Chapter 51: Swift and Decisive

Chen Liang did not understand.
"Chief, this violates discipline. You mustn't be foolish."
Zhou Guozhong took a deep drag of his cigarette.
"Old Chen, as you know, this is China, and we have our own circumstances. Ten years ago, I was just a beat cop. I arrested a woman for prostitution. Back in those days, she only made a few cents in food coupons. After being arrested, she knelt and begged us to let her go back to her rented room because her one-year-old child was still there. But the station was overwhelmed with work at the time, and no one paid her any attention. The station chief said it was just a common trick used by such women to escape. The situation around the rented room was complicated; once she broke free, it would be almost impossible to catch her again."
Chen Liang was momentarily stunned.
"You didn't go verify it?"
Zhou Guozhong shook his head.
"The chief was convinced the prostitute was plotting a trick. By the time we got off work that day, it was past ten o'clock. We simply didn't have the time or energy to deal with it. Early the next morning, I went to the neighborhood committee office in the area she mentioned and asked a staff member to check it out. As it turned out, the staff member only knocked on the door, heard no movement inside, and left it at that. None of us imagined that the child had simply cried himself to sleep from hunger."
Chen Liang thought of a horrifying outcome, his voice trembling slightly.
"And then?"
Zhou Guozhong sighed.
"A young life, just like that, gone."
"What about the prostitute?"
Zhou Guozhong remained silent for a moment before continuing.
"That woman was sentenced to three years of re-education through labor. After completing her sentence and being released, she learned of her daughter's death. It is said that when the child was found, only dried bones remained. She completely transformed into a serial killer. In less than five years, she used various cruel methods to murder more than twenty of our comrades and innocent civilians. In the end, it was I who caught her with my own hands and sent her to the execution grounds."
Chen Liang was speechless. Such an event completely exceeded his imagination; for a moment, he did not know what to say.
Zhou Guozhong extinguished his cigarette butt.
"In those days, local affairs were a complete mess, and there were only a handful of people at the station. We genuinely lacked the capacity to verify such matters. Because there really were many people who tried to escape using those exact methods, and many succeeded. But things are different now. We still have the power to change certain outcomes. Regarding Hu Delu's confession this time, we will omit the ten thousand yuan, and I will sign my name. A month from now, after her daughter's surgery, I will personally deliver the complete confession to the municipal bureau. Whether I get stripped of my uniform or lose my position, I will shoulder the responsibility alone."

Hu Delu deliberately hit someone—that was murder, and the court would decide his sentence. But our law enforcement exists to combat criminals, not to manufacture another serial killer. That money was of shady origin to begin with; saving a child's eyesight cannot be considered a bad thing.
Having said this, Zhou Guozhong stared fixedly at Chen Liang. He was afraid Chen Liang would disagree and blow the whistle.
Instead, Chen Liang grew so furious that the veins on his neck bulged.
"Are you the only one with high political consciousness? Am I not human? The procedure requires two signatures on the confession to be valid. I'll sign too."
Zhou Guozhong smiled and gave Chen Liang a hearty pat on the shoulder. The two of them returned to the interrogation room.
By this time, Hu Delu was on the verge of a breakdown.
"Comrade police, government officials, I beg you, save my daughter. I know I was wrong. I committed a crime, and I accept my punishment. But the doctor said that if my daughter doesn't have surgery soon, she will go blind this year. I'll do whatever you want me to do, as long as you let my daughter have her surgery. I killed someone, so I'll pay with my life. You can execute me tomorrow; I confess to my crimes."
Zhou Guozhong pressed his palm down gently and said coldly, "This confession will not mention the money you received. Sign it."
Hu Delu jerked his head up, looking at Zhou Guozhong's eyes in disbelief.
Zhou Guozhong nodded.
Tears instantly streamed down Hu Delu's face. Suddenly, he remembered something.
"Government officials, Cheng Mofeng has a mistress at No. XX, XX Road, Nanshikou. If he isn't home, he will be at his mistress's place."
A flash of joy crossed Zhou Guozhong's face.
"Report the latest situation to the municipal bureau immediately and arrest Cheng Mofeng as soon as possible."
His gaze drifted toward the direction of Taihe City. From Tian Miao's brief description, he knew how terrifying and heinous this matter was. And at this moment, Li Qi's life or death remained unknown. Capturing Cheng Mofeng quickly and obtaining a crucial confession was the only way to round up everyone behind the organ trafficking ring.
The ambulance wailed through the cold winter wind. One of the nurses administered a sedative to Li Qi.
The other nurse asked, "Sister Zhang, will this dosage be enough? What if he wakes up halfway through?"
The nurse addressed as Sister Zhang shook her head.
"Xiao Li, you don't understand the situation. Dean Wang said that the patient won't be going into the ICU; he'll be taken straight to the operating room. Once we get the family member's signature, the anesthesia will be administered immediately. Giving him too much sedative now would have some side effects on his organs. This young man is in remarkably good physical shape. He didn't fracture any bones or suffer internal bleeding despite being hit like that; things are going much smoother than we anticipated."
Xiao Li fell silent, simply gazing slightly dazed at Li Qi's face. Sometimes she couldn't help wondering if what she was doing was somewhat heartless. But every trip earned her a thousand yuan. Relying on this income, she had bought a mink coat two years ago, along with a watch, the most popular cashmere sweaters from the south, and little lambskin boots. Thinking of the envious looks from her surrounding relatives and friends, she brushed away all her lingering doubts. This was an arrangement made by the bigwigs up top; if she didn't do it, someone else would. So what wrong had she committed? She could only blame these people for having bad luck.
Meanwhile, at Hospital 203, a small car drove straight up to the administrative building. Wang Yue and Li Jiangman hurried out and headed directly for the vice president's office.
Wang Defa was already waiting for them.
Wang Yue beamed with joy.
"Dean Wang, have all the arrangements been made?"
In his fifties, Wang Defa was slightly bald, with a round, greasy face. He looked plump and chubby, somewhat unattractive and balding. He grabbed Wang Yue's hand and stroked it gently.
"Sister-in-law, don't you worry. The operating room is all set, and I've already had someone prep your son for surgery. The chief surgeon is Director Liu Xianming; he has performed hundreds of kidney transplants over the years and is the most authoritative expert in this field."
Wang Defa's hand felt sticky. Wang Yue felt a surge of discomfort, as if being coiled around by a snake, but for her son's sake, she endured it. Without leaving a trace, she withdrew her hand and said with a smile, "This whole affair relies entirely on Dean Wang's efforts. Rest assured, I've already arranged for your nephew to go abroad. The Xinyang Group, which collaborates with our municipal government, has an overseas study delegation next month. Your nephew can go process his onboarding tomorrow."
Wang Defa laughed heartily.
"Splendid! Director Wang's administrative style is as decisive and efficient as ever."
Full of contempt in her heart, Wang Yue thought to herself: *What old lech.* He wasn't any nephew at all; it was a son born to him by one of his mistresses on the side. Over the past few years, Wang Defa had already sent several children abroad through various connections—all offspring he had scattered about.
Seeing that Wang Defa was pleased, Wang Yue cut straight to the point.
"Let's call Li Qi's older brother, Li Peng, right now. Tell him to come over and sign. As soon as Li Qi is brought in, start the surgery immediately and carve out his kidney."