Two o'clock in the morning, in the hospital ward.
The smell of disinfectant filled the air; it was cold and pungent.
Zhang Cheng kept his eyes open, showing no signs of sleepiness.
The wound on my abdomen, hidden under the gauze, resembled a lurking scorpion, each breath bringing a subtle stinging pain.
He turned his head and looked at Liu Zhongren, the old policeman who had been dragged into the water by him, in the next bed. The latter was breathing steadily and seemed to be fast asleep.
A fleeting, unreadable emotion flashed in Zhang Cheng's eyes, ultimately turning into a barely perceptible sigh.
This time, I've finally incurred a debt of gratitude.
Just then, with a creak, the ward door was quietly pushed open a crack.
Almost at the same moment, Liu Zhongren, who was in the next bed, suddenly threw off the covers and sat up, his body tense like a fully drawn bow. His hand reached out to the wall with lightning speed and pulled the light switch.
"Smack!"
The dim light instantly illuminated the face of the person who had just arrived.
"The Great Ming Dynasty!"
Upon seeing who it was, Liu Zhongren's tense body relaxed, but his eyes were full of surprise.
Standing at the door was Zhao Daming, the police station chief. His police uniform was covered in dew and mud, and his face looked slightly tired, but his eyes burned with an uncontrollable, almost scalding, fervor and excitement.
Zhao Daming strode in, his gaze sweeping over Liu Zhongren, and said in a deep voice, "Zhongren, go out for a moment, my brother and I have a few words to say."
"good."
Without the slightest hesitation, Liu Zhongren got up decisively, put on his coat, and went out, closing the door behind him.
Zhang Cheng leaned against the headboard, looking at the undisguised excitement on Zhao Daming's face, and understood what was going on.
It's done.
"Brother, it's all level!"
Zhao Daming rushed to the bedside in three quick steps, his voice low but carrying immense weight.
Upon receiving this affirmative answer, Zhang Cheng's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled heavily back into his stomach.
The dark clouds that had been hanging over Funing County have finally dissipated.
"Brother, what do you mean?" Zhang Cheng's tone was very calm, as if he were asking about a trivial matter.
"Those two Shenzhen guys, one of them called Tiger, is a real ruthless guy, but also a real idiot!"
Zhao Daming grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, but his eyes were as cold as ice.
"His companion stepped on a hunter's trap in the mountains. Without saying a word, he slit his companion's throat and ran away alone."
"But he was an outsider, how would he know how to hide in the mountains? He used a submachine gun as a walking stick, and when we caught up with him, he didn't even have time to turn his head."
Zhao Daming made a gesture and said casually, "I shot him directly through the back of the heart, killing him instantly."
He paused, his excitement growing even stronger, as if he were telling a tremendously funny story.
"Brother, you didn't see the scene! I had just taken the guy down when Director Yu arrived with over a hundred police officers and five hundred armed police, all in a grand procession, ready to launch some kind of massive mountain search."
"As a result, the six of us, carrying two still-warm corpses, walked out of the mountains..."
"Director Yu's face, tsk tsk, it looked like he'd swallowed a fly, it was quite a sight!"
"Now, the case is a done deal. The shooting at the Guoyun Hotel was committed by these two desperate criminals. They were caught red-handed and shot dead on the spot—clean and efficient!"
"Secretary Liu submitted the report overnight, and even turned the tables, demanding that the province thoroughly investigate the source of this batch of weapons, and questioning why such rampant armed gangs were roaming around in other places! This put all the pressure on other places, and our Funing County became a model of swift and decisive action in the fight against organized crime!"
At this point, Zhao Daming practically gesticulated wildly. He leaned closer, lowered his voice, and every word exuded a sense of triumph.
"The city has already awarded me a first-class merit, and everyone else has also made contributions. Secretary Liu's skills are truly remarkable!"
Zhang Cheng listened quietly, his mind rapidly filtering through every detail, searching for any possible flaws.
Eight gunmen, two bodies.
Different trajectories.
These are all loopholes, but in the face of huge political interests, these loopholes will be tacitly ignored by everyone.
A shocking case, which could have cost countless people their jobs, has been transformed into a glorious victory for those seeking credit with their superiors.
Who would be foolish enough to lift that fig leaf?
"Brother, you've worked hard." Zhang Cheng smiled, then changed the subject, "The reports and archived materials must be flawless. Don't wait a few years and have some guy pop up trying to exonerate these two 'ruthless bandits'."
Zhao Daming was taken aback, then nodded emphatically, his excitement fading and replaced by a more serious expression.
"Brother, you're right. Caution is never a bad thing. Don't worry, I'll personally oversee this and make sure it becomes airtight, unassailable by anyone!"
"Then I'm relieved." Zhang Cheng's smile became bright and sincere. "Brother, after this battle, your position as deputy director should be as secure as a mountain, right?"
"Hahaha, thanks to you, almost there, almost there!" Zhao Daming could no longer contain himself and burst into laughter, his laughter filled with smug satisfaction.
After the laughter subsided, Zhang Cheng asked casually, "By the way, brother, those guys who were killed, I remember they were people who worked for Qian Zheng at the parts factory, right?"
For a fleeting moment, the air seemed to freeze.
Zhao Daming's smile faded slightly, then returned to its usual warm expression, though his eyes narrowed. He patted Zhang Cheng on the shoulder and said earnestly:
“Brother, you were too careless in this matter. With your current status, it’s not worth getting involved with those low-level out-of-town thugs.”
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