Reborn as a Noble's Son

Nie Zhenbang understood this aspect very well. In terms of the Disciplinary Committee’s work, when dealing with cadres being investigated, sometimes, in order to save the bishop by abating the pawn, cases of suicide were not unheard of. Once a person died, all the leads would be cut off. So this was one method to prevent suspects from committing suicide.

At the same time, the next day, the Ludong Province Disciplinary Committee sent quite a number of people over to participate in the entire case’s interrogation process.

This time, Nie Zhenbang moved quickly. The same night, the Feng brothers – Feng Dajun and Feng Dabiao – and the leadership group of the Dameng County Committee, including a deputy secretary, an organizational minister, a county committee director, and several leaders of county bureaus, had all been suspended for investigation.

At the same time, under the coordination of Fan Mengshui, secretary of Dongmeng District Disciplinary Committee, Feng Tianbao and others were also put under investigation by the Public Security Bureau. To ensure the fairness of the investigation, some auxiliary personnel, including those from the public, procuratorial, and judicial branches, were transferred from other cities in Ludong Province.

In an office on the first floor of the guesthouse, Nie Zhenbang’s desk was piled with numerous materials. These were all the testimonies recorded over the two days. Not everyone was tough and defiant. Diversity existed even among the offspring of dragons, let alone among common people. Every official and cadre had a different personality and a different perspective on things. Some people resisted fiercely while others tried to put on a good performance in hopes of having an opportunity to make up for their crimes and thus receive lenient treatment.

At that moment, Gao Wei and Zheng Gensheng walked in from outside. Since there were no outsiders present, they both seemed relaxed. Gao Wei even sat down on the sofa with a plop, while Zheng Gensheng poured two cups of boiled water from the kettle next to him.

After taking a sip to soothe his throat, Gao Wei couldn’t help but complain, “I’ve talked myself hoarse. Feng Dabiao is like a rock in a latrine pit, smelly and hard. He really thinks refusing to confess means he won’t get into trouble. Doesn’t he know about the fact principle in the law?”

Next to him, Zheng Gensheng nodded in agreement, “Mr. Wei, you’re right. These past few days, all Feng Dabiao does is eat and sleep. Even in the inquiry room, he just sits with his arms crossed and rests with his eyes closed, completely ignoring our questions. He’s very good at counter-interrogation and counter-investigation. I think he’s ready to remain silent until the end. Maybe we should start the next procedure and apply to investigate and audit Feng Dabiao’s residence and property.”

Nie Zhenbang’s eyebrows twisted into a frown. Feng Dabiao’s performance had completely exceeded his expectations. Moreover, Feng Tianbao, his son, was also very cunning. For his own lighter offenses, Feng Tianbao admitted easily, but he denied everything that involved his father. The greatest problem at the moment was banking accounts. In this era, there was no system of real name registration, and most of the accounts were anonymous. This made investigation extremely difficult.

“Wei Zi, Old Zheng, Feng Dabiao is an old hand, a seasoned player in the officialdom. In the eyes of most cadres, the Disciplinary Committee is to be feared. But in Feng Dabiao’s eyes, we are nobody. He’s neither afraid nor worried. That’s why he’s ignoring everything. That’s the real problem,” Nie Zhenbang began to analyze at that moment.

Although Nie Zhenbang had been working with the Disciplinary Committee for a short time, he was unfamiliar only with their working methods and procedures. He was not lacking in ability himself.

After a pause, Nie Zhenbang continued, “Wei Zi, right now, we and Feng Dabiao are in a contest of patience. It’s a protracted battle. Every person will have flaws, it’s just that we haven’t found a way to break through to Feng Dabiao yet.

Upon careful thinking, it was indeed the case. The information prepared by Grandpa Hong only skimmed the surface. It was sufficient to deal with Feng Tianbao, but in this era, guilt by association was not popular. Just because Feng Tianbao was in trouble didn’t mean that Feng Dabiao was guilty. These were two different concepts. Now, what Feng Dabiao and the others were waiting for was an opportunity. If Feng Dabiao could come out unscathed, it would be difficult for the Dongmeng district to adjust his work. After all, if even the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection had verified that he was innocent, adjusting his work would be seen as superior-level retaliation. As long as Feng Dabiao was in office, in the position of county committee secretary, it would be very easy for Feng Tianbao to get out of prison after his sentence. That was their plan.

Gao Wei pondered for a moment and then nodded in agreement, “Old Nie, that’s a good point. In my opinion, we still need to find a breakthrough with others. It’s obvious that these people haven’t told the complete truth. They still harbor some illusions about the Feng family and are scared of their retaliation.”

At this moment, when the audit investigation of the Disciplinary Committee had been deadlocked, a group from Dameng County, with Wei Zhiguo at the helm, gathered together.

They were in the same small restaurant in the suburbs, where a few people from Wei Zhiguo’s faction were all present. Zhuang Zhong, who was sitting next to them, could not suppress his anxiety. He looked at Wei Zhiguo and said, “Mayor, it’s time. Our evidence is the last straw that will crush Feng Dabiao.”

At this moment, Tang Yutian also felt deeply moved, expressing his agreement by nodding his head. In a deep voice, he said, “Mayor, Director Zhuang is right. Now, the Disciplinary Committee is only investigating small trivial matters. I think it’s time for us to play our trump card. If we continue to be cautious and prudent, we will miss our opportunity. Opportunities are fleeting.”

Wei Zhiguo’s brows were tightly knitted. He was still hesitating about who would have the last laugh between the Disciplinary Committee and Feng Dabiao.

After a moment of silence, Wei Zhiguo clenched his fist. He decided to take a gamble. His indecisiveness was a personality flaw; if he were half as assertive as Feng Dabiao, he probably wouldn’t feel this desperate. Right now, Tang Yutian’s last sentence had given Wei Zhiguo enough confidence.

After a moment of contemplation, Wei Zhiguo stood up and said, “Alright. Submit our materials. Yutian, you take care of this. Make sure the Disciplinary Committee doesn’t realize it’s us. Everything should be done discreetly. We’ll see how they react next.”

Wei Zhiguo’s words infuriated Tang Yutian. Even in this dire situation, Wei Zhiguo was still indecisive. But Tang Yutian didn’t want to criticize his leader. He nodded and said, “Mayor, rest assured. When I handle things, you can be at ease. I’ll make sure everything is handled properly.”

It was a little past nine in the evening.

At the moment, in the inquiry room on the first floor of the Armed Department Guest House, Nie Zhenbang was personally present, facing a seemingly unresponsive Feng Dabiao.

Nie Zhenbang suddenly slapped the table, yet Feng Dabiao didn’t react at all, as if he wasn’t the one being addressed.

For such a person, unconventional methods might be required. Getting up, Nie Zhenbang smiled and said, “Feng Dabiao, I admit, I underestimated you. However, my patience has its limits. So, you can forget about resting today.”

Saying that, Nie Zhenbang turned and ordered, “Xiao Zhao, remove Mr. Feng’s chair. He seems a bit too comfortable. Starting today, he is to be interrogated for eight hours every four hours, no sleep, no sit-downs. We’ll use a fatigue bombardment strategy. I want to see whether your physical strength or mental resilience gives out first.”

Just as he finished speaking, a knock was heard from outside. A beaming Gao Wei entered the room and walked straight over to Nie Zhenbang. He leaned over and whispered in his ear, “Nie, we have a breakthrough. It seems someone in Dameng County is getting anxious. They’ve actively sent us some materials.”

PS: Sweat, the 24-hour subscriptions dropped drastically. Could it be that this plot is just unbearable? Okay, I’ll adjust it. I’ve been tied up with mundane affairs lately. Please understand. (.)