Siheyuan came through and sent Jia Zhang to prison

Chapter 605 Asking for help

In a flash, Mo Wen put on a submissive smile and deliberately lowered his voice: "Director Jiang, don't worry, they didn't find anything useful. That expert Ma squatted on the ground for a long time, just rummaging through some coal slag, examining it from all angles, and in the end, he didn't take anything. Director He did ask me a few questions about the mine's production, but I answered them all with the same story you gave me beforehand, without giving anything away. They didn't ask any more questions after that and left directly. I was watching the whole time, I didn't dare blink, there was absolutely nothing wrong."

Jiang Hu tapped his fingers lightly on the table, making a rhythmic "tap-tap" sound. His gaze lingered on Mo Wen's face for a few seconds, as if he were weighing the truth in his words. After a moment, he spoke slowly, his tone carrying an undeniable seriousness: "Don't let your guard down. They won't let this go so easily. He Feng looks calm, but he has incredibly sharp eyes, like a hawk. If they didn't find any clues this time, they'll definitely come back next time, and maybe with a different method." He paused, then slammed his fingertips on the table, emphasizing his words, "You keep a close eye on them! When they come to investigate again, you have to remember every single thing they do—who they met, what they asked, even if they lingered in front of a particular coal pile for a while, or even if they glanced at a particular pillar, you have to tell me everything, understand?"

Mo Wen nodded frantically, bending even lower until he was almost touching the table: "Don't worry! I'll remember your words and make sure they don't hide anything from me!" He secretly breathed a sigh of relief—thankfully, he hadn't told the truth and kept the fact that Expert Ma had secretly taken away a small piece of bloodstained coal ash a secret; otherwise, this hot potato would have really landed on his shoulders. Although he didn't know what Director Jiang was wary of, his intuition told him that the less he knew, the safer he would be.

Despite his apprehension, Mo Wen reiterated his loyalty: "Director, you can rest assured. Next time they come, I'll keep a close eye on them and report every single sound they make."

Jiang Hu hummed in agreement. He trusted Mo Wen—after all, he was a trusted confidant whom he had personally promoted, someone he found easy to use and obedient enough. He waved his hand: "Alright, you can go back now. Report back anytime if anything happens."

On the other side, as soon as He Feng and Ma Xin returned to the bureau, Zhao Lei came up to them and whispered, "Director, the people you asked me to arrange have all arrived."

He Feng nodded, his eyes darkening. "Okay. Have them keep watch at the entrance of the coal mine. Remember, their main focus is on who comes out, especially those who don't usually show their faces. They need to record their every move, but don't alert them. If they are discovered, all our previous efforts will be wasted."

"Understood!" Zhao Lei replied, then turned and quickly went down to make the arrangements.

He Feng turned to Ma Xin and handed her an evidence bag—inside was a small piece of cloth stained with dark red marks. “Ma Xin, go and test this bloodstained cloth. See whose blood it is. Can you find out what happened at the mine from the blood type or other traces?”

"Okay, I'll go to the lab now." Ma Xin took the evidence bag and left with a solemn expression.

He Feng returned to his office, sat down, and unconsciously tapped his fingertips on the desk. This investigation at the coal mine had felt off at every turn. Jiang Hu was clearly covering something up, but there was no concrete evidence to hold him accountable. He felt that the situation was more complex than he had imagined.

Just as he was pondering this, the phone on his desk suddenly rang, its ringing sound particularly jarring in the quiet room. He Feng answered the phone, and his superior's calm voice came through: "He Feng, how's your investigation going?"

He Feng gave a wry smile and reported truthfully, "Sir, I have been following up, but I haven't found any solid evidence yet. Moreover, the other party is the director of the mining bureau, which restricts my authority and makes the investigation inconvenient."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a clear instruction: "Alright, I understand. I've already communicated with the higher-ups about this, and they've granted you temporary investigative authority. They'll be sending a few people to support you later; they're all experienced veteran investigators. Go ahead and investigate. No matter who's involved, if there's a problem, investigate however you need to. Don't have any worries."

He Feng felt a sense of relief—with that bloodstained cloth as a pretext, he could finally investigate the coal mine matter openly and honestly without having to worry about the overt and covert obstacles.

A day passed quickly, and Ma Xin reported that the technical department's test results were not yet available, with no new findings for the time being. He Feng then returned to the bureau, instructing her to report any news immediately.

Ma Xin didn't rush back. She first circled the alleys near the coal mine twice to make sure no one was following her before turning into the familiar little restaurant. There weren't many customers in the restaurant. A chipped soy sauce bottle sat on a greasy wooden table, and a ceiling fan in the corner turned slowly, blowing out a faint smell of cooking oil.

Not long after I sat down, the waiter, wearing an apron, came running over with a familiar smile on his face: "Miss, what would you like to eat today? The usual, a plate of sweet and sour pork?"

Ma Xin smiled and tapped her fingertips lightly on the table: "Just bring a couple of simple home-style dishes. By the way, is your boss in? I need to talk to him about something."

The waiter paused for a moment, then nodded, "Yes, yes, please wait a moment, I'll go get her right away." He knew this girl was a regular customer who would occasionally talk to the owner about something, so he didn't ask any more questions and turned to walk towards the kitchen.

Ma Xin sat by the window, watching the passersby outside, her mind preoccupied with matters concerning the coal mine. A moment later, a slightly overweight middle-aged man in a gray short-sleeved shirt approached; it was the restaurant owner. He sat down opposite Ma Xin, poured himself a glass of iced tea, and cut to the chase: "Why are you here at this hour? Aren't you afraid of being watched?"

Ma Xin picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and said calmly, "Don't worry, I've checked. I'm here for a meal, and by the way, do you have anything to do with the coal mine incident?"

The boss shook his head, his eyes turning serious: "We only deal with your line of work, we don't get involved in anything else. That matter has nothing to do with us, you can investigate however you want, don't worry about us."

Ma Xin nodded, a weight lifted from her heart. She had been worried that their people were behind it, fearing she would have to maneuver and negotiate, but now it seemed she had been overthinking it.

Just then, the waiter brought out the dishes: a plate of stir-fried greens, a bowl of tomato and egg soup, and two bowls of rice. Ma Xin was indeed hungry, so she picked up her chopsticks and started eating. After a busy day, a bowl of hot soup made her feel much more comfortable.