In the name of supernatural powers

Chapter 223 Pushing Hands
At the entrance of the camp.

The paparazzi were stunned for a moment, then became agitated like boiling water. The timid ones frantically snapped photos, while the bold ones dashed out.

A popular federal celebrity was arrested in public, and in such an undignified way.

If this were filmed, it would definitely be a sensational news story that would shake the entire Federation.

If you can get your hands on a photo up close, you could very well achieve financial freedom.

A single bombshell photo or a crucial video, providing solid evidence of a celebrity's relationship, infidelity, illegitimate children, or disgraceful behavior, can fetch hundreds of thousands or even millions of federal gold coins.

This era has a weak protection of personal privacy and image, with many newspapers profiting from the obsessive pursuit and filming of celebrities.

They resorted to all sorts of extreme measures, from ransacking garbage dumps and speeding to eavesdropping and raiding houses.

"Keep away!"

A tall special operations soldier stood in front of the paparazzi, who, used to taking photos secretly, seemed not to hear him and continued to push forward.

boom!
With a loud bang, a figure flew 3 meters and knocked over a roadside trash can.

The other paparazzi who were running forward immediately came to their senses and froze in place, not daring to move any closer.

This era offers weak protection for individual privacy rights while imposing few restrictions on law enforcement.

There is no such thing as hitting someone in public causing a huge uproar.

The Special Counter-Strike Force is a riot control unit, specifically used to deal with troublemakers. They have a unique stick-wielding technique that can deliver six blows per second, making the locals scream in pain.

Seeing this, Lu Zhao probably understood why the leadership wanted to improve the image of the special operations forces.

On the one hand, there are higher-level requirements; on the other hand, if the public perceives special counter-terrorism units as fierce and menacing, then the special counter-terrorism soldiers will not hesitate to use their fists and feet when carrying out specific missions.

Humans always have a rebellious streak.

That kick would probably break one or two ribs.

"My father-in-law is Marquis Wu! You're finished. I'll definitely make you pay..."

Li Mufeng was forced into a police car amidst shouts of anger. The police officers escorting him clearly wanted to slap him, but restrained their instincts considering his status.

The police car left, followed closely by paparazzi.

Lu Zhao sat in another car, with Zhou Wanhua, a blind man, driving. In front of them were the police officers escorting Li Mufeng.

"Brother Lu, what should we do next? Should we shake off these paparazzi? If they find out where we're being held, I'm afraid someone will try to take us away."

Rushing into a police station to snatch someone may sound like the act of a ruthless bandit, but it's not uncommon.

In some chaotic areas, gangs are indeed capable of such acts, and of course, they will inevitably face devastating blows from special forces afterward.

Lu Zhao shook his head and said, "It's at the Nantie District Public Security Bureau. You and I will stay there tonight to prevent anyone from letting him go."

"If anyone dares to try and steal it, then beat them hard. The special operations force is very good at this."

Zhou Wanhua's arm trembled slightly.

Lu Zhao asked, "Are you scared already?"

"Brother Lu, I'm just excited. We've exposed the Marquis's son-in-law, the black supplement, and things that many people dared not investigate."

Zhou Wanhua couldn't contain his excitement and asked, "Brother Lu, was this instructed by Chief Liu?"

"Big cities are indeed different. I've only been in office for less than half a year and I've already joined the struggle against the Marquis of Wu. After we finish this, will I be able to get promoted and make a fortune?"

He arrested a popular celebrity on the street in Cangwu City. The celebrity was also the son-in-law of the Marquis of Wu. He was acting on orders from another Marquis of Wu.

This kind of thing is not only exciting, but also gives you a strange sense of exhilaration.

He was never a timid person; he stopped halfway through the investigation because he simply couldn't make any progress. Without support from above, even important clues he uncovered couldn't be used as evidence.

But things are different now. With Lu Zhao backing him up, and the chief of the South China Sea region as his backer, he is now in a different position.

In Zhou Wanhua's view, this matter was entirely instigated by Liu Wuhou.

Lu Zhao replied, "We can't guarantee we'll get rich, but as long as we stick to our duties, we're guaranteed a promotion."

Zhou Wanhua, taking it as casual conversation, casually remarked, "Being conscientious about your duties might mean sitting on the sidelines your whole life; without connections, it's hard to get promoted."

Lu Zhaodao said, "If you can't get promoted, it means there are bad people in the organization. Just take them down. The Federation gives us the power to fight criminals, but we also have the obligation to report corrupt officials."

Admittedly, he owed his position as captain of the Ninth Detachment to Liu Hanwen, but it didn't come for free; Liu Hanwen was also helping to crack down on the Chen faction's forces.

His appointment was in accordance with procedures and was legal and compliant.

"If reporting were that easy, the federal government wouldn't be in this state."

Zhou Wanhua said half-jokingly, "Only someone with a background like Brother Lu can have no worries about the future."

"My background is only the Federation."

Lu Zhao stared ahead, his handsome face as cold and resolute as ever.

I wonder how Chief Liu will react if he finds out about this; he might be very angry. After all, Chief Liu seems very assertive and wouldn't allow his subordinates to act on their own.

Lu Zhao had to do it no matter what.

This is not only aimed at the black market supplement case, but also at investigating the ancient god forces within the winery's production facility.

Perhaps if he ignores it today, there won't be any problems. The factory will relocate smoothly, Liu Wuhou will achieve his performance targets, and he will be promoted safely under the other party's protection.

But Lu Zhao was certain that he would regret it later. Ancient gods meant disaster, and one day they would cause an irreparable catastrophe.

This was true ten years ago, and it will be true ten years from now.

Comrade Liu Hanwen, I came to Cangwu not to be tested by you or to become your son-in-law.
-
Meanwhile, in the Nanling prison area.

After not eating or drinking for three consecutive days, Lü Da finally ate something, and perhaps because he had given up all hope, his complexion improved significantly.

He was taken to a room specifically for questioning.

The room was elegantly decorated, with sandalwood incense burning, and the leather sofas were soft and comfortable.

As soon as Lü Da sat down, he relaxed completely, as if he were back in his own office.

If there wasn't a fourth-tier superhuman in the room watching him to prevent him from committing suicide, then perhaps it was all just a dream.

About fifteen minutes later, a faint footstep came from outside the door.

Then the door opened, and a dignified middle-aged man walked in.

His face was thin, with a broad forehead and very obvious wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

He greeted everyone with a smile as soon as he entered, a gentle smile that dispelled some of the imposing manner of a superior.

Upon seeing the middle-aged man, Lü Da practically jumped up from the sofa.

Straighten your back to make your belly more noticeable.

"Hello, Chief!"

He had seen this middle-aged man on television countless times; he would appear at every major conference.

Xu Zhigao, the Federal Inspector, is one of the twelve Martial Marquises of the Martial Virtue Hall.

"Comrade Lü Da, hello."

Xu Zhigao took the initiative to shake hands with him, and said sincerely, "Everyone makes mistakes. If you make a mistake, you have to explain it to the organization. As long as you explain it clearly, I will definitely try to get leniency for you."

Upon seeing how the national-level military commander treated him, Lü Da burst into tears and slapped himself twice.

"Waaah... I'm not human. I've let down my country, my organization, and the people!"

"It's not too late if you explain yourself now."

Xu Zhigao comforted Lü Da, who was older than him, feeling quite helpless.

He didn't feel much pity for this person, because he had seen too many like him.

Xu Zhigao handled all the cases involving top-level officials in the entire federal government.

Under the federal government selection system, the vast majority of officials are capable and not corrupt from the outset.

Their journey was fraught with hardship; some had fought their way back from the battlefield, some were skilled in economic development, and some had risked their lives in counterinsurgency operations.

Without exception, they all shed blood and sweat for the Federation, and their experiences were all different.

But the process of eventual corruption is remarkably consistent.

It all boils down to the four words: wine, women, wealth, and anger.

Lu Da now looks like he regrets his actions too late; if he could do it all over again, he would still make the same mistake.

Embezzlement is either a one-time occurrence or an endless series of times.

The two sat down and began to get down to business.

Xu Zhigao asked, "We received a report that you are involved in a lot of judicial corruption. Have you read all the documents we gave you these past few days?"

Lu Da nodded and said, "I've seen it all, and most of it is true."

Xu Zhigao asked, "Did you do all of this by yourself?"

Lu Da was silent for a moment, then asked, "Sir, if I were the protector in all these cases, wouldn't I be sentenced to life imprisonment or even death?"

Xu Zhigao raised an eyebrow.

Officials who reach this level are no pushovers.

Life imprisonment is normal, but speculating on a death sentence at least shows that Wang Shouzhen was thinking.

This is not surprising, after all, Chief Wang has been cracking down on corruption in the past two years, and some people guessed that he was planning a major case.

Understanding the emperor's intentions has always been an essential quality for high-ranking officials.

"Do you have an even higher level of protection?" "I don't know if it counts."

Lu Da said, “These cases were all introduced by a law firm. I was only responsible for collecting a portion of the money. Their legal and consulting services involved helping to contact officials of all ranks, from county-level local officials to top officials like myself.”

Xu Zhigao asked with surprise, "If they are so powerful, how do they provide you with protection?"

Lu Da hesitated for a moment, then replied, "They can help me get in touch with important figures in the capital."

He couldn't possibly shoulder everything alone; that would be certain death. Only by implicating enough people could he possibly escape this fate.

Even if he is sentenced to life imprisonment, given his status as a first-level official, his treatment in prison will not be too bad.

Xu Zhigao perked up and asked, "Who did you contact?"

"Gongyang Shou" (meaning "longevity of the ram").

The son of the former federal chief, now the chief of the Life Supplements Committee, controls the federal life supplement rationing system.

Although he was not a Marquis of Wu, his power was greater than that of most Marquises of Wu.
-
Nantie District Public Security Bureau.

Lu Zhao and Zhou Wanhua rushed back with a large group of people.

When Li Mufeng, who had been barking wildly all the way, was pushed off the car and thrown into the interrogation room, the bureau immediately erupted in chaos.

The director and the deputy director in charge were drinking tea in their office when they heard the commotion outside and ran out to find the door surrounded by reporters, who were snapping photos with their cameras and microphones.

A dozen or so special agents formed a human wall at the entrance, each holding a riot shield in one hand and a plastic baton in the other. A reporter was lying on the ground.

Lu Zhao specifically transferred the mobile brigade over.

After questioning by the director and the deputy director in charge, they learned that Zhou Wanhua had arrested Li Mufeng, a popular celebrity in the federal government, under the pretext of investigating an organ harvesting case, and had done so in front of a large group of reporters.

The two found Zhou Wanhua standing outside the interrogation room, talking to Lu Zhao.

Without saying a word, they rushed over and hurriedly asked:
"Do you know how big a mess you've made? The outside is now surrounded by reporters."

"Xiao Zhou, release the person right now and apologize to them properly."

Lu Zhao remained silent, as he was only responsible for "cooperating" with the case investigation.

Special counter-terrorism units do not have investigative powers; they are only responsible for riot control and assisting in investigations. The specific interrogation and investigation procedures are handled by the Public Security Bureau.

Even Tu Bin had only asked him to transfer and store witnesses and evidence; the actual interrogation and investigation were still handled by the criminal police officers of the Public Security Bureau.

Now, Zhou Wanhua is naturally in charge of this matter.

Zhou Wanhua calmly replied, "I have clear evidence that Li Mufeng is involved in the organ trafficking case and the black tonic case. I am only summoning him for questioning now."

"But you can't just bring people back like this, can you? What if it causes a public outcry..."

Can public opinion really disrupt a case investigation?

Zhou Wanhua interrupted, saying, "He is suspected of engaging in illegal and criminal activities, and I have the right to forcibly detain him."

The bureau chief said, "Isn't the illegal supplement case already closed? Now the case is in court. Xiao Zhou, stop making trouble and release the person immediately."

As a mere local security bureau chief, he certainly had no way of knowing about the power struggles at the Wuhou level. But one thing he was very clear about was that Li Mufeng's father-in-law was a Wuhou.

Chen Wuhou's wedding was a grand affair some time ago, with no intention of hiding it.

“The case is not closed until the court verdict is handed down, and I still have the right to conduct further investigations. Moreover, this is not only related to the black medicine case, but also the organ case.”

Zhou Wanhua then delivered the prepared statement.

Since I've decided to work for Chief Liu, I certainly can't be careless. Having connections doesn't mean I can act recklessly; those who are truly favored by important figures often need to get things done well within the rules.

Therefore, Zhou Wanhua completed all the formalities.

This was to prevent Li Mufeng from being taken out through proper procedures within the scope of his authority and responsibility.

The deputy director in charge said, "Xiao Zhou, this is Wu Hou's son-in-law."

Zhou Wanhua said loudly, "Does being the son-in-law of the Marquis of Wu mean you can break the law and commit crimes? This case must be investigated thoroughly, and I will take responsibility for any problems that arise."

More and more police colleagues gathered around, crowding the aisle, and some people heard Zhou Wanhua's voice.

Some people clapped and cheered.

"Team Leader Zhou is awesome!"

"Well done."

The two leaders from the Public Security Bureau were put in a difficult position and had no choice but to turn around and leave to contact their superiors.

Just like Lu Zhao back then.

As long as you're not afraid of being held accountable later and follow the proper procedures, the leadership can't simply remove Zhou Wanhua with a single sentence.

We have to follow the proper procedures, otherwise we'll be asking for trouble.

Amid the cheers, Zhou Wanhua took a deep breath and whispered, "Brother Lu, this is pretty cool."

Lu Zhao smiled and complimented, "Team Leader Zhou is awesome!"

The two men, along with a veteran police officer from the same criminal investigation team, then interrogated each other together.

Criminal investigation interviews require the presence of at least two people, who must be law enforcement-qualified investigators.

The veteran police officer was invited by Zhou Wanhua to complete the formalities. If only Zhou Wanhua had gone in alone, he would likely have been warned quickly for violating the law.

He was given a serious accusation and subsequently suspended from his duties pending investigation.

This is a valuable experience that Lu Zhao shared with Zhou Wanhua.

Inside the interrogation room.

Li Mufeng sat on a small chair, the bright light shining on his face, making it impossible for him to see the faces of the three people opposite him.

By this time, he had calmed down, but the anger on his face remained.

His servility towards Chen Qian stemmed from Wu Hou's power, not from his inherent nature.

"What on earth do you want to do?"

"Comrade Li, you are now suspected of smuggling advanced life supplements and illegally selling transplant organs. Confess and you will be treated leniently; resist and you will be punished severely."

"Smuggling? Organs? I don't know what you're talking about."

Li Mufeng looked puzzled and frowned, saying, "Officer, you need evidence to support your claims. As a celebrity with endorsement fees that can easily reach hundreds of millions, do I need to do such illegal and criminal things?"

This person isn't stupid, just simply wicked and arrogant.

"As far as I know, a single bottle of high-grade life supplement can fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars on the black market. We recently seized a truckload of it; guess how many endorsement fees that would be enough for you?"

Zhou Wanhua scoffed, "And those endorsement fees of yours, who knows how much of it is money laundering."

"Officer, you can face legal trouble for defaming someone."

Li Mufeng sat in the chair, prepared not to answer whatever the other party said.

The summons period shall not exceed twelve hours, except for special periods of up to 12 hours.

Criminal detention is even less likely.

His father-in-law was a military commander; how could he allow anyone to prosecute him? In his mind, he would be released sooner or later.

Without Chen Yunming, Li Mufeng would never have been so brazen.

Time passed by minute by minute.

As Zhou Wanhua continued to ask questions, Li Mufeng, who had initially been calm, gradually became restless.

The interrogation chair was specially designed so that the longer you sat in it, the more uncomfortable it became.

The suspect will gradually break down his defenses under both physical and psychological torment.

Many people are not as resilient as they imagine themselves to be.

Sit on a small stool, let the sun shine on you, and after twelve hours of this, you'll confess everything.

Lu Zhao remained completely unhurried, his cold and clear eyes observing everything.

Under psychological probing, the number of people gathering outside the police station continued to increase.

Reporters from major newspapers were the first to arrive upon hearing the news, followed by a small group of well-informed fans. However, the numbers were still insufficient, lacking the efficiency of information dissemination in the internet age.

Twelve hours is enough for the newspaper to print the magazine urgently, and twenty-four hours is enough for sources from all directions.

His mind simulated vision, and he looked towards the Nanling District.

Once the Imperial Capital Special Task Force became aware of this matter, someone would naturally continue to push forward with it.

A professor at the cadre academy once said that the Martial Virtue Hall had criticized the black market for supplements more than once and warned the trainees not to get involved.

This means that the Imperial Capital wanted to eliminate the black tonic.

The special task force that came down from the capital city would naturally pay attention to any related news they saw.

Chief Liu's interests and those of the capital city cannot be completely aligned; conflicts between the core leadership and local authorities have existed since ancient times. Chief Liu may tolerate pharmaceutical companies for the sake of industrial relocation, but the Federal Chief may not be so tolerant.

If it doesn't work out in the end, it will still ruin Li Mufeng and Lü Da.

The beauty salon will definitely be exposed to the eyes of the capital.

Political maneuvering is not about framing and conspiring, but about assessing the situation, finding collaborators among the complex forces, and handing them the tools.

The world is like a chessboard, and each party is like a piece of chess, with orderly progress.

Lu Zhao knew that he was also a character in the play, and his trajectory was also under his master's control.

But one day, it will be his turn to play.

(End of this chapter)