Siheyuan came through and sent Jia Zhang to prison

Chapter 645 Zhao Ci Catches a Cold

These events weighed heavily on Zhang Chuan's heart like a burning stone, keeping him awake at night. He had originally planned to wait until he had gathered all the evidence of Lao Wang's disappearance before handing over these sordid matters to Director He. However, seeing Lao Li rushing frantically towards the office building just now, he knew he couldn't wait any longer—Jiang Hu and his gang were as cunning as foxes; if he dragged it out any longer, they might even be silenced themselves. These heinous acts, which he had stumbled upon by chance, were now intertwined with the disappearance case. He would expose them all to Director He, allowing this pack of wolves in sheep's clothing to be rounded up in one fell swoop!

He was pacing anxiously at the dormitory entrance, kicking the coal around his feet with a loud thud, when suddenly a weak cough came from behind him, like a broken bellows. Turning around, he saw Zhao Ci leaning against the wall, his face as sallow as an old sheet of paper, his lips cracked and peeling, and a palm-sized bruise on his arm—you have to understand, Zhao Ci is a real professor, when has he ever done this kind of work?

"Why did you only just get back?" Zhang Chuan quickly went up to help him, his hand touching a burning hot body, Zhao Ci's body was as hot as a ball of fire.

"It seems like I really do have a fever, and the wound seems to be a bit infected." Zhao Ci was panting, each sentence was difficult, and his chest was heaving like a bellows. "Is...is Director He here? I think I heard some noise outside just now."

Zhang Chuan nodded emphatically, his eyes gleaming with an astonishing light: "He's here! He's right over at the gate! Zhao Ci, let's go out and find him now, and make everything clear—about Old Wang, the wages the brothers were cheated out of, and the shady dealings at the mine, tell him everything!"

Zhao Ci's eyes suddenly lit up, and tears welled up in his cloudy eyes, as if dusty glass had been suddenly wiped clean. He nodded vigorously, his voice trembling uncontrollably: "Good...good! Only Director He can save us...I don't want to stay in this hellhole for another day." He subconsciously touched what he was carrying in his pocket. It was an attendance sheet and pay slips wrapped in three layers of oil paper. The dense numbers and crooked signatures on them were the blood and tears of the miners, the hardest evidence of the crimes committed by Jiang Hu and his gang.

Zhang Chuan helped him, and the two of them stumbled towards the mine gate. Zhao Ci had a fever and staggered after every few steps, so Zhang Chuan simply half-supported him as they moved forward. As they passed the foreman's office, they could still hear Jiang Hu cursing and swearing inside, mixed with the clattering of abacus beads—no doubt, he was probably calculating how to convert the miners' wages into IOUs this month and how to smuggle out illegal coal to sell at a higher price.

"Don't make a sound." Zhang Chuan lowered his voice, helping Zhao Ci around to the back wall and moving along it towards the gate. The coal slag on the ground was like broken glass, stinging the soles of their feet, but neither of them dared to stop, not even having time to rub them. They had only one thought in their minds: hurry, hurry, as long as they see Director He, they can send these beasts to jail, let their brothers catch their breath, and let this black land see the real sun.

In the distance came the creaking sound of an iron gate being pulled open, like rusty bones being forcibly pried open, mixed with the orderly shouts of police officers. Zhang Chuan's heart tightened; he knew the operation had begun. He pulled Zhao Ci along and quickened their pace—the storm had arrived, and they had to find that ray of light that could illuminate this endless darkness before the rain stopped.

Just as Zhang Chuan and Zhao Ci reached the corner, they saw Jiang Hu approaching from the opposite side with two of his men, their headlamps flickering in the alley. Zhao Ci instinctively wanted to greet them, but Zhang Chuan suddenly grabbed his wrist and dragged him behind a low shed where coal was piled up.

"You..." Zhao Ci was about to ask what was wrong when Zhang Chuan quickly gave her a look—his brows furrowed slightly, and his fingertip pointed in Jiang Hu's direction. Zhao Ci immediately understood, swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue, held her breath, and shrank behind the coal pile.

Jiang Hu's footsteps grew closer, the soles of his boots crunching over the pebbles, accompanied by his casual conversation with his men: "...Keep a close eye on that old man, don't let him contact outsiders..." His voice gradually faded away until it was completely inaudible, and Zhang Chuan breathed a sigh of relief, patting Zhao Ci's arm: "Jiang Hu went out just now, and I was afraid he would become suspicious if he saw you here, so I hid for a while."

Zhao Ci nodded, a hint of lingering fear flashing in his eyes, and quietly followed Zhang Chuan out.

On the other side, when Jiang Hu and his brothers arrived at the gate of the coal mine bureau, they saw He Feng standing there with a team of police officers, their black uniforms particularly conspicuous in the morning mist. Jiang Hu's heart skipped a beat, but he still had a smile on his face—he had always thought that He Feng was just going through the motions, after all, the deadline given by his superiors for the investigation was fast approaching, and he was certain that the other party would not find any solid evidence.

"Director He, what's going on this time?" Jiang Hu stepped forward, his tone somewhat teasing. "Didn't we just do an inspection last time? Did you find some kind of hard currency?"

He Feng, with his hands in his pockets and a calm expression, said, "It's not exactly hard evidence. I just suddenly remembered some details and came over to take another look."

"That won't do." Jiang Hu blocked the doorway, his smile fading slightly. "Director He, this is the Coal Mine Bureau, not a place your Public Security Bureau can just walk into. There have to be some rules, right?"

Just as He Feng was about to retort, one of Jiang Hu's trusted aides suddenly strode over and whispered a few words in his ear. Jiang Hu's expression changed instantly. He turned to look at He Feng and said in a harsh tone, "The higher-ups called and want you to go in." He cursed his bad luck inwardly, but there was nothing he could do. His superiors had given the order, and he couldn't disobey.

He Feng winked at Zhao Lei behind him and whispered, "Zhao Lei, remember, when we go in, give Director Jiang some 'special treatment,' understand?"

Zhao Lei was stunned for a moment, then realized what he meant and leaned close to He Feng's ear: "Director, this... he is, after all, the director of the coal mining bureau. Isn't doing this too conspicuous?"

"What's 'eye-catching'?" He Feng patted his shoulder, his voice neither loud nor soft. "I meant 'take care' of him. Make sure he cooperates with the investigation smoothly and doesn't cause any trouble, understand?"

Zhao Lei's eyes lit up, and he immediately nodded: "Understood!" He turned around and whispered a few words to his subordinates. The men exchanged glances and moved closer to Jiang Hu without making a sound.

Seeing this scene, Jiang Hu felt increasingly uneasy, but he could only bite the bullet and say, "Director He, please come in. You can investigate whatever you want."

"Thank you very much, Director Jiang." He Feng smiled, then changed the subject, "By the way, I heard that there were some ghost stories around here recently, and I've made some progress. For your safety, I've arranged for someone to 'protect' you. You don't mind, do you?"

Jiang Hu was about to refuse, but when he met He Feng's unfathomable eyes, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue. He knew what this "protection" meant, but he had no reason to refute it, so he could only stand there with a stiff face.