In the name of supernatural powers

Chapter 72 Undeterred and Unstoppable
"To answer the question, was the municipal executive committee involved, and which other municipal departments were involved?"

Lu Zhao's calm yet resolute voice echoed once again in the interrogation room.

Neither Lü Jinshan nor Xu Fang trembled for no apparent reason.

The taboos, red lines, and minefields they considered had no effect on Lu Zhao.

Lu Jinshan was also driven to the brink of madness. A surge of anger welled up within him, and he said, "So what if it is! Do you dare to investigate?"

Lu Zhao is currently on temporary assignment in the special task force; in the end, he is still just a captain, a minor official at a border station.

Once he gained power, he really thought he was a military commander and dared to say anything.
The next moment, Lü Jinshan saw Lu Zhao turn his head and order, "Record it."

"Are you crazy?"

Lu Jinshan was somewhat incredulous.

He originally thought Lu Zhao only wanted to kill him, never expecting that the other party would dare to point his sword at the city's executive branch.

Xu Fang didn't pick up a pen, but asked to confirm, "Do you really want me to write this down?"

"Not only must you memorize it, but you must also do so without changing a single word, and then immediately send it to the Nankaido Political Bureau after you have finished memorizing it."

Lu Zhao's answer was so firm that Xu Fang began to suspect that the higher-ups were disregarding military ethics and were about to take drastic measures against the Chen family.

She wrote down the record without changing a single word.

I was only responsible for taking notes; there was no need for me to disobey Lu Zhao.

"I didn't say that! I didn't say that!"

Lu Jinshan quickly denied it, but it was no use; it was already written down in black and white.

Lu Zhao took the statement and placed it in front of him, saying, "Mr. Lü, please sign it. Signing it will reduce your sentence and leave a way out for your family."

Lu Jinshan made no move.

Lu Zhao did not force or beat Xu Fang. After waiting for a minute, he turned around and handed the transcript back to Xu Fang.

He commanded in a calm tone: "The suspect, Lü Jinshan, refused to sign and showed no intention of surrendering. He has been allowed to read the statement himself, and he has not raised any substantive objections."

"I'll save this record at the end."

Upon hearing this, Lü Jinshan shouted again, "I protest..."

"Then what evidence do you have for your protest? Who granted Liu Zhihui his power? Doesn't Zhao De know anything about it?"

Lu Zhao posed two questions, immediately silencing Lü Jinshan once again.

He clenched his fists, his body trembling uncontrollably. He was completely under their thumb, with almost no chance to fight back.

"Signing it constitutes surrendering yourself; refusing to sign it means you have to take the blame yourself."

Lu Zhao then placed the confession in front of him.

"Madman, you madman..."

Lu Jinshan cursed as he picked up a pen and shakily wrote down his name.

If he signs, no one will protect him anymore; if he doesn't sign, he will definitely be thrown out as a scapegoat.

Faced with a choice between life imprisonment and the death penalty, Lü Jinshan chose the former, also leaving a way for his family to survive.

Lu Zhao nodded in satisfaction after receiving the signed statement.

Thus, he had three testimonies: one from Lü Bowen, one from Lü Jinshan, and one from Zhao De's son.

Lu Bowen testified against Liu Zhihui, and Lu Jinshan then testified against Zhao De. As for Zhao De's son, he said it couldn't be considered evidence; he only said that the bar owner knew his father.

A seventeen-year-old knows very little.

At this moment, Zhang Like stood outside the door waiting, his footsteps scattered with cigarette butts, clearly indicating that he had been smoking non-stop from the very beginning.

The interrogation room was poorly soundproofed ten years ago, and he could hear what was happening inside.

"Old Lu, are we really going to go this far?"

Zhang Like asked the question, believing he knew Lu Zhao well and that he was an upright and incorruptible person.

But I never expected him to be so unscrupulous. He was a high-ranking official, a city executive, a federal official.

The entire federation has approximately three billion people, including its citizens. There are seven thousand official positions, but fewer than three hundred people hold real power as city executives.

"I won't drag you down with me."

Lu Zhao assured him, "Not only will I not implicate you, but I've also extricated you from the situation." If the incident happened suddenly and Lü Jinshan tried to shift the blame for the smuggling route, then Zhang Like would be in serious trouble.

But now Zhang Like not only has no record of wrongdoing, but he also has the merit of reporting and investigating wrongdoing.

“That’s not what I meant.” Zhang Like glared at him and said, “Brother, I’m afraid of dying, but I’m not that cowardly. I’m saying, aren’t you afraid of a counterattack if you do this?”

“If I were afraid, I wouldn’t be standing here today.”

"I'm afraid of collecting your corpse. How could a mere lieutenant handle that?"

"Then don't accept it."

Lu Zhao gave a brief reply, then strode away.

He is just an ordinary man, but today he wants to ask the Federation a question.

If the legal system can stand, can justice prevail?
Zhang Like watched his retreating figure until it disappeared at the end of the corridor.
-
Hunyuan.

Lu Zhao walked out of the spiritual quagmire, stepped onto the steps leading to the small Taoist temple, and stood outside the door.

The old Taoist priest leisurely opened his eyes and saw that Lu Zhaomen's courtyard was filled with evil aura, and his soul seemed to be surrounded by clouds and mist.

"come in."

Lu Zhao entered the Taoist temple, cupped his hands and bowed in greeting.

Before he could speak, the old Taoist priest, as if he had a premonition, said, "You've made your move?"

"Yes."

Lu Zhao recounted the events of the day from beginning to end: leading troops into the city, sweeping through the districts, and apprehending the ringleaders.

Then the focus was on interrogating Lü Jinshan. Lu Zhao did not follow his teacher's instructions to use the evidence against Zhao De.

According to the old Taoist priest's plan, Lü Jinshan should be interrogated, but no substantial evidence should be found.

It's enough to convey the message "I can put you on the scale." If you have substantial evidence, you might just drive someone to desperation.

Both are threats, but they are completely different in nature.

Don't spell things out, don't make definitive statements, just let others think in the worst possible light.

Lu Zhaochu was also full of praise upon hearing this; the teacher's ability to manipulate people was truly masterful.

He bowed and said, "I am ashamed that I did not follow your instructions."

Are you really ashamed?

The old Taoist priest was somewhat helpless, but not unexpected, and said, "Rise, I don't expect you to back down."

Lu Zhao straightened his back and shamelessly asked, "Teacher, what should I do next?"

The old Taoist priest said, "If I teach you, will you listen?"

Lu Zhao said sincerely, "This student is dull and may not be able to fully understand what the teacher means."

Snapped!
A ruler struck Lu Zhao on the forehead, making him wince in pain.

"You won't listen to me if what I say doesn't suit your taste, is that it?"

The old Taoist priest chuckled in exasperation. He had spent his whole life ordering people around, and now he was being ordered around by someone else.

Lu Zhao covered his head and said, "This student dares not disobey, please guide me, teacher."

The old Taoist priest sighed; what could he do when he only had this one student?

He said slowly, "You came to me seeking an answer. In my opinion, you're going to suffer this time; the higher-ups won't let you do this."

Lu Zhao had anticipated this and said, "Teacher, are you saying that even if I put the evidence on the Daozheng Bureau's table, they will still turn a blind eye?"

The old Taoist priest countered, "If I said yes, would you give up?"

"No, their corruption is their problem."

Lu Zhao stood straight as a spear, his expression calm and resolute: "You taught me that when the spirit departs, one dies; when the spirit remains, one lives."

The old Taoist priest felt that Lu Gangfeng's nickname was not wrong, and that it might even be a bit more forceful.

Hai Rui at least remained loyal to the emperor, while his student had no taboos.

(End of this chapter)