Huanglongdong Hotel, Room 408.
Only a dim desk lamp was on in the room, casting long shadows of Zhang Cheng and Zhao Daming.
The black-and-white television was broadcasting the evening news, but it made no mention of the murder of Yan Bin and Huang Pinyu's son during the day, as if those two murders had never happened.
This veneer of tranquility, masking a peaceful reality, is more unsettling than any clamor.
Zhao Daming pressed the remote control with some frustration, switching the channel from Jiaxing TV to CCTV.
"Brother, you've gone way too far this time."
He looked at Zhang Cheng, his voice tinged with lingering fear.
“Secretary Liu already knows about Liu Miaomiao and Jiang Yuhong… Once we get back to Funing, it won’t be easy to get past him.”
Zhang Cheng leaned against the headboard, his face expressionless, and simply shrugged.
"Brother, if there were any other way, I wouldn't have taken this step."
His tone was calm.
“Without Secretary Liu’s approval, you, as the police station chief, have neither the guts nor the authority to cross city lines to come to the Jiaxing Public Security Bureau to bail someone out.”
Zhao Daming sighed and shook his head.
“When you get back to Funing, lower your stance and take the initiative to admit your mistake.”
"Secretary Liu is a leader after all, and he has a broad perspective. He shouldn't hold a grudge against a junior like you."
"Okay, I understand."
Zhang Cheng responded verbally, but his deep eyes flashed with a thoughtful light that no one could understand.
"Thump, thump, thump."
A dull, rhythmic knocking sounded abruptly.
Zhao Daming sprang from the bed almost instantly, his muscles tense and his eyes sharp.
He threw off the covers, quickly put on his coat, and his right hand had already quietly grasped the pistol hidden behind his waist.
He moved step by step behind the door, lowered his voice, and asked in a deep voice:
"who!"
A familiar yet slightly weary voice came from outside the door.
"I am Zhang Jingtao."
Zhao Daming frowned, loosened his grip on the gun, but remained vigilant, and opened the door a crack.
Outside the door, Zhang Jingtao, dressed in a police uniform, looked travel-worn, with sunken eyes and bloodshot veins.
"Section Chief Zhang?" Zhao Daming was somewhat surprised. "What are you doing here so late?"
Zhang Jingtao didn't answer, but squeezed in from the side, his eyes like those of a hawk, instantly locking onto Zhang Cheng, who was calm and composed on the bed.
"You're really good at keeping your cool, kid."
Zhao Daming closed the door behind him, walked over to him, and frowned, saying, "Jing Tao, why are you here in the middle of the night instead of solving a case?"
"Solve the case? Go to sleep?"
Zhang Jingtao seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. He tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing a bitter smile, and took a deep breath.
"Just now, Li Bingyang's villa was massacred."
“A group of gunmen, six core members of the Jiaxing Chamber of Commerce, all died, riddled with bullets.”
"Feng Sanyao was lucky; he was shot in the arm but escaped death by sheer luck."
His voice wasn't loud, but it exploded like a bombshell in the room.
"Now, the entire Jiaxing is completely out of control, and Secretary Zhou is so anxious that he personally went to contact the garrison."
Zhao Daming gasped, feeling a chill run down his spine.
"You people in Jiaxing... you've gone completely mad!"
Zhang Jingtao suddenly turned his head, staring intently at Zhao Daming, then turned his gaze to Zhang Cheng, uttering each word slowly and deliberately through gritted teeth.
"You should ask him why Jiaxing is in such a mess!"
Zhang Cheng slowly sat up straight on the bed, spread his hands, and looked innocent and bewildered.
"Brother Tao, what makes you say that?"
“We’re brothers, you can’t just falsely accuse someone like that.”
"I'm asking you!" Zhang Jingtao stepped forward, aggressively demanding, "Did you orchestrate Yan Bin's death?!"
“Brother Tao, you can eat whatever you want, but you can’t say whatever you want.” Zhang Cheng met his gaze calmly. “When Yan Bin was killed, I was still handcuffed and drinking tea in Director Yan’s interrogation room.”
Zhang Jingtao stared intently at him, as if trying to find even the slightest flaw in his face.
"Do you know that Yan Bin and Director Yan are cousins?"
"Not many people know about this relationship. Now, Director Yan has gone mad, mobilizing the entire city's police force to arrest people all over the city, and the detention centers are almost overflowing."
"Zhang Cheng, I don't care what methods you used, if Yan Bin's death is really related to you, I advise you to get out of Jiaxing immediately!"
Zhang Cheng could only manage a wry smile.
"Brother Tao, this is Jiaxing, not my Funing County. I don't have that kind of power. Let alone finding a ghostwriter, I'm having trouble even finding someone to ask for directions."
"That would be best!"
Zhang Jingtao's tone softened a bit. He turned to look at Zhao Daming and patted him on the shoulder.
"Da Ming, for the sake of our long-standing friendship, I'll give you some advice."
"Jiaxing right now is a giant powder keg, ready to explode at any moment. The municipal party committee, the business district, and those desperate criminals are all mixed up together."
"Take him with you and leave tonight. Go back to Funing overnight, the sooner the better!"
"Okay, I understand."
Zhao Daming nodded solemnly. He knew that Zhang Jingtao wouldn't make baseless accusations.
"Take care of yourselves."
Zhang Jingtao gave Zhang Cheng a deep look, said nothing more, and turned to leave.
As soon as the door closed, Zhao Daming urged, "Brother, don't just stand there! We can't ignore Jingtao's words. Jiaxing is too eerie a place. Let's leave right now!"
Zhang Cheng didn't move.
He threw back the covers, walked barefoot to the window, lifted a corner of the curtain, and quietly gazed downstairs.
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