Siheyuan came through and sent Jia Zhang to prison

Time passed day by day, and a month slipped away in the blink of an eye.

He Feng was organizing documents in his office when the phone on his desk suddenly rang. He answered it and heard his superior's voice: "He Feng, the decision regarding Zheng Qiang's punishment has been made."

The person on the other end of the phone explained the result. He Feng held the receiver, unable to say a word, and could only listen silently. Finally, he replied, "I understand," before slowly hanging up the phone.

The initial intention was to execute Zheng Qiang outright—given the immense damage he caused as an inside agent. However, considering his many commendable deeds throughout his life: his early years fighting Japanese pirates, leaving him with numerous scars; and his later work as a policeman, solving many major cases and saving countless lives, his merits and demerits were balanced, and he was ultimately sentenced to forty years in prison.

He Feng knew in his heart that forty years in prison was not a light sentence, but compared to execution, it was still a life spared. He couldn't say whether he felt relieved or burdened by the outcome; he just felt a tightness in his chest. He didn't plan to tell anyone; he would keep it buried in his heart and there was no need for others to gossip about it.

Just as he was getting annoyed, the phone on the table rang again. He Feng thought it was still about Zheng Qiang, so he picked up the receiver and asked, "Boss, is there anything else you need?"

“It’s hard to explain over the phone,” the superior’s voice was somewhat serious. “He Feng, take some men and go to the Mining Bureau now. Their director has some business to attend to and needs your support. Remember to bring a lot of men; it’s not a small matter.”

He Feng's heart skipped a beat, knowing that something serious must have happened—otherwise, his superiors wouldn't be in such a hurry to transfer people. He immediately stood up, opening his mouth to call out "Zheng...", but the words suddenly stopped.

Yes, Zheng Qiang is no longer here.

He composed himself and turned to Zhao Lei, who was organizing files beside him: "Zhao Lei, bring a few men and come with me."

Zhao Lei looked up, puzzled. "Director, where are we going?"

“Mining Bureau,” He Feng said, picking up his coat from the back of his chair. “You’ll find out what it’s about when we get there. Get ready, we’re leaving in ten minutes.”

"Okay!" Zhao Lei didn't dare to ask any more questions and immediately got up to greet the people.

At this moment, Ma Xin came out of the next office, holding a newly organized case file in her hand. Seeing He Feng standing in the corridor with several police officers giving instructions, she immediately showed just the right amount of concern on her face and quickly stepped forward to ask, "Chief, judging from this setup, are you going on a mission? Do you have enough manpower? If you need my help, just let me know."

He Feng turned to look at her and briefly explained the phone call from the mining bureau: "The mining bureau just called and said there's an emergency and they want me to come over." He frowned slightly at the end, his tone uncertain, "They didn't go into details about what it is, only that the situation is a bit special and it would be best if I went in person."

Upon hearing this, Ma Xin nodded, a perfectly measured hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes. She looked up at He Feng and said sincerely, "Director He, how about I go with you? I haven't been here long, so this would be a good opportunity to see how the mining bureau operates and learn more about things at the grassroots level. Maybe I can even help with any technical issues we encounter."

He Feng still harbored a subtle, almost imperceptible, suspicion about Ma Xin—after all, she had only been with the bureau for less than three months. Although her professional skills seemed good, his background wasn't fully understood, and she always acted with an overly composed and experienced air. But then he thought that the mining bureau mostly handled production safety inspections or mediation of disputes between miners, so he figured nothing major would go wrong. Bringing her along would be good for her to familiarize herself with the work, so he nodded and agreed, "Okay, let's go together. It'll be good for you to understand the actual situation at the grassroots level, so you'll be more confident in handling related cases in the future."

Afterwards, He Feng, accompanied by Ma Xin and followed by Zhao Lei and three or four other police officers, got into a police car and headed towards the Mining Bureau. On the way, the street scenes outside the car window flashed by, gradually transitioning from the bustling city center to an industrial area filled with factories, the air faintly smelling of coal dust. He Feng gazed out the window, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on his knee—the Mining Bureau had always been a key unit in the city, with strict security and management. Unless something particularly difficult and sensitive had occurred, they would never have been in such a hurry to call the Public Security Bureau. What could be so urgent that they wouldn't even elaborate over the phone?

When the car arrived at the entrance of the mining bureau, a man was already waiting there. He was about forty years old, tall, wearing faded dark blue overalls with coal dust on the cuffs and trouser legs. His face bore the marks of years of working in the mining area; his skin was dark, and his hands were rough like old tree bark. Seeing He Feng get out of the car, he immediately strode forward, extending his large hand: "Director He, are you? I'm Jiang Hu from the mining bureau. I've heard of you before."

He Feng grasped his hand, feeling the other's palm was both hard and warm, covered with thick calluses. He nodded and said, "That's right, I'm He Feng. Director Jiang, no need to be so polite. I wonder what's wrong that you specifically called us here?"

Jiang Hu's smile faded slightly, and his expression became serious. He turned to the side and gestured invitingly, "Director He, this is not the place to talk. There's too much gossip going on. Let's go to my office to discuss this in detail. It's quiet there."

He Feng turned to Zhao Lei behind him and instructed, "You guys go with the comrades from the mining bureau to the conference room and wait a bit. Have some water and rest. I'll be right back." After saying that, he looked at Ma Xin and said, "You come with me." He thought to himself that Ma Xin was a woman, and it would be inevitable that she would feel awkward being squeezed into a conference room with a group of men. In addition, he also wanted to take this opportunity to observe her reaction in unfamiliar environments and when facing unexpected situations, so he made this decision.

Upon entering Jiang Hu's office, a faint smell of coal mingled with the aroma of strong tea. The office was small and simply furnished: a wooden table with peeling paint, two old rattan chairs, and a few potted green plants growing fairly well on a metal cabinet in the corner, adding a touch of life to the industrial space. Just as Jiang Hu was about to turn around to pour water, He Feng raised his hand to stop him: "Director Jiang, don't bother with that. Let's get down to business first. You called us here in such a hurry, so it must be something important."

Jiang Hu's gaze unconsciously fell on Ma Xin, with a hint of hesitation and inquiry, clearly considering whether he should say certain things in front of outsiders.

He Feng understood, a calm smile appearing on his face. He explained, "This is Ma Xin, a technical expert from our bureau. She's very capable and meticulous. She might be a great help in analyzing the situation later. Don't hold back; she's one of us." This was both to reassure Jiang Hu and let him speak with peace of mind, and also to subtly imply to Ma Xin that he was willing to trust her for the time being.