"I suppose you heard that, Mr. Zheng."

"If you’re unwilling to cooperate... then I might have to meet your wife, and if something gets uncovered during the investigation... I’ll have no choice but to proceed legally."

"I advise you... take this opportunity and come clean while we can still negotiate."

Xu Liang paused for a moment, then quickly added.

"Oh, right, Jiang City isn’t like Upper City. The underbelly in small towns is chaotic, if you end up deep in debt and become a beggar..."

"The outcome could be quite tragic."

After those words.

The atmosphere plunged once more into a peculiar silence, as if the air had frozen.

The face of the detention center chief behind him felt stiff, his eyelid twitching constantly.

Was this...

A threat?

It surely sounded like a threat.

It had to be a threat!

"Where did you find this guy?"

The chief felt his scalp tingle and couldn’t hold back anymore. He tugged Sun Chuan over and whispered with residual fear.

Is he really here to investigate?

If the guy hadn’t been brought by Sun Chuan, the chief couldn’t help but want to apprehend the man right away!

Investigating?

What investigation!? This attitude, this demeanor, and tone... what’s the difference from those serious offenders in the detention center?!

"He’s... he’s really from the higher-ups."

Sun Chuan was also confused, hesitating now.

If earlier Xu Liang showed signs, now...

This was an unmasked, blatant threat!

He’s a cop, and the Director of Jiang City, actually threatening right in front of him!?’

Would someone sent from above really act like this?

In his daze, Sun Chuan wondered if he had gotten mixed up and found the wrong person, then fell into thought.

For a long time...

Zheng Shijie spoke.

"I... I was just drunk driving, I really was just drunk driving!"

Panic flickered in his eyes, then he burst into tears, looking thoroughly distressed.

"I drank too much at the time, and when I saw the police investigating, I got a rush of blood and hit the gas, thinking as long as I ran they wouldn’t catch me... I really don’t know what you’re asking about!"

"I admit my mistake, I really admit it..."

"I don’t know what you’re asking about, all those jars contained only pickled vegetables, I got it from the pickle factory, I loaded the goods myself..."

"..."

The sobbing echoed in everyone’s ears.

Zheng Shijie covered his face with both hands, tears and snot dribbling from between his fingers, making him look quite pathetic.

Meanwhile, opposite him, Xu Liang sat straight, dressed in a black suit.

In a moment of disorientation, Yang Ruoxi felt like she was the villain.

Yet Xu Liang couldn’t care less about this or that!

"Heh, seems like Mr. Zheng drank a lot, after five years he still hasn’t sobered up."

The smile on Xu Liang’s face gradually faded, replaced by a hint of impatience.

Is it easy threatening and intimidating?

And to even give a legal lecture... If it were before, he would charge a consultation fee for that.

"One minute, I’ll give you one more minute to sober up."

Xu Liang glanced at his watch, starting the countdown.

"After one minute..."

"I’ll arrange another meeting between you and your wife."

He seemed serious.

Yet there seemed to be an element of bluff.

Zheng Shijie didn’t know, neither did Sun Chuan.

And as those words hung, Xu Liang no longer said anything, just watched the second hand move on the watch.

Sun Chuan’s eye twitched constantly, shock gripped his heart, yet he suppressed it, waiting silently.

Zheng Shijie’s heart pounded faster and faster.

Beneath his covered hands, a madness crept in.

He was gambling.

Gambling on what?

Gambling that the other was only bluffing, not serious!

Gambling that this guy, like other officers, was just scratching his itch with empty words!

Until...

"Click!"

In a daze, the second hand made a full round.

Xu Liang withdrew his gaze and turned his eyes towards Zheng Shijie, watching him for a long time.

Then...

"Hope you and your wife have a pleasant conversation."

Xu Liang offered a courteous smile, then stood up and left directly.

Sun Chuan paused slightly, then awoke as if from a dream, quickly following.

The chief also gestured to the officers inside, who understood immediately and ended the meeting, waiting for Xu Liang to leave before escorting the men back.

And Zheng Shijie...

’Have a pleasant conversation with your wife?’

A strange unease clenched at Zheng Shijie’s heart, adding a touch of panic, his breath roughened.

What did that mean?

The other party surely can’t be serious... right?

After all, the police are behind this, and what would they do to a solitary mother and daughter without any evidence?

Zheng Shijie’s mind was a bit muddled.

But unfortunately, there was no way to get an answer now.

"Let’s go back."

A few prison guards stepped forward, saying to Zheng Shijie expressionlessly, and then took him away.

...

Outside the reception room.

Walking out of the reception room, Xu Liang gradually walked into the hall.

Looking at his back, Sun Chuan frowned deeper, his eyes filled with doubt.

Until...

Xu Liang stopped in his tracks, turned to look at Sun Chuan, and spoke with an apologetic tone:

"Sorry to trouble you, Director Sun."

"Please help me freeze the bank accounts of Zheng Shijie’s wife, Zhao Yue, and their daughter."

Fro... Freeze!?

Sun Chuan’s eyelid twitched, a trace of astonishment flashing in his eyes.

They’re really going to freeze them!

"Isn’t this... against protocol?" Sun Chuan tentatively said.

In normal circumstances, the police need evidence to investigate.

With evidence, they can follow the trail upwards.

But Zheng Shijie... there’s no evidence at the scene, and he’s tight-lipped, giving no openings!

"It’s within protocol."

Xu Liang said calmly.

"Director Sun, I am a lawyer, from the Faculty of Law at Upper City University."

"No one understands the law better than I do!"

The case Zheng Shijie committed five years ago is suspicious, plus their income doesn’t match their normal expenses.

Thus...

The police can completely use the five-year-old case as a reason to temporarily freeze bank funds for investigation.

"Then..."

"Should I give it a try?" Sun Chuan hesitated to say.

"Give it a try, after all, the officer who was dragged back then shouldn’t have been injured for nothing."

Xu Liang advised.

Upon hearing this, the hesitant Sun Chuan immediately stopped hesitating, nodded, and agreed.

"I’ll arrange it!"

Sun Chuan turned and walked out.

In this small county, his words carried weight.

The person in charge of the detention center had a peculiar look in his eyes.

Then, Xu Liang directed his gaze at him.

"I’d like you to do me a favor and arrange for a beggar or a vagrant to be placed in Zheng Shijie’s cell."

He said.

Arrange for such a prisoner?

The person in charge hesitated but found no difficulty in this task and nodded in agreement.

"Alright, I’ll make arrangements."

The person in charge left.

Xu Liang sat in the hall to rest for a moment.

His moral character was decent, so he generally wouldn’t lie, not even to Zheng Shijie!

What he said earlier wasn’t just a simple threat.

As for implementing it... is it a bit too ruthless?

For example, should the family really be involved?

But the issue remains.

Xu Liang indeed didn’t target his family, he was just following legal procedures to investigate for any illicit funds!

If there are illicit funds, then it’s justifiable to recover them since it’s reasonable to return what was wrongfully spent.

If not, the court seizing the house for public auction is quite reasonable, isn’t it?

Without a house and money, becoming a beggar or vagrant is almost inevitable, and if something happens then... it won’t be his problem.

Seeing Xu Liang deep in thought.

Yang Ruoxi tentatively spoke:

"What are you thinking about?"

"Are you finding it hard to go through with it?"

She hesitated to say.

In her view, Xu Liang was still very kind-hearted!

Just that...

Xu Liang, hearing this, directly shook his head in denial.

"No."

"I was just contemplating whether to let Zheng Shijie’s wife and daughter incur some debt."

The consequences for most who become blinded by profit are not pleasant.

The men might end up becoming "pigs".

The women are likely to become slaves, perhaps coerced into filming videos or prostitution under the veil of loans.

If Zheng Shijie’s family incurs some debt...

Then freeze all assets again.

"Wouldn’t the results be even better?" 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Xu Liang said honestly.

Yang Ruoxi, Su Yu: ?