He was wearing a worn-out blue Zhongshan suit with shiny cuffs, his hair was messy, and his eyes darted around, avoiding Officer Zhang's gaze.
"Chen Jian'an, do you know why we're looking for you?"
Officer Zhang pushed the statement form in front of him, tapping his pen lightly on the table.
Chen Jian'an swallowed hard, rubbed his hands together, and chuckled.
"Officer Zhang, is there some misunderstanding? I didn't do anything wrong today. I just had a couple of drinks with my old friends in town."
"You had two drinks?"
Officer Zhang picked up the enamel mug on the table and took a sip of hot water. "You've only had two cups of water and you're already spreading rumors about Comrade Lin Li? Saying she has improper relationships with men, saying her money comes from men, you've said all those things, haven't you?"
Chen Jian'an's face turned pale instantly, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
"I...I was just drunk and talking nonsense, it's not true, it's just...I just heard someone say that and I just passed it on casually..."
"Who told you that?"
Officer Zhang leaned forward and said, "Provide witness testimony. If it's true, we'll talk about it another way; if not, you're spreading rumors and will be held legally responsible."
Xiao Wang, who was standing next to Chen Jian'an, snapped open his notebook, the pen tip hovering over the paper, his eyes fixed on Chen Jian'an.
The door to the reception room wasn't closed properly, and Lin Li and the village chief were sitting outside, able to vaguely hear the conversation inside.
Lin Li clenched her fists even tighter.
Chen Jian'an's eyes darted around the room, and when he saw the slogan on the wall that read "Severely crack down on illegal and criminal activities," his body visibly trembled.
The slogan was painted last year; the red paint stood out starkly against the white wall. Below it were several charges, including "defamation of others."
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