It's utterly ridiculous!"
"That's right! Xu Kuo, you idiot!" Xu Jianguo jumped in, shouting arrogantly, "You're about to die and you're still being stubborn! Quickly hand over the stolen goods and try to get leniency! Otherwise, once Secretary Shi sends you to jail, you'll be in big trouble!"
The next moment, Sheng Xu, who had been silent all along, stepped forward, his gaze calmly falling on Shi Jixing, his tone indifferent yet carrying an undeniable authority: "You are Comrade Shi Jixing?"
Shi Jixing was interrupted and looked Sheng Xu up and down with some displeasure.
Although the man was dressed neatly, he was a complete stranger. He frowned and interrogated him with a condescending tone: "It's me. Who are you? Where did you come from? What are you doing here? Could you be an accomplice that kid Xu Kuo found to try and get away with this?" He didn't take Sheng Xu seriously at all, assuming he was just some unrelated person that Xu Kuo had found.
Sheng Xu's face was expressionless. He simply took out a red work ID from his inside pocket, flashed it in front of him, and spoke clearly and distinctly.
"My name is Sheng Xu. This is my work ID."
He retrieved his identification, his gaze sharp as he looked directly into Shi Jixing's pupils, which contracted sharply upon seeing the contents of the identification. "I came here specifically to investigate your case after receiving a report."
The villagers watching erupted in an uproar, whispering amongst themselves, their gazes towards Shi Jixing filled with shock and disbelief! Investigating Secretary Shi? This is the deputy secretary of the county!
The color drained from Shi Jixing's face in an instant, and his arrogant and domineering demeanor vanished in a flash, replaced by undisguised panic and fear.
The company and position listed on Sheng Xu's certificate felt like a heavy hammer blow to his heart!
Since becoming deputy secretary, he has indeed been dishonest, secretly lining his own pockets, arranging jobs for relatives, and accepting bribes...
If these things were investigated, they would definitely not be able to withstand scrutiny! Cold sweat instantly soaked his back. He never expected that the people investigating him would arrive so quickly and so suddenly!
“Ah… Comrade Sheng… Sheng Xu,” Shi Jixing forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, his voice trembling.
"You...you must be mistaken! There must be a huge misunderstanding here! It's this kid, Xu Kuo! He's the problem! He has too much money of dubious origin, and I strongly suspect he's laundering money. I'm about to investigate him! You must investigate him thoroughly! Investigate him first! You absolutely must investigate him first!"
In his panic, he tried to shift the blame onto Xu Kuo once again.
Sheng Xu had a faint, cold smile on his lips, his eyes sharp enough to see right through people: "Misunderstanding? I'm afraid there's no misunderstanding."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to everyone present: "Comrade Xu Kuo's situation has been personally explained to me by Comrade Zhou Changke, who also vouched for him. There are no problems whatsoever."
He paused, his gaze fixed once more on Shi Jixing's pale face, and added, word by word, "Moreover, the reason I came here this time is because Comrade Zhou directly contacted the higher authorities, requesting that someone be sent down to thoroughly investigate the disciplinary violations and illegal acts of certain cadres."
Zhou Changke?! Xu Kuo actually managed to get Zhou Changke to do this?! And Zhou Changke actually went to such lengths for Xu Kuo!
Shi Jixing felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His mind was buzzing, and he felt dizzy and almost collapsed to the ground.
Overwhelmed by immense fear, Shi Jixing disregarded all pride and official dignity, and practically scrambled to Xu Kuo's side.
His face was plastered with fawning and pleading: "Brother Xu... Brother Xu! No, no, Brother Xu! Look... this is all a huge misunderstanding! I've been senile! My mind has been clouded by greed! You're a magnanimous person, please don't hold it against me! Please speak well of Comrade Sheng Xu, put in a good word for me, and forgive me this time! I... I'll apologize to you! I'll even kowtow to you!"
Xu Kuo coldly watched his ugly behavior, his eyes showing no emotion, only deep disdain and disgust.
He sidestepped Shi Jixing's outstretched hand that tried to pull him away, his voice icy and chilling: "Secretary Shi, do you regret it now? Too bad, it's too late."
His gaze swept over Shi Jixing's despairing face, and he finally uttered a few words: "You chose this path yourself, so this is called—reaping what you sow."
Xu Kuo's chilling phrase "you reap what you sow" was like the last straw, completely crushing all of Shi Jixing's luck and hope.
The light in his eyes was completely extinguished, leaving only a deathly despair.
If only he had known this would happen! How could he have been so blinded by greed, listening to that idiot Xu Jianguo's instigation and provoking that plague god Xu Kuo! Now it's all too late, too late!
Sheng Xu's sharp gaze swept over Shi Jixing's distraught appearance. His tone remained calm, yet carried an undeniable official authority: "Comrade Shi Jixing, is there anything else you want to say?"
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